Chapter 6: Into the Unknown

Ivy’s POV

The night swallowed me whole.

The wind howled through the dense forest, whipping against my cloak as my bare feet pounded the frozen ground. My breath came in sharp gasps, every inhale burning my throat. My body screamed for rest, but I couldn’t stop, not now, not ever. If I did, I would die.

Branches clawed at my arms as I pushed forward, stumbling over roots and uneven terrain. My legs ached, weak from exhaustion and hunger, but the fear driving me was stronger than the pain. Behind me, the Blackwood Pack still stood, a monstrous silhouette in the distance.

Selene would realize I was gone soon. If she hadn’t already.

I pressed a trembling hand against my stomach, feeling the faintest hint of warmth beneath my palm. My child. Kael’s child. The child Selene wanted dead.

I forced my feet to move faster.

The healer had told me to follow the river. It would lead me toward neutral lands, away from any pack’s territory. If I could just make it there, I had a chance. A small, desperate chance.

A howl shattered the silence.

I froze, my blood turning to ice.

Another howl followed. Then another.

They were searching for me.

Terror surged through me as I spun on my heel and ran. My body was weak but fear fueled me. My vision blurred, but I didn’t stop. I couldn’t. The forest was vast, but I was just one, defenseless and alone

Then, I heard it, the pounding of paws against the earth.

They were close.

I pushed forward, but the ground beneath me suddenly vanished. My foot caught on a loose stone, and I plunged forward, tumbling down a steep incline. Rocks and brambles tore at my skin as I rolled, my body slamming against the ground with brutal force. I choked on a cry, trying to brace myself, but I was powerless against gravity.

Then I fell into a large river

Ice-cold, unforgiving. The river swallowed me whole.

The shock stole the breath from my lungs. The current yanked me under, tossing me like a ragdoll as I fought to break the surface. My arms flailed, my legs kicking desperately against the rushing water. Darkness threatened to consume me, the weight of exhaustion dragging me down.

No.

Not like this.

Not when I’d finally escaped.

With the last ounce of strength I had left, I forced myself up, breaking through the surface with a ragged gasp. My fingers clawed at the riverbank, grasping for anything solid. I kicked against the current, my arms trembling as I dragged myself out of the water.

The moment my body hit solid ground, I collapsed.

I lay there, soaked and shaking, my breath coming in shallow pants. My limbs felt like lead, my muscles screaming in agony. But I was alive.

For now.

The howls had faded, drowned out by the rushing river. The current had carried me farther than I’d realized. Perhaps far enough that they wouldn’t find me.

But I couldn’t stay here. I had to keep moving.

With trembling hands, I pushed myself up. The world swayed around me, and I fought against the dizziness threatening to pull me under. My cloak was heavy with water, clinging to my frozen skin. My lips were numb, my fingers barely responding as I pulled the fabric tighter around myself.

I had no food. No shelter. No plan.

But I had something stronger.

A reason to survive.

I wrapped my arms around my stomach, a silent vow burning in my chest.

“I will protect you,” I whispered. “No matter what.”

Then, with unsteady steps, I forced myself forward.

Into the unknown

I kept moving.

My body protested with every step, muscles trembling from exhaustion and cold, but stopping wasn’t an option. The night stretched endlessly before me, the thick forest pressing in from all sides. Each rustling leaf sent my heart hammering, every distant howl reminding me that I was still being hunted.

I pressed a hand against my stomach, drawing strength from the life inside me. I couldn’t afford to break. Not now.

But my body had its limits.

By the time I reached a clearing, my legs buckled, and I collapsed onto the damp earth. My breath came in shallow pants as I curled into myself, trying to preserve what little warmth I had left.

I needed shelter.

Forcing myself up, I scanned my surroundings. The forest was dense, its shadows shifting in the dim moonlight. There had to be something, a cave, an abandoned burrow, anything to shield me from the night’s bitter chill.

Then, through the thick underbrush, I spotted it. A hollowed-out tree, its roots stretching like twisted fingers around a small opening. It wasn’t much, but it was enough.

With shaking hands, I crawled inside, my body folding into the cramped space. The damp scent of earth filled my nostrils, and I shivered as the cold seeped into my bones. But at least here, I was hidden. At least here, I could rest.

My stomach twisted painfully, the gnawing ache of hunger a cruel reminder of my body’s weakness. I hadn’t eaten since the morning before, and even then, it had been barely enough to sustain me. My limbs felt light, disconnected, as if my body was already starting to shut down.

I needed food.

Tomorrow, I promised myself. If I could survive the night, I would search at first light.

I curled in on myself, arms wrapped around my middle. The exhaustion dragged me under before I could think of anything else.

I woke to the sound of birds chirping.

For a moment, I didn’t remember where I was. My body ached, my clothes still damp from my fall in the river. Then, the memories crashed over me like a tidal wave. The escape. The chase. The river.

My stomach growled, a sharp pain stabbing through me. I had to find food.

Crawling out of the tree’s hollow, I shielded my eyes from the early morning sun. The forest was different in daylight, less suffocating but no less dangerous. I had to be careful. If I wandered too close to another pack’s territory, I’d be caught.

I moved cautiously, scanning the ground for anything edible. I wasn’t a hunter. I wasn’t even a proper wolf. Without a wolf’s instincts, I had no way of knowing what was safe to eat.

But hunger made me desperate.

I spotted a bush with small, dark berries clustered along its branches. They looked familiar, perhaps something I had seen the other omegas picking back in my old pack. I hesitated, then plucked one and pressed it to my lips.

The tartness made me wince, but I kept going, desperate to fill the emptiness inside me.

That was when I felt it.

A sharp, searing pain exploded in my hand.

I gasped, jerking back as a wave of agony shot up my arm. My eyes darted to my fingers, to the tiny puncture marks now blooming red against my skin.

And then I saw it.

A snake.

Coiled just beneath the bush, its scales blending perfectly with the shadows. It was small, but its fangs had already done their damage.

My pulse roared in my ears.

Poison.

I stumbled back, clutching my hand as the burning sensation spread like fire through my veins. My breath came in ragged gasps, my vision swimming.

No. No, no, no.

Not now. Not like this.

I pressed my trembling fingers over the bite, trying to squeeze out the venom, but my body was already reacting. My heartbeat thundered erratically, a cold sweat breaking over my skin.

The world tilted.

I fell to my knees, the ground spinning beneath me. My limbs felt heavier, as though the earth itself was trying to pull me under.

I had to move.

I forced myself up, staggering toward the river, barely able to keep my footing. My legs wobbled, my breaths shallow.

The burning turned to numbness, crawling up my arm like an invisible hand gripping me tight.

I collapsed near the riverbank, my vision darkening at the edges. The sound of rushing water was distant now, like a lullaby pulling me under

I was going to die.

Alone. In the middle of nowhere.

Tears blurred my sight as I wrapped my arms protectively around my stomach. My child.

I couldn’t let this be the end.

With the last shred of my strength, I dug my fingers into the dirt, whispering a plea to the moon, to fate, to anyone who would listen.

Please… help me.