71

Jane.

I do not know how long I have been running, but I do not stop until I hear indistinct chattering. I trace the voices, and they become more audible as I draw closer to them.

I pant heavily. I badly need to catch my breath. I am running in my human form because my wolf is still too weak for me to shift into it. I try countless times to shift, but I end up hitting the ground hard. With no choice left, I continue in my human form, determined to get to Ray.

Vishal asks me to go to him, and I know I will be safe with Ray. So even though my body is giving up and my spirit is weak, I will myself to keep running.

I am in a hurry to get to the voices and miss a log of wood lying in my path, so my feet hit it and I lose my balance. I fall over it and roll down a sloped area until I stop in the depth of dried-up leaves. I stand, wincing slightly at the pain all over my body.

I leap down to the area where the voice is coming from; it is much more audible now, and I can hear Ray giving orders