Coming Home (Liam Dunbar x Reader - Book 2)

Chapter 21

Warning: Talks about suicide

My heart was thumping against my chest, ready to burst out as I ran a trail in the woods, letting the light from the full moon guide me. My chest heaved, quickly rising and falling after every deep yet short breath I inhaled then quickly exhaled. As much as I hate running and feeling my body all sticky and sweaty, it was the only thing that anchored the werewolf in me. Since I lost Isaac, trying to control my shift was hard. All the pain and anger I bottled up from Isaac's death didn't help during full moons. If anything, it gave more power to my inner wolf. It was hard to control, until one night in Paris I broke out of my chains and just ran. I ran until my legs couldn't handle it anymore. I ran until the tears flooded my cheeks. I ran until the feeling of heartbreak and sorrow overpowered the werewolf in me.

Tonight was no different. I could feel my inner wolf begging to be let out. My bones were rattling, ready to shift. I could feel drops of blood dripping from my closed fists as my claws pierced the skin of my palm. It was a hard battle. With the recent dreams of Isaac, my emotions were trying to get the best of me, but I refused to wolf out. I couldn't risk turning into a werewolf in Beacon Hills, especially when there hasn't been any supernatural problems for years. I wasn't about to change that.

The sound of my ringtone blasting through the quiet woods made me stop in my tracks. I slid my finger on the green button and spoke into the speaker connected to my headphones. "Hello?" I gasped.

"Y/N!" Jackson's voice panicked, a reaction to my rigid breathing. "Are you okay?! Are you shifting?! Why aren't you tied up somewhere?! Why didn't you call me?! You know it's a full moon tonight!" His voice started off with worry and shifted to a scolding tone by the time he reached the last sentence.

I rolled my eyes, hoping Jackson can sense my annoyance through the phone. "I'm running. I'm not shifting." I managed to say without panting as I continued to jog through the woods.

"Are you sure that's a good idea right now?" I could picture Jackson's eyebrow quirk up.

"Yes. I got it under control. Running surprisingly helps, remember?" I tried to remind him.

"Listen, Liam called and Mackenzie is out loose in werewolf form. If you see her, get away from her." Jackson's voice sounded alert.

"Get away?" I stopped in place and rested my hands on my hips. "Should I help her? Or call Liam?"

"No, he thinks she'll hurt you."

"Ha! You're kidding me, right? She can't hurt me. If I find her-"

"You run!" Jackson demanded. "Liam said she got into an argument with him about you and he thinks she could actually hurt you."

I shook my head and continued running. "Jackson, she's a teenager. I think I can handle a seventeen-year-old werewolf. I dealt with a lot of those back in high school, remember?"

I took a turn and jumped over a large tree trunk. When I landed on my feet, I heard something. From a distance, I heard a loud growl. Branches snapped and loose leaves ruffled as their feet ran throughout the woods.

"Why is your heart pounding like crazy?!" Jackson's voice echoed from my earbuds.

I ignored him and focused. I quickly shifted my eyes and noticed from a good distance a werewolf was coming towards me. I took a deep breath trying to figure out if I could recognize the scent, but the werewolf's scent was filled with rage and sweat. If Jackson was right about Mackenzie, that werewolf charging towards my direction was her.

"Hello?! Y/N?! For the love of God, answer me, damn it!" Jackson yelled, pulling me out of my concentration.

"Jackson, there's a werewolf," I looked away from the direction it was coming from and looked behind me trying to see which way would be the quickest to get out of here. Before I could take another step, the werewolf lunged at me from behind. The claws wrapped around my arms and held on to me as we rolled down the small hill.