Chapter four

Ariah's POV

The next couple of days were filled with a series of events that were to shape my future, for better or for worse, I wasn’t sure. I had to plan my escape from the Blue Moons pack to perfection, if I were to be caught, I couldn’t even imagine the doom that would spell for me. 

At first, I hadn’t taken an interest in the routine of the guards at the dungeon, but as I started plotting my escape, I found some loopholes, it was as though they never thought anyone would even think of escaping. The guards were changed at midnight. For the first two days, I observed their movements and when I was completely sure, I thought of my next move. That was easy enough, Alpha James always had a spare key to all the cells in the dungeon, all I had to do was wait for the day I would be summoned to be raped. 

Crazy isn’t it? That I would be in anticipation of such a day, well it came and I was anxious and scared, but I gritted my mind. After Alpha James was through with me that night, he fell into a heavy sleep, it seemed like each time he sexually assaulted me, I took more energy out of him than he did from me. I was swift in my doings, I found the bunch of keys and scooped it under my dress. 

Back at my cell, I waited anxiously to hear the sound of the huge wall clock above that indicated that it was midnight. My heart was beating so fast, I listened quietly for about a minute, satisfied with the silence that greeted me, I started trying all the keys. I heard a ‘click’ sound finally and I crept out from the cell, cringing as the door made a sharp noise. I paused at intervals to listen, at a point I heard incoming footsteps and I was about to race back to the cell, but I realized they weren’t coming in my direction. 

I felt the chill of the night twenty minutes later when I was out of the house, moving as stealthily and quietly as a shadow, I disappeared behind the oak trees that surrounded the pack estate whenever I saw a guard. I was at the entrance of a forest nearby and from there I could see the orphanage. For a while, I stared at it with tears welling up in my eyes, then I turned and disappeared into the forest. 

I was out! I made it! I couldn’t believe it as I felt the soft detritus of the forest under my bare feet, it had rained that night and although I felt cold, I kept walking. I was frightened by the darkness, but I kept going deeper into the forest, the deeper I went into the forest, the farther away I was from Alpha James and the dungeon and I was okay with that. I heard a sound that made me freeze and caused my heart to skip a beat.

 What was that? I thought. Looking around sharply, my eyes peering into the dark as fear surged through me, then I heard a soft rustling of leaves. When I turned again, I was surrounded by about a dozen rouges, they were dressed like guards, or rather native soldiers of war and they all stared at me as if I  was an alien. I screamed as they advanced toward me, then a handkerchief was placed firmly on my nose and I started feeling dizzy. The last thing I remembered seeing was the ugly snarl on one of their faces and then a black sack was covered over my head.

I woke up in a four-cornered room, I gasped with fear. Was I back at the Blue Moon’s pack? Had Alpha James sent men after me and brought me back? It looked different though, the walls of this cell were painted blue and at a corner, there was a dirty foam as flat as a pancake. I was a prisoner again, I had escaped from one cell just to end up in another! What kind of life was I living? What gloomy fortune did the future hold for me, at the moment, I wasn’t even sure I had a future.

 I was treated almost the same way I had been at the dungeon in my pack, but here, I was served food and water twice a day and I had a window through which the sun’s rays could penetrate. For about four days, I talked to nobody and my captors never bothered to give me a hint of what was to become of me.  Again, I had only one way to get out of this and I had to escape yet again, but how? This was way tougher than it had been in Alpha James’ case, I never left my cell, I didn't even know my way around here nor did I know where I was.

I sat for days, looking out of the window and wondering how I could get out of there, on the fourth day, a light in my head flashed and I suddenly realized how foolish I had been the whole time. The answer I had pondered tirelessly on had been right in front of me the whole time and I had been looking at it, the window! It was made of a wooden frame that never closed, all I had to do was reach up to it and I would be halfway out of here. I examined the rough walls, it was a nearly impossible task, for someone that was overweight that is. I waited till darkness clouded the sky and after my food had been delivered. 

My eighteenth birthday had brought so many unexpected tragedies and turned my life into an escape room, literally. I struggled, once, twice, thrice and each time I came sliding down the cold walls of the cell in a futile attempt. Finally, I grasped onto the window pane, and with a painful effort that had my whole body vibrating, I heaved myself up. I hadn’t estimated my fall and before I realized the distance from the ground, it was too late.

 I went crashing down with a thud, and a wave of pain shot through my body as I dragged myself up. 

“Here we go,” I said to myself with a painful groan. 

I hadn’t dragged myself more than twenty meters when the shadow of a person ran past me swiftly, I caught my breath sharply and broke into a blind run, despite the pain I felt in my ankles. I bumped into something and fell to the ground, my heart was beating so fast and I bit my lips hard to fight the tears welling up in my eyes back, I couldn’t bear the pain I felt. 

“Where do you think you’re going?” The man I had bumped into growled. 

“The King won’t like this.” Another man said I had been surrounded. 

“Oh please let me go!” I cried desperately.

 “Pick her up!” The first man commanded. 

As I was heaved off my feet, I felt the pain again and let out a sharp cry. I was dragged behind the first man and led into a huge mansion, the leader opened a door and said to the men who had me.

 “I’ll  take it from here.” 

He caught hold of my wrists and dragged me the rest of the way. The room was empty, save for a man seated on a throne, his face was contorted with rage as he stared at me.  

“My King, this is-“ The man who held me started to say but he was cut off by a thunderous voice.

 “A prisoner escaped? How incompetent!” The man on the throne yelled and I felt the hand upon my shoulders shiver. 

“I’m sorry, my king.” My captor said in a recreant voice. 

“Not once have I heard of a captive escaping from a Lycan prison, I’ll handle this myself, get out!” The man on the throne said. 

“Yes, my king.” The hand that held me let go and he exited the room. 

I was alone with the Lycan king and I crouched with fear as he approached me.

 “How is it that such a little and frail creature like you almost outsmarted my guards?” His voice was like a whiplash and all I wished for was for the earth to open up and swallow me. “Answer me!” He snapped and caught hold of my wrists, but instantly, he let go and stepped back. 

What was that? What the fuck just happened? I thought with wide eyes. 

It was…it was the same sensation I had felt when Alpha James had first touched me, I couldn’t mistake it. I stared up at the Lycan King in disbelief and a startled look was also imprinted on his handsome face as the silence fell over us. 

No way, It couldn’t be!