On the run

Lyra

My father is a respected husband and father, a model citizen, a role model to the youth, and a revered elder of our pack. Yet from the first day I was born, he wanted me dead.

I thought getting married to Alpha Damian was going to protect me from him, but his long hands of hatred still reached me there. And now, because of him, my husband wants me dead.

My name is Elyra Forte and I am on the run.

My breath came in ragged gasps, each step sending sharp jolts of pain through my body. The weight of my pregnancy slowed me down, but I couldn’t stop. I couldn’t risk being caught—not now, not ever. 

The thick forest canopy above me blocked out most of the moonlight, casting eerie shadows that made the underbrush even more treacherous. But I had to keep going.

My father’s voice still echoed in my mind, cold and calculating. 

“Once she gives birth, we’ll dispose of her. No one will stand in our way - not even Damian. He has served his purpose.”

I had never been close to my father, but I never imagined he could be this ruthless, this evil. My heart twisted with the memory of how I had overheard his conversation with his personal assistant just hours ago. 

I had been passing by his study when the sound of my name made me pause. I wish I hadn't. The horror of his words had frozen me in place, a hand instinctively going to my swollen belly. He wanted my child, my innocent unborn child, as a pawn in his twisted power play.

My husband, Damian, the Alpha, was nothing more than a tool to my father. A puppet whose strings were pulled by a cold, unfeeling man. Damian had married me out of duty, and though he was always distant, I never imagined my father would plan his demise. But then again, I hadn’t realized the true depth of my father’s cruelty until tonight.

I couldn’t tell Damian. He would never believe me. Why would he? Ours was an arranged marriage, arranged by my father. Damian needed a Luna to be crowned alpha and I hadn’t found my mate then. 

I was happy when my father told me he had agreed to marry me because I always had a crush on him. Yet he barely speaks to me unless necessary, and the rare times he looked at me, it was with the cool indifference of a stranger. 

No, I was alone in this. Alone to protect our child. Alone to save Damian, even if he didn’t care.

I had to get away, far away, before my father’s plan could be put into motion. If I wasn’t around, my father would have no reason to harm Damian. He would be safe… as long as I disappeared. 

But where could I go? My father had eyes everywhere, guards that watched my every move. Well, I had learned to be invisible in my own home, to move quietly, unnoticed. As soon as I heard his plan, I went and hastily told my mother goodbye and left the house without his knowledge.

I went back to the packhouse and planned my exit. I can’t continue staying in this house, or this pack. I dressed in plain clothes that conceal my belly and wouldn’t hinder my movements—a tunic and leggings under a heavy cloak. No one would suspect the Alpha’s wife looked so ordinary. I quickly sneaked out of the pack house and picked a taxi.

I dropped at the T-junction, so named because it leads to three different packs, none of which we are on friendly terms with. I waited for the driver to go back before walking towards one of them. Even though we are not on friendly terms, we weren’t exactly enemies, so I figured I would be safe. Also, I planned my escape this way so they would find it difficult to know which pack I have gone to. In case, they find the taxi driver and question him. 

The cool evening air was biting against my skin, but I welcomed it. It kept me alert, and focused. Once I was close to the borders, I broke into a run, my legs protesting the sudden exertion. I couldn’t afford to stop, couldn’t afford to think about how far along I was or how dangerous this was. My only thought was of getting as far away as possible. The forest loomed ahead, dark and foreboding, but it was my only chance. 

The trees swallowed me up, the undergrowth pulling at my cloak as I pushed forward. My pulse thundered in my ears, every rustle of leaves sending a jolt of fear through me. I was running for two lives now, mine and my child’s. My father’s evil plan fueled me, the anger burning away the exhaustion threatening to drag me down. How could he? How could he plan to kill his own daughter without a shred of remorse?

The howls in the distance sent a fresh wave of panic through me. Have they discovered my absence so soon? I didn’t wait to find out. The guards would be searching the forest soon, if that is the case. And if they found me… I couldn’t let them find me.

I stumbled, catching myself against a tree, panting for breath. My body ached, the strain of the pregnancy weighing me down, but I couldn’t stop. Rather I decided to use earth to mask my scent. I rubbed as much of it as I could on my hands, legs and neck. I was too tired to continue but I forced myself to keep going, ignoring the tears that blurred my vision. 

Just as my legs began to falter, I saw it, the edge of the territory. Relief flooded me, but I didn’t slow down. Not yet. The border meant nothing if I was caught. I had to keep going, find shelter, find someone who could help me. I stumbled across the invisible line, crossing into a new territory. My legs finally gave out, and I collapsed onto the forest floor, gasping for breath.

I had escaped, for now. My child and I had a chance, and that was all I needed to keep going. A rustle of leaves made me look up, my heart throbbing with renewed fear. Dark shapes emerged from the trees, wolves, their eyes glowing in the night. I tensed, wrapping my cloak tighter around me, trying to hide my belly. The last thing I needed was to look vulnerable.

One of the wolves went behind a tree and shifted. Soon, a man stepped forward, tall and imposing, with eyes that reflected the moonlight. The mole close to his upper lips gave him a sexy look. Okay that wasn’t me, it must surely be Uru, my wolf.

‘He is so sexy,’ Uru said. 

“Seriously Uru. You think this is the time and the place for that?” I asked her.

‘I am just stating facts,’ she insisted.

I rolled my eyes at her and focused on the man in front of me. He regarded me with suspicion, his gaze narrowing. 

“You’re on our land, rogue,” he said, his voice hard and commanding. “State your business before we tear out your neck.”

“I’m not a rogue,” I pleaded, my voice trembling with exhaustion and fear. “Please, I’m… I’m running for my life.”

The man titled his head back and nodded. He seemed to be communicating with someone else through his mind. I’ve seen my husband mindlink his beta especially when they don’t want me to hear what they are saying. Mindlink is something that has always fascinated me.

“There have been reports of rogues sending she-wolves to survey the land before they attack,” he said. The man’s eyes flicked to my cloak, his suspicion deepening. “Why should I believe you?”

Desperation clawed at me. I couldn’t let them turn me away, or worse kill me, not when I was so close. Slowly, I reached up and loosened the cloak, letting it fall open to reveal my swollen belly. 

“I’m pregnant,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. “I’m not a threat. I just need help.”

The tension in the air shifted, the man’s hard expression softening as he took in the sight of my pregnancy. He glanced at his pack members, who were now looking at me with a mixture of surprise and concern. After what felt like an eternity, he stepped closer, his tone gentler this time. 

“Who are you?”

“My name is Lyra,” I replied, feeling the weight of exhaustion pressing down on me. “I need your help. Please, I have nowhere else to go.”

The man’s eyes softened further, then he mindlinked to that someone who he had been communicating with. After a while, he nodded “Yes, alpha.”

He nodded to his pack, who stepped back, giving us space, then looked at me. 

“You’re safe now,” he said, his voice low but reassuring. “I’m Luke, the beta of this pack. We’ll protect you.”

Relief washed over me, and my knees buckled. The last thing I remembered before everything went black was Luke catching me before I hit the ground, his voice promising safety.