The Trial She Faces

Chapter 8

It had taken Evie well over two hours to relax, finally assuring herself that her former pack would not hunt her down this far. This was difficult considering the paranoid thoughts racing in her mind telling her that Alpha Darren would be waiting for her at the end of the journey - waiting to drag her back and lock her up. After convincing herself otherwise, Evie was able to lay her head against the head rest and close her eyes.

She began drifting into sleep with Alpha Darren's words still echoing throughout her mind. Deep down, this fuelled her guilt, feeling as though she had abandoned her mum and Joanne. How could she leave them to his rage? Eventually her mind quietened as her body desperately needed sleep after her exhausting day and draining escape from the pack territory. She could dwell on the pit in her stomach when she woke up – after all, she assumed it would be a long time until this heavy feeling left her. Perhaps she would always be weighed down with this feeling. But not right now as her mind became muddled with sleep.

She remained in that place between awake and asleep, picturing her mum painting her new masterpiece with a ghost of a smile on her lips. Picturing Joanne shoeing the pack children away from the cookies that were freshly pulled out from the oven to stop them burning themselves. Picturing the paths she would usually follow on her afternoon walks through green canopys and small fields of wildflowers.

Evie kept dreaming peacefully for the next hour and the train travelled over the tracks creating a regular and soothing rhythm - one clack followed by another clack. The carriage quieted as the other passengers followed Evie's lead and slipped into slumber as the night outside became darker.

But shortly afterwards, Evie began to toss and turn, becoming disturbed from her previously peaceful state. Whipping her head back and forth, she sat up in her seat, back straight like a ruler, as a nauseous feeling overcame her and crawled up the back of her throat. Realising, that within seconds she would empty the contents of her gut, Evie lurched into the aisle and stumbled toward the tiny toilet located at the far end of the cabin.

Just as the door slammed closed behind her, acidic and watery vomit burst forth from her mouth into the toilet bowl. Snot leaked from her nose, and tears dripped from her scrunched up eyes as she continued to painfully gag but did not throw anything up. This continued for minutes that seemed to stretch for hours on endless hours. Dry. Abdominals clenching. Face screwed up tightly.

Finally, relief came over Evie and she was able to lean back and slide down onto the ground with her knees against her chest. Her head was thrown back, with her eyes still closed trying the recuperate herself.

Finally having a moment of clarity, Evie came to the realization what had caused her sudden, and violent illness. It could only be Adrian... he - he had moved on in a big and definitive way. He had slept with someone. He was making a statement to Evie, she was certain. He was saying that there was absolutely no way that they could ever recover their mate bond, no way that he would ever hold her in his arms and tell her that he loved every aspect of her.

This caused another wave of nausea to overtake Evie and a tightness in her chest restricted her breathing, coming to understand what he was communicating to her. However, it was also at that exact moment, Evie knew without a doubt, she had made the right decision in leaving him and the rest of the Emerald Eye pack behind.

Her actions given veracity, Evie stood up from the dirty floor of the cubicle and turned to face herself in the mirror. She knew looking into the stained and scratched mirror that the next few months would be filled with difficult days as her conviction waxed and waned - but one thing was for certain, she would persevere. She would not always be this girl looking back at her in the mirror with a snotty, red, tear-stained face, dominated by sunken and dull eyes. One day, she would build herself back up - better than ever before. And it would not be to prove Adrian and Blake wrong - although they were. It would be to prove to herself that she was worthy of life and joy. It would be to prove to her mum, that she had raised a strong woman who could endure hardships without the weight of them buckling her knees.

Evie briskly rinsed off her face, pushing Adrian's actions out of her mind. She would dwell on them or him. Instead, she opened the toilet door and began to make her way back to her designated seat, past the rows of sleeping passengers. Her held was held higher than it had been for the previous few days. Really, she held herself taller than she had for the past few years. A new Evie had been born in that toilet stall. No one - absolutely no one - was going to walk over this Evie. She was a new, proud, and strengthened Evie.

Sitting down, she pulled her backpack up onto the seat next to her. Unzipping it, she reached in, feeling around for the small, folded up map that her mum had been sure to include when packing. Unfolding it, she located the markings Joanne had added with a red sharpie in order for Evie to be able to identify the boundaries of the Three Mountain pack easily. Scanning her eyes over the paper she spotted the town that she was currently headed towards. Quickly she decided against catching another train to the next town over deciding she would be better off hiking the distance to the pack lands. Plus, she doubted that there would be any trains leaving at in that direction by the time they arrived, judging by how late in the night it now was. Moreover, the walk would give her the opportunity to properly think over what she would say when she arrived and was granted an audience with Alpha Ian.

Glancing down at the cheap, prepaid phone resting on top of the items in her backpack, Evie noted that it was approaching 11 o'clock at night. The train would be stopping within the next thirty minutes. Refreshed from her nap - even though it had been cut short - she concluded that she would probably be able to head straight to the pack boundaries. Her improved vision would allow her to travel in the woods without any issues and hopefully she would be meeting with Alpha Ian early the next morning.

Before long, the train pulled into the quiet station, and the tired passengers disembarked. Evie was one of the first to step onto the station platform. She headed directly out onto the lonely streets of the moderately sized town. Glancing down at the map in her hands one last time before folding it up, she headed down the road illuminated by the streetlights.

In a matter of minutes, she stood at the edge of a nature reserve, ready to begin her journey to the Three Mountain pack - ready to start her new life.