148. Freedom

148. Freedom

ALLISON.

Her grip was like steel, refusing to budge even as I tried to smack her hand away. I gasped, clawing at her hand in desperate attempt to be released, but she only squeezed harder. My lungs burned as I struggled for air. My vision blurred at the edges.

“A-Ahh…” a strangled choke left my lips. My body twisted, desperate to break free, but she was too strong.

Panic stirred in my gut as I suffocated. I could feel my limbs growing heavy and my strength slipping away. My vision was starting to darken and for a moment, I was so sure I was going to die.

No. I couldn't die like this.

Not here. Not now. Every fiber of my being screamed for survival, and desperation surged through me desperately. I needed her off me.

Get off me!

The words exploded in my mind like a command, raw and potent. And the next thing I knew, Elara was set on fire.

“AHH!” she screamed as flames erupted from her skin, licking every inch of her skin. She stumbled back, her body twisting in agony as fire consumed her. The smell of burning flesh filled the air. Strangely this time, it didn’t sicken me.

I collapsed to my knees, gasping for breath. My hands trembled as I stared at them.

I did that. I set her on fire. But how? I had no time to think. In fact, I didn’t bother to think. The moment my body regained its strength, I bolted for the entrance. I snatched a silver dagger from a fallen masked guard and ran away. Just as I was a few meters away from the door, I heard the sound of heavy footsteps behind me. My heart jumped to my throat as I glanced back. There were five vampires chasing after me. They looked rabid as their piercing red eyes glared at me.

I pushed harder, but one of them grabbed my arm, yanking me back.

“Shit!” I yelped, trying to shake him off. These bloodsuckers just won’t leave me alone! I balled my fist and closed my eyes, concentrating…

Burn! I willed it, desperate to summon whatever power I had just unleashed a while ago. But to my dismay, nothing happened. No flames. Shit. How do I even activate my powers?

Ah, damn it. I just have to fight them the old way.

I threw my fist forward, aiming for the vampire’s face. My knuckles cracked against his jaw, but he barely flinched. This one was stronger than I thought. He bared his fangs, hissing at me. I flipped the silver dagger in my hand and plunged it into his heart, twisting it hard.

“ARGGH!” The vampire shrieked as he writhed on the floor.

Now, that did the job. He roared in pain, and I used the distraction to tear away.

Another vampire lunged. I ducked and dodged his sharp claws. I slammed my knee into his ribs, then, I spun, slicing my dagger across his throat. Blood sprayed as he staggered back, clutching the gaping wound.

Two down. Three left.

I sprinted through the corridor, but the remaining vampires were relentless. Vampires really were the creature of stubbornness. Their footsteps thundered behind me. They were closing in fast. Damn! My legs burned as I pushed forward, I burst into the hallway, nearly crashing into the wall.

Before I could take another step, something massive lunged past me.

A giant black wolf crashed into one of the vampires who were chasing after me, its teeth sinking into their flesh. The vampires screamed in horror as the wolf tore them apart with brutal strength. I stumbled back, panting as I stared at the wolf with widened eyes.

What the…

The wolf turned to me, green eyes locking onto mine.

Wait… My heart clenched. I knew those eyes.

"Mason?!" I gasped.

His massive form lowered slightly, nudging my leg with his snout as if acknowledging me. Then, he motioned on his back. He wanted me to get on. So, without hesitation, I climbed onto his back. I clutched on his thick fur as he immediately took off. The hallway blurred around us as he bolt away.

As we ran away from the nightmare behind us, two more wolves joined our side—one light gray with streaks of brown, the other has yellow sable fur.

Liam and Daniel! I instantly recognized them even in their wolf forms.

They flanked Mason as we charged toward the exit. The mansion trembled with screams and growls coming from the vampires and masked guards. But I was surprised to see more werewolves storming the halls. They were tearing through masked guards and vampires alike. Were they on our side? My heart pounded as I clung to Mason, watching as Liam and Daniel tore through any vampire or masked guards who tried to get close to me.

The massive doors loomed ahead. Beyond them, the night stretched wide and open. My heart pounded as I felt a tingle of excitement.

Freedom.

Mason pushed harder. He barreled through the doors, blasting them open. The cold night air welcomed us as we burst outside. I gasped when I saw more wolves outside the mansion. Three, four… heck, maybe five dozens of them. Their hulking forms stood in the moonlight, as if ready for war. My lips parted when I recognized some of them—Quinn’s massive brown wolf form, Emily’s sleek sable form, and another with bluish-gray fur. River! I’d recognize him even if he was a lizard. The man has the same aura in whatever form he was in.

Joy swelled in my chest as I looked at each one of them. They all came for me. The terror that had crawled in my gut for days instantly melted away. My people were here. My family.

A chorus of growls echoed through the night as our army of werewolves clashed with the vampires giving chase. Mason didn’t stop. Neither did Daniel or Liam. We ran, heading straight for the forest. Branches whipped past us as we plunged into the towering trees. I had to dodge some of them. The vampires were still behind us. They just won’t give up!

But for the first time, I wasn’t worried because they were clearly outnumbered. I knew we could fight them. But Mason didn’t stop from running. Instead, Liam, along with a group of werewolves, stayed behind to fight them off.

My chest tightened as I turned my head to look at Liam.

"We can’t just leave Liam and the others!" I yelled.

"Relax, your man will be fine. He’ll come back once he’s done tearing those clowns apart,” Quinn spoke to me through our mindlink.

Sometimes I forgot that she was my Alpha and she has the ability to speak to me like this. But even her reassuring words weren’t enough to calm me down. I would glance back at Liam every now and then, to check if they were still okay.

But after moments later, Quinn was proven right when Liam and the others rejoined us. Blood stained their fur but they looked unperturbed, specially Liam. The sight of them filled with a strange sense of pride. That’s my man, alright.

The cold wind bit into my skin as we rode through the dark forest. I looked up at the sky and saw the eclipse. It reminded me of the night the plane crashed. But this time, I wasn’t dying.

I was safe.

I didn’t know how long we ran, but eventually, Mason slowed. My body ached as I lifted my head and saw the massive cabin standing before us.

Quinn’s wolf turned to me, her voice brushing against my mind.

"You’ll be safe here... at least until they come after us again."