CHAPTER THIRTEEN
I must have cried myself into a restless sleep, because when my eyes fluttered open, my lashes were sticky and my face was tight with dried tears. My chest ached, hollow and heavy, but it wasn’t the ache that woke me, it was the sun shining into my eyes from the open window.
Then I heard the screeching sound of a car, accompanied by a loud horn and voices.
It seemed pack members had just come back from the human towns.
“How long did we sleep?” I groaned mentally to my wolf.
A man’s voice cut sharply through the morning air, loud enough to rattle in my skull.
Sometimes, these sensitive ears of mine were more of a curse than a gift.
“Another load of barrels, straight from the southern vineyards. Careful with those, they cost a fortune,” he yelled to his partner who had just parked the car a few blocks away from where I was.
But with my ears, it seemed as though he was very close by, barking out orders like a commander drilling his troops.
I stayed still, my body curled beneath the thick blanket, listening to them.
Maybe I could figure out what to do by learning more about the pack.
Two other voices followed, their voices carrying easily in the crisp air as they walked past.
“You should’ve seen the truck before this one. A truckload of wild game sent by the incoming Luna’s parents. And I hear more shipments are still coming in.”
The other chuckled, definitely happy with the feast they were all preparing for. “The kitchens. Goodness, the smell earlier. Roasted boar, spiced wine. Half the pack’s already sneaking tastes.”
My mind picked on the mention of an incoming Luna, but I refused to allow myself to dwell on it. I didn't want to agitate my wolf more than necessary, considering the said Alpha was supposed to be ours.
Their boots scraped across the gravel as they moved on, fading into the clatter of crates and the grind of engines outside.
Instead, I thought about what this could mean for me.
I wasn't strong enough to fight them, and if Darius betrayed me, I would be dead before I could accuse him as well.
But as much as the human towns held uncertainty, it was my best chance. I could go far away from here, train myself, and come back for my vengeance. I could even join these rogues.
My options were endless, but staying here, I had very little chance of succeeding.
“The White Wolf Triumph Festival is going to be amazing!” Someone gushed as they ran past the window.
And that gave me an idea.
“This works perfectly for me,” I thought to myself, “It’s time to leave this damn place, I will surely come back fully prepared.”
Finally, the day for The White Wolf Triumph Festival arrived.
Darius had made a deliberate attempt at avoiding me, only coming in twice since our last conversation to get a change of clothes and then he disappeared again. While my wolf pined for him, I was happy for his absence.
It gave me ample time to think.
This party wasn't just a great opportunity to plan my exit.
But to do that, I needed to get up from this damn bed and go outside.
I was done being scared of being questioned, I had a perfect lie in place anyway. Hopefully, the lady that always brought me food had told everyone that I don't remember a single thing.
That should give me the chance to be out and about in the pack without anyone asking me too many questions because I really needed to go outside.
Not just to let the sun touch my skin but to see the blank spots of the cameras and if there are any loopholes in the pack security and the weakest part of their borders. I needed to check all of this before leaving so that when I come back, I will be fully prepared to take them down.
I pulled the blanket tighter around my shoulders, I slipped to my feet, and moved toward the door. The morning air hit me the moment I stepped outside, and I inhaled deeply.
“It's been a while, sunlight,” I whispered under my breath as I walked deeper into the pack.
I realized Darius lived a while away from the rest of the pack so it took me about two minutes of walking around before I began hearing voices.
His side of the territory would have been the perfect place to attack from, but it had the toughest security guards all around it.
Werewolves had different cadres of warriors, and those under the enforcer were an elite team.
So I walked on.
People were still unloading things in the distance, their voices too far to make out clearly, but I didn’t linger on them. I kept to the edges of the buildings, carefully letting the shadows cover me as I listened and watched.
I knew they could smell me but nobody came anywhere near me and that was a sign that I was on the right track.
Besides, I'd planned to tell anyone who asked that I was looking for the Enforcer.
The land itself stretched wide, busier than I had expected, workers, guards, servants scurrying in and out of doorways. I traced the paths in my mind: where the trees grew thickest, where the roads met, how many guards turned toward the noise of the trucks instead of the houses. Every detail pressed itself into me, because it would matter later.
I had just started edging closer to the kitchens when the sound of high, sing-song voices drifted toward me.
Children.
My head tilted toward the sound as I heard my pack name. Their voices rose and fell, carrying the lilting cadence of a rhyme.
“Strike the shadow, burn the den, Clear the wolves of Shadow Glen”
One of them faltered, stumbling over the next line.
“That’s not how it goes!” another piped up, impatient.
“It is!’ another yelled in response, a frown on her pretty face.
“None were spared, not child, not mate,
All were ash to cleanse their fate.”
My face fell.