His runaway mate

Katy

I’ve never missed a call when it comes to my son. Ever since we started running from our demons, I always answer to make sure everything is alright, always ready to jump in my car and start running at a moment’s notice. If one of us just get a feeling that something is not right, we would pack up and leave. One thing I have learned in the past few years is to always trust your gut feeling.

“Hey baby, what’s wrong?” I say as soon as I am far enough from Jackson so he won’t hear the conversation.

“Nothing! Can’t I just call my mother to say hello? I also want to find out if you need lunch? I know you overslept this morning and didn’t have time to pack anything. I just left the dinner now, if you’re willing to take a late lunch?” If only he phoned a bit earlier, but after I promised myself to enjoy life more, I really wanted to see if there could be more between me and Jackson. Just being near him sets my body on fire and with Bridget returning soon, I don’t have much longer to be this close to him. I haven’t told Cole about my attraction to Jackson, not just because he is my son and I don’t think that is something you should discuss with you child, but also because I know he would’ve motivated it. I didn’t want to start something that I would have to leave behind. Old habits die hard and it took me this long to realize that we really are done running.

As I put my phone back in my bag, I feel the hair on the back of my neck stand up. Remember I said to always follow your gut feeling? My gut is telling me there is danger right behind me and I follow my instinct. I grab my knife and pepper spray out of my bag and slowly take my shoes off knowing full well that I won’t be able to run very fast in them.

I slowly start to turn around and my eyes widen in shock at what I see. My heart stops before beating into overdrive trying to find a way out of my chest. He is just like in my dreams. Since Friday night, I have been seeing what was chasing me in my dreams, I wasn’t scared of it anymore knowing it wouldn’t harm me somehow. The difference between dreams and reality is that I am s**t scared now. It might not be able to hurt me in my dreams, but here and now, this thing can tear me to shreds.

Just a few feet away from me is a huge wolf. There is no way that this is a normal wolf. In my heart I really hope that fairy tales exist. That this is a shifter and not some mutated wolf. If it is a shifter, it means there is some humanity in it and might not try to eat me alive.

I have two options here. One, I scream for help knowing that no ordinary human would be able to take this thing down without heavy fire power or, option two, I find a way past it and run for dear life. Option one is really not an option at all knowing that Jackson would be the first one to come to my aid and I am not willing to risk his life. After I get out of here I will take the chance to figure out how this massive creature got into this ally to begin with, without anyone seeing it.

As the wolf slowly approaches, I take the opportunity to look for weaknesses. It really is a beautiful wolf with its blue black fur that looks soft to the touch. It is big enough to look my straight in the eyes without having to tilt its head up. I know I am a bit shorter than average, but still, it’s not normal for a wolf to be that big. Its eyes are a shocking green and if it was not for the fact that I was scared shitless, I would’ve even said it looked hypnotic.

I get into a fighting stance showing the creature that I am not going down without a fight. I really wish I had my gun with me. It would’ve done a lot more damage than my knife. I will have to make do with what I have. I know the only way for me to get the upper hand long enough to get past it and make a run for the exit, is to catch it by surprise.

The moment the wolf sees the knife, it bares its teeth at me and gives me a low growl. I know it is now or never, so I run at it at full speed. It opens its legs a bit wider, bending its legs to get ready to jump. The moment his front paws lift off the ground, I slide underneath it, while spraying the pepper spray in its eyes, I lift up my knife and shove it as hard as I can into its soft stomach. The feeling of its warm blood running down my hand and onto my body makes me gag. The sound of its yelp of pain makes me regret hurting it and I hesitate a second before jumping up and running for the exit of the ally.

That second of hesitation is all it took. I am about to scream out Jackson’s name when I feel its teeth sinking into my neck, effectively cutting off any sound I was about to make. The pain of its teeth sinking into my neck and shoulder has nothing on the blinding pain I feel in my head. The pain slowly makes its way down my body, my knees giving in until I am left vulnerable on ground of the dirty ally.

I turn my head to look at the wolf but it is no longer there, in its place is Jackson and I come to realize that one, he was never in danger and two, some fairy tales are true. Just before I lose consciousness, I pray to God that I will somehow survive this and not leave Cole alone in this messed up world.