Another flash of movement between the trees makes my decision for me. I was ready to give in earlier. Ready to give up.
But not anymore. Not if they’re here.
I don’t even care if they’re already in wolf form. They won’t hurt me, and I need to get away from my father before he manages to stuff me back into that car where there’ll be no hope of escape. He lost us once, he’ll make sure not to do it again.
I dare one last glance into the car windows, see my mother’s shoulders rise with breath, and take off into the forest.
I run towards the flicker of shadows in the woods, trying to put as much space between me and my father as I can. Anything would be better than letting him catch me again.
Or so I think.
Twice I’ve tried to run tonight, and twice I find myself face to face with danger.
As soon as I’m under the cover of trees, the thing that darted into the woods turns to face me and I can tell that it’s not one of the boys.
It’s a wolf, sure, and one I’m familiar with.
But it’s not them.
The wolf girl from the river stands in front of me, and the look of hatred on her face rivals that of my father.
I take a half step back and stop, keenly aware of the two dangers I’ve found myself sandwiched between. Behind me, the danger I know. Before me … a danger I’ve been warned of.
“Sorry,” I say to her, still a bit delusional from the blow to my head. “I didn’t mean to get in your way, I just need to—”
I try to take a step to the side, my gaze flickering up to the dark forest behind her, looking for another path of escape. She matches my stride.
I never would have thought it possible, but I swear the hatred in her eyes blazes even hotter.
“You shouldn’t be here,” she says, taking another step towards me.
I hesitate, not willing to back down—back towards my father—but unsure of the closing gap between us.
“Please, just let me pass through. I won’t bother you.”
“How dare you,” she says, her voice deepening to a near growl. She takes another step towards me, and this time, I feel a spark of fear alight inside me. “How dare you think you can just waltz out here and order me around?”
She bares her teeth at me. “This is Free Territory, unless you’ve forgotten.”
A match could set alight the crackling air between us.
I thought I knew danger before, but this … this is different.
She must be able to see the realization as it dawns on my face, because her grimace turns into a wicked smile.
“That’s right. This is it.” She grins wider, her expression growing wild. She holds out her arms to either side, gesturing around her to the forest. Above us, moonlight finally breaks through the trees in streams of silvery white between the branches—triggering her shift from woman to wolf.
It happens instantaneously.
The moment the moonlight hits her skin, she transforms from the beautiful woodland girl into a powerful killing machine with claws and fangs ready to tear me to shreds.
She growls and dips her head down, her wolf-eyes burning with that same fiery rage as her human ones did just moments earlier.
I don’t step back or try to run from her. Even if I could get back to the car before she buries her long teeth into my throat, I’d just be running to another trap. Another death. Slower, sure, but in the end—just as bloody.
In a way, I knew from the moment I arrived in North Port, Washington that this is how it would end.
So, I stand still, even when the amber ridge of fur on her back stands up straight and she lunges at me. I instinctively cross my arms in front of my face in the split second before her jaw clamps down on my forearm.