Top Commenter: LexiSkye_

Word Count: 1823

~Mara

My eyes drift open slowly.

A throbbing pain in my temples forces them closed again. I let myself get drunk...How could I help it when Landon was drinking, and since he is still uneasy about me, I tried my best to fit in.

Last night we talked. A lot. But the problem is that I hardly remember what happened. Did I spill Kaden's plan to them on accident? I hope I didn't say anything to ruin the plot. Perhaps Kaden visited me yesterday. He would have been mad to see me drunk though.

Peeling the covers off my body, I drag myself from the bed. Getting drunk is a sin, which I just committed. I should feel ashamed right now, but not an ounce of it graced my body. The only thing I could feel was pain, and remnants of stupidity.

When I clamber into the shower, I notice something. Stained dirt covers my palms, making me frown. What had I been convinced to do last night? Or maybe I did this myself.

Shaking my head, I quickly wash it off.

When I wander into the kitchen a few minutes later, I'm faced with an elated look Althea. She sits at the dining table, breakfast in front of her. She even stands when she sees me.

"Are you ready for our plan to commence?" She asks. I frown, drawing a blank. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Landon in the kitchen, stirring something on the stove. Althea seems to notice my confused expression.

"You must have got pretty drunk last night. After three small drinks..." She breaks off. I blush. The problem with being part of the Purity Pack, is that I've never been allowed to drink. The second Landon offered me one, I took it nervously. After the first, the others fell behind quickly.

But she's right. I can hardly remember much from last night. "What was our plan again?"

"We are sending you home!"

For a moment I got excited. Back to the Purity Pack? Then I realised, that she meant to the Freedom Pack. I wish lying wasn't so difficult...

"Oh...When?"

Althea glanced over her shoulder. "Landon can drive you there tomorrow morning. It will take a couple hours."

Perhaps I should have felt disappointed, but then a devious thought came to mind. If they took me there, Kaden wouldn't be able to find me, right? I have heard that the place is the largest Pack, and so desolate, it is easy to get lost there. If I disappeared, Kaden wouldn't think twice about looking there for me.

"Sounds good," I say. Althea smiles, and Landon wanders over holding a bowl of oatmeal. We eat in silence. It is obvious Landon is still unsure about me, by the way he keeps glancing up at me with a suspicious look on his face. Althea, on the other hand, eats happily in my presence.

Althea takes my plate to the kitchen once I had finished, and Landon follows. I watch curiously at the two of them. He wraps his arms around her from behind, resting his head on her shoulder. She turns her head, and kisses him softly. The sight tugs at my heart.

I can only wonder if I will ever find love like that.

💖••💖

It was past noon when Althea asked me if I would accompany her into the woods for a walk. I agreed, wanting to clear my head before I had to see Kaden tonight. I'm not the best liar, so hopefully he won't see through my façade.

"You are very pretty, I am surprised many men aren't after you all the time," Althea comments, interrupting our casual conversation. I glance at her, wondering if she is being serious, is just pulling my leg for a reaction.

"I always thought all the other girls in my Pack were much better looking than me," I tell her honestly.

The shade from the canopy we stroll under cools my skin, making me shiver. This Pack is truly a sight to see...I shake away the want to stay here a little longer.

"The Purity Pack?"

My eyes widen.

"Trust me, I knew the moment you opened your mouth. And anyway, Freedom Pack members are always naked," She laughs. Oh great...

"You're not going to send me back there, are you?" I question. It would make me more than happy to see my family again, but at what expense? Kaden finding me and murdering me, probably.

Althea chuckles. "Running from something?"

"Only the only Alpha with murdering tendencies," I mutter lowly. Althea pauses, resting her back against a tree. She warned me before we left that she might have to take small breaks.

"Right...I keep forgetting why you're actually here," Althea muses. But really, she doesn't know why I'm actually here.

"If I go to the Freedom Pack, he won't find me there," I say quickly, diverting the conversation away from my intention. Althea nods, understanding.

She sighs deeply. "You should know that the Freedom Pack isn't entirely safe. The Alpha, Grayson, is flighty and unmated."

I'm not scared. I'm actually surprised by that. Perhaps it's because I have been in worse situations, where Kaden has dangled my life in front of my eyes.

"I will be fine," I tell her.

We start walking again, aimlessly. A conversation I'm not sure I should start itches at my throat.

"What do you know about Kaden?" I question. Giving Althea a sideways glance, I make sure she isn't put off by my question. Instead, she seems to be truly thinking about an answer to tell me.

"I don't know him personally, only what Landon has told me," she says.

She slowly steps over a fallen branch. "Apparently he was good as a child."

I can't imagine...

"His father was cruel, but Kaden didn't believe in the same values as he did. But one day, he completely changed. It was after his parents mysteriously died. He's been equally as cold hearted ever since."

I swallow deeply. Kaden having a dark past didn't surprise me. I did know his parents died, but I thought he had been trained to be cruel since he was young. It definitely didn't seem plausible that it happened over night.

"Do you know if he's ever..."

I pause.

"What?" She asks.

"Had a lover?" I blurt out. My face instantly stains bright red, and I regret saying it. Especially when Althea gives me a knowing smile.

"I wouldn't know. Why do you ask?"

I frown. "No reason, just curious."

Althea doesn't continue the conversation. Maybe she knows it's stupid.

Maybe she knows him and I would never have a chance.

💕••💕

I had to sit and wait for Kaden to show up.

The log I sat in was just starting to really annoy me, when he finally sauntered from the trees. He smirked when he saw me, as I stood up quickly.

He looked handsome today. He wore his usual black coat, but instead of it being buttoned up, it was open, revealing a thin, black shirt beneath. I could almost see the lines of muscle through it.

And of course, he wore his soft leather gloves.

"Good evening," he murmurs, standing in front of me. I look up at him, meeting his dark eyes. Every time I look into them, I wonder what secrets lie beneath. Many dark ones, no doubt.

"Did you have one last night?" I question. For a brief moment, a flicker of alarm crosses over his features, but he smothers it quickly. I frown.

"Did we meet last night?" I clarify. Truly I hoped not...

He let out a deep breath, and I wondered what he was hiding. When he nodded slowly, my heart fell to my feet.

"I didn't say anything embarrassing, did I? I can't remember I thing," I tell him truthfully. He scrunches his nose up for a second, and I almost consider it cute. Almost.

"You just insulted me a few times, vomited, then went straight to bed," he informed me. Running a hand down my face, I sighed deeply. In front of him? He must think so lowly about me now. At least I can sleep on the fact that I didn't say anything sexual or something.

He rubs the back of his neck. "Kace sends his..."

"If you say love, I'm going to vomit again," I warn, making him chuckle.

"Nothing of the sought. He just wants you to know that your wedding is scheduled for the moment you step back into my Pack," Kaden tells me. The way he says it seems as if it's uniform; like he rehearsed it a million times.

The thought fills me with a strange feeling of sadness, until I realise my idea for tomorrow morning. It fills me with a little more confidence.

"What's your plan, for the rest of the year?" I decide to ask. His eyebrows crease as he thinks. Murder. Murder. Maybe murder again.

"I'm not sure. Everyday is a different one, I suppose," he mutters. To his surprise, I take a step closer. It makes his eyes widen a little, as he gazes down at me.

Hopefully, this will be the last time I see him. Would he let me touch him if he knew that?

"What if I just disappeared?" I question lightly. An innocent question. Kaden pauses, narrowing his eyes at me.

"You couldn't."

"How could you be so sure?"

"You could escape all you want. But I would hunt you down. I would use all my resources just to find you. And when I find you..."

He trailed off. "Not that it shall ever happen, I'm sure."

I smile internally. He has no idea how I'm going to rebuke his statement. How I'm going to show him exactly how wrong he can be.

"I have something you're going to need," Kaden comments, changing the subject. He slips his hand into his front pocket, and pulls out a slim vial filled with a watery red substance. I stare at it for a few moments. You don't have to be an idiot to know its poison.

"A couple drops in her drink will be enough. To effect the baby, not her," Kaden tells me. I take the vial between my index finger and my thumb. I wouldn't do it...I can't!

My fist encloses around the tiny bottle. Instead I'll go to the Freedom Pack, and maybe finally be free.

❤️••❤️

Do you guys think she'll get away with it?

This chapter I found really hard to write for some reason, hence why it took me three days, rather than the two it usually does.

Vote and comment if you enjoyed anyway! (:

Snapchat : midikacrane

Radish: Midika

YouTube: Midika Crane

~Midika 💜🐼