I'm No Cinderella

Chapter 7

The Runaway Mate

Mate.

The word sent a bolt of icy fear down my spine. My fight or flight instincts kicked in, and despite all of the warnings against it, I chose flight.

I snatched my hand away from his, cradling it to my chest. One hopeless, whispered word slipped past my lips, "No." 

Then I was gone.

Weaving my way through the crowd as fast as I could, I prayed with all my might to make it out of the castle unchallenged. After only a few yards, I grew fed up with my heels and kicked them off, continuing my escape barefoot.

It was as I was slipping through the large double doors that led from the room, that I finally heard the sound that I had been dreading.

"Somebody stop her!" Came an echoing voice, so full of authority that it could only be coming from an alpha.

Heart hammering a deafening beat in my ears, I bolted into the hallway. 

I sent up another prayer that I wouldn't get lost as I tried to backtrack my way through the labyrinth that was the main floor of the royal castle. I had no doubt that every single creature in that ballroom could outrun me, so I was counting on the pure dumb luck of getting out without making any wrong turns– that, and that there would be enough confusion that I would be granted a head start.

A ragged sigh of relief slipped past my lips as I spied the doorway to the dining room the humans had been corralled in for the feast. So far, so good, I thought. Picking up my speed even more, I continued down the hallway.

Confused servants leapt out of my path as I barreled down the corridor, but I didn't concern myself with what a frantic mess I must have looked like in that moment. My only care was to get away. 

Finally, the hallway fell away to reveal the large entry room. Frantic, I spun around, looking through what felt like dozens of doors to try to find an exit that wouldn't require me to heft open the large double doors across from the elegant grand staircase, but finding no other options, I ran across to the giant wooden doors and pulled with all of my might.

Slowly, it inched open, and when there was enough space, I squeezed my body through, cursing under my breath as my dress caught in the door as it closed. After a couple of desperate tugs, the delicate fabric tore, leaving me stumbling down the front steps. 

I wanted to cry with relief. 

The cool night air that met my skin was soothing, but I wasn't safe just yet. I searched through the endless sea of carriages and transports with my eyes as I continued moving away from the ballroom as if distance alone could wipe all memory from my mind. I almost didn't see Ash standing in our rendezvous spot in my panic.

"Rose?" He called, hurrying over and grabbing my shoulders to steady me. "What's wrong?"

I shook my head at him, trying to get my erratic breathing under control, "There's no time, I'll explain later. We need to get out of here."

He nodded once, needing no more information than that, and grabbed my hand, dragging me forward to where our black carriage was parked. I had never been more happy to see such a dark, ominous ride in all my life.

The driver looked startled to see us hurrying toward him so early in the night, but he snapped back to work immediately, making sure the horses were properly hooked up before opening the door for us to enter. We scrambled inside without further invitation.

"Back home," I told him.

The driver grunted in acknowledgement as he closed the door and pulled our carriage back out onto the cobblestone drive. I held my breath as we passed in front of the large entry doors to the castle. But it wasn't until we were passing through the outer gate, that those giant wooden doors slammed open with a bang loud enough to hear through the walls of our ride.