Jade’s POV
The forest was darker than I expected.
Branches scraped softly against each other above us as the wind moved through the trees. The ground beneath my feet was uneven and damp, forcing to watch every step I took.
Tomas moved quickly ahead of , barely making a sound.
I tried to copy him.
Tried to breathe quietly.
Tried to ignore the pounding of my heart that seed loud enough to wake the entire forest.
Every few seconds I glanced behind .
Expecting to see lights.
Expecting to hear shouting.
Expecting soone to grab my arm and drag back.
But there was nothing.
Just darkness.
Just the sound of leaves under our feet.
We walked for what felt like forever before Tomas finally slowed.
He crouched slightly and motioned for to stop.
I froze instantly.
He listened for a mont, his head tilted slightly.
Then he nodded to himself.
“You are out,” he said quietly.
Out.
The word echoed inside my mind.
Out of the pack.
Out of the territory.
Out of the life I had known.
My legs suddenly felt weak.
I leaned against the nearest tree and inhaled sharply, my chest rising and falling as the tension finally began to drain from my body.
I had done it.
I had actually left.
A strange mixture of relief and fear washed over all at once.
I pressed a hand lightly against my stomach.
“This is for you,” I whispered under my breath.
Tomas was already moving again.
“We cannot stay here,” he said.
I pushed myself away from the tree and followed him.
The forest eventually thinned and a narrow dirt road appeared ahead.
A small cluster of buildings sat nearby, dimly lit by a few flickering street lamps.
“This is where travelers pass through,” Tomas said.
His voice was calm and practical, as if escorting soone across borders in the middle of the night was a normal routine.
To him, maybe it was.
To , it felt like stepping onto another planet.
People moved quietly between the buildings.
Strangers.
None of them recognized .
None of them spite and
None of them knew I used to live inside the Alpha mansion.
The realization felt strange.
For the first ti since I arrived in the pack, I was just another person.
Tomas stopped walking and looked at .
“You should not stand out,” he said.
I glanced down at myself instinctively.
I had changed into simple clothes before leaving the mansion.
Nothing expensive.
Nothing that scread wealth.
Still, I was not used to being outside the protected inner areas of the pack.
I probably still looked out of place.
“Also,” Tomas added, his voice lowering slightly, “a beautiful woman traveling alone attracts attention.”
My stomach tightened slightly.
I had not thought about that.
Inside the pack territory, guards existed everywhere.
Here, no one was watching out for .
I instinctively crossed my arms loosely in front of myself.
“Stay close to until the next transport,” he said.
I nodded.
We walked toward a dim roadside stop where a few vehicles were parked.
A group of n sat around a table playing cards.
They looked up briefly as we passed.
Their eyes lingered on a mont too long.
My skin prickled.
Tomas seed to notice because he subtly positioned himself between and them.
We stopped near the edge of the road.
A truck was expected soon.
While we waited, my mind began drifting.
Back to the mansion.
Back to the people I had left behind.
Renzo.
Ryder.
Ronan.
The mory of their arms around earlier that evening rose painfully in my chest.
They had held so tightly.
Promised they would protect .
Promised they were there for .
A part of wondered what they were doing right now.
Had they realized I was gone yet?
Were they searching for ?
The thought twisted sothing deep inside my chest.
A small, fragile part of hoped they would co.
Hoped they would realize the truth.
Hoped they would fight for .
But then reality crept back in.
Everything that had happened over the past weeks replayed in my mind.
The accusations.
The doubts.
The way they asked for proof when I told them Linda threatened .
They cared about .
I believed that.
But when it ca down to it, they were sons of the Alpha first.
And Linda was the future Luna.
If the situation forced them to choose, they would choose the pack.
Not .
I had already lost my mother
I refused to lose my baby too.
My hand returned to my stomach again.
“I made the right choice,” I murmured softly.
A truck engine rumbled in the distance.
Tomas straightened.
“That is ours.”
The truck pulled up slowly and stopped beside us.
The driver leaned out of the window and exchanged a few quiet words with Tomas.
Money changed hands.
Then Tomas gestured for to climb into the back.
The tal floor of the truck was cold and hard.
I sat down carefully, pulling my small bag closer to my side.
A few other passengers were already there.
None of them spoke.
The truck started moving again.
The ride was rough.
Every bump in the road rattled through my body.
The forest slowly disappeared behind us as the road stretched into unfamiliar territory.
I stared into the darkness.
Thinking.
Rembering.
Renzo’s voice echoed faintly in my mind.
The way he apologized.
The way he promised to make things better for and the baby.
Tears quietly filled my eyes.
“I did not want to leave you,” I whispered into the night.
But wanting sothing did not always make it safe.
The truck drove for nearly an hour before finally slowing.
Dim city lights appeared ahead.
Tomas jumped down first and then helped step off the truck.
“This is where we separate,” he said.
The street around us was quiet.
A few late night shops were still open.
A flickering street lamp buzzed above us.
“You should find a place to stay before sunrise,” Tomas continued.
“There is a cheap motel two streets from here. Walk straight, then turn into the narrow alley on the right. The building is old but safe enough.”
Safe enough.
The phrase did not inspire confidence.
Still, it was sothing.
“Thank you,” I said sincerely.
He gave a short nod.
Then he turned and disappeared into the night as quickly as he had arrived.
And just like that, I was alone.
Completely alone.
I tightened my grip on my bag and began walking.
The streets were unfamiliar and quiet.
Most buildings were dark.
A few distant voices echoed sowhere far away.
I followed Tomas’s directions carefully.
Straight down the street.
Then I turned into the narrow alley he had ntioned.
The alley was darker than the main road.
The light from the street barely reached inside.
Garbage bins lined one side.
The faint sll of damp concrete filled the air.
I walked faster.
Just a little further.
The motel had to be close.
That was when the feeling started.
At first it was just a small prickling sensation along the back of my neck.
Like soone watching .
I slowed slightly.
My footsteps echoed softly in the alley.
Then I heard another sound.
Footsteps.
Behind .
My heart skipped.
I turned my head slightly but saw nothing at first.
Maybe it was my imagination.
Maybe I was just nervous.
I kept walking.
The footsteps ca again.
This ti closer.
My pulse began racing.
I turned around fully.
And that was when they appeared.
Three huge n stepped out from the shadows behind .
They moved slowly.
Blocking the path I had just walked through.
I spun around instinctively.
But two more figures erged from the opposite side of the alley.
My stomach dropped.
They were surrounding .
The largest of the n stepped forward.
His smile was slow and unpleasant.
“Well,” he said.
“Looks like we found ourselves a lost little lady.”
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