Escape

Shanella Anderson

I couldn’t hold back the tremor in my body. I felt trapped, like a bird in a cage, and my heart ached with the weight of it all. But I couldn’t escape. I was stuck.

Alpha Ethan laughed from behind me. “Tomorrow, the Moon Crest Pack and the Green Eyes Pack will be stronger than ever,” he said, his voice full of pride. “We’ll be one, and nothing will stop us.”

But I wasn’t part of the plan. I wasn’t important to either of them, except as a tool to further their power. And no matter how much I begged, no matter how much I cried, nothing would change. Tomorrow, I would be married to Alpha Terence, and there was nothing I could do about it.

I closed my eyes, the tears threatening to fall again. My life had already been decided for me, and I had no say in it.

The next morning, the whole Moon Crest Pack was busy preparing for my wedding. Servants ran back and forth, setting up the grand hall, arranging flowers, and preparing the feast. The pack warriors stood in formation, making sure everything was perfect for Alpha Terence’s arrival. Everyone seemed excited. Everyone except me.

Inside my room, I sat by the window, looking at the sky. Today was supposed to be the most important day of my life, but all I felt was dread. I couldn’t do this. I couldn’t marry a man I didn’t love—a man I feared.

No. I wouldn’t.

I had already made my decision. I would leave. I didn’t care where I ended up. I would rather be homeless, wandering the world alone, than spend my life trapped as Alpha Terence’s Luna.

The door creaked open, and Lily and Paula walked in, their eyes full of sadness. They both knew how much I hated this. They had been by my side since I was a child, and they cared for me more than my own father ever did.

“I’m leaving,” I told them, my voice firm despite my racing heart.

Lily and Paula exchanged a look before they both stepped closer, taking my hands in theirs.

“We don’t want to see your life become miserable, Miss Shanella,” Paula whispered. “You deserve to be happy.”

Lily nodded. “We need to make a plan.”

I looked at them, tears forming in my eyes. “You’ll really help me?”

“Yes,” they said at the same time.

Lily thought for a moment, then said, “I will wear the wedding dress. The veil is thick and covers most of the face. No one will suspect anything until it’s too late.”

Paula turned to me. “You will wear a maid’s uniform. Disguise yourself as me. If you walk out in a maid’s uniform, no one will stop you.”

I swallowed hard. This was dangerous. If my father found out, he would kill them. But I had no choice. I nodded.

“Where will you go?” Paula asked.

I hesitated. “I don’t know yet… but I just need to get far away from here.”

Lily and Paula hugged me tightly.

“We just want you to have your own life,” Lily said softly. “To be free.”

Tears slid down my cheeks as I hugged them back. “Thank you.”

That night, just a few hours before the wedding, we got to work.

Lily sat in front of the mirror while Paula and I dressed her in the heavy white gown. The moment she put on the veil, it was clear no one would notice the difference.

Meanwhile, Paula handed me a maid’s uniform. I took a deep breath, then grabbed a pair of scissors. Without hesitation, I cut my long blonde hair, the strands falling to the floor. Paula and Lily gasped.

Then, I grabbed a small bottle of not permanent black dye from my vanity and ran it through my short hair.

“Miss Shanella…” Lily whispered, stunned.

I met her gaze through the mirror. “If the pack guards see my blonde hair, they won’t believe I’m Paula. No maid has a same color with me. This is the only way.”

Lily and Paula nodded, though they still looked shocked. I had taken care of my long hair for years, but none of that mattered now.

I packed a small bag with only the essentials—money, jewelries, gadgets and a few clothes. My hands shook as I tied the bag shut.

Then, we heard it.

A loud knock.

“Shanella!” Alpha Ethan’s voice boomed through the door. “The wedding is starting now!”

I froze. This was it.

Paula and Lily looked at me urgently.

“Go,” Paula whispered. “Now!”

Without another second of hesitation, I grabbed my bag, pulled my maid’s cap lower over my face, and ran.

I kept my head down as I walked toward the pack gates, my heart pounding so hard I thought the guards might hear it. My hands clenched into fists inside the pockets of my maid’s uniform, trying to stop them from shaking. I had to act normal. I had to get out.

One of the pack guards stepped forward, blocking my path. His sharp eyes studied me. “Where are you going?” he asked seriously.

I swallowed hard and forced my voice to sound different—softer, like Paula’s. “Miss Shanella ordered me to deliver invitations to some of her friends.”

The guard frowned, as if thinking about my answer. I held my breath. He couldn’t suspect anything.

Before he could speak, another guard rushed over. “Alpha Ethan ordered us to get ready. Alpha Terence just arrived.”

The first guard gave me one last glance, then nodded. “Go on.”

I didn’t hesitate. I walked quickly past them, forcing myself not to run. Not yet.

The moment I stepped outside the gates, I broke into a sprint. I needed to get as far away as possible.

However, a loud, sharp scream echoed through the air.

I froze.

It’s Lily.

My whole body went cold. My feet refused to move. No—no, I couldn’t go back. I had to keep running. But my hands shook as I grabbed a low-hanging branch from a tree and climbed up. I had to see what was happening.

I trembled.