This was her only chance. If she let them take her to the temple, she might never return.
Her only option was to escape and seek Lana's protection.
But asking Lana to save her now would take too long—Brookwood was still an hour away.
And out here, in the countryside, no police or security guard would dare interfere in werewolf affairs.
Lethia scanned the restroom, spotting a janitor mopping the floor.
By her scent alone, Lethia could tell she was a half-breed.
She bit her lower lip, fingers drumming frantically against the sink counter, then strode toward the woman.
"Hey… Can I ask a favour?"
The janitor blinked in confusion. "Yes, Miss?"
"I don't have much time to tell my story, but… I have money to trade for your uniform. Can you just say yes to my offer?"
The janitor eyed her from head to toe, scrutinising. "How much will you pay?"
Lethia pulled out her phone—thankfully, she'd stuffed it in her pocket instead of her bag, which had fallen when the omegas dragged her.
She was about to open her usual bank app when she froze.
A notification flashed on her screen: Account Frozen.
Heat surged up her neck, fury bubbling under her skin.
"No, no, no! You moron! Varrel-stingy-Quinnel! When the hell did he freeze this?!"
The janitor flinched as Lethia muttered a string of curses under her breath, glaring at her phone like she could set it ablaze with sheer rage alone.
But—
Panting through her frustration, Lethia smirked. Varrel might hold all the power now, but she was the one who had shaped him. Of course, she was smarter than him.
Without hesitation, she switched to another banking app—her private, unregistered, unofficial fund. She checked the balance. Over a million creds.
Lethia glanced at the janitor, who still eyed her with hesitation. She weighed the woman's yearly wage against what she was about to offer.
"I'll give you a hundred thousand creds for your uniform."
The janitor's eyes widened, and her sharp gasp made Lethia almost certain she couldn't refuse.
"Make it two!" the janitor snapped.
"Help me buy a perfume from the store, and deal."
The janitor didn't even hesitate.
She hurriedly stripped off her uniform, making Lethia's jaw dropped, and just as Lethia was about to hand over her own clothes, the woman pulled out a spare set from her bag instead, neatly placing Lethia's designer outfit on the sink counter.
No way was she going to wear something that expensive—for now.
Then, without a word, she handed Lethia her perfume.
"Just use this. It's a cheap perfume that reeks of a commoner—perfect for your disguise. Those wolves won't notice your expensive scent fading into some peasant's stink."
Lethia took a step back. "Wait, how do you—"
The janitor pulled out her phone and flashed the damn video—her humiliating moment, throwing a shoe.
"You've been trending #1 since this went up."
Lethia dipped her head, face burning with shame. She swore to hunt down that leech of a female beta who uploaded it—and throw a shoe straight at her face.
After changing into the uniform, slipping on a mask, and tucking her tied-up maroon hair under the janitor's headscarf, Lethia transferred the promised payment.
She then sprayed the perfume, which was said to reek of commoner scent, all over her body.
The fragrance was strange—like a mix of citrus and incense. Lethia felt a bit dizzy from the odd aroma, but she tried to hold it in, not wanting to offend the janitor.
Not just brainless, the omegas tended to have a dull sense, almost like human, so this kind of smell would definitely confuse their senses.
The janitor cracked the restroom door open, peeking outside. Then, she handed Lethia a trash bin.
"Take this. With your clothes still here, they'll think you haven't left. It'll buy you time to run."
Then, to Lethia's utter confusion, the janitor pulled her into a hug. The unexpected warmth made her frown, a foreign sensation stirring inside her—one she couldn't quite name.
"I believe in you. That genetic test is utter nonsense. You don't deserve to be treated like this."
The janitor let go, pressed her lips together, and nodded, leaving Lethia unsure whether she should be pleased to have a supporter or just more confused.
But she didn't have time to dwell on what the janitor meant by that utter nonsense.
Lethia hurried out of the restroom. As she strode past the three omega lackeys, one of them suddenly called out in a booming voice.
"Hey, you."
Her heart nearly leapt out of her chest at the raspy, unpleasant sound echoing in the empty space behind her.
No one else was around. It had to be directed at her. She halted.
'Did I get busted? Shit.'
She gulped as she sensed the omega's shadow approaching.
Should she just run? No—that would only ruin her disguise.
And physically, she wouldn't stand a chance if it came to that.
As the omega's hand moved past her arm to grip the bin she was carrying, she held her breath—only to exhale in relief when he simply tossed in some rubbish instead.
"Throw this for me." He sneered, making her itch to smack him with the entire bin.
Lethia took a deep breath and carried on towards the parking lot.
As soon as she left the restroom area, she ditched the bin and broke into a sprint.
Her gaze locked onto the digital charging station's LED sign as it flickered ahead, counting down from thirty seconds.
Without a second thought, she sprinted toward it, clutching her stomach as the pain twisted tighter.
Her scarf slipped free, sending her long hair streaming behind her, but she didn't care. She just kept running.
When the timer hit three seconds, Lethia lunged for the slightly ajar car door, yanked it open, and slipped into the front passenger seat.
The moment the countdown reached zero, the car locked with a soft click, and the engine roared to life.
Panting, cold sweat trickling down her skin, she yanked off her mask and turned to the driver—only for her already-racing heart to hammer harder.
Her gaze met deep brown eyes, gleaming like a cup of hot chocolate under the moonlight on a winter night, framed by clear glasses resting on a sharply defined nose. He arched a single brow at her.
"Who are you?" he asked.
Lethia blinked, trying to steady her breath.
"H–Help me, please…"
Before she realised it, a single tear slipped from her right eye.
The man's jaw tensed as he cast a brief glance at her. Without another word, he pressed the pedal, pulling away from the charging station.
Never had Lethia imagined she would show her most vulnerable self in front of a stranger.
And a damn dashing one at that.