The escape
LORRY SPRINGSTONE'S / KELLY THOMPSON'S POV
THREE DAYS LATER...
Another day has risen since my comeback to the South pack. However, today or more exactly tonight, with the gods' blessings, it's going to be a new departure for me and my son Eden. Yes, indeed my son. I'm totally certain about it now.
Over the past three days, I have been immersing myself in Eden's care, monitoring his condition very closely and adjusting his treatment as needed.
With each passing hour, I have felt the bond between us growing stronger. The way his eyes light up when I enter the room, the trust in his voice as he answers my questions with no apprehension. It's just as if some parts of him recognizes me as his biological mother, even though for him it's just subconsciously.
SOME HOURS LATER...
Finally, here comes the evening. As I'm tucking Eden into bed after another round of medication, I find myself unable to resist asking him the question that has been burning in my heart for the past three days.
"Eden," I call him softly, smoothing his hair back from his forehead; "do you like having me here?" I then query.
He nods, a small smile playing on his lips before answering: "Yes, Doctor Lorry. You're nice and your presence makes me feel better."
My heart swells at his words. I then take a deep breath as I prepare myself to pose him another important question that has been tormenting me for a while now and mostly because I have been fearing a negative reply from him. Nonetheless, although I'm reluctant, I finally interrogate the kid.
"Eden, sweetheart... would you like to live with me?" I express with a little voice betraying my nervosity while discreetly crossing my fingers behind my back.
Eden blinks up at me, his brown eyes - so like my own - wide with innocent curiosity.
"Live with you?" he repeats softly.
"Yes, in a warm, happy home. Where you can actually play and grow strong." I reiterate while trying to keep my voice steady.
For a moment, Eden remains quiet, his small brow furrowed in thought. Then, he looks up at me and nods.
"Yes, I would like that" he then orally simply says.
Overwhelmed with emotion, I gather him into my arms, holding him close.
"Oh, my sweet boy," I whisper, fighting back tears.
"I promise I'll take you somewhere safe and warm. Somewhere you can be truly happy," I thereafter commit myself.
Eden nestles against me, his small arms wrapping around my neck. For a moment, we simply hold each other, and I allow myself to imagine a future where we can be together openly, without secrets or fear.
But reality soon intrudes. I know we can't stay here, not with the dangers that lurk in this palace. As Eden drifts off to sleep, I begin to finalize my escape plan.
I wait until the dead of night, when the palace is at its quietest. The guard shift change at midnight will provide our best chance. With trembling hands, I gather the few supplies I've managed to secretly collect over the past days - some food, medicine, and a change of clothes for Eden.
At 11:45 PM, I gently wake Eden.
"Sweetheart," I whisper, "it's time for us to go on our adventure. Can you be very quiet for me?"
He nods sleepily, rubbing his eyes as I carefully lift him into my arms. He feels so light, so fragile against me. I wrap him securely in a blanket while murmuring soft reassurances as I move silently towards the door.
The corridors are dimly lit and eerily quiet as we make our way through the sleeping palace. My heart pounds in my chest with each step, straining to hear any sound of pursuit. But luck seems to be on our side as we reach the servants' entrance without incident.
Just as I had hoped, the changing of the guard provides a brief window of opportunity. As the night patrol heads in for their shift change, I slip out into the cool night air, Eden held tightly against me.
The weight of what I'm doing - kidnapping the heir to the throne, my own son - threatens to overwhelm me. But one look at Eden's peaceful face steels my resolve. I can't leave him here, not after everything I've seen.
We move swiftly through the palace grounds, sticking to the shadows. The moon is mercifully hidden behind clouds, providing additional cover. As we near the outer wall, I hear voices approaching - another patrol. I duck behind a large shrub, holding my breath as the guards pass by mere feet from our hiding spot.
Once they've moved on, I make a dash for the small postern gate I discovered during my reconnaissance. It's rarely used and poorly guarded - our best chance of escape. With trembling hands, I retrieve the key I managed to "borrow" from the housekeeping stores and unlock the gate.
As we slip through into the darkened streets beyond, I allow myself a moment of hope. We've made it out of the palace grounds undetected. But I know we're far from safe. It won't take long for them to discover Eden is missing and launch a full-scale search.
I hurry through the quiet streets, sticking to the shadows as much as possible. Eden stirs against my back but remains mercifully quiet, perhaps sensing the gravity of our situation. My mind races, trying to plot our next move. We need to get as far away from the palace as possible before dawn breaks.
After about an hour of swift walking, we reach the outskirts of the South pack's territory. I pause in the shelter of an abandoned building to catch my breath and check on Eden. He blinks up at me sleepily.
"Are we going on our adventure now, Doctor Lorry?" he whispers.
My heart clenches at Eden's innocent question.
"Yes, sweetheart," I whisper back, gently stroking his hair.
"We're on our big adventure now. But we need to stay very quiet, okay?" I assure the young crown prince.
Eden's wide eyes pierce through the darkness, fear and uncertainty etched into every feature of his young face. I hoist him onto my back, adjusting his weight so he won't fall as we flee deeper into the treacherous terrain.
Behind us, the menacing palace looms like a shadowy monster, its walls crawling with servants and guards who would surely tear us apart if they caught us. But I refuse to let that happen. With every step, I push myself harder, relying on my wolf senses to guide us through the dark labyrinth of trees.
My heart vibrates at every sound, every suspicious rustle in the bushes. We can't afford to be discovered now, not when we've come this far. The first light of dawn begins to break through the sky, and a glimmer of hope ignites inside me. We've put enough distance between ourselves and the palace that it may take now hours for them to reach our position.
I allow myself to stop and catch my breath. We've reached a secluded clearing in the woods, hidden from any prying eyes. Gently setting Eden down on the ground, I offer him some food from our meager supplies.
"Are you hungry?" I ask softly, trying to hide the worry in my voice.
Eden's eager nod betrays his true hunger and thirst for safety and freedom. As he devours the food, I take a moment to study his face in the morning light. Despite everything we've been through, there's a faint glow in his cheeks that gives me hope. Maybe being away from that wretched palace will finally give him the chance to heal and thrive.