A Luna's Escape

Finding Her

Cole's POV

I stepped off the plane, my duffle bag slung over my shoulder, and made my way to the car rental booth. I held the piece of paper in my hand and I wandered through the parking lot, searching for my rental car. Tossing my duffle in the back seat, I quickly set the GPS to the address Carl had given me. I prayed to the moon goddess as I drove that the address was still Sophie's. I crept down the street as the car neared the address. It was a pretty barren street with only a handful of houses on it. Each house had a massive yard and fields between them. The GPS told me I arrived at my destination and I looked over at the house to my right as I slowly passed by.

The house was one of every girl's dreams. A cute little cottage complete with a white picket fence and a wrap around porch. A white porch swing hung from the deck. Blue and white striped pillows decorated the chair. Tall red and purple flowers sat behind the fence, and red rose bushes were growing up in front of the house. The lawn was a beautiful green color. The side of the house had a small vegetable garden which was tenderly cared for. There wasn't a weed in sight. In the driveway were two vehicles, a dark grey SUV and a tall, black truck. Both cars were clean and seemed well taken care of. They sat in front of a large, two car garage. The paint was faded and the door was dingy and dented. It didn't match the pristine exterior of the house.

I tossed my duffle bag down on the bed in the hotel room and collapsed down next to it. Letting out a heavy sigh, I ran my hands over my face as I thought about Sophie. I hadn't seen her when I drove by the house, but even knowing that she might live there made my heart race. My anxiety was through the roof knowing I was so close to seeing my ex again. I wasn't sure how she would react to me being here. I'm sure she wouldn't be too happy.

I hopped in the shower, trying to figure out how I was going to make my presence known to Sophie. I hadn't put a game plan together, I just hopped on a plane and got here as fast as I could. I needed to figure out what the best way to reveal myself would be. The water dripped off my body as I stood under it. I needed to see her tonight. I was going crazy knowing she was so close.

Shutting the water off I reached for a towel, wrapping it around my waist. Digging through my bag I pulled out a pair of sweats and a white t-shirt. I threw them on quickly before rushing out the door. The air was cool and clean. It was warm out, and I could feel a humidity encasing my body. I made my way down the street and towards the outskirts of town. There weren't many wooded areas here, it was mostly just open fields. When I felt I was far enough out of town and out of sight, I shed my clothes and tucked them into the small, drawstring bag I brought with me.

I shifted into my dark brown wolf. My fur was the color of the brown on a pine tree's trunk. A mix of light and dark brown tangled together over my muscular k9 frame. A small sliver of white ran down my face, starting between my eyes and ending at the tip of my nose. My left paw looked as if I had stepped in a can of white paint, ending just above my knee joint. I ran through the fields, the tall grass bending and cracking as I swiftly maneuvered through its density.

I slowed my pace as I neared Sophie's house. My nose picked up the scent of a musky vanilla. It was a familiar scent, like something I had smelled before, but it was also new. It had more of a sweetness about it than I remember before.

"Sophie." I thought as I crept through the trees on the outskirts of the property. The wind stirred and I picked up another scent. Instantly I smelled another wolf. His claim on the territory was heavy, as his scent was strong. It was a citrus and grass mix and it made my nostrils burn as it wafted through the air. I rubbed my nose against my paw, relieving myself of the scent.

I crept closer to the house, my belly dragging across the lawn. In the darkness I could see perfectly through the windows. The house was decorated in Sophie's signature country style. She always had a thing for all things country and western. I smiled as I thought about her fussing over our home. Trying to figure out which decorations looked best on which walls, and if the pictures looked better in a circle, or scattered randomly around the wall. I missed those days.

My ears twitched as I picked up the faint sound of muffled laughter. I searched all of the windows, but saw nothing. I quickly scurried to the rose bushes butted against the house. The thorns poked through my fur as I made my way between the bushes and the house. I was way too big to be trying to squeeze through such a small corridor. A branch became entangled in my fur. I struggled to pull free, and was saddened when I heard the stem snap.

"Sophie's flowers." I thought to myself as I dropped my bag, carefully picking up the branch on the ground. Red rose petals scattered on the soft dirt at my feet.

I made my way silently around the side of the house. The sound of talking and laughing getting louder. I stopped as my eyes caught movement through the large French doors at the back of the house. I could see familiar dark brown curls cascading over the back of the sofa. A TV was on the opposite wall, a show playing on the screen. Sophie giggled at the show, and my heart fluttered as the sound of her laughter met my ears. It was a sound I hadn't heard in years. Not just because I had gone so long without her, but because her laughter ended years before we split up.

"Man, I miss your laugh." I whispered as I sat down, watching through the windows. The flower I had been holding fell onto the concrete porch.

"Babe, you're missing it!" Sophie called out, turning to look behind the sofa. Her smile was warm and bright. She flashed it at a person I couldn't see. It was a smile I had not been the receiver of in a long time. My heart sank when I saw her beaming grin, longing to be the one at the receiving end.

Anger coursed through my veins as I saw a man approach Sophie. A blue bowl of popcorn in his hands. He sat down next to her, planting a kiss on her cheek and wrapping his arm around her shoulders. A low growl escaped my snout. The man stirred, looking towards the doors. I slowly sulked back into the bushes, hiding my form from view. Sophie turned to look through the window at me. Her face was laced with confusion. I saw her inhale deeply, smelling the air and I c****d my head at the action. "Could she smell me?" I wondered.

Without a wolf she wouldn't be able to smell me. But she was wolfless. There was no way she could pick up on my scent. Excusing the action as a coincidence, I held still in the bushes, my eyes trained on the blonde haired man as he continued to stare at the window.

"Ryker?" Sophie asked, placing her hand on his shoulder. My eyes caught a glint of sparkle emitted off her hand.

"She's married?" My heart sank to the pit of my stomach. "I'm too late." Tears filled my eyes as I continued to watch.

"No. There's no way. Her scent isn't mixed. It's changed, but not because she's marked and mated." I thought.

"Why has it changed, then?"

"Babe? Are you okay?" Sophie said to the man again. He turned to look at Sophie, ignoring me outside.

"Yeah. I thought I heard something."

"Me too. A growl?" She said, looking at the door, perplexed.

"Sophie, how did you hear me?" My brow furrowed in confusion.

"Yeah." The man said, turning back to look out the window. "I'm going to take a look."

"Ryker, no." Sophie said, tugging at Rykers arm in an effort to get him to sit back down beside her.

"It'll just take a minute." Ryker said, placing the bowl in Sophie's hands. She sighed as she sat back into the couch, forcing a handful of popcorn into her mouth. I quickly made my way through the bushes and around the side of the house. I could hear the door click as the handle was turned. I shot out from the bushes and across the yard towards the field.

I stopped as I hid myself in the tall grass. Turning back towards the house I saw Ryker standing on the porch. His hands on his hips, his blue eyes glistening from the porch light. He was glaring directly at me, as if he knew I was there. Like he could sense me, smell me. I saw a scowl curl up on his lips as a low growl emanated through the darkness.

"Babe? What is it?" Sophie appeared behind the man wrapping her slender arms around his waist as her chin rested on his shoulder. I couldn't help but smile seeing her stand on her tiptoes. She wasn't a short woman, but she had to stand on her tiptoes every time she kissed me, or wrapped her arms around my neck.

I could still remember the look she would give me as she looked up into my eyes. She yearned for my attention, my approval. Her eyes longed to connect with mine. I could almost feel the warmth of her arms around my neck, her breath on my chin, and those eyes. Her green eyes sparkling with hope and love. The one eye, with its speck of brown randomly placed inside.

She used to yearn for my affection, but now it was me who longed for hers. What I wouldn't give to have those arms wrapped around my waist. Her chin resting on my shoulder. Her body pressed tightly against mine. I was supposed to protect her, but I failed. Now this man has taken my place. This man was now protecting the woman I had neglected.

"Just a dog." Ryker said as he turned around in her arms. He scooped her up and she giggled as he carried her over to the sofa.

I felt a tear stream down my face before I turned and ran. I ran for miles. Not sure where I was or where I was going. I just ran. I needed to run, to let out all of my pain and anger. I had to get her back.

—---

I awoke the next morning on the floor of the hotel room. I had run until my paws felt like they were going to bleed. I made my way to the hotel, reaching it just before the sun began to illuminate the sky and collapsed on the ground. I propped myself up, rubbing my temples before looking at the alarm clock on the nightstand. It was almost noon. My stomach rumbled loudly as if it also saw the clock and was begging me to eat. I got up, dragging my naked body towards the shower before heading out for a meal.

I sat in the booth, pushing my food around with my fork. I was starving, but I wasn't hungry at the same time. I couldn't get Sophie off my mind. She filled my dreams last night and my thoughts this morning. I had to relieve myself in the shower as I thought about her wrapping her arms around me again, her body pressing up against mine.

I forced myself to eat as I thought about how I would get Sophie back. I stared out the window of the cafe, Sophie's work building visible in the distance. I had positioned myself in the booth so that I could see her office. I needed to learn her schedule. When she came and went. I didn't know how to contact her, and didn't think she would take my calls even if I could. The only way I would be able to see her was to get in front of her, to see her in person.

If I figured out her schedule, I would be able to figure out when and where would be the best time to corner her. I pulled my phone from my pocket, dialing Lucas' number.

"Hello?" His husky voice answered the phone.

"Hey, Luke."

"Hey man." He said excitedly. "How's it going?"

"Good, and bad."

"Sorry man." He said through the phone.

"I found her."

"That's great!" His voice sounded chipper.

"Yes, but she's got a man."

"Oh. Like married?" Luke inquired.

"I don't think so. There's a ring on her finger, but I don't believe she's married. I haven't talked to her, and she doesn't know I'm here. Not yet. But Lucas, I'm going to be here a while."

"That's fine. Take all the time you need. I've got everything handled here."

"I know you do. You're a good man Luke."

"Gee, thanks." Luke teased. It brought a smile to my face and I was happy to finally be smiling again. "So, what's your plan?"

"I'm still working on it. I need to get in front of her, to talk to her. The man she is with is a wolf."

"Woah!" Lucas exclaimed. "Does she know?"

"I'm not sure. But he could sense me last night. I got close, but he knew I was there. And Sophie, she is different."

"Well, its been what, five years?"

"Yeah, but not different because of time. She smells different."

"Did he mark her?"

"No. She didn't have his scent. It was still her scent, but it was different. Stronger. I can't really explain it. But it was almost as if she could smell me too. Like she knew I was there."

"You think she knows?"

"No. I don't think she knew it was me. She just could sense my presence. I don't know man. It was odd."

"Well, keep me posted." He said, concern lacing his voice.

"I will. And Lucas, don't be afraid to contact me if you need anything. Okay?"

"Sure thing, boss."

I hung up the phone and finished my soda. My eyes locked on the building as the waitress cleared my table. Exchanging my dirty dishes for my bill. I tossed some cash in the black folder and made my way down the street towards the park bench just outside Sophie's office. I would wait here all night if I had to, just to catch another glimpse of the woman I had let slip through my fingers.