I followed closely behind, or so I tried. The men had longer legs and didn't even try to wait for me. Not like I was expecting them to. Grabbing my skirt and slightly lifting them up, I started to stride towards them.
We got out of the trees nearby my house. It was too fast and too soon, I didn't even realize how quick I could cross this part of the forest in a matter of five minutes rather than twenty.
The men continued to march ahead until we stopped before a carriage. Two white horses were in the front of the carriage with a leather rope attached to them. A man was seated outside the front of the carriage just behind the horses, holding their reins and a whip set aside beside him.
The two men approached the driver and the three men started to speak to each other in hushed voices. Too bad, I had no wolf nor shifter abilities to let me hear what they were saying.
But that didn't matter to me.
Because I had other things planned and to worry about.
As the coach driver started to get the two men's attention, I started to back away.
And before they could tie me up and force me to go to wherever miserable place they will eventually send me, I started to run to opposite side.
I ran and ran until my lungs was about to give out.
I did not look back as they belatedly reacted to my actions and find out whether they were already chasing me down.
I feared that the moment I turn around, they would soon catch me.
---
After everything crumbling down before my eyes; my mate rejecting me and my father betraying me, selling me to some stranger, and being chased down some outsiders. I did the only right thing I thought to do.
I ran away without regret.
It wasn't easy. After all my pursuers can shift and turn into their beasts. They could shift to their true forms and jump at me if I was a minute slower.
Thankfully, I was trained since I was young. I was the best fighter in the class, and among the best fighters in the pack, I ranked fourth, just below Merlin, the Beta's son and also one of my friends.
I entered the forest before they could. I knew that they could track me using my scent, but I didn't run without a plan.
I reached the spot where I hid my travel pack. I hid them because I had this one foolish illusion that if Liam was not my mate, I would ask him to come with me and leave everything behind. This, of course, happened before he was sent to the Edge and met Avery.
I dropped down to the ground and started to dig out the pack I hid beneath the ground, covered by the long and curvy vines. When I finally saw the black pack, I didn't waste time to grab and unzip it.
I took out a bottle that was filled with Volet, a mixture that could hide my scent from any shifters nearby, and poured the content of the bottle to my body. I just hoped that this would be enough to hide me from my pursuers.
When I was satisfied and poured every drop of the liquid on my body, I started to run once again.
The sun was about to set. Too bad for me, and a great opportunity for them to use their nocturnal sights to see me even without smelling my scent.
Shit! I cursed and ignored the barking pain from my aching legs. I hadn't run this fast and long after I graduated from the pack's training.
I saw the fence, the border that separated the pack territory from the outside world and from the other shifters that are not part of our pack, and also from the beasts that roamed the forest. I climbed over it and when I finally touched the lush ground beneath my feet, I sighed a relief.
But that relief was short-lived.
I spun around and almost crashed into someone's chest.
I didn't even know that a man was standing behind me. I didn't sense him even after training myself so strictly just so I could match against any beast shifter.
"What is your name?" A deep husky voice rang inside her ears. Something deep inside twisted as he spoke.
He was deadly gorgeous. That was the only thing I had in my thoughts when my eyes first laid on his face. He was taller by more than a head than me, towering my 5 foot 3 inches height.
But this was not the time to gawk on someone's face.
I stepped back.
He took a step forward.
Again, I took step back.
And he also followed me.
He sniffs the air slightly. His nostril flaring and his closing as if he was trying to take in my scent. When I saw that, I took another step, but a growl rumbling from his chest made me stop.
He opened his eyes, two golden orbs stared back at me and inside them was a ring of red hue that glowed frighteningly fierce but disappeared before I could dissect if it was real.
"Do you have a name?" He asked again.
I didn't answer. I was too afraid and mesmerized at the same because of the man in front of me.
"Or are you a mute?" He suddenly said, making me snap out of my daze.
I wanted to slap myself for being distracted by him.
Ignoring him, I stepped to the side, avoiding him. I needed to go to the fence and escape from here.
However, before I could even take a step or even get to the fence, my pursuers were already on sight on the opening I used as a path earlier.
My heart fell to my stomach as I knew I wouldn't be able to escape them. And at the same time, for no reason at all, my eyes met those golden ones again.
I opened my mouth, ready to ask him for help to deter my pursuers. However, before I could say a word, fight back, or run, darkness swallowed my vision, taking me to a deep slumber.
But before I completely lost my consciousness. I heard my pursuers call him, Alpha.