Rosalie:
I didn’t stop.
The mont my body moved, it was like sothing primal took over - sothing deeper than thought, deeper than fear. My legs burned as I ran blindly into the forest. Branches clawed at my arms, my dress caught against thorns, and twigs snapped beneath my feet echoing far too loudly in the storm-soaked night.
The rain ca harder, heavier, soaking within seconds. My hair clung to my face and neck, blurring my vision, but I didn’t dare slow down.
Because they were right behind .
I could hear them now, clearer with every passing second. Heavy, fast, and controlled footsteps were following .
My breath ca in sharp, uneven gasps as I pushed myself harder, ignoring the sting in my lungs and the ache in my legs. I didn’t know this part of the forest well, not like the trained warriors did. I had always stayed near the safer areas, the places where the pack’s presence lingered.
But tonight, I had run too far. Too deep. And now I was paying the price.
"Spread out!" a voice barked from behind , cutting through the sound of rain and thunder. "She can’t get far!"
My heart slamd violently against my ribs as I realized they were closer than I thought.
I veered sharply to the left, ducking behind a cluster of trees. My hand slamd against the rough bark as I steadied myself for half a second before pushing forward again.
Think.
Think, Rosalie.
But my mind refused to cooperate. It was drowning - still trapped in the aftermath of the ceremony, in the echo of their voices, in the image of Charlotte standing where I had once believed I would be.
"-Alpha’s orders-bring her back-"
The words reached through the storm, broken but clear enough to understand.
Bring her back.
I felt an instant flicker of sothing - hope? disbelief? - It sparked weakly in my chest.
Back?
Why? Why now? Why after everything?
But the next words crushed that fragile thought instantly.
"-if she resists-don’t hesitate-"
"-no one will question it-"
My steps faltered for the briefest mont.
What...?
"-end her if you have to. She’s not worth the trouble-"
The world seed to tilt beneath my feet.
End her.
My blood ran cold and I stumbled, barely catching myself before I could fall. My hand scraped painfully against the ground as I pushed myself back up and ran even faster.
No.
No, no, no-
They wouldn’t-
They couldn’t-
But the words echoed relentlessly in my mind, louder than the thunder, louder than my own heartbeat.
End her.
She’s not worth the trouble.
My throat tightened painfully as a sob clawed its way up, but I swallowed it down, forcing myself to keep moving.
No one cared about , about whether I lived... or died.
Not even them.
If the Alphas wanted gone, why didn’t they just say it? Why didn’t they just look at , just once, and tell to leave?
Because I would have. I would have disappeared without a word, without a fight, and without ever looking back.
Because even after everything... even after the humiliation, the betrayal... a part of still loved them enough to let them go.
So why... why this? Why hunt ? Why send people after like I was sothing that needed to be erased?
My chest tightened painfully and the ache spread until it felt unbearable.
Had I really been that blind? That stupid?
The whispers ca back again.
"She’s just a plaything."
"They’ll throw her away eventually."
"They’ll never choose her."
I had laughed back then. Dismissed them. Believed I knew better. But I didn’t, I never did. Because the truth was right in front of now, chasing through the darkness with every intention of ending my life.
They had never cared. Not really. And if they could stand there tonight, look at like I was nothing, and choose another without hesitation... then what was stopping them from getting rid of completely?
Nothing.
Nothing at all.
A branch snapped loudly behind , snapping out of my thoughts.
"There!" soone shouted.
My breath hitched as panic surged through , sharp and suffocating. I pushed myself harder, ignoring the way my legs trembled, ignoring the burning pain in my chest.
I couldn’t stop unless I wanted to die.
The forest grew denser the deeper I ran, shadows swallowing what little light remained. The ground beca uneven, slick with mud and rain, making every step a risk.
I slipped once.
My foot skidded out from under , and I crashed hard against the ground, pain shooting through my side.
A cry escaped my lips before I could stop it. "No-" I gasped, scrambling up desperately. My hands were shaking as I pushed myself forward again.
They were too close. I could hear them breathing now, feel them.
My body scread at to stop, to give in, but I forced myself forward, weaving between trees, ducking under low branches with my heart pounding wildly.
Then the next mont, a hand brushed the back of my dress, but I yanked forward with a terrified gasp. The fabric tore slightly as I broke free, stumbling but not falling.
"Stop running!" another voice shouted. "You are only making it worse!"
Worse? A hysterical laugh almost escaped . What could possibly be worse than this?
Lightning split across the sky, illuminating the forest in a flash of white. And for a brief, terrifying second, I saw them. There were too many of them, and they were closing in.
My chest tightened as I turned sharply, running in another direction, barely thinking anymore - just moving, surviving, trying to put as much distance between us as possible.
But the forest was changing. The ground began to slope upward. The trees thinned. The air felt... different.
And then, I broke through the treeline.
My steps ca to an abrupt halt, and my breath caught when I found myself facing the very edge of a high, steep cliff. Endless darkness stretched below, while the sound of crashing water was faint but unmistakable.
The realization hit like a physical blow.
No...
My chest heaved as I stumbled backward, panic surging violently through .
I had nowhere left to go.
The rain poured harder and the wind picked up, whipping my hair across my face as I turned slowly... and froze.
They erged from the forest one by one like shadows taking shape. Their faces beca clear. Their expressions were calm, confident, and certain because they knew they had .
But just then, more figures appeared from my left. And my heart dropped as I recognized one of them imdiately.
Luxe - Alastor’s beta.
He was tall, composed, and always stood just behind Alastor like a shadow. Always loyal. Always obedient.
And now, he’s here.
My breath trembled as the last fragile piece of denial inside shattered completely. This wasn’t a misunderstanding anymore. There was no mistake.
This was planned, ordered... by them.
My vision blurred as tears spilled freely down my cheeks, mixing with the rain.
What more proof did I need?
Luxe stepped forward slightly, his gaze fixed on .
"Rosalie," he called, his voice calm, almost gentle. "Stop running."
I let out a broken laugh, shaking my head. Stop... running? Now? After everything?
"Co back with ," he continued, as if nothing had happened, as if this was normal, as if I hadn’t just been hunted through the forest like an animal.
My hands trembled at my sides.
Go back? Back to what? To them? To the place where I had just been erased? To the people who had decided my life was disposable?
"No..." I whispered in a barely audible voice.
I took a step back and the edge of the cliff crumbled slightly beneath my heel, small stones slipping into the darkness below.
"I’m not going back," I said, louder this ti, even as my voice shook.
Before I could react, soone from the first group moved, and he was too fast. His hand shot out, grabbing my arm tightly.
"Let go-!" I struggled instinctively, panic surging through as I tried to pull away.
"What are you doing?" Luxe asked, his voice finally shifting and I almost caught an edge of panic in it.
My heart pounded wildly as I twisted in the man’s hold, trying to free myself as my foot slipped dangerously close to the edge.
"Let her go!" Luxe demanded.
And then, the man did exactly that - he let go.
It happened so fast... and yet it felt like ti slowed. My body lurched backward and the ground vanished beneath my feet.
My grip on his arm slipped, and suddenly... there was nothing.
Nothing but air.
The world tilted violently as I fell. The rain whipped against my face and the sound of thunder crashed above .
A scream ripped from my throat, but imdiately got lost in the storm.
For a brief, fleeting mont, I saw Luxe at the edge of the cliff, staring down at in shock.
And then... darkness swallowed whole.
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