Beneath the Alpha's Moon
Chapter 231: The Great Escape

Chapter 231: The Great Escape

Liam’s P.O.V.

Mai’s grin was pure mischief as she clasped her hands together. "Alright, it’s settled! We’re going. And Liam, don’t be scared. We’ll be fine."

I stared at her, feeling anything but fine. "Mai, this is—"

"Wait here," she interrupted, waving off my protest. "I need to get Ollie."

Eldur frowned, tilting his head. "Why? He’s not grounded as we are."

Mai shot him an exasperated look. "Because he’s my brother, duh. And I don’t want to have new memories without my twin. Besides, we can’t leave him out of this—he’d be heartbroken."

I sighed, rubbing my forehead. Of course. This was Mai we were talking about. She might seem hard and unkind on the surface but everyone knew she loved Ollie very much.

"Fine, but hurry up," Eldur said lazily, leaning against the wall. "The sooner we leave, the sooner we can break more rules."

Mai smirked before vanishing down the hall.

As soon as she was gone, silence settled between Eldur and me. I shifted awkwardly, then turned my attention inward.

"North?" I called, hoping for some kind of response.

He stirred but didn’t speak right away. I felt his hesitation, the way he pulled back slightly.

"What do you think about all this?" I asked. "Sneaking out, disobeying the Alpha...?"

North was quiet for a long moment before finally answering. "Do what feels right to you, Liam."

That was...not what I expected.

He used to have strong opinions about everything, but lately—ever since the witches incident—he had grown distant. He didn’t argue, didn’t push, didn’t tell me when something felt wrong to him. It was like he was afraid to make the wrong call.

I exhaled, rubbing my chest. I needed to do something about that—find a way to help him. But not now. I didn’t have any solutions yet.

"Well?" Eldur’s voice pulled me out of my thoughts.

I looked up to see him watching me with those eerie eyes of his, amusement flickering behind them. "Did your furry friend tell you to be a good little pup and stay inside?"

How did he know I was talking to North?

I rolled my eyes. "No. He told me to do what I feel is right."

Eldur snorted. "How diplomatic."

Before I could reply, the door burst open, and Mai strolled in—Ollie right beside her.

Ollie’s eyes sparkled with excitement as he clapped his hands together. "Oh hell yes, we’re breaking out!"

I groaned. "Why am I not surprised you’re happy about this?"

Ollie shot me a grin that was way too similar to Mai’s. "Because I have an adventurous spirit, Liam. Unlike you, who probably finds joy in reading instruction manuals."

Mai snickered. Eldur outright laughed.

I crossed my arms, scowling. "I have common sense. Someone in this room has to."

"Common sense is overrated," Mai declared, flopping beside me onto the couch dramatically. "Now, the real question is—where should we go?"

Eldur stretched, his white hair falling over his face. "Somewhere fun, obviously. I’m thinking a new town, maybe a casino—"

"We’re underage," I pointed out.

Eldur smirked. "No, it’s just you."

Mai turned to me suddenly, her eyes gleaming. "Liam should decide."

I blinked. "What?"

"You choose," she repeated, a smile tugging at her lips. "Where do you want to go?"

I hesitated. "Uh..."

"Oh, come on," Ollie groaned. "Pick something!"

I fidgeted. I didn’t like being put on the spot, and it wasn’t like I had a bucket list of places to go when breaking the law. But if I had to choose...

I rubbed the back of my neck. "Well... there is one place I’ve always wanted to visit."

Mai leaned forward, intrigued. "Where?"

I hesitated, feeling a little ridiculous. "I’ve never been to an amusement park before."

Everyone went silent, and then, there was laugher.

All three of them burst out laughing like I had just told the funniest joke in the world. Even Eldur, who usually found amusement in other people’s misery, was chuckling.

Heat crawled up my neck. "Forget it," I muttered. "We don’t have to go."

Mai, still laughing, suddenly pulled me into a hug. It was unexpected—warm, tight, and breathtaking. My heart stuttered.

"You," she murmured against my ear, "are so adorable."

I swallowed hard.

She pulled back slightly, her arms still looped around me, her eyes locked onto mine. "We’re going to the amusement park."

I was very aware of how close she was. Too aware. If only we were the only ones in the room... My breath hitched as her fingers brushed against my wrist.

Eldur, who had been watching with his usual impassive expression, suddenly raised a hand. Without a word, a swirling vortex of deep blue light crackled in the center of the room.

A portal.

Right into an amusement park.

I gaped. "We’re—using portals?"

Eldur smirked. "What, you thought we were gonna walk there?"

I shook my head in disbelief. "You people are insane."

Mai grinned. "But deep down you love us for it."

I didn’t respond. Because she wasn’t wrong.

Ollie was already bouncing on his feet. "Come on! Before Dad and Mom finds out and throws us all into the dungeon."

Mai extended a hand toward me. "Ready?"

I hesitated, looking at her outstretched fingers.

This was reckless. This was dangerous. This was against every rule I had been taught to follow.

But then I looked into Mai’s eyes. The way they shimmered—not just with excitement, but something deeper. Something only meant for me.

My chest tightened.

I exhaled slowly and took her hand.

"Yeah," I murmured. "Let’s go."

And together, we stepped through the portal.

*********

The moment we stepped through the portal, the world around us changed.

Gone was the room we had left behind. In its place, an explosion of color and sound surrounded us—a symphony of laughter, music, and the distant screeches of people on roller coasters.

Bright lights blinked overhead, neon signs flashing bold letters in every direction. The scent of cotton candy, fried dough, and something heavily grilled wafted through the air, making my stomach growl. The ground beneath my feet felt different—warmer, smoother.

I turned in slow circles, taking it all in.

So, this was an amusement park.

Gosh, it was beautiful.

A laugh bubbled up inside me, unexpected and light, and for a brief second, I forgot everything. The past. The scars. The shadows of old memories. I was a kid again, seeing something magical for the first time.

Then reality hit.

I was here with them.

Ollie was already gaping at the massive roller coaster in the distance, practically vibrating with excitement. "Holy crap, this place is insane!"

Eldur crossed his arms, unimpressed. "Seems loud."

Mai turned to me, silver eyes twinkling. "Liam?"

I exhaled, still overwhelmed. "This is... I don’t even know how to describe it."

"Try ’amazing,’" Ollie offered.

Mai smirked. "Try ’we’re about to have the best night of our lives.’"

She grabbed my wrist, and the sudden warmth of her touch sent a jolt through me. "Come on!" she urged. "We have so much to do!"

And just like that, we were off.

The first mistake we made was letting Ollie pick the first ride.

He chose The Vortex.

The name alone should have been a warning, but I didn’t argue. Not when Mai looked so excited. Not when she was still holding onto my wrist like she had no plans of letting go.

The ride was insane.

It started off simple enough—slow, deceiving. But then, without warning, the entire structure twisted, spinning us upside down, sideways, and through what felt like the depths of hell. I swore I saw my life flash before my eyes.

When we finally stumbled off, I was dizzy and gripping a railing like my legs had forgotten how to function.

Mai, of course, looked perfectly fine. She stretched her arms, her curls bouncing as she turned to me. "Liam, you good?"

I groaned. "I think I just met death and shook his hand."

Ollie, who had been laughing a second ago, suddenly clutched his stomach. His face turned a very unflattering shade of green. "Oh, no."

We barely had time to step back before Ollie violently emptied his soul onto the pavement.

Eldur recoiled. "Disgusting."

Mai covered her mouth, eyes wide. "Oh my goddess."

I should have been sympathetic. But instead, I bit my lip to stop from laughing. "You wanted the most extreme ride, Ollie," I reminded him.

He wiped his mouth, glaring. "Bite me, Rivers."

Mai definitely wasn’t helping. She pulled out her phone and took a picture. "This is going on record."

Ollie groaned, but Eldur—despite pretending he wasn’t enjoying himself—was smirking. "This trip might be worth it after all."

After dragging Ollie to a food stand (where he weakly sipped on a soda like he had survived a war), Mai and I wandered over to a booth selling the most ridiculous carnival food I had ever seen.

Fried Oreos. Funnel cakes. Churros drowning in cinnamon sugar.

I was already overwhelmed when Mai pressed a pink cloud of cotton candy into my hands.

"Try it," she insisted.

I raised a brow. "Mai, I know what cotton candy is."

"Yeah, but have you experienced it?"

I huffed but took a bite. It melted instantly, dissolving into sugary nothingness, and I had to admit—it was kind of amazing.

Mai grinned. "See? Perfection."

Before I could respond, something unexpected happened.

Eldur, who had been standing by himself like the brooding nightmare he was, froze.

I followed his gaze.

A girl—probably our age, maybe a little younger—stood a few feet away. She was breathtaking in the softest kind of way. Deep brown eyes, sun-kissed skin, and a dimpled smile that could make flowers bloom. She wore denim shorts and a yellow tank top, her curly black hair pulled into a high puff.

And Eldur—fearless, merciless Eldur—was blushing.

Mai and I immediately locked eyes.

"Oh, this is gold," she whispered.

I smirked. "Think we should help?"

"Obviously."

We exchanged a silent agreement before approaching the girl.

"Hey," Mai said, flashing her charming smile. "My friend over there thinks you’re really pretty."

The girl blinked, glancing at Eldur—who visibly paled.

I nearly died holding back laughter.

The girl giggled. "Really?"

Mai nodded. "Unfortunately, he’s a bit of an idiot when it comes to feelings. But you could help with that."

To our delight, the girl didn’t run. She tilted her head. "I’m Nova."

"Nova," I repeated. "Nice name. You wanna join us?"

She hesitated, then smiled. "Sure. But can my friend come too?"

Her friend—a tall, dark-skinned guy with a sharp jawline and an easy smirk—stepped up. "Name’s Trey."

Ollie took one look at him and grinned. "Dude. You look like you’d be cool as hell to hang out with."

Trey smirked. "Same vibe, man."

And just like that, we had two new members in our chaotic group.

We spent hours exploring every corner of the amusement park.

Nova, despite her sweet appearance, was terrifying on rides. She dragged Eldur onto the biggest roller coaster there, and I swear I saw him reevaluate his life choices mid-loop.

Trey and Ollie, meanwhile, were like long-lost twins. They bonded over carnival games, trash-talking each other over who could win the most prizes.

As for me and Mai...

There were moments. Soft moments.

Like when we rode the Ferris wheel together, the city lights stretching beneath us.

Like when she casually kissed me in front of strangers, leaning into me as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Like when she looked at me—not just like she usually did, but there was something more intense in her eyes.

And that terrified me.

Because I wanted my birthday to bring us a miracle.

But I didn’t know if it would.

Eventually, the night had to end. We said our goodbyes to Nova and Trey, not without getting their numbers, especially that of Nova because we noticed Eldur couldn’t stop staring at her. We all promised to meet up again. Then, in a secluded alley behind the park, Eldur raised his hand. A portal crackled to life.

"Same place tomorrow?" Mai asked, looking at me.

I swallowed, nodding. "Yeah. Same place."

With one last glance at the amusement park, I stepped through the portal.

And we disappeared back into our apartment.