34. Running to Him

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Running out of the house and down the street, I think only of the fastest way to get to the edge of the city and shift into my wolf-form. The MAX will take me as far east as Gresham, and from there I might be able to find a place safe enough to shift without anyone seeing me. It’s worth a shot, and with the MAX running on the honor system, there’s no one to check to see if I’ve purchased a ticket or not because I ran out of the house with only the clothes on my back and nothing else.

Only one thought remains in my mind as I race to the MAX station: I have to find Evan.

Luckily, I don’t have to wait too long for the light-rail train as it pulls up a minute after I arrive. Dashing on, I slink away to an empty seat in the back corner of one of the cars. I pretend to nap as I try to gather my thoughts during the ride.

How could I have stooped so low as to even question him? Mama’s allowed to be paranoid—she’s my mother. I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions so quickly without letting Evan tell me everything first.

I’m so stupid!

He has always been there for me, and how do I treat him?

A low growl creeps up my throat and my eyes fly open to see the blond guy sitting next to me, eyeing me with an arched eyebrow. I quickly avert my gaze to the window, silently chiding myself for not keeping it together.

The ride stretches on ten times longer, it feels, as I wring my hands together in my lap. When I finally reach the last stop in Gresham, I jump off the MAX and run west down the streets.

As my heart races within my chest, I can feel the urge to shift building within me. I grit my teeth and push it down into my gut, pressing myself to go faster until I can find a safe place to shift.

I spot a little wooded area not too far ahead, and I’m so excited that I stumble over my feet as the shift starts to take hold.

No! Not yet! Just a little farther!

Suppressing a growl as I stumble forward, I weave through a handful of teenage girls, praying that I can keep it together before I can reach the cover of the trees.

A flip-flop falls astray behind me, but I can’t stop now to retrieve it. My toes are changing shape, and I have to get to the trees before I can no longer support my weight on my legs. The second flip-flop slips away as I leap into the trees.

Pain shoots up my legs to my hips and spine before spreading to my shoulders and arms. My eyes want to squeeze shut as I cringe to the agony that befalls me, but I force my eyes to stay open, to ensure that I do not run into a tree, or get spotted by some poor soul.

Before being taken over by the wolf, the last thoughts to flicker through my mind are of Evan and the need to find him.

The shift takes over and my senses are filled with the smell of dirt, bark, foliage, car fumes, and humans. Traffic noises fill my acute ears, scaring my wolf-mind and forcing me to high-tail it out of there. My sensitive nose and ears guide me through the patch of trees and weaving cautiously between the indistinguishable buildings, and out into the countryside. Breathing in the clear air calms me and I set out at a quick pace towards the mountains.

As my feet fly over the earth and the miles between myself and the city increases, I pause once at a creek for a drink and throw my head back in a howl. The message is simple, informing anyone who can hear me of my presence. Sniffing the air as I wait for a response, my senses tell me which way to keep going.

Direction has a different meaning now. It’s against the wind, or with the wind. With the flow of the river, or against it. Now, I must follow the path of the wind, where it will guide me to the mountains—and where my mate is.

Zara's Wolf (Book 1 of the Zara's Wolf Trilogy) BWWMWhere stories live. Discover now