*Hands over the tissues* no more needs to be said. Enjoy.
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The next day was bittersweet. Alice tried to hide her sadness and the anxiety that pushed through as she ran with the pack for the first time. Her time was limited now and she knew that there was no point in procrastinating. If she didn't leave soon, Lucien would come for her. After Hades had appeared in her dream it had become clear, after all, she already sensed his presence around her, the glowing eyes and the prickling sensation of being watched. It wasn't something anyone needed to tell her but who else could it be?
Before they went to bed, Alice had pulled Colden into a small gazebo hidden among trees at the very back of the cabin. Ivy grew over it, sheltering them from the worst of the cold and wind. It was like a fairy house, filled with magic and wonder that perhaps on a different day, Alice would have itched to paint. The moment that they were alone amidst the trees and surrounded by the smell of the forest, Alice didn't waste time as her lips brushed across his, their touch feverish and eager.
They were both Alphas now and she was a wolf. There was a primal instinct within her to leave a mark of her own on his flesh, to show that he was too taken and that he was wanted. Her male and provider is what her beast called him. But she knew that it would only make it harder to leave. Maybe when this was over and if he could forgive her, maybe then they would become true mates. As Colden moved his body against hers, grunting with his teeth in her neck and their bodies layered with sweat, Alice could only focus on the love that burst through her chest whenever she met his eyes. Still, she kept those thoughts to herself.
Days began to blur together once more as she held off on leaving. She wasn't certain what it was, just that a large part of her soul couldn't bring itself to go. This was her pack now and the beast wanted to stay, to protect those it cared about. But the longer she stayed the more dangerous it became. Hades began to assault her dreams, silent words of warnings and fits of snarling rage. Alice knew that she was a fool. That she was selfish beyond belief. Yet still, she stayed in a false sense of security.
On the day that all the trees were officially barren and for the first time she saw speckles of ice, another wave of sadness had hit them. The tribe in India had been attacked, most slaughtered by beasts with red eyes. Tya was dead and Yona left heartbroken. It brought her little comfort that the Lycan's had seen death too, caused by the jungle and the wolves. But they were winners after all. Their destruction had hit its mark- her. It was not a random or staged attack, it was a warning and Alice knew that should she not heed it, they would soon find their way here. And then Lucien would have her no matter what and Colden would most likely be dead.
Her hands shook as she held the piece of paper, the pen gripped tightly in her left hand. The only advantage of her soul being part demon was the fact that shadows seemed to become her, even to the most heightened senses she was practically invisible. Colden had called her his little ninja, a term of endearment that made it all the more harder to say goodbye. Alice flickered her gaze to his sleeping form, his right arm draped over her empty side and his face stuffed into his own pillow. Colden's chest rose with deep sleep, the muscles of his back relaxed for once.
Alice's breath shuddered as she moved quietly to his side. Her heart felt as if someone had pierced it with a dagger, her chest constricted with the urge to scream and cry in frustration. It wasn't fair that Lucien was after her and that she had to do this. But if it meant keeping her pack safe, if it meant repaying for all the pain she had brought on by running, then she'd do it. Her lips brushed tenderly across his cheek as she left the folded note on the side table.
She didn't take much with her, just the clothes that were on her back. She'd let her beast take over once she was far enough from the pack house, and then she would run wherever her instinct took her. There was a part of her that was frightened at the unknown; she wasn't certain where Lucien was, where she'd even find him or how, but she knew enough that Hades, one way or another would guide her.
Alice released an agonized breath the moment cold air hit her body. She didn't look back as she walked further and further away from her mate and family, the shadows blending her into the night. After a twenty minute walk, deep within the forest, she shifted. Her clothes shredded to the ground around her as a whimper escaped her beast. She didn't want to go either, but both of them knew that was not something to be debated.
Without a backward glance, they ran, away from home and away from Colden. The moment they hit the pack borders, a loud and pain filled howl sounded in the distance. Alice could only grit her teeth and hold back her whimpers as she raced towards something that could potentially kill her. Death would be a mercy compared to the agony that filled her soul.
* * *
Colden wasn't certain what stirred him awake in the middle of the night. The fleeting dream of a dusk glowing meadow lingered on the back of his eyelids though, and he was certain that if he had continued dreaming it would have made for an entertaining plot line.
His nostrils flared at the scent of his mate, his Alice. The mattress shifted underneath his weight as he moved to reach out towards her, the urge to hold and kiss her overwhelming. Ever since he had marked her, ever since she became a true wolf, his instincts had strengthened. Even now he had to hold a leash on himself in case he did something she wouldn't want him to do.
Surprise struck him at the empty side of the bed, cold and not touched as if Alice hadn't even gone to sleep for at least an hour or two. He could have sworn that she had, but then he had been too exhausted to tell much of anything. Perhaps she was in the bathroom.
Colden's feet padded across the creaking floorboards. His wolf anticipated the sight of Alice's naked flesh, the urge to claim her all over again beating down on him as sudden anxiety filled him. It was like an itch he couldn't scratch, somewhere on his body, within him and yet not within his reach. The bathroom was empty, clean and dry enough to let him know that Alice hadn't been here.
Worry clouded his mind as he tugged his hand through his raven coloured hair. Where the hell could she be and so late at night? He knew that the news of the attack in the tribe in India had been a big blow to her, but he didn't anticipate for her to hide out from him. Unless...he shook the thought out of his head, now terrified of the possibility.
Alice couldn't have left him, could she? Not after everything and certainly not now. She was here somewhere, she had to be. Colden's eyes zeroed in on the folded piece of parchment on the bedside table. It was laced heavily with her scent, still fresh. But it hadn't been there the day before.
The fear turned his bones into lead as with shaking hands, he flipped the paper open. Nothing could describe the feeling as he read those cursive letters, words blurred with splashes of tears that Alice must have shed.
"I'm sorry that I must do this but Lucien has to be stopped and I am the only one who can do it. It may not make sense now but I promise you that when we see each other again, I will explain it all. Please forgive me.
I leave you my heart, Alice."
The snarl ripped out of his throat before rational thought hit him. His wolf tore through his skin in an instant as agony ripped shreds through him, so deep and profound that stars appeared in front of his eyes. His roar could be heard through the entire territory, the beast in him wanting his pain and hurt to be heard. She left, Alice fucking left and Colden didn't think he could take it. Not again and not like this. And it was all because of that bastard who he should have killed that night at the diner.
Tom exploded through the door, dressed in only his boxers and a pair of bunny slippers. His eyes were frantic as Colden snarled, agony rippling through his body. His eyes were glazed as his Delta bared his neck, eyes flickering from the letter to his beast.
But Colden had no fight in him left. His hackles died down and soon whimpers escaped him. Alice, his mate, his soul, his pumpkin had left. And he didn't even have a chance to stop it.
Tom's eyes scanned over the paper with urgent frantic energy. It crumpled in his hand as he met his eyes. "She's gone to kill him. She's gone to kill Lucien."
And then Colden's beasts howled into the night, his heart heavy with pain and grief at the upcoming doom. How could Alice ever survive a monster like the Lycan King? His mate may as well be dead.
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Dun dun dunnnnnnnnn! Yep, Alice is gone my lovelies but let me tell you, it's not over and I am SO FUCKING EXCITED FOR THE REMAINING CHAPTERS OMG. Finally, vengeance will be served *wink wink*
On that note, I'd like to apologise for not updating in a week. My final exam was on Wednesday and I needed a break from all the word vomit I've been spewing the past 2 weeks, and then I was over my boyfriends for a few days. I've already started writing the next chapter so hopefully, I'll have it up soon.