Chapter 0002

CARLA

"No, Cherry! Don't come here! Go back to your room!" I yelled to prevent my daughter from coming to my place.

But what could a four-year-old girl do in this situation?

She might think being in her mother's arms was safer, although it meant she would run straight into the crime scene.

"Mommy." She slipped below Ian, and I immediately caught her in my arms. Tears were welling in her eyes.

"Shh, baby. Everything is alright." I was comforting her while hiding her fragile body behind mine. I must protect her from the danger, which was her own father.

"Children should be in their bedroom, not here," Ian growled. He walked closer, and my hold on Cherry tightened.

"I want to be with Mommy."

But her words weren't affecting him. He gripped her arm and pulled her hard. So I was slowly losing her.

"No, Ian. Let me bring her to her room." I was pleading in desperation. I would never leave Cherry alone with him!

Again, he didn't listen to my words and our daughter's cry. Instead, he pulled Cherry harder, and I completely lost her.

"No, Mommy!" She screamed, which made his anger rise up.

Ian dragged her a bit, only to throw her on the ground. "You should listen to Daddy, not Mommy."

Then everything went fast.

I saw Ian lifting his hand, ready to hit her, and the mother instinct inside me kicked in. I picked up the lampstand. And before I realized everything, I swung it to his head with all my might. My impulsive action must have hit hard, so he lost his balance and fainted.

But I kept my guard on until seconds later, and he was still lying on the ground. He really fainted.

Only then did I release my grip on the lampstand and hold Cherry. "Shh, baby. Everything is alright now." I replayed the same words I usually used to calm her down whenever this situation happened. I knew she was terrified, but I didn't know how to comfort her except for the promise that everything was going fine.

I hoped I could keep my promise somehow.

I looked at my fainted mate while stroking Cherry's hair in my embrace. My brain was working on the future. Ian definitely wouldn't let us go when he woke up. He probably did worse after learning about my rebellion.

It wasn't merely about my fate here but also my daughter's. He could do everything to me, punishing and beating me. But he couldn't hurt Cherry. She was the only reason I was still alive.

I was her mother and must protect her with my life.

My gaze shifted back to Cherry, who was crying in my arms. Maybe it was time to wash the tears away. As she wished, it was probably the right time to get rid of this fucking life.

"Cherry, honey," I called for her attention. If I really wanted to make this happen, I must do it quickly. "You said you wanted to visit the theme park, right?"

Cherry was still sobbing but tilted her head up and nodded at my question.

"Let's visit that."

"Really?"

I nodded and then gave a wide smile. "Yes. But we must go now so we can arrive in the morning."

And like other children, when they got permission to play around, her face was slightly lit up. "Can I bring Choco?"

Choco was her favorite bear doll.

"Of course. Now, get up and go get her." I helped my daughter stand up and fix her clothes.

But she didn't move and only stared at the unmoved Ian. "How about Daddy?" Fear flitted in her voice.

"Let's leave Daddy and the house quietly. Remember, we must go now."

"Yes, now." She copied my words in a more confident tone. Then she slowly walked and began running after passing Ian's body.

I saw her leaving the door open before fixing myself. I noticed blood on my head—it must have resulted from a bump on the nightstand. It wasn't a big wound, so I left it like that.

I proceeded to the closet and picked a quite big duffel bag. For the next five-minute, I was busy stuffing my clothes into the bag and other basic necessities, including some cash I hid in case this opportunity came.

And finally, it happened, so I emptied the hidden storage before moving into Cherry's room.

"You only want to bring Choco with you?" I asked while putting Cherry's clothes inside the bag.

"Yes."

"Wear your jacket, please," I ordered after glancing at her, and she hadn't put a jacket on. She already had shoes, though.

I heard a movement telling me she had complied with my order.

"Ready?"

She nodded her head. "Ready, Mommy."

Thus, the next thing I did was to carry her as I made my way out of the pack house. It was almost midnight, and there was no activity in the house. That was why I could leave the house without a problem and no one spotting us.

I was running on my feet toward the border—it was the only option because I couldn't possibly shift. Someone could easily notice us in my bigger form, though it must be faster to reach the border. However, I didn't want to take the risk. I wanted this to succeed. If this failed, then our fate would fail, too.

After five years of living in this pack, I learned that warriors would run the perimeter once an hour. There would be a gap between when warriors left the post and before others came to occupy it. And that was my way out.

I almost reached the border and already had warriors in sight when suddenly a hand pulling me. I was utterly shocked because it was Tricia, Ian's younger sister.

"What are you doing here?" She asked in a hushed tone, looking at Cherry and me alternately.

I swallowed hard. What should I tell Tricia? I ran away from her brother? Impossible!

"Cherry couldn't sleep, so," I paused before completing my story. "So, I bring her to walk around."

Stupid me! How could I make such a lie? No one would believe it.

There was silence for a few seconds as I waited for her reaction. I could feel nervousness slowly eating me.

Tricia raised her hand, which I initially thought would grab mine. But instead, she pointed to a fresh wound on my head. "Did Ian beat you again?"

The story of the Alpha of this pack abusing his Luna wasn't new. His family knew it, as well as his people.

I smiled weakly and said, "It's okay." The same answer I would give to whoever asked about my condition. Unfortunately, only a few people were concerned about me. "I will return home then." I continued.

I guessed the plan had failed. So did my hope. There was no freedom for my daughter and me.

"Wait." She stopped me, which made me look back at her. "Take this." She grabbed my hand and then left something there. It was a car key.

I watched my hand, then Tricia. My brows furrowed in confusion.

"The one guarding the entrance is the warrior leader. You know he's always cautious. And he won't believe whatever reason you give." She started explaining. "But if you take my car, he won't stop you as he often sees me leaving the territory."

Only then did I realize there was a car nearby.

"I know what you're going to do, Carla. And I really hope it succeeds."

I looked at her with mixed emotions, as I didn't know what to say. I rarely talked to her and thought she was the same as Ian's other sisters. Turned out she was willing to help me.

Tricia put a hat on my head before hugging me. "You should have done this sooner when he abused you for the first time. You and Cherry deserve a better life than stuck beside him."

A lone tear trickled down my eyes. "Thank you, Tris."

We stayed in this position for a few moments without no one speaking until Tricia pulled away.

"Take care of my niece." She said while staring warmly at Cherry. Then she spun around and left us.

I couldn't even say goodbye to her.

I looked in her direction until her figure disappeared into the dark forest, and I couldn't see her anymore. I wasted no more time and proceeded to the car.

I found a blanket in the backseat, which I could use to cover Cherry's body. Then I placed the bag underneath the seat before taking the driver's seat.

This was it. Now or never.

I slowly drove the car toward the entrance. However, I couldn't help my heart from beating fast as I approached the warriors.

Of course, they noticed us. But Tricia was right. They might see her often leaving the territory, so no one stopped the car. And it was real freedom when we could pass the border safely.

I looked at the rearview, and a glimpse of Cherry's face sleeping soundly was visible. I smiled in joy. Although I still didn't know where to go, it was the freedom I was waiting for and promised her.

It was real now.