WHAT ELSE?

Lila is at my side the moment my feet step through the pack house's threshold. I anticipate her going on a tirade about Astrid and his father, or hounding me to find out what was said back there in detail.

I am shocked when she doesn't.

After traversing the main path between the houses for a few meters through the village, she finally opens her mouth.

"Like his son, Alpha Jaime is a tyrannical, unpleasant, and condescending bastard."

I exhale, relieved that she has not become sick. The tirade I have been waiting for is finally here.

Nevertheless, I do concur with him.

My throat tightens. I choke myself sick. "What? You?"

She stops abruptly in the middle of the walkway and turns to face me, saying, "Just hear me out." She now has the tone of a peacekeeper, trying to hide the true meaning of her words with a gentle, too realistic voice.

"The exiled Evans is a dangerous man. You should avoid him at all costs. She thinks to herself, "Who knows what the hell he will do to you."

I look at her in blank disbelief, my mouth hanging open. I am waiting for her to burst into laughter, nudging me in the ribs and claiming to be kidding.

However, she never does.

It would be ideal if you...

I can relate to that phrase completely. It would be better if you did not say anything. Ideally, you would just follow instructions. Just finding your place would be ideal.

Lila's face is filled with hesitant fear as she speaks calmly and with her hands, "All I am saying is I have heard things and just... Be mindful of your tongue. It is not stable for the wolf."

"Do you believe that moving the chess piece is your turn?" With a sharp accusation, my initial shock turns to rage.

Her eyes fix me on the spot, as if she were about to chastise her child.

"Do not be a moron," she averts her eyes at me. "My goal is to keep you alive. Regardless of his motivations, they were not developed with the input of other people."

My eyes linger on her as I consider her point of view, not reacting right away.

I have no idea why he did this. Nor do I know what he intends to do with our pack. I can honestly say that I have nothing to argue with her about here.

She sounds softer and quieter, as though she is realized she is won.

You were not present when he assumed control. The rumors we had heard were terrifying. It was made worse by the fact that we did not know if they were real or not. Nothing happened after that. "Like that, it all stopped," she says, snapping her fingers.

She stops and draws in a nervous breath.

"Then word of his banishment reached us. You witnessed those consequences. The fear, Avery, I am pleading with you, her eyes darting to the floor and back to me. Stay away."

Her argument is valid, I'll give her that. Still, I am unable to feel the same fear that everyone else does.

"What makes him any more dangerous than any other power-hungry Alpha?" I ask inquisitively.

She seems tense as she scans the area. "He is not our breed," the others said.

My expression wrinkles in confusion. "What are you trying to say? Is he a Lycan?"

"Not at all. The gods and goddesses coexisted with the Lycans, and they perished alongside them. However, this despot is not like the others."

"And what's," I mumble under my breath while pointing to something else.

She gives a head shake. "I am not sure. I just listened to stories. He seems to be a different kind of werewolf. Something that is outside of our reach."

Soon after our conversation, Lila and I parted. Not exactly on bad terms, but tense none the less, I left her at her house's doorstep. Though I can understand her point of view, I can not help but find it irritating nonetheless.

My legs are burning as I make my way up the steep path that winds around one of the mountains that surrounds our village. However, the burn is not excruciating. It is a freeing experience.

I stumble upon a well-known ring of trees with thick grapevine curtains surrounding them, seemingly forming a wall. As you approach it, the tranquility of the location becomes apparent.

This was my way out. I used to come here to get away from people when I used to live in Alpha Jaime's house.

I need it again right now.

I enter by pushing aside a curtain of vines and head straight for the big, flat rock that occupies the space opposite the circular outdoor room.

I collapse onto it, putting my head between my folded arms and closing my eyes.

Reliving childhood on repeat.

I allowed myself to nod off, taking a brief vacation from reality. But I do not receive many. I get about one before I become hyperaware and my senses go into overdrive.

There is someone watching me. In just a millisecond, my wolf recognizes exactly who it is.

I open one eye and give him a look. As usual, he is expressionless, but there is something in his eyes. Similar to... sympathy?

His voice is deep and stone-like, saying, "Come on."

I release a deep sigh. I just want to go to sleep. Seems like that would be asking for too much. Despite my fatigue, I can not resist the urge to fight.

Taking a seat on the rock, I raise my head until it touches Evan's chest.

How are we doing, hello?

As one arm wraps around my torso and lifts my bottom off the rock entirely, the other scoops up my legs.

The moment my body presses against him on the side, my muscles liquefy.

Whatever this feeling is, goddamn it.

I am lulled into a dopey tranquillity, just like when he carried me into the Alpha's house earlier. At that point, I give up and put my literal and metaphorical trust in Evan's hands.

He carries us through the vines, and the last thing I see before I close my eyes and lay my head on his sturdy shoulder is the vines being pushed aside.

We soon arrive at a spacious cabin tucked away among the trees, signaling the end of the ride. I try to get a better look by blinking the sleep from my eyes.

There are numerous pristine windows and well-maintained, varnished sides. His boots tapping on the wood, he ascends the steps and steps onto the porch.

When he throws me off almost completely, my feet hit the floor, removing the good feeling from my feet like a bucket of cold water over my head. Before regaining my balance, I falter a little. Before my growl can escape, I catch it in my throat.

He is already turned his back on me and is staring at the door. I can not see what he is doing because of his body, but I can hear a lock twisting mechanically.

I suddenly recall Lila being afraid. I can see her serious, wide-eyed eyes and hear her voice shake. She had no reason to lie to me, and she would not lie to me. She just wants me to make it through.

Running is something I consider doing. Before I enter that house and he does god knows what to me, this might be my last chance.

Mate. The word comes to me like there is water in my ears, accompanied by a deafening pulse.

My wolf is drawn to him, wanting nothing more than to sink into him and experience that electric touch once more.

But my common sense makes me turn away.

I find myself half-consciously jumping over the railing and pumping my legs as quickly as possible in a flash of indecision. When a ferocious growl trembles the ground beneath me, I know I have messed up.

As I run farther into the forest, the shadows get progressively darker. My blood pumps more quickly as I continue to move, driven by my will to live. Maybe two minutes go by, but it is really only been a few seconds.

Then, as if to warn me, something the weight of a boulder suddenly crashes into me. My lungs are crushed by its weight as I collapse to the ground. Stubborn claws stab me between the shoulder blades as big paws press me firmly to the ground, keeping me from rising again.

I forcefully swallow, gathering sufficient words to utter.

"I refuse to run any longer," I declare, panting from the adrenaline and the quick game of predator and prey.

Still standing over me, he gives me a growl of approval and moves away from me. He rolls me onto my back with a single paw, and sure enough, the massive wolf I remembered is standing over me, his eyes burning.

Avery, you have made a mistake now.

He backsteps and snatches my shirt collar between his teeth, yanking me to my feet. I do not protest, figuring that it is probably best for me to take actions that make it more unlikely for him to shift those canines an inch closer to my throat.

With his muzzle always positioned close to my neck, ready to snatch me again in an instant, he leads me back to the cabin.

I have attempted to flee from a place twice, but have been forcefully returned there on both occasions. Perhaps I am not cut out for this whole running away thing after all. Alternatively, perhaps I just need fresh strategies.

He pokes his nose into the small of my back and pushes me through the cabin doorway. "I am going," I mutter.

They shove me up a set of shiny wood stairs, down a dim hallway, and into a bedroom. He stays out of my way when I enter.

I walk over to the edge of the spotless white comforter that is splayed across the bed of my own volition.

Searching for a rational explanation for his bringing me here, my mind is racing. The pack he is just conquered; away from mine.

I notice movement in the corner of my eye. Evans gets in now that he is upright on two legs. Seeing what he is bringing with him makes me feel dreadful.

"Hands," comes that same emotionless, callous command.

I comply, feeling weary. Just like before, he ties them up tight.

I mumble, "Ass," scowling at his fingers as they tighten the knot. He does not respond to my slight.

This time, he crosses the doorway silently, turns off the lights, and shuts the door behind him.

My new nightly routine.