Eighth-Born Luna (Emily and Nathan) novel Chapter 2

Emily’s POV

I ran blindly through the corridor, my heart pounding.

“Stop her!” Beta Thomas’s furious roar echoed somewhere behind me, shaking the very walls of the packhouse.

My lungs burned. I turned sharply, nearly slipping. The guards' footsteps thundered closer. I dove behind a potted plant.

I squeezed into the narrow space, praying the thick, glossy leaves would shield me. I had hidden here as a child, and now, it was my only sanctuary.

Beta Thomas stormed right past my hiding spot without slowing down. I pressed both hands tightly over my mouth, tears stinging my eyes as I waited. One second. Two seconds. He missed me. He kept running.

A shaky breath escaped me, but the relief vanished in an instant. Muffled voices drifted from the door behind me.

“Everything’s ready?” a man whispered.

“They won’t even notice,” another replied with a sick laugh. “The coronation is almost over. Once it's done, that little omega bitch will be our toy every single night. I’m already imagining her moans when we break her…”

Horror completely consumed my mind. They were talking about me.

I stumbled backward, my chest hitching, and my shoulder clipped the heavy potted plant. It tilted and fell, shattering against the stone floor with a deafening crash.

“Who’s there?” a voice snapped from inside the room.

Screw it!

Footsteps thundered toward the door. I spun and bolted down the hallway.

“What were they talking about?” Nyx demanded in my mind, her voice trembling with rage.

“I don’t know!” I gasped internally, my legs pushing past their limit. “And right now, I don’t care! We have to get out of here!”

I rounded another corner and crashed into someone. Hands gripped my arms, trapping me.

I looked up, my eyes widening. Beatrice.

"Please," I begged, tears blurring my vision. "Let me go, Beatrice. We’re family. Remember our promise to protect each other?"

A flash of deep pain crossed Beatrice’s face. But then, her gaze hardened, and her hand moved protectively over her stomach.

My heart skipped a painful beat. She was pregnant.

“Emily…” Beatrice’s lip trembled, her voice cold and unforgiving. “Our parents died because of you. You're a curse to this pack.”

Before I could even plead, she screamed at the top of her lungs. “I FOUND HER! SHE’S HERE!”

The betrayal broke something deep inside me. How could my own sister do this?

I stumbled back, running as fast as my bruised feet could manage. I rushed through the kitchen and into the back hall. I pushed through the emergency exit, and the freezing night air hit my face. The sky was pitch black, hiding the stars. The metallic tang of ozone filled the air. A storm was coming.

I crouched low behind the big garbage bins, my body shaking from the cold. I looked toward the southern gate. Craig had been right.

Only one bored guard sat in the small security booth, distracted by the TV. No one was patrolling. This was my only chance to escape.

I crawled on my hands and knees under the booth windows, staying as low as I could. I reached the gate and pushed the stolen key into the rusty lock. Please work. Please, Moon Goddess, let me live.

The heavy iron gate groaned and opened only halfway before it jammed with a harsh metallic screech.

I didn't care. I squeezed through the narrow gap as fast as I could. First my shoulder, then my waist.

The guard looked up from his screen. Our eyes met through the glass. His face twisted with anger, and he slammed his hand on the red alarm button.

Sirens blared, loud and terrifying.

I panicked and jerked my body harder, but I got stuck. The iron bars pressed tightly against my ribs.

“Nyx!” I screamed in my mind, fear locking up my muscles. “I’m stuck! They’re coming!”

Guards rushed out of the packhouse behind me like a swarm of angry hornets. The guard scrambled out of his booth, his body already changing as he started to shift.

“Together, Emily!” Nyx growled in my mind. “Push!”

A sharp, blinding pain shot through my side. The jagged iron tore away the thin fabric of my white dress and cut into my skin.

I hit the dirt outside the gate, bleeding and raw, and ran toward the dark tree line.

Sharp branches tore at my bare skin, but I couldn't stop. Shouts thundered right behind me, getting closer and closer.

“She’s heading for the cliffs!”

“We’re gaining on her! Catch her!”

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