Without her, I was a lone omega on a full moon.
It’d probably be better for Cole if I were attacked and killed.
Ashford wasn’t going to come to my rescue this time either. Not after he saw Cole’s mark.
I had two options.
Accept my fate, sit and wait for the inevitable, or—I had at least a couple of hours before the moon rose—I could make a run for it. Try to be as far into the forest as possible when the shift happens. From how everyone was behaving, drinking and eating in the centre of the resort, it was most likely that Packs were planning to shift together. If I were far enough away from everyone else when I shifted, it would give me a head start. I would run until there was no more forest.
That option came with its own dangers. I didn’t know the area, and if I strayed too close to a human town or village, I could be shot at, fined, or criminally charged. There were safety zones, national parks, and segregated areas for shifting for a reason.
No one wanted werewolves in their back garden on a full moon night.
I sat there, weighing my options as the sun crept slowly lower.
If fate wanted me to die on the full moon, she should have taken me out three years ago.
I got to my feet and walked towards the treeline.
Chapter twenty-eight
Run and Hide
My feet hurt and my thighs burned from hiking. I followed the setting sun until the tree canopy cut off my view of it, and I walked farther and farther into the growing darkness.
My breathing was hard from exertion.
I needed to be as deep into the forest as possible, to be as far away from every other wolf as possible.
Not running scared like I had been the previous full moon, I was able to recognise the signs of my approaching shift. A stiffness in my spine, an ache in my jaw.
I stopped and removed my jacket, shoes, and clothing.
Even knowing I was alone, I looked around anxiously like someone might see me naked.
I folded my clothes neatly and laid them on top of the trainers.
It was probably a pointless task. I wasn’t a great tracker, and I probably wouldn’t be able to find my way back to them if I made it through the night. I wasn’t looking forward to a nakedhike back to the cabin. That was going to be another challenge in itself: finding my way back on my own. If I could.
I decided it was best to focus on one life-threatening task at a time. If I wanted to survive finding my way back tomorrow morning, I first had to survive the night.
The first wave of searing pain cracked down my spine, pushing all the air from my lungs; my mouth fell open in a silent scream as I dropped to the cold, hard ground.
My shoulders and hips popped and cracked sickeningly in unison.
Copper overwhelmed my taste buds.
My vision blurred; my head felt like it would explode, until it did.
My ankle twisted and contorted at odd angles.
I howled in agony.
Until, as always, it ended as suddenly as it had started, and I was pushing myself onto four legs, four paws.
In the distance, I heard the howls of many, many others coming together in a song that sounded a lot like a death march.
I ran.
