Chapter 8 Escape into Darkness

Nova's Point of View.

Enough of your little games, we have a lot to discuss". His words sobered me up, erasing whatever tension remained in the room. He gestured his hand towards the set of plush chairs tucked in the corner of the office. I apprehensively took a seat close to the door. Vuk powered himself in the chair adjacent to me, linking his fingers together. He didn't waste time beating around the bush.

"Sarah is moving your stuff from the pack guest house. You will no longer be staying there". He said to me, looking at me. "And where will I be staying then?". I questioned, as I threaded my fingers together. "Back to the cell" I said. "I am not sending you back there, that place is for prisoners". He responded as his jaw tensed, most likely in annoyance.

"Is that not what I am", there was a pregnant pause before he replied "Not anymore". He gazed burnt holes in my flesh. "After the incident last night, I am not comfortable with you staying there". "So why will I be staying," I asked. A ghost smirk made its way onto his face as he replied, "My home, In my house".

His house, I exclaimed. It seems the plan will be executed earlier than I thought and, besides, I won't have to watch my neck when I want to use the bathroom. He told me to meet Aira as she would help me move my stuff.

I met Sarah on my way down the hallway. "Do you have a lovely morning miss". She asked me with a small smile. "I met Ava, she is lovely and nicer than your Alpha". I told her as we made our way down to the guest house.

The pack seems so normal and livelier than before. People walk by dressed in training clothing as they prepare for their training. Others seem to be enjoying their time while a group of young wolves are running around the clearing with two adults watching over them. No one would imagine that the Night shade's pack is just as normal as the other packs.

Sarah and I proceeded to VuK's house. There was nothing special about the house. I thought his house would be designed in gold and have like a status of himself in front of his house. The Alpha's house was a medium-sized cabin tucked behind a curved, oak tree. It didn't scream wealth, neither does it scream danger. It is just a warm and inviting house.

Sarah, hesitated to walk into his house, but after mind linking to confirm if we could enter, she ushered us in. The decor was all muted, natural and relatively minimalist. The home was vacant of any personal touch. No family picture or anything personal, no pack symbols.

"I put your belongings plus a few more the pack provided in the guest room. The Alpha requests you limit your movement to downstairs and your room. His personal bedroom and office are off limits". She said as she made her way out. "Wait, what am I supposed to do while you leave". I asked Sarah. "Good day, miss". She returned a smile my way but didn't budge on her order.

I waited for the right time and it was finally here.

The cool breeze of the evening signaled that it was time. Nightfall had descended, cloaking Aloha VuK's house in shadow. My heart raced, pounding with the knowledge that if I didn't leave now, I might never get another chance. Escape now or be trapped forever.

I crept toward the back door, every step calculated, every sound in the house amplifying in my ears as if it could expose me at any second. My breath was shallow as I slowly unlocked the door, praying no one would notice. I slipped through the gap and shut it softly behind me, the darkness of the forest beyond beckoning me like an old friend.

Once outside, I wasted no time. I felt the familiar pull of my wolf, Beth, within me. I let go, allowing her to take over. My bones cracked and reshaped, fur bursting from my skin. The transformation was fluid and natural. In a matter of moments, I was no longer myself but a small, white wolf, standing on four paws, feeling the earth beneath me.

Run, Beth urged. And I did.

I darted into the dense forest, my paws barely touching the ground as I raced deeper into Night Shade territory. The trees blurred as I moved, my senses heightened. The moonlight above filtered through the branches, casting fleeting shadows along my path. I didn't know how long I ran, but it felt like forever. The Night Shade pack's territory seemed never-ending, and the further I went, the more my hope wavered.

I slowed to a stop, panting, trying to get my bearings. Where am I? I asked, my voice sounding small and uncertain in my mind.

We're still in Night Shade territory, Beth replied, though her voice held a note of unease. But something is wrong.

That's when I smelled it. The unmistakable scent of rogue wolves. The stench hit me like a wave of rot and decay, burning my nose.

I whipped around just in time to see four sets of glowing eyes emerge from the shadows, their bodies sleek and menacing. My heart skipped a beat. The rogues were large, their fur matted and unkempt, their eyes filled with malice.

What should I do? I asked, panic creeping into my voice. My instincts screamed for me to run, but my feet were frozen in place.

We fight, Beth growled, but even she sounded uncertain. But we can't win.

Before I could react, the first rogue lunged. His fangs snapped at my face, but I ducked low and swiped at him with my paw, catching him across the side. He snarled in pain but didn't retreat. I growled back, my instincts kicking in as I leaped at him, sinking my teeth into his shoulder. The taste of blood filled my mouth as I wrestled him to the ground, my body moving on autopilot.

But before I could finish him off, the others attacked. A second rogue barreled into my side, knocking me off my feet. I yelped as his jaws clamped down on my leg, sending searing pain through my body. I thrashed and kicked, managing to shake him off, but I was already feeling the toll of the fight.

I barely had time to catch my breath before another rogue sank its teeth into my shoulder, tearing through my fur and flesh. I screamed in pain, my vision blurring as I struggled to fight them off. Beth was right; they were too powerful. I was no match for them.

They circled me like vultures, each attack more vicious than the last. Their teeth tore into my skin, and I felt the blood pouring from my wounds. My strength was fading fast. I tried to get to my feet, but my legs buckled beneath me. They bit at my legs and hands, leaving me defenseless.

I screamed again, this time louder, as the pain became unbearable. My vision swam, darkness creeping in at the edges. I thought this was the end. I was going to die out here, alone, in the middle of the Night Shade pack's territory.

But then, from the shadows, a massive figure emerged.

My heart skipped a beat as I saw the biggest wolf I had ever laid eyes on. His fur was a dark, almost black shade of grey, and his presence commanded the air around him. He was enormous, his sheer size dwarfing the rogues. His eyes, cold and calculating, locked onto them with deadly intent.

VuK is here, Beth whispered, her voice filled with awe.

The rogues turned, sensing the shift in power. But it was too late for them. In a blur of movement, VuK attacked. His fangs flashed in the moonlight as he tore through the rogues like they were nothing. The first rogue barely had time to react before VuK ripped into him, his powerful jaws snapping its neck with ease.

The second and third didn't fare any better. VuK moved with lethal precision, each strike calculated and brutal. Within moments, the clearing was littered with the bodies of the rogues, their blood soaking into the earth.

I lay there, barely conscious, too weak to move or speak. My body ached, my wounds throbbing with pain. I watched as VuK approached me, his massive form casting a shadow over me.

I felt myself shifting back into my human form, my body limp and broken. The cold air stung my bare skin, and I shivered, unable to move.

VuK knelt beside me, his face filled with concern. He reached out, his large hand gently brushing a strand of hair from my face.

"Stay with me, Nova," he said, his voice deep and soothing, though it held a note of urgency.

I wanted to respond, to tell him I was still here, but the exhaustion was too much. The darkness pulled at me, dragging me under.

The last thing I heard was VuK's voice, a distant echo in the fading light.