Hugo's POV

The windows with the silver metal bars let in plenty of sunlight. The sounds of the trees swinging in the wind outside felt peculiar in some manner. The atmosphere in the room appeared strange. My hands adhered to the empty space beside me. I should be acclimated to the fact that Alpha Talia loathed sharing a bed with her beta victims at this point. But the idea that I didn't stand out to her in any particular way from the others bothered me.

However, one of that was relevant now. If Frieda was true to her words, she would be here to help me escape by noon. My gaze shifted to the wall-mounted clock, it was only ten in the morning. I quickly freshened myself and spent the rest of my limited time in the master bedroom rummaging through the drawers. My eyes caught a pen and paper and I halted myself from approaching them.

"Should I write a note?" I felt the absurdity of the thought as I muttered the words under the breath.

"We are not leaving" My inner wolf growled and I chose to ignore him. I had grown accustomed to two emotions during the brief time I had been in the Alpha's mansion. Lust and fear. I gave it a lot of thought, but I couldn't bring myself to admit that I had ever harbored animosity toward Alpha Talia.

I recalled each sexual interaction we've had in this room. No amount of pleasure could outweigh my survival instinct. Escaping the mansion was the only way.

The doorknob turned as Frieda, holding a platter of food, stood behind it. I cast her a brief glance as I prepared for what would happen.

"Are you ready to leave, Hugo?" My own name sounded foreign to me. Perhaps it was because I was referred to as Little Claws for the past three days.

"Yes, but before that, there are something's I would like to know?" I replied.

Frieda furrowed her eyes giving me a perplexed look. She approached and sat down on the bed's edge. "Let me get this straight, you have the opportunity to run for your life but you'd rather wait?" With her fingers, Frieda coiled her hair and enquired.

"Yes, I want to know why she's doing this." While I waited for her response, I folded my arms.

"Doing what?"

"Why is she kidnapping and killing beta's across cities every full moon?"

"It's complicated." She replied gazing at me. "A heat curse has been cast on Alpha Talia. She goes into heat every full moon, and her heat lasts for five days. During this time, she must choose a beta because if the beta she has selected isn't her mate by the end of the fifth day, the beta perishes."

"Five days?!" I exclaimed. "You mean to tell me, I would have died tomorrow?"

"I guess so" Frieda shrugged her shoulders.

"So all this time, it was the curse that was killing Beta's? It wasn't her?" I asked her.

"Sure let's go with that. Now if you're done asking questions, we should proceed. She'll be back before you know it"

"Who did this to her?" I asked out of curiosity.

"Whoever did it, is no longer around anymore. Happy? Let's get started" When Frieda closed her eyes, she raised her arms. She concentrated on the window that was sealed with magic. There was a sudden burst of light, and the windows with the silver bars swung open.

"You're a witch, aren't you?" I questioned her as I saw the spell take place.

"Took you long enough to figure it out." Frieda replied with a smirk.

"Why are you helping me escape? Surely there must be something in it for you" Her eyes were fixed on the completely opened window while I queried her. I ignored the breeze as it blew in my face. Even if freedom was just seconds away, I had to know.

"I told you, you're unlike other betas. You deserve a second chance at life. But if she manages to catch you again, don't expect me to help you. Now go, get yourself as far away from this mansion" She instructed.

I scaled the wall, hauled myself up to the window ledge, and then jumped to the garden below. Closing my eyes, I summoned my wolf.

"No" His reply enraged me.

"What do you mean, no. I'll be ten times faster, if I ran on fours instead of two" I whispered.

"We are not leaving our mate" My wolf insisted.

"Oh come on Wolfie, let's just go. Please. She was never our mate. She held us hostage, remember?" I groaned and wished for at least my claws to emerge as I shut my eyes even tighter.

"Don't ever call me wolfie, again" He yapped.

"Any day now" Frieda called from the other side whilst sealing the windows shut from the inside. I sighed as I forced myself to run barefoot into the woods. Even though I could hear my wolf snarl in disdain, I knew in my heart that doing this was necessary for my survival.

I was running as fast as I could, passing a dozen trees. My feet hurt from stepping on the little rocks, logs, and branches that composed the woodland floor.

"Goodbye, Little Claws"

I nearly stopped in my tracks as I heard a faint murmur reverberating through the jungle.

I rushed past the oak tree, choosing to dismiss my delusion, until I felt a gust of wind hit my face. As the sun's radiance diminished, I turned to look behind me in slow motion. There was no mansion there, and it was night-time; the day had long since passed.

"The mansion is cloaked" I realized. But what puzzled me was the fact that I had just run in the sweltering sun before being ushered into the chilly, dark night.

The different nocturnal creatures were evident to me. Now that my wolf hearing was functioning, I was stunned by the volume of sounds that reverberated throughout the night. I accelerated my pace without pausing until I sensed a presence behind me.

In an effort to avoid dying at the hands of another beast after escaping Alpha Talia's Curse, my heart pounded quicker as yellow eyes glowed in front of me that stopped me in my tracks.

"It's the loner boy. Who would have thought? I was sure you were dead" A man appeared in front of me. I took a good look at him and realized he belonged to the Kaos Pack. The pack that had ultimately betrayed me.

"I escaped" I managed to say.

"Escaped? You?" He mockingly laughed.

"I did, now I have to go, so move out of my way" I growled.

"You escaped the beast or you're working with the beast. I'm guessing the latter. Nevertheless, I can't let you go. Xander would love to hear about your journey with the beast"

"Don't test me" I snarled louder. I summoned Wolfie while squinting. To my astonishment, he transformed right away this time.

"Guess, I'll have to chase you then" He spoke before taking on the shape of a wolf. I made my way out of there as quickly as I could. I anticipated that he would overtake me eventually given his physique.

"Not like this, not like this" I chanted in my thoughts in the hopes that I wouldn't break out of one prison only to wind myself in another. When I was a few steps ahead, my ability to smell the woods completely vanished. The scents around me, even my own, faded. My claws bit into the forest floor as I ran rapidly and without stopping.

"I think we're cloaked" My wolf seemed to nod in agreement when I signaled. I turned my head to the left and noticed crimson eyes far away.

"It's her" I realized. I felt Wolfie pivot to the left and follow her as emotions swept over my body. But in the span of a single eyeblink, she vanished into the night. My body's protective cloak vanished, so I sought refuge under a large boulder.

Deep down, I was aware that I couldn't leave this location immediately, not until I was certain the coast was clear.

I wrapped my arms around myself to stay warm and shut my eyes to rest in the interim. Maybe I was still hallucinating because I couldn't find any reason why she would protect me. And I was terrified that even after running away from her, the one chance I saw her, I chose to run back to her. I might have escaped her but I knew I was in trouble again. The Kaos Pack will now be looking for me, and despite escaping from the mansion I realized, I have nowhere else to go.

I wasn't Little Claws anymore, I was back to being The Loner Boy. And in neither circumstance would I have the chance to come out alive.