I Just Have To

I couldn't discard the feeling of unease that had been gnawing at me since the Alpha's offer. The more I thought about it, the more I realized I couldn't accept it. I may have accepted the offer, but I couldn't become his breeder, couldn't be tied to him in any way. I'd rather take my chances with the rogues than subject myself to his authority.

So I made up my mind. I was going to take a new turn from the pack.

His pack.

I packed a small bag with some clothes, my journal, and a few provisions. I knew they weren't much, but it was all I had. I waited until the middle of the night when everyone was far asleep and slung the bag over my shoulder.

I was almost at the edge of the pack's territory when I heard footsteps behind me. I turned around in terror, and to my greatest shock, it was Evans, the young werewolf I'd grown so close to all the while I needed help at my little hut. 

Now I'm homeless.

"Dresh, where are you going?" he asked, concern etched on his face.

"I'm leaving, Evans," I said. "I can't stay here anymore. Not after what the Alpha had asked of me. He might come back here for me."

"But where will you go?" he asked.

"I don't know yet," I admitted. "But I can't stay here either. I need to find my own path as quickly as possible."

"I want to come with you," Evans said, surprising me.

"Evans, you don't have to do this," I said, worried for his safety. "You have your own life here. Your own family."

"I know, but I want to help you," he said, determination laced in his voice.

I didn't know what to say to that. I was touched by his loyalty and bravery, but I couldn't bear the thought of putting him in danger.

"I appreciate your offer, Evans. But this is something I have to do on my own," I said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Just promise me that you'll stay safe." He said, worry written all over my face.

"I promise," he said, giving me a small smile.

We said our goodbyes, and I started my journey towards the edge of the pack's territory. I had packed a bag with some essentials, but I knew that surviving on my own was going to be so tough. I had no idea where I was going, but all I knew was that I couldn't stay in the pack any longer.

As I walked, I thought about the reasons why I had to leave. The pack's Lycan King, Liams, had made an offer to me that I couldn't refuse: become his breeder and he would protect me from the rogue werewolves who were threatening the town. But I had heard stories about Liams, stories of how he ruled with an iron fist and showed no mercy towards those who opposed him.

He even said it to my face earlier.

I didn't want to be a breeder for someone like that. I didn't want to be a pawn in his game. So I had made the decision to run away and find a new life for myself.

But as I continued to walk, I realized that it wouldn't be that simple. The pack guards would be looking for me, and if they found me, they wouldn't let me leave without a fight. I needed to be careful and carry out my escape carefully.

As I walked, I heard thick footsteps behind me this time. My heart sank, and I took a swift turn around to see Evans jogging up to me.

"Dresh, wait up!" he exclaimed, out of breath.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, surprised to see him.

"I'm coming with you," he said, determination in his eyes.

"Evans, you don't have to do this," I said, worried for his safety. "You have your own life there. Your own family."

"I know, but I want to help you. I don't feel comfortable leaving you all to yourself, Dresh." he said, bringing forward his hand to my head, and he picked a dirt from my hair.

I didn't know what to say. I was touched by his kindness, but I didn't want to put him in danger. But before I could protest, he grabbed my hand and started running.

"We have to hurry!" he said, looking back at the pack's headquarters as we went. "They'll be looking for us."

'Us' or 'me'? 

My mind travelled to different directions and back, focusing now on what's ahead of me.

We ran through the woods, our hearts pounding with fear and excitement. We had no idea where we were going, but we knew we had to keep moving. As we ran, we heard the howls of some werewolves in the distance, and I knew we were being pursued.

We ran for what felt like hours, our legs aching and our lungs burning. But we didn't stop. His werewolf heightened speed helped me as a human friend of his. We couldn't stop. We had to keep moving if we- I wanted to survive.

Finally, we came to a clearing in the woods, and I saw a small cabin in the distance. It looked abandoned, but it was better than nothing. Evan and I rushed towards it, hoping that we could find some shelter there.

As we approached, I heard rustling in the trees behind us. We spun around and saw a group of lycans in black furs emerging from the trees. My heart sank as I recognized them as Alpha Liams' enforcers.

"Dammit, they found us!" I muttered under my breath.

"What do we do?" Evans asked, fear in his voice.

I looked around frantically for a way out, but there was nowhere to run. The men were closing in on us, and I knew that we were trapped.

"Stay behind me, Dresh!" Evans told me, trying to sound confident, as he pushed me behind him. "We'll fight if we have to."

But the men didn't come at us with weapons. Instead, their leader stepped forward and spoke in a deep, menacing voice.

"The Lycan King has ordered us to bring you back to his pack, Dresh," he said. "He has taken an interest in you, and you cannot run away from him. No one dares to run away from our Alpha King!"

I felt a surge of anger and defiance inside me. I had worked so hard to escape from Liams and his pack, and I wasn't about to give up now.

"I'm not going back," I said, standing my ground. "I won't be a breeder for him. I won't be his pawn!"

The enforcers didn't respond, but I could see the determination in their eyes. They advanced towards me, their muscles bulging beneath their skin.

I stood my ground, ready to fight if I had to. But before I could even make a move, they had me surrounded. One of them grabbed me by the arms and pulled me towards him.

"No!" Evan yelled, trying to fight them off. But there were too many of them, and he was quickly overwhelmed.

I struggled against the enforcer's grip, but it was of no use. It was just like I was trying to lift an iroko tree off its root. They dragged me away from Evan, who was now lying unconscious on the ground.

As they brought me back to the pack's headquarters, I knew that my life would never be the same again. Alpha Liams had already picked an interest in me, and I couldn't run away from him. 

No one can run away from him.

I was thrown into a cell, with only my thoughts to keep me company. The sound of the lock clicking shut echoed in my ears, sealing my fate with me in there.

But I refused to give up. I would find a way to escape, to take back control of my life. And I knew that Evan would be there to help me, no matter what.

As I sat in the cold, damp cell, I couldn't help but wonder what my fate would be. Would I be forced to become the Alpha's breeder? Would I be punished for running away?

Suddenly, I heard footsteps outside my cell, and my heart raced with fear. But to my surprise, the door creaked open, and in stepped the Lycan King himself.

"Dresh," he said, his voice surprisingly gentle. "I came to set you free myself."

I couldn't believe my eyes. Why would he do this? Was it some kind of trick?

But as he unlocked the cell and helped me to my feet, I saw the sincerity in his eyes.

"I don't want to hurt you, Dresh," he said, his voice low and serious. "I see something in you that I haven't seen in anyone else."

I didn't know what to say. Part of me wanted to run away again, to escape this strange and dangerous and ruthless man. But another part of me was so curious, intrigued by the possibility that he could be different from what I had heard.

I stared at him, unsure of what to say. I wanted to believe him, to trust that he had a change of heart. But deep within me, I couldn't forget the rumors I had heard about his cruelty and his disregard for others.

"Why did you bring me here?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

"I needed to talk to you," he replied, his tone softening. "I didn't want to do it in front of my enforcers. They won't understand."

I eyed him warily, but curiosity got the best of me. I patiently waited for him to say anything he had in mind.

He hesitated for a moment before speaking. "I want to apologize for how I treated you earlier. I was wrong to force you to become my breeder. It was a mistake, and I regret it."

I was surprised by his words, but I couldn't help but feel skeptical. "Why are you telling me this now?"

"Because I realized that I was wrong about you," he said. "You're not just some pawn to be used for my own gain. You're strong, and you have a mind of your own. And I respect that."

I studied him carefully, searching for any sign of deception. But as I looked into his eyes, I saw something I hadn't seen nor heard about him before: 'difference'.

But why is he appearing in such a manner before me? My mind could not help but think the opposite.

"I don't know if I can trust you," I said, still unsure.

"I understand," he said, nodding his head. "But I promise you, I won't hurt you. You have my word."

I weighed his words carefully, trying to decide whether to believe him. Part of me wanted to run, to get as far away from him as possible. But another part of me was curious, wondering if there was more to him than meets the eye.

"I'll consider what you've said," I finally said, my voice firm.

He nodded, seeming to understand. "That's all I ask. And just so you know, you're free to go. I won't stop you."

With that, he turned and left the cell, leaving me alone with my thoughts. I wasn't sure what to make of the situation, but one thing was for sure: my life would never be the same again.

As I walked out of the cell and back into the main part of the pack's headquarters, I couldn't help but feel a sense of uneasiness. I was free, but at what cost? And what did the future hold for me now?