Eternal

Chapter IV - Megillah

Megillah – (n): a lengthy and tediously complicated situation or matter.

Origin – Yiddish

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Jessica looked around her carefully before rounding the large tent and running away from it. She made sure that her father was in the labs before making her escape. She couldn't trigger his wrath, even if she was his only child. She knew it was a risky move on her part, but Jessica couldn't stay there any longer. She had to escape. She needed to.

The torture and pain he put her through was more than she can handle. She needed to be free. So with that thought in mind, she headed straight for the woods. She didn't dare glance behind her. She ran with all her might across the forest. She didn't care about the cuts on her body, nor did she care about the ache in her shoulder. The only thing Jessica cared about was the fact that she needed to get as far away as she could.

The adrenaline coursing through her body prompted her to go faster. She couldn't describe the feeling of being finally free. She thought she was stuck and might never get away from his clutches, but here she was, racing across the woods without looking back.

Jessica pushed and pushed until she could go no more. The rush flowing through her body slowly dissipated, forcing her body to crumble after an hour and a half of nonstop running. She desperately needed a break. Her body was hurting all over, and her strength was dwindling.

But none of it mattered to her. Knowing that she was away from him made her sigh in relief. Even if he was her father, she never considered him her dad. The things he put her through barely let her sleep at night. She was finally safe from that hell. But little did she know that she walked away from a trap, only to fall into another.

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"Alpha, we have a situation." His beta called.

The alpha looked up from the papers sprawled across him towards the entrance, where his second-in-command stood. Anxiety was evident all across her face, and for a second, he felt guilty for all the stress he's putting his members through, especially her. But it was something he needed to do.

With all the movements the hunters are making, he was suspicious of an incoming attack. However, to ensure his members' safety, he had to go to extreme measures, and he needed their help. They were a small tribe in the end. They had to work as one to guarantee their survival.

"I'm coming." He said, standing up and making his way outside.

His warriors were gathered around a bush where he could see a form hiding. He had no idea whom it could be, but he was certain that he was not expecting anyone on his lands. Therefore, only a specific group would be bold enough to trespass.

"Show yourself or face the consequences!" His voice boomed across the area. He stared intently at the space where he knew the intruder was keeping out of sight. The command was loud and clear, and the one hiding there was finding difficulty in neglecting it.

The bushes started rustling, causing the warriors to stiffen and stand up straighter preparing themselves to attack. To an outsider, their numbers may not be much. It may seem that they stood no chance against whoever attacked them, but this didn't show their strength. One fighter among these thirty men equalled ten other average warriors. They were trained by the previous royal gamma, after all.

Their stances were rigid, and anticipation was coursing through their veins. They expected the worse to arise, yet, life surprises a person with the thing he least expects. A woman, not older than twenty-five, emerges from the edge of the woods throwing all those present off guard. Her red hair was in a tangled mess at the top of her head, and her face was smudged with the dirt of the forest. She raised her hands high where everyone could see them. She didn't mean any harm. She only wanted to escape the place she landed herself in and be free.