Chapter 6 Escape
Fiona
My head lulls to the side as the prisoner wagon makes its way over the bumpy roads that lead out of my home in Solara further north, through the steep hills that will eventually lead to the mountains of Caldara. It’s already chillier, and we’ve only been traveling for a few hours. I wish I had a cloak or a blanket, but that bastard Varek didn’t even give me the opportunity to say goodbye to my family, let alone the chance to grab anything of comfort.
Exhaustion washes over me, but I fight the urge to fall asleep. I’ve promised myself two things. First, I will not let them see me cry. No matter what. Not a single tear will fall from my eyes when a member of the Caldara Pack is present. Second, I will show them no weakness. I need to be on high alert. This vehicle could stop at any moment. I might have the opportunity to escape.
I keep both points in mind for as long as I can, but soon after the sun sets and the hills transition into mountains, I can no longer keep my eyes open. I haven’t eaten or had a drink of water all day. I’m freezing cold, and all I want to do is fall asleep for a while so that I can forget this horrible nightmare.
Sleeping is difficult when I’m shivering. Only a few thin slats of metal block the wind on three sides of this contraption. My back is to the compartment where the driver and his guard sit, but one solid wall makes little difference. I wrap my arms around myself the best I can. If this is meant to be an endurance challenge, I will win.
Eventually, I do nod off, and when I wake again, we’re stopped by the side of the road. Howls fill the air, and I know that at least part of the army has caught up to us. I’m on high alert now, ready to defend myself if necessary, ready to escape, given the opportunity.
A gruff voice catches my attention. I cannot see the man who’s speaking, but he speaks with authority. I wonder if it’s Alpha Varek himself or just one of his lackeys. “Bread and water. One fur. Nothing more,” he barks, and then I hear his boots crunching through the icy grass. A few moments later, the guard who tossed me in the vehicle all those hours ago appears at the gate. He glares at me and says nothing, but I know he’s about to open the gate.
I’m about five feet away from him when he pulls the gate open. I have to act fast. I can’t take the risk of shifting and shredding my clothes, so I have to stay in my human form. As he tips his head down to unlock the door, I lunge forward. He pulls it open just as my foot contacts the metal, launching the door right into his face. He grimaces, but I don’t stop. I ram my other foot into his crotch, throw my elbow in his face, and leap over his crumpling body onto the ground.
I can’t outrun an army full of wolves, but I might be able to hide from them. Evergreen trees dot the sides of the road in both directions. I charge toward the closest one, hoping no one has noticed my escape yet. I doubt the guard was able to get a mind-link message off before I sent him to the ground.
Dodging behind a cedar tree, I turn to survey the situation. Dozens, if not hundreds of wolves are coming up the mountain, some on the road behind my transport vehicle, others on either side of it. They’re all taking their time, like they haven’t noticed me. I also see a small group of men standing on the far side of the wagon. None of them are coming after me either. Is it possible they didn’t notice me? I thought I heard Varek walk away. He was certainly in his human form.
I can’t waste time standing here, so I pick a path and run, debating whether to shift. The idea of being captured and having to shift back to my human form in front of an army of aggressors with nothing to wear is not appealing. If I get far enough away, I’ll reconsider.
I’m running uphill, which makes it harder. I need to run across the mountainside, not up it, so I change my trajectory and dart around another thick evergreen–and smash right into a brick wall.
Only it’s not a brick wall at all. An arm darts out and catches me around the waist, keeping me from careening over and landing on my ass. Those same dark eyes, like polished obsidian, stare into my soul, and his jaw works in a tense grind.
“Where the fuck do you think you’re going, Princess?” the Alpha barks. He came after me himself?
“Away from you, asshole!” I shout, trying to break free of his grip, but his hand is like a vice locked onto my arm, and I can’t break free.
Varek laughs, deep and raspy. “I’m afraid not. Back to the transport vehicle with you, and there goes your chance to have some bread and water.”
“Gee, I’ll cry myself all the way to your putrid kingdom at not getting a fucking crust of bread!” I say, still trying to jerk free.
He doesn’t respond, only marches me back to the vehicle. The guard is sitting up now, and a man with what looks to be a medical bag is inspecting him. Everyone is glowering at me, but I don’t give a damn. I didn’t agree to this.
Varek hoists me back into the prison cart. The blanket I was supposed to be given lies on the ground at his feet. I doubt he will give me that either, but before he closes the door, he tosses it in. No food. No water.
The gate locks with a screech, and I am trapped once more. I don’t grab the blanket, not with all of them looking at me. I may get it later once we start moving again. For now, I count this as a victory. I might not have escaped, but I let him know what I am capable of.
He should know better than to give me another opportunity. Next time, I just might get away.