On the Run (Texas Run Series)

Chapter 18 - Patterns

Chapter 18

Patterns. What pretty patterns. All around are pretty patterned light shows.  Oh what a miserable headache. Kaitlin thought as she woke up. Seemed like she kept losing consciousness here recently and she really didn't like it. 

A pattern seemed to have formed. Every time she got around Luke and Shad something foul happened and she lost consciousness. Something about those two affected her badly. If the letter tells the truth Shad would be her blood protector. What exactly that meant; she was unsure. On the other hand it said to trust no one except those with a blood bond. This other feller; this Devlin Blackwolf, who was he? Why made him so important? If he was a protector then why had he not come to her like Shad had? 

All the patterns formed the unmistakable questions in her head. The letter helped her draw lines so the patterns had started to form but not as quickly as Kaitlin would have liked. 

She got out of bed and headed to the restroom to try and find some headache relief. On the floor by the bathroom door is a pile of burnt rags. Almost as if someone had set a bunch of clothes on fire. Weird... truly weird. Inside the bathroom there were wet towels all over the floor. Someone had definitely had some kinda wild time while she slept.

She reached up and grabbed the aspirin from above the sink she popped two in her mouth. She cupped her hand beneath the faucet and drank eagerly. The nasty flavor of the aspirin dissolving killed the lingering taste of dog breath from her impromptu nap. Dog breath brought Luke to mind. Not that his breath stank or anything just him being a dog or wolf or whatever.

Where did Luke get off to? For that matter Shad also seemed to have disappeared. They both had been here when she passed out. Surely she hadn't been asleep that long; an hour at most. With a look out the window confirmed it had been much longer than that. It's very dark out and a sudden need to shift and run overwhelmed her. Something out there pulled her; a force of some kind. The pull overwhelmed her senses. Like her ability to draw her next breath depended on her following the pull. 

Quickly she walked as quietly as possible to the door. A glance around found the answer to where Shad disappeared to. He slept propped up on the wall. He had to be so uncomfortable in that position. Without a second’s hesitation she kicked his foot as she walked by. Shad bounded to his feet and acted like he needed to try and defend her from imaginary attackers. With a soft chuckle she started down the hall. 

Shad almost sensed the need for stealth made no sound as he padded behind her downstairs and out to the back yard. The pull seemed to come from the forest and she gave into follow it. At the edge of the woods she felt her cougar spirits desire to rip free and take over. What a strange sensation. She was conscious of everything going on around her but at the same time someone else took a firm hand in her; lead and guided her. Quickly and painlessly her body shifted to her cougar.

Another set of clothes destroyed.

That meant she would have to go to the shops as she only had one set left.

As the cougar stretched and wriggled to adjust and accept the control of her new body she walked to a huge tree on the edge. With a stretch up she dug her claws deeply into the tree, the mark of her territory. With a glance around back she saw that Shad had also shifted and was on high alert.

“Princess I feel this strange pull we must respond to but do lets be careful please. With Luke out of commission and your draw to danger I want you to be careful.”

Kaitlin let forth a deep rumble in her chest at the information that Luke was out of commission. 

“First please call me Kaitlin or Kate or even better Kat but please do not call me Princess. Second what do you mean Luke is out of commission? I noticed he wasn't in the room but I just figured he was in his room asleep,” Kat responded.