Chapter 17: NEVER IN MY WILDEST DREAMS

**Ellen Evans**

I knew that something had changed, in fact, everything had changed the moment that I crossed the southern border.

I had never left the pack before or known what was ever across the southern border.

Courtesy of not paying attention in any of my history class in both my high school and college.

I had never known that a day such as this would come.

Never in my wildest dream.

I held the bag that my brother, Zedd had given me tighter as I walked through the forest path.

I might have though i was lost, but i knew that i was not lost.

I knew because the map in my hands said otherwise.

According to the map, I would soon cross over into another's pack territory.

It was the Clux Pack.

I have heard of this pack only once in my lifetime. It had been when my father had had a visitor over. They had been talking of pack politics and I had heard their conversation.

They had said that the Clux pack had an extravagant Alpha who liked to keep a huge harem and host parties every full moon.

I know it would have sounded like fun yo someone like Elena.

But not to me.

Definitely not me.

I hated parties or gatherings of any fucking sort. It was tiring because I was required to keep a smile on my face, greet people, make conversations and socialize.

It was exhausting and I hated it to the core of my bone.

I would rather be cooped up in my bedroom reading the new Alpha series that my favourite author, Griselda had released for that month.

Maybe that was the reason why I had never found my mate.

Mayhap we were destined to meet at a party.

I began to day dream.

Mayhap our scent would waft into each other's noses.

And our wolf would rise from whatever slumber.

And we would both try to find each other using our unique scent.

And then, they will both say mate the moment our eyes meet.

And sparks would fly.

And our hearts would beat and merge with each other from a distance.

How beautiful!

"Ouch," I said as I stumbled forward. My foot had caught on a straying vine. I caught myself quickly in a balance so I did not fall to the ground face first.

My right toe hurt and I could see a streak of blood on it.

I cursed myself and my day dreams softly as I set my luggage down.

Not so beautiful now, I thought as I took a seat on the grass by the side of the path.

I began to fawn over my toe as I wiped away the slight bleeding with a part of the shawl that I was wearing.

I sulked.

"Serves you right for being so absent minded," the voice of my wolf Kayla drew my attention away from the injured toe.

"Kayla," I said to her.

"How can you dream of meeting your mate at a party?" She asked me. I laughed at the sarcasm behind her words.

"I know right. I am just bored, maybe that is the reason," I said to her. I heard her talk softly.

"Coordinate yourself. You are on an escape mission. You should be vigilant as fuck, not dreaming of stupid scenarios," she scolded me. "What would have happened if you had injured your foot badly, enough to not be able to walk and continue your journey Ellen?" She asked me.

"I am sorry," I apologized.

"For yourself," she added like an angry mother. I was tempted to laugh, but I did not because she could get more mad at me. I did not want that. I just sighed softly.

"I would never do it again."

"Says a bored traveler who happens to be Ellen. Next you will start thinking of the prince you left behind."

"What do you mean by that?" I asked in a guilty voice.

"What I mean is that you, Ellen, you will do much worse than this."

"I will no-" I made to argue with her, somehow forgetting that Kayla lived inside of my mind. Thankfully I remembered so I simply pocketed my petty argument.

"Get moving. We have not got all day," she snapped.

"Yes your majesty," I answered her with raw sarcasm.

"Quit it Ellen," she groaned. "And hold the map up so I can see," she ended in a sterner voice. I only shook my head with a smile and did just as she asked.

"We are almost at Clux," I said.

"We will take some form of transportation in Clux. We can not settle there. It is too close to the Harné pack. Oh, your brother even marked it," she said. It was then I noticed that some of the neighboring packs had an X mark beside their names. I guess that meant I could not settle in any of the packs marked X.

I could be caught.

"I did not notice," I pointed out. She snorted at my reply.

"That is because you were-"

"-day dreaming!" I interrupted her.

"Silly. Put some ointment on your toe and let us proceed. The day is almost gone. We should be in the Clux pack before night fall."

I took her advice and did as she had asked me to do. I discovered band aids in the bag and put one on my toe. There was not anything that Zedd had not packed into my luggage. He was indeed a prepared Beta.

"Very well?" Kayla asked.

"We head for the Clux pack," I said, addressing the wind like it was an army of soldiers. Then I laughed.

"Just get on with it. Do not forget your shawl." I took the shawl and my luggage and we both continued our journey.

We arrived the Clux pack a while later. I was so exhausted from walking.

The pack was bustling with people when we arrived. I looked around, studying the entire place before I walked up to a shop keeper. He was selling jewelries.

"Welcome young miss, what shall you be buying from me?" His smile was warm and so morrassing that I nearly bought something that i did not need.

"I am a wandering traveler, a lone wolf," I informed him. "I am looking for a place to stay the night."

"Oh! Welcome to our Clux pack then. There is a travelers resting place not so far from here. It is called the Jade palace inn. You can get a place to stay the night there," he gladly told me.

I thanked him and gave him some money for his assistance. He smiled happily and thanked me.

Then, I left, to the Jade Palace inn.****