~Dahlia's POV~
I know that the Alpha had given me until the weekend to leave the pack but I couldn't risk staying any longer. My daughter and I were in danger and I could feel it from the way the palace guards seemed to watch my every movement like hawks.
They were everywhere I went, watching me, sometimes striking conversations with me which were strange and scary at the same time.
One evening, after I had prepared dinner for the palace guards and had successfully spiked it with an elixir whose purpose was to make them fall into deep sleep for a couple of hours, I sneaked into the children's quarters and headed straight for Amara. Amara wasn't difficult to find in this quarters because just like me, she had also been secluded from the rest. The children here didn't like her either, just like their parents hated me.
However, as soon as I picked her up, she winced and my eyes widened when I noticed a small gash on her left knee and her busted lower lip which now was coated in dry blood. I instinctively realized that she was being bullied too just as I was and this made tears spring into my eyes. I couldn't help it, I cried for my daughter as she was too young and still too fragile to have to suffer through things like this.
Earlier today, I had been skeptical about my plans of escaping but after this… after seeing my daughter in this state, my mind was made up. Carefully, I picked her up and threw her over my shoulder. I heard her sharp intake of breath and I knew that I must've hit somewhere that hurt but I was too desperate now to stop to check. All I wanted was to get her out of here.
"Mommy, what're you doin'?" I heard her call out to me and with the softest voice I could muster with tears flowing down my face, I whispered; "I'm taking you away from here. Just stay put."
And she did.
She made no sounds as I led her out of the room and out of the children's quarters altogether. We made a beeline then to my room where I packed a small bag containing fruits, water, some vegetables and a few clothes; And after we were done with that, I picked her up, sneaked out through the back door and ran into the bushes behind the pack.
With my heart pounding against my chest, I sprinted. I had no idea where I was headed but I knew I had to be as far away as possible so I ran blindly. For myself. For my daughter.
We had only run a few yards away from the pack when a loud noise behind us caught my attention. Quickly, I hid behind a tree and looked back, and to my utmost shock, I noticed that a few torches were now on and that there were people running around the pack house, probably after realizing that all the guards were in a deep sleep.
It was now or never. Fight or flight.
I didn't have the strength or the weapons needed for a fight so I chose the latter. And with a new kind of desperation clawing at me, I went on my knees in front of Amara and whispered;
"Baby, do you trust me?"
My daughter looked at me for a moment with tears glistening in her big green eyes. Without a word, she slowly nodded and then came over to wrap her small arms around my neck. I knew that that was her way of telling me just how much she trusted me and I smiled, wiping the tears off my face.
"I always trust you, mommy."
Now was not the time to be emotional. It was the time to think and to act. Despite the pain in my back and the rumbling in my stomach for staying hungry for so long, I picked Amara up swiftly… and the bag, and after slinging it on my shoulder, I sprinted off.
I feared that I may be followed and this made me run even faster. I ran as fast as my legs could carry me and for a long time without stopping and when I arrived at a wooden structure situated deep in the woods several hours later, I set Amara down and the bag, and slipped to the floor.
My body ached… tremendously, and it was a lot of work to remain awake.
"Mommy, are you alright?" I heard Amara ask me but I was too weak to respond. My body throbbed and my head felt like it was being hit by a million bricks all at once.
Slowly, sleep crept up on me, and after looking around the forest again for any signs of life— there were none— I closed my eyes and let the sleep take me.
I would only nap for a few minutes and when I wake up, we'll find our way out of here since it's already morning, or so I thought; But that was a lie.
I always lied.
*
I woke up to the feel of something wet on my lips and in shock, I peeled my eyes open only to come face to face with Amara's big green eyes. She smiled as soon as she saw me and came over to wrap her arms around my neck.
"Mommy, you are awake." She said softly and I smiled. "I was trying to feed you some water because I thought you fainted." She added.
For the first few seconds, I sat in a state of abject confusion. I wondered where I was and why it seemed as though it was soon getting dark.
Was it not morning only a few minutes ago?
My eyes snapped to the bag I had packed and they nearly bulged out of their sockets when I noticed that Amara had almost finished the fruits, she had almost finished the water too and all that was left were the vegetables.
"Amara!" I snapped, my voice sharp. "I slept for only a few minutes and you've finished all the food?"
Something akin to hurt gnawed at my chest and I could only blame it on the extreme hunger which I now suffered from. Amara, on the other hand, stared at me. She dropped her head meekly, muttering under her breath; "You didn't sleep for a few minutes mommy… you slept for a day."
Her words made my eyes widen and it wasn't until I looked around us that I realized she was telling the truth. Amara and I had arrived here early this morning, and now, it was late in the evening. So late that I feared we may spend another night in these bushes.
Now, feeling more desperate than ever, I rushed to my feet. I couldn't afford to allow my daughter to spend another night here, where it isn't safe, so after helping myself to the remaining Kale and carrots, I picked her up and began to march further away from our old pack. We walked for another long time until I was gasping for air, and I was just about to give up until I noticed something in the distance- smoke.
"There are some people there!" I whisper-yelled to Amara who in turn, smiled brightly at me. Despite the harshness that life has presented to her right from her birth, she still had the brightest smile… and the most beautiful eyes.
She shrieked; "People mean food right?"
Her question however made me smile. It was a relief— to some extent— that she still managed to see the good in people, and deciding that I wouldn't taint her perception of people we didn't know, I nodded once and said; "Yes, they mean food. But first, we need to approach them cautiously."
At my words she nodded, whilst intertwining her fingers in mine. We tried to be as discreet as we could as we approached the source of the smoke— it was a small bonfire surrounded by men and a few haggard looking women; and from where I peeked at them from behind a large oak tree, I could also see some children.
However, something about them felt off so I dropped my voice until it was nothing above a whisper and muttered to Amara; "I don't think these are good people. Let's go back."
When no response came from her, I spun around and to my extreme bewilderment, she was no longer there. She was nowhere!
"Amara!" I called out, trying so hard not to raise my voice.
My voice caught in my throat when I suddenly found her, but she was walking over to the small crowd around the bonfire. "Amara!" I tried again but I was too late. I saw the people stop what they were doing to watch her as now they'd noticed her, and my heart dropped when I saw her wave her small hand shyly at them.
"Hi, my name is Amara." She called out, her voice bold. "My mother and I think you're good people… and we're hungry."
Her words hit me like a brick wall and I facepalmed myself as I couldn't help but agree that this girl would definitely be the death of me.
Surprisingly, they ushered us over and offered us some food which mostly consisted of roast lamb, bread and some kind of sauce that I've never seen before, and water; and due to the fact that we were both starving, we devoured the food within minutes.
We had only just finished eating when suddenly my head began to feel heavy, my vision blurred and pain like no other shot through my spine. Panic surged through me as I soon realized what this was— we've been poisoned—and my hands shot up to my mouth as I struggled to retch, to throw up, whilst thinking that that way, I could dispel the food from my system but I was wrong.
With my vision thinning and my panic rising, I looked up at the burly man who had given me the food and noticed the small smile gracing his lips.
He kicked my stomach, causing a painful whimper to escape my lips, but that was not the worst. The worst was when I saw him pick Amara up. But I was weak. Too weak, and my skin felt like a million needles had been stabbed into it.
With a sinister smile, he leaned into me and whispered; "The demand for omegas is relatively high in the market these days… but an omega with a child? That's just fantastic!"
It took me a moment to understand what he was talking about and when I realized that he was probably one of those into trafficking, my heart fell.
I had just gone from the frying pan to the fire.
I went limp.