Chapter 4- Howls
Arabella Toussaint:
"No need to tell them that you were a slave here, Arabella," The pack witch warned me, "To be on the safe side, we have bound you by the alpha command. Just remember... Victor’s life depends on your silence now."
I nodded at her, straightened my gown that belonged to Vanessa.
"The car is here," My father informed me. Today, nobody helped me get ready. Vanessa stayed in her room, and my stepmother might be with her, trying to comfort her.
My sister always had this superiority complex. Dante was my fated mate, but he rejected me on my birthday because he thought Vanessa was the perfect Luna material.
He didn’t want a Luna who couldn’t walk beside him. And now Vanessa was throwing tantrums because she wanted the King.
"Will you miss me, Dad?" I asked him softly as I stood up from the stool. After my mom, he almost forgot that I existed.
He was so heartbroken when he got to know Victor had been arrested by the king’s men. He lost his sleep when he was told that Vanessa was supposed to serve the king as a Royal slave.
Did he also feel the same way about me? Or was I just fooling myself?
Victor and Vanessa were older than me. My dad cheated my mom and had a family before I was even born.
After my mother’s death, he brought Vikki home and gave his name to the children he had with her.
Now he was standing awkwardly, as if I were not his flesh and blood.
Forgetting for a moment how he always treated me, I went and hugged him. His arms didn’t move around me, but I didn’t care.
I needed this hug. I didn’t know if I would ever come back to this house that was never a home for me.
With a faint smile, I moved back and picked up my satchel, which had nothing special except very basic stuff.
One change of clothes, my mom’s family ring, and a bracelet that was a gift from Maya.
"Goodbye, Dad. Say hi to Victor once he returns," without waiting for his reaction, I turned and left quietly.
Before sitting in the car, I hugged Maya. We didn’t know if we would ever meet again. This might be our last hug. Our last goodbye.
A sleek black car was waiting for me. When the chauffeur opened the back door, I waved Maya one last time and then sat inside the car.
I kept looking back until I could see her, and my neck hurt. After that, I straightened, mentally preparing myself for what was about to happen.
After sitting in the car for two hours, I yawned. All I could see were endless trees and fog.
When the Royal chauffeur’s phone started ringing, he slowed down the car near the roadside before answering the call.
"Yes, your highness?" He spoke.
My heart skipped a beat. Was it the Alpha King?
"W...what?" The driver looked at me through the rearview mirror, "I’m sorry for questioning you. I’ll do as you say."
After disconnecting the call, the chauffeur turned to me, and I could see hesitancy on his face, "Miss. From here, you need to start walking."
What?
I looked outside the window and found nothing but a huge forest.
How can I ...
"Miss!" the driver said helplessly, "You need to follow the Royal order," The poor man couldn’t even meet my eyes.
"Umm... can you tell me?" I asked in a small voice, "Is this the path... to take me to the palace?"
He tried to smile with a nod, "Yes. This path will take you to the cherry blossom trees. Turn right, and the trail will take you to the palace gates."
I tried to control my racing heart. The only times I went outside were when I needed to buy vegetables for the pack meals. Even that was only once a month.
Slowly, I got out of the car and clutched my satchel to my chest. I didn’t move even after the car started pulling away.
My legs refused to move.
As the car disappeared, something inside me crumbled, and the loneliness hit me all at once.
I was on my own now.
"It’s okay..." I told myself, "You can do it."
With that, I started walking slowly. Years of struggle and hard work taught me not to get tired easily. But it could get quite difficult if I stayed hungry and thirsty for long.
This morning I had the only bread that was given to me by Maya.
Maybe I should have brought a water bottle with me. I thought while looking around.
I kept walking on the said path. Deep inside, someone was telling me that if my life was hard, it was about to get worse.
Thank Goddess, I didn’t wear heels at Maya’s request, or I might be limping by now.
I kept walking on the path, but couldn’t find cherry blossom trees.
"Where are they?" I rested my back against a tree trunk and looked around for water. I needed to reach the palace before dark, or rogues could attack me.
Using all my courage, I started walking again. I had to survive. I had to stay alive!
***
The forest had started getting darker, and without a wolf, my eyes struggled badly to see clearly.
I was already half blind with my left eye, and now in this darkness, I had lost all sense of direction.
Suddenly, I stopped walking when a twig snapped behind me. My breath caught in my chest.
Then a howl echoed through the forest.
Fear exploded inside me, and without thinking, I started running. Branches scratched my arms as I ran blindly.
Another howl rose closer this time.
"No!"
I gasped when my foot suddenly caught against something, and I crashed hard on the ground.