CHAPTER 003
1150 Words
I peered through the curtain. There were some Silberbach Rudel wolves in the Dorf Eisenfeld, following us with their noses to the ground. They would naturally sniff us out that way, and two were already in wolf form. Thanks to the Mondgöttin, I didn't see Erich with them. Nevertheless, the sight made my stomach turn.
I knelt by the bed and gave Mum a gentle shoulder shake while slipping away from the window. Her eyes widened in fear and rage, but she calmed when she recognised me. When I placed a finger to my lips, she nodded. I removed my hand from her lips.
She walked over to the window and glanced outside. She glanced around the room before noticing the air freshener on the bedside table. Like a crazy person, she snatched it and sprayed me and herself with it. I tried not to cough as I waved the air away from my face.
Okay, excellent idea. She is attempting to obstruct our scent.
To make it appear as though we were still asleep, we stuffed the towels beneath the covers. Thereafter, we snatched up our belongings and slipped into the corridor. Around the corner, I could hear someone conversing with the receptionist in the dim light. Mum gave me a brief look.
She mouthed, "Now."
We moved in the direction of the emergency exit. Another spray of freshener followed us. We unlatched the door. There was no warning. We heard the lift ding as it arrived upstairs, so I pulled it closed after holding it open long enough for Mum to squeeze through.
Voices sounded muffled. Then there was a loud crash. They had broken through our door.
We looked at each other. It's time to go for a run.
The emergency stairs seemed to go on forever. We were no longer a part of the Rudel, so there was no mind-link to alert anyone. Panic swirled through my mind.
What would happen if someone discovered us? No. Pay attention. We took one step, then another.
We stopped at the bottom. Mum took a whiff of the air. Nobody gets close. Our foolish can was still empty. It felt helpful, but it probably didn't work anyhow.
Someone shouted, "Try every exit!"
There were growls.
Whoa. They were directly behind us.
As we slipped through the next door and darted into the darkness, the one behind us flew open. We crept around the building, hugging the walls. Mum's fingernails grew into claws. She had a faint glow in her eyes. She gave a nod. All set.
Are there really two wolves? We were unable to outrun that.
"There!" I muttered.
Bushes lined the next building. We crawled through the bushes, ducking behind them as we ran at full speed. Sharp twigs scratched my arms, but I persisted.
We turned the corner, stood at the other end, and froze.
As if he had won a prize, one of the men stood there beaming.
"Go!" Mom took a breath.
We ran.
Behind us, heavy footsteps sounded. He was quicker and most likely had the others mind-linked already.
"Stop running, Anja. The man behind us sneered, "You know how this ends."
"Go on!" I yelled without turning around.
In the middle of his run, Mum turned and cut his face. She got ahead of him when he screamed in agony. But there was more to come. I heard footsteps on the sidewalk. My lungs were burning.
We required a miracle.
Then I noticed it. A vehicle. It's old, but it could work.
"Go on!"
I used my elbow to smash the side window. It rained glass. I tossed our bags in the back and reached inside to unlock it. Mom leaped in next to me.
"Be quick!" As I watched them transform into full-fledged wolves, I shouted.
The wires under the dashboard sparked as her claws touched them. At first, nothing. Suddenly, the lights illuminated.
Hurry up!
With a groan, the engine came to life.
Mum switched gears.
I turned to see one of the wolves push its muzzle through the shattered window.
As we took off, the tires screeched. In my ears, my heart pounded.
"We're still ahead of them!"
We took a diversion around one corner and then another. Like a thread of hope, the road extended ahead. The wing mirror caught my attention. The wolves were closer than I had hoped.
"More quickly!"
Mom blew it away.
The trees passed in a blur. At last, the wolves started to lag behind and fade into the background. For a long time, we just breathed and didn't talk.
The sun began to rise. Trees gave way to fields as the roads grew wider. How long we drove before the car started to sputter was unknown to me.
"Now what?" I enquired.
Mum whispered, "Almost out of fuel," and drew us aside.
We stepped outside and stretched. I looked around.
Nothing. All I saw was an open road and far-off mountains.
"What comes next?"
Mum pointed and said, "We go for the mountains." "It's our best opportunity."
Before she could protest, I seized every bag. No matter what, I knew she was in mourning because she had driven through the night.
It was a long walk. It took us several hours to arrive at the Tiefenthal valley, the beginning of the mountains. I handed her a bag of chips and a bottle of water. We took a seat on a rock. My legs felt as solid as stone.
"Do you think the biscuits will survive the ascent?" I tried to joke when I asked.
With a sly smile, she tossed me a piece of chocolate from the stash I had reached for.
Consume food. However, not all of it
For a short time, the sun warmed our backs. We couldn't stay, though.
"We ought to continue our journey. before nightfall.
Indeed. I am aware.
We continued to ascend. It was a winding, steep path. The further we travelled, the stronger the wind became. I put on my one and only jumper. Mom followed suit. The cold made my face sting.
The weight of each step increased.
When I finally turned around, I saw that Mum was on the ground.
"Mum?" Shaking her, I hurried over. Her heart continued to beat. She was completely unconscious.
I encircled her. The wind screamed.
We must keep her warm.
I shut my eyes. Only a moment passes.
Then I heard it. Voices.
"There's something up there."
"It appears to be two people."
Snow crunched under heavy boots. Even if I wanted to, I couldn't open my eyes. frozen.
"They appear half-dead."
Someone lifted me up. The hands were firm yet gentle.
Bring them to the hospital. Quickly.
"Yes, Alpha."
Someone else got me. Someone else also grabbed Mom.
"Little one, you are safe now."
Before I fell asleep, that was the last sound I heard.
.
- Writer
