Chapter 39

　　Serena's POV. 　　I stared at them, incredulous. 　　"You're joking, right?" I asked, but they shook their heads in unison. 　　"No, we can't sneak out of here," Richard said, his voice firm. "That would make us cowards." 　　I felt a surge of anger, my hands clenched into fists. I had never wanted to slap someone as much as I wanted to slap them right now. I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down. 　　"Do you both want to know what cowardice is?" I spat, my voice low and venomous. "It's having the chance to escape, to fight for your people, and refusing to take it. That's cowardice!" 　　Richard's eyes flashed with warning. "Shh, reduce your voice. They might hear us." 　　I glared at him. 　　"Why do you care? You're not planning on escaping anyway, are you?" I sneered, my anger boiling over. 　　They looked away, avoiding my gaze. I felt a pang of frustration and hurt. 　　"Your father is dying every day, waiting for you to return. Our pack is suffering - no school, no businesses, no freedom.