Cilla’s POV
I spent the next few days thinking about Rose and Ren, wondering how they were doing. Seeing Dalia and Malia Frey everyday was always a reminder that the other twins I knew were suffering. They were not lucky enough to have a caring person take care of them. Sometimes, I found myself taking out my frustration on the little girls, especially when they drove me up the wall. Whenever my anger became too much, I would go to the garden and try to cool off.
I tried getting to Raven but she was gone. I went to her house almost every day but I never saw her anywhere. Either she had used some spell to make herself invisible or she had gone on a visit somewhere. I could only hope that she had gone to Oakwood pack. It did not seem likely since she had not seemed exited by the idea but I had to cling on to some kind of hope in order to remain sane. When more days passed and there was no sign of raven, I began to fear the worst.
I started planning an escape. Not knowing anything was killing me and I couldn’t take it anymore. Every time I looked at the little girls I was in charge of, I felt like punishing them but I managed to restrain myself. I wanted everyone to feel the pain me and my siblings were going through. Why did other people deserve to be happy when we were suffering?
The first phase of my plan was to study the whole pack and map out possible exit routes. Whenever I took the girls out, I was always looking around and studying the surroundings. I watched people, saw where they entered from, where they exited among other things. I also studied the behavior of the royal family heads, the alpha and the Luna.
I tried to find out if any of them had any dirty secrets they did not want getting out. On the outside, they seemed so normal and good, but I highly doubted that. But even as I dug deep, I could barely find anything. Either they were straight arrows or knew how to hide their secrets. The luna seemed okay but I did not trust that alpha one bit.
There was a path on the east side. It was not a clear path but you could see signs of a footpath on the undergrowth. That part of the pack had really thick trees that shed a lot of leaves and there was too much growth of shrubs under them. If you had not seen anyone pass there, you would not think there was a path there. Only I had seen a tiny slave girl pass there two nights in a row. I didn’t know where she went or why she went and came back but I had a feeling it was the best route for me to use for escape.
A part of my mind was saying it was most likely a trap but I ignored it. I needed to leave, and it seemed to be the only side of the pack that was not reinforced with security measures. I reached a point where I could not dissuade myself from escaping anymore. I didn’t know how I was going to penetrate Oakwood or save my brothers but I had to leave. I would figure out the rest once I was out.
On the last day of my stay, I had a great time with the twins in the garden. Despite all my issues, I had developed a strong connection with them. They also seemed to like me. They were nicer than ever. I smiled as I say Dalia playing with another child from the pack. The selfish girl I had met was gone and was replaced with a tender, loving one.
I was proud of myself for what I had done. I had turned the girls from monsters to sweethearts. As I watched them play, I hoped they would not go back to being their mean selves when I was gone.
“What are you thinking about, Cilla?”
I turned and smiled at the owner of the soft voice. Malia was standing behind me. She was holding a small yellow flower.
“Nothing much. Just wondering how you will be if I was sold to another pack.”
“You can’t go anywhere. Daddy will not sell you.”
“I’m a slave, my dear. I can get sold at any time. I will never have a permanent home.”
“If you like it here, we shall tell daddy to promise not to sell you away. Everyone hates us and says we are annoying. You are the only one who likes us, and we love you. Here, I brought you a flower.”
I took the beautiful yellow flower. “Thank you, my dear. I want you to promise to always be good, even when I’m not here. Be nice because most people are usually going through a lot.”
“Are you going through a lot, Cilla? You can tell us if something is wrong. We can ask daddy to help you. Daddy doesn’t say no to us.”
I looked at the girl and tilted my head. What if I did that? Could the alpha really help me? Could he buy siblings so they could be with me, just to make his daughters happy? No, that was insane. I doubted he would go through all that trouble when he thought he could keep me with or without my siblings.
I was on my own.
“Thank you but no one can help. I have been suffering for a very long time, and I’m getting used to it. I hate being a slave, but I have no other option.”
“But we don’t treat you like a slave.”
“Which is good and I really appreciate it. It doesn’t change the fact that I’m trapped here.”
“Sorry. Why do they make people slaves anyway? It is not good.”
“That’s just how life is. You will understand when you grow up.”
Malia and I kept talking. Eventually Dalia and the other child joined. We engaged in some fun games before leaving the garden.
I was nervous all day. My heartbeat was unsteady and I couldn’t stop worrying as I waited for the day to come to an end. Eventually, darkness enveloped the land. I was literally shaking as I ate supper. I had made a decision and there was no going back. I was leaving the pack in an hours’ time.