Bree didn’t wait a moment longer.
She pressed her ear to the door to make sure that no one was standing directly outside, and then fit the key into the lock, holding her breath as it turned slowly, and biting back a cheer when the lock clicked and the door swung open.
She opened the door as quietly as possible, poking her head out into the hall to make sure that the coast was clear, and when she didn’t see anyone in the near vicinity, she slipped through, pulling the door shut again and then taking off down the hall as fast as she could.
Her heart soared, exhilarated, and she nearly laughed to herself as she ran. That Alpha thought that he was so smart and in-control, but he had just been outwitted by a witch, and now Bree was free once again.
She wound through the hallways, staying pressed to the walls and checking around corners before she rounded them to make sure that she wouldn’t be spotted. No one crossed her path, and she eventually found a large wooden door, which, when opened, sent a blast of sunlight into her face.
She had made it; she was out.
Bree sighed in relief, looking to either side once more to make sure that no one was looking for her, and then strode away from the door, trying to look as confident as possible.
She had no idea where she was going, but she figured that, as long as she appeared to know what she was doing, no one would bother her.
She glanced back at the building she had just left and gasped, stopping for a moment to gape at it.
The door was attached to a large stone wall that rose up into the sky, towers and turrets winding around each other to form an entire castle. Bree’s eyes widened as she gazed up at the magnificent structure.
Apparently, the Alpha that had captured her was a bigger deal than Bree had originally thought.
Well, whatever. It didn’t matter. She had gotten herself out, and she wouldn’t be going back anytime soon, if she could help it.
She nodded decisively, and then turned around again, walking towards the wide dirt street that seemed to lead into the city.
She had been unconscious when the Alpha had brought her to his home, but she was fairly certain that the city was Lycantor, the main hub of the wolf clans that lived nearby. It was the only city that would be big enough to have a castle at the center of it and not look out of place—plus, that was where the royal alpha wolves would be located.
Bree didn’t know a lot about werewolf society, but she knew enough from her courses at school to determine that the Alpha that had captured her was probably royalty, considering his status and the apparent deference his servants and subjects showed to him. The castle had confirmed that suspicion.
Before, Bree had assumed that he was maybe a high-ranking official of some sort, but now it was looking more like he was part of the royal family itself.
That meant that no one would help her once they figured out that she had escaped from his clutches.
She wasn’t sure whether or not to be flattered or terrified by the fact that he had decided to take interest in her, and was mostly dealing with that by resolutely ignoring the thought.
Her plan, as it stood now, was to get to the market, find a bus or someone passing through, and see if she could catch a ride back to the outskirts of Talmeria, or close to it.
She hadn’t forgotten the smell of smoke and the screams that she had heard that night, and wanted to get back as soon as possible. She needed to see if her mother and grandmother were still alive, and if the rest of the people she knew had survived the attack as well.
The problem was that the road wasn’t leading to any sort of market, and Bree didn’t want to go into the forest that lined either side of the road. She had no idea what could be in there, and even if the answer was most likely werewolves, she didn’t particularly want to deal with any of them. It looked like she was going to have to, however, because she had no idea where the market was, and she couldn’t keep wandering around, expecting to find it herself.
The more time she wasted, the more time the Alpha would have to discover her escape and send people after her.
By the time she reached a large, stone bridge, which crossed over a small stream that surrounded the castle, she was getting rather nervous about how she was going to find her way. Just as she was beginning to panic, though, she saw a figure walking across the bridge. They were obviously on their way to the palace, but they weren’t wearing a uniform or anything that marked them as a palace worker, so Bree decided to take her chances.
The person she approached was a female wolf, with long, dark hair, an upturned nose, and pretty eyes. She was walking in the direction of the castle self-assuredly, as though she had a mission to attend to. She glared at Bree suspiciously as Bree walked up to her, but Bree ignored that, giving the wolf her friendliest smile.
“Hello!” Bree said. “Are you from around here?
“Yes,” the wolf said, her eyes roaming over Bree distastefully. “Who are you?”
“I’m Bree,” Bree said. “I’m… visiting your pack, to see some friends, and I wanted to go buy them a gift to thank them for their hospitality, but I have no idea where the market is. Could you show me?”
The wolf’s eyes flashed, and Bree was worried for a split second that she had made a terrible mistake, and was about to have her throat ripped out, but then, the other woman smiled at her.
“I’m Thera,” she said. “And you’re going in the wrong direction for the market.”
“Sh”t,” Bree muttered. Brightening again, she asked, “Uh, if it’s not too much trouble, could you just point me in the right direction?”
“I’ll do you one better,” Thera said. “I can take you there myself.”
“Oh!” Bree said, her eyes widening. “No, don’t worry about it. I can find my way on my own.”
“I insist,” Thera said. “It’s hard visiting a new pack for the first time. I don’t want you to get too lost.”
Bree gave her a hesitant smile. She didn’t really want to have to continue staying in the company of a werewolf, but she did want to get to the market as soon as possible, so she slowly nodded, agreeing.
“Great!” Thera said, linking her arm through Bree’s, which made Bree jump. “We’ll be there soon.”
They walked in silence for a bit. Thera didn’t seem to be particularly interested in Bree, which Bree appreciated. She didn’t want to give away the fact that she wasn’t a wolf if Thera began asking her questions.
There was a small path that divulged from the main one. “A shortcut,” Thera explained, before pulling Bree down it, a little more quickly than Bree would have liked.
The path spat them out in a wide clearing, next to a lake. On the other side of the lake, Bree could see the roofs of houses and other buildings, and felt herself relax a bit. The market had to be over there.
“Is that it?” Bree asked. “I can go the rest of the way by myself.”
She tried to pull her arm from Thera’s, but the she-wolf had a tight grip on her.
“I don’t think so,” she said, the smile that she had been wearing during their walk somewhat frozen on her face. “You’re not a wolf, and you’re not here visiting.”
Bree’s eyes widened, and she made another attempt to get away, but it was useless. Thera was much stronger than she was.
“You don’t smell like a wolf,” Thera continued. She kept walking, pulling Bree closer and closer to the lake. “I don’t know how you escaped from the castle, but only wolves are allowed to roam Lycantor freely, which means that you must be the b*tch that Dallas brought back from Talmeria.”
“D-Dallas?” Bree stammered, digging her heels into the ground to try and stop Thera from pulling her forward. “Who’s Dallas?”
Thera snarled. “Like you don’t know.” She stopped at the edge of the lake. “I’ll say this, though; it won’t matter anymore, because Dallas will never love you. You’re nothing, and after you’re gone, he won’t even remember you.”
And with that, she swung her arm forward.
Bree found herself being tossed through the air, more easily than should have been possible for any normal person, and hurtling into the lake with a splash.