Chapter 2 Venturing into uncharted grounds

The forest was thick with shadows as Ava ran, her heartbeat echoing in her ears. She didn't know where she was going, only that she had to get as far away as possible before anyone noticed she was gone. The Viridian Moon pack's land stretched wide, but beyond it, the world was unfamiliar to her. That was the point. She had to disappear, to start a new life where no one knew her name, her lineage, or the expectations placed on her shoulders.

Her beautiful dress dragged through the mud as she moved, slowing her down. Frustration bubbled inside her, and with a sharp tug, she ripped off part of the gown, tossing the delicate fabric to the forest floor. It didn't matter anymore. The girl who was supposed to wear that dress, the silent yet dutiful Luna, was going to disappear tonight. She had to.

Swiftly, she shifted into her wolf form, a beautiful black creature with eyes the colour of the moon. She had never been more grateful for her wolf's colour like tonight, the colour which enabled her to blend with the shadows. Running in her wolf form was faster, easier, and more freeing than she had ever felt before. She wasn't sure if it was due to the adrenaline coursing through her veins at being reckless and the hope of freedom or if it was due to the fear of being caught mid-way, but her senses sharpened as she darted through the trees, guided by instinct alone.

Vera, her wolf, was not pleased that she had made the choice to take them away from their mate, so she spoke through their bond. "Girl, I love you, but what you're doing doesn't sit well with me. Is this why you didn't let me meet our mate?" Ava knew she owed her wolf an explanation, but this wasn't the time for that conversation. They were running away from their wedding and responsibilities, which was a cowardly thing to do, but she couldn't help it. She knew if she stopped to explain the situation to Vera, she might back out and return. And it was already too late for that. They had arrived at the border between their pack and another realm full of different creatures, so she blocked Vera from her mind.

Slowing down to analyse the border security patrol for the night, relief flooded Ava's system when she saw them. They were all wolves her age or slightly older, and they looked carefree and relaxed. It seemed the high-ranking wolves were at the banquet, celebrating the prospect of her union to Rustyn, leader and Alpha of the Falu Red pack, the mere thought of them celebrating happily knowing fully well she wanted to be alpha made her roll her eyes mentally. There were about seven patrol guards in total, gathered around a bonfire looking all joyous, it seemed everyone was happy celebrating the union-except her which was odd to her since she was the bride.

Their position meant the other side of the wall would be free, and even if it wasn't, she was confident she could take them all down. All those years of training weren't for nothing. But there was one issue-they were on the right side of the border, and the left side wasn't the safest way to travel. There were stories of people who had gotten lost within realms after leaving through the left. She sighed in frustration realizing this young patrol knew exactly what they were doing by sitting on the right side. Ava stood calculating her options and non-seemed favourable so she had to choose that which she considered the lesser evil, if she fought them, they might raise an alarm and it would take approximately five minutes for the backup team to be there and that was enough time for her to go over the border but it wouldn't be enough time to run far enough not to be caught and they would probably raise alarm to the next pack, so she decided against it, and as for the second option, only a fool would cross the border through the left side, but at this moment it seemed like the best option, no alarms would be raised, no fighting her own people and enough time to run and figure out where she was headed, giving it another brief thought, she decided she was ready to take the risk after all those were just rumours she thought. Realizing she couldn't do it on her own, she needed Vera's help, in times like this, she needed the only friend she had ever allowed herself to have, the friend given to every werewolf by the moon goddess, her wolf, so she opened the bond and spoke to her. "Vera, I'm really sorry I blocked you out, but I can't explain now. I promise I'll tell you everything if we survive this. I want us to take the left side of the border, but I can't do this on my own. I need us to be connected, because we're stronger together."

As much as Vera was mad at Ava, she knew she was right. Crossing the left border was no easy feat. They had all heard the horror stories, and she loved Ava too much to leave her alone. So, taking a deep breath and feeling the cold night air on their skin, and steeling herself against the fear in her heart, the beautiful black wolf sprinted into the night.

Ava was grateful for Vera's understanding, but even as she ran, a part of her could still feel the pull and connection to Rustyn, her fated mate. The bond between them tugged at her heart, a reminder of the life she was abandoning. But Ava gritted her teeth and pushed on. She thanked her stars she hadn't let him mark her. When he had asked, she'd told him they should wait until the wedding and coronation were over before deepening the bond, which made the pain from the mate bond bearable now that she was intentionally separating from him. She refused to let fate dictate her choices. Not now. Not ever.

Ava's breath came in ragged gasps as she continued to push forward. Her lungs burned with the effort, but the adrenaline coursing through her veins kept her moving. The forest was a maze of towering trees and tangled vines, each step a fight against the constraints of the life she was fleeing. The scent of damp earth and pine filled her nostrils, mingling with the faint metallic tang of her own sweat. She stumbled over a hidden root, nearly falling, but caught herself at the last moment.

Her heart pounded with the rhythm of her flight, and the sounds of the forest seemed to close in around her. Every rustle of leaves, every snap of a twig heightened her sense of danger. She didn't know where they were or how far they had gone from the border, but she could feel her strength-and Vera's-weakening. It felt like they had been running for years and yet dawn never came. But determined, she pushed forward. Then, like a fog, her vision became clouded, and the last thing she remembered was changing into her human form while shielding her head from the impact of the fall.