Running for her life

<BLOOD MOON PACK

Alpha Darius Locke of the Blood Moon Pack lounged in his huge chair, a throne reclining of dark leather and iron, oozing with arrogant authority. The only thing illuminating his chambers was a dim flicker that sent the walls into sinister shadows that seemed to come alive, as if they danced in the midst of restless spirits.

Their eyes, two molten, amber preds, watched with a detached boredom as one of the women went to her knees between his legs. Frantic and desperate, she bobbed her head, working feverishly, sucking on him like her life depended on it. The other woman traced her hands over his chest and shoulders, light, teasing touches meant to draw a reaction from him. But Darius barely registered that. His head was elsewhere, mired in thoughts of the one that would truly satiate the perpetual hunger hounding him from within: Luna. She was the only one who had ever brought the beast inside him to life, the only one ever to consistently play upon him to the edge of oblivion and back.

These women, willing and even ardent as they were, paled in comparison with the intoxicating defiance of his slave. He growled deep in his throat as the frustration mounted, and with a swift, angry shove, he pushed the woman at his feet away.

"Get out," Darius snapped, voice a bark that made both the women jump and scurry back, fear and confusion written wide across their eyes. However, neither of them dared question him. "Out! Now!

They hastily collected the clothes, racing from the room and out the doorway as if they expected the stone door to magically slam shut behind them. Darius massaged his temples to try to cool the rage that boiled inside him. He needed Luna, her fire, her fight-the challenge she posed, which these other women could never inspire within him. She was supposed to be here, broken and bound, for his pleasure, his alone.

"Bloody hell," he said softly to himself as he stood up and then walked over to the door, opening it with such force the frame rattled. "Guards!" he bellowed, his voice echoing down the dimly lit corridor.

Within the next second, two guards were there, their poses cloaked in steel, their sharpness of senses high-and on the edge because of the Alpha's sudden display of aggression. "Fetch Luna," Darius commanded, broking no room for disobedience. "Now.

The guards nodded and picked up their pace down the hall toward the dungeon where Luna was locked away. Darius walked across the room, each step cultivating a deeper sense of agitation within him. Even the dance of light from the torches on the cold stone fed his impatience. He needed the feel of her resistance, to break it beneath his will, to remind her who held the power. That was all that could appease him this night.

They were minutes that registered as hours, and finally, when the guards returned, they were all spattered with fear. A tall wolf with a fresh gash on his arm stepped forward, one of the bigger ones, his voice trembling slightly. "Alpha… Luna's gone. We found one of the guards dead in the dungeon. She's escaped."

There was a pause for a second, and Darius kept a stiffened face. Then, all hell broke loose. He struck the stone wall, causing the surface to crack, and dust whisked over the floor. "You let her escape?" he shouted, his very voice that boomed like thunder, and the guards cringed and drew back from the force of his anger. "You inept imbeciles! How in hell could you have let this happen?"

The guard with the wide nick swallowed and looked down at his boots. "We don't know how she escaped, Alpha. The dungeon was sealed, and there was not the least sign of success by forcing it. It's as if she vanished into thin air."

Darius' eyes blazed with fury. He seethed and grabbed the guard by his throat, yanking him up in the air as though he weighed nothing. "Bring her back!" he growled, spittle dribbling from his lip. "Scour every inch of the territory. Bring her back to me, or I'll make you wish you were dead." The guard gasped and choked, nodding frantically as Darius loosened his grip and let him crumple to the floor, gasping for air. The other guards scrambled to their feet and bolted from the room, leaving a seething Darius with his mind racing. Luna was not just a plaything to him. She was representative of his dominance, a prize to mark his superiority. He will not be played for a fool, least of all by her. A single great howl to rally the enforcers, and he stormed outside of his quarters, with the great echo across the territory of the Blood Moon Pack. He would find Luna and make her pay for every moment she wasted trying to escape him.

***

With every stride, her lungs seared as she ran, her bare feet pounding against the jagged forest floor.

The branches scratched at her skin as they tore at her dirty clothes and left new cuts on a body that was already scarred. Blood trickled from her hands; her knuckles were raw and bruised from the fight that had given her the slim chance to escape. She didn't know how she'd killed the guard, neither did she dwell on it.

All she knew was she had to get free—free of the dungeon, free of the tortures, free of Darius. Fear kept her moving, pushing her through the dense underbrush. Each snap of a twig and rustle of leaves sped her heart more. Half-expecting Darius's enforcers to leap out from the shadows and drag her back to the hell from which she'd escaped held her heart running, and she kept running without stopping or looking in the rear. She could not afford to stop now, not if freedom was within reach. The trees started to thin, and Luna could faintly see moonlight glimmering off the trees. She urged herself even harder, her legs screaming in protest as she ran right past the thinning trees and into the Nightshade territory. She didn't care where she was heading. She just needed as much distance between her and the Blood Moon Pack as she could get.

The trees gave way at last and Luna broke out into the open, sliding to a clumsy stop at the precipice of the cliff. Down below, in the coiling dark, there was a river; its facets blazed silver in the moonlight. Her legs gave out, pitching her forward, and she collapsed, panting heavily, near the edge of the cliff. She leaned against a great boulder, her whole body shaking with the exertion and cold.

Her clothes were drenched in both sweat and blood, her skin marked with scratches and bruises. But she was alive. For the first time since who knows when, she was free.

Luna scanned the forest with all senses heightened, listening for echoes of pursuit. There was deathly silence, save for the hoot of a distant owl and leaves rustling in the gentle breeze.

With a shutter of her lids, she sucked down a deep breath of air. She couldn't let herself stay here for too long. Darius would never stop looking for her, and she had no idea where his influence did or did not reach. But for now, she let herself enjoy a moment of relief; feeling the cool night air across her skin—the sweet taste of freedom on her lips.

She rubbed her raw wrists; she could almost feel the phantom weight of the shackles that had imprisoned her for so long. Her mind whirled, thrown by the rage and fear; behind her shut eyelids, there were flashing memories of Darius's cruelty that seemed to light like lightning. She'd been through too much, and the very idea of being dragged back into that darkness was just not bearable.

She struggled to her feet, her heart firm in determination that she was not going to be anybody's victim any longer. She will look for help; no matter how long and how far it must take her, she thought. She had hardly started her journey and yet was very determined to see it through. Luna turned away from the edge, beginning the journey around the border, looking for anyone that would grant her safety. She didn't know much about the Nightshade Pack, but she definitely had heard the whispers of their strength—maybe of an Alpha who ruled with an iron fist—maybe they could keep her safe from Darius or, at the very least, a place to take refuge. As she stumbled through the forest,

Luna's thoughts had been taken back to the man who had tormented her for so long. Darius would never stop hunting her down; he'd never forgive her, simply because she managed to defy him, to escape his grasp. But Luna was no longer a broken slave: he did not keep her in chains. She was something else. She was stronger. A survivor. But now, with a sudden jolt, she felt dizzy. She tried to fight it, but it was too much. Pressing in deeper, she lost balance and slipped and got a head rock.