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131

CALLAN

"Do you have any Idea when the Moonlit Hunt is going to begin?" She asked.

Her voice was calm, but I could tell she was holding something back.

She wasn't just asking to know, there was something else and it was in her voice. I couldn't just piece together what it was.

I rubbed the back of my neck, avoiding her eyes.

"I don't know exactly." I said. "But it should start very soon. Maybe two or three nights from now. I can just feel it. My brother has already started making preparations again and the Alphas should be back any time from now."

Her lips pressed into a thin line before she looked around the area and then stepped closer to me.

"You think this is a good place to talk about this?" I nodded, scanning the front of the Packhouse where we were standing.

The people closest to us were the stone-faced guards standing at the entrance with their weapons.

"Sure, sure. Go on."

"Do you think... my sister and I can escape before then? Yesterday, she talked to me about it and since then I can't just get it out of my head. She's really worried about something but I don't know what it is. But I know she really wants to leave this place as soon as possible."

Hearing her say that made it feel like I'd been punched in the stomach.

My chest tightened and my wolf groaned at the thought of Sera leaving. I forced myself to nod as the implications had me zoning out and thinking about it for a while.

Then I forced myself to nod, keeping my tone steady before I replied.

"I'll check for you. I'll see if it's possible. But don't keep your hopes up. The security lately has been incredibly tight."

Her face softened for a second. "Thank you, Callan. Would you do me a favour and talk to her please if you're free?" She asked. "I feel like you're the only person she's going to listen to now. I think she doesn't feel safe anymore."

I wanted to ask her why, but I already knew. Everyone in this Pack had their reasons to fear Magnus.

And now, Sera had another totally different reason.

I was the reason.

And I hated it.

But if I loved her and wanted the best for her, I knew she couldn't stay. This wasn't the best place for her.

That night, I put on my normal gear for boundary checks and made my way there, pretending it was just another patrol. The guards greeted me as I passed but I barely acknowledged their replies, only greeting back with slight gestures.

"Your Grace. Routine check?"

"Yeah. Just making sure everything is clear before the Hunt."

He went back to his post. I moved along the line quietly, scanning the tall fences and looking at the thick forest behind them.

I wasn't looking for any way that enemies could slip through without them noticing.

No. I was looking for cracks, any weaknesses that could let the two girls slip out of the Pack without being noticed. My patrol there was a failure because I didn't see anything.

So I didn't waste my time there. I quickly made my way over to the north side of the border. It was quieter there, but more dangerous.

Because if the guards were this quiet, any unfamiliar movement would be detected immediately. It was close to the slope of the forest and it had this overwhelming scent of pine and damp earth because of how thick the vegetation there was.

I checked the barriers and soon spotted one. It was a weak spot anyway. Small, but it was something. The fence was slightly loose at the base where the ground had dripped. I dug my fingers into the soil, testing it.

If they crawled through, maybe one person could fit, barely, but two? They stood no chance. And if they weren't fast enough, they're as hell would be caught before they did anything substantially positive to their escape.

"Damn it," I whispered under my breath before I straightened up and dared into the woods beyond. I imagined what it must feel like for them.

Freedom was right there. Just a few feet away. It was really amazing how just a few meters could mean a lot to them.

For a second, I imagined Sera running through here, her hair flying as she escaped to her freedom.

Safe.

Alive.

But the image burned as quickly as it came. Because after what happened last night, I found myself reluctant to let her go.

Not anymore. Since last night, everything has changed. When I looked at her at the party, when I felt the mate bond snap into place, it had taken everything in me not to pull her close right then and kiss her with every breath that I he'd.

She was mine. She was my mate.

And letting her go felt like tearing my own damn heart out.

But how could I keep her here? Under Magnus's rule? Magnus wasn't just cruel. He was unstable.

And I'd seen him lose his temper over small things. If he found out Sera was my mate, she'd become a target, something he could use against me.

I gritted my teeth, staring at the dark horizon and the faint figure of the moon that was hiding behind the rack of charcoal-black clouds.

"What the hell am I supposed to do?"

The only answer that I got was the silence and the occasional snap of twigs or crunching of dry leaves when a guard moved.

By the time I got to the Pack house, most of the servants had already retired to their quarters so it was quiet now. I found Ariadne in her room, and she looked like she'd been waiting all night.

She looked very hopeful when she saw me, despite me telling her not to keep her hopes up.

"Well?" She asked as soon as I strode in. I signed. "I found a weak spot. But it's not big enough. You and Sera can't both fit through it."

Her face fell immediately. "So... that's it?"

"No." I said quickly. "Listen. The hunt is the only time the guards are distracted. Everyone will be here watching the whole thing happen and the borders won't be as tight. That's your best chance. But right now, there is nothing we can do. You just have to bide your time until then. I'm sorry."