Chapter 6: Trying To Escape

-Serena-

It had been sheer luck that a nurse came to check on me. She tried to ignore me as best she could, but when I started to complain about pain and put on a convincing act, she approached close enough for me to headbutt her. As she leaned over me, I wrapped my legs around her neck. They had only restrained my hands, and that was a big mistake. I kept choking the little nurse.

“Release me,” I ordered, squeezing her tiny neck between my legs.

She dug her nails into my skin, making me bleed, but she had responded too late. Her struggles only made her more desperate for air. I had been trained to handle pain—lots of it, in fact.

“Let me not repeat myself!” I said, squeezing tighter. “Release me!”

Even with her sharp claws digging into my thigh, I didn’t let go. Eventually, the nurse couldn’t take it anymore. She reached for my restraints and finally released one of my hands. I could manage the rest myself. As soon as I was free, I released her, quickly getting up from the bed. Then I pulled the nurse up from the bed, who was gasping for air, and threw her against the wall, knocking her out.

“I told you not to make me repeat myself,” I said.

I looked around the room, searching for the best exit. Besides the door leading to the hallway where I had seen the alpha of all alphas, Rogan, disappear, I noticed a window. I didn’t want to risk entering the same hallway he had gone through, so I approached the window.

Luckily, it wasn’t locked, and it slid open easily, allowing me to swing one leg outside and then the other. We were on the ground floor, and I could almost touch the ground with my feet. I pushed myself away from the window, landing behind some small bushes. I looked around but didn’t see any guards or scouts. I was free to run, so I did.

The pain from my wounds intensified the longer I ran, but I had no choice. I needed to escape. The sun was setting slowly, and I hoped to use that to my advantage. However, I soon felt the sensation of being followed. It reminded me of the night my parents had been killed. The eyes… No, I must have imagined those.

I stopped, looking around and trying to breathe quietly, even as my lungs begged for air. Werewolves had incredibly sensitive hearing, and I knew I had to act smart. I couldn’t see anything around me, but I knew they were out there, closing in. I had no idea where I was or how far I had to go to get back, but I needed to lose whoever was pursuing me.

I spotted a tree beside me and climbed it until I was high enough for the leaves to conceal me. Then I waited… and waited… and waited. Soon, I heard someone approaching. I held my breath, trying to calm my pounding heart, as I finally caught sight of a figure. It was hard to see in the darkening forest, but I could tell from the large build that it was definitely a male. Was it Rogan? I couldn’t be sure, but maybe this was my chance.

“I know you’re here,” he said.

Yes, that is his voice. It is Rogan.

“I can smell you.”

Fuck… They didn’t just have sensitive hearing. They also had an acute sense of smell. I pressed my hand against the bleeding wound on my thigh, waiting for Rogan to come closer. I knew I wouldn’t be able to outrun him.

“You can’t hide,” he said, finally standing right beneath me. “I will catch you.”

“Or maybe I will catch you,” I whispered, just before I let myself fall.

He looked up just in time to see me crash down on him. We both hit the ground, and I quickly scrambled to my feet, just as he looked up at me. I punched him square in the face, but while I had gone up against other wolves in close combat, I had never fought an alpha. They were built differently.

“Fuck!” I yelled as pain shot through my hand.

Rogan barely seemed affected by my punch. He shook his head once, then lunged for me. I tried to get to my feet, but he tackled me to the ground. I aimed for another punch, but he grabbed my fist and slammed it down. I kicked to free myself, but he quickly used his massive body to pin me to the ground.

“No!” I yelled, trying to headbutt him, but he dodged out of my way.

“That’s enough!” he shouted.

“Fuck off!”

“You punch me again, and you’ll break your hand.”

“Oh, now you’re worried. That would be a first,” I taunted, not believing for a second that he actually cared about me.

I struggled to get him off me, but he wasn’t budging an inch, and neither was I, given how he held me down.

“Quit it now, or you’ll get seriously hurt.”

“As if I won’t get seriously hurt later,” I growled.

He looked almost shocked by my response, but he was the one who had threatened me with torture—why would he be surprised?

“Lie still,” he ordered.

“Fucking make me!” I wasn’t really moving much, but it clearly annoyed him that I continued to squirm.

“You’ll only hurt yourself.”

“You’re going to hurt me! So go ahead! Now’s the perfect time—extract some information,” I told him.

He just shook his head.

“What? Want to share me?” I asked. “Will there be an audience?”

“You’re getting on my nerves,” he said in a dark, low voice.

“Good, then we can torture each other.”

“You’re hurt, and you heal slowly. If you keep moving around, you’ll rip your stitches.”

“Good, then I might just bleed to death.”

He didn’t seem pleased with that and narrowed his eyes. I could see his expression more clearly now that we were this close.

“Well?” I challenged. “What are you waiting for?”

“I’m not hurting you out here.”

“No? Why not?” I pressed.

“I told you I wanted you in good health before I started.”

I shot him an angry look, and he smiled cruelly in response.

“Now, if you try to run again, I’ll make sure to punish you,” he warned.

“As if you aren’t already doing that.”

He didn’t respond to my comment. Instead, he turned me around and forced my hands behind my back.

“What the hell?” I heard him whisper.

I glanced over my shoulder and saw that the hospital gown I was wearing had ridden up, exposing the wound on my thigh.

“Your nurse made me bleed,” I said with a smirk. “I guess she needed more blood from me.”

He studied me, a dark expression on his face that I couldn’t quite decipher. “Do not try anything,” he warned.

“We both know I will…”

He pulled me off the ground, keeping me in front of him as he held my arms behind my back. “You could make this so much easier for both of us,” he said, starting to push me forward.

I dug my heels into the ground, even though it hurt my bare feet. “Well, I never liked easy.”

“Move.”

I kept trying to push back, but he effortlessly shoved me forward. “You’re not winning against me. You must have realized that by now.”

“Only weaklings give up,” I retorted.

“Is that what they teach you?” he inquired. “There’s nothing wrong with knowing when you’re beaten.”

“I know I’m beaten, but real fighters fight until the end.”

“A smart fighter knows when to use her strength,” he lectured.

I looked over my shoulder, glaring at him. “Exactly, and she knows she won’t get another chance to use her strength before you torture and kill her,” I shot back.

Our eyes locked for a moment, but Rogan didn’t respond. He just continued to push me forward, all the way back to the hospital.