The Heat

4

As night fell, I had eaten the sandwich. I needed the energy for the trip back home.

I had opened the window in the room that I was kept in, almost laughing at the fact that Damian had actually thought I wouldn't be escaping through it.

He actually believed this mate shit meant something, and that with the pull towards him that I felt, I wouldn't be leaving. He couldn't have been more wrong.

I frowned when I realised what a jump it would be to the ground outside from the window. I couldn't make it as a human without breaking bones, but maybe if I shifted... then again, when I'd shifted earlier today, my wolf had completely taken over and I hadn't been able to control her, with my mate around.

Damian was still in this grand house, and I couldn't know if my wolf would prevent me from leaving, one way or another.

I had no other choice but to at least try.

I removed the clothes I had been given upon arriving into this room, and folded them neatly onto the bed. I then shifted, feeling the cold breeze from outside.

Stay. Mate... my wolf whined, knowing what I had planned. It took a lot of energy to control her, more energy than I would usually have used, and it worried me. I had her under some control now, but I wasn't sure for how long.

I jumped out of the window, landing onto the ground with a thud. I winced, immediately feeling a throbbing pain in my back right ankle. I had surely twisted it.

Now wasn't the time to get hung up on it though, as I needed to get away.

I began running towards the forest, limping and wincing at the pain in my ankle, navigating with the scent of my home.

I ran for God knows how long, surprised as I bumped into none of Damien's guards within the dark forest, before reaching the edge. From there, I only had a few miles until I'd be home.

Once I entered our territory, I felt safe. I calmed down and stopped running, instead making my way towards our pack house in peace.

The pain in my ankle was only made worse by the running, but I would worry about it once I got home.

My wolf was crying out for Damian and his wolf, but I somehow managed to keep control even as I felt the pull towards him become stronger the farther I got from him.

The guards of our pack knew who I was, with my father being their leader, so they hadn't stopped me once I'd entered our territory.

I limped home, and didn't shift until I had sneaked up into my room, guards not stopping me.

I winced at my thigh after I'd shifted, while tugging on clothes quickly. Once I was straightening up, my door flew open.

"Sofia!" It was my dad's voice. I didn't have much time to react as I was pulled into his arms. I immediately hugged back. "Dad".

"It was Alpha Damian," I told him, not letting go yet even as my mom rushed in behind him, and so did my brother, "I'm his- mate".

"What?" He was almost rough, stepping away from me with a displeased expression. I frowned, but my mother was quick to envelop me in her arms.

"I was so worried, darling," she told me, "we didn't know where you'd gone after Sawyer's funeral..."

"Damian kidnapped me," I explained, and told them everything that had happened next over a cup of tea downstairs.

My father had called over the beta right after, and they called up an emergency meeting.

Once my mother saw my ankle, she had immediately freaked out. I tried to assure her it was fine, and that I'd manage with a simple icepack, but she insisted on bringing me to the pack doctor.

With a bandage around my right ankle, I was finally able to sleep in the early hours of the morning.

Extra security had been added, and there was no way Damian could get to me again.