His Mafia Prince
Chapter 119: Ever I Roam Further From Home

Chapter 119: Ever I Roam Further From Home

(ARLO)

I pick my speed against the fierce wind and rain, trying to not falter and break a bone. They raced towards the main road, and that makes me wonder if maybe I should rethink my escape plan. It would make sense that I attempted to flee down the highway. Should I maybe double back instead? Maybe that would throw them off. I could always lunge deeper into the trees. I wonder what’s on the other side of this forest.

I only hold back because this forest could go for miles and miles. I know nothing of the perimeter that surrounds Sasha’s home.

The temperature drops as I trudge along. The rain gets worse and my attitude tanks along with the crappy weather. I’m drenched as fuck and pissed at my predicament. I don’t see the SUVs anymore, but I doubt they stopped looking for me. I worry perhaps Sasha’s men have sniffer dogs. They would use them as alternative means to track me down if I failed to appear on the highway as they expect.

The rain becomes a torrent and I now stop walking. My visibility is so poor and I worry that I may trip and fall on a ravine or a log. I’m cold to the bone. I huddle at the base of one of the aspen trees. The wind too has now picked up. I’m trembling as a leaf and cursing my bad luck.

I’m even beginning to regret making a move against Sasha. I’d be home in my warm bed if I hadn’t pulled that idiotic move. I felt obligated to avenge my father’s death. I now realize that I should have been more stealthy about my revenge. It dawns on me that I’ll never win this war with the Triple Triad syndicates. I’ll even be lucky if I survive this raging storm.

If I somehow make it home, I know Sasha won’t stop until he comes for me. He will never let me live. I will have to escape this city. The idea of leaving everything behind sinks my heart. I could even promise to stop seeking revenge. Sasha will never let me walk away scot-free. Miles can only do so much to protect me. After this escape stunt that I pulled, should they manage to catch me, Miles will just hand me over to Sasha. He is probably tired of me too.

"I’ve made a really huge mess, father," I whisper to myself. "I’m really sorry."

I shiver pull my knees to my chest and hug them. The extremely low temperatures are digging into my bones. I know I should keep moving, but my visibility is shit and the rain is pouring too hard. What’s the worst that could happen if I just returned to Sasha’s mansion, tail between my legs? I laugh humourlessly, picturing Miles’s bewildered expression. Would he be thrilled to see me or would he be mad that I came back?

I shrug. "Doesn’t matter anyway," I mutter to myself.

There’s no point in fantasizing about asking for forgiveness. I’m almost certain that Sasha will have me killed if I go back to his home. Or he will even kill me himself. It’s not like I’m going to beg for anything. I hate him passionately. I can simply admit that I am no match for him.

Feeling dejected, my eyes drift shut as I think about Miles again. I’m physically in pain because it hurts so much being away from him. The rational part of my brain keeps telling me that I did the logical thing by escaping. But my instincts keep telling me to go back to Miles. It is very humiliating to admit, but it is the truth. I’ve always roamed by myself, never once seeing the need to have an alpha. I hate the idea that I might need one now.

Miles’s scent always seems to be in my nose. I can’t stop thinking about him. Day and night.

Independent or not, I’d give anything to be with my alpha. I know in my gut that Miles will want to protect me now too. He can’t help his instincts just like me. If he were here right now, he would probably shield me from the rain and the strong wind with his burly frame.

He would probably lie that he is doing it for some other reason. I know he would instinctively protect me. He can’t deny or stop. It is imprinted in his DNA. He gave me his bite and as primal nature dictates, he should now be my shelter.

My protector.

My alpha.

When that thought crosses my mind, I shudder. I don’t want to have to depend on Alpha, but the awful truth is that I have to fight the urge to not skulk at him. He isn’t even near me at the moment but I can see him clearly in my mind. His dark eyes are engraved in my brain. His scent and taste linger in my senses. I whimper as I fight the need ravenously clawing at me. My skin prickles. I swear I can smell him. He is somewhere around me. I just can’t figure out where yet, but I know he is here.

I hear the sound of a car slowing down the road, and my eyes snap open. My pulse picks up as I see the headlights through the thick forest. I keep still where I am, crouching at the base of the tree as the rain beats against my flesh.

I hear the car door slam. The headlights dim for a moment as though somebody is walking in front of them. I cannot run in the opposite direction effectively because it’s already dark and I don’t know my way around. With my luck, I might run, smack against a tree and knock myself out.

I hear twigs crackle under someone’s weight. The headlights still flash into the trees and I’m sure whoever occupied the car isn’t in it anymore. I press closer to the tree trunk. I pray whoever it is, they don’t find me in the dark. Gooseflesh sticks out of my skin as I feel them come closer. Whoever it is, I sense them moving in my direction.

I know who it is. Why the hell am I pretending I don’t?

I watch silently as I watch a dark figure emerge from the dark of the night. I feel some sort of humming inside me. I feel breathless. I grip the tree trunk, fear coursing through me. I feel feverish and flushed. My lips part in anticipation because I know who it is.

I recognize that it is Miles before I can even spot his bulk and his height.

I’m rid of all the fear I had before and excitement takes over, which makes no sense. He is ten feet away and I still can’t see him quite clearly, but I can see his eyes as he comes closer and closer to me.

As if there’s a beacon attached to me, he heads straight to me. I don’t get up. I’m stuck whimpering at the foot of the tree. I get an odd impulse to roll over on my back and submit to him. His massive hands grab me and yank me to my feet. His lips are tightly pulled over his teeth and his eerie golden eyes burn into mine. The rain pelts him as he tugs me against his big warm torso.

I should yell. Fight. Hell, I should be fleeing. But I can’t find it in myself to do any of those things. Instead, I curve up and fold into his body. A low rumble escapes his throat as I cuddle more into him as if wordlessly asking him to forgive me. He nuzzles my hair and I feel his warm breath waft in my ears. I wiggle even more into him. I don’t know why, but I do.

His large hands run down my body. He is still making that odd rumbling sound. I cling on to him feverishly. My reaction to him embarrasses me. This is his time to fight and attack me as he should. He is just as distracted as I am by whatever instincts drive us. I should probably stab him with the little knife I stole from the bedside table, but instead, I whimper desperately as I press my lips on the side of his neck, nipping on his skin.