Escaping

So, when chaos ensued as they came through the huge swinging door, bearing the body of our dead alpha, I’d taken advantage of the shouts and clattering and panicked shouts…

I got out.

Through the trees and through that crack behind the tree, and out to freedom. Evening light cast pink and orange hues along the horizon. Signaling that dark would soon be here.

And this close to the Mating Moon, my smell would be more potent.

Easier to follow.

But I was counting on the fact that everyone would be too busy mourning the alpha and honoring Draven’s ascension, to pursue me.

And the wolf I was the most worried about hunting me down would be in the thick of the mourning.

Alaric.

This is the only chance I’ll have. I reminded myself. As I wove to the back of the hunts.

So, I took it.

***

“Run, girl. Run!” Marta urged from behind me. Her words echoing in my ear as I did my mad flight through the trees. Swinging around the trunks and lunging sideways to mark trees in directions I wasn’t going.

Trying to throw them off.

Once I was beyond that wall I didn’t stop. Running headlong through the trees until I was so winded, I was half asleep standing up.

After two days of trying to keep that pace, I caught a whiff of a he-wolf on my trail. Close enough I could smell him.

Which meant he was watching me.

And the Mating Moon was days away.

Not a chance you’ll have me. I knew who it was. Knew that smell.

So, I made a run for it. Hopping through against the side of trees to keep from touching the ground.

Trying to make it hard to track me.

Still, after a few more days, I was crouched in a tree watching below when I glimpsed his blonde head in the shadows. A dagger on his hip as he peered around a tree to whiff.

Alaric. I couldn’t think of enough profane words to cover the aggravation I was feeling at his appearance.

Let me go!

He wandered below me. Moving to another tree to crouch and assess a track I’d left.

Dammit! I was so careful.

Not careful enough, apparently.

I couldn’t seem to shake the determined male.

How had he left the grieving rituals so early?

His brother sent him after me. The answer came to me quickly enough. What little I knew of Draven told me that he would be furious that I’d taken advantage of his father’s death to make a run for it.

He’ll want me back. And he’ll want me punished.

Forget that. I’m never going back. I had no intention of being the weak one amidst wolves after I’d been the strong one amongst humans for so long. I could admit that I liked knowing I was more powerful than them.

Could control them physically if I needed to.

Not a male wolf. They’re far stronger than me.

Especially one as powerfully built as Alaric. Physically honed from combat with NightHunters and even our own wolves, when he’d been charged with enforcing Edrick’s laws.

I’d once witnessed him tossing a wolf even larger than himself like he was a bundling of kindling.

He could rip me apart trying to take me under the Mating Moon.

Not a chance.

I’d known Draven was too stubborn to let me go so easily.

And Alaric…Damn his stubbornness. I had seen how formidable he could be. Like an unrelenting wall.

***

Knowing when darkness fell tonight, I’d be an easy mark for him. I quietly watched him following the marks I’d purposely left before circling back.

So, I could see who followed me. Even as I’d hoped, no one would be.

I averted my attention to scanning the distance. I can’t shake him and he’s closing in.

I have to go somewhere close. I spotted a kingdom in the distance and ascertained it wasn’t King Detry’s Castle. I knew I’d gone in the opposite direction but knew I had to be damn certain I hadn’t somehow ended up backtracking further than I intended.

No. This is someone else. I didn’t recognize the white banner with gold stars. But I’d never been this far in the Wixwood.

It was rundown. Gray stone tinged brown from much congealed mud which had layered over the years. Some of the pieces of roofing from the parapets dangled along the ridges.

It’s certainly in shambles.

But even from this distance, I could see that there were guards patrolling the wall.

It’s manned. A good sign.

It meant it wasn’t utterly decimated by the wolf plagues.

I dropped to the leafed ground and began to stroll toward the castle on paws quieter than a cat’s. I made my way silently toward the fringe of trees winding around the meadow which breached for the drawbridge and then the castle bailey.

A long distance to cross in the open.

I stood behind a tree. Peering around it as I gauged the distance. Listening carefully to see how far behind me Alaric might be.

“I can smell you, She-Wolf.” I heard him call a short distance behind me, as though summoned by my thoughts.

I glanced over at the rising moon. Already tossing its soft pink hues over the horizon in the distance. Soon to be fully up.

The Mating Moon.

I cursed inwardly. Heart beginning to race. I had no choice. I crouched onto all fours and let black and white fur sift through my pores and my eyes yellow before I surged into movement. Crossing the distance through the thin layer of trees on all fours. Leaping from the pile of my clothes which was left in the pile of twigs I’d been standing in.

My plan was far from precise. Needlessly messy but I saw no other option. I ran.

Pads landing and claws parting with each smooth press to leaves and wet moss. I launched myself with powerful back legs, tossing me higher in the air. Bounding more than running. My long tail was trimmed white beneath and adjusting with each of my movements to give me perfect balance as I turned nearly sideways to veer around trunks and broad roots. Knowing one misstep would land me on my side.

And vulnerable under Alaric.

***

I could already hear his heavy pants behind me. Huffing rhythmically with each of his steps.

I knew when I’d taken the form of my wolf it would drive my female scent up to the treetops and leave it trailing behind me to summon all other changeling males.

Alaric certainly wouldn’t miss it.

It would also drive his hormones to force him into a change, so he could successfully mount me if he could catch me.

Animal to animal.

And Marta had made clear to me, how much harder it was for the males to change back human under that moon.

They lose nearly all control of their bodies.

The beast takes over.

I was counting on that now as I reached the last of the trees and rolled to two feet. Knowing I was bare, absent all clothes and hair flying as I ran, panicked across the meadow. Screaming for help.