Leaving Everdale

"Tech... what the fuck is this?!" Top hisses as the anchor moved onto other breaking news.

"We stopped all law enforcement drones from capturing anything but we failed to take note of personal drones this far out in the shadowed woods. The image was uploaded last night and went viral in just a few minutes. It will be too suspicious to take it down now." Tech reports in a grim tone.

"I do not want to hear excuses! Keeping Lycan affairs out of human technology is your duty! Is this how you do your job?!" Top snarled.

"The image barely reveals anything, Cedric. It should be fine..." Sera tries to reason with a fuming Top.

"Nothing but the suspicion it elicits! Suspicion breeds curiosity, curiosity is the curse of humans! In no time, they will flood the shaded woods in search of evidence, adventure or a damned arsonist!" Top snarls.

Top's words are true and worrisome, but they still are the least of my worries. The words Mikos said resonates in my mind repeatedly and my stomach knots in terror, recalling the nightmare I had.

Top and the rest do not know of my connection with Mikos and it will not be long until they find out that not everything they just heard on the news were lies.

I did not cause the wildfire, but the fire in the DA's mansion is on my conscience.

"I think Kyra should leave. Go somewhere she can lie low for a time till we can sort out the law enforcement and the press. It will escalate the situation if she is identified around the silver tower and a link is made to the Supreme." Tracker finally speaks.

"This is not Kyra's fault. She only tried to save Alaric, she should not be punished for..." Sera begins to defend me but I interrupt.

"Tracker is right. I should leave the silver tower, it will do us no good if the suspicion spreads to the Lycans. If I am away, things will eventually settle down when the law enforcement finds no traces." Kyra said quietly.

Top remains quiet for a moment, thinking over Kyra's words. "Alaric..."

"Nothing happened." I quickly said, "He calmed down and went to sleep. But he has repeatedly made it clear he does not want me here." 

Top purses his lips slightly and then he nods. "You have 30 minutes, pack what you can. Tracker will escort you to Red Ember immediately. It is out of Everdale territory and the Red Ember Pack is at odds with Everdale Pack, Everdale law enforcement will not snoop that far."

Nodding, I hurry back to my room to prepare.

___________

It takes an entire day's drive to arrive at our destination, but soon, the end to the tarred streets and the beginning of the dirt road is in sight, the first hint at the vast difference in financial standing between Everdale and Red Ember.

Tracker is at the wheel and we leave Everdale territory through the main roads which I did not dare do on my previous escape attempt, knowing it would have been certain death.

Of all the territories I considered escaping to, Red Ember was the last and this is because the shifters of Red Ember are not exclusively wolf shifters, but a unified pack of various shifter types, and they have always been persecuted for it, especially by the prestigious and pure blooded Everdale Pack.

Everdale and Red Ember are what one would describe as rival packs, a rivalry that has stood as long as the history of both packs and while on the surface, both appear to just be two neighboring cities with very different ways of life, no Everdale wolf can cross into Red Ember territory and live, and vice versa.

I know that much, and so I chose to take my chances crossing rogue territory through the shaded woods. 

Tracker and I will soon arrive at the first checkpoint, but we already feel eyes trailing us from the woods since the moment we crossed territories.

There is also a vehicle driving not so far behind us, an ordinary looking pick-up truck that did not demand so much attention unless for the fact that it only began driving down this road a few minutes after we crossed territories.

It is easy to conclude that the one lane dirt road does not allow the truck to overtake us but we know better.

Tracker drives slowly, if the truck is any ordinary truck, they would have already honked or yelled out curses to make Tracker drive faster or get out of the way so they can go by.

But instead, they drive slowly, keeping the same distance away from us as they have since they first pulled into the road.

"We cleared out the Everdale law enforcement from the checkpoints this far, but Red Ember is new territory. We can clear them out also, but it is best you face their scrutiny sooner than later." Tracker tells me.

I nod slowly in understanding, Tracker's words answer the question I have been pondering on why we did not encounter any Everdale wolves disguised as law enforcement at the checkpoints leading out of Everdale territory.

I do not know who made the decision to clear them out, but I am grateful. The Everdale wolves would recognise me at first glance, but the human law enforcement are not so gifted.

Up ahead, the first Red Ember checkpoint comes into view and a single officer steps out onto the street, flagging us down. 

Tracker slows down the car as directed and once we arrive, he lowers the window on his end.

The gaze of the officer is fixed on me rather than on Tracker, even as he goes over to Tracker's window to speak with him.

In that brief moment, our eyes meet and from the deep set structure of his eyes, I recognise the subtle signs of his shifter type.

'Bear shifter!' I think to myself, clenching my fists to steady my nerves.