16. River

Naked. Shivering. Covered from head to toe in mud, pitch, pine needles, and dirt... I’ve never been more miserable. Well, except for the first time I did this just a few nights ago, but at least Im free.

I got away.

It was chance, just pure fucking luck that the guard who took me to the bathroom was an old flame. One my father didnt know about. We fooled around behind his back when I was younger, and I promised him a quickie for old times sake.

Im not proud of it.

Using the promise of sex to get him to lower his guard wasn’t cool. But I did what I had to do. And as soon as he was distracted, struggling to take his belt off and get his dick out, I broke a vase over his head.

It was stupid and risky. But it worked.

I slipped out the window, shifted, and bolted for the woods. I beelined for a creek I found during my last escape and drenched myself in mud, doing everything I could to mask my scent, before darting deeper and deeper into the woods.

I had no plan, no goal, other than getting away... Far, far away. Perhaps, this time, if I lose myself, Ill be lost for good.

I finally pass out in the hollow of an old tree, surrounded by the scent of whatever animal used it as a den before me. I want to keep going, but I dont have the stamina to maintain my wolf form permanently.

This means when the sun finally comes up, I’m shivering and fully exposed to the chilly air of the early morning.

My clothes are gone. My shoes. Everything.

Im naked. Alone. And lost.

But that’s better than staying behind.

For now, at least.

Crawling from the tree, I stretch my tired limbs and shift back to my wolf. Im so exhausted that I wont be able to stay in this form unless I can find some food soon. But hunting as a lone wolf is difficult at best, and I haven’t had much practice. I was always confined to the compound...never allowed to wander alone. When I was younger, I never questioned my father’s motives. I blindly believed everything he did was for my protection and with my best interests at heart. But now it feels more like my fathers need for control is so absolute that he wanted me completely dependent on him. On the pack. Even from my youngest days.

Shaking my head, I try to clear my thoughts. I cant afford to think about that right now. I have to focus on finding food. On surviving.

I sniff the air, trying to pick up a scent, but I dont even know what Im scenting for. Desperately casting around, I finally catch a smell that I recognize. Asphalt, motor oil, the road.

I must be near a highway. I didn’t keep track of where I was running last night, so I have no idea where I am or how far I’ve traveled. It might be smart to get some sense of direction. But highways mean people, cars...and potentially someone from the pack who might recognize me.

I hesitate, unsure of what to do. I need food, water, and shelter. But I also need to avoid being spotted by anyone from the pack.

Finally, with no other options, I decide to risk it. But first, I take drastic measures to further mask my scent. The pungent excretions of some animal, I really dont know what it might be, are just sitting there like a sign from the forest itself.

As gross as it is, I dont hesitate to use it.

I sneeze in disgust as the scent tickles my nose and my eyes burn with hatred as I roll in the stuff. It clumps in my fur, clinging to me worse than even the mud and pitch that’s already there. I cant imagine anything worse than this. Im gonna stink for days, but that’s the point.

Smelling terrible is better than being found.

With that done, I set off toward the road. My ears stay alert for any sounds of traffic, and my nose is constantly scanning for the scent of people. I have to be smart. At this point, I cant afford to make any mistakes.

As I get closer to the road, I hear the sound of a car approaching. I instantly freeze, crouching low in a bush with my heart racing as I watch the car pass by. Its a black SUV with tinted windows. I cant see inside, but Im almost certain its from the compound. It doesnt slow down, but the fright of seeing such a familiar vehicle sends ice through my veins.

Maybe I didnt run as far as I thought.

Once the sound of the car fades into the distance, I continue moving. There’s no time to linger.

Traveling through the brush, I stay parallel to the road, my head on a swivel for any signs of danger. I cant afford to be caught off guard.

I pick up familiar scents and sounds, things I encountered during my car ride with Frankie, Kyle, and Devon. Maybe I’m getting close to town again. I detour a bit deeper into the woods, skirting around the populated areas and avoiding anything that might expose me.

The faces of the three alphas keep cycling through my head no matter how hard I try to forget them. I need to get somewhere safe...somewhere no one can find me. Not even them.

But when I stop to take in my surroundings again, I realize Ive done the opposite of that.

I take a deep breath as I lift my head and peer between the trees at the camping spot I shared with them just the other night. Its empty now, and theres no sign of them.

My instincts brought me back to the last place I felt truly safe.

With them.