4- Flames of Escape
POV Lunara Grimwald:
The alpha of the pack I belonged to. And I was the hostage of the psychopathic male who had killed him, and of the bastard son who had ruined me in so many ways I couldn’t even measure.
My mother fell to her knees on the ground, releasing a hollow, guttural sound of pain. She lifted her face and looked at Kellan, her expression twisted in rage. Her eyes glowed emerald green, her wolf surfacing. In a sudden impulse, she rose and ran at the alpha, her hand deformed with the elongated nails of her transformation slashing at Kellan’s arm, tearing skin and muscle, wounding him.
Alessio let me go with a loud growl and rushed to his father.
Kellan grabbed his arm, baring elongated teeth and eyes glowing a dark brown.
"I will kill her," he hissed.
"No," Alessio cut in. "I’ll have that pleasure."
My mother’s face was disfigured. She was in the middle of her transformation—glowing eyes, elongated canines, sharp nails, and patches of fur scattered over her body.
Alessio glared at her, growling, exuding his pheromone of fear, trying to force her to kneel before him, before an alpha.
I felt a cold hand grip my arm. I turned and found Elowen with wide eyes and lips as pale as paper.
Rowena yielded, kneeling before Alessio, though every muscle in her body showed the strain of resisting submission to him. Her eyes were dull, pupils dilated and lifeless.
"I was going to let you live, so you could watch your daughters become the whores of the pack. But I will not forgive your offense against my father."
"You betrayed my husband, our pack, my daughter. You are nothing but treacherous dogs who refused to honor the pact you sealed."
Alessio laughed.
"And you, a useless wolf. You couldn’t give your husband an alpha, nor please him in bed, since he had to go looking for others."
I felt Elowen tugging at my arm, urging me to take a few steps back. They were light, so light that neither Alessio nor Kellan noticed.
Mother smiled at him, lips curling into a sharp smile.
"At least my husband died knowing he was never dishonored, since he was my only male, while your father was the greatest cuckold of all."
With a furious roar, Alessio thrust his arm forward, slashing her throat with his claws. Blood sprayed onto me, merging with the mess my dress already was.
I looked down, staring at the fabric splattered in red. The gown I wore on what was meant to be the happiest day of my life, now completely ruined, stained with the blood of my parents’ lives—taken by the male I loved.
Alessio had made me part of his plan of vengeance, when I had nothing to do with what had happened. Crucifying me for the sins my father had committed.
She gurgled, choking on her own blood, before falling on her back to the ground. Dead.
I heard murmurs around us, footsteps echoing from all sides.
"He killed our alpha, now he deserves to die!" someone shouted.
"I’m waiting," Alessio mocked, inviting the wolves to challenge him.
I took a few more steps back, increasing the distance between us. My eyes met those of Alpha Giovanni, who seemed devastated by the scene. With a single nod, almost imperceptible, I caught his command.
Run!
Staying was not an option. Alessio had already said what plans he had for me and my sister. And he had already taken so much from me.
My heart; my freedom; my honor.
I wouldn’t let him take the little—or almost nothing—that I had left.
I grabbed one of the lanterns, pulling it from a branch, and smashed it on the ground with all my strength. The glass shattered, and the candle’s fire spread quickly across the dry leaves, creating a wall between us.
Alessio’s eyes darted to me, his attention momentarily leaving the wolves of our former pack, who advanced on him, challenging him.
"Don’t even think of running, Lunara," he growled in threat. "I’ll hunt you wherever you are and bring you back home, no matter the circumstances."
"I will never return!"
"Don’t do this, my love. Things will be much worse for you and your dear sister when I get my hands on you again."
I grabbed the skirt of my dress, yanking and tearing it, reducing its weight and length. Running would be much easier without the long fabric dragging me down.
"We will be free, Alessio, or we will die trying."
"You son of a bitch!" Elowen cursed, pointing an accusing finger at him. "You’ll still pay for everything you did to my sister and our pack." She threw another lantern to the ground, feeding the flames that spread even faster.
"If you run through this forest, you’ll be treated as traitors. You know it’s forbidden to flee the pack. Everyone will hunt you, and death will be the least of your problems." He looked straight at me, filled with rage. "And you, my lovely bride, will suffer all the consequences of this."
"Fuck you!" I hissed.
I was nothing anymore. Thanks to him.
The first wolf leapt at Alessio, and I prayed with all my strength that he would hit the pulsing vein at the side of his neck. But as a superior alpha, he was much faster and stronger. He swiftly dodged the strike and snapped the wolf’s neck.
I didn’t wait to see if the others would succeed. Elowen yanked my arm. I spun on my heels and started running into the forest.
I had no idea where we would go or how long we could keep him away, but… it was our last hope.
Freedom.
Deceived, rejected, despised.
I only wanted to be free and try to live in peace, even if just a little.
I ran away from the chaos, away from Alessio, at Elowen’s side, with messy hair, a face streaked with tears, a torn wedding dress, and my parents’ blood splattered on my skin.
I wanted to cry until no tears were left, but there was no time for that. I only needed to… run. Without stopping, without looking back. To put as much distance as possible between Alessio and me.
All I had left was my sister, and the hope that we might find some kind of freedom.