CHAPTER 14 - ESCAPE PLAN

Avery's POV

“I need to get out of here and quickly,” I said to myself, sleep had immediately left my eyes and my mind was all over the place.

Just then this lady returned to the room I was in.

“Good Morning, you seem to have made a full recovery, " she said sitting close to me,” Her presence which had formerly been comforting had begun to make me feel uneasy.

Maybe it was because of what I heard but I wanted to get away from her as quickly as possible.

“My name is Shirley, what's yours,” she asked with a smile, this smile seemed too real and it melted my heart.

“My name is Avery,” I replied as I relaxed a little bit.

“Where do you come from?” She asked, seeming intrigued, her smile turned into a grin and immediately I remembered what I had overheard.

“I don't know,” I lied, reminding myself not to trust anyone, especially someone who was so nice… too nice...

“You can't remember or you don't know,” she asked, her smile turning into a frown.

“I don't know,” I repeated knowing it sounded suspicious but not willing to expose myself to any likely threats.

“Who knows what she will do with that information,” I whispered, reassuring myself that I was doing the right thing.

“How did you find me?” I asked her trying to change the topic.

“It was Vivi who found you when we went to pick up herbs, you were lying almost lifeless with a dead wolf by your side.” She replied looking at me suspiciously.

“What did you do to the wolf?” she asked directly, looking at me for an answer.

“I don't know, he wanted to rape me and took an axe to kill me, I passed out and found myself here, I don't know what happened to him,” I replied truthfully but she didn't look convinced by my answer.

“We examined his body and the injuries we saw could only be caused by wolf claws,” she said, insisting I had something to do with the death of the wolf.

“I can't even shift,” I said in my defense, I had changed the topic in an effort to avoid exposing myself but I just did exactly that.

“Then what are you?” She asked, looking straight into my eyes.

“I am a Gamma,” I said loudly. I noticed that the room was already surrounded by people, all wanting to hear what I wanted to say.

“Tell your story,” Ashley said softly as she reached to take my hand in hers.

“I am an only child of a werewolf who fell in love with a human,” I said, omitting the fact that my father was an Alpha.

“Yes…” Ashley said expectantly, wanting me to continue.

“My mother died while giving birth to me and my dad died in the werewolf war,” I said and stopped to catch my breath, I could hear whispers from the people listening outside.

I had never openly talked about what happened to my parents and it was so difficult for me even now.

“After all of this, my aunt came to pick me up to save me from the betrayal of my pack but soon after she began to maltreat me and pushed me to the job that brought my greatest pain,” I said as tears began to run down my cheeks.

Ashley squeezed my hand in an effort to comfort me, I smiled at her appreciating all her help but if I was to escape this place, I had to gain their trust somehow and this was the only way.

“I worked for a werewolf family as their daughter’s private tutor but I was embarrassed and threatened so I ran away,” I lied, too ashamed to admit what had truly happened that night.

“I ran into the woods to escape my aunty and that was when I saw the rogue wolf who tried to take advantage of me, he injured me so much that I passed out, that is all I remember,” I said truthfully, I thought I was going to die but by some luck I was saved.

“Maybe it was the benevolence of the moon goddess,” Ashley said, fully believing my story and I burst out in laughter.

“What is so funny?” She asked, perplexed at my sudden reaction.

“The moon goddess? When did she ever help me? I have been on my own all this time,” I was laughing but tears filled my eyes.

I had felt totally abandoned by her all this time, it hurt even more when my mate rejected me and here I was with a strange pack that was already planning against me.

“I know you feel hurt because of the tragedies of your life but you may never know what waits for you in the future,” she admonished giving me a hug and letting me rest.

For the rest of the day, I was welcomed by people, set after set, especially women who came to visit me, some gave me clothes, some brought me food, and the children came to play around me, I truly felt at home for the first time in a long time.

“It's sad that I will have to leave tonight,” I muttered under my breath as I remembered my escape plan.

It was night and so many mothers came to take their children home. We had been telling stories and legends all this time but it was bedtime so they had to leave.

“Let us let Aunty Avery get some rest,” Ashley said to her children who were the last to leave my side.

I took a deep breath as they all left with promises to visit me early the next day. It was indeed very difficult to leave this place but I knew better than to trust anyone, especially after what I overheard.

“How was your day?” Ashley asked as she came back with a cup of water for me to drink.

“It was the best day I have had so far,” I replied truthfully as I took the cup and placed it aside, I had been careful not to eat or drink anything they brought to me for my own safety.

“Know that you now have a home here Avery,” she said with a smile and left the room.

I waited till everywhere was quiet before I slipping out of the room and walking toward the other end of the forest. Whatever my fate was tonight, I would rather accept it rather than let these people do whatever it was they planned just before I could leave what I assumed was the pack border, I heard a loud sound.

“And where do you think you are going?” A voice thundered from behind me.