I swallow the lump in my throat, realizing I wasn’t alone after all. Mom has always been here for me. If only I had arrived earlier, maybe I wouldn’t feel so emotionally shattered. Because physical injuries might heal fast for me as a shifter, but emotional wounds are very different.
“Come with me?” I ask, hearing the desperation that laces the barely audible words I choke out.
She shakes her head, eyes brimming with sorrow. “I can’t. I wish I could, angel. So much, but your father’s loyalty to Aidan… it runs too deep. He could track me through the mate bond, and they’d find us both before we ever made it anywhere safe.” Her eyes shine with unshed tears as she grips my arms and stares into my eyes, letting me know how serious she is.
“What if Aidan is my mate?” I ask, voicing my fears as a shiver runs through my body.
“Then you have to get out of the country,” she answers grimly. “As far as you can. The further away you are; the harder it will be for him to trace you through the bond.”
I nod, letting her words sink in and mentally calculating how far I will need to travel. South to Mexico is still too close, and north to Canada is a long way to travel. The safest option would be to work and save up until I can fly further away. My mind races; weighing up the possibilities. Maybe somewhere in Europe. Now that Mom has given me more money, I might even have enough already if I can get a passport.
“You can’t ever tell me where you are, my love. It’s the only way to keep you safe.”
Bile rises in my throat as I see my mom in a new light. How much does she know and why is she so sure that my own father wouldn’t want to keep me safe?
“What about you, Mom? Will you be safe?”
“I’ll be fine my love, I’m old and mated. They aren’t interested in harming me.”
“I don’t understand. What aren’t you telling me?”
“There’s no time, darling. Go now, get as far away from this place as possible, andnevercome back. My number is in that phone, but don’t tell me where you are. Even if I ask.”
The next thing I know, my mom is pushing me out the door as tears roll down her face. I give her one last tight squeeze before walking away and leaving her behind forever. I’m in a daze as I move back towards the spot where I hid my backpack, skirting between the cabins that make up the warriors’ homes. But as I round the last cabin, I see Beta Elijah and two warriors gathered near where I left my backpack.
I swallow my gasp of shock by slapping my hand to my mouth. Stepping back out of their view, I lean back against one of the cabins. A frantic rhythm vibrates in my chest, a wild pulse threatening to explode from my ribs. I clench my trembling hands into fists in an attempt to control their shaking.
Maybe they just happened to be there.
Maybe they haven’t found it yet.
My thoughts race, jumping from one scenario to another as I consider the potential outcomes and consequences of my choice to say goodbye to Mom. Best-case scenario, they are between me and my bag and I’ll have to leave it behind. But no—the way they’re gathered, the way Elijah’s nose tilts to the air…
They know.
I’m such an idiot.
Okay, this is it, I tell myself. Time to pull out my big girl claws and make a break for it. Elijah might have already mindlinked Aidan by now. The warriors may already be on alert to look for me. If this plan doesn’t work, I will never get another chance. I’m sure of it. Aidan promised me what would happen if I ever tried to leave. Collars. Chains. A lifetime of captivity. He’ll lock me in the basement whenever he wants to go somewhere without me.
It wouldn’t be the first time.
The constant barrage of thoughts in my head is a relentless mental whirlwind. Making it nearly impossible to concentrate, leaving me scattered and overwhelmed. I might have become an anxious mess in the past couple of years, but this isn’t my anxiety talking. These are the exact promises Aidan made to me when I tried to break up with him two years ago.
My wolf snarls in my mind, letting me know she will help me get away. She has gotten more and more muted over the years I’ve been with Aidan. Our naturally submissive omega tendencies and need to be caring and supportive of others have been trampled over too much by him. He's worn us both down. But now we're ready to break free.
I take a silent step away from Elijah and the warriors until I’m far enough they won’t hear my bones cracking as I shift into my wolf form. Thankfully, the breeze is coming from the direction they are in, so they won’t pick up my scent. I strip off my clothes and stuff them and my shoes into the bag my mom gave me before calling on my wolf as I drop into her form.
Bones crack. Fur bursts forth from my skin. My nose and jaw elongate.
The scent of pine floods my sharpened senses.
My small white paws hit the ground, and I shake out my fur. My vision is clearer and the panic I felt moments ago has morphed into pure adrenaline surging through my veins. I pick up the bag in my mouth before taking off in a silent trot until I make it to the tree line. I glance back over my shoulder and scent the air. No sign of anyone nearby. I exhale a breath of relief, but don’t pause for long.
I sprint into the woods, running in a zigzagging formation and looping back every now and again to make it harder to track me. The forest blurs past in shades of green and brown. My goal is to get to the river six miles away. If I can get into the water, they will lose my scent. If I can keep my head above water, the phone my mom gave me will survive.
The howls of the hunt rise, urging me to race even faster. The sound that once filled me with excitement as a pup now slices terror along my spine. My lungs scream in protest, but I push myself to my limits. It has only been a minute or so and I curse myself for taking longer by running in loops.
The refreshing, clean scent of water beckons me forward. I know I’m close, but the sound of growling and paws pounding the ground behind me grows louder. I know I’ve run out of time to scale down safely towards the raging whitewater rapids of the ravine.
