Chapter 9
Rue
The grass in front of the hut is so soft, with no snapping plants or spiked leaves of any kind. I’m sprawled out across it, enjoying the sun as it moves over the opening in the thick canopy above us. I’ve spent each afternoon like this since we got here a few days ago.
The days leading up to our escape were so tense, and running was terrifying. Having some time to relax and breathe has already given me a strong sense of security here. I never expected we’d find a permanent place so quickly. Or one so safe. I’m settled and happy. And I don’t miss our pack at all.
I finally feel like venturing out, so I decide to get up and look around a bit. After stepping through the thicket, I search for fruits or nuts to bring back with me. There’s a ballberry bush right outside the hidden entrance. It gives me hope of more edible plants able to thrive in this unforgiving ground.
I had to sneak out while my mother was napping. She’d never let me wander out here alone. But I’m not a juvenile anymore, and I can contribute. I smile, excited to see the look on her face when I return with food.
She’d panic if I got lost out here, so I pay close attention to my surroundings as I go. I decide to save the berries for last and wander farther from the hut. After scanning the plants for a while, I finally spot something bright yellow peeking through the branches of a small tree. I hurry over to see what it is.
Before I can reach it, the swampy, metallic scent of innot venom halts me in my tracks.
I search for the black, scaley creature, but it already caught sight of me first. In the bushes to my right, I’m met with rows of giant, unblinking silver eyes.
Innots are violent and unpredictable predators. They stand on four powerful legs, about the size of an Alpha wolf, but covered in rigid scales instead of soft fur. Their massive heads are adorned with all those shining eyes and a short, flat snout, filled with sharp, twisted teeth. Long, pointed ears rise up from the top of their heads like horns, making them even more terrifying to look at.
I have no hope of avoiding it. It’s already seen me with all its eyes, including the ones trailing down its long, spikey tail. Venom oozes out of deep gashes between its scales, making every inch of its body lethal. One touch, and I’m fucked.
Instinct kicks in. I know my only chance of surviving this is to run. I turn and take off into the forest. There’s no time to watch where I’m going. I can’t risk slowing down to look back and see if it’s following me. I just run.
Time slows down. It feels like I run for ages. Branches and spiked leaves slap me in the face as I pass, making my face burn almost as much as my lungs. I manage to keep my footing until I stumble across the root of a large dryad tree.
I sob out an apology as I try to regain my balance. But instead of accepting, it wraps a smaller root around my ankle and pulls me to the ground. Dryads are usually peaceful. I’m shocked by its harsh reaction. I’m cursed. That’s it. That’s the only explanation. I ran from fate, but it found me and struck back. Through a gentle dryad, no less.
There’s nothing to do but lie in the dirt while I try to catch my breath. I listen for the innot, expecting it to come crashing through the trees any second. But it doesn’t. And, after a while, I manage to breathe normally again.
Once I’m calm, the dryad releases its grip on my ankle. I lie still and watch as the root settles back into the ground where it came from. After cautiously sitting up, I peer at the tree, searching for the hidden face within the trunk. I consider thanking it for letting me go, but I’m still pissed about it grabbing me in the first place.
Holding back a huff, I get to my feet and take a gentle step in the direction I had been going. Part of me expects the dryad to reach out and stop me again. When it doesn’t, I push through the thick mass of pink whisper bushes and come face to face with a giant wall of solid rock.
Damn. If the dryad hadn’t stopped me, I would’ve slammed face-first into the rocky side of this massive hill.
“Thank you,” I say, feeling my face grow hot. I should have known no dryad would be cruel like that.Fate may be against me, but at least someone was on my side today.I need to remember that there are friends in the forest, not just threats.
I move sideways in the direction of our hut—I think—hoping to find the hill’s end and go around. But it seems to stretch on forever. Turning back the way I came isn’t an option. The innot’s venom is still fresh on that path. The only safe way back is blocked by this giant fucking boulder.
I curse my Omega fear for making me flee blindly into the woods. Though, I guess I should give myself a little credit. At least I did something other than cry for an Alpha to rescue me. But I’m still stuck here, at least until the venom has had time to dry up.
And now... I’m beginning to feel sick. Sweat beads on my forehead as the heat in my cheeks spreads over the rest of my body. The rocky hillside seems to sway as dizziness takes hold of me.
I must have brushed against some of the innot’s venom.
I need to get home, but it’s a struggle just to stay upright. My instinct is to plop down on my ass and sob, but I push away the urge to be useless. Giving up won’t help anything.
I stumble forward, determined to find a way around. I’m relieved when I manage to find a break in the stone. Unfortunately, it’s just an opening into a cave, not a way back to my mother. It’s no use. I won’t find her. I’m going to die.
But not out here, letting the innot or some other creature finish me off. If I can make it deeper into the cave, I can die somewhat peacefully. And there’s a chance Mother will find my body. She’ll know that I’m gone, not just lost. She can move on and find a new pack without the lingering thought that I might still be saved.
I stagger into the cave, feeling my way along the walls as I push myself forward. My muscles ache, and I feel like my stomach is being ripped in two. The fever is pressing down on me, trying to force me to quit. But I won’t. I’ll find my end the way I choose it.
The cold, hard wall opens up into a wider chamber. A few streams of light are shining through the cracks in the stone, and I can see a bed of straw against the back. Just ten paces away. I can do this.
I take the first two steps, fighting back waves of nausea. My vision blurs when I stop to breathe, making it even worse. I close my eyes as I press on, hoping it will calm the dizziness. It doesn’t. I veer off course with each stumbling step, requiring double the effort to stay on track. It’s like trying to get back to my tent after too much wine. And it’s taking more energy than I have to give.
Eventually, I manage to reach the back of the cave, just shy of the straw. I collapse onto the floor, letting my face press against the cool stone. It soothes my fever but leaves me focused on the cramping in my belly.
I’m pissed. I just found my freedom, and it’s being ripped away. The pain is so severe, though, I almost welcome death in its place.
I curl up into a ball and smirk at the darkness closing in on me. Fate can kill me for refusing the bullshit destiny it chose for me. At least I didn’t succumb to the pathetic instincts of my designation. And I won’t be spending the rest of my years passed around by repulsive Alphas.
Fuck you, fate. I still won.