The Heart Has Chosen

1 Sammy POV I don’t know why, but I kept the name Sandra. It was better this way. I would stay in a town for a year, maybe three, but eventually people always started asking questions. Where was I from? Where was my family? Why was a beautiful woman like me not married? The questions never stopped coming. So, I would pack what I needed, my clothes, paperwork, and anything connected to me. I made sure nothing was left behind. I cleaned every surface, leaving no fingerprints, then I would get into my car and leave town. Every once in a while, I would call Alyssa to see how she was doing. She told me Kane was dead and that I could come back. She swore Blaze was no longer angry with me. I wasn’t sure I believed her. I did scam Blaze out of his own pack because of Kane, but I couldn’t blame Kane for everything. I was the one who stayed for so long, helping destroy Blaze’s pack inch by inch until I was the one thrown out. Then I went back to Kane, foolishly believing he had changed. One day, I told him I needed to shift and let Sal out for a run. The second I got outside, I ran for my life and never looked back. I rejected him and his pack while crossing the territory line. I knew he felt the rejection instantly. I still remember the howls as he sent warriors after me. But by then, I was already gone. Now I was living in a small town called Zephyrhills. It was quiet, maybe only a few hundred people living there. Humans only, no wolves or supernaturals. I thought I would finally be safe here. But after several years, people started noticing me. It was always the same questions. Where was my family? Where was I really from? No matter how much I kept to myself, people always found ways to get close. They invited me to small gatherings or dinners. Sometimes I went just to avoid suspicion, but I never stayed long. I always felt uncomfortable. And lately, I could feel eyes on my house. Someone had been watching me. Today was the day I knew I had to leave. I had stopped at the small gas station in town that also sold groceries. Since there wasn’t a real supermarket nearby, it was the only place to shop. I bought simple things, sandwich meat, bread, noodles, and a few other necessities. Nothing fancy. I never bought enough to attract attention. But someone noticed me anyway. When I got home, I parked the car and grabbed the grocery bags from the backseat. I unlocked the front door and carried everything inside. In my rush to put the food away, I forgot to lock the door behind me. Then I caught a scent. Someone was inside my house. I spun around instantly, ready to defend myself. “What are you doing in my house?” The man laughed. My eyes dropped to the silver dagger in his hand. I could smell the silver immediately, and instinctively I backed away until my lower back hit the kitchen sink. “You think I wouldn’t know how to find you?” he sneered. “Kane told me what to look for and how to track you down. He died because of you.” I laughed. Actually laughed. “He died because he challenged Alpha Blaze,” I said coldly. “Blaze was stronger.” Apparently, that was the wrong thing to say. He lunged at me with the dagger, barely missing my chest. I instantly pulled my own blade from my back pocket. I always kept one hidden. Always prepared. As he stumbled forward, I swung hard and drove the dagger straight into his heart. Then I kicked it deeper. His eyes widened in shock before he collapsed. It was time to go. Fast. I rushed upstairs, throwing clothes into bags before carrying everything to the car. Then I ran back inside as the man groaned weakly downstairs, bleeding out onto the floor. I pressed a hidden button beside the wall. A section of it slid open. No one would ever think to look there. Inside the safe were all my documents and cash. I stuffed everything into a briefcase and hurried back downstairs. The man was dead now. Blood stained the floor. “s**t,” I muttered. “What am I going to do with him?” “You know what to do, Sammy,” Sal whispered inside my head. She was right. I grabbed the body and dragged him outside before tossing him into the trunk of my car. Then I went back inside and cleaned every trace of blood from the floor. If the police came, they would spray chemicals everywhere and discover what happened. I made sure the house looked untouched. Every dish was cleaned, dried, and put away. Since the house came furnished, I didn’t have much to pack besides my personal belongings. Thank the Goddess I could survive on sandwiches during the drive. Before leaving town, I called my landlord and told him I had a family emergency and needed to head home so he could rent the house again. Then I drove. Hours later, I stopped at a long bridge over a violent river. The current below was fast enough to carry away anything that fell into it…Including a body. With a sigh, I got out of the car and opened the trunk. I dragged the dead man out and shoved him over the railing. The river swallowed him instantly. He wouldn’t be found for a long time. If ever. Afterward, I thoroughly cleaned the trunk, making sure not a single trace of him remained. Once I was satisfied, I shut it and got back behind the wheel. I drove off again, not knowing where I was headed next. But I had enough money to keep moving until I found another place to disappear for a few more years.