Wildfire

Chapter Fourteen

I don't know how long it was before I finally came to a stop, but the sun had completely disappeared from view, leaving Aaron and I shrouded in darkness within the confines of the trees. We must have stopped somewhere near Louisiana, because I vaguely remembered crossing an interstate, then plunging back into trees, sparser now, but still enough to keep us away from the prying eyes of pedestrians.

I stood in the woods, panting, body heaving from the exertion of running for so long. But it felt good, too. Running for so many miles wiped the angry fog that had clouded my mind away, allowing me to think clearly again. I knew that running away wasn't the best idea, but I had been so consumed with anger and sadness and, to be honest, betrayal. I couldn't believe that Marie hated my father so much that she would go against what her daughter had wanted for us, that she would keep our father away from us, not even telling him that we existed. It just wasn't something I had thought my grandmother capable of.

I shook my head, trying to push the thought of her away; getting upset again wasn't going to get me anywhere. When a new thought occurred to me, I turned inward, to my wolf. "How I am a wolf right now?" I asked. "I thought I wasn't supposed to be able to shift on my own for at least another month?"

"Anger is the main trigger of shifting. You felt so upset back there, that you lost control over us, and my form took over yours. Also, I believe you may shift on your own now. The time limit Axel gave you was an estimate, everyone is different," she answered happily.

"So when can I shift back?"

"Whenever you want. I'll retreat, and you'll be in your human form again."

Okay. That was good to know.

I turned to Aaron, who sat beside me, seeming to have an internal conversation of his own. He looked up after a moment, and in his eyes I saw that he'd calmed down as well. "What now?" I asked through the link.

He gave a sort of shrug. "I don't know. But I don't want to go back there. I'm afraid I'll blow up again, and hurt someone. It was hard enough not to snap Mark's wrist back there," he admitted, a slight growl escaping his mouth.

I nodded. "I don't want to go back either."

"So where do we go?" He turned his head, looking around the trees as if there might be some sign.

I thought for a moment. I was certain that we were somewhere near the Texas-Louisiana border, obviously heading east...

"Do you still have that letter?" Aaron asked suddenly.

I shook my head. "No. I dropped it on the porch, just before I shifted. Why?"

"Well, I was thinking that since neither of us wants to go back to Riverton right now, why don't we go find John?" I watched him, making sure he was serious. Aaron had, in the past, suggested such rebellious and dangerous adventures, knowing that I would love them, only to say that he was kidding the moment I agreed to it. But this time, he was completely serious.

"How will we get there? Wherever 'there' is?" I asked. I mean, we were both under-aged, had no car, no money. Hell, we didn't even have clothes right now.

"I've got the name and address memorized," he said. "We can travel like this."

"What about food? Clothes? Where are we going to rest?" I asked.

"Um..."

See, even though I'm usually the rash, let's-dive-in-this-head-first one, I also usually think about things like money and clothes and food. Then I had a thought...

"Wait! There's the beach house on the Gulf! There'll be food and clothes there, and Marie kept a stash of money in the kitchen!" 

"Brilliant!" Aaron said. "From here, it's only two hours by car, which means it'll take even less time with us running, as long as we can keep going."