CHAPTER 3

When I open my eyes, I was circled by some unknown man and I know they were vampires. Shit! I was in vampire territory. In a rush of panic, I jumped past them. They growled and came after me immediately. I just had to hope I could run fast and far enough that they decided I wasn't worth it. In the dark, it was hard to know where to put my feet, but I ran as hard as I could toward the border of our territory, heart in my throat when I heard pursuers.

They were going to kill me if I didn't escape, and I forced my feet to move faster, lungs burning till I thought my heart would burst out of my chest in its desperation. The footsteps had ceased, and a look around showed me I had left the pack territory. I was in a neutral zone now. I collapsed under a tree, panting. I swallowed painfully, trying to create some moisture in my mouth. I had to breathe before I died, and then I had to keep moving. They might still be out there.

Where would I go now? I thought frantically. I knew there was a pack in town that ran the magic shop. Maybe they'd take me in. If I could get there without getting killed. I could do it, I was sneaky. I started jogging toward the road, keeping my eyes and ears open for anyone who might still be pursuing me. I made it to the road safely and started to slow down. I was a few miles from the packhouse, and surely there was enough commotion there to prevent them from prioritizing coming after me, finally able to fully catch my breath, my bare feet sore from running so far and stumbling so many times in the dark. It was a new moon, my wolf strength at its weakest and the sky at its darkest, making it hard for me to see.

It suddenly hit me again that a child had died. In my shed. A sob burst out of me before I could contain it, and I clapped a hand over my mouth, freezing in my tracks. I found myself blinking. I rubbed away the tears roughly, sniffing heavily, and took a few deep breaths. I squared my shoulders, sniffed again, and continued walking down the road, forcing my thoughts away from what had happened.

I had to survive. I could do it. I could find another pack and maybe they'd let me join. I would work hard. Maybe I could even work hard enough that they'd be pleased with me. I just had to get to town and find them. I walked all night, my mind going into a haze where it seemed impossible to stop walking. I was exhausted when I reached the city limits, and I kept my head down, hands starting to tremble. I'd be dead if anyone saw me, and walking down the streets barefoot in ratty pajamas was hardly inconspicuous. I just hoped I looked enough like a homeless omega to avoid attention.

I wove carefully through a crowd, trying to find an alley to duck into. I saw one, just a few steps ahead, I just had to make it there and I'd be fine. I bumped into a girl and accidentally looked up to apologize, only realizing what I'd done when she screamed, lurching away from me. People turned to look, and I froze for a split second. Shit. I fled down the alley, heart pounding in terror. I had to make it to the magic shop before the police got here. I ran as hard as I could, winding through the alleys. I hit a dead-end suddenly, and I could hear sirens not far away. I looked around frantically. I was going to die I was going to die I was going to die. I backtracked, only to see someone coming from the direction I'd come from. There was one other route, and I prayed it was the right one. I took off, feeling a rock or shard of glass sink into the sole of my foot. I grit my teeth and limped exaggeratedly to take some of the pressure off of it, picking up the sounds of people behind me.

I was too tired to run much farther. I'd already fled from my pack. Why the hell had I come to town? I was going to die now. I looked up when I heard the sound of a helicopter, and saw figures on the roofs of the buildings on either side of the alley, running to keep up with me. They had guns. I skidded to a stop, dashing through the narrow gap between two buildings. I couldn't lead them to the magic shop or they'd slaughter me and the whole pack. My only hope now was to make it back out of the city or to find a place to hide. I needed to keep out of buildings or I could get cornered, and I had to keep away from high places. I was all but wheezing for air now, making it out the other side of the gap and bolting down the street on the other side. People were already evacuating the area, and for a while I blended in with the crowd until someone noticed me and pointed me out, yelling for the police. My breathing had gone into overdrive, a quick one-two beat that did little to bring in enough oxygen for me to function.

I ducked down another alley, letting gravity pull me down the slope of the hill, and using the momentum I gained to power on. I was going west now. If I could keep going in this direction I could make it out of town. Or I could go to the ground. I was too focused on my surroundings to think of a good plan, watching for the telltale black uniforms of policemen and listening for sirens. The helicopter passed over again as I rounded a corner and bullets suddenly hit the wall next to me. I yelped, diving back around the corner, almost falling over as I fought against the momentum I'd built up. I could hear the police coming closer, at least three of them. I looked around. I couldn't go forward or I'd be exposed to gunfire. There were undoubtedly people coming from behind me. I couldn't go left or up. The only option was down and to the right, which would take me over the railing to the lower city level. My lungs were burning, and I looked at the gap between the road I stood on and the roofs below it. I'd never make it. Even if I didn't break my neck, I'd be hurt too badly to keep running. The approaching footsteps made up my mind, though. There was a chance one way and no chance if I stayed.