Hundred and forty-one

Arabella panted heavily, pressing a hand to her chest. The other hand wiped the sweat from her face as she tried to steady her breathing. She glanced around, searching frantically, hoping Sandro hadn't dispatched his guards after her.

Somehow, she'd managed to escape. Arabella couldn't quite fathom how it happened, but the moment Sandro exited the room, she found herself outside the pack house. It was as if something had taken hold of her, propelling her deeper into the woods without pause.

Arabella mused on whether the guards had been asleep, missing her departure from the room. She also puzzled over how she'd managed to leave a heavily fortified chamber. She concluded that she must have somehow breached the barrier, her determination overcoming the obstacle.

Summoning the last reserves of her strength, she burst out of the woods, her gaze fixed on the Phoenix cave, just a short distance away.

But she doubted she could reach it.

Arabella stumbled, trying to walk further. Her foot cau