Chapter 10 A Help To Escape
The man’s voice lingered in the air between them, light in tone yet edged with something she couldn’t quite place. It wasn't insistence, more like quiet observation, as if he had already reached a conclusion and was simply waiting for her to catch up.
A part of her wanted to look up, to see him clearly, to understand what kind of person would say something like that to a stranger in the middle of the night. Another part of her resisted.
“I don’t need it,” she said, her voice steadier than she felt. man didn't respond right away. Skylar could feel his gaze resting on her, unhurried.
“Really?” he said after a moment, the faintest trace of curiosity threading through his voice. “I thought you were the passenger heading out of Estines tonight.”
She turned her head slightly, just enough to glance at him again, this time with a flicker of something more than caution “Where exactly is this?” she asked.
The man shifted his weight against the taxi door, as though settling more comfortably into the conversation. “Velmora,” he answered. “Close to the border—by secret path. People pass through here when they want to leave Estines quietly.”
“Do you usually take passengers to the human city?” she asked.
“Sometimes. Humans come here for a change of scenery. Estines residents get curious about the other side. I take whoever needs the ride.”
He gestured vaguely toward the open door. "I was waiting for some random passenger. thought you might be one of them.”
Then the man shifted, sliding back into the driver’s seat. He reached for the door, ready to close it, as if the conversation had already reached its end.
“Wait.”
The word came out quickly, almost catching on her breath. The man paused, his hand still resting on the edge of the door. He glanced at her again, this time with more direct attention.
“Can you take me to the human city?” she asked. The question felt heavier than it should have. “Where do you usually go?”
“Las Vegas,” he said at last. “Closest crossing point. Crowded enough that no one looks twice at a stranger.”
She had never imagined herself crossing into the human world like this—not without preparation, not without purpose. Yet here she was, standing on the edge of a decision she hadn’t planned, with nothing but instinct pushing her forward
Staying among humans carried its own risks. They didn’t understand wolves. Didn’t sense hierarchy the same way. Didn’t move by instinct the way packs did.
But she was an Omega, her wolf had never been strong enough to dominate or to be easily noticed. If anything, she had spent most of her life trying not to be seen at all.
For a few days… maybe that would be enough.
“I don’t have any money to pay you.”
The man tilted his head slightly, a faint, almost theatrical disappointment touching his expression. “Oh no ….”
Skylar met his gaze properly for the first time. Her eyes, though tired, held something steady beneath the exhaustion.
“I’ll find a job,” she said, her voice firmer now. “I’ll pay you back. More than I should. I promise.”
For a second, the noise of the city seemed to fade around them.The man watched her. Then, slowly, he nodded. It was a small gesture, but it loosened something tight in her chest. Relief flickered across her face, soft and unguarded for the briefest moment.
“Thank you,” she said quietly. She didn’t wait for him to change his mind.
Skylar moved to the backseat and slid inside, pulling the door shut behind her. The interior of the taxi felt warmer, enclosed, separating her from the streets she had just crossed.
As the engine shifted and the car began to move, she leaned back slightly, her hand tightening against the fabric of her jacket.
A few streets away from where the taxi merged into traffic, another car stood still beneath a flickering streetlight. Liam stepped out before the engine had fully cut.
The location had been precise. The last signal from her phone had traced back to this exact area.
Gravel shifted faintly beneath his shoes as he moved toward the alley where the signal had ended. A few discarded items lay near the edge of a rusted bin, barely noticeable unless someone was looking for something specific.
The phone lay inside.Liam reached in and picked it up, turning it once in his hand as if expecting it to tell him more than it could. His grip tightened. The device crumpled with a sharp, brittle sound, the structure collapsing under the pressure of his hand before the pieces fell silently into the bin.
Behind him, Kael approached, accompanied by several Gamma operatives who kept their distance, waiting. He stood there for a moment longer, his senses stretching outward, searching for something familiar. Something that should have been there, but it wasn’t
Theres no trace of her scent lingered in the air. The absence pressed against him more sharply than any confirmation could have.
A faint noise crept into the edges of his awareness again, The quiet control he had maintained earlier began to thin.
Behind him, Kael’s phone vibrated. He stepped aside to answer, his voice low as he exchanged a few brief words before returning.
“Alpha,” Kael said, stopping just within reach. “Beta Orland has completed a full check of the palace security. They confirmed no sighting of Skylar Avery Miles after ten this morning.”
The timing aligned too cleanly; yhat was when the poisoning happened. Liam’s gaze lowered slightly, his thoughts moving faster now.
“Did anyone see her leave the palace grounds?” he asked. Kael shook his head.
“No confirmed visual. We’ve pulled footage from the city’s surveillance network. Nothing clear enough to track her route.”
For a second, Liam said nothing. Then, unexpectedly, a faint smile touched his lips. It held no warmth. Only something sharp and disbelieving.
A contract bound her to him. A binding agreement backed by law, power, and consequence. And she had walked out as if it meant nothing.When he found her, he was sure this wouldn't end without consequence.
Slowly, Liam lifted his head. The tension in his expression shifted, sharpening into something more focused. The faint strain along his neck became visible as he spoke, his voice lower now, edged with quiet certainty.
“Someone helped her.” The words landed heavier than the night around them.