The escape plan

Marsai

Striding out of the bedroom to stand in front of the only full length mirror in my room, it displayed a paler looking woman I barely recognised. So I left her there, deciding it was finally time to leave. To leave the suede walls and the expensive drapes.

I rub some coconut lotion and apply some olive ointments to the "love bites", I laugh pitifully at the irony of it. I wasn't even close to caring for the Fenrir, yet he had marked me in more ways than life itself had scarred me.

I put on one of the dresses my father gave me on my 18th, it was teal with black rose patterns and a white lace embroidery on the end the sleeves, the neck and at the tails of the dress.

It was pretty and light. Enough to be seen as a normal day's outing like any regular day. I bring out the remaining of the clothes I have left in my chest drawer and throw them on the bed.

As for my next plan, it was half baked at the moment. I debated on my choices as I sorted my clothes. Taking very light and simple clothings that won't prove too much of a weight, I plan to travel a long distance...very far. I still had no destination in mind. I feared he would come back anytime soon because he is an intrusive and impulsive man. But if he was really going to the border, then he would be taking at least an hour before he returned.

Timing myself, I arranged the clothes and other necessary items into a food pack. Then my tiny mirror, body adornment in one, it resembled a gift pack but it was all so I didn't attract attention. I thought about asking Clara, my personal maid, to help with parking. She would have helped speed up my packing but I couldn't involve her, not now at least, if she is involved in something like this, Fenrir won't hesitate to torture the rest of her maid for answers, he would know something was up.

After arranging the packs in the form of three, I summon Clara through one of the random maids working on the upstairs of my quarter. She seemed young, like a 16 years old teenager but she had the body of a grown woman.

"Can you get me Clara?" I ask.

She gives a small bow before replying. "Yes Milady."

Without another word, she leaves in the direction she came from. I also return back to my room, looking at the folded clothes all over the bed. I started thinking of ways to fix them back into the drawers but I felt it would still be noticable.

Fenrir is a paranoid man, he would take his time to see if there's anything missing. That's when the perfect idea came to me.

I smile.

For the first time, in all my times of trying to flee from him, I felt more like I had a chance this time. Other times, I had to back out last minute because I could never think of a way of leaving without my procrastination printing trails behind me.

But if I'm able to ransack the whole place, I was taken against my will, it would buy me sometime. And not just time, but he would also have no one to look into because no one was looking for me, his enemies knew he was too crazy to throw such a stunt. By the time he starts asking around, it would be too late.

I smiled again, it was a dumb plan but it was also worth a shot. It was this or a repetition of last night and I didn't think I could do it again. The chills rose from the depths of my spine and I shivered. Never again.

A soft knock echoed from the door making my heart skip a beat. I walk slow and steady, avoiding all the creak dents I had studied in the room. I stopped in front of the door peeping in the key hole, her brown hair peaked at the base of the lens on the door, so I opened it quickly.

"You sent for me, Milady." Clara bows a little, looking at me with a small smile.

"Yes, Clara, uh...I need you to do something for me. Help me get Alpha Fenrir. Tell the Alpha that it's urgent and that I request his presence." I inform her trying to hide the parcels on the bed with my body.

"Yes Milady. But where may I find him?" She asks.

"He went to the borders. He is usually there around times like this. Tell the guards to let you know that you came for an assignment from me." I said to her but I was sure she’s wondering how I know that he’s always there.

"Yes, Milady."

"Good. Now go."

I close the door after her, going over my very temporary plan. There was every chance it would blow up in my face if I wasn't careful.

I rearranged my remaining clothes strategically across the grounds making sure that each clothe was well placed in a way that it could pass as an accident.

When I was done, I looked at the masterpiece before me. I could really plan a murder. It was perfect, it looked like I was dragged in the middle of lunch. Talking of lunch, I still hadn't eaten my breakfast, the bread and bacon laid cold on the side drawer. Picking up bread and bacon, I pushed the coldfood into my mouth making sure to chew as fast as I could because there was so much I had to do before I finally left. I couldn't do this alone, I needed to say my greetings.

I flung the remaining breakfast onto the floor and left the room with my parcels clutched tight by my side. Walking down the hall, I shuffle through the spiral stairs that lead to the open courtyard. The entrance was open and the greens were bold and the sun was bright.

I remembered the daytime guards weren't guarding the main gate. They were also some that led to my quarters. I decide to follow the back gate that should have fewer guards. I follow the back gate out of the house.

My chances have never been this good but I embraced the slight ray of positivity that landed upon my life.

I put on a matching teal gray veil and strolled towards Leah’s door as casually as possible.

"Hey!!" A guard barks and I froze on the spot. He could have been talking to anyone that wasn't me, yet I found myself staying transfixed.

"Where are you heading to on this sunny day, ma'am?" He asks, and that's when I decided to turn around.

"Milady," he bows a little. "Forgive my ignorance."

"Pardoned."

"It's just...it's our Job to-”

"It's okay.." I forgot to think of a suitable excuse for the parcels.

"I'm going to deliver some food for the Alpha in the border," I state carefully.

"Really...you could have asked one of the maids to do that or send one of the guards."

"That's fine...uh thank you. I'll be on my way now."

I scurry away from the scene, skipping the rock trails and choosing the path between the woods which was the quickest route to the Beta’s house.

I go through my plan again while consciously dodging the obvious paths that might expose me. I stick to the trees only.

When I got there, I saw Elena's by the courtyard. The flower beds create an obvious pathway leading to their building, a mansion-like house with several guards around.

I walk by the side of the building before coming to the front porch. The usual table and chairs made of bamboo backs still sat neatly around each other in shapes of squares.

Knocking the door while I managed to hold the parcel was something I didn't know I could do. But difficult times cause persistence in a human's mind.

I knocked the second time, haste and impatience clear with every contact I made with the door.

I placed my ears to the door due to anxiousness and I was glad to hear footsteps resonating from within. I felt excited to see Leah again and a little sad because this was goodbye. I couldn't leave the pack without bidding farewell to my best friend.

"Leah-" I called out but the door opened slightly revealing Elena, her dark gorgeous hair and a not-so-genuine smile.

"Elena?" I mutter, blinking my eyes in confusion. It was noon, and Leah was supposed to be home.

Elena looked at me up and down, from the flat sandals I had on my feet to the veil over my hair.

"Marsai...what are you doing here?.." She looked behind me. Her eyebrows furrowed with confusion when she didn't see anything behind or beside me.

"Did the Alpha know you are here?”

“I'm not his prisoner.” I scoffed.

She rolled her eyes and moved closer to me, “I didn't say you are but we both know he will be pissed if he finds out you are here unescorted.”

“Except…" her eyes fell to my hand clutching the pale cotton wrapped parcel. She cocked a brow at me, an amused smile displaying on her dry lips.

"Except.." She repeats again looking at me as if I was supposed to clear her doubt.

I ignored all her expressions, I would rather let her assume than tell her that I had decided to run away again.

"Sorry to disturb you. Where's Leah? Can you get her? If she's asleep, please wake her up and tell her it's-"

"Leah isn't here." Elena cut me off before I could continue.

“She left to see you, I'm surprised you didn't meet her on your way here.” She stares at the parcel in my hands before looking back at me in the eye. I didn't dare to let her know that I had bypassed the center roads, passing behind the trees until I got here.

She had a certain level of mockery in the depths of her gaze. She always had this superior air and today was no different from the regular Elena we all knew.

"Oh, I see, uhm!" I replied, pushing the pack into her hands.

She blinked at me, startled by sudden action.

"Is this a nice meeting you?” She called out behind me but I was already walking down the pouch.

My head went black when I realized that my whole plan was jeopardized.

If Leah meets Fenrir when he’s angry, then she’s done. I felt my heart sank because I knew he would definitely be angry if he got home and didn’t find me.

Fenrir would never let me go that easy.

Just by not meeting me at home, Leah can pay for that with her life. This suddenly proves to me that this was not a good plan after all. If I did actually succeed in disappearing, my pack members would have to endure the wrath of the mad man. I didn't feel comfortable letting them serve as collateral just because I couldn't handle him or his compelling eyes.

Let's not talk about how he makes me feel. Everything… It feels wrong and too overwhelming. I want to hate him forever. I don’t want to understand his cruel actions on the night of my 18th birthday. I didn't want to start having these feelings for him because I knew I wouldn't be able to get rid of them.