Chapter 3

Lola's POV

Tonight. I have to leave tonight.

I sat down on my stone bed, thinking about my life so far. Jasmine has been holding on for too long. I can't let her go through this anymore.

I used to be almost everyone's favorite in the pack until Mom and Dad passed. I don't know what came over Aunt Natalie and Uncle Andrew, Grayson's mom and dad. It's like they've been waiting for the opportunity to make me worthless. They used to be very nice until they were not.

People who were not in the pack before that incident did not know I was the daughter of the last Alpha and Luna. Everybody in the wolf world thought I was dead; at least, that's what I heard. 

I can't get ra*ed; I can't get my innocence taken away from me, and by that vile bastard nonetheless. I have to come up with a plan; I don't care if I die running; I have to leave this fucked up pack before I am humiliated.

I have to eat this afternoon, I'll need the energy if I'm going to be running. That bastard is definitely going to send people after me, so I have to be in my wolf form. 

"Jasmine, you there?" I mindlinked Jas and she whimpered in response in my head. "I'll need you tonight, girl. I'll need you if I'm ever going to make it out alive. I can't let him do this to me, to us. We have to fight our way out of this bondage. We waited because we thought we might find love but it's over now, Jas. We need to run," I said pleadingly to Jasmine.

"I don't know if I can do it for us, Lola. What if we get killed on sight because of my fur color? What if he catches up to us? What if we don't make it alive? I'm so weak, and I've only ever shifted once. I don't want to let you down. Lola." Jasmine said weakly in my head, and fresh tears ran down my cheeks. We don't deserve any of this.

"Jas, we need to try, girl. There's a full moon out tonight. I heard we get stronger when there's a full moon. Maybe that will give us strength to propel forward, but we can't stay here tonight. We might find help in another pack. Anything but here, Jasmine," I said to her.

"You're right. We've been taking this for too long. It's time we break free and start over. We run tonight," Jasmine said in my head with new-found determination.

Her words made me see rays of hope. I stood up and made my way to the pack kitchen to see if there was any food I could make do with until evening. I needed to eat to at least get enough energy to run.

I went to the kitchen, and there were slaves running around cooking up a feast for Freya and Grayson's coronation. I was disappointed and was about to leave when I spotted Jane. Jane is an elderly woman who used to be our head cook. She's the only one in the pack who doesn't treat me like I'm beneath her. She can't be nice to me publicly, though, or she'd be punished.

She saw me as I was about to leave, too, and came to meet me in the hallway. She hugged me with tears in her eyes, and I hugged her back, too. She has always been like a grandmother to me.

She pulled me towards a dark corner in the hallway, where she broke down in tears, seeing my state. She's not been to the pack in a while; I guess she quit her job, but why was she back tonight? I saw her mouth moving and tried to listen to her over her thoughts.

"...heard he rejected you and chose Freya anyway. I'm so sorry, Lola. No one deserves to be treated like that by their mat," she whispered with tears running down her cheeks, and I hugged her again.

"You look malnourished, child. Do they ever feed you? I'm sorry I left without telling you. I had to go see my daughter in another pack. She gave birth to her first child, and I went to see her," she told me while looking me over. My stomach chose that moment to grumble again. I looked down in embarrassment.

"Have you had anything to eat today, child?"

I shook my head negatively, and she told me she'd be back for me. As she left, I tried to make myself small and invisible to anyone passing. I can't take any more beating and assault today; I need to be somewhat okay for me to be able to escape.

Jane soon came back with a paper bag in her hand. She gave it to me and hugged me tightly after telling me to live well. It was almost like she knew I was going away. I thanked her and left for the basement again.

I could not eat a lot. It was almost like my body was used to not being fed and rejected the food. I sighed as I kept the paper bag. I could not let anyone find it, or I'd be punished.

I was waiting for night to fall and the coronation to start while praying to the moon goddess to give me the energy and luck to escape this vile land that has done nothing but cause me pain.

I shook in my seat when I heard footsteps coming down the basement. I looked up and saw one of the pack guards and slightly relaxed. They're not as bad as the high-ranking wolves. 

"It's time for the coronation, and Alpha Grayson requires you to be near the ballroom," his deep voice boomed, making me jump in my seat, and I nodded my head. He turned to leave, and I followed after him. I don't want to incur wrath on myself.

I followed him to where the coronation was taking place. It looked beautiful and magnificent. Beautiful flowers were used to create an arch in the doorway and were also scattered across the room. People dressed in white. Women in elegant gowns and men in fitting suits were scattered around the room chatting. 

I stood out in my dirty attire and unkempt appearance. I knew Grayson brought me there to humiliate me and show me that I'd never be his Luna because I was below him. People gave me dirty glances, and some even cursed me out, but I kept my head down the whole time. I stood to a side in the ballroom and made myself small.

The chatters in the room suddenly quieted down, and I looked up to see Grayson in a black suit that was perfectly tailored to suit him and Freya in a blood-red gown with thigh-high slit that accentuated all of her curves.

She looked so good with her hair in waves that she let down to frame her beautiful face. Her make-up looked minimal, and I could not even deny the fact that she looked stunning. Together, they looked amazing and Jasmine howled in pain in my head seeing her mate with another she-wolf.

They made their way to the stage, and people started clapping, focusing all of their attention on them. Grayson made eye contact with me and smirked evilly. That gesture made me sick to my stomach because I knew what awaited me if I didn't escape before the coronation ended.

Everybody focused their attention on their future rulers, and I took that opportunity to sneak out of the ballroom and out of the pack house. The moon was high up in the sky and shone brightly, almost like the Moon goddess was making way for me.

I made my way to the end of the pack, avoiding patrols and guards. Security is not as tight at the pack boundary, so I thanked the Moon goddess. Right before I morphed into my wolf, I said the words I should have said since the moment I knew he wasn't going to choose me.

Using my original title, I said those words.

"I, Lola Ashton, the daughter of Alpha Ryan and Luna Lilian of the Moonlit pack, accept the rejection of Grayson Dawson, the son of Beta Andrew and Female Beta Natalie, as his mate and chosen one," I said and felt a surge of power through me at the same time I heard a wolf howling in pain in distant.

Jasmine took over my body, and I was a pure white wolf. I felt a new burst of energy coursing through my veins. Then I ran. I ran with everything in me and never looked back.