Ch. 43

CHAPTER FORTY-THREE:

~Avery:

The blinding light of the outside world had me needing to shield my eyes. While the hospital lighting down here had been a shock, this natural light and the heat from the sun was something else entirely. I squinted, shading my eyes, and checked the area quickly. No real threats. Sadness came over me that I tried to will away - I had hoped that I’d regain some normal feeling over my magic once I got out here - but it was the same. A deep empty hole where my magic had been.

There was a forest out there and I thanked anyone up there listening for the coverage. The only challenging part was the vast expanse of grass between me and those trees. I ignored my aching body and quickly ran across the distance, keeping my head on a swivel for anyone else who could be out here. Holding my breath, my heart pounding, I pushed my muscles to the brink and - made it. Just behind the first tree I paused. Waiting for someone to yell out that they’d seen movement… But nothing happened. I exhaled, brushing my hair out of my face with one hand, and looked around me.

While I knew this was East, and that if I kept running that way there would be most East - I wasn’t sure what that was in relation to. The trees were pine, similar to ones I had seen in California, but also similar to ones I had seen all over the western region of this country. There was no way to know which way was toward Idaho, towards Drake.

I paused, registering the feelings in me. I felt like I wanted to go home, and for some reason he had become that for me. I don’t remember when that happened.

Shaking the thought to deal with it another time, I focused on what was immediately in front of me. I’d continue East, hoping that I could get a head start, hoping that whatever they had put in my system would time it’s way out and I could control my own magic again. I ignored the thought that could be gone forever.

“I’m coming home Drake,” I whispered to myself.

Off I ran. Running around all these trees in my unwashed clothing made me feel even grimyer than I had before. Sweat ran down my face, which I’m sure was currently beat red from all this exertion. I didn’t know how long I could go on like this, but I was certain I would need to stop soon. I never ran like this. Swimming, sure, all day, but running? That was hard enough for me on a track without all these obstacles around. I tried to focus so hard on all the twigs, branches, pinecones, rocks, and other things on the ground. I couldn’t afford to stumble and hurt myself.

I rounded another tree when I paused. Heaving for breaths, trying not to throw up from how hard I was pushing myself, I rested one hand on a tree trunk, not caring about the prickling splinters that were sure to be getting in my skin. I leaned most of my weight onto that hand, trying to keep myself upright when all I wanted to do was fall down. I was thirsty. So thirsty. And my mind fumbled around trying to remember the last time I had drank anything - regretting not having done so right before that jerk came into my cell room. Even though there was no way I could have known what would happen.

The nagging feeling that I couldn’t wait here hit me strongly. I was pushing my luck with this. For all I knew they already realized I was going a different direction. I guess it was strange that werewolves wouldn’t have already found me. Drake had followed my scent easily from miles and miles. Was that just a mate thing then?

I pushed off from the tree and continued to run. A slower pace than my earlier sprint, but one that I hoped would not make me sick. No matter what I had to keep moving, keep putting distance between me and my captors. It gave me the best chance of getting out of here safely and finding Drake.

I pulled his image forward in my mind and thought of him as I ran. I caught myself from stumbling and kept pushing. I had to get to him. I had to. I had to tell him what I was starting to feel. I had to tell him that I’d never felt like this, that no one had cared for me as much as he did in years - in over a decade. I had to tell him I was sorry for pushing him away - sorry for not listening to him earlier about getting to safety. I wanted to tell him that I would help him take his Alpha down and anyone else who had ever wronged him. I needed to tell him that - I love him. It’s crazy and so soon, but I do. Images of him flashed through my eyes - the glint of challenge in his eyes, the heart-on-his sleeve look he gave me when he told me what we were to each other, the hope, hurt, and desperation when he found me at that cabin. The way he consoled me, stood in awe of me, at the lake after I had first flipped out.

Smack.

I hadn’t jumped high enough over a log and its adjoining branch had caught on my pant leg. I was already mid-jump when I knew it was coming. And now I was on the forest floor.

“Owww!” I hissed, pushing myself up. I glanced at my leg quickly, seeing a deep scratch.

Dait.

I pressed against it a bit, sucking in a breath and the pain. Thankfully it didn’t look too deep. I chastised myself for not being careful enough and got up - trying to not think about the pain and the blood as I kept moving.

The sun was nearly gone and I was still in the forest with no end in sight. The moon wasn’t really visible and even if it was this area was so dense I don’t think it would help. For all I know this forest could go for miles and miles. There are forests out here that go through several states. What if I was in one of those? And how come even after all this time I hadn’t felt my magic return? Is it going to just take a really long time? My heart sank at the thought that it could somehow be gone forever. I felt incredibly alone.

I kept moving forward but had to slow my speed with the darkness coming in. How long could I keep this up for? My leg had stopped bleeding but now it was dried and stuck to my pant leg making the whole area feel uncomfortable and tight. It pulled with every step of my left leg. I was caked in dirt from my fall, and sweat from - well everything. I wish I knew how long it had been since I’d showered, and my mouth was so dry…

That’s when I froze. I heard something. A trickling. Water!

I headed off-course a bit listening carefully, trying to find the source. At first, I’d stepped to the right, but the sound lessened, so I went more to the left of where I had been. More left. More left. The sound was steady and I couldn’t help the smile on my face at my luck. After a few more minutes I found the source. It was a creek, not very deep, but it looked like the fanciest, freshest thing around in my mind. While still water isn’t safe to drink, moving water is safer and I’d lucked upon this!

I nearly collapsed into the creek, dropping to my knees in the water. I cupped my hands and drank deeply several times before moving onto my back and laying in the water. It felt so cold, but so good. My eyes misted at the realization that this water should be freezing, but to me it was just cool and refreshing.

“Thank you,” I whispered to no one.

I rolled to my side and started to rub water onto my arms. I splashed some on my face, then moved up again to be able to wash my injured leg. The cool of the stream revitalized me. I washed up a little more before standing up.

It was time to keep moving. I took several more deep drinks of the water and stepped out, determined and rejuvenated.

Late at night I was still walking like a zombie through the trees. I couldn’t quite feel my magic, but I started to feel - something. I couldn’t name it. It felt like when I knew Drake was there. Was it the mate bond? Was he near? I trudged on, holding onto hope.

Many hours later I couldn’t go on anymore. I found a tree that was pretty climb-friendly and pulled myself up to try to rest my eyes for a few minutes. I listened to the critters in the trees all around. The owls, the skitterings of maybe a mouse or something in a bush below. I thanked the world for the stream I’d found and prayed like I never had before that I would be able to get out of here and find Drake.

I guess my luck had ended with the water.

I woke up to the sneering face of a woman I didn’t recognize and the stinging sensation of a needle. Between my exhaustion and my sleepy eyes I couldn’t make out more.

My last blurry thought was, ‘How did I not see this coming?’

I woke up groggy, immediately knowing where I was. Where I had never wanted to be again. A dark cell. The stale air confirmed it even before I had totally woken up. Swear words swirled in my head. I tried to piece together how I had gotten here.

Images flashed in my mind: escaping, the forest, being tired, the cut on my leg, the water, sleeping.. And getting caught. Obviously.

I swore to no one.

A heartbeat later the door from the hallway swung open, lights blinding. A furious looking woman marched up to my cell. I recognized her sneer from last night. Had it been last night?

“Up already there, Sleeping Bith?” she asked, a dark play on ‘Sleeping Beauty.’

I scrunch my face in confusion. Was I supposed to know her from something? Her face looked very slightly familiar. Something about the shape of her face, the color of her eyes, the outline of her nose… but at the same time she didn’t look quite ‘right.’ I couldn’t put my finger on it.

I realized it a second later, horror sinking me down.

I must have made a face because her expression changed to something that said ‘I’m right and you’re wrong.’

“So I guess you do know who I am,” she said, all haughty.

She could really only be one person. I suppressed a shiver. It seemed my past had really come together in a bond over how much they hate me. Looking at her age, I could only narrow it down to one person. She had to be the daughter of the woman that had changed me. The woman who made me implement my rules. The last real murder I’d committed was someone innocent. The woman from the bridge. Looking at the hate and rage in this young woman’s eyes I knew, I really was a monster.