Chapter 3: Freedom

*Amelia*

"You are joking, right?" Adrian asked me, his tone filled with disbelief, as I threatened to divorce him if he forced me to give my blood to Mara, his ex-mate, who had accused me of stabbing her.

"As much as I'd like to say I'm joking, unfortunately, I am not. It's either her or me. The choice is yours," I said firmly. Adrian stared at me for what felt like an eternity, his eyes narrowing before his lips curled into a sarcastic smile.

"You think I don't know what you're doing? You're trying to blackmail me with a divorce. Well, let me make it clear—it won’t work on me," he snapped, his tone cold and unyielding.

"You stabbed someone. And no matter your position in this pack, you're supposed to face the consequences. But here I am, sparing you from punishment by asking you to give her your blood so she can survive. Yet, you’re still being stubborn. Do you think I can’t punish you?" Adrian's voice grew angrier.

A sad smile tugged at my lips as I looked at him. "Adrian, I’d rather be punished than give her a single drop of my blood. As I’ve said, I didn’t stab her. But if you’re convinced that I did and you're going to force me to give her my blood, then I will file for a divorce." My voice was unwavering.

Adrian scoffed. "Well, sorry to disappoint you, Amelia. But neither am I letting you file for a divorce, nor am I letting this slide. You’re going to give her your blood, and that’s final."

Before I could respond, guards and the doctor entered the room.

"Take her inside and take whatever blood she has to give. Make sure it’s enough for Mara to survive," Adrian ordered coldly. The guards moved toward me, their hands grasping me tightly.

"Let go of me, you fools!" I screamed, struggling to break free. Before I could react, I felt the cold sting of a syringe in my neck. I turned to face the doctor, who was standing there, holding an empty syringe. My vision blurred instantly, and I fell unconscious, losing all sense of time and place.

When I woke up, hours later, I felt weak and disoriented, the exhaustion weighing heavily on my body. A sharp pain shot through my wrist, and I realized with horror that they had taken my blood without my consent—sedating me to do so, all to save Mara, the woman who had accused me of trying to harm her.

Fury burned inside me. Adrian must have thought I was bluffing when I threatened him with divorce, but now it was clear that he had made his choice. He had chosen Mara, and I was nothing more than a pawn in his game. I was just his chosen mate, not his fated one.

I couldn’t stand the thought of being in the same pack with him any longer, especially not after everything that had happened. I had to leave, start fresh, and maybe—just maybe—find my fated mate.

Despite the fatigue and the blood loss, I gathered enough strength to stand up from the bed. I ignored the stares of the nurses and the whispers of the pack members as I staggered my way out of the hospital.

Back at the palace, I headed straight for the kitchen, where I ate to my heart’s content, trying to regain some energy. Then, I made my way to Adrian's office, where I knew the divorce papers would be kept.

It didn’t take long to find them. With shaking hands, I signed my name on the dotted line, sealing the end of my marriage to Adrian. After signing, I quickly changed into the maid’s uniform I had kept hidden, knowing that I would need to leave the palace unnoticed.

With my card, the small savings I had, and my phone in hand, I started making my way to the exit. I needed to get out without the guards noticing me. My heart pounded in my chest as I walked past the gate, and for once, luck was on my side—the guards were too distracted with their conversation to notice me slipping away.

Once outside the pack's borders, I ran, my heart racing as I pushed myself harder despite my exhaustion. The cold of the forest chilled me to the bone, but I couldn’t stop. Not when freedom was so close.

Then, I heard the unmistakable sound of voices—Adrian’s voice, to be exact.

"I can smell her. She’s nearby. Keep searching," he commanded, his voice laced with urgency.

Panic surged through me. I couldn’t afford to go back now. Not when I was so close to freedom.

I pushed myself harder, ignoring the pain in my legs as I ran, faster than I ever had before. My thoughts raced. If Adrian caught up with me, it would be over. He would drag me back to the pack, lock me away, and make sure I couldn’t escape again.

"Amelia, I know you can hear me! Stop running and come back! If I catch you, you won’t like what happens next!" Adrian’s voice echoed behind me.

But I kept running. I had no choice.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, I heard the sound of cars approaching. My heart lifted, and I pushed my legs to go even faster. Then, there it was—the main road.

With the last of my strength, I ran to the road, stepping in front of an oncoming car. The driver slammed on the brakes, tires screeching as he came to a stop.

The man, probably in his late fifties, stared at me with wide eyes. "What the hell is wrong with you, young lady? Do you want to get yourself killed?" he yelled.

"Please, help me! They’re chasing me," I pleaded, my voice breaking with desperation.

The driver eyed me skeptically. "Really?" he asked, scrutinizing me carefully.

"Yes, please. I don’t know what to do!" I begged.

He hesitated for a moment before sighing. "Fine. Hurry up and get in."

I didn’t need to be told twice. I scrambled into the car, and without another word, the man hit the gas, speeding away.

Looking out the rearview mirror, I saw Adrian and his guards on the road, searching for me. But they didn’t know I was in the car. They had no idea that my life was about to change.

As the car sped away, I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding. I was free.

To be continued...