Chapter 5 – REGINA #2
From my peripheral vision, I can see him change direction, heading straight for my booth.
Shit. Shit. Shit .
I risk a glance up, planning my escape route, when movement outside the café's street-level windows freezes me in place.
No. Not now.
Ryan Fairchild's golden hair practically glows in the sunlight as he scans the quad. Next to him stands Rebecca, her shock-red hair unmistakable. And beside her, surveying the campus with the entitled intensity of a reincarnated emperor, is Kyle.
They found me. Somehow, despite the campus wards, despite the crowds, they've tracked me here. Rebecca is one hell of a finder witch to pinpoint me through all the magical interference and all the wards they have around this place.
Killian is nearly at my table, and Kyle is heading toward the Humanities building entrance. Trapped between predators.
I have seconds to move.
I abandon my coffee and food and slide from the booth, keeping my hood low. The women's restroom is near the back. If I can get there without either the wolf or Kyle catching up to me, I might be able to find a way out.
I slip between tables, moving as quickly as I can without running.
Behind me, I hear the wolf say something to his packmates, his deep voice carrying easily across the café.
Something about his voice sounds weirdly familiar even though I'm sure I've never seen this man a day in my life. I don't look back. Can't risk it.
The bathroom door feels miles away. One step. Two. Three. Almost there.
I push through just as the café door opens again. Inside, I lock the door behind me and lean against it, heart hammering.
Think, Regina. Fucking think.
The bathroom is small, but there's a narrow window set high in the wall.
Escape route identified. I drag the trash can beneath the window and climb on top, fingers working frantically at the latch.
It's old and stiff, but finally gives with a protesting creak.
The opening is barely wide enough for my shoulders, but desperation makes me flexible.
I wriggle through headfirst, almost tearing my shirt off on the sill, and tumble ungracefully into a narrow alley behind the building.
Pain shoots through my palms as they break my fall against rough concrete.
I'm back on my feet instantly, scanning for the safest direction, pressing my palms into the fabric of my hoodie so the blood scent doesn't immediately give me away.
The alley opens onto a side street away from the quad. Away from Kyle and the wolf.
I run.
Campus blurs around me as I sprint, no destination in mind except away . Students stare as I pass, but I ignore them. My lungs burn. My legs ache. But fear pumps adrenaline through my system, pushing me forward.
"Regina!"
Ryan's voice carries across the grounds behind me. I risk a glance back and see him pointing in my direction, Kyle and Rebecca already moving. Fuck. They've spotted me.
I cut between buildings, trying to use the campus layout to my advantage. The problem is, I don't know this place. They can herd me into a corner if I'm not careful.
My foot catches on uneven pavement and I stumble, nearly going down. The momentary falter costs me. When I look back again, Ryan has gained ground. His long legs eat up the distance between us with infuriating efficiency.
I need somewhere to hide. Somewhere with wards. Stronger wards than the general campus protections.
Up ahead, the campus thins into residential areas. Faculty housing, maybe. And there—set back from the rest, a sprawling Victorian mansion with a wrap-around porch. It looks old. Established. The kind of place that might have accumulated protections over the years.
I change course, sprinting toward it. Behind me, I hear Kyle shout instructions to the others, splitting them up to cut off my escape routes. He knows these grounds better than I do. I'm sure he has plenty of connections here, academic credentials that give him access and knowledge I lack.
The mansion looms closer. I push harder, feet pounding against earth that yields no energy to me now. My reserves are too depleted to even attempt drawing from nature while running.
The porch steps creak under my weight as I bound up them. No time for niceties. I pound on the door with my fist, gasping for breath.
"Please," I wheeze, though I know it's useless. Nobody answers doors for wild-eyed strangers these days. "Please open the door."
Silence from within. Of course.
Ryan's voice carries from too close behind me. "Regina! Come on! Don't make this harder than it needs to be!"
I'm out of options and nearly out of time.
To my right, the porch wraps around toward the back of the house, and beyond it lies dense woods. Not ideal, but better than facing Kyle and his lackeys.
I leap off the porch, skidding on fallen leaves, and plunge into the forest. Branches whip at my face. Roots threaten to trip me. But I keep moving, using the trees for cover.
The forest floor slopes downward, and I follow it, hoping the descent will make pursuit more difficult. The sounds of campus fade behind me, replaced by the rustle of leaves and my own labored breathing.
When I can't run anymore, I slow to a brisk walk, putting one foot in front of the other through sheer force of will. My legs shake with exertion. My lungs feel shredded. But I can't stop. Not yet.
How far does this forest extend? It feels like I've been moving for hours, though my phone—which I somehow managed not to lose during my chaotic bathroom window escape—shows only twenty minutes have passed.
Four and a half hours left on Kyle's ultimatum. Not that it matters now. The countdown was just manipulation. He's already coming for me. Already found me.
I pause, leaning against a massive oak to catch my breath. The woods have grown quieter around me, the ambient sounds of birds and small animals fading to an unnatural stillness. Not good. Something has disturbed the natural order here.
Then, I hear it.
A howl splits the night air.
And before long, three others join it.
Could this night get any fucking worse?