Bella turned her gaze back toward the balcony, half-expecting to see someone rushing in to investigate the noise. The room seemed still, and she reassured herself that the barricade she’d created would slow anyone trying to reach her. For now, she was alone.
Her body stopped swaying as she finally regained balance, placing the balls of her feet carefully on either side of the pipe. She loosened her grip just slightly, and they began to slide. The icy surface made the descent much faster than she would have liked, her body hurtling downward with barely any control.
The metal sheaths anchoring the pipe to the pack house walls were her only reprieve. The first one slammed into her feet, sending a sharp sting up her leg as it tore into her skin. Bella hissed in pain but pressed on, trying to steady herself. Tyler extended her claws, trying to slow the descent, but the added weight only made the pipe groan louder under the strain. They were passing the third floor when Bella heard it—an ominous, splintering crack.
The pipe began to tear away from the building.
“No, no, no!” she gasped, retracting Tyler’s claws instantly in a desperate attempt to stop further damage. But it was too late. Her descent accelerated uncontrollably. The ice shredded the skin on her fingers as she fought to hang on, each anchoring point either too brittle or too old to hold her weight. The pipe gave a violent lurch as she passed the second floor.
Wide-eyed, she watched in horror as the final anchor snapped, the cold making it brittle. The pipe broke free entirely, and Bella felt herself plummeting.
Tyler! Bella’s mental scream was instant, and Tyler surged forward with all her strength, forcing the shift mid-air. Their body twisted as Tyler took full control, her large, powerful wolf form much better equipped for impact. Somehow, miraculously, they turned just enough to land on their paws in a knee-deep snowdrift. The snow softened the fall, absorbing most of the impact. Tyler stood up immediately, shaking snow from her thick silver coat.
“Let’s not do that again,” Bella muttered weakly in her mind, still reeling from the experience.
Tyler huffed in agreement, her breath visible in the cold night air. One of the broken pipes struck her back as it fell, and she snarled at it as it bounced off and buried itself in the snow. The snow muffled the noise of the collapsing pipe, a stroke of luck Bella silently thanked the goddess for. If this had been summer, her escape would have been heard by half the pack.
But they were on the ground now. Free. Tyler stood tall, warm beneath her thick coat despite the frigid night.
“Let’s go,” Tyler said, already moving.
She moved cautiously, keeping low to avoid drawing attention. The snow had stopped falling heavily, now a gentle flurry, and the wind had died down. This was another blessing—it meant her scent wouldn’t travel far. Night patrols wouldn’t be close to the pack house, but Bella and Tyler couldn’t afford to be careless.
The Luna Suite was positioned at the back of the pack house, giving them an advantage as they navigated the shadows. Tyler’s increased size posed a challenge. Years ago, she could have crept along unnoticed, her small frame blending into even shallow snowdrifts. Now, her larger size worked against her, forcing her to hunker low and move carefully to avoid detection.
They moved slowly, ears twitching at every sound, watching for patrols. Most of the pack would be asleep in their homes, warm and unaware. The bitter cold worked in her favor. Few would venture out on such a night.
Tyler’s pace was steady, deliberate, every step calculated. Bella clung to the hope that they could slip through unnoticed and make it to her father’s house. The night wasn’t over, but for now, they were one step closer to freedom.
Bella and Tyler moved silently, their instincts razor-sharp as they crept further from the pack house. They stuck to the shadows, staying low in the snow, their movements deliberate and calculated. The icy air stung Bella’s exposed skin, but she pushed it aside, focusing entirely on the task at hand—escaping unnoticed.
From their vantage point, they peered toward the pack house’s front door. Macky and Lanky were stationed there, standing guard with a vigilance that spoke volumes. They weren’t braving the cold for just anyone. It was clear they were waiting for Luke, the Alpha himself.
“No Beta,” Tyler observed, her voice tinged with satisfaction.
“Probably still guarding the Luna Suite,” Bella mused back, a faint smirk tugging at her lips. “He thinks we’re still trapped. He’s forgotten who helped me sneak in and out of my parents’ house all those times.”
“More likely, he never imagined we’d do a five-story escape,” Tyler chortled. “Little do they know us anymore.”
