Chapter 11

Chapter 11
LILA'S POV
Kael orders for a room to be given to Camille and Adrian before dragging me along with him into his office.
“Why am I just now knowing about your birthday?” He asks once we're alone.
Because you never asked.
What did it matter, though?
It wasn't like I celebrated my birthdays before.
I don't say all these, though.
“I was going to.” Comes my reply, and he laughs humorlessly.
“I know this marriage is far from optional, and you're not happy here, but let me be clear, Lila, you're my wife and no matter how much you try to leave, I'll never let you.” The villainous smile is back on his face.
“You're mine and as mine, I deserve to know every little detail about you. Do I make myself clear?” He growls at me, and I can feel tears begin to form in my eyes.
“Yes, Alpha,” I reply meekly.
“Good, now get out of my office, I have pressing matters to attend to.” I don't have to be told twice as I turn and flee out of there.
One minute, he's all over me like he wants me.
Acting like he cares for me.
And then the next, he's screaming and sending me away.
It was frustrating and a lot to deal with.
There's no one outside, thankfully. Camille and Adrian are probably in their room already, and I run back to mine.
I let myself cry once I'm in the comfort of the bedding.
The tears, an escape route for all my pent-up emotions and frustration.
I must've slept off because a while later, a knock jolts me awake.
I sit up just as Isabella comes in with food.
“Are you alright?” She asks, immediately she takes in my swollen eyes and dull look.
I start to cry all over again, and she rushes in, locking the door behind her.
Coming to sit beside me after leaving the food on the bedside table, she hugs me as I sob.
And then I find myself telling her everything, from my family's true nature to my sister's betrayal.
And how Camille and Adrian were now here, the way the alpha had spoken to me.
She soothes me, providing a shoulder for me to cry on, and insists I try to eat something after.
Once she's sure I've finished the meal, she leaves, promising to come back later to check on me.
She wasn't going to meet me here, though.
Waiting for a few minutes to be certain Isabella wasn't outside anymore, I sneak out of the room.
It was time to run away.
I had to succeed this time.
Not another day of doing nothing and existing like a pet.
The patrol guards must've been on dinner break, and the ones they usually swapped with weren't outside either.
Maybe they had gone to the bathroom or somewhere else.
Their absence is to my advantage, though, as I take off running as fast as I can.
I've taken endless walks for so many days now and studied the pack grounds enough to know where I'm going.
Skillfully avoiding the turns that would take me out of the alpha's quarters and put me in the line of sight of anyone from the pack.
I escape from the alpha's quarters through the back door, crouching behind a bush when I see some guards patrolling about.
Holding my breath and trying to keep calm until they pass, I take off once more when they're out of sight.
The major issue would be getting past the border patrol guards.
For now, though, I had to focus on getting to the border first, even.
Just a bit more.
I've never felt so much rush of adrenaline as I run, the wind whipping through my hair as I try to keep Neela inside so we don't shift yet.
I'd shift into my wolf form once I'm out of the pack to help me go faster.
For now, I was reserving the energy.
And shifting would strengthen the blood bond with Kael.
He would feel it and come to check on me.
If I were still on pack grounds, it would make it easier for him to catch me.
But if I made it out, then it'd be harder to track me down.
'We can do this,' my wolf encourages as I run through the woods barefoot.
The rocks and twigs cut my feet, but I'm not concerned with the pain, determined by my destination.
A quick blur of fur in my peripheral vision causes me to stumble, but not stop.
I start to run even faster as the blur settles into the form of a wolf.
The huge coffee-brown wolf is hot on my tail, and I begin to panic.
It couldn't be the same mysterious wolves that had attacked me the other time, and Kael had killed, right?
If it were any of them again, why were they always after me whenever I tried to escape?
I wasn't going to let them catch me this time.
Blood pumped through my veins, legs pounding on the ground as I ran.
'Let me take over.' I agree to Neela's suggestion, giving her full control as we shift, speeding up.
The wolf doesn't back down, though, picking up pace as well.
I can see the pack borders coming up not too far, feeling the connection with the pack weakening a bit the closer I got to it.
Please, please, please, just a bit more…
And then the wind is knocked out of me as the wolf pounces on Neela, sending us to the ground.
We tumble around as I struggle wildly, trying to break free, but the strength from the wolf is too much, pinning me in place.
I'm growling, snarling, clawing, and snapping my canines as I try to fight my way up, but the wolf just stares down at me with calculating eyes.
The sudden rush of tingles has me settling down the next minute as I stare back into his eyes.
Alec.