Eden pov
As promised, once midnight rolled around, I snuck out of my cell and went to the old man at the end of the hall. I spent hours pondering ideas how to unlock his cell just to be met with the surprise that his cell had never been locked.
I helped him out and led him to my little space to grab the backpack. He was right, the poor man really was old and had difficulty moving, but since I promised to get him out of here, I didn’t let him convince me to leave him behind.
The pack was sound asleep when we got to the top of the stairs and opened the door to the main area of the building. Not everyone, though, as we heard some voices in the distance.
I glanced at the old man and nodded towards a darker corner. “You stay here, I’ll sneak into the kitchen and grab some food for us. Don’t question me, I know what I’m doing,” I whispered.
He didn’t look too pleased, but did as I told him. As I snuck into the kitchen and grabbed some fruits from the pantry along with dry foods we could cook needing only a pot, water and fire, I reminded myself I should steal a pot and at least two spoons.
The thought held me back a little, but that had to be a blessing from a Goddess because while I went through stuff in the pantry, someone entered the kitchen.
“He marked me. Can you imagine the humiliation Asher escaped by rejecting her and claiming me as his mate?” My step-sisters' voice startled me.
I didn’t care about the man who rejected me, but I would be a liar if I claimed her statement didn’t sting. He didn’t care about me. This was enough proof for my decision to leave become final.
“I heard he went to the cells to see the runt. Aren’t you scared he might want to keep her as a side piece? A mistress of a sort? I mean, we all have heard that sex with your mate is supposed to be the best sex ever. Let’s face it, Asher is an Alpha and those men aren’t known for self-control.” Another voice joined the discussion.
I felt sick to my stomach listening to them. Not only because of the ridiculous suggestions, but also at how easy it was for them both to talk about others and their personal lives like this.
“Ha,” Kayla laughed. “I wouldn’t care if he tried to keep the halfbreed as his side piece, really. I would do the same with my mate, problem solved. Besides, she’s more human than she could be one of us, imagine how easy it would be for Asher to break her. He has no idea how to deal with someone so breakable - he could try to choke her during the deed and kill her.” She explained.
Bile rose in my throat. All of them were so cruel, I couldn’t believe how good they were at hiding their true colors to outsiders.
“Whatever, Kayla, just be careful. You two might piss off the Moon Goddess with this stunt, you know,” the other voice mumbled.
“Yeah, like I care. First of all, she’s probably too old to bother. And honestly, if she didn’t want us to break mate bonds, she shouldn’t have given us free will. The Goddess can get fucked for all I care, I will get away with this regardless. Besides, if there will be any consequences, mom will get me out of trouble using the runt’s money.”
They both laughed and left the kitchen. My hands shook, but I still managed to stay quiet as I grabbed the pot and the spoons before leaving the kitchen.
With no one in sight, I ran to my new friend, wrapped my arm around his waist and helped him walk toward the exit of the pack house. We were literally in front of the goal when we heard some arguing and shouting from upstairs.
“You can see her tomorrow, Asher!” Kayla screamed.
“No, now,” the Alpha growled.
My body froze as the old man looked at me in pure panic. I shook my head. “She will hold him back, I know she will, but we need to leave now,” I whispered.
The lovebirds kept arguing as we left the house and went down the massive stairs in front of it. I looked around, just to make sure no one was near us and pointed a finger in the direction we had to leave. “There, that’s the blind spot of the midnight patrol. I know they all drank during dinner, so they won’t bother to check even if they catch our scents.”
“Are you sure? Maybe we should wait a little longer and go then? You heard that man, dear, he wants to see you. What if he goes down there and doesn’t see you while we’re still in the territory?”
He had some valid points, but in this situation, we wouldn’t know if we didn’t try.
“I’m willing to take the risk,” I muttered and looked at him to add. “Are you?”
Although we didn’t know each other, something that flashed in his eyes was enough for me to know that we were in this together. The corner of his lip twitched as he nodded his head and we didn’t hesitate to head towards our freedom.
There was no saying if we could make it, but again, if we didn’t try…
By the time we approached the forest line, I held my breath, listening to the sounds of nature. If the patrol wolves were near, I needed to hear them to avoid them, the same as I had to listen in to what was happening behind our backs.
If my new ally was right, the Alpha planned to go down to the cells to look for me, so the moment we will hear an outraged growl, we will know he will discover my absence.
As if the thought crossed both of our minds, we added a step as we hurried through the forest toward the pack border.
“I still think you should have left me behind, I’m getting tired and won’t be able to walk for long. Especially this fast,” he whispered.
Panic surged through me as I overheard something in the distance. Those had to be patrol wolves and surely enough, the luck wasn’t on our side. They were heading in our direction.
Eden pov“Leave me and run. You have a bigger chance to get out of here alone. Head to North, that’s where you will find a safe shelter. Run and don’t look back.” Although his words were barely louder than a whisper, they held so much power, bravery and selflessness I knew I couldn’t leave him behind. A person, who was willing to put his own safety in jeopardy deserved salvation as much as I did. I knew we couldn’t outrun the patrol or fight them off, but what we could do was use anything we could to our advantage. I looked around and tried to figure out which route would be the best. So far nothing worked like I had planned, but somehow, the very thing I feared the most turned out to be the distraction I needed. The growl I expected was so powerful, it might have shaken the ground around the pack house. The sound alerted the patrol and they instantly took off towards the building, leaving us behind. I glanced at the old man and grinned. “Think you could run until we get over the
Eden povWhat was the chance that two people who managed to escape hell kept running into more danger? Seriously, fate? Ever since I turned twenty-one, every step I took brought more danger. Like a never ending tale of misery.And now, I was fearing that the misfortune of my life might stick to Richard. He was a nice old man who didn’t bother anyone, and because of me, he was in danger. I had no idea how he was treated by the pack members, but if it weren’t for my insistence to run away, Richard would have a roof over his head. Oh, yeah, and he wouldn’t stand near a forest fire, a detail I shouldn’t forget. “Where?” I asked once I got back to my senses. Unlike me, although old, Richard was a werewolf and his senses were way better. I bet he could smell the smoke from miles away while I could notice that only if the fire was very close. “Close,” he muttered and scrunched up his nose. I watched Richard as he closed his eyes and let out a silent ‘shh’ sound. I held my breath while R
Lucius povFrom the moment we stepped on this territory, I knew the underground market was worse than my spies reported. Every building we passed was another orphanage or hospital. There was no way that a pack with such wealth and infrastructure as this one claimed to have had nothing but abandoned children and injured warriors. “They lied,” Titus, my second in command, whispered. I nodded my head, letting my eyes roam the surroundings. All suspicions aside, what had my senses alerted was that by now, I had counted thirteen orphanages, but no schools and there wasn’t even one playground for the pups they claimed lived here. Not only did this place look suspicious, but it also had a stench of something I couldn’t put in words. I felt like I stood in the center of everything wicked, cruel and malicious.Worst of all, the feeling sunk deeper and rooted itself when a very pregnant looking woman wobbled her way towards us. She had a wide smile across her lips, but her eyes were empty,
Lucius povThe moment Titus ran away, the so-called Luna slowed down until we walked side by side. She did her best to rub herself against me. When she tried to place her hand in mine, I took a step to the side and glared at her. Maybe she understood me, maybe not, but once she opened her mouth, I realized she was very well aware of everything she was doing. “Oh, don’t be like that. I’m somewhat human and loneliness without my Alpha around has its toll on me. I just want some company.” Sure, to someone else, she might sound like a lonely woman, but in my eyes, she was nothing but a power-hungry mutt. She didn’t have an Alpha, she wasn’t a Luna and there was no saying whose child she was carrying. If she was carrying any. “I will show you the Alpha suite. You will fall in love with the bed, it’s so comfortable, like clouds,” she beamed as she opened the door to the massive building and let me inside first. Just like in the rest of the territory, I didn’t hear any sounds. If there w
Lucius povMy heart started racing while I couldn’t suck in a breath. Titus, the forever observant asshole, noticed the change in my demeanor within seconds. He shoved the man he was holding in a headlock towards one of the warriors and ran to my side. Titus tossed my arm around his shoulders as if he feared I might lose my footing. “Lucius, what is it? Are you getting worse?” He whispered the second question to ensure my men didn’t hear him. I shook my head as I struggled to fight Xabat’s attempts to grasp the control. If the hothead were to succeed, he would surely scare our mate away and I wasn’t willing to risk it. The Goddess had forgiven the family sins, she had granted me a soulmate, I was willing to go down in flames along this place if it meant I could keep her. “Mate,” I choked out, only for Titus to hear. We had once discussed the possibility and the risks that were most likely to follow, especially with the brainless fool that resided within me. “Xabat, calm the fuck
Eden povLazily, I blinked awake and realized I needed to use the bathroom really badly. The thought of running around the forest to find an area I could use sickened me, but it was what it was until we found a proper living space, I had to suck it up. Only… That wasn’t quite the case. I had no idea where I was, but there was a weight pressing me down into something soft beneath me and it felt like limbs were tossed over my body. On top of that, whatever was obviously lying nearly on top of me was so hot, my clothes were sticking to my skin, I was drenched in sweat. Holding my breath, I tried to wiggle out of the vice-like grip someone or something had on me. It stirred and I froze while my heart was beating against my ribcage at such speed, I feared it might stop any moment. Then, came the sharp intake of breath and deep, husky voice. “Where do you think you are going?” A man asked. My head was spinning - where was I and why did I sleep next to a complete stranger? The surviva
Eden povAs the water hit my skin, a sigh of relief left my lips. I couldn’t remember the last time I had a proper shower, or to be fair, any shower. I spent years using a bucket of semi-dirty water and a rag to wash myself, so this feeling truly was like an out of this world experience. Since Lucius told me I could use the shower, I doubted if I could use any of the products lined along the wall, so I stuck to a bar of soap. When I looked down and noticed how dirty was the water that disappeared down the drain, I understood why he was mumbling about changing the sheets - I was, in fact, filthy. By the time I stepped out of the shower, the bathroom was filled with steam and my skin was bright red. Then, I noticed that there was a neatly folded towel left next to the sink basin. I frowned at it - when did someone enter the bathroom? Did they see me… naked? The very thought of anyone seeing me exposed like this terrified me, so I grabbed the towel and quickly wrapped it around my b
Eden povNo matter how hard I tried to make sense of his words, I still couldn’t understand why this man kept addressing me as his mate. Then, there was the detail that nagged me - Diana addressed me as majesty and Lucius as the King. Did that mean I was in the presence of the King himself? No, it couldn’t be. My guess would be that Lucius was someone crazy rich pretending to be the King, not the man himself. No one really knew much about the King besides the things that were common knowledge. For example: he was a crazed maniac, extremely powerful, literally a one man army no other supernatural could take down. There was a reason why the King ruled over everyone. He wasn’t the King of werewolves or shifters, no, he was the King of supernaturals and everyone feared him more than death for the man was the one who brought it, slowly and painfully. Even the Elders Council didn’t hold half as much power as the King. That man was above everything and everyone, close to a God of a sort.