I could hear the wolves wailing far away, their sorrowful calls piercing the quiet night atmosphere. It wasn’t solely the wolves. It was the thumping of my heart in my chest, the cadence of my anxiety and the heaviness of what I was about to undertake. Each step I made felt as though I was traversing flames, the sharp contours of reality cutting into my flesh.

"Chiamaka." His voice was soft and menacing, but I didn’t dare to look back. I was unable to. If I did, all my efforts would come to an end. "Do you believe you can simply leave me behind?" "From our side?"

The words seared through the night like poison, every syllable a strike against my already torn determination. I clenched the frayed leather straps of my bag tighter, my fingers numb from the chill, from the anxiety. My breathing was rapid, with each exhale highlighting the extent of my risk.

"You're mine," he growled, advancing, the shadows engulfing his figure. Yet I could still sense his presence, hovering like the shadow of death itself. "You have always been."

I didn’t have to see him to recognize who it was. Uche. My Leader. The man who previously called me his partner, only to shatter me when his thirst for power overshadowed his affection for me.

He had ruined everything I once cherished. My purity, my faith, my soul. And now, following it all, he wished to have me again. However, returning to that life was not an option for me. Not after what he did to me.

“Please let me be,” I murmured, my voice almost lost in the breeze.

"You won't get away from me," he remarked with a distorted chuckle. "You're a wolf, Chiamaka." You are mine. To this bundle."

I sensed the tingling feeling of his stare on my skin, even though I didn't look back. I realized that if I did, I would fall apart. He was overwhelming. Excessively strong. Excessively hazardous. However, I couldn't remain. Not following what occurred to me.

I increased my speed, boots crackling on the icy surface, aware that each stride brought me nearer to freedom and away from the nightmare he had made for me.

A howl resonated from the pack, yet this time, it wasn’t a cry of yearning. It served as a caution. The rest were drawing near. I could feel their gaze upon me, even from distant miles. I was no longer merely the Omega they had utilized, the one who kept a low profile and obeyed commands. I had become a traitor, a renegade, and I would be pursued like one.

I could sense the tug of the connection we possessed, the mate bond that Uche had tossed aside just as he had cast me aside. The connection that now curled within me like a blade. However, it was no longer love. It was toxic.

With every step, I battled it, driving myself more intensely, quicker, the beat of my heart more prominent than ever. I had to continue running. I had to leave. The moon's glow overhead provided scant solace. The moon wasn’t full tonight, yet it could have been—its glow hardly piercing the dense treetops enveloping me. Every shadow appeared to murmur, to summon my name, yet I declined to halt.

I wasn’t returning.

I would prefer death over going back to that nightmare.

A twig snapped behind me, and I stiffened. For a brief moment, I believed I had conjured it in my mind. However, then there was another noise, nearer this time—too near. The breeze changed direction, bringing along the aroma of wolves, their unique musk reminding me of all that I was compelled to abandon.

The anxiety crashed over me like a tsunami.

I was being pursued.

I sprinted away once more, quicker this time, my legs aching from the effort, my breathing coming in uneven wheezes. The forest was dense in this area, with trees closing in from every direction, yet I was familiar with them. I was raised in this place. These woods were my sanctuary, my getaway, and tonight, they were my redemption.

I had to reach the border—beyond the area ruled by Uche’s pack. As soon as I entered neutral land, they were unable to pursue it. They would not have the courage. However, I needed to arrive there before anyone else. And I wasn’t sure if I had sufficient time.

I noticed the crack of a branch behind me, followed by another. Nearer. They were closing in on me.

I took a chance to look back over my shoulder. A quick motion—Uche’s figure slicing through the woods, his gaze shining like coals in the darkness.

I couldn't allow him to find me. I was unable to return. Not for him. Not for that existence.

I urged myself onward, compelling my body to persist, despite the exhaustion, despite the ache in my lungs. Each breath was a challenge now, yet I couldn't cease. I was left with no option but to continue running, continue striving, continue battling for my liberty.

However, it felt as though the world was closing in on me, the trees crowding tighter, the darkness consuming me entirely.

A different howl pierced the night, but it didn’t come from Uche’s pack. It felt too far away, too untamed.

I lifted my gaze, instinctively looking for the origin.

Here.

A shadowy figure emerged in the background—bigger than any wolf I had encountered. My heart faltered in my chest, and my body was briefly immobilized.

It was that person.

The Alpha from the nearby pack, Bryant. The individual who instilled fear in everyone. Just the mention of his name could make the boldest wolves retreat in fear. I had listened to the whispers—about how he was an unyielding commander, distant and merciless. How no one dared to confront him.

But this evening, I wasn't concerned about Bryant. Not available yet.

I wasn't able to think about him at the moment. I had to concentrate on staying alive.

I attempted to move ahead, but something—someone—seized my arm, halting my progress.

"Where do you believe you are headed?" Uche's voice emerged from behind me, deep and laced with threat. His breath felt warm against my neck, his fingers digging into my skin. I attempted to pull away, but his hold only became firmer.

I turned to confront him, my eyes frenzied with fear. “Negative." Certainly. "Allow me to leave."

His lips curled into a wicked grin. "Do you believe you can escape?" You are mine, Chiamaka. "You will forever."

I inhaled deeply, compelling myself to relax and to ponder. I couldn’t allow him to have me once more. I wouldn’t allow him to triumph.

Then, from afar, I caught the unmistakable noise of a growl—deep, guttural, and wild. The earth appeared to tremble with its force.

Bryant was nearer now.

However, Uche's grip on me was unyielding, and I had no escape.

The growl intensified, and then… all went dark.