Chapter Twelve: Amara

Darius' impending death plagued Amara like nothing else ever had.

She hadn't expected her father to announce Darius would be publicly executed the next day after seeing the recognition in his eyes that Darius was telling the truth. She thought her father would have been better than that. But seeing how easily the crowd swayed his mind, she knew she could no longer trust in his decisions.

Amara remembered the look on Darius' face when he was dragged off from her father's stage, dragged all the way back to that cave. Fear contorted his face, though it was subtle. Most other cat shifters might not have recognized it, but Amara knew. Darius was usually so calm and relaxed, from the few moments Amara had spent with him. The quick look of fear upon his face tore at her heart, and she couldn't stop herself from replaying it over and over in her head.

Many times, Amara tried to go see Darius, but the guards wouldn't let her past. When she demanded they stand down in the name of the Alpha, the two guards informed her that it was her father's decision to keep Amara away from Darius. Every single time, she looked in to spy Darius hanging his head, his brows knitted together. He wouldn't look at Amara, maybe from self-doubt, or the shocking news that he indeed would perish the following day. She didn't know which it was.

Amara couldn't leave it like this. Darius had promised to make her his mate, and while she didn't know how that would work out in the long run, she knew that his proclamation rattled her to her very core, something no other male shifter had ever done. Darius may have been a wolf shifter, but Amara was growing attached to him. Something about him just felt right, and she couldn't see her future without him at the moment.

So Amara devised a plan, one that would certainly make her an enemy of her homeland. Not only would she save Darius' life, but she would also set in motion a plan to save her people from the eventual return of the Vampire Orpheus.

Orpheus was a threat, there was no doubt about it, and while her father decided to celebrate her one victory against the Vampire, Amara would prepare for the next. There wasn't really a choice for Amara. She wouldn't let anyone die because she couldn't stand up for what was right.

Amara opened her eyes to the dark of night. After coming home only hours earlier, she had avoided her father and mother, going straight to her private quarters and immediately beginning to scheme. She pretended to sleep early, only once her parents finally climbed into their own beds would she be able to move freely.

Standing up quietly, Amara grabbed two satchels and filled them both with extra clothes and some food she had brought up to her room. Silently, Amara crept out of her private quarters and out of her home. She went out a back way so that any cat shifters that were still awake wouldn't notice her. Sucking in her breath, Amara calmed her nerves and raced carefully through Red Rock, aiming to arrive at Darius' cave prison. Once there, she noticed the two guards standing watch. Realizing there wasn't much else to do, she gulped and moved forward in plain sight. The two guards saw her come up and both sighed like they were dealing with a nuisance they couldn't get rid of.

"Amara," one said. "What are you doing here so late? I know you're fond of this mutt, but he's not worth your time."

"He'll be executed tomorrow. It's too late if you think you can tame and make this dog your pet," said the second. They both chuckled at this joke as if it were the funniest thing in the world.

Hesitation would doom her, Amara realized, so without warning, she jabbed the first guard in the throat, causing him to collapse and gargle up spit. The second guard leaped backward in shock and raised his fists to Amara, but he hesitated, so Amara kicked at his legs, crumpling him to the ground. She buried her other foot in his skull, knocking him unconscious and leaving his body spread on the cave floor.

Panting, she wiped the sweat off her brow and looked behind her, to make sure no one was watching. Peering into the cave proved difficult, as there were no light sources inside, but two bright gray eyes opened up and stared at Amara.

"Darius…" Amara whispered.

He came forward, intrigue written all over his face. "Amara? What are you doing here? Don't tell me…"

"Breaking you free, obviously."

"I told you not to tell me."

Amara shrugged. "Oops."

She threw him one of the hide satchels she carried, and he caught it with ease. He looked at the two unconscious guards, appraising them. "You realize you can be punished for beating up these two, right? Are you sure you want to go through with this? I know what I said about the whole mating thing, but-"

Amara stopped him by placing a finger over his lips. She smiled. "Yes, I know I can be punished for this. Yes, I'm sure. And I remember you saying that if you survived your potential execution, and saved both our peoples from the eventual return of Orpheus, you would most definitely make me your mate. While I'm still debating whether or not I'll even allow you to try and mate with me, first I want to see you do what you said you would do. So, please, lead the way."

Amara stepped to the side, motioning to Darius to move forward. A steady smile appeared on his lips, and he nodded. "Alright, fine. Let's go."

    

Sneaking out of Red Rock was easy enough at night. If Amara had tried to break Darius during the day, it would be a completely different story. But at night, most of her people would be asleep, and the Red Rock mostly deserted. There were a few times Amara sensed a straggler in their path, so she changed courses.

Within the hour, they were entirely outside of Red Rock. Amara sighed heavily that they didn't alert anyone yet; she was sure the two guards she knocked out wouldn't be waking up anytime soon, so it looked like her first obstacle was already over and done with.

Stopping to catch their breath, Amara leaned against a tree and peered into the Oldwood.

The Oldwood was dark and open, and shadows danced in her peripherals.

"Alright, so what's the next part of your plan?" Darius asked.

Amara turned to him. "We head across the border, to your people. We'll petition your Alpha about Orpheus, make him see reason where my father couldn't."

Darius grunted. "I don't know if that's the best idea; he doesn't really like me all that much. Honestly, he might just try to take my head, same as your father, if he discovers I crossed back over. I don't want to imagine what he would do to you."

Amara grimaced. "Is there any chance he might listen to reason?"

Darius crossed his arms. "Maybe, but it would require the help of my friend...the Alpha's son, Remus."

"You're friends with the Alpha's son, despite how the Alpha feels about you?"

Darius chuckled. "Yeah, Remus isn't anything like his father. It's pretty odd. We grew a bond because both of our mothers were absent from our childhoods…"

Amara stayed silent while she watched Darius brood. After a few moments, she turned to her satchel and opened it. "Well, we might as well get going. It'll be decent travel from here to the border." Amara began to slide off her tunic. Not hearing Darius do anything, she glanced back to find his gaze glued to her. "Darius, come on. Go undress behind that tree."

"But I've already seen you naked."

"I don't care, move it!"

So Darius did, grabbing his pack and moving behind the tree.

Amara continued to undress, removing her clothes and feeling the light, night breeze upon her smooth skin. It felt incredible in Oldwood! Amara took in the night in all its beauty. The high moon brightened the tall, thin trees that populated the Oldwood, and nightcrawlers silently crept about, looking for bugs and other things to eat.

"Amara," Darius called, from behind the tree. "Who was that woman behind your father, at the trial?"

"The one gripping his shoulders? That was my mother, Zora."

"No, the other one. The redhead."

"Sarai? She's a healer."

"Sarai…"

"Why?"

"No reason...she just looked familiar, is all."

Amara pondered Darius' strange question and awaited more from him, but instead, she heard nothing, save for the soft padding of paws coming around the tree. She spied a giant, gray-furred wolf standing at the ready at the side of the tree, and so Amara followed suit, shifting into her cougar form and standing on all fours. Shaking off a shiver from the sudden burst of cold air, Amara purred as Darius picked up his satchel and padded over to her. Amara picked up her bag, and turned and ran off into the night. She listened as Darius followed suit.

Hours passed as they ran, scampering through the various thickets and foliage, stopping every once in a while to grab a drink from a nearby stream or pond. Darius always kept the same short distance from her, a feat that impressed her. Cougars were climbers, agile and swift, and even the best cat shifters had trouble keeping up with Amara from time to time. When Amara opted to climb the trees and hop from branch to branch, he was always just below her. His presence made her feel safe and helped her get over the fact that she had just committed a crime against her people, one that not even her father might be able to forgive her for.

By the time the moon was beginning to dip downwards in favor of the morning sun, Amara and Darius were coming up to the border river. Panting, Darius dropped his satchel and bounded up to the water and sniffed the air. He shook his coat and yapped in delight.

Amara supposed Darius honestly did like his home, despite how he talked about it.

She dropped her satchel alongside his, and strode up to him, peering across the gushing water and into the Oldwood on the other side. The trees had become denser the further in the duo got in the Oldwood, but on the other side, the trees were even closer together, thicker and not as small. Amara grew tense as she realized that it was her turn to literally walk into foreign territory.

She watched as Darius growled at her, loped back to their bags, picking both in his maw and coming back to Amara's side. He dropped hers, motioning for her to pick it up, and he waded into the river. Amara picked up her bag and gingerly placed a paw into the water.

The liquid was cold and bit at her fur, but she found that the river was shallow enough for them both to cross without having to swim. Darius waited for her on the other side. Once over, Amara placed one foot in front of the other and exited onto the bank of the river. The gravity of those steps hit Amara immediately. She was no longer in Pride territory; the Pack ruled the lands in front of her.

Darius might be going home, but Amara was finally beginning her adventure to prove herself.