Mated to my Rival

Escape

Chapter 2

Vanya

It was the middle of the night when I made my decision.

If I got caught trying to escape tonight, I knew what would happen. My father wouldn’t show me any mercy. He might beat me, maybe even lock me in the cells for weeks. Maybe worse.

But if I succeeded… if I got out… I’d finally have a real chance. A chance to make the life I truly deserve.

My plan was simple. Risky, but clear.

I would run away from the Blood Moon Pack and find my way to Thalvion Academy.

In one year, the Alpha Trials would be held there. A sacred competition open only to those with Alpha blood. It was meant to test strength, leadership, strategy, and heart. Whoever won would be recognized as a true Alpha, with the right to lead any pack. And the best part? Once the Trials declared someone an Alpha, not even the King could overturn it. The results were final.

That was my goal. I would enter the Trials. I would win them. And I would prove to the world that a girl could be Alpha—that I was born to lead.

There was only one problem.

Thalvion Academy was an all-boys academy. No girls allowed. None. Not even for cleaning duties, let alone training.

But that was a problem for another day.

Tonight, I had one goal—escape.

There was no point trying to pick the lock on my door. My father wasn’t stupid. He’d posted guards outside, probably armed and alert. The window was sealed shut from the outside. It was too high anyway, and even if I jumped, I’d break something and end up caught.

But what he didn’t know—what no one knew—was that I had my own way out.

I had survived in this pack, despite everything. And along the way, I’d found my own secrets.

I walked to my closet, pushed aside the clothes hanging in the corner, and revealed the hidden space I’d carefully camouflaged over the years. Behind it was a small wooden panel carved into the back wall. A seal.

A hidden passage.

I’d found it by accident when I was younger—probably built long ago for emergencies. I never told anyone about it. It had become mine, my secret. I’d used it a few times before to sneak out of the packhouse at night. But tonight, I wasn’t sneaking out for a few minutes of fresh air.

I was leaving for good.

I wasted no time. I grabbed a small bag and stuffed in only what I needed: a change of clothes, a water flask, a bit of dried food, a small pouch of silver coins I’d hidden for years, and a map I stole from the training room. My dagger was already tied to my thigh.

The moon was high in the sky. Time was running out.

I pushed open the seal, slipped inside the dark tunnel, and pulled the cover shut behind me.

Instant darkness.

I lit a small candle I had packed and held it up, but I didn’t need it. I knew the way by heart. Every corner, every step. The tunnel twisted under the packhouse and through the woods. I followed it in silence, my heart pounding like a drum in my chest.

After several minutes, I reached the end. A small wooden exit panel hidden under roots and moss. I pushed it open slowly. The cold forest air hit my face, and I took a deep breath.

Freedom.

I tossed my bag out, then climbed out myself, brushing off the dirt from my clothes.

But before I could take a single step forward, I heard it.

A voice.

“Going somewhere, Anya?”

My entire body froze.

I turned slowly, my heart sinking.

There he was.

Nero.

Leaning casually against a tree, sharpening his blade, a crooked smirk on his face. The moonlight reflected in his dark eyes, and something about his calm posture made it even worse. He wasn’t surprised. He knew.

How long had he been waiting?

My stomach twisted.

Fuck.