CHAPTER FIVE: A New Beginning?
1282 Words
My heart’s beating, my body’s throbbing. Am I alive?!
I blink my eyes open and am met with an unfamiliar, opulent-looking bedroom: Rich, dark wood furniture, heavy drapes framing large windows, and a plush, king-sized bed beneath me.
Where am I?
I try to piece together the last moments I remember. Tara's face, twisted with anger, before the world has tipped and the icy embrace of the river has consumed me.
I’m dry with some bruises and wearing a dress that’s not mine.
How did I end up here?
My head aches, and suddenly the most important question pops up in my head: My baby?!
Panic surges through me as I clutch my stomach. Ignoring the protests of my battered body, I scramble out of the bed, but before I can reach the door, it creaks open, and emerging from it is a man I’ve seen before.
He’s a tall and muscular man with a handsome face, dark hair and piercing brown eyes. Colt Woods of the Shadow Howling Pack!
"How are you feeling, Stacey?" he asks, his voice calm and soothing.
Why is he here? What did he know about what had happened to me?
"My baby... is my baby okay?" The question tumbles out of me, my voice shaking.
Colt steps closer, his presence somehow both comforting and intimidating. "Your baby is fine.”
Tears of joy well in my eyes. Thank goodness, my baby is safe! I don’t know what I’ll do if I lose it too.
“You were in danger, but we managed to get to you in time,” Colt adds.
Confusion battles within me. "What do you mean by ‘we’?”
Colt scratches his head as he chuckles. “Oh, I mean… my driver and I. We’re on the way back home when we saw Tara push you off the bridge.”
"Thank you, Colt, for saving us.”
He runs a hand through his hair, slightly angling her gaze away from me, as if uncomfortable accepting my gratitude.
"I have to go now," I say, the words coming out more uncertain than I’ve intended.
Colt gawks at me, his brow furrowing. "Go where?"
I open my mouth to respond, but no words come. I have no home, no pack. I’m a rogue now. The weight of it presses down on me, making my legs feel like lead.
Colt seems to read my silence, his expression softening. "You don't have to leave. Stay here for a while. Figure out what to do next for the sake of your baby."
I hesitate. I can’t keep accepting Colt’s kindness. But he’s also right. I can’t just go without a concrete plan. I have a baby with me and it should be my top priority.
"Okay. But... I need to find a job to earn money, so I can find a place to stay as soon as I can."
In a heartbeat, Colt gladly agrees. "I can help with that. Our Alpha needs more cleaners for his mansion since most of our Omegas refuse to work there."
I blink in surprise. "Refuse? How can an Omega refuse an Alpha?"
Colt's eyes light up with a proud glint. "That's how we are here. A higher-ranking wolf can only force a lower-ranking one to do or not do something if it involves the pack's security. Everyone’s rights are respected here.”
There’s a pang of envy in my heart. If only I was born into this pack, my life would’ve probably been different, way better.
"Why do they refuse, though? Is your Alpha...?" I pause, memories of Pierce and Tara’s cruelty flashing through my mind.
A mysterious smile plays at the corners of his lips. "You'll find out once you meet him."
"Alright. I'll meet him.”
I just hope that being a rogue won't stop him from giving me the job.
When we get to the mansion, we’re told that the Alpha is unable to meet me for the time being, but Colt has vouched for me. His words, though coming from someone who barely knows me, are enough to secure me the job. None even questions why I became a rogue or what pack I belonged to. They just… trust me.
Wow! I’m not sure if this pack is just too lenient or Colt is just a significant member and his words hold some power.
“Thank you, Colt.”
Unlike last time, Colt accepts my gratitude with a smile and a “Congratulations.”
I slip into an Omega’s uniform when night descends. Their Alpha has some guests arriving and I’m tasked to clean the dining area in the afternoon and serve their food and drinks later tonight. I’m determined to make a good impression, to show everyone that they didn’t make a mistake in hiring me.
Night descends. The manor bustles with activity as dinner preparations reach a fever pitch. Ready to serve the appetizer, I approach the dining room where the sounds of conversation and laughter filter through the partially open door.
I push the door open, only to halt abruptly. My heart suddenly plummets into my stomach.
Zaide,
He’s one of the guests!
The Alpha is friends with Zaide?! If he discovers I’m still alive, he could demand my return to his territory. The thought of reliving all the nightmares I’ve endured, is unbearable. And Tara—she will certainly try to kill me again. What if she succeeds next time?!
Panic surges through me. The only thing I can think of: I have to escape. Again.
Luckily, everyone around the dining table isn't paying me the slightest attention.
My eyes dart around the room, looking for an exit. When I find one, I slowly back away, keeping my movements as inconspicuous as possible. Reaching the kitchen, I leave the tray on the table ignoring the inquiring gazes of the Omegas.
I feel so horrible doing this to them after trusting me, but I have no other choice. I hope they forgive me.
I run blindly through the forest. The trees’ dense canopies block out the moonlight, casting the forest in an eerie darkness. When exhaustion overtakes me, I collapse onto a fallen log. Then, Zaide's smile flashes in my mind; the same smile he had worn while announcing Tara as his bride, a smile filled with pride and cruelty.
I can’t go back to him. I have to go as far as I can.
Before I can even dislodge the memory, a rustling in the bushes nearby echoes. My heart skips a beat as I strain to listen. Footsteps. They’re getting closer.
Out of the shadows emerge a group of wolves. Their eyes glint hungrily, saliva dripping from their razor-sharp canines, and their growls rumbling ominously.
"Looks like we have a good meal tonight," one of the wolves snarls.
"P-please, don't hurt me," I beg, my voice trembling.
I’m not trained to fight, and I’m outnumbered. Most importantly, I’m pregnant.
The wolves ignore my pleas and lunge at me. I squeeze my eyes shut and scream.
All of a sudden,...
Series of growls and howls reverberate, as if there’s a nasty brawl going on. When I open my eyes, a large brown wolf charging into the fray, its powerful body colliding with the thinner wolves. The brown wolf fights with a skill and ferocity that leaves me in awe. It kills two of the wolves swiftly. The remaining three wolves, sensing their defeat, turn tail and flee.
The brown wolf turns to face me, and recognition dawns on me as I stare at its piercing yet warm eyes.
"Colt," I whisper, my voice filled with gratitude and disbelief.
He saved me. Again.
- Writer
