A Stolen Fate
The pack house suffocates me, but here by the water, with sand between my toes and Yuri's easy laughter in my ears, I can breathe.
"Ready?" Yuri crouches at our makeshift starting line, a stick driven into the sand. The sun cuts through the leaves overhead, painting his dark hair with flecks of gold.
I nod, settling into position beside him. We have stripped off our shoes, leaving them in a jumbled pile by the old oak that marks our territory. The sand is warm beneath my feet, still holding the day's heat though evening approaches.
"Three, two—" But he is already moving, sprinting ahead with a whoop of laughter.