Chapter 8

Escaping the estate turned out to be much easier than Daniela had expected.

After the tournament, Alpha George had doubled the security. Two warriors stood guard outside her bedroom, and patrols moved through the estate more often than usual. To everyone else, it would have looked impossible to get out.

To Daniela, it was just another challenge.

Stealth had always been her greatest strength.

She slipped from one patch of darkness to the next without making a sound. Every patrol route, every blind corner, and every hidden path had been etched into her memory years ago. Her father believed locked doors and armed guards were enough to keep her where he wanted.

He had underestimated her.

Soon enough, he would realize just how badly.

Freedom was only a few steps away.

She dropped silently into the courtyard, landing so lightly that the grass barely rustled beneath her boots. Staying low beside the wall, she waited patiently for the next patrol to pass before making her move.

Just as she was about to leave, voices drifted across the courtyard.

Daniela immediately pressed herself against the cold stone and held her breath.

She recognized them at once.

Williams.

Edwards.

Neither of them realized she was only a few feet away.

Williams let out a scornful laugh.

“Can you believe she actually thought Father would choose her? A female heir? What a joke.”

Edwards laughed with him.

“If she isn’t careful, Charles will crush her before the wedding night is over. Maybe that’s exactly what she needs. Someone to remind her where she belongs.”

Daniela’s hands curled into fists so tightly that her nails cut into her palms.

Every part of her wanted to step out of the shadows and wipe those smug smiles off their faces.

But she stayed where she was.

One careless mistake would destroy everything she had planned.

She waited in silence while the two brothers walked away, their laughter echoing through the courtyard until it finally disappeared.

Only then did she move.

The stone wall surrounding the estate rose high above the trees, but she had been preparing for this moment for years.

Her fingers searched along the rough surface until they found the patch of thick ivy she remembered. The vines had rooted themselves deep inside the cracks, creating the perfect climbing path.

A small smile appeared on her face.

She had noticed this spot countless times during training. Back then it had been nothing more than an interesting weakness in the wall.

Now it was her way out.

Without wasting another second, she started climbing.

The vines creaked under her weight but held firm. Sharp stones scraped her fingers while the rough wall tore at her palms, leaving fresh cuts behind. She barely noticed the pain.

A few injuries were a small price to pay for freedom.

She was halfway to the top when she heard voices again.

Guards.

They were coming this way.

Daniela flattened herself against the wall, becoming so still that she seemed to disappear into the darkness. The guards walked right past without looking up.

She waited until their footsteps faded before continuing.

When she reached the top, the jagged edge sliced across her hand as she pulled herself over. Blood trickled down her fingers, but she ignored it.

She dropped onto the other side with a smooth roll and quickly got back to her feet.

She looked ahead.

Nothing stood between her and freedom now.

Without looking back, she took off running.

It wouldn’t be long before someone discovered she was gone.

***

Frank was already waiting when she reached the meeting point.

She had been running for more than an hour, and by now she had no doubt the entire estate knew she had escaped.

He stood beside an empty road surrounded by dry hills that stretched as far as the eye could see. A worn travel bag rested at his feet, and the moment he spotted her, the tension in his face eased.

Daniela finally slowed down, breathing hard.

“Glad you made it,” Frank said.

“Yeah.” She took another breath before looking around. “I thought we’d be meeting at the airport. Aren’t you supposed to fly back to school?”

Instead of answering, Frank raised one hand.

An old pickup truck parked farther down the road rumbled to life and slowly drove toward them.

“That’s the first place my father would check,” he explained. “The moment we board a plane, he’ll know exactly where we’re going.”

Daniela looked at the truck, then back at him.

“So… we’re driving?”

Frank grinned.

“If we leave now, we’ll make it before noon tomorrow.”

He tossed his bag into the truck bed with ease before climbing inside.

Daniela leaned forward to look at the driver.

“You know him?”

Frank looked at her as though she’d asked the obvious.

“You think I’d trust a stranger to drive us for twelve hours?”

She laughed quietly before climbing into the passenger seat beside him.

As the truck pulled away from the roadside, silence settled between them.

Daniela glanced sideways.

Frank still looked worried.

“Thank you,” she said softly. “I know this isn’t exactly how you planned to spend your trip back.”

“Oh, you’re definitely going to owe me after this.”

She smiled.

“I’d rather survive Westmoor Academy than marry Charles. Between the two, Westmoor sounds like the better option. I just…”

Frank sighed dramatically.

“Please don’t start crying.”

She gave him an annoyed look.

“I’m not.”

“I know.”

His teasing smile faded.

“I’m helping you because I care about you.”

Daniela looked out the window for a moment before nodding.

“I know.”

“I’ll be okay.”

Frank watched her quietly before changing the subject.

“So…”

He folded his arms.

“That thing your wolf can do.”

He nodded toward her.

“The face-changing trick.”

“You might as well do it now.”

Daniela drew in a slow breath.

He was right.

She closed her eyes.

Josephine… now.

Her wolf let out a tired groan inside her mind.

Then the transformation began.

A dull ache spread through her face and shoulders. Unlike a normal shift, there were no loud cracks or violent movements. Her bones changed slowly, reshaping themselves little by little.

Her jaw became broader.

Her cheekbones settled into sharper angles.

Her shoulders widened.

Her throat tightened, and when she finally breathed out, even her voice sounded noticeably deeper.

The sensation was strange, cold and hot at the same time, as though ice and fire were moving beneath her skin.

I’m done, Josephine muttered wearily.

Daniela opened her eyes and looked down at herself.

Her hands looked larger.

Her fingers were longer.

Even her chest had become much flatter beneath the hoodie.

“I… feel different.”

Frank didn’t answer.

He simply stared.

His mouth slowly fell open.

The changes weren’t dramatic enough to make her unrecognizable, but they were enough to erase the softness that had made her look feminine. Her eyelashes seemed shorter, her lips less full, and her jaw carried stronger lines. Even her eyes looked slightly narrower.

She still appeared young, but anyone passing by would see nothing more than an ordinary teenage boy.

Even George would probably walk right past her without a second glance.

“Wow,” Frank whispered.

He slowly walked around her, studying every angle.

“What else can your wolf do?”

Daniela didn’t answer.

Something felt… wrong.

Hidden beneath her hoodie, the pendant resting against her chest gave a faint pulse.

Josephine’s aura had changed.

It no longer felt completely like a wolf’s.

There was something else mixed with it.

Something ancient.

Something wrapped in darkness.

A wave of dizziness hit her without warning.

The world tilted beneath her feet, and she stumbled.