His Forsaken Luna-Chapter 29: Escape (1)

Packed and dressed in servant’s attire, I smoothly climb out of my window, dropping into the snow with a gentle crunch. My limbs freeze to the sound and slowly scan the darkness surrounding me. My heart beats loudly, and my breaths sound like they echo in the darkness, yet no guards jump out of nowhere and demand that I return to my chambers or take me to Deyanira.

Inhaling deeply, I allow the crisp air into my lungs and breathe out slowly, calming myself before taking my next step. Shrouded in darkness, I twirl the ring on my finger, venturing forward at a glacial pace. Theo should be waiting for me on the other side of the walls.

After walking through the eerily quiet palace walkways, I ping open a few of the top buttons to my dress, loosening the cloak around my shoulders and messing up my hair to reveal the state I was in.

"Stop!" One of the guards at the gate raises his hand.

The other guard tilts his head, beads in his braided blond hair clinking together softly. "It’s a little late for a walk, miss," he states, eyes sharp as he observes me.

The first guard smirks, taking a step forward, eyes lingering on the swell of my breasts. "Oh, I know," I breathe. "But I need to return to town. Those savage beasts took more of my time than I anticipated."

The guards observe me in silence, one licking his lips, understanding flitting through their gazes. "What men?" The first guard looks past me like he might see who ’I had been with’.

"They looked like they were Southern Weres." At the mention of the Southern Weres, their faces screwed up, and they looked at me like I bore a disease.

"Get going," the second guard stepped aside, trying to cover his disgusted expression, unlike the first, who seemed to look disappointed but mostly disgusted.

Bowing my head slightly, I strolled past them as casually as possible. Sweat beaded at the back of my neck, and my heart raced, adrenaline coursing through my veins at the possibility of getting caught. I didn’t know when the ring’s magick would wear off, but I hoped to at least get past these gates.

"Take it easy," the second guard called out. Clearly, he wasn’t a pig like the first.

I wave casually, my back to them and continue down the path, the dark forest on either side of the road shutting out any light from the stars and moon that cast a light silver hue over the palaces. Gradually, I buttoned up the front of my dress and tightened the cloak.

"Lia?!" Theo whisper-shouted from the side. I paused and looked in his direction. The ring’s magick enabled me to look like a brunette with brown eyes.

Unless the other person can tell the similarities in head shape and voice, nobody would recognise me. Only a select few might be able to.

With red locks, Theo revealed himself from behind a tree, bag in tow. "Did you have any problems?"

I shook my head. "Good, we should move quickly. Just in case." Theo started walking first, and I quickly fell into step beside him and set off down the road to Ulfstad.

The walk was long but easy. The entire time, my shoulders remained stiff, scanning our surroundings with my terrible eyesight, and I wondered if Sverre would really have a horse and cart ready at this time in the morning. Other doubts also started to pile up in my mind.

What if it was a trap at The Huntsman?

Or a trap at Blóðfjell havn?

Why would Sverre help me? Does he have ulterior motives?

"Stop worrying. We can only move on from here." Theo squeezed my shoulder gently, offering me comfort.

I nodded and smiled, but I was sure it was more of a grimace. I couldn’t help it. Until we were on that ship and sailing across the seas, I would worry.

The dim lights from a few lanterns in Ulfstad shone from the slight slope of the hill. As we took our final step out of the dark path and forest and into the town, a figure appeared out of the shadows. I yelped and jumped back, hands up into fists.

I’ve seen people fight but have no prior experience and will most likely hurt myself more than this assailant, but I will not go down without a fight. Theo stepped in front of me protectively, but I could still see. As soon as I saw the cloaked figure, I tapped on Theo’s shoulder.

"What?" He whispered, sounding a little irritated that I was distracting him.

"His Highness, Alpha Prince Eryx will not be happy to hear of your disappearance." The shadow spoke, dropping his hood and revealing exactly who I knew it to be.

"My name is Faidon." He placed a fist against his chest and bowed his head. "Please allow me to escort you back to the palace."

Faidon was the man who reported to Eryx, and I’d seen him a few times around the palace. He was one of Eryx’s right-hand men, the man I ran into in Ulfstad last time. I squeezed my eyes shut, annoyed at myself.

Was I so arrogant to believe Eryx would take me at my word? I was his key to getting what he wanted—whatever that was. Naturally, he would assign someone he trusted to keep an eye on me.

With a shaved head, a slight scar on the side of it, dark brown eyes and skin, Faidon was tall and lean; his garments were that of a ranger dressed in black. It was how he seemed to appear out of nowhere.

"I’m sorry, Sir," Theo began, taking another step to stand in front of me, shielding me further from the large Southern Were. "You mistake us for someone else."

Faidon shook his head, eyes glinting sharply, directed at me. "You may wear disguises, but it will never fool His Highness, nor I." He tapped his nose. "I have a strong sense of smell."

My eyes widen. A tracker. Faidon had the keen sense of a tracker! That was how he knew about our disguises, our scents.

"You know..." I step forward, against Theo’s wish, as he tries to stay close to me. "I am no one of importance, especially to Eryx. Please let us go. Forget you saw us."

"Not important?" Faidon frowned. "You are the Princess of this kingdom."

I glanced warily at our surroundings, my chest and shoulders feeling tight. No one was there.

"That may be so, but I will not return to the palace," I firmly stated, holding Faidon’s gaze.

"I’m sorry, Princess." Faidon took a step in my direction. "But I follow my Alpha’s orders. If so much as a scratch marks your skin, my head is on a pike."

I blinked back in horror at his words and dryly remarked, "What a wonderful Alpha you serve."

Faidon took another step in my direction, his looming form feeling like a threat. "Ida, stand back!" Theo dragged me back by the hood before changing stance, long claws elongating from his hands.

He charged forward and fell to the ground. Faidon had vanished!

A hand clamped down around my wrist, and my head swivelled to the side with a gasp. Faidon was beside me. "How...?"