If only I could leave.
I want to leave.
My own thoughts make me almost halt in surprise. I have had the distant wish, sometimes, to move somewhere else, but never have I felt the wish to leave so strongly. Although I have Daniel, Evelyn and Jacob, they have families of their own, and they aren’t young anymore. They help as much as they can, but it can’t continue like this forever.
I wish I could take Faye and Marina and leave, start anew somewhere else.
I finally reach my destination and slow down, before getting off the bike and locking it next to the porch. Once inside, I swiftly check on Marina, noting that she is still asleep and that Evelyn has made sure she has eaten something.
She is such an angel.
Gazing out of the window, I notice how my surroundings are dipped in a soft light. This would be the perfect time to take Tulip out. My head perks up at the thought. The weather is good, there won’t be anyone around at these early morning hours, either, and he needs a workout.
Not lingering on this any longer, I quickly change clothes, tie my locks back and then hurry to the stables. I have done this a hundred times before, so Tulip and I are ready to leave less than half an hour later.
“The sun is rising, old man,” I say to him, before mounting him and riding down our favorite path along the forest. Previously, I used to ride him over a narrow path in the forest too, but he is getting older, so we stick to this simple straight trail that leads us to the border of the pack, away from the other shifters. Then we usually take a turn, ride a loop over the road through the forest, before returning to the cottage from the other side.
The air is still fresh, almost a bit too cold for me, when Tulip and I reach the border. We are about to change direction when I can hear the rustling again. Tulip pauses, but then continues. He is used to the noises of the forest, or it would be impossible to even get close to it.
Still, he is restless.
“What’s wrong?” I mutter, gently brushing over his neck.
Tulip huffs, shaking his head.
Seriously, what’s wrong?
I signal him to continue forward, while checking our surroundings. There is the rustling sound again, and a cracking of twigs, and my weird gut feeling.
Am I getting paranoid for real? It’s the same as always, isn’t it? A normal forest with its usual sounds. Tulip is probably restless because I am. Better to take him back home before my mood rubs off on him further and stresses him out.
I am about to pick up our pace when I suddenly see yellow eyes in the bushes.
Wolves?!
six
The Chase
*GWENDOLYN*
One moment passes, and then another, in which I just try to gather my thoughts. It’s as if everything around me is in slow motion all of a sudden, my thoughts and I, included. It just feels dull and like this isn’t reality.
Then, the first wolf emerges.
This startles me from my ‘trance’ instantly.
Wolves shouldn’t stress me. This is a pack for fuck’s sake, I have run into them before while riding Tulip. It’s nothing new.
Just that it is different this time.
I immediately urge Tulip to go faster, falling into a faster trot, trying to get some distance between them and us, but one look behind tells me they are not going to leave us alone.
It’s a group of them now – five, maybe even six.
And I know them!
I fucking know them!
