Escape

The next time, Destiny's bedroom door opened. Her father stormed inside carrying a ridiculously lacy pink dress. 

“You got thirty minutes to make yourself presentable,” he snarled. “Do not disobey me, or I'll haul you to Johan in whatever state you are in. Take a shower and get ready. Don't even think. Of escape, just in case.”

She eyed that hateful dress. An overwhelming need to rip to pieces, cut it into tiny little shreds was hard to ignore. She noticed her claws had lengthened. Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to leave the damn dress alone. Her father's threat rang clearly in her mind. Moving slowly to the bathroom, she finally gave up hope. There was no escape, no way to stop what her father planned. She would have to marry Johan, become his mate, and pray to Luna he wasn't as bad as she had heard.

* * * *

Her door opened, it was her mother this time who had come to help her get dressed in that god-awful dress.

“Destiny, my child. Please don't cry.” Her mom said in a soothing voice.

“Mom, I don't want this, you know that. Just tell me one thing. Am I a bastard?”

“Sweet Goddess, no, you are not!” her mom cried. 

“He hates me,” Destiny said, tears in her eyes. “And the feeling is mutual.”

“Sweetie-”

“No, don't you, “sweetie” me. I'll never forgive him for this. Damn it, why did you go back to him? You should have never come back, mom. He treats you just as bad as me!”

“It's not that simple, I didn't have a choice,” Grace said quietly.” But you do.”

Destiny frowned,” What do you mean?”

“You don't have to do this. I am here to help you escape. Come on, we don't have much time.” Grace was suddenly all business as Destiny looked at her in disbelief.

“What? How?” 

“Not another word, honey. I hear him coming,” Grace said.

As the little white wolf ran through the forest, finally free she recalled her mom's word. 'Run to your grandma, I have talked to her. She is expecting you.'

That run was the longest in Destiny's life. She swam through the lake to avoid getting detected by the pack's guards. She had to reach the White Claw pack. She was scared as well as excited. A tiny corner in her heart was hoping to find the Alpha from her dream. 

********

Two days earlier -

 A knock at Jake's door made him look up from his work. He wasn't particularly interested in going over the latest financial reports and welcomed the distraction.

“Come in,” he said.

He rose from his desk as someone entered his office. The room was large. It was decorated in rich browns, like most of the lodge. The floor to ceiling windows let the summer sunshine across the office, and Jake had a hard time seeing who had entered until she was was was closer to his desk.

“Alpha, Jake,” Rebecca said.

Jake recognized Rebecca. She was one of the older members of the pack. A very industrious lady.

“Please, have a seat,” Jake said, smiling.

She sat down, and Jake waited for Rebecca to begin.

“What can I help you with?” He asked.

“I need a favour,” Rebecca said. She still didn't lift her head.

“Of course, there is no need to act so formally.”

“Alpha, my granddaughter, she is in trouble. My daughter Grace is mated to David Parr in the silver moon pack. I never liked that man. But we can't fight fate. He is forcing my granddaughter to mate with someone she dislikes. Oh! I don't know what to do,” Rebecca said.

“Calm down,” Jake said. “We are family. You can tell me, how I can help?”

Something about this meeting made Jake shift with discomfort. He had little interaction with Rebecca over the years, but he remembered Grace. She was a good friend of his mother.

“That is what I want to talk to you about.”

She looked up and saw the tears in her eyes. He nodded his head for her to continue.

“Grace is planning to send Destiny here. Away from her father. I want you to take her in the pack. She is a bright young woman, she would be useful.” Rebecca said. “She has nowhere else to go.”

“How old is she?” 

“She just turned 20,” Rebecca said. 

“And she is being forcibly mated?”

Rebecca nodded.

Jake leaned back in his chair. Somehow it struck a chord. Silver Crescent was an old pack with primitive rules. They hardly interacted with others and followed rules set in the Middle Ages.

“No one should be forced to mate,” he mumbled absentmindedly. “ I can't rescue her from her pack. That would start a pack war. But I would gladly accept her when she arrives. Your daughter was my mom's good friend so I will protect your granddaughter."

Tears welled in Rebecca's eyes again. “Oh, thank you my Alpha.”  

 He glanced at the pile of documents on his desk. He told himself saving this girl would be more interesting than going through the financials.

“Talk to Serra, she would manage her living arrangements.”