Forced Mate

20: Run

By the grace of God, I had escaped the pack territory without anyone noticing me. After I knocked Jaxon out, I threw random items into a duffle bag, attempting to hurry, stole all the cash from his wallet (sorry, Jaxon), and took to the woods. I made sure to stay in the in-between area from the salt line and the pack house, ducking behind trees and sloshing through random creeks to bury my scent.

I found the nearest bus station and paid for a ticket to a city in South Alabama, hoping the more people I'm around, the harder it would be to track me. The total journey was twelve hours, a tiresome affair which I used to catch up on sleep and mindlessly watch the scenery go by, my entire body numb by the decisions I've made.

My wolf howls inside of me to go back, creating a physical, mental, and emotional discomfort. I make sure to keep my barrier up so he can't reach me. He can't track me, either, with this crystal around my neck. No one can—not Hayes or Jaxon.

Completely alone.

For once in my life, I'm completely isolated. Even after my mom left and my dad died, I was never alone. I had my pack. Thinking back on it, I've never really made any decisions for myself. The Alpha took responsibility for me in the Smokey Mountain Pack. And when Jaxon found me, he decided that we'd be together. I didn't have a say. I didn't have a say in whether I'd be marked, inducted, whether I wanted to be the Luna or not, wanted to be with Jaxon at all. I've never had a choice. But now I do.

It's freeing, to decide for myself, but also terrifying as I think of what it's costing me. Jaxon is going to lose his shit when he wakes up. He's probably already awake. Since he never gave me a cell phone, it's not like he can call me and he can't reach my thoughts unless I allow him in—which I won't.

I warily check out the window of the semi-nice hotel I'd booked. Surprisingly, Jaxon carries a lot of cash for someone who hardly ever leaves the pack territory. I didn't want to blow through it too quickly, but I also didn't want to stay somewhere too sketchy. I yank the curtains shut and check the deadbolt for the sixth time—still locked.

Five more days until Hayes' ritual.

Maybe, when he sees that I'm gone and Jaxon has no idea where I went, he'll divert from the pack and after me. And when he can't find me, he won't be able to do the ceremony, he won't be so powerful, and I can go back to Jaxon.

I mean, it's not like I can't not go back to him, or I'll die. Or will I? Jaxon is the only one who's ever told me I would certainly die if I break the bond or if he dies. Let's just say I don't gain my wolf. Maybe only reason Jaxon has said that I'd die is because I'm so weak right now without a shifted wolf and am unable to protect myself. 

That combined with the fact that I don't have the power to sever our mate bond would make me extremely vulnerable and more likely to die. But that doesn't necessarily mean that I will die. Maybe Jaxon only thinks so because he perceives me as frail. I'm not as fragile as he thinks me to be, or I would be dead already from his antics.

Theoretically, let's say my wolf decides to make an appearance. Even though there's a power divide between us, I'd still have the ability to reject him and sever our bond. I could even get Jon to reverse the induction, something Jaxon thought impossible, which can't be done on an unshifted wolf because it's so painful and draining. 

Splitting your soul from being bonded to hundreds of others, as is the case with the Moonlight Pack, can kill someone without a strong wolf form. But, if she does decide to come out, then it could be done. I could be... free. I could go back to Smokey Mountain Pack or search for a new one.