Chapter 3 Freedom's Price

-MOONSHADOW PACK TERRITORY-

Madeleine woke to an empty tent. The sound coming from outside the tent told her that the wedding feast was ongoing.

She stood up groggily and walked towards the tent flap drawing it back to look outside. She saw Rebecca and Philip illuminated but the bonfire as they cuddled next to each other. She felt a wave of nausea and hate at the sight and dropped the tent flap.

Madeleine looked around the tent and saw a knife on a desk. She was going to leave, no matter what. She picked up the knife and walked towards the back of the tent and tore through it. She climbed out of it and headed off into the woods.

She knew what would happen if she stayed. She'd be forced to spend the rest of her life witnessing what she lost because of what she was. Or rather because of what she wasn't.

It wasn't her fault that she was different. She didn't know why she could not shift. If she could change it, she would. But it seems she was brought into the world for the sole purpose of suffering. So, if she was going to suffer, she would do it on her own terms.

Madeleine headed further into the woods. She knew where she was headed; the border of the pack's territory. She didn't care if she was labelled a rogue wolf. Who would even care?

She arrived at the border and crossed it. She was in neutral territory now. Hopefully, no one would notice she was gone until the next morning. She had to get to the border of Lunaria, the werewolves' territory.

She would get as far away from them as she could. She touched her palm to her cheek and her throat and the images of the people whom she loved the most hurting her played through her mind in clear details. She strengthened her resolve and kept going.

Madeleine heard her stomach rumble and realised that she hadn't eaten all day. Not that she could bring herself to eat now.

Madeleine knew she had been running and walking for hours and that daytime was approaching quickly.

She looked up and was glad to see the border markers of Lunaria. The Moonshadow Pack's territory was the closest to the borders and she was glad for this. She would disappear. She would not let herself be forced to live and watch Philip and Rebecca as a couple.

As she was getting close to the border, she heard a cracking sound followed by a searing pain at the back of her head. She stumbled and wavered on her feet, disoriented and scared that her efforts to escape had been in vain.

Madeleine felt herself being lifted off her feet and she was tossed into the back of a cage. She watched in confusion as her masked assailants lifted the cage, moved with quiet efficiency across the border and placed it onto a wagon.

Trapped once again. Her fate, being decided by others.

******

-FORESTS OUTSIDE LUNARIA, AETHERIA-

She fought her dizziness and attempted to remember the path they were taking but they had diverted into the forests on the opposite side of Lunaria and she hadn't regained her bearings.

They drove into a clearing in the forest and stopped.

"You shouldn't be wandering around. It makes it easy to get in trouble," one of her captors laughed as they picked up her cage and put it down.

"Fuck you." Madeleine touched her palm to the back of her head, noticing the blood from the blow. "At least, give me something I can use to stop the bleeding."

"You're a feisty one, aren't you? That'll change soon," was the reply.

Madeleine touched the cage and realised it was enchanted. "Explains why I didn't sense them. They're using magic. Fucking bastards," she muttered to herself.

Another cage on the other side of the clearing rattled and shook, a shrieking sound coming from it. She couldn't see what was in the cage but its cage was a lot larger than hers and whatever was inside didn't like the idea of being captured.

The assailants approached the cage and banged against it trying to quiet the creature.

"Hey, leave it alone," Madeleine shouted.

"Mind your fucking business. You should be more worried about yourself," was the response from one of them as they continued banging against the cage.

Madeleine watched as one of them used magic to subdue it.

"We need to sell the griffin as soon as possible. We can't keep moving it around," the spellcaster said to the others, obviously drained from the amount of magic required to keep the griffin subdued.

Madeleine's eyes widened in surprise. A griffin. She had heard stories about them when she was growing up but nobody had ever actually seen one. Or rather, nobody had ever believed anybody who had claimed to see one.

"Load them up," a voice commanded, pulling her from her thoughts. "We're leaving now."

Both cages were loaded up into a bigger wagon and they moved deeper into the forest.

Madeleine felt her wolf sit up. She sensed danger and she knew the danger wasn't coming from the poachers or the griffin.

The griffin started rattling its cage again as if it sensed the same thing she did.

Madeleine's next moments were a blur. One minute she was in the cage trying to pinpoint where the feeling of danger was coming from and the next minute, her cage and that of the griffin were thrown off the wagon and she felt the enchantments on it wear off.

She hit the door of her cage, busting it open. She ran past the griffin's cage where it was trying to break open its cage without succeeding.

Whoever it was that was attacking them was either there for her or the griffin. She wasn't going to wait to find out. As she got farther away, her wolf clawed at her to return and help the griffin escape.

"Oh, fuck this," Madeleine cursed under her breath as she turned back and ran towards the griffin who had stopped trying to break the cage.

As she approached the cage, the griffin started its protests again.

"Calm down. I'm trying to help you," Madeleine retorted as she began prying at the cage.

The clearing went quiet, the only sounds coming from the griffin and her trying to open the cage. She turned and saw a hooded figure walking towards her with a sword.

Madeleine kept pulling at the cage door. "Open dammit," she screamed as she tore the cage door off.

The griffin jumped out of the cage and charged the hooded figure.

Madeleine watched and expected the griffin to attack the person but stopped short of the figure.

"Hello, Anya." the person said as the hood was pulled back to reveal a man underneath. "I've missed you, girl."

"Okay? That's my cue," Madeleine whispered as she turned to leave.

"You move and you die," came the voice, keeping her rooted to the spot.

Madeleine turned to face the man as he walked towards her, her gaze fixed on the sword.

"You plan on killing me either way, aren't you?" Madeleine asked, resignation in her voice.

"You're a smart one," came the chuckled reply.

"Spare me?" Madeleine asked tentatively.

He stopped and tilted his head to the side. "Now, why would I want to do that?"

"I saved your griffin?" Madeleine shrugged, slowly inching backwards.

"Firstly, I saw you run away and come back. Who says you're not one of them? Secondly, the instruction was to stay put," he said, as he lunged at her with his sword.

Before the hit could land, Madeleine was pulled up into the air by the back of her shirt by the griffin, the sword barely missing her legs.

The griffin put her down and put herself between Madeleine and the mystery man.

"I see," he said, as he let go of the sword and it vanished into thin air.

"So, you have magic," Madeleine stated from behind the griffin.

"Yes, I do and you're a werewolf."

"Some would beg to differ," Madeleine responded, her voice low.

"Come on, girl. We're leaving," he said as he turned away.

"Well, bye then," Madeleine said with a wave of her hand.

"That includes you, love," he stated.

He began walking away and Madeleine stared at his back, shock and disbelief registering on her face.

"Nope."

He stopped and turned to face her, his face devoid of emotion. "You can come willingly or I can tie you up and toss you on Anya. Your choice."

"Um... I don't know you and you're asking me to leave with you? No, thank you."

"Ropes then," He stated as he started walking towards her.

"Why should I come with you? You just tried to kill me, you psycho."

"But I didn't. And Anya won't leave you even if I do," he shrugged.

"So you're doing it for the griffin?"

"You're also a stranger to me, love."

"Fine," Madeleine huffed, crossing her arms. "But I'm not going willingly. You try anything funny, and I'll..." she trailed off, realizing she didn't have much to threaten him with.

Her gaze flickered to the griffin, who was watching them. "I'll tell your bird you're a terrible person."

He laughed. "Anya knows I'm a terrible person. It's part of my charm."

He snapped his fingers, and a length of rope materialized in his hand. "Now, are we doing this the easy way or the hard way?"

Madeleine glared at him. She knew she was making a terrible decision. This man was clearly dangerous, possibly insane, and definitely not to be trusted. But the alternative was even less appealing.

"Fine," she repeated, her voice barely a whisper. "But if you try anything..."

He cut her off with a smirk. "Just get over here, love. The sooner we leave, the sooner you can start regretting your life choices."

Madeleine hesitated, then took a deep breath and stepped forward. As she reached him, he raised the rope, and before she could react, he looped it around her wrists, pulling it tight.

"Hey!" she protested, struggling against the sudden restraint. "What the hell? You said..."

He ignored her protests, his eyes suddenly focused on something in the distance. The smile vanished from his face, replaced by a look of grim determination.

"We have company," he murmured, his voice low and dangerous.

Madeleine followed his gaze and saw them. Werewolves emerging from the trees, their eyes glowing with an eerie light. And at the front of the pack, she saw two figures that made her blood run cold. Rebecca and Philip.

They were looking directly at her, their faces a mixture of anger and... something else. Something that looked disturbingly like triumph.

They were here for her and if the expression on their faces was anything to go by, they didn't care if they got her dead or alive.