Run, Emily

**Emily** 

Northern Sullerdale 

10 PM 

“Emily! Emily!” 

A loud voice called from outside. Startled, I peeled my swollen eyes open, wrapped my robe around me, and darted to the door. As soon as I pried it open, one of our maids whose name I never knew because she was new, hurried inside and shut the door behind her.

Her breath came in short pants and she gripped her knees for support as she bent. Then she straightened.

I noticed her dark brown eyes were wild with fear and they flickered here and there.

“What’s happ—” I began, but she cut me off abruptly.

“Emily, your mother wants to meet you at the secret tunnel right now. There’s no time to explain, just follow me, please.” She rushed out.

My brows scrunched up as I was instantly aware something was wrong.

No maid ever addressed me by my name without my title but she did. Also, the urgency in her voice and the fact that my mother wanted us to meet at the secret tunnel which was never used except for some important purpose.

Ignoring the fear that suddenly gripped me as I thought of the possibility of my mom being in danger, I stared down at my clothes.

“What about what I’m wearing?” I asked, pointing at the lacy nightie underneath the red robe. I was forbidden from wearing such out of my chambers.

The nightie reached just below my knees and it wasn't what could be seen on a proper lady outside even though it was dark. It was a good thing I had a robe on.

The maid eyed my clothes hastily, then answered with a wave of her hands, "You are well covered, let’s go!”

My brows furrowed as I thought of what was going on once more. My head was blank and couldn't come up with anything.

Then, it wandered to my father… No, I shook my head warding off the thought.

The maid opened the door stealthily, looked around and signified that I took the lead.

“Run, my princess. And do not stop no matter what!”

The first thing I became aware of when I started running was the state of chaos in my pack house. Everyone was running in different directions, and wildfires were flaring in different places.

“What’s happening?!” I screamed over the noise coming from different angles. How didn't I notice what was going on until now?

I believe it was because my room was soundproofed and I needed to look out of the windows or step out of the room to know what was happening.

I felt a nudge on my hand and I glanced at my side to see the maid beside me.

“It’s Beta Marcus. He’s trying to dethrone your mother!” She said.

I didn't have enough time to fully decipher what she said when I heard her take a sharp breath.

“Run!” She screamed again, but this time it sounded strange like she was being choked.

Curiosity got the better part of me and I stopped to check, only to find her choking on her blood, with a huge spear jutting out of her chest.

“Oh my—” I gasped, slapping my hands over my mouth.

My eyes widened and I staggered backwards. My eyes moved frantically in search of who had thrown the spear but no one was around.

I believed the thrower must be so good to have caught her from a far distance.

A second later, the shock wore off and I darted towards her.

“Just go, before they get to you,” she sputtered, shoving me away.

“I can’t leave you here, I can take you to safety!” Tears poured down my cheeks and I blinked as my vision blurred but it did no good in clearing it.

The maid smiled. A sad smile and she fell to her knees, “You can't help me."

She let out a grunt and held her side. "Can’t you smell it? It’s laced with silver, I won’t make it.”

She fell on her back and I glimpsed tears pouring from her eyes.

I crouched beside her and let her hold my face with her bloodied hands, “Go, Emily, avenge me and all the dead wolves.”

I tried to reassure her, telling her everything would be alright. But as soon as I opened my mouth to speak, her hands fell from my face.

“N-no!” I screamed, shaking my head, “Hold on, please!”

I shook her open-eyed lifeless form with tears pouring out of my eyes.

A few seconds passed, and the tears were replaced with grief and then anger. It filled up my veins more quickly than I could control it. I pressed the palm of my hands down the length of her face, took in her pretty face that smiled even in death.

Standing to my feet, I ran, ignoring the loud shouts and the gunshots resounding throughout the night sky.

***

“Emily!” My mother cried out as soon as I got to the tunnel.

The tunnel was in chaos. I could hear the frantic voices of mothers screaming out their children’s names and that of children who were looking for their parents.

It wasn't like how I often envisaged, abandoned and serene.

“Mother!” I called back, running to her. As soon as she got at arm's length, I engulfed her in an embrace and sobbed. “She’s dead! The maid you sent to fetch me, she’s dead!”

My mother cupped my face in her hands, smiled sadly and whispered, “I know, I know, darling child. But you need to calm down."

I nodded and let her clean off the tear droplets that had fallen from my eyes with her fingers. “I want you to run from here. They won't stop until I’m dead but they might forget about you.” 

I shook my head in negation but she ignored me and continued to speak, “Marcus, your father’s Beta wants your father’s throne. I suspect he killed your father and Logan, his gamma. But now isn’t the time for such discussion, just leave here, child.”

“What about you, Mom?” I asked, trembling. I clasped her warm palms and stared into her beautiful sea-green eyes.

She smiled yet again, this time it looked less reassuring than the last, “I’ll stay behind.”

“No!” I whispered so only she could hear, “I can’t let you do that. It’s like knowing you’re about to be killed and leading yourself to slaughter!”

I wanted to drill some senses into her, to try to talk her out of this madness; but instead of listening to me, she simply stared at me for the longest time, shook her head and pushed me into the arms of one of the guards present.

“Alex, lead her to safety, make sure you do not return to this kingdom until I send out a word,” she commanded the bulky bodyguard who pressed me against his chest with a kind of aggressive force.

“And darling child,” she turned to face me with her signature smile plastered across her porcelain face "Never forget how much I love you.”

“But mom, what about the baby?!” I yelled, tears beginning to blur my vision.

“The baby and I would be fine.” She said with that reassuring smile still plastered across her face, “Now tell me you love me, just as I love you.” I was about to tell her how much I loved her too when I noticed a bodyguard stealthily creeping up behind her.

“Mom!” I shrieked, fighting against the hard grip of the bodyguard behind me.

“Not now child, go!” She shouted back.

“Look behind y—” as soon as the words left my mouth, I saw the jagged end of a sword appear suddenly in front of her chest, with blood dripping down it.

“Let go of me! My mom’s dying!” I screech at the top of my lungs at Alex who stood unmoving behind me.

“Let go of me!” I shouted again but he didn't even bulge. And then it came to me as I glimpsed the strange tattoo on his arm. He was one of them!

“You psychotic son of a bitch! I said let go of—” my sentence hadn’t finished when I felt him press a white handkerchief against my nose, and everything went black.