Chapter 12 Escape To The Human City

• The moon hung high in the sky, its pale light washing over the land like a shroud of ghostly white. It was quiet, eerily so, and all I could hear was the sound of my breathing as I moved through the woods. My feet hit the ground softly, each step deliberate, each breath shaky and strained. I wasn’t sure what I was running from anymore—was it the pack? Nicolai? Or was it something much worse: the truth?
• The night felt like it was closing in on me, the shadows pressing in from all sides, and my mind kept replaying everything that had happened—the stranger’s warning, his words heavy in my ears, his eyes haunting me.
• You have the power to decide what happens next.
• But did I? Could I really control my own destiny when everything I had known was falling apart? When Nicolai had made it clear that my very existence, my bond to him, was a curse in his eyes? When the pack had made me feel smaller than the dirt beneath their feet?
• I stopped to catch my breath, my pulse racing as I leaned against a tree, my fingers gripping the rough bark. I should’ve felt fear, I knew, but all I could feel was exhaustion—mental, emotional, physical. I hadn’t slept properly in days. I hadn’t eaten in hours. I had nothing left to give except a desperate need to get away from it all, to find a place where I could just be... free.
• I had decided. I had to leave. I couldn’t stay here, not with the constant reminders of what I was—or what I wasn’t. I couldn’t stay where Nicolai’s face, his rejection, would haunt me. I couldn’t stay in a place that had never felt like home.
• But even as I made my decision, guilt gnawed at me. What about Bea? What would I say to her? How could I just leave without any warning? I knew she’d never forgive me if I disappeared without a word. And yet... the thought of her seeing me leave, of her trying to convince me to stay, was too much to bear. I couldn’t face that.
• The only way out was to go without a trace.
• I didn’t have much time. If anyone figured out I was gone, it wouldn’t take long before they came looking for me. I needed to act fast.
• The town was a few miles away—human territory, a place where the pack’s influence didn’t reach. I had heard stories about it, rumors of places where people could live without fear, without looking over their shoulders. A place where I could be... Amelia. Just Amelia.
• I took one last look at the pack’s territory, my heart breaking as I thought about Levi. I didn’t know what to say to him. He had been so cold, so distant lately. And I couldn’t pretend that it didn’t hurt. But I couldn’t stay. Not for him. Not for anyone.
• I pulled the small bag I’d packed tighter against my back, securing it with a tight knot of determination. I had left a note for Bea, one that told her I was safe, that I loved her, that I had to leave to find myself. It wasn’t enough. It wasn’t the truth. But it was all I could manage.
• Without another moment of hesitation, I turned and began to move toward the road that would lead me to the human city. The cool air brushed against my skin, but it didn’t feel cold anymore. It felt freeing. The only sound now was the crunch of dead leaves beneath my boots and the steady thrum of my heart, pushing me forward, one step at a time.
• ---
• Hours later, the town came into view. It was smaller than I had imagined, a cluster of buildings tucked into the valley between two hills, lit by the faint glow of street lamps. There was something comforting about it—the stillness, the normalcy. No Lycans, no pack politics, no whispers behind my back. Just people, living their lives, oblivious to the struggles of the world I had left behind.
• I didn’t know what I expected, but when I stepped onto the dusty road leading into the town, I felt a strange sense of calm settle over me. It wasn’t perfect, but it was a new beginning, one that I so desperately needed.
• I made my way toward the first inn I could find. The lights in the windows were warm, inviting, and I had enough money to rent a room for a few nights, at least until I figured out what came next.
• I hesitated for a moment before pushing open the door. The bell above it jingled as I entered, and a wave of warmth hit me, smelling of coffee and baked goods. The low murmur of conversation filled the space, and the friendly chatter of humans seemed so distant from the chaos of my life.
• “Can I help you?” a woman behind the counter asked, her voice warm, yet curious as her eyes scanned me with a faint trace of suspicion.
• I swallowed hard, trying to steady my breathing, trying to fight the anxiety that clawed at me. “I—I need a room,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. “Just for the night.”
• She eyed me carefully for a moment before nodding, pulling a small ledger from under the counter. “Name?”
• I hesitated. I wasn’t used to lying. My entire life had been one long string of truth, no matter how painful. But here, in this place, I could be anyone. I could be someone different.
• “Amelia.” I didn’t even hesitate before I gave her the name I had always known. The one that belonged to me.
• “Alright, Amelia.” She scribbled something down, then handed me a small key. “Room 3. It’s upstairs.”
• I nodded, feeling the weight of my decision settle more heavily on my shoulders. This wasn’t just about running away. This was a choice to start over. To let go of everything that had once been my life.
• “Thank you,” I whispered, taking the key and walking toward the stairs.
• As I climbed them, my thoughts raced. Could I really do this? Could I truly live in this world, away from the pack, away from everything I had known?
• I didn’t have any answers. But what I did know was that I couldn’t go back. I couldn’t stay in the place that had never accepted me. The only way forward was through. And so, I would find my way. I would build a life for myself, even if I didn’t know how.
• The door to my room creaked open, and I stepped inside, the room small but cozy. The bed looked soft, inviting, and for the first time in what felt like forever, I allowed myself to breathe.
• I was safe here. For now.
• But even as I lay down on the bed, trying to settle into a sense of peace, I couldn’t shake the feeling that this wasn’t over. The world I had left behind wasn’t just going to let me go so easily. Nicolai’s rejection, the bond that tied us together—none of that would just disappear. I had made my escape. But I wasn’t sure how long I could run. And deep down, I
• knew that no matter how far I went, my past would follow me.