Big Red and the Little Wolf

Chapter 20

Echo Pov

The doorknob jostled as I pulled the door closed, making sure it fully clicked into place before I stepped back. Yesterday, I had returned from my date with Kodi to find that the lock on the door still hadn't been fixed. Since I didn't see Harrison at the front desk when I came back, I decided to leave it for the time being. It wasn't the most secure, but as long as the door still shut, it would do.

With how quiet this town was, one would think Harrison would be more accommodating to his few guests, but he wasn't necessarily competing with other inns. Even as I passed the lobby now, Harrison was nowhere to be found.

It was late in the afternoon and I didn't have a shift at the pub tonight. It had been too long since I had the chance to go for a run. This time, I would be running in my human of course, just to be safe. It was clear that while my mate was a hunter, he likely wasn't the only one. When we had surveyed the scene of the attack in the pack's territory, there were multiple scents for the hunters. There was no telling how many there were hiding out in this remote town.

Setting out on the lone gravel road reminded me of what it was like coming into this town for the first time. I ran in solitude, feeling the earth thrum against my sneakers rather than my paws. My breathing picked up the longer I ran. Though I hadn't gone for a run in what felt like ages, wolves didn't get out of shape. Running was still as second nature to me as following my sense of smell.

Over a mile in, I still hadn't passed a single car or person on the clearly deserted road. As I approached the town limits, I turned into the forest that was nestled into its western border. It hadn't been my intention to complete my run in the woods, but I wanted to go for much longer than the road would take me without leaving town.

If Kodi had been confident to take me into the forest for a date, he and his hunters must have kept them pretty clear from wolves. This area didn't belong to any packs. By running through the woods, I could loop around to the pub and find my way back to the inn from there.

I could make it back to my room by sundown, but the light in the sky was already waning as the sun prepared to finish its descent. The fading daylight was even more apparent as I entered a trail beneath the foliage. Light peaked through the branches, but the woods were overall more dim than they had been during my outing with Kodi yesterday.

The thought of kissing him replayed in my mind. A selfish part of me was glad that the hunters had found their way into Derek's territory. My left hand absentmindedly found its way to my abdomen where the wound from the silver bullet had completely healed as though it had never happened at all. But I could still remember the searing pain even if there wasn't a mark to show it. I never would wish that harm on myself or any of the other pack members, but I would never have found my mate if they never stumbled upon the pack.

I was snapped out of my reverie as I tripped on a tree root. I cursed the moon goddess as I surveyed the scrape on my knee. Blood welled up out of the torn skin. I judged that it would be fine if I continued to run, though it might be best to end a little earlier than I had hoped for.

Running in human form had given me some feeling of release, though it couldn't compete with being in my wolf form. If the entire pack was still restricted from shifting, I could only imagine how tensions would be rising between them. Having a wolf side was like this pent up energy constantly building up inside, waiting to be released lest it needed to claw its way out.

Then, a noise that rose just over the sound of the breeze caused me to still. It was the sound of paws grounding into the earth, the way an animal would do right before it was about to pounce. Every movement after that became highly scrutinized. I stood up. Not too fast, but not too slow either so I didn't give away that I now realized there was a pair of eyes on me.