Anne woke up with a start—and the sense that she was no longer alone. Her body braced automatically, used to attacks in her old home, but those were the times when she had the equipment to defend herself. This time, she made use of a stick she had sharpened for days, tucked it in her pocket, and waited for the leaves at the entrance of her spot to be rustled. When the sense passed, she inched her way out of her spot just in time to glimpse something leaving the forest she was in.
The manwas her first assumption. She followed to the edge and watched as grass moved in a line, indicating where the figure was heading. Stillness came when the figure crossed to the bigger forest patch, deeming her space safe enough. But a nagging started in her head and wound its way to her belly until dread sat heavy, the warning bright: that those women were in terrible danger.
Create some noise. Distract. Don’t let them die.
Blood and screams stabbed in her mind until her feet were flying towards the field, and she was crossing to the other forest within minutes. She paused when soft music filled her ears, then hastened when she understood she wasn’t the only one hearing it. Gray fur snagged her line of vision, freezing her altogether as she watched it move under bushes. Then it rose, the shadow larger up-close, menace radiating from it in a way that told her these women wouldn’t survive.
Hurry. Stop thinking.
She glissaded up a tree and hung on, swinging soundlessly. At the third swing, she dropped her weight on the branch below her and pushed with all her might. Two more jumps and a crack filled the air as the branch toppled to the ground, where a crash ensued, followed by the most piercing, deafening screams she had ever heard.
“Help! Help!”
“What’s going on?”
“Something attacked us!”
They went on in a panicked flurry while Anne streaked from tree to tree, then positioned herself to drop down on them to counter any attack. But none came. The dreadful feeling faded away bit by bit. Remembering something, she took out the clothed jar and dropped it below, too, until it landed on the tent she had destroyed that they were gathering in a roll.
“Where are we going—”
“What are we going to do—”
“Let’s just get out of here!”
The tent was abandoned as they gathered their sparkly stuff instead, then scrambled away from the clearing and into the field. Baffled amusement came when they turned the radio to the highest volume and flashed their flashlights everywhere, but she silently cheered when they banded in a circle on their way out and carried rocks with their manicured nails. When they had disappeared out of sight towards the camper’s path, Anne stopped shadowing them and backtracked.
A rumble sounded from her right the moment she stepped out of the camper’s path. It was the only warning as she ducked, but the force was on her, zooming fast and hard before she could do anything else. Stars filled her vision, and her world spun when she was toppled to the ground, then flattened until her limbs couldn’t move. She blinked repeatedly and looked up, the blur clearing to show the shadow on top.
“Who are you? What did you do to them?”
A face hovered inches from her, angular lines and sharp edges making up a devastatingly rough, handsome form. A hard, heavy body sprawled over her to lock her in place, and the same light eyes she had seen before pinned her with a searing glare. The scowl served as a warning that he had no time for bullshit, but it was the fur growing out of his skin that had a horrible sensation swirling in her gut. He had brown fur, not gray. This wasn’t the same one who had snuck on the women—so, there was still someone out there who would have attacked if it hadn’t been for her.
And she was still in danger.
She stared into accusing eyes, waiting for her to make excuses. She read the firmness in his features deeming her the culprit…and she knew she had to get out before he acted on it. For the nth time, helplessness churned that she couldn’t defend herself, but Anne furiously gathered her composure and that helplessness. Then she channeled it in her body as she fluttered her lashes and peered up, then made herself as pliant as possible.
Please,she mouthed.Help me.
Warmth seeped in from him, easing her shivers. The hard expression waned as he blinked, frowning at her body before he met her gaze once more. It was like a magnet drawing her closer, willing her to tell him all her secrets. Dazed, it took a second for common sense to kick in.
“Who are you?” he repeated, softer now. “Why would you—”
She banged her head against his and saw stars once more, but they didn’t stop her from lifting her knee until it connected to his stomach. There was a distinct grunt before the weight was halfway off her, and that was enough as she kicked him hard. Free, she fled the scene and didn’t look back, skipping her hiding spot as she ran and ran until it felt like her lungs were on fire. Even then, she didn’t stop until she reached the closest park, where she knew no one dared stake claim so close to the humans.
Anne found a bench facing an empty skating rink and curled in, willing her body to blend in with the dark. She kept her eyes open, observing the entrance and the streets ahead, where cars passed by now and then. She didn’t dare cross there, either, understanding clan turfs and how she knew none of them.
“You must be dreaming, pal. I don’t see anyone around here.”
“I swear I saw someone running earlier. Either someone got reckless and lost in the forest park again—”
“Or an animal’s nearby.”
The voices were male, slightly nervous, and coupled with a flashlight that moved around. She followed its path with her eyes, alert and so still.
“Ugh. Not another animal, please. The last wolf attack closed this area down, and I had to work at the wharf for a week. Let me tell you, not the best thing to smell every morning.”
“You are an idiot. A job is a job. Anyway, I don’t see anything, and I’m about to get off my shift. You can sleep in the shed if you like. It’s the safest place against animal attacks.”