Chapter 3 The Escape

Elena's heart raced as she stood in front of her bedroom mirror, taking one last glance at the reflection she no longer recognized. The once-confident Mafia princess staring back at her was now a woman on the verge of rebellion. Her breath came in shallow waves as she tightened the straps on the small leather bag slung over her shoulder. Inside, there was little-just enough to survive the first few days of what would soon become her life on the run.

The celebration downstairs echoed through the hallways, each burst of laughter or clink of champagne flutes reminding her of the prison she was about to escape. She glanced at the clock on her vanity-it was nearly midnight. The engagement party was nearing its peak, and soon her father would summon her to stand by Marco's side, sealing the Russo-De Luca alliance.

Elena's pulse quickened. There was no turning back. Tonight was the night she would disappear.

The old window at the far side of her room creaked open with the slightest push. She could hear the rustling leaves outside, beckoning her to leap into the unknown. Her hands trembled, but she steadied herself. She was no ordinary woman bound by family expectations-she was a werewolf, born with the ability to shed the restrictions of her human identity, though no one knew that secret. At least, not yet.

Her mind flashed to Marco, the cold, unreadable man who would soon be her husband. She had tried to find a connection with him, a way to accept her fate. But the more she observed him, the more she realized that Marco wasn't someone who cared for love or affection. To him, this marriage was just another move in a calculated game of power and influence.

Elena couldn't be a pawn. Not anymore.

With a deep breath, she stepped onto the windowsill and glanced down. It was a long drop to the manicured garden below, but not one she couldn't manage. Elena let her fingers trace the necklace at her throat-an heirloom passed down from her mother, containing a small silver pendant shaped like a crescent moon. It was said to protect their bloodline from harm, but tonight, it served as a reminder of everything she was leaving behind.

Without another thought, she leaped.

The fall was quick, her body instinctively tensing as she landed softly on the garden path. She crouched low, her senses heightened in the cool night air. She could hear the distant hum of cars passing beyond the estate walls and the muffled sounds of her family celebrating inside. She had always known she was different-her heightened senses, her ability to heal faster than anyone else, her strange connection to the moon. Tonight, these abilities would save her.

"Elena!"

The sudden voice jolted her, and she whirled around to see Isabella hurrying toward her from the shadows of the hedge. Her best friend's face was etched with concern, her dark hair falling in loose waves around her shoulders.

"Elena, are you sure about this?" Isabella's voice was barely above a whisper, as if speaking too loudly would alert the entire house.

"I don't have a choice," Elena whispered back, her breath catching in her throat. "I can't marry Marco. You know that."

"But your father-" Isabella started, but Elena cut her off.

"My father would never understand. This isn't just about the marriage, Isabella. It's about who I am. There's more to this world than they know, and if I stay... I'll never be free."

Isabella's eyes softened with sympathy. She was the only person who knew about Elena's secret-about the nights when Elena would disappear into the woods and the mornings when she'd return, her clothes torn and her skin covered in the faint glow of moonlight. Isabella had sworn to protect her secret, but even she knew how dangerous this path would be.

"If you're going to run, you need to go now," Isabella urged, glancing over her shoulder as if she expected someone to catch them at any moment. "Marco's men are everywhere. They'll be looking for you."

"I know," Elena replied, tightening her grip on her bag. "That's why I have to disappear before they realize I'm gone."

Isabella hesitated, then pulled something from her coat pocket and handed it to Elena. "Here. You'll need this."

Elena took the small, folded paper and quickly opened it. Inside was a map-a hand-drawn sketch of the countryside beyond the Russo estate, marking a trail that led deep into the forests, far away from the reach of both Mafia families.

"I got it from one of my father's men," Isabella explained, her voice urgent. "It's a safe route, but you have to be careful. There's no telling who might be out there. The De Luca family has informants everywhere."

Elena nodded, stuffing the map into her bag.

"Thank you, Isabella. For everything."

Isabella's eyes shimmered with unshed tears, but she nodded. "Just promise me you'll be safe."

"I will," Elena said, pulling her friend into a quick embrace. "I'll find a way to fix this. Somehow." With a final look at Isabella, Elena turned and sprinted through the garden, her feet barely making a sound on the damp earth. She had memorized the layout of the estate since childhood, knowing every secret path and hidden corner. The wall surrounding the property loomed ahead, but Elena's body moved with ease and precision. She scaled it with the grace of someone born to move in the shadows.

The moment her feet touched the ground outside the estate, the world seemed to shift. For the first time, she was free-free from the constraints of her family, free from the obligations of the Mafia, and free from the looming marriage that had haunted her for months.

But freedom came at a cost.

As Elena darted into the thick forest that bordered the estate, she couldn't help but glance back at the Russo mansion, its lights twinkling in the distance. She had grown up in that house, surrounded by wealth and power, but also by secrets and lies. Tonight, she was leaving it all behind.

Her pulse quickened as she ventured deeper into the woods. The moonlight filtered through the trees, casting eerie shadows on the ground. She could feel the change coming, the pull of the moon growing stronger with every step. Her werewolf blood thrummed beneath her skin, urging her to run faster, to embrace her true nature.

But she couldn't change yet. Not here. Not now. The forest was dense, and the deeper she went, the more the sounds of civilization faded away. The only noise was the rustle of leaves and the occasional hoot of an owl. Her instincts were on high alert, her senses sharp. She could feel the forest around her, the pulse of life in the trees, the animals, and the earth itself.

Suddenly, a branch snapped behind her.

Elena froze, her heart pounding in her chest. She turned slowly, her eyes scanning the darkness. There was nothing-just the thick shadows of the forest. But she knew better than to ignore her instincts.

Someone was following her.

She could feel their presence, the faintest whisper of movement in the air. Her pulse quickened, and without a second thought, she broke into a run. The forest blurred around her as she moved faster, her body fueled by adrenaline and the primal power that surged through her veins.

Whoever it was, they wouldn't catch her. Not tonight.

The moonlight bathed her in silver as she sprinted through the trees, her breaths coming in ragged gasps. The world around her faded into the background, and all that remained was the pounding of her heart and the burning desire to escape.

Elena knew she was running for more than her life-she was running toward a future where she would finally be in control.