“I will,”
“What is your name, dear?”
“Mystique, but everyone calls me Myst.” Being the daughter of a wolf shifter, but being more human than wolf, I used to find it hard to enjoy the same things as the rest of the pack enjoyed. My mother told me one day that I was like the mist, beautiful, silent, and mysterious.
I miss my parents. They both died when I was just fifteen. They were on my dad’s Harley when a drunk driver drove into them. Since then, I have been the pack’s orphan. I was lucky to be taken in by our alpha, or I might have suffered more than I did at Grimm’s hands.
“That’s different, but beautiful, just like you are.” If he only knew the hidden scars my body holds, he wouldn’t say that. The wounds I’m carrying are nothing compared to previous wounds that I have received.
Initially, I had no idea why Grimm hated me like he did, and then one day I found out that he overheard me saying that Fang was my mate. Because he couldn’t hurt Fang anymore, he decided that I was the next best thing.
“Well, here we are.”
Coming back to the present from my morbid thoughts, I see that we have pulled up outside the bus station. Looking around, I make sure that there is no one I know here that could possibly tell Grimm that I left on a bus. It looks like I’m safe, at least for now.
“I don’t even know your name?”
He smiles at me as he places a wad of notes on my lap, money that he withdrew from the inside pocket of his jacket.
“It’s Joseph.” He points to the money. “My card is there with my number. I would have rather taken you to the hospital to get you checked out, but I can’t force you. Therefore, just let me know that you are fine once you find a place.” Taking the money, I realize that he has given me much more than the ticket will cost, but I might need it, as I don’t know how long it will take me to get to Fang.
Placing my hand over his, I squeeze gently in gratitude. “Thank you so much, Joseph. I will.” Opening the car door, I slip out, looking around me once again before hurrying inside to go and buy a ticket to the first bus that will be leaving.
Pulling my hoodie tighter around me, I try to hide the rips and the blood stains. Even though the hoodie is black, it is noticeable if anyone looks close enough. Walking inside, I see a man sitting in the far corner of the station and a woman at a payphone.
Approaching the counter, the man selling the tickets frowns when he sees me. “Can I help you?”
“Which is your next bus leaving?”
He glances at the screen before him. “There is a bus leaving for Port Shepstone in the next fifteen minutes.”
“Can I have a ticket, please?” Port Shepstone is great. It’s close to where Fang now lives. The man raises a brow at me but nods as he starts to issue the ticket.
“Are you okay, miss?” I know that I must look like a sight. After running through the forest for hours, my hair must be a mess, and my clothes aren’t much better.
“Yes, thank you,” I reply, glancing behind me to make sure that Grimm isn’t sneaking up behind me. When I look at the man again, I see him looking at me suspiciously, but he hands me the ticket after I pay for it.
“Terminal three, better hurry up as it’s about to leave.”
Nodding, I hurry towards where I see terminal three. I make it inside the bus just as he closes the door.
“That was close,” the driver says as he starts to pull away.
Looking at the ticket, I see that I am booked on a seat near the back. Sliding into my seat, I take a deep breath, trying to appease the pain in my side. Luckily, the bus is only half full and there is no one sitting in my row.
Leaning my head back, I look out of the window. My stomach is still knotted until we are finally driving out of town. Is it possible that I have actually made it?
I feel a tear sliding down my cheek, lifting my hand, I wipe it away, but another one falls and then another one and soon I am silently weeping. Ever since I found out that Fang belonged to an MC just outside of Umkomaas, I have been planning my escape.
It’s difficult to get away from the pack. As one of the women, I am never allowed anywhere alone. I either have to go with another one of the women or one of the men accompanies me. When Fang was around, things were different, but since he left, I started to see the pack in a different way.
Moving in my seat, I gasp as the pain shoots through my body. Lifting my hoodie, I look at my side, seeing the deep gashes torn into my skin. The edges are red and puffy and starting to inflame. I need to wash out the wound, but I didn’t want to stop anywhere that Grimm would have been able to catch me. Blood still seeps from the deepest one.
When we stop, I will make sure to wash it out in the ladies’ washroom, and with the money left over, I will hopefully be able to buy some bandages and something to eat. I haven’t eaten anything since yesterday morning, and that was only toast.
Adjusting the hoodie, so it won’t stick to the gashes, I lean my head back and close my eyes. An image of Fang pops into my mind, Fang used to be patient with me, I used to follow him around every chance I got, because he was the only one that seemed to accept me—accepting the fact that even though my father was a wolf, I was fully human.
I remember one day when Fang found me hiding behind a tree in the forest. He was in his wolf form just coming home from a run. He came across me while I was feeling sorry for myself, crying because everyone was out for a run, and I was stuck at home. I remember him leaning forward and licking my tears away, and then he nudged me up until I was sitting on his back. He then started running through the forest with me riding him. That was the best experience I ever had as a girl, and even though I never told Fang, he understood.