The Woods

"Kyra!" Hailey exclaims in shock as I stumble into the diner, shutting the door behind me.

Leaning against the door, I take a moment to catch my breath and still the tremors running through me, my heart racing a mile with each second.

Hailey quickly hurries over to me, supporting me as I hobble over to the stairs.

"What is going on?! How did you end up in this state?!" Hailey demands, her tone concerned.

"I... I cannot explain it all. There is no time." I say quickly, leaning on Hailey for support to get to our small room in the upper level of the cafe.

"Listen, Hailey...in a short time, people will come here looking for me." I begin to say as I grab a change of clothes and a duffle bag.

"People? What kind of people?" Hailey asked, her gaze trailing me as I take off the torn dinner dress and the heels that accompanied them.

I pass Hailey a meaningful look and her eyes widened in understanding.

"Your... kind of people." Hailey says in understanding.

"Haye... I did something bad... something terrible..." I confess, lifting a hand to my lips to hold in the sob.

"Kyra, you're not making any sense. Who is after you and why? Sit and talk to me." Hailey coaxed, her tone is now deeply worried.

"I cannot tell you why." I shake my head quickly.

"You already know enough about us to be considered a threat. I cannot afford to endanger you any further and every second I spend here is a risk." I continue.

At this point, I am stuffing the dinner dress and shoes into the duffle bag. I also grab my car keys and my savings card.

I do not bother touching the cards financed by my uncle, it would just be another means for them to track me.

"They will trace my scent here, I cannot help that. But I will not leave behind any signs that we met tonight, and you can never tell anyone you met me...or you know anything about our kind." I warn urgently.

"You're scaring me Kyra." Hailey said, her tone faltering.

I tilt my head back to blink away the tears, exhaling sharply.

"I'm scared too..." I admit, an undeniable truth that I struggle to keep at bay.

"I'm sorry Hailey, for ever dragging you into my messed up life. I cannot tell you what I've done, but you may realise it when it shows up on the news or something... just, don't hate me." I plead, my voice hoarse.

"I could never hate you." Hailey replies in disbelief, 

Walking over to me, she pulls me into a hug and I almost breakdown and confess all that has happened while sobbing my heart out, but I restrain myself.

"Remember... you're just another human. You know nothing about me but how bad of a barista I am... I have to go now." I whisper to Hailey.

"But where will you go? You don't know anyone!" Hailey reasoned.

"Take a shower, get my scent off you."

With those words, I pull away and grab my car keys, dashing out before Hailey can stop me.

Getting into the driver's seat of the old truck, I turned the ignition and sped down the street, catching one final glimpse of Hailey through the rearview mirror.

Hailey was right, I do not know anyone but my uncle's family, the Everdale pack and Hailey.

But I knew exactly where I needed to go. I stepped on the accelerator, sending the truck shooting down the street as fast as it could go.

The drive took a little over a half hour and I stopped briefly to dispose of the dinner dress and shoes,

Soon, I arrive at the Everdale woods, it is sealed off by a fence and danger-zone yellow tapes.

Pulling the truck over, I get down and shut the door before I head purposefully towards the edge of the woods.

"Hey! Hey! You can't go in there!" A voice called.

I glanced over my shoulder to find a security guard jogging over to me, his flashlight aimed in my direction.

"Do you not read the signs?! These parts of the woods are prowling with deadly wolves. No one who has gone in returns alive, it's been sealed off for decades!" The security guard cautioned.

I resist the urge to scoff beneath my breath. 

'What would he think if I told him the woods were sealed off precisely because of people like me? Or that all the DA's past and present have been part of the very kind that threaten those woods?' I wonder to myself.

The woods were dangerous, yes. But only to humans, and the danger was in fact werewolves, particularly rogues prowling the deeper parts.

All the talks of people disappearing were all falsified to create a mystery around these woods and keep humans away from stumbling upon werewolves who had given themselves to their wolf side.

And if truly those werewolves cared to feast on humans, one security guard and a dilapidated fence would make no difference.

"I couldn't find a gas station... I can't hold it in anymore. I will just be by the edge, my truck is right here." I came up with a feasible story.

The security guard seemed to contemplate it for a moment before he nodded.

"Be careful and don't go too far. Just by the tree line, and call out if you see anything concerning." The guard permitted.

"Oh thank you, thank you." I feign excitement and hurry over to the tree line.

I glanced over my shoulder to find the guard still watching me but at my look, he clears his throat and turns around to give me a semblance of privacy.

The moment his back was turned, I tapped into my primal abilities, my claws grew out and my vision grew sharper.

More attuned to the woods and nature, the pain in my ankle subsided completely and without wasting anymore time, I make a dash for it.