“You’ll die out there,” Jared muttered darkly. “No alpha, no pack to protect you… You’redeadmeat.”
“Thanks for theconcern.”
Jared scoffed and backed out of my doorway. “No wonder alphas don’t want to mate with you, loser. You don’t deservethispack.”
I shut my eyes as Jared slammed my front door. I stood there for a moment, collecting myself. I didn't know whether I wanted to scream or burst into tears.Probablyboth.
I locked the door, prayed no one else would knock on it, then retreated to my room. I spent maybe half an hour sobbing quietly under the covers and feeling sorry for myself. The reality of what was happening crashed into me hard. I was going to be banished from my pack - the pack that I was born and raised in. They were throwing me to the humans. And for what? Because I dared defy their stupid traditions. Surely I couldn’t be the only omega todoso?
I must be. I’ve never heard of anyone else except Loni, and we all know how well thatturnedout.
I groaned and wiped my face on my pillow. The tears had stopped coming. Just as well. I had a headache from crying and was pissed offaboutit.
I sat up in bed and stared out my window. From here, I could see the wall - looming like avillain.
Frowning, I got up and started angrily shoving clothes into a backpack. That was enough sitting around, moping and doing nothing. Now, if I wasreallygoing to go through with this and face the outside world, I neededaplan.
A backpack full of clothes and non-perishable food would havetodo.
I glared at the wall frommyroom.
I was a wolf, damnit. And the people outside were just humans. I was going to make it on my own, whether my pack wanted me toornot.
* * *
As evening fell,I left without a singlegoodbye.
The only person who deserved one was Otis. Maybe Marlowe, too. But the rest of my pack seemed keen to throw me to the wolves - or humans, asitwere.
I wouldn’t give them the satisfaction of seeing me go. I refused. I would escape under the cover of darkness, and leave them wondering about what happened to me. Maybe they would think I died. Maybe they’d think I survived out there,somehow.
Maybe I’d get torn to shreds like Loni did, and they’d all hear myscreams.
That’s just a story,I reminded myself. I’d been repeating that in my mind ever since I committed to my escape plan. Nobody actually knew what happened to Loni, right? Only the wall guards. And maybe the information got warped in a fucked up in the chainsomehow.
Ihope.
As I slunk closer to the wall’s main door, I heard a commotion within the pack, close to where my home was. People were banging on my front door, either begging or commanding me to come out. Otis was probably among them, pleading for me to give it upalready.
Sorry, Otis.Your friend is too much of astubbornass.
I figured the elders were putting in a last-ditch effort to try and get me to pick an alpha. Maybe they would force an alpha on me. Like hell I was gonna stick around andfindout.
I was glad for the commotion, though - it meant there were less eyes on the door, and nobody saw a cloaked omega unlock the door’s mechanism and slink out. The door shut behind me with a mechanical hiss. I knew the door locked automatically from the inside, so there was no danger of raiders entering the door the same way Ileftit.
Except for the wind, it was quiet outside. The commotion inside the pack was swallowed up by the walls. Above me, there was no moon in the night sky. Just an endless starryblackness.
I stood there for a moment, taking it all in. I wasn’t as jumpy as I thought I’d be. This wasn’t so bad. There was nothing to be afraid of - the landscape was just a stretch of thick forest, without a soul tobeseen.
“I guess I better start walking,” I murmured tomyself.
I got as far as the tree line before things wenttohell.
It was my fault. I wasn’t paying attention. The wind was louder outside the walls, crooning deeply through the trees like a dying animal. The forest was full of strange sounds, ones I didn’t recognize, and ones I didn’t think were important. I didn’t hear the footsteps until it wastoolate.
The silence broke. The cries of raiders filled the air. They erupted from the bushes and tree trunks, swinging weapons above their heads, and every single one convergedonme.
I screamed before I knew what was happening. My body reactedinstantly.
