Chapter 20; India's embrace

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I am very sorry for not updating! If you want to know why, I have left an author note before this chapter. I'm gonna try and update as often as I can, provided that I have the time. I would much rather put out the best work that I can rather than something half-arsed.  Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas. Also, please note that I have never actually been to India lol.

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Alice hated planes. Not because she was particularly afraid of flying but because she really didn't like being stuck in a small cramped space with strangers. It was her instinct to always be on the run. It was the way she had survived this long. But with being up in the air with no place to escape, she felt suffocated. Terror was a constant feeling that encompassed her ever since she had sat down in the first class area; Colden claimed that it'd be harder for the Lycan's to track them and to wreak havoc. After all, they were surrounded by humans and keeping their existence a secret was vital.

It gave Alice little comfort. Of course, she didn't bother voicing her concerns. She had promised to try- to be better. 

Colden's arm brushed against hers as she sighed and peered out of the window. Clouds meddled with the purple hues and orange light as the sun rose up from its slumber. It was a breathtaking sight, even if the lack of solid ground made her queasy. 

"How much left?" Alice mused. When she looked at the Alpha next to her, she found that his gaze was already trained on her face. There was something soft in his expression, something light...she had noticed the change ever since their conversation in the forest. 

"A few hours," Colden murmured after a few, deliberately slow, seconds. 

Alice's breath haltered as he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. She felt the instinct to run, to shield away from his touch in fear that somehow the darkness within her would come up. Nothing came. It was a shocking realisation and it had crossed her mind that it was gone. But Alice knew that it would be too good to be true.

"What?" There was a glint in his eyes.

She had been staring. Heat trailed up her neck at the thought, "nothing," she muttered unable to hold his gaze.

A smirk tugged at the corners of his mouth. Instead of answering, he brushed his knuckle against her heated cheek and guided her head down to his chest.

Uncertainty mixed with embarrassment flooded her but she felt his chest purr as his hand stroked her hair. Alice knew that she was letting herself melt into him too fast; it was almost embarrassing the way heat flooded her core and warmed her blackened heart. There was no room for darkness within her when she felt so light, so at peace...Alice sucked in her breath, her eyes closed shut. 

Guilt swarmed her mind at the way that she had treated them. She remembered his words, the reassurance that it wasn't her fault...Alice couldn't help but think otherwise. "Soon," he murmured in her ear, a breathy whisper of a promise, "soon you'll be safe.

From yourself, she heard the unspoken words.  

Alice didn't let herself focus on the promise. 

When she awoke, she was being carried in Colden's arms. His earthy scent hit her nose as a hot breeze wafted around them. Alice could smell the spices in the air, the smell of mangos and sweat as they moved through thriving streets.

She was in India, the one place she thought that she'd never run to. But they weren't running, Alice reminded herself. They were seeking out a pack who would tell them the truth. About herself and whatever that was going on. 

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