Chapter 27
Chapter 27
Larisa’s POV
Everything shifted when Damien's weight pressed me into the damp earth. My back hit the ground hard, and I gasped, breathless for a moment. Time seemed to freeze—just us, our racing hearts, and that eerie silence that followed the crossbow’s whistle.
And then, bam! Panic crashed back in, sharp and electric.
I blinked up at the tree where the bolt had struck. The shaft was quivering, buried deep in the bark. If he hadn’t pushed me down…
I instinctively grabbed his arms. “You… you could’ve—”
“I didn’t,” he shot back, his voice tense.
He was still hovering over me, our faces just inches apart. I could smell him—pine, smoke, and something distinctly him—like a blanket that wrapped around me. It was infuriating how safe it made me feel.
But we didn’t have time for that.
“Get off,” I whispered.
He nodded and rolled off in one smooth motion. I shot up, brushing away the twigs stuck to my cloak. Damien crouched next to me, one hand already reaching for the blade strapped across his chest.
“I don’t know how many there are,” he said quietly. “But that wasn’t a warning shot.”
My heart raced. “So he is tracking us.”
“Not just him,” Damien growled. “Killian’s clever, but he can’t cover every escape route. Someone from the Red Moon Pack is feeding him info. That’s how he got ahead of us.”
I froze. That meant everything I had done—every careful move, every fleeting glance, every lie—was watched. My stomach twisted at the thought.
“We need to move,” I said, forcing strength into my voice. “Now.”
He nodded, eyes scanning the trees. “This way. There’s a stream that leads north—if we follow it, we’ll reach a safe house.”
I followed him, staying low as we weaved between the trees. The cold nipped at my clothes, but the adrenaline coursing through me was hotter than any chill. Branches scratched my face and arms, roots threatened to trip me, but honestly? I didn’t care.
I was alive.
And I was free.
For now.
After about fifteen minutes of running in silence, we paused beneath a thick canopy of firs. Damien crouched and gestured for me to do the same. I dropped next to him, panting, my heart still thundering from the close call.
He pulled out a small, enchanted orb from his belt—a low-grade illusion charm. It shimmered in his palm before expanding into a hazy veil, wrapping around us like fog. It was a temporary hide. Not perfect, but it would give us some breathing room.
“They’ll think we doubled back,” he muttered. “We’ve got maybe twenty minutes before they regroup.”
I swallowed hard. “What happens when they figure it out?”
His jaw tightened. “Then they’ll start hunting for blood.”
I glanced at my scraped palms and then at the faint outline of my belly. My hand protectively went to it. They weren’t just after me; they were after my pups.
“Why now?” I whispered. “Why not wait until I was back inside the walls? Safe behind their guards?”
“Because you’re dangerous now.” Damien’s gaze was steely. “You’ve tasted freedom. They won’t let you slip away again. Killian wants to break you. Make an example out of you.”
“Or… use me,” I added, bitterness creeping into my voice. “Until the pups are born. Until he gets his revenge.”
Damien’s jaw twitched. He didn’t argue.
I looked him in the eye. “You mentioned earlier… someone inside is in league with him. Do you know who?”
He hesitated.
“Damien.”
“I have my suspicions,” he replied, voice low. “There were only a few guards on your wing, but one of the betas—Killian’s cousin—was reassigned to your floor a couple of weeks ago. Quietly. No one questioned it.”
My blood turned to ice. “I thought he was just another mindless drone…”
“Most of them are,” he muttered. “But not this one. He’s loyal to Killian. Always has been.”
I looked away, my thoughts swirling. This meant my plans were crumbling from the inside. Every step I thought I was hiding had already been mapped out.
But there was something more urgent at hand.
We’d escaped—for now. But it wasn’t over. We still weren’t safe.
“How far is the safe house?”
“Maybe half a day,” he said. “If we keep moving.”
I nodded. “Then we don’t stop.”
But just as he was about to say something, a rustle off to the left made us both jerk our heads in that direction.
My heart practically leaped into my throat. Damien pressed a finger to his lips, gripping his dagger again. I could see him tense up as the noise got louder, shifting into low voices. Men. Armed men.
“…she couldn’t have gone far.”
“…Alpha wants her alive.”
A twig snapped. Then another. And those footsteps? They were getting closer.
Way too close.
Damien leaned in and whispered, “We’ll split up. Confuse them. Draw them away—then meet at the river bend before the moon’s high.”
“I’m not leaving you behind.”
“You have to. They want you more than they want me. You’re the priority here.”
“No—”
But before I could finish, he was already on his feet, disappearing into the trees like he was made of shadows.
I crouched down lower, my heart racing, and waited. The voices got louder—closer—and then, just like that, they veered away.
They were after him.
And here I was. Alone.
Again.
I waited a full minute, maybe two. The forest felt alive around me, shadows pressing in. Every little crack of twigs, every distant owl hoot made me jump.
I had to move.
I carefully stood up and slipped out from my hiding spot. The trees felt different now—darker, almost like they were watching me. I tried to keep my footsteps light, my body hunched low, breath caught tight in my chest.
What would I find at the river?
Would Damien even make it out?
But I had to try.
For me.
For the pups.
For that part of me that refused to be locked away like some animal.
As I got closer to the bend, a flicker of movement caught my eye. Someone was already there.
But it wasn’t Damien.
It was a woman.
And she was wearing a cloak from the Red Moon Pack.
She stepped into the moonlight, a smile spreading across her face.
“I’ve been waiting for you, Princess.”