Run Away

Scarlett's pov

In an effort to go as far away from the packhouse as possible, I ventured further into the woods. I wanted to hide until the ceremony was completed even though I didn't want to run from my pack. But hiding within the Pack's boundary meant that they would be able to find me. My father wouldn't leave a stone unrolled when he realised that I was gone. I continued to walk until I got close to the pack's boundaries. I crouched in a bush and peered around, knowing that my father's scouts would be on alert while they were on duty.

I knew that staying in the premises of the pack My father's warriors would sniff me out and drag me back to the packhouse if they ever realised that I was hiding there. If I wanted to avoid attending the ceremony, I would have to cross the border undetected and wait in the unclaimed part of the forest until the ceremony ended. I hoped that then, I could avoid meeting Michael, my so-called mate.

Perhaps my life would be different then. 

I saw the guards patrolling the perimeters without slacking on their job. It would be hard to cross that boundary without being seen. I glanced at my wristwatch and pursed my lips. Time wasn't with me. Mom had told me to be back by four and if I didn't, she would start looking for me. Especially since she wouldn't be able to contact me through the mind link. I had blocked all links temporarily just so they couldn't find me easily. 

I watched the guards marching to and fro. There were seven openings to the pack land and each one of them was heavily guarded. Though I felt reluctant, I cast a glance at the thick bushes that I knew were full of thorns. 

I guess I could take the risk of sneaking under the bushes… 

I contemplated it, weighing out the pros and cons, and realised that this most probably could save Crimson Crescent. Strengthening my determination, I balled my fists and crawled under the bushes, hoping that they wouldn't be able to detect my scent. 

Well, to be fair, I made sure I didn't get close enough to detect their scent, which gave me a good reason to believe that they too wouldn't be able to sniff me out. It was a struggle crawling under the hedges, however, my training made me a fit candidate to complete the task despite the hardships. 

I just wished that Iris was responding to me. Nonetheless, I knew she was still there and that was satisfying. At least she wasn't dead. 

I crossed the boundary. There were little scratches on my body. Yet, I was extremely pleased with my success. Feeling triumphant, I stealthily moved away from Crimson Crescent, hidden by the thick foliage of the forest. 

I eventually reached a part of the woods where the trees grew stagnant. The thick canopy of the forest forbade much sunlight from filtering into the woods. The only sound I heard was the rustling of the leaves and the crunching of the dried twigs and leaves under my shoes. 

I looked at the wristwatch. I had managed to stay hidden for more than two hours before the time my mother had set. The issue was that it was growing chilly and dark. In addition, I felt lonely. If only Iris were here to support me. That way, I wouldn't have felt so isolated.

"Iris?" I tried to call out to my wolf, however, to my dismay, all I received in response was silence. It was as though she didn't exist. Perhaps she was too exhausted after being reborn. 

I pulled my lips into a grim line. 

Reborn… 

If that hadn't happened to me, I wouldn't have thought that being reborn or sent back in time was a possibility. I pondered whether anyone would believe me if I tried to tell them what I knew as I crossed the muddy trail that took me farther from the Crimson Crescent. They would undoubtedly assume that I was nuts.

I heaved a breath. I was on my own. Nonetheless, I was determined to do everything in my power to save the people I loved. 

A cool breeze blew, making me shiver. I knew that the sun was about to set and it wasn't safe being alone out in the open. Especially since I couldn't shift. 

Maybe I should go back… 

I checked the time and shrugged my shoulders. It was almost seven in the evening. The ceremony was scheduled to start at six thirty. I would have met Michael at the beginning of the event, which I managed to avoid this time. 

The first part was a success. Now if I could avoid him for the rest of the night… and possibly, the rest of my life.

A howl rang through the air, freezing me in my tracks. Shit… that sounded like something or someone was nearby. Rogues and vampires crawled into the unclaimed part of the woods. Which made it extremely dangerous for anyone to wander alone after dark. Vampires would love to have an easy meal, while some of the rogues were rabid and wouldn't hesitate to kill. Without Iris, I was vulnerable.

I remained as still as possible, trying to detect any suspicious sounds. I sniffed the air. There was a mixture of scents in the air. The smell of earth was mixed with that of a burning smell. My heart thudded in my chest as I took a step back. 

Could it be a rogue? I really should go back… 

Another howl reverberated through the forest and this time, it sounded like they were nearer. I felt as though my heart might jump out of my ribcage as I turned around and sprinted away. Well, I had succeeded in attending the event, nonetheless, I shouldn't have stayed until sunset to go back. 

Gasping for breath, I raced towards my pack. I was certain that someone was following me. I thought I heard footsteps. I was too scared to look over my shoulder and see who it was. Who else other than a rabid rogue or a vampire would follow me in the wild? 

I tried to run as quickly as I could through the trees, but I was having trouble tracking my distance from my pack. I didn't stop, though, until my misfortune caused me to fall over a big root and land on the muddy ground.

Involuntarily, I let out a loud shriek. With my heart going wild in fear, I hastily turned around to finally see who was pursuing me. 

There was no one. 

I breathed out in relief. I most likely was imagining that someone was following me. As the fear vapourised, I chuckled to myself. I was silently jeering at myself as my gaze rested on a pair of glowing yellow eyes, glaring right at me through the thick bushes. 

I let out an audible gasp. I wasn't mistaken. Someone was following me!

Trembling in fear, I stood up, unable to look away from the creature that was hiding in the bushes. A medium sized black wolf emerged from the thickets, baring its yellowing teeth. Drool dripped from its canines as it growled at me, ready to pounce on me. 

That was it. I was going to die and this time it would be a rabid rogue who would make me his dinner. Oh, how I wished Iris was here. I could have shifted and fought a good fight. I was a trained warrior, after all. 

The black rogue started to sprint right at me, growling and baring his teeth at me. I prepared to fight. I didn't want to give up that easily. Although I wasn't equipped, I would fight the best I could. If I was going to die, I would die fighting. 

Narrowing my eyes on the racing wolf, I clenched my fists.

Just a little more… 

Just as I shifted my weight, in order to land a punch, a familiar grey wolf jumped over my head and landed right on top of the rogue, and sank his razor-sharp teeth into his shoulder. 

The rogue let out a loud shriek in protest. The two wolves fought. I knew it was a fight for life, yet, I wasn't worried for my friend. I knew that he would emerge triumphant. Gavin and his wolf, Akela, were both well-trained combatants. 

The fight ended within a few minutes when Akela ripped his throat open. After making sure that he was gone, he shifted back to his human form, revealing a very disgruntled Gavin. He didn't even bother covering up his nudity as he stormed towards me. 

"What in the fudge are you doing here? Do you know that the entire pack is on alert? Are you aware that your parents are going bonkers right now? And oh, I've just mind linked them, informing them that I have found you here. Do you even care that you could have been killed? It is too dangerous out here. I know that you are the alpha's daughter and I am just your bodyguard, but sheesh, Scarlett! You scared us all to effing death!" 

I winced. "Ouch. You called me Scarlett. I thought I was your Star." 

Staring at me as though I had grown two heads, "what?" he hissed. "Is that all you heard? Don't you care about anything else?" 

I shrugged my shoulders. "That and the fact that you're still naked. Cover yourself up, buddy." 

He was astounded. "You are acting so weird, Star. Let's go back. Be thankful that I was able to follow your scent." 

He started to drag me in the direction of the Crimson Crescent pack. 

"And oh, I don't have spare shorts. I wasn't prepared to shift. I did because it was an emergency. 

Though we were used to seeing each other nude due to shifting back and forth, it was awkward for me to walk beside him while he was naked. I removed my jacket, and handed it to him, avoiding looking at his bare lower half.

"Here. Use it to cover up a little." 

He was bewildered. "How? That jacket is so tiny and it will do nothing to cover my ass."

"Just wear it. It's better than nothing," I insisted. 

He rolled his eyes and attempted to wear my jacket. He was right. The jacket was too small for him. He was a well built giant who stood well over six feet. Though I wasn't too short either, my jacket was way too small for him. 

The fabric stretched and clung to his muscles and despite his best struggles, he wasn't able to zip it close. It barely reached his belly button. Biting my lower lip, I tried not to laugh, but when he gave me a bewildered look, I could no longer hold my laughter in. 

Rolling his eyes, "very funny, Star," he grumbled. "First, you almost gave me a heart attack and now you're making fun of me." 

"S…sorry… you just look too funny," I snorted. "I didn't mean to mock you." 

"Whatever, Star. Now let's go. We have a ceremony to attend. All the guests are waiting," he said as we approached the perimeter of our pack and I went rigid. 

Dang, wasn't there a way to avoid it? I waited in silence as the guards offered him a pair of shorts and let us cross the boundary.

"Haven't they left already?" I blurted out. 

"Nah. Your father called the event off since you were missing. But all the guests have arrived by then and they chose to wait while we searched for you. Some of them even joined the search parties and now, the alpha is holding a little ceremony to celebrate your birthday."

I grimaced. 

"But… Gavin," I said, my heart sinking in fear. "I don't want to go there." 

He stopped in his tracks and turned around to look at me with a serious expression on his face. "But why? You were excited about this the whole time. What if you find your mate there?" 

"Exactly. I don't want to meet him tonight. I… I am not ready," I whispered, worried about what might happen to me… to the whole pack. 

He studied my face for a while. "Is that why you ran?" 

I nodded my head. "I am scared. I… I don't want a mate…" 

"Scarlett!" 

My father's loud voice startled me. I snapped my head just in time to see both my parents rushing towards me. My mother wrapped me in a tight embrace, while both of them scolded me for being so reckless. I cried in their arms. Not because of the scolding. But because I was terrified. 

I didn't want to meet him. I didn't want to be recognised as his mate. I didn't want history to repeat itself. 

My parents took me inside, where I was told to freshen up and wear the gown that was laid down on my bed. I did, just because my mom wouldn't hear a word from me. She wasn't going to excuse me from the celebration.

It was all too familiar. The red gown, the music, the invitees, and the laughter. I wanted it to change. I hated the music, the laughter, and most of all, I hated that I had chosen to wear a matching outfit as Georgette. 

The Grand room was bustling with people. My parents left me to meet the alphas and lunas from the other packs and mingle with them. They wanted me to do the same but I wanted to find just one person amidst the crowd: Gavin. 

Perhaps he would understand and help me escape. I spotted him entering the Grand room, looking handsome in a tuxedo. A smile curled on my lips. In the past, I never thought that he was attractive. With wavy hair neatly styled, and piercing blue-grey eyes, he was very good looking. 

"Gavin!" I called out, waving to him. He offered a broad grin and waved back. I was about to approach him when a loud, familiar voice grumbled from behind. 

"Mate! Mine!"