Chapter 1: Escape

Sadie’s POV

“Soldier! Lock Sadie in her room! She’s not to leave until the Lycan Prince’s Luna selection day.”

I’d been locked away in my bedroom ever since my father, Alpha Abram issued the command a week ago. Soldiers stood guard at my door, taking turns in shifts. I couldn’t even peek my head out my door, let alone leave!

I paced around my bedroom nervously. I was waiting for my sister, Delphine. My heart pounded in my chest and my hands shook. I rubbed them together as I paced.

My mind whirled. What if he changed his mind? What if he called it off? I tried to force the intrusive thoughts from my head.

He wouldn’t. Not Karter. He loved me and I loved him. We were mates.

Which is why we’d decided to defy my father and run away together from the Night Shade Pack.

Any moment now Delphine would knock on my door. We’d swap clothes and I’d sneak out of my room, past the guards, and into Karter’s arms.

And then?

We’d be free.

My heart ached for Karter. I longed to hear his voice, to feel his strong, warm arms wrapped around me. I’d been locked up in this room for a week now, and the loneliness was eating me alive. The minutes felt like hours, the hours felt like days. If not for the visits from my dear, sweet sister, I’d have gone mad from loneliness.

I hadn’t seen my father since he gave the command, let alone Karter. My father was adamant that I stay here, locked up in my room until the Lycan Prince’s Luna selection. He demanded that I enter the selection, even though I didn’t want to.

I’d pleaded with my father countless times. I’d thrown myself at his feet, begging him.

“Please,” I’d said, my eyes brimming with tears. “Don’t make me enter.”

My father dismissed my arguments and ignored my pleas. He claimed that Karter wasn’t strong enough, wasn’t good enough. He yelled at me, anger in his eyes.

I didn’t care, I tried to tell him. Karter was my mate and I loved him. Couldn’t my father understand that? I tried to reason with him. But my father was a ruthless man. He didn’t care what I wanted and he told me so.

I went to my wardrobe and pulled out a small, silk scarf. I tucked away in my pocket. The scarf had belonged to my mother. It was the only thing I had left of her. Our mother had died when we were very young, leaving Delphine and I motherless. We were raised by our father, but he never really spent much time with us.. He was always too busy with pack duties, so Delphine and I came to rely on each other. We were close, as close as two sisters could possibly be. We shared a special bond. For a long time, Delphine was the only important person in my life, the only person who truly cared about me.

That is…until Karter came along. I smiled fondly at the memory. The moment I met Karter, my life changed. He brought a new kind of joy and happiness into my life, one I’d never felt before. I’d always been so grateful for Delphine. She was the best sister in the world.  But now I was equally grateful for Karter. I felt so fortunate to have such a kind, caring mate. I thanked the Moon Goddess every day for giving him to me.

My father didn’t see it that way, though. He despised Karter. He thought Karter was weak and untrustworthy. So when the Lycan Prince announced that he was holding a special Luna selection to find a mate, but father had demanded that I enter the selection.

Delphine had tried to reason with him, too. She knew how much I loved Karter. She urged my father to reconsider. But my father had made up his mind, and once his mind was made up, there was no changing it.

Knock, knock, knock. The sound pulled me from my thoughts.

Delphine! She was here! It was almost time.  

She rushed into the room, careful to close the door behind her.

“Is he ready?” I asked in a hushed whisper. “He hasn’t changed his mind, has he?”

Delphine shook her head and chuckled softly. “Of course not, Sadie,” she said warmly, taking my hands in hers. “He loves you. He would never change his mind.”

I smiled gratefully at her.

“I don’t know what I’m going to do without you,” I told her. Delphine was my lifeline through this awful ordeal. Without her, I wouldn’t be able to communicate with Karter.

Normally, I’d be able to mindlink Karter. He was my mate, after all, and werewolves can mindlink their mates. But my father had taken precautions. I guess he didn’t want to take any chances. He’d ordered the pack doctor to inject me with a wolf suppressant. It didn’t harm my wolf, but it blocked her from mind-linking anyone. I don’t know how long the suppressant would last, but until the effects wore off, I couldn’t even talk to Karter.

Thankfully, I had the world’s best sister.

A few days ago, Delphine had delivered a special message from Karter. I’d read the message with shaky hands. He wanted to run away with me! He said we could start a new life somewhere else, somewhere far away from my ruthless, demanding father.

At first, I’d been hesitant. Run away? I’d have to leave everything behind, including my sister. But Delphine had encouraged me.

“Karter is your true love,” she told me. “If it were me, I’d go.”

She was right. Karter was my true love. And my father would never let us be together. He was a ruthless man with a cold heart. I’d been living under his thumb my whole life. But this was my chance! My chance to escape, to live the life I WANTED to live, not the life he TOLD me to live.

So I decided. Yes. I would run away with Karter and leave the only home I’d ever know. I’d make the ultimate sacrifice so Karter and I could be together.

“We have to hurry,” Delphine whispered. “We don’t have much time.”

My palms were sweaty. My heart raced. I nodded.

It was time. There was no turning back now. Karter was waiting for me.

Delphine and I quickly changed clothes. Then I put on a cloak with a hood. I pulled it down over my eyes, disguising myself to look like my sister.

“I love you so much,” I told Delphine, biting back my tears.

“This isn’t good-bye,” she said, kissing me on the cheek. “We’ll see each other soon, I’m sure of it. Now go! Karter’s waiting for you in the clearing!”

I nodded, and with my heart pounding, I slipped out the door and past the guards, ready to take my first step towards freedom.