Escape

Nyx

It's been happening for a week, whatever it was that kept causing me unbearable chest burn. First, it was the rejection, then the day "Prince Alpha" brought me here.

I was plotting my escape when the mark began to throb before exploding into pain. That pain kept coming back every now and then.

And I don't think today would be any different. Pain doesn't care about birthdays. Just like every other birthdays, I'll be spending this one locked up in the room, with additional pain as a gift.

The lock opened, and the security guard walked in, holding a tray of cold food. He kept it on the floor and walked away without a word, like he always did. I didn't know how many guards they were, but he's the only one I've seen so far.

After days of trying and failing to understand what he meant by "until I turn," I gave up. There was every possibility that he was just messing with my head, and I refuse to let him.

I moved to the bathroom, showered, and changed into one of the dresses the guard brought me. I needed to gather enough strength for my escape plan. And that plan was coming together all too well.

For the past six days, Prince Alpha didn't grace me with his presence, and I had a feeling that tonight he might. I wasn't going to wait around till then. My gaze shifted to study the small window. The glass had enough cracks to shatter in one blow. Six days effort. One that's easy to miss if not given attention.

I sat back down and waited patiently for nightfall. When the guard brought the usual mashed potatoes and dry bread for dinner, placed them on the floor before locking the door again, I knew it was time.

I gently shifted the small table and stood on it, the glass in full display. However, I'm not going to apply force. It'll only draw attention. I focused on my hearing. No footsteps, only faint heartbeats. It feels suspicious, but I don't have any other choice. I gently began picking out the cracked pieces and placing them on the bed one after the other.

After about five minutes, I was done. For the first time in forever, I felt hope when I saw the now open window. Maybe this is about to be my best birthday yet.

I listened for any sound, but all I could hear was the thudding of my heart. Squeezing myself through, I stuck out my head and elbows, then proceeded to push the rest of my body through. I gritted my teeth as glass particles tore through my skin. I could only hope none of the guards caught my scent.

The cold breeze whipped my face as I finally squeezed myself through the window. I hid behind the bushes, hoping for fuck's sake I don't alert the guards with my rapid heartbeat.

I had no idea where the main gate was, but the house seemed to be in the middle of nowhere, and the fence was far from my current position.

The fence?

How the fuck do I jump an eight-foot-high fence? That was never part of my plan, but it's too late to turn back now. Crouching low, I walked slowly towards it, stopping whenever I heard footsteps and continuing when I didn't.

I kept moving until I heard footsteps again, this time louder and closer. I froze. My heartbeat quickened. Did they find out about my escape? The pounding footsteps grew closer, confirming my doubts.

"How the hell did you get out?"

Shit!

I slowly turned my head and came face to face with one of the guards. More like face to chest. His eyes widened in surprise before his expression hardened.

"The mutt's out!" he barked into the communicator clipped to his ear.

Every instinct in me screamed for me to run. Maybe it was sheer fear, or the realization of what would happen if they captured me, or maybe it was the universe tugging at me, but before he could move, I spun on my heel and bolted.

"Stop!"

I heard several cracks of bones and growls. Panic, like I've never felt before, clawed at my throat.

Branches slapped against my face as I tore through the gardens, my bare feet sinking into the damp soil. I knew they were close. I felt it. For a moment, I didn't think about how my speed was too fast for a human, how my sight caught everything in my path, or how the mark pulsed on my neck.

My only focus was on the high fence ahead of me, topped with iron spikes. My heart skipped. There was no way I could climb it before they caught me. There was no way I could climb it at all.

"Corner her!"

"On it!"

I glanced over my shoulder. Three guards were only a few feet away. How the fuck are there three now?

One of the guards lunged at me, and something inside me snapped.

A searing sensation exploded from the mark on my neck, spreading through every inch of my body. Just as his claws gripped the hem of my dress, I hit the fence at full speed. My body moved on instinct, and I jumped. Or flew. I didn't fucking know. I landed in a crouch on the other side.

I stared at my hands in disbelief.

"What the bloody hell?" How? That was a question I wasn't waiting to find out.

"Impossible," one of the guards said, his voice growing fainter as I ran into the forest.

The world blurred around me, not literally, as I could see what I knew I shouldn't. The sensation on my neck grew stronger when I felt the guards gaining on me.

Amidst the fear, the confusion, and my will to survive, a growl echoed through my mind, so deep and primal that I stumbled, landing on my knees. I stood up and picked up my pace.

'Stop running.'

Maybe I was imagining it. But there's no way I'm stopping. I just can't bring myself to. Not even when a cliff lies ahead of me. Was this what he meant by "until I turned"?

'Stop!'

The voice echoed in my head again, and this time, I'm sure I wasn't imagining it. The mark on my neck was starting to glow, and the sensation filled my senses, leaving me weak in the knees.

I glanced over my shoulder again. My eyes widened when I saw Prince Alpha running towards me at full speed.