Rachel's POV
I stood in the doorway with my gaze fixed on the cracked glass of the front door. That was my only opportunity. Clutched in my shaking palms, Ymir's scholarship letter's edges frayed from my continual hold. This was my time to break free from the years-old shackles binding me. Behind me, the awful house loomed, its frigid, forbidding walls unrelenting reminder of my captivity. Years of cleaning floors, preparing meals, and pretending to be invisible had trained me to move like a shadow, quiet and unnoticed. But my future was different today. I heard rapid, piercing footsteps coming near. The noise increased my heart rate. Ymir, her daughter, not her mother, was always the focus. Her laughing reverberating down the corridor nearly reached my ears. I had been living in her shadow for far too long. I could no longer wait. I had to go. Dashing out the door, the chilly night air gnawing at my skin, I didn't even glance back. Dim and only flickering street lights lighted the city streets. Though my breath was uneven, my heart raced in sync with every step. It seemed impossible. I was in charge of my destiny for the first time ever. A loud voice yelled from behind me. Rachel! Ymir's mother. In that one statement, I could sense the burden of her rage; there was no turning back. The sound of footsteps got louder, so I ran quicker, my heart pounding in my chest. Turning a corner, the moonlight shone off the damp pavement. I had to leave with no destination or plan. I didn't mind where I ended up, as long as was far from them, from this life I'd been pushed into. Then the footsteps ceased. I gasped. I was not by myself. I had wished to outpace them, but my prospects were fading. Though my legs ached, I kept going. The wind on my cheeks reminded me I was free, at least for now. I looked back but all I could see was the blur of the poorly illuminated city streets behind me. The longer I ran, the more my dread took hold. I had no idea how long I could maintain this. I had no definite strategy or sense of direction, but for the first time in years, I felt alive. The freedom was nearly overpowering, intoxicating. I rounded another corner, almost missing a trash bin. But that is when I heard it. The distinct sound of a voice. Rachel, stop! Gideon it was. I gasped and my heart skipped a beat. Gideon Nightshade All of them were etched into my memory: his name, his face, his frigid eyes. He was not meant to be here. He had been in the cult; now he was here observing me. His gaze on my back was a pressure that made my skin crawl. My thoughts ran wild. I could not run away from him. On my own, I'd never succeed. I required assistance. But the reality sunk in: the only one who might help me, the only one who might be able to stop Gideon, was far away. I kept going nevertheless. My body cried for rest, but I could not stop now. Footsteps behind me were growing closer. They were catching up on me, not only following me anymore. A yell rang out over the darkness. Rachel! Ymir spoke. She had caught up to. She was unyielding, so I knew she would. Panic shot through me and I fell. My chest heaving, my throat was tight. Though my body pleaded for me to stop, I would not. I would not return. I could not. Ducking into an alley, I attempted to lose myself in the shadows. Pressing my back against the brick wall, I tried to control my breathing while my heart raced in my chest. I was unable to think. All I could hear were footsteps behind me, drawing closer with every passing second. Clenching my hands, I attempted to suppress the growing anxiety in my chest. I was without destination. No way out. No chance. The cult was getting closer. In the dark I could hear their whispers, their murmurs like wind whispers. They were everywhere around me. I felt as though I was stuck in a nightmare from which I could not awaken. I could feel them there, lurking in the shadows, approaching me. Rachel, you can't run forever. The voice was chilly, known. I recognised it without looking. Gideon I spun around fast, wishing to escape. But it was useless. They were all over. The shadowy forms drew closer, their actions disturbingly quiet. I was encircled. Heart pounding, I attempted to run once more but they were too fast. A big arm caught me and yanked me back into the alley wall before I could take more than a few steps. Release me! I yelled, fighting the grip. It was useless, though. My strength sapped from the fear that had consumed me, my attempts were fruitless. I could see them now, covered faces, eyes shining with frigid expectation. To them, I was just a trophy, a means to achieve their own sinister goal. Rachel Bloodrose, the Luna. Gideon strode into the alley, a sneer twisting his lips and his gaze locking onto me, his voice cutting through the night air. You have been running from this fate for far too long. Cursing the weight of my coat that clung to me like a stifling memory of the life I was leaving behind, I dashed around corners, my chest heaving. There was just time to run, not to think. Right behind me was the cult. Not after all these years of hunting me, I knew they would not give up. They had been waiting for my slip-up, for this moment, and now I was theirs to take. Ignoring the pain in my side and the heat in my legs, I drove myself harder. Quicker and faster, one breath after another, my thoughts solely concentrated on the next step, the next corner, the next breath. All I could hear was the pounding of my heart and the flow of blood in my ears. They were behind me, though, and I could sense their presence like a frigid shadow. Turning another curve, I tripped on the uneven pavement. Though the rush of breath left my lungs, I struggled to get back on my feet, my knees quaking as I pressed ahead. The instant I looked back, a cultist emerged in the alleyway. There was no question about his dark, hooded shape. His eyes, unrelenting, predatory, fixed on me. He was closing the gap, drawing nearer. Though my legs cried for rest, I disregarded them. No time for frailty. Nearly blind with worry, I ran once more. I had to go on. Then came his voice. Rachel. Cold and smooth, as though he had been waiting for this moment, like he knew I would never arrive. Rachel, you can run but I will always find you. I came to the edge where the known landmarks of the Pack's territory loomed large, promising what I wished would be refuge. Every step, every inch I closed in on safety made the nagging dread cling tighter. The cult would not let me go that easily. The limits might keep them out for now, but how long would they hold? Only one more step. I had to do it. The moment I crossed the queue, my muscular tension turned to relief. I collapsed against the stone wall, gasping, desperate to inhale air that seemed thick with the weight of my terror. My heart thudded hard in my chest, and my mind raced with the panic that hadn't yet dissipated. I made it. For now. I was safe. But when I tried to control my breathing, something gnawed at me. That voice. Gideon's words. "Your fate is already sealed, Luna." I shook my head, trying to rid the echo from my consciousness. But the relief was short-lived. As my body trembled with tiredness, the words stuck. The Pack's secure refuge appeared to shift, the shadows around me stretching impossibly long. A single howl penetrated the silence, piercing and guttural. It resonated through the air, but it wasn't simply a wolf's call, it was something deeper, something primal. I paused for a beat. The call seemed too near, like if it were intended for me. Then reality came crashing in. Colder than ever, Gideon's voice rang out across the quiet. Luna, your fate is already sealed.