Chapter 5

ARIA

I was up before dawn, already dressed when light crept through my window. Sleep had been restless—dreams of being chased through endless forests haunting me. Isabella's knife sat on my nightstand, a reminder that today wasn't just about leaving—it was about survival.

A soft knock at 5:30. "Aria?" Gabriel whispered. "Let's go."

I grabbed my backpack, took one last look at my room of ten years, and tucked the knife into my boot. The familiar space suddenly felt foreign. I closed the door on that chapter of my life.

Downstairs, Lucas loaded our bags into Gabriel's SUV, his movements tense—more warrior than the brother I knew.

"Ready?" he asked, taking my backpack.

I nodded, unable to speak past the lump in my throat. Leaving our pack, our home—it felt heavy.

Gabriel handed out travel mugs. "Coffee. Long drive ahead."

Minutes later, we were in the SUV—Gabriel driving, Lucas scanning the trees, me in back trying to ignore my churning stomach. Gabriel kept the headlights off as we rolled down the gravel driveway, using his werewolf vision in the dim light. I memorized our cabin's silhouette as it disappeared behind us.

"Border patrol changes at six," Gabriel said, checking his watch. "By the time Warren figures it out, we'll be in neutral territory."

The roads were empty, misty. About a mile from the pack boundary, Lucas tensed.

"Dad. Three o'clock."

Gabriel's grip tightened. "I see it."

I strained to look but couldn't see through the trees like they could. Then I caught it—movement keeping pace with us.

"Warren's men?" My heart pounded.

Gabriel shook his head. "It's Dylan."

Relief and confusion mingled in my chest. "What's he doing here?"

As if in answer, the shadow broke from the trees ahead, resolving into Dylan's human form standing in the middle of the road. Gabriel braked smoothly, bringing us to a stop several yards away.

"Stay in the car," he ordered, then opened his door and stepped out.

Lucas shifted in his seat, positioning himself to move quickly if needed. I watched through the windshield as Gabriel approached Dylan, their breath visible in the cool morning air.

"Warren's men are already at the checkpoint," Dylan said loudly enough for us to hear. "He moved up the schedule. Take the old logging road."

Gabriel nodded. "Thanks."

Dylan looked at me through the glass, regret crossing his face. "I tried talking to him, but..." He shook his head.

"Not your fault," Gabriel said. "You've done plenty."

Dylan handed over a folded map. "This route bypasses all checkpoints. Adds two hours, but you'll find supplies here if needed." He pointed to a spot.

"Come with us," Gabriel suggested. "When Warren realizes—"

"I'll handle it," Dylan cut him off. "Someone needs to stay and fix things. My father won't be Alpha forever."

There was a weighted silence between them, an unspoken understanding passing between two warriors. Then Gabriel clasped Dylan's forearm in the traditional wolf greeting.

"Moon Shadow's doors will be open to you," Gabriel said. "When the time comes."

Dylan nodded, stepping back toward the tree line. "Go. They'll be coming soon."

Gabriel returned to the SUV, unfolding Dylan's map across the dashboard. "Looks like we're taking the scenic route," he said grimly, starting the engine.

I turned to watch through the rear window as Dylan shifted forms, his human silhouette blurring and reforming into a powerful brown wolf. He stood sentinel in the middle of the road for a moment, then disappeared back into the forest.

"He's risking a lot," I said quietly.

Lucas nodded. "Dylan's always had more integrity than his father. He'll make a good Alpha someday."

Gabriel guided us onto a narrow dirt track nearly hidden by overgrowth, the SUV bouncing over ruts and exposed roots. "If he survives Warren's anger when he realizes his son helped us escape."

The implications hung heavy in the air as we pushed deeper into the wilderness, leaving behind the only pack I had ever known. The old logging road was barely more than a trail in places, winding through dense forest and rocky terrain that would have been impassable to anyone without Gabriel's intimate knowledge of the territory.

By mid-morning, we had crossed into neutral territory—the unclaimed buffer zone between pack lands that served as a diplomatic no-man's-land. Gabriel finally relaxed his death grip on the steering wheel, and Lucas lowered the window to taste the air.

"No sign of pursuit," he confirmed.

We stopped briefly at a roadside diner far from any wolf territory. The human establishment felt strangely normal amid our extraordinary circumstances—waitresses pouring coffee, truckers hunched over plates of eggs, music playing softly from an ancient jukebox.

"Eat up," Gabriel encouraged when my appetite faltered. "We still have a long way to go."

I forced down some toast and scrambled eggs, knowing he was right. As we prepared to leave, Gabriel pulled out his phone and disabled the GPS.

"Burner phones from here on," he said, handing each of us a basic flip phone from a bag I hadn't noticed before. "Use these if we get separated. Emergency only."

Back on the road, the landscape gradually transformed. The familiar dense forests of our territory gave way to more open country, then rolling hills that climbed steadily into foothills. By afternoon, mountains dominated the horizon—jagged teeth against a perfect blue sky.

"Moon Shadow territory begins at the base of those peaks," Gabriel explained, pointing toward the distant mountains. "We should reach the border by nightfall."

As we drove, I found myself thinking of Jace Carter, the Alpha who held our future in his hands. Would he truly welcome us, or merely tolerate us as a favor to Gabriel? And what would it be like to live under the protection of an Alpha with legendary power?

The SUV climbed steadily into higher elevations, the air growing cooler and thinner. Pine forests replaced the mixed woodlands of home, trees taller and older than any I'd seen before. Everything felt more primal here, more wild.

"There," Lucas said suddenly, pointing to a wooden sign nearly hidden among the trees: MOON SHADOW TERRITORY - AUTHORIZED ENTRY ONLY.

Gabriel slowed the vehicle. "We're here."

I peered through the windshield at the vast wilderness stretching before us. Somewhere beyond those trees lay our new home—if Jace Carter would have us.

Gabriel pulled the SUV to the side of the road just past the sign. "Wait here," he instructed, stepping out.

Lucas and I watched as he walked a few paces into the trees, then tilted his head back and let out a long, deep howl—not in wolf form, but a human approximation that nonetheless carried power and respect. The sound echoed through the mountains, a formal request for entry into another Alpha's territory.

Silence followed, broken only by the wind in the pines. Then, from somewhere deep in the forest came an answering howl—lower, stronger, resonating with authority that raised goosebumps on my arms even at this distance.

Gabriel returned to the car, a relieved smile ghosting across his face. "They're sending an escort. We're expected."

As the sun began to sink behind the mountains, bathing everything in gold and amber light, I caught my first glimpse of our new future—shadows moving through the trees, approaching our position with the fluid grace that marked even in human form.

Lucas straightened, his hand instinctively moving toward the knife at his belt before relaxing again. "That's Hunter," he said, recognizing one of the approaching figures. "Jace's Beta."