Shapeshifter

Chapter Eight: No

"They? Who's they?" He asked. "Who's coming after you?"

I shook my head again and looked down at my feet. "I can't tell you. I need to do this. I know, if I start a relationship with you, they'll use you to get to me. Sam, they could hurt you. And if they do, it'll just hurt me and break my heart. So, I'm breaking my own heart, right here, right now. Before something starts between us. I wouldn't be able to live if I lost you later on, when I have a stronger connection with you." I said, a lump forming in my throat.

"Before something starts between us? Cj, it already started for me, months ago." The tears slipped from my eyes and his tone of voice startled me, he was getting angry now. "Do you not want me to be your mate? Do you love that Cal guy? The one you called the day I fought Zac? Is that it?! You love someone else?"

I looked away. "No." I said softly. He had a right to be angry. I had to let him yell. I was basically rejecting him and I wasn't explaining why. I didn't want him to know. The less he knew, the better.

"I don't believe you." He said before he shifted and ran off.

"Sam!" I called but it was too late, he disappeared. He wasn't coming back. "I'm sorry! I didn't lie." I started crying even more. "Someone wants to use me." I sobbed in a whisper, falling to my knees and I quietly cried to myself. I felt awful and my chest ached; my heart was definitely broken. After five minutes, I stood up and shifted, galloping home, tears falling from my eyes.

I skidded to a stop in front of the house, shifting and stumbling inside to my room. I saw Leo and Sebastian exchange confused glances before I shut my bedroom door. "Cj?" Sebastian asked, after someone gently knocked on my door.

"Go away!" I shouted, lying on my bed, hugging my pillow and crying into it.

"What's wrong?" Leo asked. I didn't answer. "Please. Tell us what's wrong."

"I fucked up! He hates me now!" I sobbed. I was such an idiot! I should have said yes. I shouldn't have said no to Sam. "I made a mistake!" But if I said yes, there was almost a one hundred percent chance that the pack that was after me would use him to get to me. They always found me.

"What? What do you mean?" Sebastian asked.

"I was such an idiot!" I sobbed, not explaining further.

I dragged myself out of bed after a restless sleep. I only slept about three hours. It was four thirty and I didn't care what time it was, I wanted a shower. I grabbed my towel and walked into the bathroom, turning on the shower. I locked the door and removed my clothes, stepping under the water but I didn't do anything, I just stood under the water, letting it hit my head. "Dawn?" I asked. I didn't get a reply. "Are you mad at me too?" I still got nothing. I slid down the shower wall and sat on the floor, my knees hugged to my chest. I closed my eyes and concentrated on seeing Dawn. She had her back to me and didn't look at me. She sputtered and walked away. I opened my eyes and started crying. "I'm sorry."

I shut off the water and dried myself, getting dressed. I blow-dried my hair with the hair dryer and put my phone on charge. Grabbing my jacket, I snuck outside, shifting into my horse form and taking off towards the closest mountain. It was more of a big hill and only half an hour away. I cantered up the slope, shifting into my panther form when it got difficult to grip with my hooves. When I got to a better surface, I shifted into my wolf form and ran again, all the way to the top, where I shifted back and sat down, looking down at what was below me. I could see the vast spread of the trees that made up the woods, it stretched out for miles. I heard a wolf howl and it brought tears to my eyes. I cupped my hands to my mouth and howled, earning a return howl from several other wolves. They weren't werewolves, they were actual wolves. Wild wolves.

The tears rolled down my cheeks and sobs wracked through my body. I let the scream rip from my throat and I heard it echo. "I'm sorry!" I shouted. "I didn't mean to hurt you!" I let another scream out and it made me feel better. I shifted into my wolf form and made my way down the mountain, shifting into my horse form when I was on flat ground. I pushed myself to my limits, stretching my legs and powering myself forward as I galloped through the woods. I didn't know where I was going, I was just running to get it out of my system. My tail flew behind me like a raging river, my hooves struck the earth with each beat and my mane whipped back and forth as I moved my head up and down, taking in the oxygen I needed to relieve my starving lungs. My muscles protested, but the tension in my body demanded I kept going. My nostrils flared and I noisily breathed in and out rapidly.

I skidded to a stop when I came to a clearing with many houses and I looked around. I knew where I was, Sam's pack. I shifted back and laid down on the ground, staring at the sky. My phone buzzed in my pocket and I answered it. "Hello?" I asked.

"Cj! Thank god. Where are you?" Leo asked.

"I'm fine. I just went for a run. I needed to gallop. I'll be home soon."

"Okay. Bye."

"Bye." I hung up and put the phone back in my pocket. The sun was just starting to rise and I stood up, shifting into my horse form again. My coat was soaked in sweat but the gallop was good. I felt a little bit better but I still felt like shit. I still hurt Sam. I looked around and spotted someone looking out the window of the pack house. Sam.

I lowered my head and turned around, jumping into a canter and heading back home.

Edited 01/12/2017