Chapter 82 Escape route
MIDNIGHT PACK: CLARK’S HOME
Alice chewed on her nails really hard almost drawing blood from it. She had been awake since the middle of the night. She had gone into the woods, shifted and ran several miles. It still didn’t stop the anxiousness she felt. She felt the urge to scream out into the heavens and wake up from what she considers a dream. As the dawn drew near, Alice wished she could do something to stop it.
The thought of Jovy being taken away from her to an unknown place where her life might probably end, made Alice wish the world would come to an end to save her beloved friend from the impending ruin of her life.
Anna stood by the stairs watching her daughter move around with her head bowed in despair. She hadn’t been able to sleep either. Alice’s wolf had stayed awake all through the night wailing silently. She could sense it as Alice had been loose with her emotions not bothering to guard herself. Anna wished she could help ease the pain her daughter might be feeling but she is just as helpless herself.
Walking down the rest of the stairs, Anna hugged her from behind as Alice had her back turned to her. “Hey baby.” Anna whispered into her ears. And she felt something wet drop on her arm.
Alice broke down in tears as she held onto her mother’s arm tightly. “It’s all my fault mom. She would never survive this. That monster would take everything away from her, he would never let her see the blue skies again.” She cried bitterly.
Holding onto her tightly, Anna guided her to the couch and sat her down. She pulled Alice into her embrace, letting her cry out and without bothering to stop her. After about a few minutes, Alice hiccuped getting a hang of herself. Still leaning into her mother, she stared out the window watching as the sun rise.
“Is there a way I can make her escape all of this?” Alice asked, her voice coarse from the tears.
Anna kissed her forehead. “You know that can’t happen. It’s out of our control Alice, you need to accept that.”
Alice shook her head in disagreement as she wiggled out of her mother’s embrace. “That can’t be true, there is definitely something I can do. I just haven’t thought of it yet.”
“Stop stressing yourself out, Alice. Let this slide.” Jovy said from behind. Anna and Alice turned to look at her.
Jovy looked like a recovering zombie with her puffed eyes and lips with dark circles lingering under her eye bags. She looked pale and weak like she would pass out. Alice ran towards her to help her walk when she almost missed her footing. Alice guided her to the couch and helped her settle in. Anna had stood up in a hurry to make her coffee. Before Jovy could start talking again, Anna was back with the coffee and had urged her to drink first before saying anything.
Sipping the coffee Jovy felt a bit relieved, the sweet smell of the coffee brought tears to her eyes as she got reminded of the world she was to join soon. Realizing she was being watched by Alice and her mother, Jovy tried to keep a faint smile on her face to assure them she would be fine but Alice beat her to it.
Alice stood up with a pity look on her expression and her arms crossed over her chest. “We can run far from here Jovy. You don’t have to do this. My mom has some contacts in New York, we can run there and try to live a normal life. You really don’t have to continue like this please.” She pleaded.
Jovy’s heart melt at the sincerity of her friend. “I understand you, Alice but it would be too risky endangering your life. I know what my father is capable of, if he realizes that I have made an escape. You and your entire family won’t be safe. He would come for you all instead.”
Anna’s heart made a brief jump, happy that Jovy was thinking better than her daughter. Alice was obviously just speaking out of anger and frustration and refusing to see that it isn’t such an easy task to carry out.
“Jovy is right Alice. Us finding an escape route for her would only lead to every one of us being in trouble. And she would be forced to come out of her hiding place which makes no sense. Taking such risk in the first place is stupid of us, try and understand Jovy please.”
Alice glared at her mother. She stomped to an empty couch and threw herself into it. Alice wailed as she let out a muffled scream into the couch. Jovy’s tears were flowing freely now. She put down the coffee cup with shaky hands and moved towards her friend. She sat on the floor next to her and smoothened out Alice’s hair softly.
Jovy sniffed. “I promise to find a way to survive this and I would ensure to never forget you.” She whispered.
Alice looked up at her friend with her eyes red from the tears. “You promise?”
“Trust me!” Jovy nodded reassuringly as she pulled her into a hug.
Anna watched with tears in her eyes at the pure love shared between the two friends. She wished things had been different and Elena was alive. There was no way anyone would have been able to mess with Elena’s daughter without having to go through Elena first. Anna felt helpless as she couldn’t do anything to save her best friend’s daughter from the clutches of selfish people.
She knew just how much Alice would clearly be affected by the loss of her friend knowing she might not be able to reach her ever again. A tear dropped from her eye but she had to clean it off hurriedly before walking back to her room.
“I should go now, Alice. I am sure my dad would be waiting for me. Logan said I should be brought early to him.” Jovy said, trying to pull away from the embrace.
Alice held onto her refusing to let her go. “None of them can order you around. They don’t own you.”
Jovy winced at Alice refusal to wake up and smell the coffee. “They own me now Alice. You can’t argue that. I got sold off by my father and the entire pack. I guess that’s enough to be owned.”
Jovy wiggled herself gently out of Alice’s hold and she stood up. She headed towards the couch she had dropped her backpack on and she carried it.
The look on Alice’s face was so pitiful when she burst into tears as Jovy stepped out the door. Jovy had to brace herself to not look back to avoid running towards her back. She flagged down a taxi in a hurry with the fear that Alice might come running behind her. Tears rolled down from her eyes as the house faded from her sight.
Turning back to face her reality, Jovy felt her heart clench together as she couldn’t imagine her miserable life without Alice. Even though on the bright side she would be saved from the whims of her family but the same time where she was headed was more of a frying pan to fire. She knew no one there and the only person that seems familiar is the coldest person she had ever met.
Jovy sighed into resolve as she let the tears flow nonstop. She pitied herself for the miserable life she has been saddled with. She wished her life was different and her mother was alive to keep her safe.
As the car touched down in front of her father’s house, Jovy got out of the car and a dreadful feeling circulated the pit of her stomach.