Shadow Searcher (completed)

Liar Liar pants on fire. Literally...

My paws hit the ground with a dull thud, and I know I could be more quiet but I'm to conflicted with my emotions to care right now.

I mean, if I stayed I would have endangered everyone, right? But if that's right, why does it feel so wrong? Not paying attention, I barely have time to change my path before I hit a protruding tree. Jeez, since when do forests have trees? Oh wait, never mind..... don't answer that.

Sighing, I quickly change back and open the door to my hotel room, planning to leave as soon as I have at least lessened my scent to make it harder for them to track me. If he wanted to track me. My mate most likely hates me now.

              After a short shower, I change into my favorite, worn out leather jacket and jeans. As soon as I grab the duffel bag with the rest of my belongings in it, I'm out the door and into the night.
                                   ~~~
                I stay in the shadows as I get closer to the border of their territory, knowing as soon as I cross I'm free. Since I'm still in human form, I try and be extra quiet as I sneak closer, and I can begin to see the tall pine tree signaling the opportunity of freedom. Approximately ten more minutes and I'll be there.

       Suddenly, I hear the muffled sound of paws hitting the damp forest floor and I instantly set my bag down behind me so my hands are free as I slip into a defensive crouch. I let out a wolfish, warning growl slip out as three wolves come into my view.

In my wolf form I could easily elude them, but as a human not so much. I can't risk shifting because the pull of my mate would be to hard to resist until I get farther away from here.

I could make a run for border, but I highly doubt I could make it there before one of the wolves takes a bite out of my leg, and that wouldn't feel so great. I quickly spare a glance up at the tree next to me. I could easily climb it, which is by far the best option here.

         Before those mutts could blink, I had my bag in hand and was up the tree, snapping each branch after me as I climbed them.

After settling upon on a good sized branch, I look down only to see them glaring back up at me.

They can't do anything so I'm good. Even if they were to change into human form and try to climb the tree, they couldn't, thanks to my destruction of the tree's limbs. I only left a few strategically placed ones that I could use to climb down, but still impossible for them to climb up.

The branch doesn't so much as creak as I settle on it, keeping a watchful eye on the wolves below me. Trying to ignore the feeling of exhaustion creeping up on me, I blink a few times and pull my bag into my lap. I'm sure it's fine to close my eyes, just for a few seconds.
                                   ~~~
          I wake up coughing and open my eyes to have them start burning like hell. I can only see one thing and I can only smell one thing: smoke.

Each intake of breath feels like my lungs are burning, and each one is harder to take than the last. I hoist myself up, hoisting my bag from the branch and throwing it to the ground. I begin to follow it's descent down the tree, but am forced to stop due to the flames that are starting to lick up at the trunk. I'm trapped.

      With no other option, I again climb higher into the tree. Once I'm up at the top, I look down to survey my predicament, and quickly wish I didn't. The orange and red flames where only surrounding my tree, which was highly suspicious. But that knowledge along with being super high up in the tree, with the flames getting closer and closer by the second made me want to puke.

Swallowing my fears, I very carefully begin walking out on the very top branch, so I could distance myself away from the raging fire.

After three steps, I pause to take one more, when suddenly my foot slips off the branch and I start to fall into the smoke filled air.

I am not ashamed to say I did scream. With cat like (or should I say wolf like) reflexes I managed to grab the branch with one of my hands. Hanging on the shaky branch for dear life makes me see how badly the smoke is effecting me, I'm starting to cough like there's no tommorow. Black dots cloud my vision, making my hand slip up a bit more, and yet I don't even have the energy to try and right myself. After one final coughing fit, my hand slips. And with the last of the air I had managed to breath, I let out a gut-wrenching scream as I fall towards the flaming ground. Then, nothing.