Fleeing

My lungs burn with every breath and my legs tremble in exhaustion as I dash through the woods but I do not dare slow down.

The cold night air bites against my exposed skin but that is the least of my worries, my primary concern is the group of Everdale wolves hot on my trail, Alpha Mikos's enforcers.

'It has only been a single day, how did they catch up so quickly?' I wonder, but it is too late to think about that.

I am not the best at escaping, there would be trails but I still held hopes.

"Kyra! Stop running! On Alpha Mikos's orders, return with us at once and you will be unharmed!" One of the enforcers yells at me.

Like I would believe that...

They say they will not harm me, but I can sense their agitation, the desire to kill and the smell of wolfsbane, the wolf version of a tranquilizer, all tell me that they have not come for just a chat.

Taking me back will seal my fate, there is no doubt about it.

"Stop Kyra! If you keep running, we have orders to take you out!" Another calls out.

Terror runs down my spine; There it was, the truth. 

Daring a glance over my shoulder, I catch a glimpse of one of the five enforcers behind me, his eyes gleams with fierce determination and my heart seized.

In my distraction, my foot gets caught on a root and I stumble forwards but catch myself at the last moment and keep on running.

My mind races, adrenaline coursing through my veins as I push myself harder.

It is one thing that the enforcers had orders to take me down if I resist, but what is even worse than death is the thought of being dragged back to Alpha Mikos.

His punishment would be brutal, public and personal. Alpha Rich Landry was after all Mikos's own father.

"You can't escape Kyra! Stop now and I promise to spare you the worst!" The first enforcer called out again.

Ignoring their calls, I keep my eyes focused on the path ahead or at least the little idea I have of it.

My plan is simple; get far enough into rogue territory that Alpha Mikos would not pursue, and possibly stand a chance of survival or get killed by the rogues, either option is better than being caught back to Everdale.

But at this point, I am not even certain what path I have taken. My general idea of the rogue territory went out the window the moment the pursuit began and I have been running in a direction that was becoming increasingly unfamiliar.

There is no retreat, the enforcers are closing in. Their footsteps grow louder behind me and so does their breathing.

Panic claws at my chest and my eyes dart around, searching for a sharp bend, a dense thicket or anything that could aid me in putting some distance between me and the enforcers but there was nothing in sight.

A shadow moved in my peripheral vision and I swerved, but it is too late. An enforcer lunges out of the dark, nearly knocking me off my feet.

He snatches my arm, his hold ironclad and nearly crushing my bones.

"End of the road, girl." He hissed.

Reacting on instinct, I lift a foot and stomp down with all my strength, earning a hiss of pain, my elbow lashes out immediately after, connecting with his jaws and his grip loosens as he stumbled back, letting out a stream of curse words.

Another enforcer is catching up but I do not wait to see. I dart to the left and push my legs faster than I ever have.

"She's getting tired! Keep up boys!" One of the enforcers yells to his colleagues.

My vision blurs from the effort, a sinking feeling in my chest tells me I will not make it but the desperation keeps me moving.

Suddenly, a patch of loose rocks shifts beneath my feet. The ground suddenly slopes downwards and I lose balance, tumbling down a slope, I roll painfully till my back hits a gnarled tree.

The metallic smell of blood fills the air...my blood. I feel sharp pains in multiple places and black spots dance across my vision.

Still, I struggle to stand to my feet, gritting my teeth against the pain flaring in my shoulder.

"It's over Kyra, you have run too far into rogue territory. You will die here with or without our help. Come back with us and answer to Alpha Mikos." An enforcer came up before me.

"Go to hell..." I spit with difficulty.

"Tyler asked me for a favour, to be lenient with you. But suit yourself." The enforcer replied.

He blocks my retreat, whistling low to let his colleagues know my location so I am entirely surrounded.

I grit my teeth as tears spring to my eyes, I am cornered.

The enforcer closes in on me, his movement slow and deliberate.

"Where is your flame, fire girl? Show me some of it... I hear fire elementals only appear once in a blue moon." The enforcer taunts me.

My gaze is fixed on my boots, the fire in me or whatever that had been, it had completely vanished and I have no idea how to call upon it...not that I dare use it again, it already did enough damage.

A deafening growl disrupts the moment as a massive wolf bursts through the trees.

A fully shifted werewolf, completely in tune with their wolf side...it meant one thing; rogues!

"Rogues!" The enforcer echoes my thoughts just as his colleagues arrive.

The feral shifter faces them, his fur bristling with rage. More howls echo from a distance.

The enforcers immediately band together to face the new threat and I am forgotten.

The distraction is all that is needed, not wasting a second, I turn and flee, not glancing back for even a moment.

My muscles scream in protest but I force myself to keep moving till the sounds of battle fades far behind me.