Chapter 37
Astrid’s POV
’It’s not going to work,’ I had said, the words tasting like ash in my mouth. ’Just forget it. It’s over.’
The sha washed over instantly. How could I have given up so easily? How could I have let my fear and despair consu , especially when Shadow was standing right there, fighting for , risking everything for ?
I was a Luna, or at least, I had been. I was supposed to be strong, resilient, a beacon of hope for my pack. But here I was, cowering in a cage, ready to surrender at the first sign of failure especially when I had sworn not to be that person.
I took a deep breath, forcing myself to push back the negativity. I couldn’t afford to wallow in self-pity. Not now. Not when freedom was so close.
I looked at Shadow, her blue eyes still blazing with determination. "I’m sorry," I said, my voice filled with remorse. "I shouldn’t have said that. You’re right, it’s not over. Not until we say it is."
A small smile flickered across her lips. "That’s the Luna I know," she said, her voice soft but firm.
I managed a weak smile in return. "Why do you keep calling Luna?" I asked, the question popping out before I could stop it. "I’m not a Luna anymore. Not really."
Shadow’s smile widened. "Because that’s what you are, to us, you are the Luna," she said, her eyes sparkling. "And because I’ve never seen Alpha Kaeleen react to anyone the way he reacts to you."
"Us?" I asked her.
"The Erald Glade Pack. I’m pretty sure everyone is eagerly waiting go see who could turn our Alpha’s head and see who his mate is." Shadow said with a smile.
My heart skipped a beat. I wasn’t ready for this. I wasn’t ready for a relationship, not after everything that had happened with Leon. But I couldn’t deny the pull I felt towards Kaeleen, the way my heart soared whenever he was near.
I wasn’t sure what the future held, but I knew one thing: I was open to trying. Open to exploring the possibility of a life with Kaeleen, a life filled with acceptance and mutual respect. It certainly couldn’t be worse than my life here at Moonshade.
"Ready?" Shadow asked, her voice pulling back to the present.
I swallowed hard, my throat suddenly dry. "Ready," I said, my voice barely a whisper.
We held our breath as Shadow held the eyeball up to the scanner once more. The scanner whirred to life, emitting its soft, blue light. The seconds stretched into an eternity, each tick of the clock echoing in the silence.
And then, it happened.
A beep. A clear, distinct beep that reverberated through the room.
We stared at each other, our eyes wide with disbelief. It worked. After all the setbacks, after all the near misses, we had finally done it.
A relieved smile spread across Shadow’s face. "It’s unlocked," she said, her voice filled with triumph.
I reached out, my fingers trembling, and touched the cuff. It was loose, no longer constricting my wrist. I pulled it off, feeling the cool air against my skin for the first ti in what felt like forever.
I looked at Shadow, my heart overflowing with gratitude. "Thank you," I said, my voice thick with emotion. "Thank you for everything."
She shook her head, her smile widening. "We’re not out of the woods yet, Luna," she said. "Let’s save the thank yous for when we’re safe and sound."
She reached into her bag and pulled out a set of clothes. "Here," she said, handing them to . "Put these on. We need to move fast."
I took the clothes, my eyebrows furrowing. "What about the caras?" I asked, my voice filled with concern. "Won’t Leon see that I’m gone?"
Shadow grinned. "I’ve already taken care of that," she said, her eyes twinkling. "Leon will only see what I want him to see. As far as he knows, you’re still in that cage."
Relief washed over . Shadow had thought of everything. She was a true professional, a master of her craft.
I started to remove my dress, my fingers fumbling with the buttons. And noticed shadow had turned her back to give privacy.
I noticed Shadow’s odd reaction, and wondered why she was giving privacy when we were both females, but I didn’t say anything.
Once I was changed into the clothes Shadow had given – a simple shirt and trousers, perfect for blending in, I turned back to her.
Shadow handed a small, tallic device. "What’s this?" I asked, my voice filled with apprehension.
"It’s a scent masker," she said, holding up an identical device. "It’ll mask our scent, making it harder for anyone to track us."
She clipped her device onto her belt and gestured for to do the sa. I hesitated for a mont, then clipped the device onto my own belt. I hoped it would work.
Shadow grabbed a bundle of clothes from her bag and stuffed them into the cage. She arranged them carefully, creating a dummy that resembled lying in the corner.
"There," she said, stepping back to admire her work. "That should buy us so ti."
She kicked the dummy, placing it in a way that it’s facing the wall so anyone who cos to check would still see that I was in the cage while I was far away.
Without wasting any ti, we slipped out of the cage and into the hallway. The packhouse was eerily silent, the only sound our own breathing.
We moved quickly and silently, sticking to the shadows, avoiding the main corridors. Shadow seed to know the layout of the packhouse like the back of her hand, guiding through the maze of hallways and staircases.
Finally, we reached a back door that led out into the woods. Shadow unlocked the door and peeked outside, scanning the area for any signs of danger.
"Coast is clear," she whispered. "Let’s go."
We slipped out of the packhouse and into the darkness of the woods. The trees lood around us, their branches reaching out like skeletal fingers. The air was cool and damp, and the scent of pine needles filled my nostrils.
I took a deep breath, filling my lungs with the fresh, clean air. It was a welco change from the stale, suffocating atmosphere of the cage.
We started to run, our feet pounding against the soft earth. Shadow led the way, her movents swift and sure. I followed close behind, my heart pounding with a mixture of fear and exhilaration.
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