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I didn't give him the chance to decide. “Do you like being your pack's errand boy? A lapdog for Tristan?” I tilted my head and smiled, hoping to crack his resolve.

The young wolf’s cheeks reddened, and he looked away. “I came to see if you needed anything,” he mumbled.

I held back a laugh. “How thoughtful. You could try setting me free. That might help.”

He glanced at the door, then back at me, torn between his loyalty and the allure of rebellion.

“They’ll send you away if they catch you in here,” I said, my voice dipping low. “You’ll end up just like me. A stranger to the pack, locked out, unwanted.”

The words landed like stones. I watched him squirm.

“But,” I said, drawing it out to reel him back in, “I could owe you one. A big one. That might be worth it, don’t you think?”

His eyes darted around the room, looking everywhere but at me. “What kind of favor?” he asked, barely above a whisper.

“The kind that gets you out of trouble,” I said, throwing him a lifeline. “A favor from me could come in handy when things start going bad.” I let him stew on that for a few beats, watching the gears turn in his head. He was getting close, I could see it. “So what’s it going to be?” I asked.

He swallowed hard, and his voice cracked when he spoke. “They’ll notice,” he said. “The guards.”

I waved a hand in the air like I didn’t care.

“They’ve got bigger things to worry about.

The wolves are out for blood.” I saw his eyes go wide, and I smiled to myself.

Maybe he wasn’t so hard to convince after all.

“Besides, they think I’m weak,” I said, playing my last card. “I won’t last long out there, right?”

He stared at me for a long moment, then nodded. He didn’t want to admit that he was falling for it, but he couldn’t help himself.

“You’re smarter than they think,” I said, sweetening the deal as much as I could. “Do you want to be the kid who sets me free, or the one who never even tried?”

His mouth tightened into a hard line, and he shoved his hands in his pockets. “I’ll do it,” he said, like he was betraying the whole pack by even saying it. “But you better keep your promise.”

“I’m good for it,” I said, flashing a grin that I hoped would calm him down.

The young wolf approached my cell and pulled out a ring of keys, hands trembling with nerves.

I kept my eye on the door, ready to put him in front of me as a shield if anyone caught us.

He tried a few keys before finding the right one.

It slid into the lock, and a tremor skittered under my bare feet—not an earthquake, not quite.

More like the mountain itself exhaled, aware of the defiance unfolding in its belly.

Maybe it didn’t like traitors. Maybe it didn’t like me.

With a soft click of the lock, my heart raced as I heard the bolt turn.

I was closer than I thought. He opened the door just enough for me to slip out, and I caught his eye as I walked past. “Don’t look so guilty,” I said. “They’ll suspect you in a heartbeat.”

He nodded, worry etched into his young face. He looked so young—too young to be playing at betrayal. For half a heartbeat, guilt coiled in my gut. But I buried it. This was survival, not kindness. I left him standing there, ducking into the shadows before he could change his mind.

The compound was quiet. Most of the pack was asleep, but I knew there were guards out there somewhere.

I kept to the darkness, staying as low as I could.

The night air was crisp and cool on my skin, sending shivers down my spine as I moved through the open corridors.

The thrill of escape pulsed through me, mingling with a constant undercurrent of fear.

I was close, so close I could almost taste it.

All I had to do was stay one step ahead of the guards.

I paused at a corner, listening for any sign of movement. My senses were on fire, sharper than they’d ever been. Every creak of wood and rustle of leaves seemed magnified. I held my breath, waiting for the right moment to sprint across the clearing and into the cover of trees.

There it was. A shout from the east side of the compound.

I didn’t wait to see if it was meant for me.

I dashed forward, my feet silent against the earth, my heart pounding like a wild thing in my chest. I ducked behind a building and leaned against the wall, catching my breath and scanning the area.

No guards. No alarm. I was still safe, at least for now.

I took off again, this time slower, more careful. A single misstep would give me away, and I couldn’t risk it. Not after coming this far. I was in the open now, fully exposed and painfully aware of it. I crossed another patch of grass and slipped between two trees, trying to blend into the night.

Another noise caught my attention, and I froze.

A howl pierced the air, long and loud and lonesome.

I could hear other wolves joining in, their voices echoing off the walls of the compound to the sides of the mountains all around us.

It wasn’t the sound of a hunt, and it wasn’t meant for me.

Not yet. They’d find my empty cell soon enough, but by then I’d be long gone. I hoped.

I crept through the compound, every sense tingling with anticipation.

My eyes adjusted to the darkness, picking out shapes and shadows that I could use as cover.

I spotted a guard to the south, but he didn’t see me.

He was preoccupied, staring off into the distance, unaware that I was slipping away right under his nose.

I pushed on, using the commotion of the other wolves as a distraction.

They were restless, just like me. A few lights flickered on, and I ducked behind a pile of crates to avoid being seen.

I couldn’t afford any mistakes now, not when I was this close.

The air thickened the deeper I moved through the compound, as though the mountain was reluctant to let me go.

Its magic wasn’t loud, but it pressed against me—curious, judging.

When I was sure the coast was clear, I moved again, weaving between buildings and trees like a shadow.

It felt good, this freedom. It felt right.

The way I’d always wanted it to. I was no one’s prisoner, and soon I would prove it.

I could almost taste the air outside, crisp and clean and wild. Just a little farther and I’d be free.

I finally reached the outer wall, its edge looming before me like a promise. I took a moment to breathe, to steady my racing heart and clear my mind. This was it. This was my moment.

I glanced over my shoulder one last time, half expecting to see guards rushing toward me, the young wolf pointing and shouting, “There she is!”

But it was just me and the night.

I slipped through a gap in the wall, barely wide enough for my frame, and took off into the open. The forest loomed before me, dark and full of possibilities. I sprinted toward it, my legs pumping and my lungs burning, the scent of pine and freedom filling my senses.

The ground was soft underfoot as I crossed the field, feeling the rush of cold air against my skin. It woke me up, made me alive, made me think I might really be free. It was everything I’d hoped for. I was out. I was gone.

And then it hit me. I didn’t know where I was going.

I was free. But freedom without direction was just another kind of prison. I had no home. No pack. No plan. Just the ache of being unclaimed in a world that didn’t want me.

The idea landed like a punch in the gut, knocking the wind out of me. I stumbled to a stop, catching myself against a tree and panting for breath. I thought I had a plan. I thought I knew what I was doing. But now, alone and out here in the woods, it was clear how little I understood.

The only thing I knew for sure was that I couldn’t go back to Silver Ridge. Not yet. Not ever, if I could help it.

I closed my eyes, steadying myself. The forest stretched out before me, vast and unknown, and I took a step toward it. Then another. My heart slowed, my mind cleared, and I started to run.

This was my chance. I wouldn’t let it slip away.

I pushed into the trees, leaving the Stormvale compound behind. The cool night air wrapped around me, filling my lungs and fueling my drive. I had to keep going, to find my own path, to discover the truth about my curse and my fate. I couldn’t let anyone hold me back.

Not my father. Not the pack. Not even myself.

The forest opened up around me, and I disappeared into it, a wild thing finally set free.

I ran, the dark woods closing around me like secrets.

I couldn't stop, not when I was finally out, not when I was so close to being free.

My own pack was behind me, but their betrayal was an open wound.

I had to keep going, to find the truth. The real reason for my father's warnings.

Then I saw something. Someone. Up ahead, just beyond the next row of trees.

My heart stuttered, skipping beats and hope.

Had the pack sent someone after me? Was I already caught?

I crouched low, peering through the tangle of branches and leaves.

The figure moved closer, and my pulse quickened.

My mind raced through the possibilities.

I thought about the young wolf and wondered if he’d given me up.

I thought about my father and his cold, unforgiving eyes.

I thought about my other pack members, each one eager to bring me down.

I couldn’t let them find me, not yet, not ever.

The trees seemed to close in on me as I backed away.

I had to be careful. It could be a trap, a ploy to draw me out of hiding.

The ground was damp beneath my feet, every snapped twig and crushed leaf a potential alarm.

My breath was loud in my ears, ragged and uneven as I tried to steady myself.

I needed a plan, but all I could think about was running.