Chapter 5
I couldn't stay. Not after everything. The monitors beeped steadily in the infirmary as I lay there, my hand resting protectively over my stomach. My pup deserved better than a father who chose another woman over us.
"Palmer," I whispered into the mind-link, reaching out to my oldest friend. "I need your help."
Her response came immediately, warm with concern. "Riley? Are you okay? After last night..."
"I'm leaving," I said simply. "Tonight."
Silence stretched between us for a moment before her determination flooded through the link. "What do you need me to do?"
"Create a diversion. Something big enough to draw attention away from the east exit."
"The perimeter alarms," she replied without hesitation. "I can trigger them near the training grounds. Everyone will think there's an intruder."
I nodded, though she couldn't see me. "Two hours after sunset."
---
Dr. Elena slipped into my room as darkness fell, her medical bag clutched tightly in her hands. Her eyes darted nervously to the door before she approached my bed.
"I don't approve of this," she whispered, opening her bag. "You should rest."
"I can't," I replied, pushing myself up against the pillows. "He'll never let me go."
She sighed, removing several small vials filled with herbs. "This will mask your scent. It's not perfect, but it should be enough to confuse the trackers."
I took the mixture gratefully, dabbing it behind my ears and at my wrists. The sharp, earthy smell immediately began to override my natural scent.
"Thank you," I said softly. "For everything."
---
I waited until the pack house grew quiet. Most wolves would be gathered for the evening meal—Greyson included, if he'd returned from wherever he'd gone with Gracelyn.
Slipping from my bed, I changed into dark clothes and soft-soled boots. My fingers trembled as I removed my wedding ring, placing it carefully on the bedside table alongside the Luna seal—the symbol of my position, my identity for so many years.
"Goodbye," I whispered to the room that had been my home.
---
The storm hit just as I reached the edge of the territory. Rain lashed against my face, thunder crashed overhead, and lightning illuminated the forest in brief, electric flashes.
Perfect.
The downpour would help wash away my trail, making it harder for Greyson's trackers to follow my scent. I just needed to make it to the river—the boundary between Dark River and Silver Moon territories.
I stripped off my clothes, folding them neatly beneath a fallen log. The shift came painfully, my body still weak from the collapse at the festival. My wolf whimpered as bones cracked and reformed, fur sprouting across my skin.
"Almost there," I encouraged myself, stumbling forward on four paws.
The mate bond screamed in protest as I moved farther from Greyson. It felt like barbed wire being pulled through my chest, each step intensifying the agony. I could feel him now—his confusion, his growing anger as he sensed my distance.
"Stop," his voice commanded through our link. "Riley, STOP!"
I closed my eyes, focusing on the mental barriers I'd been practicing since the festival. Block him out. Protect our pup.
---
The river was swollen from the rain, its surface churning with dark water. I paused at the bank, gathering my strength for the crossing.
"Find me," Greyson's voice echoed in my mind, weaker now as I strengthened my barriers. "You can't survive without me."
I snarled, leaping into the icy current. The water dragged at my fur, trying to pull me downstream, but I fought against it, stroke by powerful stroke.
With one final surge, I reached the opposite bank. My paws touched the soil of Silver Moon territory—my ancestral home.
Power surged through me—ancient, primal, undeniable. The land recognized its true heir, and for a moment, I felt connected to every Alpha who had come before me.
"Welcome home," the earth seemed to whisper.
I collapsed onto the muddy ground, exhaustion finally overtaking me. My wolf form trembled with the effort of crossing and the strain of blocking Greyson.
"Riley?" A voice called through the rain. "Is that you?"
I lifted my head weakly, seeing three figures approaching through the storm—Silver Moon border guards, their postures alert but not threatening.
"Luna Riley?" one of them asked, his voice filled with disbelief.
I tried to speak, but darkness was closing in. The last thing I saw was their faces—shock giving way to recognition and respect as they knelt beside me.
"The Alpha's daughter has returned," one whispered.
And then there was nothing but darkness and the distant howl of a wolf who had lost what he never truly valued.
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