9. ESCAPE

From her position on the floor, Gil listened intently to the strangers' conversation. They were shouting and leaping with euphoria following the elder's announcement until finally, they halted at the voice of one among them. "Hold on, my Alpha. Did you say the ceremony would be performed today? But it's not the full moon, my Alpha. Shouldn't it be at its zenith for everything to take effect?"

The one who appears to be the alpha responds, "True, but that doesn't matter right now. Her wolf has already awakened; if we allow her to transform, we won't be able to do it later. We can't risk him realising we have her. I don't know why, but I feel he's connected to her. She carries his essence in her very being. Didn't you notice it when you were with her?"

"That's impossible. The bond can only be formed after she transforms. Besides, we've never seen him near her," asserts one of the kidnappers.

And Gil understood the fear she had always seen in her parents' eyes, always looking around and taking extreme care, insisting she inform them of her whereabouts at all times. What they feared was true; she had been under surveillance all this time, waiting for her to grow up. She doesn't know the exact reason, but she feels a surge of relief hearing that they haven't seen her wolf.

At least that's what she believes she understands when they refer to him as Alpha. She had heard her parents use that term once or twice. Could he be the leader of a pack of wolves and not alone? She felt so distant from him now, filled with sorrow at the thought that she might never see him again.

"Focus, Gil!" Lúa's voice commanded inside her head. "We must listen to everything they say to know the precise moment when we'll escape. Stop thinking about such nonsense now."

"Sorry, Lúa," Gil whispered in her mind, steeling herself to pay close attention once more.

Gil did as the voice in her head, known as Lúa, instructed, focusing all her senses on the men's conversation.

"You fool!" the elder they call Alpha bellowed. "That Cursed Alpha is more powerful than you can fathom. He could slip right under your noses undetected. That is why we haven't declared war; he would annihilate us in an instant. That's why I am determined to make my daughter his Luna. This girl is the Luna of the Cursed Alpha; I will extract every drop of her blood to be consumed by mine, turning her into his other half. It's the only way to infiltrate his pack, and from there, we will take control from the inside."

The men responded with a grave tone, "It shall be done as you command, my Alpha."

Another interjected with a question, "Are you certain you'll manage to deceive him, that is, to confuse him? If he's as powerful as you say, won't he see through the deception?"

The Alpha fell silent for a moment before responding, "We only need one night within his pack; the rest is up to us. Go and do as I've instructed."

"At once, my Alpha!" They departed, conversing amongst themselves, leaving her in complete darkness.

"Am I the Luna of the Cursed Alpha? What are these madmen talking about? Transform me? Into what do they expect me to transform?" Gil pondered, frightened and cowering. "They must be mistaken; I am but a mere human. What ritual are they referring to?"

Gil's thoughts raced as she lay in the darkness, grappling with the reality of her situation and the chilling implications of the strangers' words.

Gil, stop fretting over nonsense. If you'd listened to me, we wouldn't be in this predicament.

I had no idea it was a trap set by that odd girl named Luna.

I told you so!

Alright, she duped me by feigning illness. But what now? Did you hear what they were discussing? Into what do they believe I am to transform?

It was something they were about to reveal. Stop worrying about that; the crucial thing now is to escape. We must escape, Gil, or we shall perish!

Lúa, you're right, escaping is the most pressing matter at hand!

At that moment, Gil felt a formidable power burgeoning within her. Lúa's voice insisted they had to flee before it was too late. She began to hear every sound in the forest with astonishing clarity, even the faintest ones. She opened her eyes and was amazed to see clearly in the darkness.

Gil, relax, let me take control, Lúa implored.

What control?

Trust me, Gil. Just relax and I will handle the rest.

Very well, Lúa.

Gil didn't understand what this voice named Lúa in her head meant, but in her current predicament, any assistance was welcome. Something peculiar was happening to her; she felt an inner force coursing through her entire body as if there was something more within her, imbuing her with energy. Fear transformed into stealth; she had to stay alert. She sniffed the air and knew that the men who had captured her were returning.

When they came for her, she was prepared. They dragged her out still feigning disarray through the door to a clearing where she could see a sort of altar.

"Is she still asleep?" an elder inquired.

It was the same voice she'd heard upon arrival. Through her lashes, she could make everything out with stark clarity; it was as if everything around her had turned to monochrome, and she could see it all perfectly.

"Yes, she hasn't eaten or drunk anything all day; she's weak, that's surely why she remains asleep," one of her captors explained.

"Leave her there and fetch the others," the elder Alpha commanded. "Has my daughter Luna arrived?"

"Yes, just a moment ago," another replied. "Shall I tell her to come?"

"Yes, she is the one who must drink all the blood that I extract from the girl," he explained, yanking at her hair and attempting to pry her eyes open again before violently dropping her. The sound of thunder rumbled in the distance, followed by a bright flash of lightning. "Hurry up, it looks like rain is on the way. Besides, I can't shake the feeling of impending danger. Don't forget to tell the elders to come."

"Yes, my Alpha."

"This is our chance, Gil," Lúa's voice whispered in her head. "We must escape now while he's alone. Wait for my signal."

"Yes."

For reasons unknown, Gil had begun to perceive Lúa as another being who accompanied and aided her, especially one who seemed to know better what to do in that moment. Thus, she decided to trust her. She waited for the others to move far enough away until their footsteps faded into silence.

"Now, Gil!" Lúa shouted in her mind.

Gil sprang to her feet and shoved the elder with such force that he flew through the air and crashed against a tree, striking it hard. She looked at her hands in astonishment, amazed by her own strength.

"Run, Gil, run!"

Lúa's voice in her head spurred her into action. She bolted into the forest with all her might, not looking back, chased by men intent on killing her, and what seemed like wolves. Lúa's guidance was clear in her mind, and she followed it. She occasionally felt the urge to run on all fours but didn't understand why.

Reaching a clearing with a large river, she threw herself into the water without remembering she couldn't swim, clinging desperately to a log that appeared seemingly out of nowhere. In the distance, she could hear the voices of her pursuers.

"Catch her; she cannot escape! If she unites with the Cursed Alpha, they will be invincible, and he will destroy us for having abducted her!"

She kicked vigorously with her legs, the current dragging her along; she nearly let go of the log several times and swallowed water repeatedly.

"Move your feet, Gil, move them!" Lúa urges in her head.

"I can't go on, Lúa; I'm so cold."

"Leave that to me, just keep moving. He will come for us soon; we must hold on! We must do this, Gil, or they will kill us."

"Who is he, Lúa? Dad?"

She receives no response, but she feels a shiver across her skin that warms her slightly. The current becomes violent; a cacophony of what sounds like a distant battle reaches her ears, mixed with howls and growls. Her body is freezing; she sinks several times, swallowing water, but manages to cling to the log again.

The current is fierce, pulling her over a sort of waterfall. When she resurfaces, the water is calmer; the voices, growls, and howls are no longer audible. The water has apparently carried her far from her captors.

She stops, everything is pitch black. She makes it to the shore; it's raining, and she can see nothing now, nor can she hear Lúa in her head. She tries to stand, but her limbs are numb and painful; they won't support her. She falls, curling up on the ground in tears.

Footsteps halt beside her. She lifts her head in terror. Four paws stand at her side. Raising her gaze, she cannot believe what she sees. A massive wolf stands panting before her, mouth agape, its enormous fangs bared, tongue lolling out bloodied, looking at her intently with its red eyes. She trembles with fear, thinking she is about to die.

In the city, hours earlier, Serafín arrived home to find Nara in a state of considerable distress.

"What's the matter?" he immediately asks, fearing the worst

"Gil hasn't come back and I have this dreadful feeling. I went to her school and they told me someone had taken her. What do we do, dear? I've been calling her mobile and it's switched off. Someone mentioned they saw her looking dishevelled and being carried away. None of her friends know anything. They've captured her, Serafín, they've got her! I could distinctly smell their scent at the school."

"They must have been waiting for her to turn sixteen; they've been watching us and we didn't realise. Have you tried reaching out to her through the link?"

"Yes, but to no avail. Would you try?"

He concentrates, transforming into a large brown wolf, but to no avail. He reverts to human form.

"I can't sense her; they must have taken her back to their pack. There's only one thing we can do now—inform the Alpha. He has a connection with her; he will be able to locate her wherever they've taken her because he's very powerful."

"That's true, please do it, dear. Hurry, it's been over two hours since they took her."

They rush into the woods, morph into wolves, and call out to the Alpha, who after a while finally responds.

"What is it, Serafín?"

"They've taken her, my Alpha! They've taken Gil!"