Chapter Three

Kyra-

-Dream-

"No, we can't tell her Alice. She cannot know." I heard my father talking softly, just outside of the apartment we were staying in. 

I'm not sure if he knew he left the door opened slightly, but I could hear him clearly as if he were standing right in front of me. He sounded distressed as he spoke to whoever was on the phone. I hadn't even known he had a phone. He had told me it was too dangerous to leave a trail for someone to find us.

"I don't care, Alice, she needs me. Where was Selene when she was being hunted by the others? Who raised her as their own? She is my daughter." My father told whoever was on the phone. 

I wasn't sure what had him so upset, I wanted to go out to comfort him. Something in me just couldn't do that, I tried to see if I could hear whoever he was talking to. I heard a female voice, but couldn't understand what she was saying. It was as if they were intentionally distorting their voice. 

"I'm not coming back, it isn't safe for her. I'm all that she has ever known. She trusts me. I will keep her safe." He told the female on the other end.

I am only six, but I understand enough to know that whatever he was talking about it involved me. I just didn't know what he was talking about, was there someone else he was talking about, and who was this Selene person. 

"Selene is the Moon Goddess, but why is your dad talking about her?" My wolf asked, obviously also curious about his conversation with the mystery caller.

"I don't know Alexia, I can't hear who daddy is talking to." I whispered to her as I continued to try to listen more.

"I love you, but she needs me. We both understood what we were getting into when Selene asked us. It wasn’t supposed to happen this way. How were we to know your dad was going to try to kill her?" His voice was becoming louder as he continued to speak.

"Look I'll call you when I can, but I will not bring her back. If he wants her, he's going to have to catch me and kill me. I will not return until after she turns eighteen." He opened the door to the apartment and I pretended to focus on the picture I was drawing. 

He came to sit on the couch right next to me and I could feel his gaze on me. I didn't dare look up, I don't know what he was talking about, but I was pretty sure I wasn't supposed to have heard him.

"Kyra?" He spoke softly.

"Yes, daddy?" I looked up at him and I saw it written all over his face. We were going to have to run again. I had just hoped we were done running. 

"We need to pack it up sweetheart, it's time for us to go. Only take what we need." He looked down at the notebook I was drawing in and I felt my heart sink. 

I loved to draw and when he gave the notebook to me after we moved into the apartment, it had been the best day of my life.

I set the notebook down and nodded my head as I got up to pack up my bag. I tried to hold back the tears that threatened to fall. I would only be punished if he saw me cry. Tears are for the weak and I could not be weak, he would tell me.

-End Dream-

This time I woke up alone. I was in a different room than before. I laid on a large bed, wrapped up in dark grey silk sheets and a black comforter.

My thoughts going to the dream I had, I felt tears slip from my eyes and I quickly swiped them away. I remembered the day vividly, but I was never able to figure out who he had been talking to. After that, we stayed out of the city and we never stayed longer than a week anywhere else we went.

I trust and loved my dad and whatever he had been talking about, he kept me safe and loved me, so I never let it. He made me strong. Shaking off the dream, I sat up. I couldn't continue looking back, I had to keep moving forward. 

I looked around the room. It was a large room, but it felt dark and dreary. Not a single portrait or art covered the light grey walls. All furniture was black

Not a single item sat on the black dresser on the far side of the room. Even the large, oversized chair, that sat next to the window, was black. I wasn't sure if this room was his or not. I suspected it probably was.

I moved slowly from the bed, careful not to make a sound. I noticed I was wearing a plain white t-shirt that nearly swallowed me, going all the way down to my knees. I remember I was in wolf form before I passed out and wondered if this shirt was the one he had been wearing. Not that it really mattered.

I looked around and spotted my bag laying near a door. As I picked it up and I opened the door quietly. I was kind of relieved to see a large bathroom on the other side of the door. It's been years since I've used an actual bathroom.

Granted this bathroom was ten times bigger than any bathroom I've ever seen, and the huge tub looked tempting.  Even the stand-up shower looked inviting. I wasn't completely naive to the world's wonders, even if I grew up as a rogue.

Looking at the double sink, I noticed a white towel and washcloth folded up neatly on the counter. A folded-up paper was folded on top with my name on it. Picking it up, I read the contents.

"Kyra, I am hoping you decide to stay, even just for a little time to give me a chance to prove you can trust us. You may make yourself at home and I will have supper sent up to the room once you've awakened. Also, a fresh outfit will be brought up to you. I hope we can talk later once you've settled a bit. -Hunter."

I haven't decided what I was going to do just yet, but the urge to flee no longer filled me. I suppose a couple of days wouldn't hurt. It at least gave me a bit of time to regroup and hopefully come up with a way to escape if needed.

I wanted to no longer have to run, to have a place to call home. I could no longer just continue to run blindly. I needed to figure out a way to end it and start fighting back. I didn’t want to continue living in fear. I was always sneaking off to watch the city kids play, yet I was always hidden away in the darkness, always having to keep from being discovered.

I had experienced very little in my life and while I knew that I had to run, I didn’t know why. All I knew was what my father told me. Maybe if I give it a couple of days here, I can figure out what to do. I knew how to protect myself. What would happen if I stopped running, who was even after me?

Pulling the shirt off, before stepping into the shower, I quickly used the toilet to relieve myself. It felt as if I hadn't used the bathroom in days. Once done, I flushed the toilet and then went to check the shower. 

As soon as the water was warm, I stepped into the shower and a soft moan escaped me. The feel of the water massaging my flesh felt wonderful.  I was accustomed to bathing in lakes and streams. 

I had nearly forgotten what a warm shower felt like. I quickly washed my hair and body with the soap that was sitting on a shelf in the shower. Though I had no intentions of stepping out of the shower just yet. 

I was enjoying the way the water cascaded down my form and eased my aches and pains. I had never seen a shower this size. Even if I spread my arms out, I wouldn't be able to touch both sides at once. 

The shower doors were clear glass and were floor to ceiling. There was a second shower head on the other side of the shower. The tiles were a dark blue with marble-like patterns.

Standing under the water, I kept my head under the stream with my eyes closed. I stayed under the water until the water started to turn cold. Then I stepped out and grabbed the towel. I dried my hair a bit until it was damp, then I dried the rest of my body and wrapped the oversized towel around me.

Stepping out of the bathroom, with my bag in hand. I went back to stand next to the bed. I was just about to dig through my bag to get an old outfit out when I noticed a stack of folded-up clothes on the foot of the bed. Again, with a note on it.

"These clothes are for you, I can get you some more clothes when you feel comfortable. -Hunter" 

I dressed in a pair of blue jeans, that were a little too loose but fit better than the clothes I had. Then I pulled on a shirt that was way too small and far too revealing.  I decided to take the shirt back off and went to the dresser and found a selection of men’s clothes, that probably belonged to Hunter. Not caring, I pulled out a large black t-shirt and pulled the overhang behind my back, and tied a knot.

As soon as I was dressed, I heard a gentle knock on the door. I positioned myself in a defensive stance, ready to bolt if needed. The door opened and a girl walked in, carrying a tray of food. She couldn't be much older than twelve and had the biggest smile I'd ever seen. I relaxed a bit, I wasn't about to attack a child.

"Hi! My name is Riley. I am so happy to finally meet you! Are you really a rogue? Is your wolf really white? Can I meet her? How old are you? Do you have a favorite color?"

This girl was full of energy. The onslaught of questions had my head spinning. I didn't really feel comfortable answering her questions though. I remained silent and watched her as she set the tray of food on the table next to the oversized chair. 

The thought of food had my stomach growling. Which only had the girl giggling. She was cute, dark brown curly hair framed her oval freckled face. Deep blue eyes that reminded me of Hunter's, were wide with excitement as she laughed. 

"Eat up. I'll leave you alone to eat."

She left the room and I made my way to the tray of food. It honestly looked good, smelt even better.

It was a large plate filled with chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans, and some sort of white sauce over the mashed potatoes. There was also a glass of dark liquid and a bottle of water. A small plate with a piece of apple pie on it was what had my attention first.

I hadn't had apple pie since my father made it for me when we stayed in an apartment in the city, trying to blend in. Sitting down in the chair, I started in on the pie. The moment the sweet taste coated my tongue, I felt like I went to heaven. 

It wasn't like my father's apple pie, but it was absolutely delicious. I tried to savor the taste as long as I could, but I was beyond hungry. It took me no time at all to finish the pie and I took a drink of the dark liquid. I remembered the taste slightly, it was definitely a type of soda. I was never really a fan of sodas, so I opened the water bottle and took a long drink of that.

I dug into the rest of the food and found the chicken was amazing dipped into the mashed potatoes and white creamy coating. It took me no time at all to devour everything on my plate. Everything had been so good.