After Titan's warning, he was drained, sweat glistening on his brow, and his face pale, ready to take his leave from Orion and Luna Alina's company.
This wasn't the first, or even the second, time he'd had to deal with the fallout from one of Ayla's schemes, but it was by far the most exhausting.
He knew it wouldn't take long to bounce back from what he'd done: a little food, some rest, maybe a few healing activities, and he'd be back in top shape.
But first, he had to get himself and the others out of the wolves' den.
With Titan, Ayla, and now Phoenix leaving the meeting, they still needed to figure out what to do next.
Ayla was certain Titan had a trick up his sleeve after the way he'd pulled her and Phoenix out, but she had no idea what it was.
He must have had some sort of plan, right?
Now that Alexander had reunited with his mother and brother, everything should have been perfect for him and Ayla, or at least that was the impression they gave over lunch.
That was what every orphan dreamed of while growing up.
The trouble was, they now believed the old tales about the cursed wolf destined to unite all the lost wolves.
Ayla was in even more danger now than when she first arrived at that miserable pack.
Who would have thought that other wolves finding their family could end up going so terribly wrong for her?
All she wanted was to rescue Julius and introduce the girls to the Moonlight Shifters, the pack Stella was born into.
Maybe even give Stella a hand in finding her family.
Now, she wishes she had simply slipped away to the pack on her own, found Julius, and gotten him out without anyone noticing.
She could've skipped all this trouble if she'd just gone with her own plan, alone like she had always done everything.
Ayla would have been more alert and avoided getting tangled up in all the problems that came her way.
No witches, no drama with Alexander, no waiting to see what would happen with the girls or him before they could escape.
Now she had to wait for everyone to decide what they wanted to do before she could make a move.
Since she had no scent, she would have easily reached Julius and kept him hidden without any trouble.
Everyone else made this trip impossible to finish.
One positive outcome was that Titan stayed calm and managed to get her out of every bit of trouble she found herself in.
He felt the danger closing in on her once more and knew it was time to leave.
It wasn't just the packhouse, but Moonlight Shifters as a whole.
As Titan approached the front door of their lodging, he was sure his instincts were right.
Shaw was nowhere to be seen, and the guards had been swapped out for two others from the dungeon.
Ayla caught their scent instantly as she walked by.
As they stepped through the door of their makeshift pack house, Stella and Rhae sat at the table, their faces etched with pure exhaustion.
Stella lifted her head, her eyes filled with curiosity as she spotted them.
"What's going on with you three? Something's definitely up. Phoenix, what did you do this time?"
Phoenix looked a bit offended that she'd jump to blaming him for the problem, yet there was a smugness in his expression, knowing it was actually Ayla at fault.
"Love, it wasn't me this time, I swear. You've got to believe me."
At that moment, he walked up to her, gently taking her hands in his and pressing soft kisses on them.
"This time, it was all Ayla. Well, sort of. It's her fault, but not her fault if you know what I mean."
Stella smacked his shoulder.
"How can you blame Ayla for anything without giving me context? She'd never put us all in danger. All she ever does is look out for us. Except when she runs off trying to handle things on her own. Ohhh…"
Stella glanced at Ayla, then at Julius, and back again to Ayla.
"Did they find out what you did? You know... the thing?" she whispered, hoping the guards wouldn't overhear.
Ayla shook her head.
"No, it's not that, but it does have to do with me. Just know I need to get out of here," she whispered, "Me, him, and anyone else who wants to come with us have to leave as soon as possible."
Stella glanced at Rhae, then shifted her gaze to the rest of the group.
They still hadn't really figured out what they wanted to do.
The two of them were still getting a sense of what the pack had to offer, and they weren't finished exploring or getting to know the members yet.
They were searching for way too many answers.
From the way Ayla was acting, they got the sense that it wasn't quite what they had expected before arriving.
"What happened? Are they not the kind of wolves we thought?" Rhae asked.
Ayla glanced at Titan, unsure of how to respond, but he gave her a reassuring nod.
"That's not for us to decide. You need to make that choice yourself. The way they interact with me will be different from how they'll ever behave with you. It's hard to explain right now. You both have to choose whether to stay and join them now, or come with us, but we're leaving."
Ayla didn't like coming off so abruptly, but time was running out, and she was well aware of it.
The room grew quiet for a moment, as Stella and Rhae were probably having one of their usual private conversations.
Not wanting to rush them but needing an answer, Ayla gently cut in.
"Alright, ladies. We've got what we came for, and now it's your turn to decide. If we stay any longer, they will find Julius again."
That's when Rhae realized it for the first time and asked, "Where's Alexander?"
Titan took a step forward and said, "He's found his family."
No extra details, no explanations, just straight to the point.
"Is he not coming with us, then?" Stella asked, "He's part of our group, Julius's best friend, and his brother."
Julius glanced at Ayla and Titus, the same question clearly written across his face.
"We're not sure how to ask him without making it clear that we're trying to get away. If one of you can figure that out, maybe we can do it once we're safe."
At that moment, everyone's head turned as the front door swung open.
Ayla felt as if the air had been knocked out of her chest and just wouldn't come back.
She knew they were there for her.
It didn't take them long to decide to take her prisoner, the prized, cursed wolf, or to find proof that she had taken Julius back.
As soon as it opened, a head popped out from behind it. "Hey, guys," Alexander said, closing it behind him.
Ayla felt like she might collapse, caught between a wave of relief and a surge of fear.
"Why did you come back so soon?" she asked.
Alexander was puzzled by how she reacted when he showed up.
"They said I should come by to see how the girls' day went and hang out with you all while they prepare for a celebratory dinner. The Luna wants to show me off to the whole pack tonight and thank you for finding me. She even asked me to invite you personally! Also, Shaw showed up, and I wasn't in the mood to be around him."
Titan and Ayla shared a concerned glance.
"Did Shaw say anything while you were still there?" she asked.
"No, he just stared at me with dead eyes and didn't say a word, actually."
She could sense the tension creeping into Titan as they discussed Shaw and the way he'd been acting.
That's when she chose to shift the conversation toward the party instead.
"So, is that how the Luna plans to get me back in her grasp, by trapping me at this celebration of hers?"
Alexander scrunched his face and shook his head.
"No, Ayla, not everything is about you. She just wants to show everyone in the pack who I am and celebrate that I'm home."
This was it, the moment she'd make her escape, slipping away with everyone else while the whole territory was caught up in distraction.
"Well, Stella, Rhae, how was your day? That's what he came to ask for his mother," she said, her eyes filled with desperation.
Stella rolled her eyes and said, "Just talk to him. He'll help you. You know he will."
A puzzled expression crossed Alexander's face.
"Did I just walk in on a meeting you were all having without me?"
Ayla lowered her head, hoping to spare his feelings as she started to explain.
"It wasn't really a meeting. I just wasn't sure how you'd feel now that you've found your family. Remember how quickly Julius became loyal to Dominic? You looked so happy sitting and talking with them. You don't seem to notice what they're trying to do to me. The truth is, Julius and I aren't safe here. We need to get out fast. I asked the girls if they wanted to stay or come with us, assuming you wouldn't be able or wouldn't want to leave. I'm sorry."
Alexander gave her a look unlike anything she had ever seen.
It was a blend of loyalty, sorrow, and deep betrayal.
"Remember what you said about making assumptions. You were just going to leave without telling me, without even giving me the chance to go with you. What happened to the promise you made to never leave me again?"
Ayla felt the weight of her choices pressing down on her chest.
"Things have changed so much, Alex, and you know it. Can you really even consider leaving your family after just finding them? They're throwing a party in your honor soon. What kind of person would ask you to walk away from that?"
As hard as it was to hear she'd be leaving without saying goodbye, deep down, he understood.
That was just Ayla, and he couldn't blame her for staying true to who she was.
When she was in trouble, or anyone for that matter, she did what needed to be done.
If there was a way to keep the people she cared about safe along the way, she took it.
Saying goodbye to him could land her and Alexander in a risky situation.
"I understand why you made your choice. Maybe there's a way I can help. What if I stayed behind willingly to be your inside man? I could create a distraction and help you make your escape."
Ayla managed a faint, sorrowful smile.
"You'd really do that for me, after all that's happened?"
"I'd do that for all of you after everything that's happened. You're special, Ayla, just like they said, though they don't realize just how special you are, and I hope they never do. You're all going to need as much help as you can get, so why not let me be the one to give it? Stella and Rhae need to decide quickly whether they're going with you or with me. Either way, they'll be in good hands."
As he finished speaking, Ayla stepped forward, wrapped her arms around his neck, and gave him one final kiss goodbye.
She didn't mind that Titan was in the room, nor did she care if it upset him.
Alexander was doing something he didn't really need to do for everyone.
That got him one final goodbye kiss from her.
She didn't want to see his reaction, so she kept her eyes away from him as she spoke to Alexander, perhaps for the last time, yet his disdain still pulsed through their connection.
"Thank you for giving me my first safe place to land in Scarlet Crest. With you, I was finally able to stop running, even if just for a little while. You will always hold a special place in my heart."
"I'll always love you, Ayla. Now that Julius and I have found our family, let's see if you can find yours."
Stella waited for them to wrap up before stepping forward with the decisions she and Rhae had made.
"We've made our decision. If the three of you can part ways, then Rhae and I can as well. It won't be easy, but I'll stay here with you, Alexander, while Rhae heads home with the others. There's no way I'm leaving you to fend for yourself."
Rhae almost let the tears building spill from her eyes as she clung to her best friend in a tight, unyielding hug.
Her voice trembled as she fought to keep it together while saying goodbye to her best friend and sister by choice.
"I'll come back to visit, and when I do, I want to hear all about your families and the adventures you've had."
With everyone clear on who was going where, it was time to get moving.
The entire town was heading to the pack house for an important announcement, buzzing with excitement and too busy to pay much attention to anything around them.
That meant the area around them would basically be empty and lifeless.
If they were going to leave, that was the moment to do it, because they wouldn't get a better chance than that.
Alexander and Stella stepped out the front door to chat with the two guards on duty, keeping them occupied with directional questions and questions about what happened at the celebrations, while the others slipped out the back.
The group knew it wouldn't be a walk in the park, even with the buzz in the territory, but they were ready.
Titan slowly eased open the back door and peeked out to check if the coast was clear.
Seeing no wolves around, they took off one by one, darting from building to building, slipping past posted guards and wandering patrols, until they reached the edge of town.
All that was left was to dash from the last house to the woods.
They had to wait for the final group of guards to pass before they could proceed.
Orion knew better than to be foolish with Ayla.
Hosting a major festival didn't mean he was about to pull his guards from the border, not after the stunts she had already pulled.
Titan needed to make a quick decision.
They sat huddled in the shadows of the last house, with no clear idea of how they'd make it to the woods, with a set of patrolling guards on the other side, not far from them.
Rhae smiled, a sly grin that hinted she was in on a secret the others hadn't figured out.
It wasn't like her to smile out of nowhere, but when she squeezed Raphael's hand, he could tell something was about to happen.
Stella was ready to lend them a hand in a major way.
Raphael gave Rhae a nod, certain that their moment was just around the corner.
Like a chain reaction, each wolf passed the word to the next to stay put and wait.
Something was about to happen, and then they could head into the woods and run until they couldn't anymore.
They all knew they had to keep running, but they also needed to be ready for whatever lay ahead.
Ayla was meant to be on her way to the celebration, and any moment now, everyone would realize she wasn't anywhere to be found.