The Alpha's Mistress

74

Word count: 3104

~Sienna

I can't stay here.

If I stay here, I'm going to be Zion's prisoner, Alston's bride and a vessel for his heir. If I stay here, Onyx is going to notice my absence and he's going to go to great lengths to get me back.

So I'm left with only one option: I must escape.

Dressing quickly, I choose dark clothing and lace up my boots tightly. My hands shake as I loop and twist the laces around themselves, adrenaline already thumping through me.

I've been anticipating this night. I've had an escape plan in my head since the moment I got here, and it's finally time to use it.

Beyond the door a guard will be standing all night. Both the window in my bedroom and bathroom don't open, meaning if I want to escape, I'm going to have to break my way out.

I don't bother taking a single item. Anything else than the clothes on my back will weigh me down, and I'm going to have to make a quick escape if I want any chance of getting over Zion's border and into Maren's pack.

Yanking everything off my bed, I grab a sheet and take it with me into the bathroom. If I break the bedroom window the guard outside the door will overhear, so I close the bathroom door behind me as silently pray I won't be overheard.

With the light off, I peer through the window, looking down at the shrubbery below.

Most of the guards consolidate around the front at this time of night, while some roam around the perimeter. Thankfully most are on the edge of the property, so as long as I can keep to the shadows I should be able to get around back and move through the house to find this secret exit tunnel.

Wrapping the sheet around my fist, I twist it up my arm and tie it as tightly as I can manage. Then, I step into the bath, trying not to slip on the droplets of water still dotting the surface as I line my covered fist up with window.

Please let this work.

The first thud of my fist against glass causes it to tremble in the frame. Releasing a breath, I shake my arm, trying to stop myself from holding back.

Rearing my arm back, I slam my fist as hard as I can manage into the glass. It fractures then shatters, a large piece popping out before falling down into the bushes below. A few shards rain down into the bath, nicking the skin of my arms.

Grimacing at the loud, I glance over my shoulder and pause, listening out to hear if the bedroom door has opened. After a few beats, the only sound is the blood rushing in my ears and blissful silence coming from the room.

I don't waste any more time. I use my wrapped up hand to brush the glass off my clothing and push away the rest of the glass in the frame before I unwind the sheet and toss it to the side.

Step one is completed.

The night air is bitter and cool against my flushed cheeks as I sweep my legs over the window sill and sit on it. My stomach pitches as I drop my gaze, seeing how far down the ground is, and how far up I am.

"Come on, Sienna," I breathe lowly, my grip tightening on the window sill. "You got this."

Thankfully the exterior of the home is old brick with plenty of worn down mortar that I can wedge my fingers against to scale toward.

Holding my breath, I begin my descent.

My fingers, tinged a vibrant red, slot between the bricks as much as I can manage, while my boots struggle for purchase. It takes minutes of painful scrambling as I pick my way downward while keeping an eye out for guards.

A dark wind presses against the side of my body as I continue slowly down, my fingers aching painfully, sharp chunks of brick and mortar cutting into the tips as I bare my weight down upon them.

Eventually I get low enough that I jump, landing with a jarring thud amidst a cluster of bushes now sprinkled with glass.

Shaking out my hands, I curse. My hands shake as I stare down at my upturned palms, my fingertips stinging with some punctured in places.

I can't worry about the pain now...I need to press on.

Keeping close to the exterior wall, I make my way around the manor. At one point I spy a guard close to the perimeter fence, but he doesn't notice me slink through the bushes, hidden deep within the shadows.

The back door is slightly ajar when I come up to it, servants still flowing in and out as they finish up their work for the day.

Gliding inside, I sigh in relief from being out of the cold, continuing down the barren corridor back into the home.

Somewhere Alston is trying to sleep, contemplating the choice he has made...I hope he regrets it. I hope he realises what a fool he's chosen to be, and how it's going to get him killed.

With the dim lighting and unfamiliar surroundings, I'm finding it difficult to navigate the many servants hallways and doors that open up into varying rooms.

Eventually I stumble into a kitchen, the scent of dinner still hanging in the air. Pausing in front of a knife block, I stare at it before extracting one of the knives, tucking it safely behind my back.

Now I just need to find someone, as I'm never going to find this passage by morning.

I manage to find a girl in a side room, her back to me as she digs through her bag. My footsteps are near silent as I approach her, pulling the knife out from behind my back.

She yelps as I grab her shoulder and twist her around, shoving her back into the wall. Banding my forearm across her clavicle, I just my other hand to hold the knife against her neck.

For a moment she reminds me of Alex with her bright blue eyes that widen in fear, a gasp catching in her throat.

"I'm so sorry but you need to tell me where the entrance is to secret exit is that comes out by the old well," I instruct lowly, keeping the blade of the knife pressed against her skin, but not close enough to cut.

She frowns, panic lacing her words. "Secret exit? I have no idea what you are talking about?"

I can hear the restraint in her voice as she tosses up whether she should keep a long held secret or if she should just be honest.
 
"The old service tunnel. Where is the entrance?" I hiss, anxious to get the information I need before someone notices a hole in the bathroom window.

"I have no idea what you mean—"

Pressing the knife close enough to almost pierce her skin makes her draw in a sharp breath. I hate that I'm doing this, but if I have to choose this or losing my freedom, the choice doesn't end up feeling so difficult to make.

"Tell me," I growl, hoping she can see the desperation in my eyes.

"Fine, okay," she grits out. "It's in the pantry. No one should be in the kitchen."

"Take me to it," I order, releasing the knife from her neck, although I keep it pointed directly at her.

She pushes off the wall, watching me from the corner of her eye as she leads me from the room and back to the kitchen. Her shoulders are tense and she's clearly terrified, but I don't think she's going to run.

"He's going to find you and drag you back here," she mumbles.

I sigh. Of course she recognises me.

"Maybe, but not because you told him where I'm going." I follow her into the kitchen, my the tip of my knife inches from her back.

I really hope she doesn't make a move to run...I don't want to use this knife against her, even if it means Alston and Zion finding out I'm running.

"It's there." She points at the massive pantry doors the house enough food for this entire manor. "Some people use it to get in and out after a day's work, so the torches should still be lit."

She opens the doors, igniting a light that reveals towering shelves stocked with food and at the very back, a door stands an innocuous door that I would otherwise have never come across my entire time living here.

"Thank you," I say to the girl, dropping the knife onto the counter beside me. "I'm sorry about the knife to the neck."

"Yeah. Okay." She rubs her arm, looking ready to dart from the room.

"And I'm sorry about knocking you out. I can't have this getting back to one of the guards," I muse solemnly.

"What—"

I'm on her on a second, using all my force to knock her head against the wall. She immediately slumps, unconscious, into my arms. I gently let her down, propping her back up against the cabinet.

"Sorry, again," I murmur, patting her on the head once before closing the pantry door behind me.

The hidden door opens up to a long set of concrete stairs. I follow them down quickly, trying not to slip on the damp surface, blinking my eyes in hopes they will adjust to the darkness.

My knees are aching by the time I reach the bottom. The tunnel seems endlessly long and narrow, lit with torches that guide me away from the manor.

The constant sound of dripping into shallow puddles and my footsteps echoing against the walls accompanies me on the long walk.

Every so often I glance over my shoulder, trying to ensure no one is following me.

But it's only me in this long, lonely corridor.

I'm not sure how long I'm walking. Eventually a small gleam of light is visible amidst the distant darkness. With each step it grows larger, until the mouth of the tunnel is visible. I run toward it, desperate to breathe in fresh air over this dankness.

The tunnel spits me out in an overgrown clearing in the woods. Long grass licks up my legs as I trample through it toward the old well. It's overcome with wildlife and moss, and when I look down, it travels deep into the earth.

Looking back over my shoulder, I see nothing but trees clustered tightly together. The manor is a distance away, but if Alston notices I'm missing, he will send guards straight here.

So I start off down a slight slope toward the sound of a chaotic river, hoping that if I follow it for long enough, it will lead me to some kind of civilisation.

I find the narrow river the slithers haphazardly through trees. Following along the side of it, I keep my footsteps light, stepping on rocks and stones when I can to avoid leaving tracks.

The sun is starting to rise, casting a pinkish glow over the landscape.

Everything is silent...for now. A maid will come to my room and notice me missing within the next hour.

Eventually the river leads me to a small village that is starting to awaken. People mull about doing their daily chores, mercifully ignoring me.

As I pass through the cobbled main street, I look at the faces of Zion's pack members, grateful they have no idea who I am.

My steps halt as one of Zion's soldiers catches my eye.

There is no doubting that this is a solider as they question a civilian who looks utterly petrified. And there is no doubt they are here looking for me.

I make my way quickly behind home, keeping to the back of a few until a bridge comes into view. Beneath it a river travels by, although there's a decent amount of land on either side that I clamber up to, settling into the shadows as I hear transports pass over above me.

I'll have to wait until sundown if I want a chance of getting out of here unseen.

For a while I sit and listen closely to the chatter of guards out searching for me. Eventually my fatigue from a lack of sleep and endless walking catches up to me and against my will, I fall asleep.

I wake again with a start.

The air is cool and weighted with dark around me. Groaning I lean up, grimacing at my stiff limbs and heavy lids. My clothing is smeared with dirt and the river water has risen up to my toes.

It's night time. I need to make my escape out of this village and to the border now.

Clambering out from under the bridge, I peer around. Noise comes from inside a nearby building, sounding animated and joyful. Outside, a few horses are tethered to a post, swishing their heads from side to side as they await their owner.

Guilt only plagues me for a moment as I approach one of the horses, giving it's muzzle a stroke before I unhook it from where it is tethered.

I've ridden a horse a few times in my life, but stopped when I was thrown not long after my mother and I first moved in with Onyx. It was the first time I ever saw him erupt into laughter, especially when I turned around and had mud smeared all over my backside.

Thankfully the horse is unbothered by its new rider as I clamber up onto its back, settling in comfortable.

Checking up and down the road, I notice a complete absence of people and guards, which means they have moved onto the next village in search of me.

I ride through the darkness, keeping close to the edge of the woods and out of visibility from the main road. Still, I keep it in my eyeline, knowing it leads straight to Maren's pack.

Maybe I won't be any safer there...it's impossible to tell.

All I know is that the wind whips through the fabric of my jacket and into the wet crevices of my boots. My fingers are utterly numb as they clutch the rope reigns, the horses hair feeling rough and coarse as it whips against my hands.

Transports pass along the road methodically, although none notice the desperate girl and her tired horse riding nearby. Due to the increased amount of them, it's clear Alston and Zion are stopping at nothing to find me.

What else did they expect me to do? Sit and wait obediently for them to push me like a doll into whatever position they desire?

Soon enough the landscape changes into moonlit meadows. My backside is aching from riding and my thighs are so chafed I can't bear to look down in case it makes me woozy.

I'm aiming for the very southern corner of Maren's border. It reaches the furthest into Zion's territory, and as long as I cross that line, Zion's guards can't cross without breaching some treaty.

Dawn breaks suddenly and brilliantly, casting a warm light over the meadows I ride through. My horse has tired and is going to balk any moment now. We got lucky with a stream an hour back that we were able to rest at for a moment, but I can't waste any more time.

I don't see any forms of life since I've departed from the main road to avoid being sited until right now.

An outpost stands against a paved road, tall and narrow. Considering the emerald coloured flags hanging against its exterior, it belongs to Maren and her guards.

Thank the Goddess.

The horse doesn't require my instruction to slow. It's clear reached the end of its patience with me. Sliding off its back, I bite my lip to hold back a cry as my legs nearly give out. Running my hands along the inside of my thigh, I wince at the welts I can feel have formed beneath the fabric of my pants.

After tying the horse to a tree, I pant it's neck tenderly before hobbling toward the entrance of the outpost, silently praying at least one guard beyond is merciful, and doesn't send me straight back.

The only hope I have is that Onyx and I are now legitimately married...I just don't know what damage Alston and Zion have done in spreading misinformation since I escaped.

Just as I'm about to knock on the door, a man stalks around the side of the building, stopping short when they see me.

We stare at each other in disbelief for a long few moments.

He wears a silver and black uniform — the colours of Onyx's army. It looks fresh and ironed, like he hasn't seen combat for a moment of his life.

"Miss Sienna," he breathes, shaking his head in bewilderment.

"You...you work for Alpha Onyx." My voice sounds croaky after my rough sleep, hours of riding and dodgy river water.

"I worked a guard at his home for some time before I got stationed here," he explains slowly. His face has lost all colour, like he's seen a ghost.

Clearly I'm the last person he expected to see out here, and he's also mine.

"You recognise me." I step forward, my legs trembling. This is my escape, my way home...

"I would recognise you anywhere," he admits, rubbing his brow. "What are you doing out here, in Maren's pack?"

I breathe out a long sigh of relief. I'm grateful I am truly over the border, and not at an ally outpost of Maren's in Zion's territory.
 
"Can you please take me back to Onyx? You have no idea what I went through to get here," I beg softly, motioning over myself.

I'm sure he can see how much of a mess I am, how exhausted I clearly am.

He nods affirmatively. "Absolutely. Let me prepare a transport and we'll leave right away."

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