6: The Same Fate

Alexa

“Are you some sort of courier for the Silver Moon Pack? Or maybe Alpha Gabriel ordered you to pick me up?” I asked Harlow on the bus. 

The man still had a stiff expression, his forehead furrowed. After three hours of travel, he still sat silently beside me, not answering a single one of my questions. His arms were crossed over his chest, and his eyelids remained closed, ignoring me. 

“Hey, where are we actually going? Are we going back to Silver Moon?” This time, I gently squeezed his arm. 

Once again, a jolt of electricity sparked from the touch of our skin. He jolted awake, and I reflexively backed off. His eyes widened, and he clicked his tongue in irritation. 

“Can you stop that?” he snapped at me. 

“That’s not me,” I shook my head innocently.

“Then stop talking,” he grumbled. 

Before he could close his eyes again, I leaned toward him. My head now turned, wedging my body between the narrow seat space. Without touching him, I asked him again. 

“At least answer me. Or are you planning to kill me and dump me in some deserted place?” 

He glared, his brows furrowing deeply. “If you don’t trust me, you can go on your own.” 

The bus slowed down just as Harlow spoke. Before I could respond to his words, he stood up from his seat, slung his backpack over his shoulder, and stepped off the bus. Though I was confused by all this, I skipped over through the bus and followed him off into the crowded bus terminal. 

“Where are you going?” I asked amidst the noisy clamor of passengers. 

Even so, Harlow continued to stride with wide steps. He left me alone, drowning among humans reeking of sweat mixed with the sour scent of chemical floral perfumes that stung. “Wait! Harlow!” 

I chased him, panted, and grabbed the back of his flannel shirt. Harlow jerked to a stop and turned around, his face still sour like his grumbling on the bus earlier. 

“Please, I’m confused,” I pleaded with a voice growing hoarse. “I want to return to Silver Moon, but I don’t know the way. Even if I go back, I know my stepmother and stepsister will kick me out. Alpha Gabriel doesn’t care about me either. On top of that…” 

My thoughts drifted back to the dungeon at Blood Moon Pack. The final roar of Alpha Alastair and his face, filled with vengeance, flashed before me. If I were captured again by him, I didn’t know if I could survive that torturous prison again. 

“Please, I don’t know where to go. Don’t leave me alone,” I pleaded. 

My forehead creased, and I was short of breath. The pain in my chest grew worse. I lowered my head, trying hard to dispel the thought that now I was alone. No one wanted to accept me. No one loved me anymore in this world. 

Harlow let out a long sigh. His head bowed, his eyelids shut. His hand ruffled his hair. 

“That’s why you should just keep quiet and follow without asking too much,” he said. “I used to be a servant in Alpha Gabriel’s packhouse.” 

Hearing his words, I raised my head. After struggling to get answers, he finally gave me some clarity. 

“So, you…” I mumbled, looking at his deep, dark eyes.

“I’m just a lone wolf now. Alpha Gabriel asked me to take you back. He knew it would be a suicide mission, considering Alpha Alastair’s ruthless act toward anyone who crosses him,” he explained in a calm tone, making me believe in him more. 

“Alpha Gabriel is calling in my debt of loyalty to his family. Plus, he promised me a five-figure reward. But seeing your condition now, I know you’ll be better off in another safe place, far from him or Alpha Alastair.” 

“Why? What made you change your mind?” I asked. 

Of course, the reward and the promise of repaying the debt of loyalty were things rogues sought after. The loyalty oath of a servant was a sacred thing to follow. That fact alone was enough for me to understand Harlow’s status as an Omega. 

Usually, descendants of Omega families served Alpha families. If Harlow truly had been a servant to Gabriel Scott’s family, it meant that this time he had defied his master, twice. He could be executed for it. 

As I shuddered at the potential consequences he might face for taking me away, he glanced at me. I felt awkward and didn’t know what to say. 

“Lycans were supposed to have gone extinct hundreds of years ago,” he said as he crouched down. 

I looked down at him. My eyes blinked as I saw him tying the laces of my sneakers. In that small gesture, I took a deep breath. The strong scent of mint and pine filled the air, restoring my trust in him. 

“The fact that we were born and survived is a blessing from the Moon Goddess. Or maybe a curse. Who cares? Besides, you can’t even control your wolf,” he said as he pulled the knot tight, securing my dirty black sneakers on my feet. 

“How do you know?” I gasped. 

“I can’t link with you through the mindlink,” he said, clicking his tongue. “Anyway, it seems we share the same fate. Now, we each have debts to pay to the Alphas. I chose to run and never look back. Start a new life.” 

He stood up straight, his dark eyes staring sharply into mine. His hand adjusted the position of his backpack. 

“It’s up to you,” he shrugged and turned to walk away, leaving me behind. 

Lycans should have gone extinct hundreds of years ago, but here I was with Harlow, a pair of Lycans without a pack. Surviving to protect ourselves. 

Maybe he was right. I shouldn’t look back anymore. My father was once revered as a wise Alpha, but since he passed away, I received nothing but ridicule and scorn from my stepmother and stepsister. My home was no longer a place of comfort. 

I was also disappointed with Alpha Gabriel. He didn’t save me himself and instead sent someone else to enter enemy territory alone to rescue me. 

What good was the Alpha title? Could I entrust my entire future to him if I were to become his mate? Definitely not. 

Sure, I still had the family inheritance I should have received, but considering how fate had turned, it no longer seemed valuable. Maybe there was still some hope for me if I were strong enough to survive outside any pack’s territory. 

“Wait for me!” I ran after Harlow, having made my decision.

Among all men, I would trust Harlow. Just once more, I would fight, just one more time. 

*** 

I stared at the three-story building in front of me. The building glittered with pink and purple lights lining its edges. Its appearance was vastly different from the mostly dark, uninhabited buildings on the city outskirts. I read the neon sign above the building. 

“Southern Star Club,” I muttered at the sign. 

“Well, you’ve arrived at a safe place. Goodbye.” Harlow waved his hand as my eyes widened. 

“Wait, are you going to leave me here alone?” I asked, my mouth agape. 

After I had just placed my trust in him? He was going to leave me at a nightclub in the middle of nowhere?