His Runaway Luna

2. A Dark morning

Iris

A pang of fear made my heart clench. I was still overwhelmed by all the new sensations and enhanced senses that being in my wolf’s skin brought forward. I could hear everything at the same time: whispers, gasps, the snow falling outside of the training ground, the wind gushing its somber song.

I breathed deeply and tried to focus only on Colton, on his words and his insane suggestion.

“What? How can I do it, Colton? Where would I go? You know how the pack deals with rogues.” They killed them all, no mercy, no exceptions.

Before he could reply to me, a feminine voice took our attention.

“Did it happen already?” Lisa asked him.

Before Colton could say anything, her eyes met my wolf and she gasped. She was his long-time girlfriend and he would surely take her as his mate soon. Actually, I don’t know why he was taking so long to mate and mark her when his life and his rank were already settled.

“For the sake of the Opal moon! That can’t be!” Lisa placed her hand on her chest and looked between Colton and my white fur.

“Shift!” Beta Grey ordered, and I only looked at him, almost frozen in hesitancy.

I couldn’t do it, I didn’t want to be naked in front of everyone and it was cold even inside the building.

“Shift now!” His command carried an undertone of anger and I knew better than to challenge him.

I closed the eyes of my mind and tried to focus on my human self, and soon enough I was naked and shivering in front of everyone. I crossed an arm in front of my breasts and looked for my coat, dressing faster than ever before.

My eyes met the heated gaze of the Beta as he motioned for me to leave the arena. I gulped hard, and walked out, my gaze met the startled eyes of my friend Zita and the worried face of Colton. Lisa was clinging to his side, her mouth still opened in surprise.

I only wanted to go back home, to have some time to talk to my wolf and get used to this feeling. To the sweet and warm feeling of being in her skin, to walk freely in her paws and feel the wind caressing her fur as she ran in the wild.

“Iris, we will get to do it! I am Sapphire and I am happy to finally meet you. Don’t worry, Iris,” My wolf said in my mind. Her voice brought me so much comfort, she sounded like a beam of light. I wasn’t making sense anymore, but that was how she sounded and felt.

“Follow me,” the Beta ordered, glancing at me from over his shoulder. Suddenly, Colton stepped closer to him and wrapped his hand around his forearm.

“Wait, Grey. She has just shifted… she needs some time to adjust,” he chimed in, but the Beta ignored him completely, pushing him away. Though it wasn’t enough to stop Colton; he was looking for trouble. He followed the moody Beta, always placing himself between him and me as if he was trying to protect me.

He was really trying to keep his promise to my father and look after me, even when it meant challenging a ruthless wolf that outranked him.

“We need to buy time, Iris. To find a way out for you,” Colton mind-linked me.

“There is no escape for me, Colton. If I run they will find me, if they find me, I will be killed in a matter of moments.”

My eyes were cast down and I had no hope, Colton's plan wouldn’t work, if the Alpha were indeed intended to claim me.

“Grey, she needs clothes! Alpha Zack won’t be pleased at all if his soon-to-be mate walks around half-naked,” Colton insisted, looking between me and Beta Grey.

Grey released a noise between a growl and a huff and looked at his mate, “Susan, get her some clothes. Something appropriate and worthy of our great Alpha.”

Susan sighed impatiently and took a few steps in my direction when Zita intervened, “I can help her, my house is right there,” Zita said, pointing to a random house beside the training building. I had to hold back my chuckles at her cunning way to trick them.

Beta Grey gave her a careful look and nodded in annoyance, “Don’t take long, the Alpha never waits!”

His grumpy reply was all I needed to follow Zita out of the building.

“What do you have in mind?” I mind-linked her, to avoid anyone hearing us. I still had to focus a lot to be able to mind-link, everything was so new and overwhelming for me.

Did she want me to run away just like Colton suggested?

“I want to talk to you and wish you a happy birthday… I had something planned for you, before… that happened. I can’t believe it, Iris! You are a white wolf, like the ones we only read about in the Old tales,” she smiled, taking my hand in hers and walking to her ‘fake house’.

I sighed remembering these tales, which said that white wolves were blessed by the Moon Goddess, some even said that these wolves are the Goddess’ descendants and have not only enhanced senses, speed, and strength, but also magical powers.

So much for being the invisible she-wolf of the pack.

Zita led me to the back of the house, and from there we walked to her real house a few blocks away. She swiftly opened the door and we went to her living room: a small chocolate cake was placed on the table. A smile twisted my lips, I knew that Zita and the kitchen weren’t things that went well together, she couldn’t cook— even less so, bake. I was the one who always made us some sweet treats and funny-shaped bread.

Zita’s arms wrapped around me, “Happy birthday, Iris! I think we have a little time to eat and talk, but we can’t take very long. Stay here, I am bringing you some comfortable clothes… oh, you need something worthy of our great Alpha,” she mocked, giggling before she climbed the stairs, leaving my sight.

“Finally, alone. I can’t tell you much about my powers, I just know that my senses are sharp,” my wolf told me, her voice laced with excitement. I could see her swishing her tail in my mind, almost jumping like a pup. She was a newborn wolf, a pup for the matter and I was sure she wanted to explore everything around.

I wished she could do it and I also wished I could share her enthusiasm, but I was way too worried for it.

“What’s up with the Alpha? And how about our Fated Mate?” she asked.

I sighed and covered my face with my hands, “Warriors and Ranked wolves, which I used to be, aren’t allowed to mate with their fated pair. Our Alpha considers it a distraction and a weakness that our pack can’t afford to have, so if someone finds their fated mate they will be set apart and forced to take a chosen mate.”

Her eyes popped open and her ears stirred, “But the mate-bond is sacred and made by the Goddess… someone out there, surely a hot as hell wolf with grey fur, is waiting for us!” She sent me the mental image of a large grey wolf with teal eyes and thick and beautiful fur. Was that our fated mate or only a fantasy of this over-excited she-wolf?

“I am so sorry, Sapphire. But we can’t have that, it seems like the Alpha wants to claim us,” I gulped hard, my own words sinking in completely and fear building up in a wave of nausea at the very pit of my stomach.

“The Alpha can’t be that bad… Can he?” Sapphire asked me.

But before I could answer, Zita came back carrying a beautiful pair of high-knee white boots, a long-sleeved dark blue dress made of thick wool, and a light blue sweater.

“Colton wants me to run away before the Alpha claims me… I don’t know what to do, Zita,” I sighed, looking away for a moment as tears threatened to escape my eyes, “I don’t want to be in the claws of a tyrant and violent mate.”

“Maybe the Alpha isn’t that bad and Colton is only reacting like this because he has a crush on you. Besides that, some males are considered ruthless but they are nothing but gentle with their mates.”

“How about the rumours about him?” I arched a brow at her. Zita, I, and everyone in this pack knew that our Alpha never took a no for an answer and he tended to grow violent when anyone opposed his every order or whim.

“Rumours aren’t always true, Iris. After he marks and mates you, a special bond will be created between you both and he will fall in love with you and behave like a lovesick puppy,” she smiled.

Only hearing about him marking me, made Sapphire release a mournful howl in my mind and my stomach churn. It wasn’t right and I didn’t want to take my chances with an infamous Alpha.

“Your theory is absurd, Colton is like an old and annoying brother who likes to think he is my dad. Besides that, if he liked me he wouldn’t be with Lisa.”

“He has been with her for four years now and she isn’t carrying any mark on her neck, is she?” Zita had a cunning smile on her face.

“I don’t know,” I sighed. Yet I knew it, but I didn’t want to tell Zita anything that could put her on the other end of the Alpha’s wrath.

My wolf nodded her large head, I couldn’t do it to her, forcing her to mate with the Alpha. I could feel how much she wanted and craved her fated mate, it would be fine for me to never find him. I grew up already knowing that being one with my soulmate wouldn’t be something for me. But this poor white wolf still had hope and I couldn’t let her hope die.

“Colton, can you help me to find a way out of this pack and tell me about a place to go?” I mind-linked him.

“I am going with you.” he sounded determined.

I took a lungful of air, having him with me would really increase my chances, but I couldn't let it happen, if we were caught he would be killed with me.

“No, Colton. You won’t and if you insist, I will give up on going away, I won’t get you killed.” I gave it back with even more conviction than what he had just a few seconds ago.

“Fine.” He exhaled sharply.

“Let’s meet in the bushes behind Zita’s house in ten minutes?”

He agreed and after I dressed up, ate a piece of cake, and chit-chatted with Zita for a few minutes, I gave her a long last hug.

“Thank you so much for the cake and for everything... Take care, I love you!” I said, containing my tears.

“I love you too… but we don’t have to say goodbye like this! Don’t worry, Iris. We will still be living close to each other and it’s not like the Alpha will throw you in his dark and filthy dungeon and forget you there alone with the rats.”

I chuckled, she really knew how to paint a mental image, I could even imagine the faces of these said rats. I only hoped it would never come to life.

I left the house and covered myself with the hood of my coat, for the first time in my life I was thankful for Alaska’s dark mornings. It was the perfect coverage for my escape.

“Are you ready, Sapphire?” I asked my wolf.

“Yes! Let’s do it!”

I sighed deeply knowing that the outcome of my escape would decide whether I survived or not.

***

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