Cost Of Freedom
But my wolf was silent. She was slipping away, her light growing dimmer and dimmer. I could feel her pain, her sorrow, her despair.
She was dying. And I couldn’t save her.
I buried my face in my hands, my body trembling with grief. I was losing her, the only part of me that was strong, the only part of me that was worth anything.
Without her, I was nothing. Just a weak, broken girl trapped in a world that hated me.
Days passed, and my wolf grew weaker. I could barely feel her anymore, just a faint whisper at the edge of my mind. Her light was fading, her spirit withering away.
I was dying too. Not my body, but my soul. My hope. My will to fight.
I had nothing left. No strength, no courage, no one to care if I lived or died.
I couldn’t take it anymore. The beatings, the taunts, the endless humiliation. Each day, I felt myself slipping further into darkness, my wolf fading to a faint whisper, her light dimming with every cruel word and every strike.
I had to get out. I had to escape before they killed me, before they snuffed out the last spark of life within me.
The opportunity came one night when the pack house was bustling with celebration. Kaden had just announced his engagement to Lila, and the entire pack was rejoicing. The hallways were filled with laughter and music, everyone too distracted to notice a lowly slave slipping through the shadows.
My heart pounded as I crept through the dark corridors, my eyes darting around, my body tense with fear. I had no plan, no destination. All I knew was that I had to get away.
The back door to the kitchens was unguarded, left ajar as the servants rushed in and out, carrying platters of food and drinks. I slipped through, my breath catching as the cool night air touched my face.
Freedom. It was so close, I could taste it.
I ran, my bare feet pounding against the cold earth as I sprinted towards the woods. Branches scratched at my skin, the wind howling in my ears as I pushed myself to go faster, my heart racing with hope and fear.
But I was weak. My body was frail from months of starvation and beatings, my legs trembling as exhaustion clawed at me. My wolf was silent, her presence barely a whisper, too weak to lend me her strength.
I stumbled, my foot catching on a root, sending me crashing to the ground. Pain shot through my body, my ribs throbbing as I struggled to get up. But before I could move, I heard footsteps behind me.
Cold fear washed over me as I looked up, my heart sinking. Guards surrounded me, their faces cold and merciless. I hadn’t even made it out of the pack’s territory.
“Trying to run away?” one of them sneered, his lips curling into a cruel smile. “Pathetic little rat.”
I scrambled to my feet, but they were too fast. One of them grabbed me by the hair, yanking me back as pain exploded through my scalp. I screamed, kicking and struggling, but they only laughed, their grips tightening.
“You really thought you could escape?” another guard mocked, his voice dripping with contempt. “You’re nothing but a slave. You belong to this pack. You belong to the Alpha.”
Terror flooded my veins as they dragged me back to the pack house, my body twisting and writhing as I fought to break free. But I was too weak, too broken. I could barely stand, let alone fight.
They threw me to the ground in the main hall, my body slamming against the cold stone floor. Pain shot through me, my vision blurring as I struggled to breathe.
The music stopped, and the room fell silent. All eyes turned to me, their faces filled with disgust and contempt.
Lila’s laughter broke the silence, her voice cold and mocking. “Oh, look at this. Our little thief tried to run away.”
She stepped forward, her eyes gleaming with malice as she looked down at me, her lips curling into a cruel smile. “Did you really think you could escape? Did you really think anyone would help you?”
I forced myself to look up, my body trembling with fear and pain. “Please... let me go... I won’t come back... I won’t bother anyone...”
Lila’s face hardened, her eyes cold and merciless. “You’re a slave. You don’t get to decide where you go. You don’t get to decide anything.”
She turned to the guards, her voice sharp and commanding. “Teach her a lesson. Make sure she never tries this again.”
The guards advanced, their faces blank and merciless. I scrambled back, my heart racing with terror. “No! Please! I’m sorry! I won’t run again!”
But they didn’t listen. One of them kicked me hard in the stomach, the air rushing out of my lungs as pain exploded through me. I doubled over, my body shaking as they kicked me again and again, their boots slamming into my ribs, my back, my legs.
I tasted blood, my vision blurring as the world spun around me. I heard Lila’s laughter, cold and cruel. “Pathetic. You’re even weaker than I thought.”
Pain shot through my head as one of the guards grabbed my hair, yanking me to my knees. He punched me hard, his fist slamming into my face, my nose breaking with a sickening crunch. Blood poured down my face, staining my torn clothes.
They beat me without mercy, their fists and boots raining down on me as I curled up on the floor, shielding my head. I could hear their laughter, their voices full of contempt and hatred.
By the time they were done, I was barely conscious, my body broken and bleeding. My ribs were shattered, every breath a sharp, agonizing stab. My face was swollen, my vision blurry and distorted.
I was too weak to move, too broken to cry. I could only lay there, my body trembling as pain consumed me.
Lila crouched down beside me, her voice cold and mocking. “You’re nothing, Ella. You hear me? Nothing. You’ll never escape. You’ll never be free. You belong to me.”