Chapter 17 – Run
"WHY THE HELL WASN'T I NOTIFIED IMMEDIATELY WHEN SHE WOKE UP?" I heard Ranger roar outside my door.
"Sir, she just woke up twenty minutes ago." Delta Cole said. He was on guard duty outside my door and had switched places with Max. I had been awake last night, but Cole looked into the room this morning and caught me with my eyes open.
Dr. Baker was in the room examining me when Ranger swung the door open. His hands were clinched in fists and his piercing blue eyes trained on me. In a flash he was standing next to my bed. Feeling the tension in the room, Dr. Baker, excused herself. "I'll be outside if you need me."
Ranger stood silent for a moment looking me over before he spoke. "Why didn't you tell me about the pup? My pup?"
A lump formed in my throat thinking about my baby. "You rejected me because I was weak. I wasn't going to let you reject our pup too."
"You couldn't have hidden it much longer. You were planning on running away with my pup, weren't you?"
Hell yes, I was. "I-I hadn't thought that far yet. I was hoping you would have changed your mind about me before you marked Miranda." It was sort of true.
"I would have taken care of you Lucy. I would never have rejected my pup."
Yeah, I'm sure he would have taken care of me, in exchange for being his mistress, I mentally rolled my eyes. "You wanted your pups with Miranda. Shouldn't you be on your honeymoon in Hawaii, making all those pups you talked about?"
He seemed to be struggling for words and ran his fingers through his thick black hair. "You need to take it back Lucy, Rex needs you."
I wanted to scream GO TO HELL, but I said nothing.
His blue eyes softened, "Please Lucy, Rex has blocked me out and will not allow me to shift. The pack needs a strong Alpha, you have to take it back! The pack needs you."
"I thought you said the pack needs a strong Luna. Now you're telling me that you need me, so you can be a strong Alpha, because the pack needs a strong Alpha. The only thing this pack needs is their laundry done and rooms cleaned." He can go jump off a cliff at this point.
"I'm your Alpha and your mate, I need you, Rex needs Lia." I could hear the desperation in his voice.
"The last time I checked Miranda was your mate."
"Lucy—"
"You didn't need me when you rejected me. You didn't need me when you kenneled me like a dog. When you starved me for days, when you beat me, when you whipped me in front of the pack, when you pushed me in the hole and left me to die. And you sure as hell didn't need me when you marked and mated with your fake mate." I took a deep breath and wiped the tear that escaped from my eye. "All those things you did to me, you did to your pup too."
"Look, I made a mistake, a huge mistake. Rex has always wanted you and only you."
"But you didn't, YOU didn't want me! I'm sorry for Rex, but there's nothing I can do. My wolf left me when our pup died. I'm practically human. Maybe I should just go and live a human life in the city?" I tested the waters on the idea of leaving.
"You're not going anywhere Lucy. You belong with me and you will be with me." He took a deep breath; his eyes were livid.
"I would rather die than be with you." I shot back and saw hurt flash across his face. "You can't even be faithful to Miranda. You don't think I can't feel you cheating on her too? When you're in the city."
"It's different. Miranda is not my true mate."
"No, she's not and yet here you stand, marked and mated to her." I paused. "Please ... please just leave." I turned my head away from him. "I need to rest up so I can get better and return to the pile of laundry waiting for me, Alpha."
Ranger left the room and I could hear him in the hallway talking to Dr. Baker. "How long until I can move her?" I heard him ask, but where the hell did, he want to take me?
"We'll have to take x-rays again tomorrow, to see how fast she's healing without her wolf. It might be another day or two before she's stable enough to be moved, but she really needs bed rest for at least a week." She informed him.
"Can she have more pups?" He asked.
"Yes, but it's best to wait a few months."
"I'll be back tomorrow; mind link me if anything changes." He told her before he left.
I spent the day resting, eating and planning. When Dr. Baker runs the x-rays tomorrow, she will see my bones have healed and know that Lia is back. By the sound of it, Ranger was also planning to breed me as soon as possible. I have to get the hell out of here and I've made up my mind. I'm leaving at the break of dawn!
It was midnight and I heard the guards switching out. I was hoping for Max tonight, so I could discuss my escape, but ended up with Blake at my door. Blake had my door propped open and sat in the hallway guarding me or making sure I wasn't going to leave.
I was planning on slipping out of the tiny bathroom window at dawn, but to do that unnoticed, I needed Blake to close my room door.
"Gamma," I called out.
"Yes Luna."
What did he say? Luna? Did he just call me Luna? I must be hearing things, surely, he meant to say Lucy. "I'm a little hungry. Do you think you can find some food in the clinic kitchen?"
"Sure, I'll be right back." He walked down the hall to the kitchen. A few moments later he reappeared with prepackaged turkey sandwiches, muffins and milk for the both of us.
I figured since I was leaving in a few hours, I should eat what I could. We both ate in silence. When I was done, Blake took my trash and put it in the garbage.
"Thank you." I said.
"Sure thing. Is there anything else you need?"
"Umm, would it be ok if you closed my door and turned the lights off so I could sleep now?" I asked.
"No problem, good night." He said.
"Good night." I yawned. Mission accomplished! With the door closed, I should be able to sneak into the bathroom and slip out. I laid on the bed snoozing, waiting for the hours to pass. The patrols were heaviest at night and my golden fur color would make me much easier to spot at night, so I had to wait for the break of dawn to make a run for it.
I had the zippo lighter in my hand, and I was tip toeing to the bathroom. I could see the sky getting lighter as the sun started rising. This is it! I was suddenly scared and excited all at once.
"It's show time!" Lia chimed. She was just as anxious to get the hell away from here as I was.
I slid the window open quietly and wiggle out. I ran to the tree line and dropped on my hands and knees. I closed my eyes and pictured my wolf, praying my shift would be quicker than it had been as my bones started cracking.
Two minutes later, my torn gown was on the ground and I was picking up the zippo in my mouth. I ran south and stopped occasionally to rub myself on some trees and rocks so my scent could be followed south. When I reached the flowing river, I hesitated.
"I've got this!" Lia reassured me and waded into the water. I gave full control to her and she started swimming upriver to the north. She was swimming with great ease and kept her head above water with the zippo still in her mouth.
"Lucy? Lucy are you there?" It was a mind link from Max.
"Yes Max."
"Blake just mind linked us that you're gone. Ranger is sending out the trackers, keep running and stick to the plan." His voice was urgent.
"I will. I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to say goodbye."
"Be safe Lucy and trust in Lia."
"Max, there's a tote bag in my tub, pictures of my parents—"
"Don't worry about it. I'll keep it safe for you until I see you again.
Now run Lucy and don't forget to break the pack bond before you step out of the territory."
"Thanks Max, I owe you my life."
We reached the most northern point of the pack territory and Lia got out of the water and shook out her fur.
"LUCY!" Ranger called through the mind link.
"LUCY, PLEASE, I NEED YOU!" He called again.
I stood with one paw in the pack boarder and the other paw over the border. I spoke the words through the mind link, "I, Lucy Michaels, break all ties and connections with Dark Moon Pack and am no longer a member."
The pack felt the breaking of the bond and several howls could be heard in the distance. The hunt was on and I need to move quick. After years of neglect and abuse at this pack, I was finally free. I turned tail and ran north, in the direction of the most powerful and deadliest pack in the world.
Let's hope they don't try to kill me too!