I swiped it repeatedly, desperate for it to work, but nothing happened. It felt like Hades had wrapped his control around me like a chokehold, even from afar. It was infuriating.
“Damn it!” I shouted into the empty night. No cars passed by on the street; no friendly lights blinked in the distance.
What was he doing? Had he blocked everything—cut off my access just like that? Panic flared beneath my skin as I tried again, only to find myself staring at that same frozen screen.
Fury coursed through me like wildfire now. He thought he could trap me? This wasn’t just about physical walls; it was about control—and he had no idea how stubborn I could be.
I took a deep breath and scanned the neighborhood once more, looking for another way out. If Hades thought he could keep me caged with technology and fear... he was about to find out how wrong he was.
The cold hit me harder than I’d anticipated. Each breath turned into a cloud, a ghost of warmth escaping my lips as I moved away from Hades’ house. The trees loomed around me, tall and menacing, their branches clawing at the night sky like skeletal fingers. This path was unfamiliar—disorienting. I stumbled a little, but I didn’t stop.
Every step crunched against the frost-tipped ground, the sound swallowed by the stillness of the night. The air bit at my skin, creeping beneath my jacket and chilling me to the bone, but freedom was worth it. It propelled me forward, igniting something fierce inside.
I pushed through, even as my fingers grew numb. The biting wind seemed intent on dragging me back, whispering that I would never escape this nightmare. But I shook off that voice. I wasn’t going to let fear anchor me in place; I was done being someone’s pawn.
In my mind, I replayed every second of the engagement party—the way Hades had watched me with those calculating eyes and how his presence suffocated every breath of hope I had left. My sister’s absence gnawed at me too. Callista was gone, but she’d chosen to run; maybe there was still a chance for me to find help out here in the dark.
The trees thinned slightly as I pressed on, and my heart raced with anticipation of what lay ahead. Would there be someone out there? Someone who could help me escape? My thoughts swirled with possibilities—a friendly face who might give me a ride or point me in the right direction.
But doubt tugged at my resolve like a weight dragging me down. What if no one came? What if this wilderness swallowed me whole?
I shook my head, pushing those thoughts aside with each laborious step. Pain shot through my legs as they protested against the chill and exertion, but I gritted my teeth against it all.
I would find someone.
I pushed deeper into the woods, heart racing with every step. The cold nipped at my skin, but the adrenaline coursing through me felt like fire. I focused on each footfall, listening for anything beyond the rustle of leaves and the distant hum of my own heartbeat.
But then?—
A sound.
I froze, senses sharpening as I strained to hear. Something moved in the underbrush, branches snapping with a distinct crunch that sent a shiver down my spine. I glanced over my shoulder, instinct screaming at me to run.
But where?
Low growls rumbled through the trees, vibrating in my bones. They weren’t far away—too close for comfort.
With every ounce of courage I could muster, I turned slowly, my breath hitching in my throat as shadows flickered between the trees. Shapes moved stealthily through the darkness, low and predatory. My heart pounded in sync with the instinctual terror gripping me.
Wolves.
Their glowing eyes pierced the night like shards of ice, watching me with an intelligence that sent a jolt of fear spiraling through me. They were beautiful and terrifying all at once—sleek bodies gliding effortlessly over the forest floor, muscles coiling beneath their fur like springs ready to unleash power.
I held my breath, trying not to make a sound as they drew closer. There were three of them; their sleek forms glided through the moonlit shadows, low growls rumbling from deep within their chests as they stalked toward me.
I could feel panic rising inside me like bile as I weighed my options: turn and run or stay frozen where I stood? The instinct to flee surged within me but also threatened to paralyze me.
As they edged closer, one wolf stepped forward—the Alpha perhaps—with fur darker than night itself and eyes that glowed like molten gold. It stopped just outside the reach of light spilling from the moon above us, surveying me with an intensity that made it hard to breathe.
The other two flanked it closely, equally poised and predatory, their low growls reverberating around us like an ominous echo in this deserted stretch of woods.
I backed up a step instinctively, but that only drew their attention further.
I ran. Blind. Heart pounding. Adrenaline roared in my ears like a wild beast, drowning out everything else as I sprinted deeper into the woods. Branches whipped at my face, sharp and stinging, tearing at my skin like angry claws.
I stumbled once, my foot catching on a gnarled root that jutted from the earth. The ground rushed up to meet me, but I scrambled back to my feet before I could register the pain shooting through my knees. No time for that; the snarls were closer now—louder, more feral.
Panic twisted in my gut as I pushed myself harder, legs burning with exertion, lungs screaming for air. My mind raced with desperate thoughts of escape, but the forest blurred around me—a chaotic swirl of shadows and movement.
