Chapter 86: Her Saviours

Esme stepped away from Gabriel, but he grasped her hand almost as if he was refusing the space between them and wanted the skin to skin contact. Intertwining their fingers, Esme looked back at him and smiled gently before looking ahead, letting her hair hide the blush forming on her face. She enjoyed his warmth and was still in shock at the vampire's gentleness; this was the King well known for his ruthless behaviour.

"We were a trio of rogues, fugitives on the run from the pack. I enjoyed their company. It kept me from.. spiralling to darker places," Esme continued as they walked hand in hand along the trail in the forest.

A scene of Esme, Anastasia and Rian flashed across her mind; it was one of many memories of them; they were lying on the grass staring peacefully at the stars next to a jeep Esme hot-wired and stole. 

Another scene flashed across the mind of her sparring with Rian and gaining her strength again. Even in her weakened state, she beat the other Hellhound, but only just. They trained together as they moved across the country, and then when it seemed she was at her fittest again, Rian handed her a knife with the Hellhound symbol on and a red ribbon on the end of the handle. This wasn't her knife, and it wasn't Rian's; she clutched it to her chest, feeling rage consume her again. It was Marcus' knife.

"How did you.." 

"That night when we attacked the pack.. It was chaotic, but his knife was left at the cliff. I know how close you two were.." Rian replied as she played with the ribbon. "He'd want you to keep on fighting."

Esme stared back at Rian and warily glanced in Anastasia's direction. 

They'd been on the run for three months now, and in that time, she had a lot to think about. Often she had left the couple in the middle of the night to go for a walk or 'talk' to the Goddess, more like curse her. Esme was struggling with her new life, not that she cared about moving around; she did it a lot as a kid before entering the Hellhounds. But the she-wolf couldn't fathom her path from there; what future lay ahead of her? 

Isana always commented that there was always a plan and to trust in Selene, the Goddess. But how could she after everything she had been through? She had suffered at the hands of someone she loved, and now she didn't want to be a pawn in the Goddess' game. 

Esme believed she had kept her troubling thoughts to herself, she felt at a loss, and when the pack members came, she wondered if letting them kill her was better for all parties involved. Yet, somehow, Rian knew she was troubled. She wondered if Anastasia knew what with their bond, but she doubted it; the girl was hopeless at keeping things to herself. If she was worried about her, then she would show it. 

Esme looked at the dagger again, her heart pinching from Rian's words. "Yes, he would," She replied though she knew Marcus would want more than that. He'd want her to exact revenge for their lives. But she was in no position to do that.

"Where are they now?" Gabriel asked, interrupting her reverie.

"Hmm, I don't know," Esme shrugged. "After being on the run for six months, I decided to part from them." Gabriel frowned, looking at her inquisitively and rightly so. 

Anastasia and Rian were her saviours and her friends, even Rian she had warmed up to and let her guard down with.

"The pack got close a few times. Three scents are easier to track than one.." She trailed off, thinking about one of her last encounters with Anastasia, Rian and the pack members who were hunting them down.

"Go! I'll distract them!" Rian shouted, pushing Anastasia away from him in a panic. The she-wolf didn't want to part from her mate and pursed her lips, not budging from the spot. 

Rian looked at Esme, and she nodded; grabbing Anastasia by the hand, she pulled her away, acting as the bad guy separating the mated pair so they could escape unscathed. The she-wolf was still unaware of just how much of a warrior Rian was, and Esme had complete faith in him to return to his mate unharmed. They didn't train so vigorously for nothing; even if she and Marcus were the best in the Hellhounds, the others were still highly skilful. 

"If you don't move your ass, we are all dead," Esme snapped at her friend, who was stumbling behind her, looking back at her mate and whimpering. As soon as her words left her mouth, though, the she-wolf stopped her struggles and stepped in line beside her.

Esme and Anastasia escaped the coverage of trees where they had been camping for a few weeks. They sprinted towards the tall grasses and crops and found coverage again, Esme had been scouring their surroundings as they did so, but there were no other pack members in sight. The dark night was also like a comfort blanket even though the werewolves after them tried to surprise them during the night. 

They tried to keep the noise down, but it was hard when running through the grass, but at least so far, no one had caught onto their location. Esme had already planned out this escape route. Their jeep was on the other side of the forest, but that's where the White Sands pack was coming from, and so this was their second route. On the other side of the fields was another car she stole, but it looked too old to run and looked like the owner abandoned it next to the field. Which was the whole point. 

As they neared the other end of the golden fields, a rustling noise from their right caught her attention. Esme shoved her bag in Anastasia's hands. "Keep moving! There's a car outside of the grass!" She shoved her friend forwards.

Unlike Esme and Rian, Anastasia was not a warrior; she had trained just as much as any werewolf to survive. But she had not had vigorous training like warriors do in packs or Esme and Rian's circumstances, like in the Hellhound's who also taught them dirty tricks to stay alive. Anastasia was not weak, but Esme and Rian could finish off anyone after them much quicker, and they could set off again.

Esme released her breath as Anastasia rushed off, bag in hand and disappeared. She then turned and unsheathed Marcus' dagger just in time to swipe out at her assailant. The knife slashed across the brown wolf's eye, causing it to whimper and lash out with its claw. Esme didn't waste any time and stabbed it in the chest; the silver would weaken it further. The wolf collapsed but was still breathing; she didn't want to keep killing off pack members, but her quick reactions would send them to their graves at this rate.

Esme crept towards the direction Anastasia went; she paid extra attention to the sounds in the long grass, particularly the chirping sounds of the grasshoppers. With her knife in one hand, she stopped at the sudden quietness in the grass. She was not alone. Esme crouched and placed one hand on the ground, feeling out for the vibrations in the earth of the newcomer.

But there was none; this werewolf was being careful, stalking her from somewhere and waiting to take her out. After a long minute, she lost her patience and decided to lure it out. Pushing off from the dirt, she sprinted forwards, and within seconds a dark wolf leapt towards her side. She dropped to the ground and rolled to the side, missing its jaws and paws. She could shift, but that would go past the point of trying to hide and escape; she just needed to make it back to the car.

The wolf growled at her and lunged towards the petite she-wolf, but she leapt to the side, turned on the spot and jumped towards him, her speed much quicker. Just as she went to stab its head, it clamped its jaws down on her wrist and whipped its head to the side; Esme flew through the grass and landed roughly on her side. She clasped her hand that bled from her torn and disfigured skin. The wolf jumped on her, but she wasn't fearful. The pack wasn't out to kill her; they had to bring her back alive.

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Unfortunately for the pack, she wasn't on any such orders, and there was no way in hell she was returning to their Alpha. The wolf shifted into a naked man, and he went to strike her temple to knock her out, but Esme stabbed him in the chest and clawed his neck. His brown eyes widened in shock as blood dripped onto her face. She pushed him off her and whispered an apology, recognising one of the pack members who used to guard the packhouse. If he was strong enough, he would survive. She missed his heart by an inch on purpose.

"Sia!"

Esme snapped her head up at Rian's scream. It was one filled with panic and rage; something was wrong. She sprinted forwards, and the grass opened up to the dusty road and the car she left ready. Six werewolves in their wolf form's and one still in his human form circled Rian who was held on the ground, a wolf's claw stuck in his back, and Anastasia was held, hostage. Her usually neat hair was bloodied, her lip and nose bloodied, and her body drenched in sweat and blood. A man gripped her neck in his claw, and she closed her eyes as she saw Esme approaching slowly.

"Although you're now a rogue, Anastasia. I don't want to kill you. Alpha Ethan only ordered us to get our Luna back no matter what it takes," The man looked in Esme's direction and smiled. "Ah, she finally emerges. If you care for your friends at all, give yourself up, and we will let them live."

Esme didn't realise just how many pack members were after them this time. She observed the situation and knew there was no way out. She sheathed her knife behind her and raised her hands. "Let them go. You let them drive away, and I'll come with you."

The man tilted his head to the side then narrowed his eyes. "How do I know you won't just run off?"

"I wouldn't make it very far now even if I did," Esme replied nonchalantly as though her friends' lives weren't on the line. She looked at the werewolves surrounding them pointedly, and the man smiled arrogantly.

Fool.

"Nyx!" Rian shouted from the ground. But she did not meet his eyes and nodded at the man who held Anastasia.

"Run while you can, rogues," He spat in her ear and threw her on the ground, letting Rian scramble forwards and collect her.

"Es!" Anastasia sobbed as Rian forced her into the car. He sped off, and Esme smirked, backing away slowly into the grass. The man's face dropped and obviously sent a command through a mind-link. All of the wolves lunged forwards after her, she led them into the grass, and she heard the car come to a stop down the road.

Over the next few minutes, a shadow of the she-wolf darted across the grass, and bodies fell to the ground. Esme sauntered out of the grass, bloodied and stopped as the car reversed into place. Esme climbed in and they drove off in silence; Anastasia was in the worst condition, and it took her a few days to recover.

A week later, Esme knew it was time to go. She snuck out late into the night while the couple slept in the other room in their latest motel. Just as she made it past the third street, a figure stopped in front of her. "Did you have to leave like a thief in the night?"

It was Anastasia.

Esme sighed and continued walking. "It's better this way, Sia."

"Says who!?" She raised her voice and clasped her arm, holding her back from walking onwards.

"Says me. The pack are after me. You two are just starting out on your life together, and I am only holding you back. Ethan won't stop until he has me by any means necessary. That means killing you is an option. Let me go, Sia," She replied and shrugged her off.

"But.."

"Rian, I know you're here. Look after her." Esme continued walking and did not look back.

"It was the right choice," Gabriel said quietly, wiping away a tear that escaped her right eye. Esme nodded silently.

"I haven't heard from them in a while, though. I hope it is from having too much fun and not because they're in any trouble," Esme replied and leaned into the vampire.

"If they need somewhere to stay and don't care about vampires.." Gabriel trailed off before leaning down and kissing her gently.

Esme smiled against his lips. He didn't know these people, and he was offering refuge for rogues.

"They helped you, Es. I won't turn them away." He whispered and picked her up, and as though she knew what was on his mind, Esme wrapped her legs around him and leaned into his muscular body, kissing him to the feeling of warmth in her stomach.

"If you keep kissing me, I won't make any promises that we will make it back to the apartment in time before I strip you and take you here," Gabriel chuckled and raised a brow.

"Who says we need a bed," Esme purred back and, in return, felt her back slam into a tree and Gabriel crash his lips into hers.

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