Chapter1
NADIA.
Iincreased the speed ofthe motorcycle I was riding through the forest while reveling in the feeling of the fresh air on my skin and the wind blowing against my hair.
Freedom. I can almost feel it.
My name is Nadia Morrison. I am a shifter. At least that I know. All the other things about me or my real family, I have no idea.
I’d heard things about my father, but I didn’t bother to find out more. It was enough that I knew that he didn’t want me and had abandoned my mother while she was pregnant. My mother died giving birth to me, and the man who took care of me when I was a baby left me with my uncle and aunt when I was five years old.
My aunt was my mother’s sister, but it didn’t feel like that. From the moment they took me in, they had groomed me so they could one day make money out of me. But I would never allow them to do that.
I planned to get away from them—away from the life that they were pushing me into.
I approached the spot where I needed to stop. I stopped the engine and jumped off the motorcycle, dragging it behind the bushes.
I instructed Tyson, one of my friends, to pick up the bike tomorrow and return it to Katarina, our Alpha’s sister and one of my closest friends.
From here, I had to walk for approximately five hours through the neutral forest until I reached a road where I could catch a ride with someone who could transport me to the city. Then, I would take the train and leave this place to start a new life within human territory.
I had been planning to run away since I turned eighteen but never had the courage to do so. But with my impending marriage to a man thirty years my senior by the next full moon, I couldn’t delay this any longer.
I needed to save myself, as no one else would do it for me.
I sighed deeply and slung my backpack over my shoulder before I began my journey, treading the ground not usually used for walking. I researched for months and found this path where I would most likely be unseen.
I had to go unnoticed. If I make it out of the neutral city, transferring from city to city and finding a place I like would be easier.
I didn’t have much money, just enough to survive for a month or two, but I could work. Katarina helped me with my fake credentials so I could apply for a job under a different name. I hope it was enough to hide my identity so my uncle couldn’t find me.
My wolf, Arrow, wasn’t pleased with my decision to live with humans, but she didn’t stop me. Being with humans was way better than being married to an old man who smelled of strong tobacco and alcohol.
He had been eyeing me since I was seventeen, and after four years of negotiating for the right amount to buy me, my greedy uncle decided I was only worth $50,000 and sold me to him.
But I knew my worth. I was worth more than that. Besides, I didn’t want my life wasted being used for pleasure by some old, dirty pervert. I needed to escape the fate they had set for me. I knew I could do and achieve more with my life.
The full moon was at its peak, and with my aunt in heat, she and my uncle would be preoccupied with pleasing each other and would be oblivious to the fact that I wasn’t home. Hopefully, I would be long gone by the time they noticed my absence.
I stopped and leaned my back on the big tree, panting as I thought of my next move. I knew there was a small cave somewhere, and I could rest there for a few minutes before I continued with my journey. I didn’t want to summon my wolf yet. I would let her out when my feet could no longer carry me. So, I just let her rest in the back of my mind, not letting her share her energy with me.
I was about to resume my walk when I heard the sound of twigs snapping and dry leaves rustling as large paws padded the earth. The sound got louder as seconds passed, making my heart pound harder.
Did someone discover I was gone and start searching for me? Or worse, did a rogue smell me?
The sound was surely heading my way, so I began running without looking back. I prepared Arrow to shift while trying to focus on where I should be heading.
My heart constricted as the color drained out of my face. Whoever was running behind me was surely aiming for me.
Please, please don’t be a rogue.I begged Selene.
My hands balled into tight fists as I sprang faster. I sniffed the air, checking if I could smell it. But I knew it was impossible to catch a whiff of whoever it was because I was at the front, and the wind was blowing from the opposite direction.
But then the scent hit me. Instead of the rotten, disgusting smell that I was expecting, my nose was hit by the most delicious scent I had ever smelled.
The scent of a musky forest blends perfectly with the smell of mint and coffee.
It was intoxicating. Mouthwatering. Exhilarating.
