Chapter 7 Hiding Spot P@Rt One

• Silas’s P.O.V
• I went back to running once again, afraid that I might have underestimated the time I had been unconscious and that the guards might find me at any instant if I stayed in one place for too long.
• Right now was not the time to get caught and I no intention of getting dragged back to the pack by my own soldiers, like some deranged criminal and get accused for a crime I did not commit.
• I was significantly slower in my wolf form, but still pretty fast considering that I had just survived a near hundred and fifty feet jump. I could feel the cool air against my fur, and on a normal circumstance that would have soothed the sheer exhaustion ingrained deep within my bones and muscles, but tonight the coolness did nothing to ease the pain in both my body and heart. I felt the pumping of my blood with every footfall that landed on the ground.
• On a normal night, I would have felt immortal and powerful, as if the world was my oyster and playground. I would have savored the feeling of the wind in my hair and felt like I was flying, my wolf in tune with its surroundings. Now it felt more like my time was running out, like I was trapped in a prison that was gradually getting smaller and smaller as the seconds ticked by, until it was small enough to deprive me of air to breathe; until it was cramped enough to crush my bones and shred my heart into pieces.
• These mountains had been my home since I was born, so it wasn’t easy for me to be lost here. I knew these lands like the back of my hand. Lily and I had explored these forests to the fullest until every nook and cranny had been ingrained into our memories. Even though the thought of her made a pang of pain shoot through my heart, I still tried to think past the pain because I needed to remember if there was a hiding spot here that I could use for now. Because I remembered there were cabins that had been left abandoned for ages when the inhabitants moved to the city to seek better job opportunities.
• I ran further up the mountains, in the direction completely opposite to my pack, until I could see the lights from small cabins in the distance. I scanned the surroundings as carefully as I could. This close to the residential areas, I could not afford to be reckless and make mistakes, not while they all suspected me for a murder I did not commit but could not disprove either. So I used my trusty nose to try and scope out if there was anybody nearby. If my eyes could not detect them, then surely my nose would not fail me.
• True enough, I sensed that there were patrol guards roaming around the area, a couple of them even heading toward where I was. I knew they did not sense me, because they would have been running to where I was already. Perhaps it was because the weather was windy…or that my fur was still wet…but whatever it was, I was thankful that my scent was concealed from the guards.
• To be sure, though, I hid behind the cover of some bushes and waited until they came and went.
• In the next few minutes, two of the guards came walking toward my general direction. They did not carry any visible weapons but I knew they were armed, because patrol guards needed to be ready for unexpected rogue sightings. I tensed, waiting for them to pass, but they seemed to be loitering. They were talking about the incident that occurred and it was evident to me that it would be a while before the coast became clear. They were walking slowly, preoccupied with their talk. I could not help but listen in to their conversation.
• “Do you believe it?” one patrol guard said. “They're all saying that Alpha… er, ex-Alpha Silas did it. That he murdered Lily. Even Ezra himself seemed convinced of that.”
• The second patrol guard made a thoughtful noise. “I don't know,” he said hesitantly. “Weren't Lily and Silas lovers, once? I don't think Silas has it in him to kill the woman he once loved so fiercely.”
• The first patrol guard practically buzzed in excitement. “See, that's just the thing,” he said eagerly. “If Silas had loved Lily that much before, wouldn't it make sense for him to come and kill her in a fit of jealousy, seeing as it turned out that Lily and Ezra, his own brother, were true mates in the end? Like…if he couldn’t be with her, then neither could his brother? Especially when he’s the half-brother, born from a previous affair.”
• “I guess I can see where you're coming from,” the second patrol guard said. “Though I am still somewhat hesitant to side with that version of the story. If I knew Silas well, and I like to believe that I did, even though he is the possessive type, he would never lay a finger on Lily, even on accident. If Ezra had been the victim, however, I would immediately think without hesitation that Silas did it. But this is Lily we are talking about. Silas loved her more than he loved himself. Why do you think he stepped aside so that Lily and Ezra could be together?”
• “That is also a good point,” the first patrol guard sighed, “but you are merely relying on your perception of Silas. For all you know, he could be the exact opposite of the image he portrays himself as a reliable and strong leader. Plus, all evidence points to him being the killer. Even if he weren't the killer, if you gave him the benefit of the doubt, how would you explain the crime scene? He was seen there, holding the knife. He even ran away with it!”
• “Yeah, that's something to consider as well, I guess,” the second patrol guard finally relented. “I could see it happening, somewhat: since Silas could not bear to watch his brother be happy with his mate that was once his own lover, he killed Lily himself in a fit of rage, because if he could not have her, then no one else could, not even Ezra, her true mate.”
• “See?” the first patrol guard said. “Now you get it.”