Once Otto left the alpha's chamber, he followed the rear of the royal house, evading the crowd that'd gathered at the entrance.
He hurried to the cell where she was locked up.
"I demand to see the prisoner before her execution in the name of the alpha."
At his command, the guards made way and he walked into the narrow hallway to her cell which was at the end, with a guard following behind.
The guard opened the huge metal door, stepped aside for the beta to go in, then returned to his duty post.
Otto entered the cell and saw Alora lying on the ground. She looked too feeble and pathetic.
The moment she saw him, she sat up weakly and he wrapped his arms round her.
Sob rose in her throat and her tears poured like waterfall.
"I didn't do it, believe me."
"I believe you Alora." He held her tightly and comforted her.
"I don't want to die, I'll be sentenced soon."
Her voice was broken and her eyes swollen. If there was a way to avert the death sentence, she wouldn't hesitate to do it.
Though she'd wished for death several times but faced with death, she realized how terrific it was.
"You won't die, I promise you, just do as I'll instruct you."
He got up then walked over to the small window in the cell.
"Don't look." And she quickly averted her gaze.
He stripped off his clothes, then transformed into his wolf.
She'd no idea what he was up to but as long as it would save her, she would be obedient.
Aztec gripped the metal rails of the window and in a spark, it pulled the window out. The sound startled Alora, but she remained silent.
Back to his human, he wore his clothes. "You can look now."
Slowly, she conveyed her gaze on him.
"Once I leave here, bring down this metal and escape from there. I've contacted your cousin, he'll be waiting for you."
She nodded eagerly, then he left. Once he was out, the guards came in, scanned the cell, nodded in satisfaction before locking the door.
Quickly, she brought down the metal and after a brief struggle, successfully crept out through the window.
Just as Otto said, Duanne was waiting for her and in a jiffy, he transformed into his wolf, lowered himself so she could ascend onto its back, then galloped away.
Ten minutes after Otto left, Floyd left his chamber to address his pack and pass judgement on Alora.
His heart was in severe pain, like sharp claws had gripped it, shredding it into bits.
Otto was no where in sight and the protesting voices of the crowd thundered.
Each step he took towards the crowd felt heavy and painful.
He stood before the crowd, darkness gathered in his eyes. "I'll miss you Alora! I'm so sorry."
Tears welled in his eyes but he held them from falling and maintained his regal demeanor
"Bring the prisoner." His voice thickened with sadness and came out hoarse.
He couldn't believe his Alora was the one he addressed as a prisoner. How life could change in a spark!
Speedily, they left to bring her but after a long wait, they returned without her.
"Alpha!" The lead guard bowed.
"She escaped!!" There was an uproar and whispering filled the air.
A sudden relief washed over Floyd. In her absence, the judgement wouldn't be passed. Better to escape than to die.
Knowing his people were expecting a reaction from him, he thundered. "Find her!! Bring her back!!" Then he left in large strides.
To them, he was in rage, if only they knew it was a camouflage to conceal his excitement that his mate had escaped.
"Thank you beta." He mumbled. There was no doubt his beta was behind her escape. So his "in ten minutes" was to save her?
The sentinels began to search but to no avail, they couldn't figure out how she pulled down the metal window and escaped.
They couldn't accuse the beta because the cell was intact after he left. So there was only one possibility. Someone broke the window from behind!
Duanne's wolf, Moro loped into an abandoned building far away from the pack, Alora descended its back and it shifted.
He looked around for something to cover his bare groin while Alora staggered to a corner and sat down.
Life wasn't worth living anymore, but the thought of dying sent a sharp beam of shock through her
She gazed down at her abdomen and her lips curled into a bitter smile.
In there was a royal offspring, the seed of Alpha Floyd who believed she casted a spell on him, willing to sentence her to death and perhaps have sent people to hunt her down.
She rubbed her stomach gently and wished she could stay alive to meet the child, see what he would look like and take care of him.
"Rest, I'll be back." Duanne who had covered himself with an old cloth he saw in the house, stepped out.
Moment later, he returned with some fruits which he gave her.
"Eat." And immediately, she began to bite into the fruits, gulping down until she was satisfied.
"He must have sentenced me by now."
Her mind wandered back to the pack, she visualized Floyd on the podium addressing the pack, passing her judgement.
She visualized the look of excitement on the people's faces, their dances and screams of joy to know the wolf-less Alora who they loathed would finally cease to live.
And Floyd must be happy knowing their was no one to come between him and Hera. So all his care and attention for the past months were to lure him continuously to his bed?
The more she visualized, the more tears shimmered in her eyes and the more her heart writhed.
"Things might not be the way you think Alora."
Duane believed Floyd had a pre-knowledge of her escape. Why was he reluctant to address the pack? Then when he finally did, it was after they'd successfully escaped.
"Exactly cousin! He must have ordered the guards to shoot me down on sight!"
Duanne wore a frown. "That's not what I mean!!you might be accusing him."
She shot him a burning stare. "Accuse Floyd? We all know he won't hesitate to kill me! He hates me!"
Her voice thickened with tears and sorrowful tears streamed down her face as she began to sob.
"When was the last time he punished you? You told me he stopped you from serving the luna."
To him, Floyd changed positively towards her so he strongly believed Alora's assumptions were wrong.
"But he didn't believe me? He believed them!"
Duanne rubbed his face from exhaustion, then looked steadily at her. "Did he say he didn't believe you or you're assuming it?"
That question! He didn't say so but he asked her how to prove it which meant he didn't believe her!
Her tears poured like waterfall and her body trembled as she cried.
"Crying isn't necessary now bonny, let's wait for the beta."
And he sat beside her so she could rest her head on his shoulder. Soon she fell asleep.
Duanne's was about dozing off when he jolted. He sensed some wolves closing up on them and Moro leaped in alert.
He sniffed the air and his eyes darkened with worry. They weren't rogues, they were from Broln pack, and must be searching for Alora.
"Our people." Moro whispered, about to retreat.
"They're after her!my cousin!" He whispered to it and it barged forward, ready to be unleashed.
Duanne couldn't tell how many they were but sensed it was a great number. He knew they must have smelt them around, same way he did.
"Get up Alora!!" His eyes darted round their surrounding. If they should be found, his fate would be same as Alora. Death!
"Alora!!" He gave her a hard push and she lazily opened her eyes, stifled a yawn and sighed tiredly.
"We need to leave immediately!! The sentinels are searching for you!!"
The initial tiredness was gone and she stood up abruptly, as her heart gave a lurch.
Her eyes scanned their surrounding quickly, and chilling thoughts consumed her mind. "What should we do?"
"Tell me where you are, I'll come for you!"
It was Floyd. He successfully connected their mind link, but she quickly, shut him out in panic
Who knew if he was asking so as to sell her out to the sentinels.
Floyd who was shut out hit the wall in frustration.
Ever since she escaped, he'd tried to communicate with her but faced failure. He could feel her panic and fear and knew she was in danger.
"Alora!! Do you want to kill me!!"
He was no longer in his right state of mind.
Knowing Alora was out there in danger had destroyed his composure. Everything had become a torture to him.
He needed to know she was safe, but her racing heartbeat was affecting his and her fear was oppressing him.
Duanne helped her out of the abandoned house as he felt the sentinel closing in speedily.
"I'm handicapped cousin, run as fast as you can, hide somewhere safe and I'll find you when the coast is clear."
Her eyes welled up and she couldn't hold back. She let out a strangled sob, her shoulder shook as she held him tightly.
"Duanne, please come for me." She couldn't drag him into her mess, it was her load to lift.
Duanne felt his heart stabbed several times. How he wished he could help her, turn the situation around.
"I promise!"
"Alora please talk to me!"
Floyd's panicked and distressed voice came again and in fear, she shut him out.
At that point the sentinels were very close to them.
"Go Alora!!" Duanne let go of her and with the strength she couldn't figure out where it came from, she dashed forward, while Duanne shifted into his wolf and returned to the pack through another route.
Alora ran with all her strength, ignoring the trees she collided with and broken twigs that pierced her. All she had in mind was to escape from death.
She heard wolves trotting behind her and knew they've caught up with her. She turned, and just as she guessed, they were behind her galloping in full speed.
Her abdomen ached severely, her body got weaker. Her speed was nothing compared to theirs, she'd no wolf and couldn't shift.
They caught up with her but at the same time the boundary river came into sight. The river that separated all packs from the cursed pack.
She knew if she crossed to the other side, she would never return to her pack, Duanne would never see her again, it would be goodbye to Broln pack.
Was she willing to be cursed forever? Behind her were wolves after her life. If they caught her it was death either instantly or by night fall
Before her was the river of doom. Once she crossed it, her life would encounter a pitiful change.
But was her life beautiful? Aside those blissful sexual escapades she had with Floyd, nothing was good about her life.
A life was growing in her, a royal child but would be dead soon or born as a cursed child.
In her dilemma, the wolves stood few meters from her, and she took a decision, ran across the river to the other side.
The wolves leaped to catch her but then her foot stepped on the cursed land and they withdrew with loud distress howls of losing a member to the cursed.
Right in his chamber Floyd felt a piercing pain that tore him apart, he felt their mind link disconnected and Kylo barged out.
A loud painful howl shrieked the air. Kylo howls thundered and was continuous. It ran out the royal house, destroying everything it came across.
Everyone ran for safety. The grey furred, hefty with burning, golden eyes rolled itself miserable on the ground.
"Alora!! Mate!!"
Floyd and Kylo screamed simultaneously in despair. Kylo ran into the stable, sniffing.
"Mate!" It whimpered painfully.
A thick cloud of quietude hovered across the pack.Those who chased after Alora heard the howls and hastily headed to the pack.
Sighting them, Kylo unleashed its rage and pounced on them.
"Alpha!!" Aztec ran and stood before him.
"Easy man!" It trotted toward him and stood before it.
"Calm down." It tried to placate its alpha.
"Where's my mate!! Alora!!"
Otto could tell he was agonized but couldn't comprehend the reason.
Alora was his mate but his action was strange. "She's fine"
"Liar!! Liar!! She left me!! Noooo!!"
Otto who had retreated into his wolf couldn't ease his pains so left him alone.
Throughout the night he howled painfully and didn't shift making the entire pack and neighbouring packs shudder.
The next morning, Floyd stood at his window, his eyes wet from tears.
He regretted everything he'd done in the past. Tormenting Alora, torturing her, inflicting pain on her.
He regretted taking Hera as a luna, he regretted not being able to save Alora
"Alora I'm sorry please." His tears kept streaming.
If only she could talk to him, tell him she was okay, but the link had been disconnected.