“Then go get her back, son. The pack needs its Luna.”
27
Ava
Hiding in an animal carcass is not how I envisioned spending my night…yet here I am. I was becoming tired, and Logan was gaining speed on me, so I submerged myself in the creek to keep him off my scent. I swam downstream until I saw a small cave and hid in it. Thank God for thick wolf shifter fur; otherwise, I would suffer from a bout of horrible hypothermia.
In the back of the cave was a humongous bear carcass, and I hid inside it. I guess being a loser and watching nature documentaries for so many years instead of going to parties paid off in the end. I once saw that wolves sometimes do this to keep their scent hidden from other predators, and it stuck with me. In my desperation, I had to try it. Well, I guess it worked because hehasn’t found me yet.
It took everything in me to shut Logan out from my mind and our bond, but the thought of him with someone else and the burn of his betrayal kept me going even when I thought I couldn’t anymore. Now, though, after hours of much-needed reflection, I feel stupid for letting my emotions run rampant and get the best of me. Logan said that with my wolf being awakened, I would feel everything in a heightened state, and boy, he wasn’t kidding.
God, I acted so recklessly. You would think I was still a teenager for the way I ran off.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m still mad, and my heart feels as though someone stomped all over it and then stabbed it with a fiery knife for good measure, but I regret not letting Logan explain like he wanted to. And in the aftermath of my rashness, I’m faced with a decision; go back to the cabin or make my way home. Because I sure can’t stay here inside of a rotting carcass forever. At the cabin, I’d have to face Logan, my wounded pride, and the possibility of rejection. At home, I’d be simply running from my problems and avoiding closure.
In the end, I decide to go home and then maybe call Logan and ask him to meet me somewhere so we can talk. However, I’m not sure how I’ll do that since I’ll need my phone to call him, and from what I remember, my phone is still in the woods along with my Halloween costume, where I shifted for the first time.
Dawn breaks, and golden rays of sunshine illuminate the mouth of the cave, but I still don’t move. I’ll wait for the full day light; I don’t know where this cave is located, and I need the light to find my way back home through the dense forest. Ugh. I just want to curl up in bed and stay there for the foreseeable future. Some more time passes before I get out and let my wolf take over completely as I start running, the icy air filling my lungs with each inhale. I don’t know where the national park ends, but Itrust my wolf will take me there.
At least two hours pass until I finally find my way down to Shadow Lake. If it snowed here, it surely wasn’t more than a light dusting, and it has already melted. The ground is muddy beneath my paws, and the damp, chilly air fills my snout. It smells musty, like decomposing leaves, pine sap, and wet bark.
There’s a house in the distance I spotted from a few miles back. I creep closer, using the tree trunks as my cover. My hope is I can sneak in and find some clothes and a shower in the house. Perhaps the theft will be a smudge on my moral punch card, but I can’t exactly shift and then go out into the world buck naked. Getting arrested for public indecency is not on my to-do list for the day. Or maybe I could get lucky and the smell of dead bear carcass wafting out of me like a pungent cologne will make the police pass out fast enough for me to escape. Just kidding.
Still hiding in the tree line, I watch a family of four leave in a minivan and listen closely to ensure no one else is inside the house. When I don’t hear anything aside from the rustling of the wind in the leaves, I approach the wooden front porch and round the corner, shifting when I reach the back door.
I say a prayer and turn the knob.¡Chingada madre! Pinche puerta.The door is locked, but I use some of my newfound strength to jingle it a bit left and right. After a few moments, it breaks, and the door opens with a soft creak. I quickly enter the kitchen and amble through the narrow hallway, searching for a bathroom. Pushing the door to my right, I find it, but there’s only a toilet and a sink, and I desperately need a shower, so I get out.
They already have the Christmas tree out in the living room, the lights flickering softly as I make my way to the staircase. The stairs to the second floor are lined with numerous framed photos of the couple on their wedding day and the kids at different stages in life. The house is small but well cared for, andguilt twists my stomach into knots for invading their home. I don’t have another option, though. I just hope they won’t notice someone was here.
Entering what seems to be a master bedroom, I slip into the en suite bathroom and immediately hop in the shower. I try my best not to throw up as I wash the disgusting scent off me. I have to wash and rinse about five times before I don’t feel like heaving anymore.
After I dry myself, I make a beeline for the closet and rifle through the woman’s clothes to find something to wear. Her hips are much narrower than mine, so I have to take a pair of sweats from her husband’s wardrobe, a tee and a hoodie from hers, and a pair of old-looking sneakers that I don’t think she’ll miss too much. The shoes are a number too big, but I can manage walking in them. Before I exit the bedroom, I also grab a light jacket.
As soon as I’m dressed, I get out of there and try to remember the way to the parking lot where I left my car before the Halloween party. Not like I have my keys or anything, but from there, maybe I can try and get a cab.
I don’t know how long it takes me to get to the parking lot, but it’s definitely longer than the half hour Tony and I walked to the Halloween party. Luckily, once I get there, a girl is ambling toward her car, and I ask her to call a cab for me. She offers to drive me to the city, saying she’s on her way to the Raven district anyway after her run.
As we coast through the morning traffic, it turns out she has a bit of a motor mouth. Once she starts talking, she doesn’t stop even for a second. She tells me all about her toxic ex and how he manipulated her.Ha, me and you, sister.At least I don’t even have to talk. I space out and nod when I feel it’s appropriate. Not before long, she drops me off at my apartment building. I thank her and get out with a heavy sigh.
Punching in the code for the front door, I enter the building and go straight to the super’s office on the first floor. I rap my knuckles against the door and wait for him to answer. Exaggerated, almost cartoonish moans and the distinct sound of skin slapping together travel through the door. He’s either having sex in there, or he is watching porn. I think it’s the latter, though.
“Just a minute,” he bellows, panic lacing his tone. He takes his sweet time to answer the door, and when he finally opens it, his face and neck are beet red, and I don’t miss his laptop and the mountain of used tissues on his desk. He’s a short man with a balding head that shines brightly in the overhead neon light, an aquiline nose that points slightly to the right, and a beer belly that’s spilling over his belt. There’s a wet stain on the crotch of his brown pants, and I do not want to think about where that came from. “What can I do for you, Miss Perez?” he asks, wiping at the beads of sweat accumulating on his receding hairline with the back of his hand.
“I lost my keys and can’t get into my apartment. Can I borrow the extra key you have?”
“S-sure,” he stammers and goes to the wall where all the keys are hung. “You’re renting 7C, right?”
“Yup,” I answer, popping thep.
“Just make a copy when you can and bring it back to me, please,” he says, handing me the key with the hand he most likely didn’t wash after jerking off.
I take it between my thumb and forefinger and try to suppress the disgusted shudder that passes through my body.Ugh. He closes the door in my face hastily after I thank him. Before I get to the elevator, he is already resuming his morning activities, the exaggerated moans reverberating in my ears and making me cringe.
The elevator doors slide open with a ping, and I shuffle inside.A weighted sigh leaves my lungs while I rest my head on the back wall. I’m so fucking tired. Of everything. Despite my best efforts, just like Sisyphus, I roll back down the hill as my thoughts, yet again, wander off to Logan. He’s imprinted himself so far beneath my skin that I still feel his touch in every cell, every nerve ending. To make matters worse, I’m still sore after he nailed me to the table and fucked me like it was the last time.
A snortthat quickly morphs into a whimper escapes me at the irony of that…because it really was the last time. Damn him and his lies. The back of my throat burns with unshed tears. I try my best not to break into heaving sobs at the mental image of him at the altar with another woman. It’s honestly a miracle I managed to keep my shit together as long as I did with the way I feel my chest caving in and my battered heart hemorrhaging all over.
C’mon, Ava, just a few steps, and then you can lose it once you’re inside.
