two men shift earlier. They may have watched the entire fight. If that was the case, then whoever was shooting now knew that werewolves existed.
“Listen to me Markus,” I whispered beside his ear. “We have to get out of here. I'm going to distract him, you run for the woods. Meet me back at Susan's. I will be there,” I promised. Markus looked at me with worried eyes. I knew he didn't want to leave me, but this was no longer just about me. The entire clan was at stake. He knew this was the only way we could protect his clan and ourselves. I stood up and started walking in the direction of the shots.
“Hello?” I called out. “Hello, who's there?”
“What the hell’s going on here?” a man with a rifle demanded to know as he stepped out from behind a tree.
I had to think fast. “Dogs—mean nasty dogs.” I said. “I was near the edge of the forest and those awful dogs started coming after me. They chased me into the woods. But when you came they ran off.” I gave him what I thought would look like a grateful smile, hoping he believed me.
“Dogs,” he chuckled, eyeing me with amusement. “Those weren’t no dogs. They were wolves. Haven’t you ever seen a wolf before woman? They were the biggest wolves I ever seen.” He scratched his head. “For a minute there I thought I seen them change from men to wolves.” He chortled, “There must have been a little something extra in that joint I was smoking today, yeah, that was pretty good stuff.” He leered at me. “You must be pretty shook up. You wanna come on back to the house and smoke some pot?” As he cocked his head waiting for an answer, he noticed the blood on my arms. His eyes narrowed as he surveyed the rest of my body. “You are pretty tore up,” he said. “Those cuts need to be cleaned. Come on back to the house and we’ll fix you up and have us some weed.”
“It's okay,” I said as I crossed my arms to hide the bleeding wounds. “I'll be fine, thank you for your help.”
“You shouldn't be out here in these woods alone,” he warned. “Those dogs ,” he smirked, “could come back any time.”
“No, I'm going home now,” I insisted, brushing him off.
He shook his head. “I can’t force you to do nothing I guess.” He eyed me suspiciously. “Just what were you doing near the woods anyway?” He didn’t wait for me to answer. “Well, suit yourself.”
I breathed a sigh of relief as I watched him hesitate but then start walking away. There was no time to lose. I needed to get back to Markus. I quickly made my way back to the truck the weremen had left behind. I glanced inside the pickup. The keys were in the ignition, but as I started to climb in I realized I needed to run. Running would clear my head and help me work off some of the day’s stress. And besides, what if the truck had been stolen? I would wind up in jail and we would have an even bigger mess. It was best to go back to Susan’s in my wolf.
I stepped out of the truck. Inhaling deeply, I started transitioning into my wolf form. As I shifted I quickly gazed around the area. I was pretty deep in the woods, but I guessed that if I followed the dirt path the pickup had traveled on and headed north, I would find my way back to town.
After I shifted, I started running as quickly as I could to get to Susan’s. Because of my lacerations it was painful as I sprinted through the woods, but I visualized Markus and how happy he would be to see me. I could smell exhaust fumes in the air, and faintly hear the sound of a truck engine somewhere in the distance, but otherwise the forest had its natural hum opening up to me as I ran. “Run faster Kristen. Faster.” I told myself, “You have to get to Markus as quickly as possible.”
It seemed like it took forever, but eventually I got to Susan’s. I scratched at the back entrance and Markus opened the door for me. I was so relieved to see him there already. I switched into human form as quickly as possible once I
“Listen to me Markus,” I whispered beside his ear. “We have to get out of here. I'm going to distract him, you run for the woods. Meet me back at Susan's. I will be there,” I promised. Markus looked at me with worried eyes. I knew he didn't want to leave me, but this was no longer just about me. The entire clan was at stake. He knew this was the only way we could protect his clan and ourselves. I stood up and started walking in the direction of the shots.
“Hello?” I called out. “Hello, who's there?”
“What the hell’s going on here?” a man with a rifle demanded to know as he stepped out from behind a tree.
I had to think fast. “Dogs—mean nasty dogs.” I said. “I was near the edge of the forest and those awful dogs started coming after me. They chased me into the woods. But when you came they ran off.” I gave him what I thought would look like a grateful smile, hoping he believed me.
“Dogs,” he chuckled, eyeing me with amusement. “Those weren’t no dogs. They were wolves. Haven’t you ever seen a wolf before woman? They were the biggest wolves I ever seen.” He scratched his head. “For a minute there I thought I seen them change from men to wolves.” He chortled, “There must have been a little something extra in that joint I was smoking today, yeah, that was pretty good stuff.” He leered at me. “You must be pretty shook up. You wanna come on back to the house and smoke some pot?” As he cocked his head waiting for an answer, he noticed the blood on my arms. His eyes narrowed as he surveyed the rest of my body. “You are pretty tore up,” he said. “Those cuts need to be cleaned. Come on back to the house and we’ll fix you up and have us some weed.”
“It's okay,” I said as I crossed my arms to hide the bleeding wounds. “I'll be fine, thank you for your help.”
“You shouldn't be out here in these woods alone,” he warned. “Those dogs ,” he smirked, “could come back any time.”
“No, I'm going home now,” I insisted, brushing him off.
He shook his head. “I can’t force you to do nothing I guess.” He eyed me suspiciously. “Just what were you doing near the woods anyway?” He didn’t wait for me to answer. “Well, suit yourself.”
I breathed a sigh of relief as I watched him hesitate but then start walking away. There was no time to lose. I needed to get back to Markus. I quickly made my way back to the truck the weremen had left behind. I glanced inside the pickup. The keys were in the ignition, but as I started to climb in I realized I needed to run. Running would clear my head and help me work off some of the day’s stress. And besides, what if the truck had been stolen? I would wind up in jail and we would have an even bigger mess. It was best to go back to Susan’s in my wolf.
I stepped out of the truck. Inhaling deeply, I started transitioning into my wolf form. As I shifted I quickly gazed around the area. I was pretty deep in the woods, but I guessed that if I followed the dirt path the pickup had traveled on and headed north, I would find my way back to town.
After I shifted, I started running as quickly as I could to get to Susan’s. Because of my lacerations it was painful as I sprinted through the woods, but I visualized Markus and how happy he would be to see me. I could smell exhaust fumes in the air, and faintly hear the sound of a truck engine somewhere in the distance, but otherwise the forest had its natural hum opening up to me as I ran. “Run faster Kristen. Faster.” I told myself, “You have to get to Markus as quickly as possible.”
It seemed like it took forever, but eventually I got to Susan’s. I scratched at the back entrance and Markus opened the door for me. I was so relieved to see him there already. I switched into human form as quickly as possible once I
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