Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

By the time I break through the trees and find the back of a brick building, I realize how delusional my dream had been. No one is here to save me but myself. I square my shoulders and slink across the rocky pavement, my bare feet hating the tiny rocks that intrude on my tender footpad. The door on this side of the building is solid metal with a small janky sign telling me it’s ‘Pop’s sports equipment’.

I place my hand on the handle and yank hard, ripping the door from its hinges with a surprised yelp. Apparently, I somehow grew Hulk-sized muscles without getting any bigger. I gingerly place the door to the side as I enter the dark back room. 

Here is hoping that Pop stocks more than sports equipment. Like clothing and shoes. My stomach grumbles, protesting that I have neglected it for this long. I roll my eyes and pat my flat surface. Maybe I can find some snacks too.

I am not disappointed when I find a whole woman’s section with soft workout clothing and some pretty sleek sneakers, too. I yank a few items on before walking around in search of something to carry some spares. Normally I would travel light but considering I had no control over when I changed into a wolf and shredded my clothing, I’m betting I will probably have a few more similar accidents in the future.

It’s easy to locate the hiking bags and I grab a smaller cross-body one for food and then a lightweight one for the rest of my things as I rush back to the clothing section and add several pants, undergarments, and tops. I even slide in a pair of flip-flops and extra tennis shoes.

I take a minute to pause and look at the wall where a large photo sits of a large group of people surrounding a man in his late sixties, smiling proudly. Guilt tickles my chest and I sigh, trying to pull my eyes away. Stealing has never felt right to me, though I have truly only ever done it out of sheer necessity. But seeing the person you are stealing from? Ugh, that always just makes me feel far worse. 

I shake off my guilt, reminding myself if circumstances were better, this wouldn’t be happening in the first place, but as it is, I need to move it along. I find the snacks near the register, hoping that I haven’t somehow tripped the alarm alerting the police I am here.

I situate the backpack stuffed with spare clothing and shoes and another full of snacks and a water bottle. It makes me feel insanely shitty again for stealing from someone like Pop. Not that I know the guy, but I spent a solid minute looking at the photos around the small shop and he has a pleasant smile. After writing a super quick thank you and apology for him, I head for the back door again, only to see flashing lights.

A moment of panic surges through me, but then I have the thought to let them catch me. At least big naked men can’t come for me in jail. Or can they? If they can heal quickly and are crazy strong like I am…? No. Nope. Running is my only chance at surviving on my own terms. That’s how I have always lived, and that’s how I want to go out. 

I look behind me, seeing multiple cop cars pull out front and I whine in frustration. What the hell do I do now? Inching toward the back door, I duck behind a box and patiently wait as several police officers come in, hands on their guns and flashlights up, canvassing the area. My heart beats like a drum battering against my ears. I try to slow my breathing as their lights go right over the box I’m behind. I slip around the backside as they search the area I just vacated and I take my chance to run.

I hear a faint yell of alarm as I hurry past an elderly man in his little beat-up truck but I press on and back into the woods I came from. Wind whizzes past me as I dart for the trees and the cops holler so far behind me now that I can’t imagine them even coming close to catching me.

I run for an hour, noticing how suddenly in shape I am for someone who hates to run. I slow myself down and find a huge hollowed-out trunk. It only takes me a moment to sniff it out, yes, literally sniff it, and determine it is safe enough for me to crawl into and take a break.

I lower myself down and press my head against the dry wood behind me, heaving an enormous sigh and trying to wrap my head around my eighteenth birthday and all the firsts I can now check off. Stealing is number one, even if I don’t feel great about it. It was necessary. I think…

I pull my food back toward me and dig through the plethora of bars I shoved into it. A sports place stores lots of protein bars, yippee for me. I grunt as I read each one, carefully placing them back in the bag with distaste. Not a single one of them sounds appealing. Thankfully, I had also found a vending machine full of junk food on my way to the back office. I was able to snag some chips and a few candy bars. 

Tonight it seems, I feast!

The chocolate bar disappears first. My first meal as an actual adult and its chocolate and Lay’s potato chips. Healthy choices are for parents feeding young children. Not wolf beasts like me. I enjoy my snack before licking my hands clean. No morsel left behind and all that. Then I pull out a crazy soft sweatshirt I brought and yank it on, using my clothing bag as a pillow before allowing sleep to take me over.

Well, trying to allow sleep to take over me seems more appropriate as I toss and turn, trying to find solace in my dreams, but nothing comes. Instead, I lay hearing every single fucking sound. I swear I can hear fish breathing underwater. I groan in frustration, turning to my side before standing up in a huff and putting my bags back on. If my mind won’t sleep, then I will just run it so freaking ragged it has no choice but to give out.

I run for hours, waiting for sweat or ragged breathing, but nothing happens. It’s like I have become a thousand times more fit than the top Olympic stars. When I finally stop, I drop onto a stump and watch as the sun rises, washing over me with an orange hue and a deep-seated longing for my family. Wanting nothing more than to share this day with my twin sister who, until recently, I didn’t even know I had.

I wonder if she experienced what I just did. If she exploded into a ball of energy and fur. I hope she at least isn’t alone. Perhaps she was adopted into a great family and she has a real birthday cake with candles and friends. A stray tear runs down my cheek and I decide to let it remain. I have hoped for her happiness every day since learning about her existence. Today is no different.

My skin prickles as I sit and watch the day come to life. I know someone is there. I can feel it. But if last night has taught me anything, it’s that looking won’t do me any favors. Yet, my muscles tense and my head turns as I look into the dark woods behind me. Two sets of glowing red eyes pin me to my seat as fear rumbles through me. I reach for my backs, pulling them closer and readying myself to run. 

“Come now, Luna. We just want to talk.” An icy voice says from the trees and I shiver. There is only the promise of death in his voice.

“My name is not Luna,” I growl, standing and sliding my bags on. 

“You don’t even know who you are…?” Another says, though his tone seems a little more friendly than the others. Which isn’t saying much. They both sound void of all joy..

“I know exactly who I am, and I sure as shit don’t know you.” I squint my eyes, looking for more of them, but find nothing. 

I swear I can hear them moving in the surrounding darkness, a shifting of the breeze here or a shaking branch there. They are impossibly fast, but then again, so am I, apparently. I eye the far edge of the woods. The one across the small meadow of green-bladed wheat. I nibble on my lips, looking longingly at the woods without these monsters.

“We can tell you so much about your life.” The cold one says again, but this time I can almost hear the panic in his voice. Which I find puzzling considering I would expect them to follow me as I sprint away. Unless…

“Show me what you look like and I will consider listening,” I say, crossing my arms over my chest and standing my ground. A laugh echoes through the trees.

“She has got us there, brother. She knows what we are.”

The really annoying shudder is back in my body. Because in my head the unlogical answer is vampires. I read books and everyone knows about Count Dracula. They can’t stand the light. Unless they are, you know… the sparkly type. Then in that case I might get blinded as I run away. 

“Mmm, she seems to know nothing.”

“Step into the sunlight.” I shrug.

I am not about to verbalize vampires. Nope. From the shadows a figure steps forward, the sun draping over the dark jeans and pristine black button-up. His hands tucked deep into his pockets. He stops as the shadow falls over his neck and face. I step closer, not sure why I feel drawn to him. His eyes fade from their fiery red revealing lifeless blue eyes. I stop far enough away that he couldn’t reach me if he tried, and he smirks.

“Don’t want to dance in the morning light?” I ask, returning his smile.

“Vampires aren’t much for frolicking, darling.” he tilts his head waiting for a reaction. I steel my face pretending like his words don’t phase me but internally I’m about to piss my pants. 

“No, I’m sure you’ve had a lifetime of frolicking before you became the undead.”

“We don’t want to hurt you,” he says his eyes flash red for a moment, and that feeling of wanting to go closer washes over me. But my wolf growls in my mind, pulling me from the need. 

“Eh, yeah, that wasn’t very believable.” I take a few steps back from him, edging toward the meadow, and he looks to his side, his brother stepping up next to him, with the same haunting eyes and perfectly angled chin. 

Then I turn and sprint through the field, welcoming the warmth of the sun on my skin as I put as much distance between us as possible. I can hear them roaring in anger behind me, but I know better than to look back at them. That would slow me down, and the one place I don’t want to be is in their clutches.