Chapter 118
I look around and shortly later, I find a pocket knife tucked away at the bedside table. I pick the door lock, my heart racing as I try to be as quiet as I can. I’m in constant worry of Tyler returning with the food, but soon, the lock clicks and the door opens.
I slip the knife into the pocket of my jeans and slowly open the door. It is very quiet and I strain my ears to hear if there’s anyone around. The coast seems clear. My pulse pocks as I squeeze out the door.
I know nothing about the layout of this house, but some things are common. Like for instance I know the huge staircase in front of me leads down to the foyer where the front door is.
Right now, my goal is to get the hell away from this property. I’ll have all the time to come after Sasha later. I make my way to the stairs, my ears out for any indication of somebody approaching. I run down the wide, curving staircase in a panic to get outside. The massive double doors loom in the near distance.
Soon I reach the ground floor and sprint across the marble foyer. When I reach the doors, I hesitate. The thought of leaving Miles behind makes my chest ache painfully. It’s weird to me that I’m even thinking about him now, but I am. The bite spot throbs painfully as I pull the doors open. Swear breaks on my face and once again, I hold back. Fuck Miles’s bite. It is interfering with my desire to escape.
I feel nauseous as I step out onto the porch. If I’m going to escape and leave Miles behind, the anxiety needs to stop. This is my only chance to escape and I’m not going to waste it thinking about Miles.
I catch sight of men patrolling the premises of the expansive property in the distance. There’s no one near the actual house though. It makes sense that the place is shrouded with security. I knew he would. They’re sure expecting people to break in, not out. I hope that works to my advantage and I manage to slip past them.
I rush down the steps along the circular driveway. There’s a fountain with hibiscus growing near it. There are statues along the rolling lawn. The cobblestone drive winds towards the front road, and is lined with cypress trees i creep behind the trees and slip into the vegetation to hide. I fear that Tyler might sound the alarm if he goes up to the room to feed me and doesn’t find me there. I need to hurry out to the front before my escape ends before it really even begins.
It is already late and it should be dark soon. Unfortunately, I have no time to wait. I need to get out of Sasha’s mansion as fast as I can. I slip through the trees out to the front of the property. There’s a tall wall surrounding the acreage and massive iron gates adorned with scrollwork to the end of the driveway.
I crouch around the bushes and then gates slowly slide open when a delivery van pulls up. I watch it drive past me and notice that it is a florist van. Two men at the gates stop the van. I eye the open gates and anxiety gnaws at me. If only I could slip past those gates. The walls are quite high, and my chances of climbing over them unnoticed are slim.
I eye the vehicle and the guards and decide that I might as well slip outside the fates while the guards are distracted. I move as slowly as I can, careful to not catch anyone’s peripheral vision. When I reach the gate, I pause and glance at them again. My heart is beating so hard that I’m running out of breath. One of the guards laughs hard at something that the delivery guy says. I take that chance to slip past the gates.
I go round the iron-wrought gates and sprint to the other side of the wall. I stay still, panting and hoping that none of them notice me. Had they seen me, they would have called out. I press on the wall and jump when I hear the gates squeak in the distance.
They didn’t see me.
Had they spotted me earlier, they wouldn’t have closed the gates. I heave a sigh of relief and sprint down the length of the wall. The street next to me is a private road. I know that from researching Sasha lives off a main highway. One only gets to his home by leaving the busy road and winding down a long private road.
If I can make it to the end of this lane without Sasha’s men stopping me, I will reach the main road. It will take me a while if I have to walk on foot, but if I can make it to the road, I can ask someone for a ride. Maybe I could use their cell to call one of my men to come pick me up.
But to do that, I need to not get caught first. With that in mind, I hurry down and slip into the trees on the other side of the road. I make sure to not lose sight of the road. Each step away from Miles causes me intense unease and it frustrates me just as much as it annoys me. How I’m bonded to an alpha I barely know is still beyond me.
Why would a simple bite create such a mystifying bond? I never put much stock in the alpha-omega bond connection, but I’m forced to admit that it is indeed real. My desire to flee is as strong as my nagging desire to get back to Miles. It is so powerful that my steps falter occasionally, fighting the urge to run back to him.
When it begins to rain, I curse at the sky. I notice the dark clouds gathering. I hoped I’d be home before the rain hit. The big drops splatter on the ground and my head. Even so, I grit my teeth, shield my eyes with my palms and keep on walking.
I hoped it would be a quick, light rain, but unfortunately, it begins to pour down even harder. I slip and fall as I make my way through the trees when I suddenly see two black SUVs racing down the tarmac. My heart beats out of my chest because where am I supposed to run to? Even if I decided to run, I wouldn’t be a match for them because they have cars and I’m on foot. The rain will also disadvantage me.
“Shit,” I growl as I move farther into the trees. They must have noticed that I escaped. Was it Miles in one of those cars? My chest pains with the longing that he is looking for me. It is a foolish, irrational emotion, but hell, it is more powerful than me and I can’t control it. The need to show myself to my alpha is horrifyingly uncontrollable.
“No…no, no.” I hiss. “I need to get away from him. Focus, Arlo. Focus p>