Something From Nothing

Not So Inescapable

Logan Mercier

I loved the forest. From the forest floor to which lie trees of yesteryear, fallen in storms long forgotten. The seasons have been harsh, stripping away the bark and outer layers, yet rendering them all the more beautiful. They have the appearance of driftwood, twisting in patterns that remind me of seaside waves; even the color of the moss is kelp-like. Birdsong comes in lulls and bursts, the silence and the singing working together as well as any improvised melody.

The forest is the orchestra of my mind, playing one enchanting symphony after another. Her leaves dance to an unheard beat, whispering their songs to the wind. Here, sheltered by the mighty trees, is every kind of life, from the humble beetle to enchanting birds of every color. I could always count on the shimmering rays of light to guide me home.

A low howl came from beside me reminding me to keep focused on the task at hand and not get lost in my thoughts once again. The large paws of my raven wolf pounded against the cool earth as I chased the prisoner that most of my pack were in pursuit of.

The Omega had escaped from our supposedly unbreakable prison and was now on the run. He'd managed to avoid capture for the last half hour and when my stubborn as hell pack finally admitted they needed help they finally came and asked for a little backup. Being the fastest and most agile in the pack I was already close on the omegas heels but even I had to concede that he was clever. He ran in various directions swaying his scent, covered his tracks as if it was second nature, and stuck close to the trees so no one could make a sudden sharp turn and grab him.

I couldn't see much of him as he seemed to just be a blur between the tree trunks. I could make out that he had blonde hair and a thin stature but couldn't gather anything else about him.

Just as I was getting sick of this stupid chase and readied myself to pounce on him, the omega launched himself upwards and with cuffed hands pulled himself high into the tree branches. I growled in fury and shifted back to my human form. Pulling on the shorts I had tied around my leg, I stared up at the trees where I could barely make out a form lounging on a branch about six feet above me.

My pack shifted too and my beta strolled up beside me. Elliot's usual grin was nowhere to be seen as he stood next to me and looked up at the crafty escapee hiding in the trees too. Elliot had been my friend since I was five and was probably one of the only people I really trusted. I knew he'd protect me and would always sacrifice his life for mine as it was after all his sworn duty as my beta and second but I knew that even if he didn't take the oath he would still do it regardless.

"How did this happen?" I badgered lowly. Chasing an escaped criminal up a tree was definitely not what I wanted to do on my first Saturday afternoon off in three weeks. I had plans that didn't involve any pack business whatsoever and instead included sleeping for at least the next fourteen hours. I was eighteen for goddesses sake and the highlight of my day, no my week was the hope of a basic human need. I couldn't decide if that was incredibly sad or...nope it was just sad.

"I don't know. One minute he was in maximum security and then the next he wasn't." Elliot glanced at me from the corner of his eye and chewed his bottom lip almost nervously. It was a habit that he couldn't seem to break.

"Then how did he get the cuffs off? Maximum security requires ash metal cuffs and they're impossible to break out of." I folded my arms tightly across my chest and ground my teeth together at the fact that someone, somehow had broken out of Late Rites Prison. It was a stronghold in itself and no one and I repeat no one had ever successfully broken in or out of it since it was built over a hundred years ago. With concrete walls, ash metal, and constant security even trying to escape was a suicide mission in itself yet somehow this omega had gotten out. An omega of all people.

Omegas were naturally submissive and docile creatures. They usually avoided confrontation and enjoyed being at home away from any type of violence. Omegas were known for their wisdom though and caring nature and lived to please their mate or if they didn't have one, their alpha. There was also the fact that omegas couldn't shift, they were unable to transform into a wolf which made them even more vulnerable. Some packs saw omega's as weak creatures but most of them protected them as if they were sacred. This man, however, didn't seem to be your stereotypical omega though.

"That's the thing though, he still has the cuffs on." Malik, my third, muttered while slowly circling the base of the tree. This did nothing but fuel my anger more.

"So you're telling me that an omega, a freaking omega escaped Late Rites, somehow avoided capture by the Redtooth pack, which do I need to remind you is known for its strength and agility all over the country, all while he had his hands tied in front of him!" With each word my voice slowly raised and some of the surrounding pack flinched in fear. Good.

There was complete silence for only a moment before a rough yet joyful laughter echoed throughout the canopy. It was a type of laughter that could be heard from miles away and cause the sun to brighten ever so slightly. I didn't recognize the voice so that must have meant that it came from the convict above me.

"You know guys now that it's said aloud it does sound pretty pathetic." The omegas voice comes out smoothly, the baritone of his voice reverberating through my bones. I ground my teeth together.

"Get the hell down from there Omega. We've got the area surrounded. You can't escape."

Another laugh.

"They said that about Late Rites too but here I am." The smugness in his voice made me hate him. I hated him more because he was right. "You know you could really upgrade your security. I was only in there for two weeks before I figured out just how easy it was to actually escape."

I stepped forward further under the tree so I could finally see just who I was talking to. However, there were still various branches blocking my view. "How did you do it?" Elliot asked, appearing genuinely curious. I shot him a glare but he simply shrugged.

There was silence again. Then a rustling and the omega showed himself. I was forced to take a step back as he came swinging down, with his legs hooked on the branch above, he hung upside down with his hands still tied in front of him. Goddesses only knew how he got up there so easily.

My eyes widened as I came face to face with the man, no boy, who had managed to out-think my pack.

He was young, maybe a year or so younger than me, and the egotistical grin he wore highlighted his youth. The omega was indeed blonde except it was so blonde it was almost white, a shade darker than perhaps platinum blonde hair. The curve of his jawline looked sharp enough to do some serious damage and his cheekbones were also prominent, although there was still some soft baby fat filling his cheeks. His beauty however was overshadowed by the thick vicious scar running from the top of his eyebrow, through his right eye, to the bottom of his nose.

Could he even see with that eye?

There was a white milky seen over his eye and his eyelid had evidently been torn at one point and healed a little bit crookedly, much smaller than his other one, and when he blinked it barely even touched his bottom lashes, not closing properly. In great contrast his left eye was beautiful; a bright shade of green that reflected the colors of the forest I loved so dearly.

I stumbled back and sucked in a breath as the scent hit me, flooding every single one of my heightened senses. The scent made me delirious. It was almost exotic as my own scent intermingled with the outlandish aroma of charcoal flames and pine. My pupils dilated as I stared at the now panicked looking omega.

"Logan," Elliot's soft voice spoke behind me and I growled harshly at him as he took a step forward. He raised his arms up defenselessly trying to show me he was no threat and he slowly directed to the rest of the pack to slowly back off. He was well aware of what had just happened.

"What's going on?" A younger pack member whispered, not really understanding the reason for my sudden anger.

Elliot didn't even look at the boy as he said, "Our Alpha has just found his mate."

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