Alpha Epiales

XXVIII

Amora packed up her things again as she got ready to move to yet another place. She knew she couldn't just keep running forever, she had to get away for good.

"Greece? America? India?" She mumbled to herself as she got ready to shift again, nowhere seemed like a good place to go to her. Despite having left him, the thought of letting Epiales go for good sent an aching through her heart.

"France..." she mumbled as she started out her window. Ever since she was a little girl she had always wanted to go to France, she never considered living there but it seemed perfect now.

"I'm going to go to France," she giggled as she shifted into her wolf and ran through the woods.

She didn't have any way of getting there but she would eventually find a ship that was making its way to France and she would somehow get on it.

After a couple hours of running Amora grew tired and she settled down beside a large willow tree. She missed civilisation and she desperately wanted to visit a small town just to see other people. It was a great risk but she felt safe enough with a hood covering her face.

She shifted from her wolf in case she came across any humans and began walking ahead, hoping to come across a village of some sort.

Nervous chatter echoed beyond the trees, sending an anxious feeling through Amora. She picked up her pace as she approached a very small village with a group of people running around tensely.

She snuck behind a tree, listening into their conversations as her heart pounded.

"Rumour says the king died in battle! The palace has not revealed any details about him!" A young girl cried to her friend.

Amora stilled, almost dropping her basket in shock. She knew instantly they were talking about Epiales but she refused to believe it.

"There's no way! It's King Epiales. He is far too powerful to be killed," the young boy replied, shaking his head stubbornly.

"Perhaps it is because the first queen left... he hasn't been concentrating since, I heard."

Amora turned around and bolted back to the willow tree. Her face paled as she ran. Epiales couldn't be dead. He just couldn't.

All rational thoughts left her mind as Amora found herself dropping her basket and shifting at the tree, sprinting in the direction of the castle. She would not be able to live with herself if Epiales was dead. She had to know the truth.

Night was approaching fast and she realised how far away from the castle she had been. Hardly any packs were around and she was dangerously close to human land. The castle wasn't much further now, so Amora kept pushing herself to run as fast as she could.

Suddenly it came into view. The large palace illuminated in the moonlight. The lights sparkled in the dark and it looked like something out of a fairytale. As she shifted, pulling her dress back on, Amora found herself struggling to breathe as she returned to the one place she fought so hard to stay away from.

She ducked away from the guards as she ran up the steps. She could hear a lot of chatter from inside which only fuelled her fears that something truly was wrong with Epiales. She tried to step closer to the large doors when she was stopped by a guard.

"Excuse me miss, you cannot enter," he told her in a gruff voice.

"Oh no, I really have to see-"

"Are you here for the ball?" He asked her, looking at her dress in disgust.

The ball? She thought, tilting her head in confusion. She found herself nodding and the guard scoffed, walking away before saying, "just stay there a moment please." Before disappearing around the side of the castle.