Chapter 5 The Only Choice She Never Had

Aella

My escape from the pack feels like a dream, a vivid haze of adrenaline and fear. After three days on a bus with strangers, none the wiser about my origins or my destination, I find myself in Seattle.

The city greets me with its iconic skyline, each building a monument to human ingenuity and defiance. For a moment, as the bus nears its final stop, I marvel at how different this concrete jungle is from the natural terrains of my previous life.

As I disembark, I pull my hood over my face to ensure that I remain anonymous. The sheer amount of smells in the atmosphere is causing my wolf senses to be overwhelmed, with a blend of gasoline and grease, as well as the sea-salted air.

My eyes catch on a grunge band poster, its vibrant colors a contrast to the dull grays and browns of my old world. This is not just another chapter in my life; it's an entirely different book.

I head straight to the hotel I had booked two days prior. The lobby is nondescript, a mix of burnt amber and creams, but what it lacks in style it makes up for in anonymity. I pay in cash and the receptionist hands me a key card with a tired smile, completely unaware that I'm a stranger in my own skin.

In the solitude of my hotel room, I unbag my life-literally. Forty thousand dollars in cash, saved up from odd jobs and errands over the years, lies within the duffel bag. I stash it in the room safe, double-checking the combination before locking it.

I pull out my burner phone and begin scrolling through apartment listings, finding a small studio apartment not too far from downtown, and it's available immediately. The virtual tour shows me it's perfect for me; furnished and not too small or too big.

As I quickly confirm all the details and make arrangements for an immediate move-in, my heart begins to race with excitement.

The next thing on my agenda is a makeover. The local pharmacy offers hair dye, and soon I'm standing in front of the bathroom mirror, transforming my blonde locks into a shade of black as dark as night.

Then I look at my stash of brown, dull contacts to hide my heterochromia eyes; a dead giveaway if my father sends trackers after me.

I watch as my old identity washes away, spiraling down the drain with the soapy water. The perfume I spritz on afterwards is floral with a hint of musk, designed to mask my scent. I don't want to take any chances.

With a newfound sense of purpose, I step out onto the bustling streets of Seattle, my new apartment key in my pocket and a makeshift résumé in my bag. I walk a few blocks and find a charming café with a "Help Wanted" sign displayed in its window. I take a deep breath and push the door open, a bell tinkling softly overhead.

"Can I help you?" The manager, a young woman with a warm smile and an artistic flare evident from her colorful tattoos, greets me.

"I saw the sign. I'm interested in the job," I say, handing her my résumé.

She scans it quickly and looks up. "You're hired. When can you start?"

"Immediately."

Just like that, I'm a barista in a quaint Seattle café, a far cry from the expected life of a wolf pack's princess. It's empowering in its normalcy, and the smell of coffee, sweet pastries, and inked money becomes my new reality.

The fact that everything is going so easy for me since I arrived here, makes me wonder if I'm being watched after all. Did my father's trackers find me already, waiting to strike until I'm alone? I breathe out a sigh to calm myself down, but still keep my guard up.

After my short shift, I grab some takeout from a nearby food truck and head back to my apartment. The setting sun paints the sky in shades of red and orange, a fitting end to a transformative day.

I walk over to my window ledge/sofa and sit down to eat alone, finally letting out a deep breath after everything.

The view from my window is nothing short of breathtaking - a sprawling city that stretches out before me. A labyrinth of lights that glimmer and glow like stars in the night sky, filled with life and endless possibilities that are just waiting to be discovered by anyone who dares to dream big.

As I sit by there, a single tear rolls down my cheek. It's not one of sadness or regret, but of relief and acceptance. It's a new feeling for me, the weight of my own choices and the concrete evidence of the freedom I have been given.

Or rather, taken into my own hands.

I realize then that freedom isn't just the absence of bars or boundaries; it's the presence of opportunity, the capability to define your own destiny.

I know my father will hate me, but I find myself not caring at all. He didn't care about trading me off like a prized sheep; I had to do this for myself. I had to make this choice since I never had the luxury of choosing.

As I look out at the city, watching the night fall and the skyscrapers turn into constellations of electric stars, a sense of peace washes over me. The path ahead is uncertain, perhaps dangerous, but it's mine to navigate, with each step fueled by a resolve forged from defiance and courage.

My wolf instincts still lurk beneath the surface, reminding me of what I've left behind, but for the first time, I embrace the unknown with an open heart. A new chapter is unfolding, a story penned by my own hand.

I am convinced that my mother, wherever she is now, would be able to sympathize with me and understand my predicament.

In this city, I am Aella, no longer just a daughter or a woman betrothed to an unknown man. I am a young woman in a vast city, learning to belong to herself. And that, in itself, feels like a victory.

***

Roman

28 Years old / Alpha

I sit at my desk, a mass of mahogany and dark leather, drowning in reports, updates, and documents that require my immediate attention. The weight of leadership-of being Alpha-is no small burden, but one I carry willingly. It's what I was born to do.

The room smells of ancient books and aged whiskey, an atmosphere thick with authority. One wall is adorned with portraits of previous Alphas, a lineage of powerful men who ruled with an iron fist. Their eyes seem to watch me, expectant, as though urging me to maintain the order they painstakingly established.

I'm halfway through reading a report on the southern border skirmishes when the door bursts open. It's Kaden, my older brother and the pack's Beta. He's out of breath, his eyes wide with an urgency that instantly raises my hackles.

"Roman, you need to hear this," he blurts out.

I arch an eyebrow, displeased with the interruption. "This had better be important."

He swallows hard before blurting out the words. "Aella has run away. Her father just confirmed it. They found her room empty, window open. She's gone."

A surge of adrenaline pumps through my veins, my fists clenching involuntarily. Aella, my soon-to-be Luna, daring to run away? The very thought is preposterous, infuriating.

"Her father is apologetic, Ro. He's already sent out trackers. They are doing their best to-"

"Call them off," I snap, cutting him off mid-sentence.

"But-"

"Do it. Tell him to call off his trackers. Aella is my responsibility, and I will be the one to bring her back."

Kaden hesitates, clearly not understanding the magnitude of what has transpired. Aella isn't just a runaway. She's my future Luna, the woman destined to stand beside me, to solidify alliances and birth future leaders.

Her departure isn't just a familial issue; it's a direct challenge to my authority, a slap in the face that could embolden other packs, weaken our position.

"I said do it, Kade," I growl, my eyes locking onto his, letting the full force of my Alpha command settle in. "Just fucking leave it, I'll do it."

He nods, stepping out while looking uncomfortable. I suppose he's always been this way, seeing as I'm younger than him and the Alpha. But that's just it; in our family, it doesn't matter if you're the oldest.

It matters if you're born with the Alpha gene, and Kaden was skipped.

As he leaves, I pick up my phone and dial Aella's father. Alpha Leonardo of the Westlands Pack; the filthy fucking Italians I am forced to deal with because of the Cartels closing in. He picks up on the second ring.

"Roman, I-I can't apologize enough for-"

"Save your apologies," I cut in, my voice low with restrained anger. "Call off your trackers, Leonardo. I will find Aella. When I do, we will continue as planned, and this little incident will be nothing more than a minor hiccup."

A pause. I can almost hear him weighing his options, calculating the risks. Finally, he speaks, his voice laden with relief. "Very well. I trust you'll handle this appropriately."

"Rest assured I will drag her back to this pack if it's the last thing I do," I reply before hanging up without waiting for a response.

Setting the phone down, I lean back in my chair, my thoughts racing. It's not just the audacity of her escape that infuriates me; it's the underlying implication-that she believes she has a choice in the matter. That's what truly gets on my nerves.

I've worked too hard, sacrificed too much to let a young woman's whims jeopardize everything.

Aella may think she's just evading a future she didn't choose, but what she's really doing is challenging an established social order, undermining my authority. As far as I'm concerned, she's nothing more than a pawn in a much larger game, whether she likes it or not.

It's an insult, one that I cannot, and will not, tolerate.

I rise from my desk, staring out the window at the vast expanse of our territory, the forests and fields that have been passed down through generations of Alphas. This is my birthright, and Aella is an integral part of that, a means to an end.

She'll learn that, one way or another. She'll understand her place, even if I have to spend the rest of my life teaching her. And as for any notions of freedom, of choice-those will be nothing more than fantasies she'll have to relinquish.

I feel my wolf stir within me, equally agitated, equally eager to hunt. It senses the challenge, the affront to our authority, and it's raring to correct it.

Aella will be found and suffer the consequences of her actions. I'll bring her back to where she belongs-by my side. Forever.

Not because she wants to, but because she has to. And eventually, she will see that it's the only way, the only choice she never had.