1. Escape

Julian Mackay as Aiden

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Never in a million years would I have thought that this might happen. I thought I´d die here, covered in blood and forever shunned by the pack. I´m an Omega...that´s my destiny after all. That´s what I´ve known and that´s what I´ll never forget.

My place is in the room downstairs, the one where hardly anyone ever goes and where the rats and the coldness are at home. I guess it is my home too.

But here I am. Outside. For the first time in years I am outside and my thoughts are going a hundred miles per hour. I´m just glad I have and old pair of shoes on or my feet would be freezing. It´s still the middle of the night and they´re all drunk from before. By the time they realize I am gone, I will have already made a significant amount of the way out of here.

If they catch me then I will most likely die. My body couldn´t take another major beating and I know that. The pain is something I should have gotten used to by now but somehow I always feel like I can´t cope with it.

You have to go!

My thoughts are racing. I look back. I see the house I grew up in. The packhouse where so many people live in. All of them a higher rank than me.

If I leave then there is a good chance that I will fail miserably and die in a matter of days. At least they gave me food sometimes.

I clutch the bag that is holding my few belongings further to my chest.

No!

You have lived like this for far too long. It is time to be free. Remember your parents. Would they have wanted you to trot back in there and never even see how good the world can be? There is no turning back now!

I take in a shaky breath.

No turning back.

Run.

RUN.

And with that I take off into the woods. It´s been a long time since I´ve run so freely and it feels beyond devine but soon my chronic lack of sleep and food start to take their toll on me.

I nearly trip over a branch and try to keep my balance. I see black dots forming in my vision as I blindly try to find something to hold onto.

A tree nearby helps me steady myself as I breathlessly hold onto it. I bend over and empty out the miserable amount of food that was in my stomach. Great, now I´ll have even less energy. I dry heave a few more times before I wipe my mouth and look around. It is still dark which is good for me because that gives me time. My surroundings smell familiar which means that I am still on pack land. Shit.

I´m going to have to run again. And shifting is no option because my wolf has been too weak to do anything really, except talk to me once in a while.

After I have steadied my breath somewhat I sniff around and try to find water. My vomit is now definitely marking my scent in this area so I´m going to have to run in another direction.

But not before taking out a small bottle of scent blocking liquid that I can put over the scent glands on my neck and that will prevent me from smelling like an Omega or even a wolf at all. I have used it many times before, otherwise the Alphas and Betas in the pack would have done horrible things to me.It was something my mom left me before she passed away when I was just a little boy. She told me she didn´t like me using it because it hides who I truly am but she wanted me to be safe... I really miss her.

I have two of the six bottles left so that won´t keep me going forever but for now, it will have to do.

I put some on and take off West now. I´m slower than the first time I´ve started running but I am determined to make it. I reach a riverside and give all my willpower into going in the ice cold water. It soothes the open wounds on my legs and I splash some in my face to help heal the gash on my forehead I had gotten a few hours ago for accidentally leaving a hair of mine on one of the plates at breakfast. Let´s just say the Alpha wasn´t pleased.

Even though my body is very cold since I am quite skinny I have to keep going. I´m still not safe yet. As I keep trotting through the river my breaths become shakier and shakier. My fingers start to stiffen so that I can´t bend them anymore.

I have to get out of here

As I reach the other side of the river I am a panting mess.

My shaking body reaches for a tree branch to hold onto and I successfully heave my tired self out of the water. I take a second to breathe before Jax speaks up.

Look around you Aiden. You made it!

I do as he told me. I sniff the air. This is not pack land.

W-We actually made it Jax. I can´t believe it. This can´t be real.

It is, we´re free Aiden.

I´m still holding onto the branch for support. I´m never going to have to go back there and face them ever again. As I realize this is real, I start to smile a little which turns wider and wider.

Alright Aiden, let´s try what we´ve tried before.

You mean shift?

Yes

I thought you weren´t strong enough yet.

I was but you are soaking wet and if we stay like this we won´t make it through the night. Let my furr warm us up.

I close my eyes, I really don´t want to do this, it hurt so bad the first time, I don´t think I can bare it again.

You can do this Aiden, put your trust in me I´ll get us through this. I promise!

I take as deep a breath as I can and give Jax permission to take over. My bones start to ache, yet they´re still numb from the coldness. I bite my tongue like I´ve done so many times before, trying to make no sound because that would have made them even more angry. I feel and hear my bones cracking and before I know it, I´m on all fours, slowly starting to grow furr and then I feel different. I´ve grown claws and I am now completely in wolf form. Relief washes over me.

I need to run, Aiden, right now!

Again, I let Jax take charge as he starts running like never before. We´re way faster than before and I feel warmer because of the protective furr surrounding me. Still I know that Jax is exhausted and we´re not gonna make it much longer.

We run and run until we reach what looks like a city. I can see it from where I am standing but we´re still far enough from people to see and reach us. The perfect place to rest. Still in my wolf form, I tiredly walk over to a big oak tree and make myself a makeshift den out of leaves that are lying around. As I lie down, I feel exhaustion and hunger hit me.

At least I am somewhat warm and safe here. My eyes start to feel heavy but before I close them completely, I look at the sun that is slowly rising, giving the forest and the city nearby a slightly golden look. Truly a sight I never thought I´d see again. I can rest for now.

No turning back.

I´m finally free.