Escape

*MacKenzie*

"Please, Kenzie. Wake up, baby girl."

I heard a distant but desperate voice begging me to open my eyes. I felt drained from all the energy, as if some mystic power sucked all my happiness, leaving behind a void, buzzing in my ears and a stinging sensation in my body.

I started to stir, groaning in pain, annoyance, or some unfamiliar reason, but my chest hurt the most as if I was stabbed, yet the culprit was a novice and couldn't kill me properly.

"Ouch." I wined as I massaged my numb chest.

"Oh, my God. Kenzie. I'm so glad you're up." I felt Robbie's strong arms around me and winced in pain. "Sorry, what the hell happened to you?" He asked, almost yelling as he scanned my body.

What happened? That's a pretty good question. My mind seemed to be on drugs because nothing came close to explaining why I was unconscious and in pain on my cabin's floor. I looked around, hoping to find clues, but my vision also suffered as everything spun.

"I remember Esther," I mumbled, remembering her. "Cuffs," I whispered and massaged my sore, uncuffed wrist. I sniffed the air, and the intoxicating scent wafted over me as the most handsome face appeared in my mind.

"Rejection." I almost wept, shocking Robbie on the spot.

„What?" He demanded, screaming above my ear.

I winced again as the ringing in my ear intensified, and black dots appeared before my eyes. I was about to faint again, so I leaned back on the wall, trying to figure out all the details from before.

"What happened with you?" I changed the subject, not ready for Robert's interrogation.

He sat before me, exhaled, and ruffled his already messy hair. I looked him up and down and noticed only training shorts and a few scratches on his torso. He was fighting. And the realization dawned on me like a wrecking ball. We were under attack. The rogues probably did a number on us. Robbie looked deep into my eyes and smiled his warm and reassuring smile.

"They were vicious this time. Around two hundred rogues attacked in synchronized formation, hitting our weakest point precisely. We lost a few great warriors; over half of the guards from the eastern border are severely injured in the hospital." He reported, and I watched him with eyes wide open in shock.

I have never experienced as much loss as in this attack. Our Alpha is known to be an excellent warrior, devoted leader, and fierce protector of our pack. Of course not because he cares about us, No. However, he gives such an impression outside our territory. But, no. The truth is much sadder.

He would kill almost anyone in his path because of greed and fear of losing the throne. My father, Alpha Roy Allard, is not a natural Alpha. He used to be a Beta whose obsession with the reign of power made him turn against his best friend and kill our pack's previous Alpha, slaughtering all his family, not even sparing the heavily pregnant Luna.

That's how the man I call my father came into power, got access to billions of dollars, and became a ruler of the largest and strongest pack in the country. I found it out when, one drunken night, Esther decided to share some stories with me during my usual whipping for just being her mate's daughter.

"Do you hear me, Ken? We have to get out of this pack. And now, with the eastern border unsecured, we have better chances to run undetected."

Robbie's voice dispelled my thoughts and brought me back to the cold concrete floor my ass was settled on. I looked at him, and for the first time, I was considering his offer. He has offered me an escape too many times to count, and for some unknown reason, I have consistently declined. But maybe now was the day I was waiting for.

I closed my eyes and inhaled the sweet and addictive aroma of my mate that was still slightly lingering in the air, and the pain in my chest returned. It wasn’t as strong as I expected, but I still felt it with every breath. Maybe the final wave is yet to come, and the worst is delayed?

From the stories I have heard or read, I know that the pain that comes with rejection is so intense that it not only knocks you off your feet but causes you unimaginable suffering. Strong wolves take several days to recover, and all the cases in which humans were rejected resulted in only one outcome: death.

"OK." I absentmindedly agreed.

There was no time to waste. The rejection proved I had nothing left in this pack, and nothing good awaited me. My mate, whom I didn’t expect to meet, also cut me out of his life. It was just Robbie and me. Maybe that was the sign I was waiting for.

Robbie looked shocked at my sudden agreement, yet he pulled me up from the floor, avoiding looking at my tattered t-shirt, which fell, exposing the upper parts of my small breasts.

"You need clothes. Change Kenzie into some new clothes. I'll take care of your belongings." Robbie pulled the fabric scraps back over my arms and pushed me towards the wardrobe.

"Pack light, only the necessity. The rest we'll buy once safe." He instructed me, and I found myself nodding at his words. "Oh, and Kenzie?" he called me shyly.

"Yes?" I turned, and the fabric fell again, but I grabbed it before it showed more than just the upper parts. Robbie checked me from head to toe, and I felt uncomfortable as I caught him checking me out with lust-filled eyes.

Robbie gulped and blinked a few times, focusing on my face, "Dress in dark, loose clothes. If we stumble upon a patrol, they should see Ken with me, not MacKenzie. You get it?"

His words were full of worry and unspoken warning. I knew exactly what he was implying. If by any chance we were caught, the punishment my father would apply would be ten times worse than Esther's.

I nodded, picked a few things, and walked into the bathroom. There was no time to shower or even wash my face. I hurriedly put on the black sweatpants, top, and at least two sizes too big dark gray hoodie. Instead of my usual black ballet flats, I put on black sneakers.

I turned my long, unruly, dark red hair into a bun and pulled the hood over my head. My gray eyes looked dull and sad, and with the recent events in my life, my face looked exhausted, giving me not only more years than I have but also making me look ugly.

With one last look at my reflection, I exited the bathroom and ran straight to my secret spot under my bed. Robbie helped me to pull up the bed while I kneeled and retrieved the small bundle from the frame.

"We need to hurry, Kenzie." Robbie ushered, rearranging the bed, "Here, put it into the bag, and let's go."He unzipped the backpack, and I gently placed my most valuable belongings inside.

"Come." Rob offered his hand, and I took it without hesitation.

The sun was slowly starting to set, and I knew that once the situation with the attack was settled, Esther would come and continue her favorite game with me. I gripped Rob's hand tightly to assure myself that it was happening. I was indeed running away.

Robbie smiled at me, and without a word, he pulled me out of my cabin. The air was filled with dust, the smell of blood, and a freshly lit fire. I knew the stench of burnt skin would soon permeate the air, announcing the completion of cleanup after the attack.

Robert was right; we had no time to waste. If we wanted an easy escape, now was the best time. With the Alpha absorbed in emanating his false power and distorted Luna comforting the crying ones, we had only an hour before everything went back to normal.

With a rapidly beating heart and legs desperately wanting to rest, I ran after Robert, still holding his hand in a vice-like grip. He was my last chance to be happy. I have lost my mother and never had a father or siblings who would support and protect me.

I looked at Robert's back while he dragged me deeper inside the dark forest. He was the only one I had. The only one I could count on and the only one who truly cared about me. Smiling faintly, I promised to give him that chance, and once we came to safety, to accept his offer and become his chosen mate.

We ran as fast as my injuries allowed us. The chaos from the attack was slowly calming down, and the pack begrudgingly returned to its previous state. We reached the eastern border in less than an hour, but the situation we encountered could have offered us a cleaner escape.

The patrol doubled in size, and instead of four men guarding it, we had eight to get past. My hope died when I saw who my father sent to ensure no one came in or out of our pack. If we could fool eight people by some miracle, it wouldn’t be so easy with Her.

Carla Garcia, our gamma. If I were to call someone evil incarnated, it would be her. My stepmother and her games are childish compared to her, and how she can harm you without using tools.

I turned my watery eyes and, with a trembling lip, I pulled Robbie back, hoping that Gamma Garcia would not spot us. If my life were to end today, at least I would save Robbie. My grip tightened as I heard twigs snapping near our hideout, and I covered my mouth with my hand, holding my scream inside.

Robbie pulled me closer to his side as if he could place me in his pocket and whispered instructions in my ear. „I will count to ten, and when I tell you to run, you’ll crawl out and run. I will run after you at a safe distance. I will watch you as much as possible, pretending to help the patrol with the intruder.”

I listened to him, but nothing he said made sense. What did he mean by watching me? We were supposed to run together. I don’t remember discussing separating. I widened my eyes and opened my mouth to protest, but Robbie silenced me with a finger as he spoke again.

„The scent masker will run out soon, and you don’t want her to put her hands on you, Kenzie. I count; you run. I’ll catch up with you after a short time, I promise you, baby girl.”

He insisted, and when the tears finally fell, he wiped them with his thumb. I nodded, agreeing with his plan, and he moved slowly to kiss my forehead. There was no other choice; I had to trust him. Robbie slowly crawled out under the big rotten oak and scanned the area. His eyes turned darker as he allowed his wolf to do some reconnaissance.

He looked back at me with eyes full of determination. I nodded again, preparing myself mentally for the run. My body wasn’t prepared at all. What little strength I had left had to be enough to save my life. Robbie took out something from his backpack and took a deep breath. He pulled out a small ring and threw the item as far as his wolf allowed.     

He started counting, and with every second, my heart was beating like crazy. I realized he threw a grenade; when his lips mouthed ‚ten,’ and he took off in a different direction, he told me to run, and I did what he instructed. When I crawled out from under the deadfall, I heard the explosion, and everyone who secured the border ran towards the explosion, leaving an escape route open for me.

I looked behind me for the last time, and without a trace of regret or longing, I ran towards Freedom.