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Chapter Sixteen
With Dustin’s blessing and the full moon upon us, it felt as though a weight had lifted off my shoulders. My heart was lighter and my mind was more focused than usual. As our pack gathered on the front lawn, all I could think about was her. Not my wolf. Not my upcoming shift.
Just her.
Kate.
The girl I’d imprinted on.
My wolf’s chosen mate.
And come tomorrow morning, I’m going to find her,I thought as I crouched close to the ground.
Dustin was right. I didn’t have to follow my father’s lead anymore. I knew the truth, so as my father went over how important it was to stay within our territory, I closed my eyes and concentrated on the beast within.
My wolf stirred. The cool evening air kissed my skin. My father’s voice faded in and out, then went silent the moment I started to shift.
The change took longer than expected, making my wolf terribly impatient as we hovered between forms.
“Let go,”my wolf pleaded, her body buzzing with pent-up energy as fur spilled over my skin.“Let me free.”
Wanting to run as much as my wolf did, I squeezed my eyes tight and clawed at the ground beneath me. Tremors raced up and down my spine as Dustin changed beside me, his wolf’s body heat coming off of him in long waves.
You can do this,I could almost hear him say.I’m right here waiting for you.
For me to turn. To change. To find Kate and make myself whole.
Kate.
My heart did somersaults around my ankles.
That’s who I should’ve been with. She was the one I needed now.
But she was miles away, and even though I’d looked at the route I’d have to take to visit her in the coming weeks, I wasn’t prepared. Not for the journey, the crowded streets, or how she’d react once I arrived.
So I stayed with Dustin. I shifted beside him, leaning into his larger form until I regained my balance. Once I did, he nosed my cheek, dipped his head, then bolted for the other side of our territory.
That’s all it took for my focus to shift. With Kate lost somewhere in the back of my mind and Dustin’s dark wolf kicking up dust in front of me, I made chase, running after my brother as fast as I could while my parents went the other way. Splitting up wasn’t uncommon, and after the fight we’d just had, the more distance I put between me and my dad, the better.
So I ran. I ran with my brother. Up one hill and over another, we flew. Our paws barely touched the ground as I chased him through the trees, across a meadow, and back. Vaguely aware of his eyes on me, I swerved around a large tree, then charged at him full force, narrowly missing his side when he jumped away.
Clearly amused by my sad attempt, Dustin playbowed at me, headbutted my shoulder, then took off again. And much like before, I went after him.
I ran until my lungs burned and my legs shook with fatigue, and even then, I kept going.
Consumed by the hunt, I didn’t realize what was happening until it was too late. One minute, I was running with my brother. The next, my wolf veered off as though she had a mind of her own. It took me two towns and a lot of panicking to figure out where she was going. Once I did, I let her go.
It was stupid, careless, and would probably get someone killed, but I didn’t care.
Pushing my fears and human laws to the side, I gave into my wolf, allowing her to run wherever and for as long as she wanted. At one point, I thought she’d turn back and go home. But even as the thought crossed my mind, she pressed on.
She ran through cornfields, across highways, and between cars. She followed the cliffs lining the interstate and kept to the trees whenever someone got too close. She took every precaution until she couldn’t run anymore.
Exhausted and out of breath, I regained control, keeping to the maze of dark alleyways between towers of brick, glass, and stone.
