Chapter 8 No Place Left To Run.
Chapter 8
Mila's POV.
The Bang at the Gate
The old woman’s shadow moved slowly toward us with her flickering touch light, her thin face pressing against the van window. Her eyes, sharp and full of fury, found mine through the glass.
Damien's jaw tightened.
Damn, he breathed leaning over to slam the door shut. The window slid open with a thin squeal, sealing us in.
My fragile heartbeat hammered all the way up to my neck. I grabbed my dress from the floor and pulled it on, fumbling with the fabric as my hand shook.
“Come on,” Damien said in a rush, opening the door from his side. He grabbed my hand, pulled me across his seat, and out through his side. His grip was firm, warm, and desperate. We ran, feet slapping against the ground as cold air cut through the night.
“Damien…where are we going?” I gasped between breaths.
“My place,” he said, not slowing down. “Just run!”
We dashed through the narrow alley beside his yard. The air smelled of damp leaves and smoke. The old woman’s voice rose behind us, cracking like thunder. His flickering torch light followed us into the house like a demon.
“You this godforsaken useless young wolf!” she bellowed. “you will never cease to disgrace this family. I warned you! That cursed Mila will bring you nothing but ruin!”
I froze for a second, turning back as Damien dragged me along into the house. Her figure was still at the gate, her silver hair wild in the moonlight. Her anger was nothing but terrifying. Never have I seen her in this manner before. One like something from an old witch’s tale.
Damien didn’t stop. “Ignore her,” he said through clenched teeth, tugging my hand harder. “Come on.”
We burst into his house, slamming the door shut behind us. My chest heaved as I tried to catch my breath. I had been to this house before, once or twice, but tonight, it felt different. The air was thick, tense, almost trembling.
He dragged me into his room, where chaos waited for us, clothes scattered everywhere, drawers open, papers on the floor. Damien had thrown off his short and round-neck shirt for me to wear.
Without a word, he grabbed a box from the corner and began throwing things into it, shirts, jeans, books, anything he could reach.
“Damien, what are you doing?” I asked, my voice small.
He didn’t look up. “Packing. We can’t stay here.”
“Where are we heading to?”
“Somewhere far. Somewhere no one will find us.”
I watched him move quickly, his muscles tensed, his face tight with focus. He looked wild, like a wolf ready to run.
Outside, the old woman’s voice cut through the night again.
“You think you can hide all this from me, Damien? You think that cursed girl won’t destroy you the way she destroyed this pack, the royal bloodline and even mine too ?”
“Stop it!” Damien shouted toward the window, his voice shaking. “You don’t know anything about her!”
I flinched. His grandmother's footsteps pounded across the porch and then suddenly stopped.
The silence that followed was so heavy . It felt like the whole world was waiting.
“She is gone.” I whispered. My eyes opened in bewilderment.
For now… I know… she never backs down that easily.” Damien replied, stuffing his things into his back pack.
I sank into the chair by his desk. My legs were weak. “She never liked me,” I murmured. “Even back at Lycan Academy. She used to glare at me like I was poison.”
“She doesn’t understand,” he said softly. “She never did.”
“She raised you, didn’t she?” I asked.
He nodded, zipping the bag shut. “After my car crash that claimed my mother's life. Grandma blamed everyone. Especially you.”
My eyes dropped to the floor. “She’s right largely to some extent. I warned her not to embark on that journey that fateful day. But she never listened. Now I am also warning you not to get involved in this mess.”
Damien paused, looked at me, and stepped closer. “Don’t say that, Mila. You didn’t ask for this. None of this is your fault.”
I could barely meet his gaze. His eyes burned with something fierce, love, maybe. Fear too.
I gave a nervous laugh. “You shouldn’t have come for me. You should have stayed out of this…”
“Don’t,” he interrupted, his voice firm. “If I had to walk through fire for you, I would.”
My chest tightened. “Damien…”
He smiled faintly, but before he could say more, a deep sound echoed from outside. A rumble. Then another.
The ground seemed to shake beneath us. My heart jumped.
“What’s that?” I asked.
He turned toward the window. “Trouble.”
The noise grew louder…yells, growls, boots pounding against the earth.
Then, a bang.
The sound crashed through the air, shaking the house.
My breath caught. “The gate,” I whispered.
Damien's eyes darted toward the front. “They found us.”
“Who?” I asked, panic rising.
“The pack,” he said. “They must’ve tracked us here.”
The noise grew louder and closer, like a storm.
Another bang.
This time on the front door. The wood cracked.
“Where are they!” a voice roared from outside.
Damien's eyes darted around the room looking, looking for a desperate escape
I rushed to the window, yanked the window blind with my shaky hands . “maybe we can try this…”
“You mean, jump?"
Yes,” I quickly replied.
He shook his head. " Nah…. is too far down. We might get injured."
Then what do we do?”
Come with me," he grabbed my arm, steady and urgent, and pulled me towards the back. He slipped through the door as quietly as we could.
We hardly reached halfway when the front door blew inward with violent crack, spraying fragments of wood in the air. Heavy footsteps followed.
“They’re inside!” someone shouted.
“Go!” Damien commanded.
We ran down the hall. My bare feet slipped against the floorboards. Every breath felt like fire in my chest.
Just as we reached the back exit, three figures appeared in the shadows ahead, men, wolves, something in between. Their eyes gleamed gold. The leader was massive, his shoulders blocking half the light.
“End of the road,” he growled.
Damien stepped in front of me. “Please,” he said quickly, raising his hands. “She has done nothing wrong. If you want anyone between the two of us. Please take me.”
We could hear distant shouting from outside the house.
Death to Mila!
The leader turned to Damien “ hope you could hear that.”
“Over my dead body this happened,” Damien snapped.
The giant wolf-man smirked. “This is beyond you.”
“Please don’t touch her,” Damien begged, voice cracking. “Please…”
He shoved me behind him. “Run if you get the chance,” he whispered.
But before I could move, the leader grabbed me, yanking me forward. Damien lunged at him, punching wildly, desperate but missed.
Then, another man hit him hard across the face, sending him crashing into the wall.
“Damien!” I screamed.
He tried to get up, blood trickling from his nose. “Don’t touch her!” he shouted again.
The leader laughed, his hand tightening around my arm. Pain shot through me. “Such loyalty,” he mocked. “Shame it’s wasted.”
I kicked and twisted, but his grip was iron. My vision blurred with tears. Damien staggered to his feet, but before he could reach me, the leader’s massive fist flew, straight toward me.
I felt the blow crack across my face like thunder.
Then, darkness.
Everything spun and faded. The last thing I heard was Damien’s voice, shouting my name as the world slipped away.