Chapter 11 Escape
Rue instantly jumped back, her eyes wide opened, her cheeks flaming hot. She couldn't believe they almost kissed.
Furious at the interruption, Thane's head snapped towards the entrance of the temple.
Cersei stood there, her expression one of fear and deep mortification.
"F–forgive me, Alpha. I didn't mean to interrupt." She said quickly, her head turned away.
Thane totally ignored her. He turned his attention to Rue and stared at her for a moment, a strange look flashing across his face.
Then he finally looked away. "Go back to the harem, Rue."
The way he spoke her name made her stomach erupt with flutters. Blushing hard from embarrassment, she turned and hurried out of the temple.
Thane's gaze followed her, his eyes tracking the gentle sway of her hips. His jaw clenched tightly as he looked away.
What was wrong with him? He had been with tons of beautiful women, yet none had made him feel the way Rue made him feel; hot, breathless and fucking horny.
"Alpha?"
"What?"
Cersei flinched, taking a step back instinctively. "I didn't mean to interrupt. But we've just received word from the Elite Warriors stationed around the borders. There's been a breach."
That got Thane's attention. Pushing the image of Rue away from his mind, he focused on Cersei.
"What breach?"
"Skinwalkers." Cersei answered. "The same ones from last time. The warriors succeeded in chasing them out, but the fact remains. They breached the magic you put around the realm."
Thane muttered a curse. Those cursed creatures were getting bolder and stronger.
The skinwalkers were a race of soulless rogue wolves who had given their humanity up for power.
Now they were possessed with dark magic, and everywhere they went, they carried darkness with them and left behind sorrow and bloodshed.
Thane had cast a protective barrier around Eryndor, using the magic that came from the curse he carried. But it seemed the skinwalkers were getting stronger.
"Where are the warriors now?" He asked finally.
"Still at the borders. They await your orders."
"Send word back to Henry. Let him prepare the others. Tonight, there will be a hunt. The creatures will be tracked down, before the full moon."
Cersei nodded. "Yes, Alpha."
But as she turned to go, he stopped her.
"Cersei!"
She slowly turned around and waited. "Yes, Alpha?"
"I don't have to remind you to keep your mouth shut about what you witnessed here, if you value your life and the position you hold. Are we clear on that?"
"Crystal clear, Alpha." Cersei nodded quickly.
He dismissed her with a wave of his hand and turned back to the throne. Now alone, he couldn't help but ponder about the skinwalkers' sudden appearance, and right after Rue appeared in the kingdom.
The creatures had tried to breach his magic for years now, and they had never succeeded. Yet they suddenly broke through, right after he brought Rue.
He didn't want to deduce it as mere coincidence. He had lived long enough to know certain things were not mere coincidences.
Firstly, he was completely drawn to Rue. That had never happened. Even with Katherine being his favourite, he wasn't drawn to her like he was drawn to Rue. Rue had a sudden strange hold over him.
Secondly, the golden thread that appeared whenever they touched. The man who sold Rue to him swore she was a wolfless omega, yet her scent proved otherwise, and that thread of light...
His brows pulled together as he thought hard. The sudden pull he felt towards her, the thread of light, and now the skinwalkers' appearance, they weren't coincidences.
It was an omen, a sign, a premonition. And he would get to the bottom of it.
Because if it turned out to be what he was thinking, he wouldn't hesitate to kill Rue.
He had prevented the moon goddess's curse from coming to pass for years. He wasn't about to slip up now.
...
Rue sat on the windowsill, staring outside absentmindedly.
Her bedroom faced the east, and the view from up there was magnificent. She could clearly see the entire kingdom of Eryndor, and beyond, the tall forest trees and mountains.
"Do you know this is the best room in the harem?" Aurora said beside her.
Rue turned and stared at her. "Is it?"
The redhead nodded vigorously. "It is. Not even Katherine got it. Which makes me wonder if Alpha Thane has a special fondness for you."
Then she leaned close and whispered. "This is the first time he refused to grant Katherine's demands. What exactly happened at the temple?"
Rue looked away slowly, trying to shield the blush that bloomed on her face. Memories of her closeness with Thane and how they almost kissed surfaced. Her body had responded strangely, in a way she had never experienced.
"Nothing happened." She said finally. "He asked everyone to leave."
"He didn't punish you?" Aurora asked further.
Rue shook her head, deciding to keep what happened a secret. She didn't want to draw unnecessary attention to herself. She still had plans to escape.
Suddenly she perked up and squinted out the window. Her heartbeat accelerated when she spotted Thane heading towards the entrance of the kingdom, a long line of warriors following behind him.
Then he looked up at that moment, in the exact direction of her room.
Her breath caught as his gaze landed on her window. He couldn't see her through the dark tint, but he knew she was there.
He turned away then, and she released the breath she had been holding.
"Where are they going?" She asked.
Aurora leaned out and looked outside, then turned away.
"On a hunt." She murmured. "There's been several attacks on the borders by the skinwalkers. They broke through the barrier last night."
"Last night?" Rue repeated. On the same night she arrived in Eryndor? Strange.
"Yes." Aurora answered, oblivious to Rue's strange expression. "The hunts usually last through the night. Before dusk, Alpha Thane and his warriors lie in wait for the creatures to emerge."
A plan suddenly formed in Rue's mind. She turned and faced Aurora. "So the Alpha will be absent from the kingdom tonight?"
Aurora nodded innocently, missing the look of determination that flashed through Rue's eyes.
"They'll return to Eryndor before dawn tomorrow. By then, Alpha Thane must have..."
Her voice faded as Rue started to formulate a plan. If Thane and his warriors would be absent from the castle that night, it could be her only chance to escape.
Escaping the guards wouldn't be easy, but she was ready to risk it all.
...
She stayed in her room all day, waiting patiently.
Her plan was simple. If she succeeded in escaping, she would take refuge in a faraway pack, where Thane wouldn't find her. Ever.
She knew she wouldn't be able to take back her pack alone. She would need allies, and she would find them.
That night, just when the clock struck 9 pm, she changed into a pair of brown shorts and a black blouse, then crept to the door and carefully pushed it open.
It was now or never.