Chapter 4 Broken Link

Aella

My room feels different tonight, like it's aware of the secrets it's holding. The house is quiet, not even the creak of a floorboard or the distant murmurs of nocturnal pack members going about their business.

It's as though even the walls are holding their breath, complicit in my defiance and aware of my plans. The moon is my only companion, casting a pale glow through the curtains and onto the floor.

It has been three weeks since I started hatching this plan, and now I am putting it in place.

Moving carefully, I pull the hidden duffel bag from the depths of my closet and start to refill it with essentials-a change of clothes, some toiletries, and a few snacks. I reach under my bed and pull out a hidden stash of cash I'd been saving for emergencies.

This feels like an emergency.

Shoving the cash into a small purse, I place it next to a knife in the bag. The cold steel feels heavy in my hand before I let it go, a grim promise of the threats that lie ahead in the world I'm so desperate to join.

Before closing the bag, my gaze lands on a framed picture on my dresser. It's a picture of my mother, her smile forever caught in a happier moment, long before she was taken from us. My eyes meet her frozen gaze, and my voice breaks the night's silence.

"I hope you understand, Mom," I whisper, tears brimming in my eyes as I pick up the frame. A lump forms in my throat, but I push it down. There's no room for weakness now. A single tear escapes, splashing onto the wooden frame as if sealing my silent promise to her.

Closing the bag, I sling it over my shoulder and move towards the window. My hand hovers over the latch, trembling. A voice in my head screams caution, reminding me of the monumental risk I'm taking.

The aftershocks of my departure could cause turmoil, even spark a war between packs. And what about my father? Would he see this as the ultimate betrayal, or would he finally understand the gilded cage he'd built around me?

I could be endangering them all, trading their safety for my freedom.

As these thoughts flood my mind, I feel myself shrinking back, my hand pulling away from the latch as if it were hot. But then, a surge of emotions drowns out my doubts-fear, excitement, and a fierce, burning resolve.

At this crossroads between the known and the unknown, the unknown beckons more invitingly than it ever has.

My hand steadies. With a muted click, the latch is undone, the window pushed open. Cool air floods the room, as if inviting me to my new life. It's now or never.

My pulse is a relentless drumbeat in my ears as I slip through the open window, landing lightly on the balls of my feet. The world outside is a tapestry of shadows and silhouettes under the cold moonlight.

For a moment, I'm paralyzed, every instinct screaming at me to go back inside, to adhere to the comfort of conformity. But my resolve snaps me back to reality, and with a deep breath to steady myself, I break into a brisk run.

My bag bounces lightly on my back as I make my way around the mansion, skirting the manicured lawns and elegant sculptures that have always signified home. Now, they only seem to taunt me, silent witnesses to my midnight rebellion.

I aim for the tree line of the sprawling forest that serves as a natural boundary to our territory. Once I cross that, I'll be in uncharted land, away from the prying eyes of my pack.

My heightened senses are both a blessing and a curse. I can hear the distant chatter of guards near the mansion's perimeter, their laughter riding the wind. The scent of their humanity laced with their wolfish undertones brushes past my nose. But I have studied them over the past few weeks; they don't give a damn about 'keeping guard' after 11pm.

I duck behind an opulent fountain, statue angels pouring an endless stream of water. My heart is pounding so loudly in my chest I'm convinced they can hear it- and they would if they weren't talking so much. Then they pass by, chatting and oblivious. I wait until their footsteps fade into soft echoes before emerging from my hiding place.

I'm almost to the forest line when I sense it-another presence. It's neither human nor wolf but something in between, a tracker.

Panic surges within me; trackers are the pack's specialized force, equipped to seek and find. If anyone could locate me, it would be them. The scent is faint but unmistakable, and it's drawing near.

I glance around frantically and spot a copse of bushes ahead. I dive in, my breaths shallow and quick. Through the gaps in the foliage, I see a figure approaching. He's moving silently, a shadow among shadows, his eyes scanning the landscape meticulously.

I recognize him; it's Victor, one of our most skilled trackers. He pauses, lifting his head, and I know he's caught a whiff of my scent and my heart sinks.

Then, as if on cue, a rabbit bursts from the bush beside me and darts across Victor's path. Startled, he looks in the direction of the fleeing animal, then shakes his head, muttering to himself.

Apparently deciding it was a false alarm, he turns and retreats in the opposite direction. I suppress a sigh of relief; the universe seems to be conspiring in my favor tonight.

I take the opportunity to continue towards the forest, but I've barely taken ten steps when a voice breaks the stillness of the night.

"Aella, what are you doing?"

I freeze. The voice is close, too close, and drenched in a soft-spoken authority- Marcus, my guard.

"What are you running from?" he asks, stepping into the moonlight.

I look into his eyes, searching for a clue, an inkling of his intentions. All I find is an odd blend of sadness and understanding, as though he's seen too much yet understands even more.

"I could ask you the same," I retort, my voice filled with desperation, hoping I am not giving my intentions away. But he sees right through me.

"Your actions tonight could lead you down a path with no happy endings," he warns, shaking his head. "This will not only impact your life, but the entire pack, Aella."

"Maybe it's better than a life with no choices," I reply, my voice thick with emotion. For a second, something flickers in his eyes, but then it's gone. "My father doesn't need me for anything but to be a wife to some man who kills without remorse. This entire thing has shown me his true colors."

Marcus sighs, stepping back into the shadow. "I can't stop you, but remember, defying your Alpha is a risky venture."

His words hang in the air as he turns, melting away into the darkness as quietly as he came. I'm left standing there, my heart pounding in my chest, my mind racing a thousand miles a minute.

Why did he let me go? What is his agenda here? But I have no time to think about it, I need to get going!

Finally, I make it to the tree line, plunging into the forest's green embrace. The canopy overhead swallows the moonlight, but my wolf's instincts guide me through the tangled underbrush. My footsteps are muffled by the damp earth as I navigate deeper into the labyrinth of towering trees and thick foliage.

I pause only once to look back, my eyes finding the distant silhouette of the pack mansion. A single howl fills the air, an emotional aria that speaks of farewells and new beginnings. With that, I face forward and quicken my pace, my body surging with a mix of adrenaline and fear, and perhaps, a sliver of hope.

I'm no longer a mere pawn in someone else's game. Whatever lies ahead-capture, freedom, or something else entirely-I'm ready to face it. My escape might not have the fairy tale ending I'd once dreamed of, but at least it's a story of my own making.