Chapter 19 LEENA
LEENA
Grant was right.
The alpha has been running through my head for as long as I've been in the woods. I've been a complete mess of emotions, racing between them one after the other. Right now, I feel sadness, mixed with a little regret.
I should be in the city with Grant right now, instead of running around in the woods, aimlessly trying to escape my life. The effort I'm currently putting in is futile because it's clear I'm not going anywhere.
I stretch, digging my fingers into the dirt beneath my feet. Being in my wolf form is definitely soothing, but it's beginning to take such a toll on me.
Last time I shifted, it was much worse for me to handle for more than a few days. For some reason, I have a lot more strength this time, but I'm still starting to fade.
I hate that Grant was right. I'm starting to get too tired.
The evening air is perfect for a run. A gentle breeze brushes across my fur, moving all around me until it chooses to continue its course.
I think about running for a second, trying to catch that feeling across my skin again, but I decide against it.
Grant would’ve come to see me by now. I know he's nowhere near the woods, which makes how I'm feeling even worse. I miss him so much already. All I want to do is be back in the house, tangled up in the sheets together.
I begin to miss the feeling of having my mate next to me. My body craves his so much, and I'm not sure how much longer I can survive without him.
Eventually, this longing becomes way too much. It is almost painful to be apart from Grant. That's when I realize that what may be hurting right now is my current form.
Every single part of my body aches. My joints feel like they've suddenly become too weak even to support me.
The hunger grows, gnawing constantly on my insides. I can't stay like this for much longer. I already know my body is about to collapse.
I move across the woods, traveling as slowly as possible, trying to conserve whatever energy I have left.
Suddenly, the forest doesn’t seem as welcoming anymore. The sky is still bright, though, which doesn't make my situation as bad as it could be.
I search the area, realizing that I'm pretty far away from the pack house right now. It's going to take quite a bit to get back in my current state. I'm not sure I'll be able to do so before it gets too dark.
Still, my time in the woods is coming to an end, so I begin the journey. Hunger plays with me, making me feel very dizzy as I walk.
My senses are beginning to dull, and I'm not sure how much longer I can keep myself awake or in my wolf form. I think about just giving in and transforming, but it will be too painful, and then I'll end up stuck in the woods in my human form.
I stumble around, unsure I'm heading in the proper direction. Soon, a scent fills my nose, something I haven't perceived before. I'm not sure what it is, but I can tell it's some kind of animal. Still, pretty strong to be just one.
Maybe a quick meal will help with my strength.
I turn around, following the scent, ready to pounce on whatever I see coming in that direction. The scent grows closer, like we'll meet up soon.
My mouth waters in anticipation of fresh food after almost an entire day of consuming nothing. I can already imagine the taste of flesh in my mouth.
This gives me the little motivation I need to keep going, pushing myself along the trail with my nose in the air. I pause suddenly as all my senses feel heightened. It doesn't take long for me to realize what this means.
I'm in danger.
Deep yellow eyes shine through the trees, quickly followed by a dirty black body. A wolf steps out into the open and keeps his eyes on me. I stumble, realizing that I can't feel anything from him. That's when it hits me.
That's a real wolf.
There's no humanity behind the wolf's eyes. It bares its fangs, recognizing that I'm not one of its own, even though I'm in my wolf form.
I take a step back, looking for an avenue of escape. I'm too tired and I'm not sure I can outrun a wolf. My only choice is to fight.
I take my ready stance, looking for an opening to attack. The wolf howls, sending its voice through the woods. Everything becomes quiet, and the fear in my body rises. Soon, I figure out why.
More wolves step out into the open, enough for an entire pack. They must've migrated into this area, or I've simply run too far and left safety.
Fighting is no longer one of my options. All I can do now is run for my life, and that's exactly what I do. I turn around and bolt, using all the strength left in my frail body.
Fear helps the adrenaline kick in, and I'm a good distance away before the wolves give chase. However, the wolves are unrelenting.
They run after me at full speed, making me feel slow in comparison. I dig my claws into the ground, painfully propelling myself forward. My body feels like it's about to shred into a million pieces, but if I let that happen, it's certain death.
Still running, I chance a look behind me. I don't see the wolves, but I can hear them and smell them. They're not far off. If I take more than a few seconds to rest, they'll be on my tail immediately.
I lose all sense of direction as I try to escape. The whole world seems to be spinning around me, but all I can do is concentrate on not stumbling or landing on my face. They would be on me instantly.
I'm fading fast. I can't run for much longer.
One of the wolves manages to catch up to me. It claws at my back, forcing me to scream. I turn around and gash it right in the eye before continuing.
I feel blood seeping out of the wound in my back. My body also tries to heal, but that ability is extra slow in this state of weakness.
My focus shifts to the tall trees around me. They're too steep to climb as a wolf, but maybe–just maybe–I might be able to scale them in my human form.
I begin the transformation, feeling my body tearing apart. The pain that shoots through me is just like what I've felt before, but somehow, it's not as terrible as I expect.
I keep trying to crawl as I return to my human form, making sure to never stop moving.
The second I'm fully transformed, I begin to climb up the closest tree. One wolf, the fastest of the pack, catches me just near the base of the trunk. He claws at my feet before jumping and latching onto my leg with its fangs.
I scream in pain before kicking it in the head as hard as I can. The fangs release me, and I continue climbing, seeking safety. Blood streams down my leg from the injury.
I perch on a branch, more than fifteen feet above the ground, hoping the limb beneath me doesn't give way.
One by one, the wolves all circle to the base of the tree, clawing at it and even trying to climb. Still, despite the number of close calls, none of them are able to lunge high enough to reach me.
My chest rises rapidly. There's no phone for me to call for help. I'm not even wearing clothes. All I have is the willpower to stay alive, and that's what I hold on to as much as possible.
I can feel the anger emanating from the wolves as they see what should be their meal. There's hardly any game in the forest right now, and there's no doubt the wolves are ferociously hungry. I am, too.
Our game of cat and mouse goes on until night falls. I hold on to my branch with everything I have, determined to live. The wolves hang around, knowing I can't wait forever.
My exhaustion starts to take over, and I begin falling asleep. My eyelids feel like they weigh more than my head. The struggle is one I'm losing badly.
A gunshot jolts me from that sleepy stupor. The wolves all stand alert at the sound. Another shot rings out, and they begin to scatter. I breathe easier for the first time that entire day, hoping now that I’ll live to see morning.
I still lie on my branch, unsure whether it’s safe to come out now. As I wait for whoever has shot the gun, I silently wish for Grant to show up.
My mate isn't the one who comes through the woods, though. Two heavily dressed people walk out into the open, holding hunting rifles that they point carefully around them. Their eyes remain on the ground close to them.
I stay silent, unsure of what to do next, but suddenly, there's a crack. The branch I'm on begins to give way. Both of the people below look up, and I hear their audible gasps.
“Jesus,” a male voice says. “What are you doing up there? Are you okay?”
“She's naked and in a tree,” a female voice points out. “Of course she's not okay.”
“I got chased by wolves,” I say in the weakest voice ever. My entire body aches. My leg hurts like hell, and my back isn't that much better either. It takes all my willpower to remain in the tree.
“Fuck,” the woman says. “I knew we were close. We've been chasing the damn creatures for miles now.”
“Did they run through here?” the man asks.
“That doesn't matter right now,” the woman replies. “We have to get her down from there. Look at her leg, it's bleeding.” She turns to me. “We're going to get you down, okay?”
I nod in response. “Thank you.”
“Don't move,” she says.
I stay as still as I can, trying not even to shake. The next thing I see is the barrels of their guns pointing at me.
“What the—”
They fire.