Saving grace

One of the werewolves suddenly raised its sharp claws, and lunged aggressively towards her.

Azalea who had made some calculative moves in her head, immediately swerved to the right near the window. She darted the sharp knife she had used to sharpen the needles earlier in the day, straight to the belly of one of the two rouges which still stood at the back. The unaware wolf who had the knife in its stomach cried out in pain, slightly distracting especially the one that was already prepared to attack.

By swift seconds, she knocked open the closed window in one blow and jumped out immediately. Into the rain, she ran frantically for her dear life having no doubt that they would not follow her. They were like wild hunting dogs that would chase mercilessly for their preys. Still they had no identity anymore; they were feral.

As she ran in the blinding rain, she wondered how fast she would run, that would make them not catch up with her. The heavy downpour too might have watched every of her body mask, making her scent help them locate her faster. But she could never give up that easily, as someone had sacrificed their lives for her.

*****

Ayden laid down on his bed restlessly, looking at the droplets of the rain through his unclosed window. For some reason he couldn't sleep at all, as he kept tossing on his bed nonstop. He would have just considered it every other sleepless night, and gone to the garden to feel better by watching the stars.

But it was raining cats and dogs that probably no one in the castle, would be awake by then to wander about doing something. They would all be cozying warmly to their beds, in response to the cold night weather.

Azalea could hear their loud rumple and and running as she ran fast through the bush. She made up her mind that she would never stay in the wilderness again, if something could just save her right at that moment. It wouldn't be too long till they would catch up with her, and probably tear her into pieces because, she had even angered them again by harming one of their own.

Her heart stiffened breathlessly and tiredly, as she ran with her throat parching of sore dryness. Even the rain drop was not helping matters as it make her movement sloppy, and her body felt more heavy to move faster. She could hear directly behind her the wolf that ran so fast to catch up with its prey, but she could dare not look back because she knew she would fall. And that was definitely the end.

Just as she ran towards a dead end cliff among the bushes, she would not have expected to run so fast without control of herself, right towards the cliff edge as fear had taken over her. And right without stopping, Azalea could feel her body free in the cold air and dropping straight down its end.

*****

The next morning ended up with a sore eyes for Ayden as he stared at the mirror, with pain that had also taken over his body, like he had participated in a wood splitting contest. And it was of all days, on the day the Blackstals Alpha had invited the royal family to his birthday party. It was also a combined ceremony for his only daughter who had become a beta, to her eldest brother who was going to be the Alpha soon.

'It is probably for the best. I would not have to be a nuisance to the royal house again,' he thought and shrugged slightly.

As much as he would not like to accompany them to the feast, he really hated the idea of being an illegitimate son who was known for only that title.

But he needed to do what he really detested, by going to the royal infirmary to get treated so they would know that it wasn't a joke. It would also be an avenue for him to sneak out again out of the palace. Just the thought of having no one to interrupt his imminent plans, delighted his heart so much that he hasten his steps to the infirmary.

"Unhh! What are you doing here?" Zachary asked Ayden with a light smile, who was not too happy to see him right there sitting on one of the beds. It didn't look like a usual visit to the infirmary, as one of the helpers was rubbing some kind of ointment on his right leg.

"I came for treatment. You?"

"I am really shocked right now, that you would come to the infirmary without being compelled to do so," Zachary expressed.

Ayden was already getting irritated by his unnecessary humour, because he needed to know why he was there too. Seeing him too relaxed on the bed was not feeling really good to him.

"I sprained my ankle this morning," Zachary continued, "And right now, I cannot move the feet properly. It would probably need today till night of banding with this things to heal," he explained, pointing to the clean wraps of cloth pieces that was being tied skillfully around his ankle.

"You cannot move it?" Ayden asked with a incredulous look. He really hoped the thoughts he was getting already, would not be in anyway true.

"Yes I can't. So, I cannot accompany the royal family to the feast," he finally said.

Ayden thought his heart dropped when he finally heard Zachary break the news. There was nothing more disappointing, than Zachary not going together with the royal family. And that he also had a broken leg that would heal finally, only maybe when the party was finally over.

That was more or less like a pain the neck for him, because Zachary would hang around him all day like a leech. He could never take the risk of staying at the infirmary any longer because of his obnoxious step brother. The day had started terribly once again.

***

"You look so alluring in the dress," Jada one of Edla's maid said, as they dressed her up to every accessory she was putting on.

"Is this the best dress gotten for the season?" she asked, checking out herself over and over again in the mirror. She wanted to look so perfect for the feast, that everyone would swoon at her looks. But it was probably not going to be so effective because, she was the mirror image of another person going to the feast too.

"It was the best of fabrics and design we have picked out for you," she responded.

Just in time to walk in, was her twin sister Eadlin who was already dressed in her own dress and made up to perfection. Her golden and diamond accessories stood out the most, since she was wearing a surfeit amount of them on her. The maids quickly left the room to give them their privacy, as Eadlin worked towards Edla with a cute smirk on her face.

"My dear twin, I thought you said you were not interested in the Blackstals son. But I see that you are so perfectly dressed, to impress everyone tonight," she sassed.

"I don't like him, Eadlin," she corrected and faced the mirror, adjusting the diamond necklace she was wearing over and over.

"I think you do, hunh. He would not probably even know our difference from a distance."

"I said I am not interested or even have the littlest liking in him!" She fired angrily. It was something her sister would do all the time to anger her. It would always get the best of her, no matter how hard she tried to remain calm, "And I don't care if he cannot differenciate between us. The one I love would see me and only me!" She spat.

******

The tree branch would have snapped off, if absolutely any other little weight was put on it again. It had stayed still all night holding an unconscious, tattered girl who had not woken up yet from the effects of the previous night. They were so horrifying and death scary.

Azalea who was still very oblivious of how dire her present situation was, had stirred unconsciously on the huge tree branch that held her still. She parted her eyes slowly to look around her, and had heart her eyes and heart drop by where she was. Even the sight of where she was, was dangerously frightening that it made her soul jump out of her body.

Right in the middle of the huge cliffs was a massive tree, that had excessively stretched out branches, just to the point where it hung her. The most shocking reasoning was the fact that, the tree branches were strong enough to hold her through the night.

How the wind had directly dropped on the tree, how the rain that was a pushing force had not made things worse, how she was still alive from the fall really puzzled her. The imagination and thoughts of falling to her death right in the middle of the rocky cliff, made her so dizzy that she could feel her insides spin to her brain.

There was no other way to live than she starting a new life by herself without a guardian, and also letting go of the past that could have finally ended her. She had been given a second chance and a grace to live her life normally.

She was going to live for the best. For Hama.