Chapter 4 The Escape That Changed Everything

I stumbled toward the riverbank, breath coming in ragged gasps. The cool night air felt thick with tension, as if the entire world was holding its breath.

Behind me, the distant echoes of drums and chanting faded into the darkness, swallowed by the night.

For days, I'd been trapped in that cold, dark cell, and now-now, I was free. But what did freedom mean when I had nowhere to go?

The river before me was still, its surface reflecting the pale moonlight in quiet ripples. I knelt at its edge, my hands trembling as I scooped the cool water into my cupped palms, my parched throat begging for relief.

That's when I heard the footsteps.

The sound was soft, barely audible on the gravel, but my senses sharpened, and I spun to face whatever or whoever approached.

My heart quickened in my chest as I found two figures emerging from the shadows at the river's edge, their forms tall and imposing, their eyes catching the faint light.

They didn't speak at first, but the tension in the air was palpable. There was something about them-a strange recognition that made my heart race, though I couldn't place it.

One of the figures stepped forward, holding out a simple leather pouch. He didn't say much, just offered it to me.

"You're thirsty," his voice was deep, calm, yet carrying a weight that unsettled me.

I nodded, my throat too dry to respond, and took the pouch from him.

The moment our fingers brushed, an electric jolt passed between us, stirring something deep inside.

I drank quickly, too thirsty to care about the way my hand shook as I took the water.

When I lowered the pouch, the other figure stepped closer, his eyes scanning the area with sharp focus.

"You've been locked up," he said softly, the words carrying an undercurrent of something almost sympathetic. "For days now."

I was too exhausted to hide the truth. "How do you know?" I managed, my voice hoarse.

The first figure spoke again, his tone gentle but firm. "We've been looking for you."

The words hit me like a weight, and for a moment, I was frozen. They have been looking for me? How? Why?

The second figure moved slightly closer, his eyes unwavering as he studied me with an intensity that made my pulse quicken.

"You're not safe here," he said, his voice growing more urgent. "The Silver Bow Pack will come for you soon."

The weight of his words settled over me like a heavy cloak. I had known I wasn't safe, but hearing it aloud... it made it real, and I felt a chill of fear crawl down my spine.

I opened my mouth to speak, but the first figure cut me off, his voice leaving no room for argument.

"We can't take you back to the pack," he said, the words heavy with meaning. "You're not just anyone to us."

I swallowed hard, trying to steady my racing thoughts.

"But where do I go?" I whispered, the question slipping from my lips before I could stop it.

My chest tightened. I was free, but I didn't know what to do with that freedom.

The two men exchanged a quick glance, and the tension between them seemed to ease, just slightly.

They spoke in unison, almost as if they had planned it.

"Follow the river," the first one said, his voice steady. "It will lead you out of the pack's borders. From there, you'll be on your own, but you'll be free."

I stood frozen for a moment, the weight of their words sinking in. Freedom. But it would be a lonely, dangerous kind of freedom.

I could feel the stirrings of something in my chest, something I didn't fully understand, as I looked at them.

Despite everything, despite how badly I wanted to escape, there was something that made my heart race when I looked at them.

A strange, unbidden pull that I couldn't explain.

My heart betrayed me, pounding in my chest despite the fear that clung to me.

"But... who are you?" I asked, unable to keep the question back. I don't know their names. I don't even know if they were part of the Silver Bow Pack or from another. But they felt familiar-too familiar, as though I had crossed paths with them before.

The first man, the one who had given me the water, finally spoke again. "I'm Lykon," he said, his voice quiet but confident. "And this is my brother, Lyraeus."

The moment their names left his lips, my heart skipped a beat. The rumors. The talk from my cellmate.

These were the men who had been whispered about, the new Beta brothers. The ones who had arrived to take their places in the pack.

But I couldn't process it. Not now. Not when my mind was consumed by the need to get away.

Lykon's eyes softened as he looked at me. "You're not alone, Morrigan," he said quietly, as though he could read the fear in my expression. "Not anymore."

I have so many questions, "how did he know my name?".

I wanted to believe him. I wanted to trust him. But my heart was torn in two-one part wanting to stay, to follow this strange pull I felt toward them, the other part knowing that I couldn't. I had to leave.

The Silver Bow Pack wouldn't stop hunting me. And even if these men weren't enemies, the pack's wrath would still fall on me if they were caught helping me.

"Thank you," I whispered, my voice barely audible. "But I have to go."

Lykon nodded, a quiet understanding in his gaze. "Then go. The river will guide you out, but remember-you're not alone. We'll make sure you're safe as far as we can."

Lyraeus gave me a reassuring look, though his expression was more distant, as though his thoughts were elsewhere.

"We can't stay. We have our own duty."

With that, they both turned, fading into the shadows like ghosts, their forms blending with the dark woods.

I was left standing at the edge of the river, the water rushing by as I tried to steady my heart, which was pounding painfully in my chest.

For the first time in days, I was free. But the road ahead was still uncertain.

~

The sound of the river was the only thing that filled the space between us as the brothers disappeared into the trees.

For a moment, I stayed frozen in place, trying to make sense of everything.

My heart was still hammering in my chest, an odd mixture of gratitude, fear, and something else-something I didn't want to face just yet.

The river continued its steady course, the current rushing past me with a sound that was both calming and unsettling.

My thoughts raced in every direction.

The freedom I had fought for was in my hands, but now that I have it... "What do I do with it?"

Lykon and Lyraeus hadn't offered any answers beyond the river's path.

There was safety in their words, but also a heavy weight-the kind of weight that came with knowing I was now on my own.

I didn't know where I was headed, or what awaited me beyond the borders of the Silver Bow Pack.

I didn't even know if I could trust them entirely. But the way they had looked at me, the way their voices had softened when they spoke to me-it had been real.

And that pull... that strange, unexplainable pull toward them.

It was as if I were torn between the instinct to run and the unshakable urge to follow. I didn't know which one was more dangerous.

Shaking my head, I forced myself to move.

There is no time to linger on my thoughts. The pack would come for me soon, and I couldn't afford to be caught. Not now. Not when I was so close.

I took a step toward the river's edge and glanced upstream, then downstream. The flow seemed steady, but the path was unknown.

"What awaited me at the end of this river? Would I find shelter? A place to hide? Or would I be walking deeper into the heart of danger?"

I had no answers. Only the cold wind in my hair and the nagging feeling that I wasn't entirely alone in this.

~

As I walked along the riverbank, the evening stretched out before me like an endless void.

The trees whispered in the wind, their branches groaning with ancient secrets.

I felt small against the vastness of the forest, like a single ember in an unending night.

My body ached from the days of confinement, the sharp edge of hunger still gnawing at me, though I had been able to drink some of the water.

I knew I couldn't keep walking forever.

The river would lead me far from the pack's land, but what would I do when I crossed it? Who would I be then?

I kept moving, step by step, the sound of the water becoming a rhythmic lullaby in my mind.

Somewhere along the way, the smell of wood smoke reached my nostrils, faint but real. I stopped and sniffed the air. The scent was unfamiliar but promising, and it seemed to come from just ahead.

I hesitated for a moment, "Should I continue following the river? Or was the smoke a sign of someone-someone who might offer help?".

Every instinct tells me to keep moving, to not risk being seen, but something about the smoke felt like a whisper of hope.

~

As I approached the source, I spotted a small clearing up ahead.

A few scattered tents, the flicker of a fire, and figures moving around it.

My heart raced.

The firelight danced on the nearby trees, casting long shadows that seemed to stretch toward me.

"I don''t expect to find anyone out here, but then again, I wasn't sure what to expect anymore."

Before I could decide whether to approach or turn away, a voice broke the silence from behind me.

"You've made it farther than we thought," came a familiar voice.

I spun around, my heart skipping a beat.

Lykon and Lyraeus stood there, emerging from the shadows like ghosts.

"You..." My voice cracked, the shock evident in my tone. "What are you-why are you here?"

They haven't left me. They have been following me, quietly-unseen but close.

"You lied," I breathed. "You said you'd let me go."

Lyraeus's expression was calm, but there was a glint of something sharp in his eyes. "You thought you could get away on your own?" he asked, his tone almost amused. "Not when we've come this far to find you."

Lykon stepped forward, his gaze softening when he looked at me. "You're not alone, Morrigan. We promised we wouldn't let you walk this path by yourself."

I stood there, staring at them, trying to process what was happening. They didn't leave me to figure it out on my own. They followed me.

"But why? Was it because of the rumors they'd heard, the stories the pack had told them? Or was it something more?" I couldn't be sure.

"Why are you following me?" I asked, the question slipping out before I could stop it.

Lykon's jaw tightened, and for a moment, I saw something darker flicker in his eyes.

"Because it's our duty," he said. But the way his eyes lingered on mine told a different story. "There are forces moving, Morrigan. Ones you don't yet understand."

That word-duty-struck me in a way I couldn't explain. I have heard it before, many times, from my former mate and others.

But this... this felt different. This felt real.

And true, I don't understand any of this.

Lyraeus moved closer, his presence a steadying force beside his brother. "We may not be able to protect you from everything," he said, his voice quieter now. "But we'll keep you safe for as long as we can. For as long as you'll let us."

There was something in his voice-something I couldn't quite name. It wasn't just duty, or obligation. It felt personal.

I swallowed hard, trying to push down the flutter of emotions that stirred in my chest. I didn't have the luxury of feeling anything right now. I had to focus.

"What should I do?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper. "Where do I go from here?"

Lykon's eyes softened as he stepped closer, his presence warm in the chill of the night. "Come with us," he said simply. "We have a place where you'll be safe. A place where they won't find you."

I looked between the twins, their faces lit by the glow of the fire from the distant clearing but I don't know if I can trust them completely.

I don't know what they were hiding, or if I am walking into even greater danger.

But, for the first time in a long while, I didn't feel like I was completely alone.

"Okay," I said quietly, the decision coming with a mixture of relief and fear. "I'll come with you."

~

The walk to their hidden camp was quiet, but not uncomfortable. The twins moved in synchrony, as if they were both attuned to the same rhythm of the forest.

I struggled to keep pace, my body still worn from days of confinement, but they seemed to notice and kept their steps slow enough for me to follow.

The air was thick with the scent of pine and earth, mingling with the faint scent of smoke from the fire ahead.

Eventually, the trees began to thin, and the camp came into view.

It was a small encampment, barely more than a handful of tents scattered around a central fire pit, but the atmosphere was unlike anything I'd seen before.

The people here weren't warriors or pack members-they were wolves in their truest form.

Families. Survivors. The kind of people who didn't live under the oppressive rule of an Alpha.

It felt... different. The air wasn't suffocating. There was space to breathe.

A woman, tall and broad-shouldered, stepped forward as we approached. She had sharp eyes that seemed to take in everything around her in an instant. A warrior, no doubt.

Lykon nodded at her, signed to her about something I didn't understand, then said in a low voice. "This is Ariadne. She'll watch over you."

Ariadne didn't smile, but there was something reassuring in her gaze. "You've come far, Morrigan. You must be exhausted."

And here we are again, she called by my name.

So I wondered, "Was it my name he told her? How come she knew my name too?"

I nodded stiffly, not knowing how to respond. I felt a surge of gratitude toward her, but it was buried beneath a growing uncertainty.

My feet wanted to keep walking, to keep escaping, but this was the first place that had felt like a refuge.

It was hard to ignore the tension coiling in my chest.

"Where can I rest?" I asked, the words coming out hoarse. My throat was dry again, and my legs ached.

Ariadne studied me for a moment before turning toward the largest tent, gesturing for me to follow. "Come with me."

As I stepped forward, I felt Lykon's gaze on me. His presence was ever near, and I realized with a jolt that he hadn't left me since we met. Neither had Lyraeus.

I couldn't remember the last time anyone had looked after me this way. Not since I was a child, before everything had fallen apart.

Inside the tent, it was warm. A fire crackled in a stone hearth, casting a gentle glow across the small space.

There was a bedroll in the corner, along with a few blankets and furs.

The scent of fresh herbs hung in the air, a far cry from the dank, cold cell I had been kept in.

Ariadne moved to the fire, where she began to prepare something in a clay pot.

"You need to eat," she said. "You've been through a lot. You can't keep running on an empty stomach."

I sat on the edge of the bedroll, grateful for the chance to rest but not fully able to relax. My mind was still spinning.

"Why are the brothers so intent on helping me? What did they want from me?"

"And why did I feel this strange tug toward them, even though I had no reason to trust them?"

The questions hung in the air, unanswered. But for now, I focused on the simple act of getting through the moment.

After a few minutes, Ariadne brought over a wooden bowl filled with a thick, earthy stew. The smell made my stomach rumble despite the lingering exhaustion.

"Eat," she said, handing it to me. "You'll need your strength."

I took the bowl, my hands trembling slightly as I lifted it to my lips.

The stew was warm, comforting, and I drank it down in slow sips, savoring the taste of real food.

It had been so long since I'd had anything other than water or scraps.

When I finished, I handed the bowl back to Ariadne, who took it without a word.

She seemed to understand more than I did.

"You'll be safe here for the night," she said.

"But I can't protect you forever. We all have our roles to play. Your brothers..." She paused, as though considering her words carefully.

"The twins brothers have been sent to watch over you, but that's only part of it. You'll have to make your own choices." She added

Her words stung, more than I expected.

I had made too many choices already. Most of them had led me to this strange, uncertain place.

Ariadne seemed to sense my uneasiness, because of that, she didn't press further. Instead, she simply nodded toward the bedroll.

"Rest," she said. "Till tomorrow. I'm sure you have alot of questions to ask" She walked out after that.

~

I lay on the bedroll, staring up at the canvas of the tent above me.

The flickering light of the fire outside cast shadows that danced on the walls.

My mind wouldn't quiet. It kept circling back to the twins.

"What was their true purpose in all of this?"

"Why had they been sent to find me? And why did their presence make my chest ache in a way I didn't understand?"

Despite everything.

I have a strange feeling that my life was about to change in ways I couldn't predict.