Chasing Freedom

Chapter 2: Escape

After they ate, George suddenly pulled Emily back to his room. The grip on her arm was tight, so she was a little hurt by George's grip. She cried out in pain in silence, but George noticed it, so he released her immediately. George immediately closed the door as Emily quickly walked away from him. George faced her as his both hands were both in his pockets. Emily suddenly averted his eyes when George looked her in the eye. George just sighed and approached Emily. Emily couldn't move her legs even though she wanted to avoid George. She just looked at the floor because of the uneasy feeling she felt. Emily stood up as George spoke.

"I will not put a chain on you tonight. But once I know that you will escape this mansion, I will suffocate you… in bed," he said and whispered in Emily's ear the last word. Because of his threat, Emily automatically moved away from him as her heart beat faster like a horse racing. Her cheek was so hot that she did not know what the reason was. She was no longer young to not know what George meant. She clenched her fist and turned her gaze on George. Emily's emotions are mixed. George suddenly smiled and, in a flash, George was in front of her. There is only one centimeter between them. Emily's heart was beating too fast. She had almost heard it. Her cheeks got hotter when she realized that George might have heard it too. Her body stiffened at what George had unexpectedly done. George sniffed her neck and then her mouth. George smiled even more and turned his back on her and left her in the room. Emily was just stunned because of what George did. For six months, as she remembered, she always received Alpha's cold treatment. But even in that situation, she is thankful that she is still alive. But during these times she noticed that George's treatment of her had changed a bit, she felt anxious. She felt that it was dangerous to stay near him.

She stood for about an hour as she was startled by a knock on the door. Marlin entered with a smile that met her gaze. She was carrying a key, so she was suddenly nervous. She thought she would be chained again. Marlin laughed at Emily's reaction. Marlin approached her and patted her shoulder.

"Relax. I'm here to pick you up to take you to your room. You know, I even had a hard time convincing my older brother George to move you to another room. Arguing with him spoils the beauty of my face," Marlin said loudly to her and her cheerful and energetic tone was evident in her voice. Emily did not know how she should feel, but she seemed to lose weight in her heart as she thought of escaping because of what Marlin had told her. She appreciated what Marlin did, but she still did not lower her guard. She still didn't trust anyone.

"Follow me dear," Marlin said to her with a wide smile plastered on her face. Emily just nodded, and she did what Marlin told her. As she followed Marlin, she intently looked at Marlin's back. She described her as an elegant woman with a cheerful and energetic personality, but she felt that Marlin is a clever wolf. In her thoughts, she wanted to escape now, but she has no concrete plan to escape. She must prepare herself for the consequences of her escape plan.

Suddenly, Marlin stopped at the big double door. It has a color of red brown varnish and its design was high class if she will base it in her world. She was still amazed by the interior design. If she didn't become a soldier, she would become an interior designer, but that didn't happen because of the country's need for many armies. When Marlin opened the door, Emily's eyes were sparkling. She didn't notice she's exposing her emotions in front of the monster. When her eyes reached the sight of the bed, she saw Henry, the youngest sibling of Salvador's family. Emily was confused why they were here.

"This is Henry's room, and you will stay here," Marlin said. Emily looked at her with disbelief. "Well, this is the condition to transfer you to another room. If you don't like it here you are free to go back to my brother George's room," Marlin said with a playful tone and smile. She didn't like Marlin's tone, so she reacted immediately.

"I-I’m okay here. I think it's better to stay here," Emily said while she was stuttering. Marlin smirked and left her with Henry. Emily sighed and she looked at Henry. The little young boy was only watching her the whole time since she entered his room. Emily forced herself to smile at Henry, but the little young boy still had his poker face mask on. She was embarrassed, but it didn't show on her face. For the four years she spent in the training camp, she was trained to stay in poker and focus on her goals. Henry pointed to the big wide couch on his left side and looked at her.

"You'll sleep there," he said in a flat tone. She feels that the little boy doesn't like her. She doesn't know the reason why, but she only knows that they are different species, so they are not comfortable with each other. When she's about to sit on the big wide couch Henry asks her the unexpected question.

"Do you want to escape?" the innocent little young boy asked her and looked at her with his innocent eyes. She was nervous at that time. What if he already suspected her about her plan? Or maybe he already knows it. She thinks he is smart for his age.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about. Besides, I don't know how. If I know, I will not reach six months to stay here," Emily said, but she was stuttering, and she felt her words were not convincing. Henry repeated his question but this time he was serious.

"Do you want to escape?" this time Emily didn't answer. She doesn't want to answer him. She's determined to proceed with her escape plan, but she doesn't want to rush it. Likewise, she needs a perfect time.

"I see, silence means yes," Henry said, which made Emily's heart tremble in nervousness. What if he will report it to his brother? What if George truly made her lose her breath in his bed? Her palm sweated too hard. She lost her energy in her knees, so she sat on the couch.

"Don't worry, we will help you," Henry said, which made her look up to him. She was confused about what Henry said. She can't believe that made her laugh in despair. How would she believe a monster inside a young body?

"Don't give me false hope, little boy. I have no extraordinary powers just like you to escape. And we? Is there someone to help me? TSK," she said bitterly. She needs to act like she lost hope, so they won't suspect her planning to escape. She doesn't believe them. Likewise, she doesn't trust them. They are monsters. They kill each other, and she thinks she is not out of the list of their killing cycle. Her survival rate here in this world is one percent. She must be careful of her actions. After she said those words, she never heard Henry speak again about the escape.

In the morning, she was awakened by the sun rays that touched her skin and reached her face. She remembered she slept without a hard time to fall asleep. As if she was safe on the couch, and it is the perfect place to let her guard down. She shook her thoughts and looked in the big window. This room is brighter than the alpha's room, and it's livelier. While she was still busy mesmerizing the sun's rays, Henry appeared in front of her. He reached out his hand while holding the two paper bags in front of her.

"Sister Marlin told me to give this to you. She can't personally give this to you because she and brother George are having a meeting with the council," he said. Emily just nodded and accepted the two paper bags. She looked at what's inside the paper bags, and it was clothes and some personal hygiene like soap, toothbrush, toothpaste and shampoo. She was speechless. Is she serious about giving this to her? Or are they only preparing before they kill her? Or was she just an offering piece? She thought. While she was busy trying to ask a question about what happened now, Henry interrupted her thoughts. He sighed and looked at her.

"After you take your bath, you were assigned to be my playmate," he said. Emily is still in an uneasy state. She still has a hard time trusting his words. His brother is a monster and because they shared some blood maybe he has that personality too. That was what she thought. She just stood up and asked him where the bathroom was. After he pointed to the glass door in the upper right-side Emily went in there. She makes sure to lock the door. It was wide inside but not the same in the alpha's bathroom. She started to clean herself and used the personal hygiene that Marlin gave to her. The truth is she was thankful for this little help. But then again, she doesn't want to lower her guard. It's better to stay on guard. She is very skeptical.

After she bathed and wore the clothes she stepped out in the bathroom. She saw Henry playing chess alone. It's a mind game. When Henry noticed her, he stood up and threw a thing to Emily. It was a body lotion but is not an ordinary body lotion.

"Put some of that and no one will know you're a human. Wolves will never smell your true scent instead they will smell you're a she-wolf. That was my sister's body lotion and I already asked her permission to let you use that. In fact, she already gave that to you," he said like he was having a short speech. She can't believe they are doing this for her. She wanted to argue about this body lotion, but Henry was already at the entrance of the door. Furthermore, she immediately applied the body lotion to her body and put it in the paper bag. Likewise, she just followed Henry to the outside of the mansion. It was her first time to go out after she was trapped in the mansion. She felt she was free from her cage and because she felt it, she wanted more of this feeling, to be free.

"We are here," Henry said. They were in front of the tree house. This location is a little distance away from the mansion. They climbed until they reached the inside of the tree house. Henry placed his chess board on the small table and arranged its pieces.

"You will be playing with me this game of yours," he said. Emily is curious about the way he said it, but she didn't attempt to ask. She just went near the table and sat in the opposite direction of the little boy.

"This game originated in your species. It is the game of mind. My mom bought this from your world, and she gave it to me. After she gave it to me, she went back to your world. This is the only thing she gave to me." He started to tell a story about how he got the chess board game. Emily was listening, and she was a bit shocked. Maybe a fact that a wolf can go in the human world. She continued to listen to the little boy.

"Mom always said humans and wolves have no difference except of the fact that humans and wolves are different species but the way the two species live their ways have many similar ways," he said. Emily seemed to want to react, but she still behaved herself.

"After she went away from this world, she never came back. I wonder what happened to her." The sadness and longing for his mother was evident to his voice. Emily felt sorry for him. She never thought that at a very young age, Henry lost her mother.

"Marlin and I decided to help you to escape this world, but our power was only limited to the campus of our mansion. When you are outside the campus you need to survive and escape on your own," he said. Emily understands the part that Henry's mother was missing, but she doesn't understand what's connected to her?

"Why would you help me?" she finally asked. Henry looked straight into her eyes.

"We will help you in one condition. After we help you escape in my brother's hand you need to promise me to find my mother in your world," he said seriously. Emily was almost caught. How would she find his mother? The human world is too wide.

"What if I won't accept the condition?" Emily asked. She wanted to know. Somehow, she saw a spark of hope, but that depends on her decision.

"Then we will not help you. You will stay forever in my brother's kingdom," he said. He is serious about what he said and Emily saw it in his eyes. She let out a sigh and thought about her decision. After ten minutes she decided to accept their help and the condition. Henry discussed the way out from the wolf's world and the condition. The sunrise was about to set when they were done discussing everything.

At night at eight o'clock in the evening, Henry guided Emily to escape in the mansion. After they reached the secret passage out of the wall of Salvador, Emily was excited at the same time nervous. She faced Henry.

"I don't know if my escape in this world will be a success, but I won't take back my words," Emily said to the little boy. Henry nodded.

"Don't go back here anymore," he said. Emily didn't say a word and turned her back from the little boy. She ran as fast as she could. The feeling she felt in the morning was overflowing in her. She hopes it will last long. She hoped that she would finally be free.