LUNA : The Wolf in Disguise

Chapter 5

The past two days have been uneventful. At least for me, that is. I managed to get my routes memorized and found a few restaurants that serve great food at a cheap price. There were malls as well but I didn't have anything to buy so I didn't visit there yet.

As a nomad, I tend to keep my belongings as little as I can. I can't carry a lot of things around while I am traveling from place to place.

During evenings, I would go to the riverbank on foot and read the books that I bought on my first day here. I was so consumed by them that I almost finished reading one of the books. The atmosphere was another thing. It was calm and quiet. It woke up the urge for me to continue reading.

I stayed by the window at night and watched the full moon illuminating in the dark sky. It strangely brought me some kind of peace.

Also, I haven't gotten any nightmares since I came here. I usually get at least one every other day, but these past two days, I have been sleeping like a baby.

I glanced down at my cheap watch and decided to step out for dinner. I felt like having something at the burger joint that I had recently discovered, so I went there and ordered my burger.

I had to wait for a bit since it was the busiest hour of the day, but I didn't mind at all. I had nothing to do anyway. I waited quietly at a table, studying everyone around me as they all chatted animatedly with the people they were with.

I was the only one who was sitting alone in that restaurant.

It is not like this was something new to me, but it still made me yearn for a company. Especially when I was watching a random mother and son having some quality time together in this restaurant.

Do they know how lucky they are to have that?

I sighed and averted my eyes to the next table to see a man staring right at me. His eyes held abundant hate in them as he glared at me.

I stared right back at him blankly, not knowing what he was mad about. I squinted my eyes a little to see if I recognized this man from somewhere, and then only I recalled snapping at him on my first day here in Dawson City.

He was the man who catcalled me.

He looked away after a few seconds, so I didn't make a big fuss of it though I couldn't help but glance over to his table every few minutes to make sure he wasn't looking my way.

To my relief, he left the restaurant after about fifteen minutes while I was still there waiting for my food. Shortly after he left, the waitress came over to my table and set a plate of burgers in front of me with an apologetic smile.

"Sorry for making you wait so long, dear. It is on the house. " She winked at me.

"No, that's fine-" I started to say, but she had already started to walk away from there.

Why are people here so kind? They shouldn't be this good!

I sighed and started to eat my food in silence. It only took me about ten minutes to finish my food, and after I was done with it, I put the money under the plate. The food was too good for me to not pay and walk out from here.

I exited the burger joint after that and headed towards the motel where I was staying. It was a quiet night with chilly weather. Most of the shops were closed as I made my way towards the motel. One thing about this town is that people close down their shops sharp at nine-thirty in the evening.

It will be hard to find food or anything else after nine-thirty.

I heard some rustling behind me and instinctively glanced behind to see a man, a few steps behind me. I couldn't see his face as it was dark, but something about him made me feel sick in the pit of my stomach.

I turned to the front again and quickened my steps, desperate to get to the motel as soon as I could. I knew it would take about fifteen to twenty minutes to get there by foot, and it only made the apprehension grow tenfold.

The man behind me quickened his steps as well as if he was trying to keep up with my pace. I glanced left and right to see if there were any other people around, but the street was empty.

Cursing under my breath, I started to run, and just like I had suspected, the man behind me broke into a sprint as well. I glanced behind again to see it was the man from the burger joint.

Well, the man that I got on bad terms with the day I got here.

Fear coursed through me like fire. It only made me run faster than before as if my life depended on it. Ah, why was he chasing me like a freaking psychopath?!

In my attempt to get away from him, I took a sharp left into the street that I had not ventured yet. I didn't know where this street would lead me, but I prayed there would be a lot of people there.

"Stop, b***h!" I heard the man behind me yell but I didn't even spare a glance at him this time.

This is not good. This is not good. Oh God, what am I going to do?!

There was no one on the street now. I kept running with him hot on my heels until I reached the dark side of the street where it wasn't developed yet. There were trees everywhere and it looked like it would lead me straight into the forest.

Having no other choice, I ran into the forest. It was pitch black, but I managed to run through without slamming against the trees or something. I could hear his heavy footsteps against the ground, indicating that he hadn't given up yet.

All of this is happening because I didn't bite down my tongue that day and stayed quiet. If I did that, he wouldn't be so mad now.

I kept running for a few more minutes until my legs felt like jelly. I heaved for breath and hid behind one of the trees, praying he wouldn't find me there. I put my hands over my mouth and nose so he couldn't hear me breathing when he passed by this area.

It felt like everything happened in slow motion after that. My heart stopped beating for a second when I heard a loud howl somewhere far in the forest.

I would recognize that howl at any day. It was a werewolf's cry to the moon!

I knew I was doomed now. I was in someone's territory, and there was a man who was coming for me at the same time. I can't run out of my hiding spot nor stay here until the werewolves discover me.

What I was supposed to do?!

How did I miss a territory near Dawson City?! How could I be so reckless after all this time?!

I stood there, still hidden behind that tree as the man who chased after me ran past the tree that I was hiding. Relief flooded in me for a split second as I waited for him to get a reasonable distance far away from me so I could run back the way I got here.

Another howl ripped through the air resulting in that man stopping in his tracks, frozen. If I were him, I would be scared too. I watched him as he reluctantly took a step forward and then looked around the area, searching for me.

I quickly hid behind the tree again. It doesn't seem like luck was on my side tonight.

I waited a few more seconds before taking a peek again, but my heart stopped beating again when I found the man standing right in front of me. I jumped back in fright, not having expected him to be there, but my feet tumbled over something, and I fell to the hard ground.

I couldn't feel the pain at the moment as I was terrified of what the man in front of me would do, "Why are you chasing me?!"

A sick smile curved on his lips, "You humiliated me in front of all those people in that restaurant" He reminded me, "Don't you think I have to pay you back in some way to make us even?"

I looked at him incredulously, "Get away from me or I will scream," I said, surprisingly in a calm voice, but on the inside, I was shaking like a leaf. I tried to get up to stand but shrunk back when I felt a sudden pain jolting up my leg.

"You can scream all you want. No one will come here to save you" The man said, getting my attention again.

We heard another howl but this time it sounded really close to us. I noticed the man had gone quiet and still, only his eyeballs moved around to see what was around us.

I held back the urge to smirk at him, "Maybe this isn't exactly the perfect place to do whatever you're planning to do to me, isn't it?" I asked, letting my hands wander around the ground until I grabbed a hold of a giant rock.

"Shut up," He whispered, "The wolves can hear you." He glowered down at me, "If you don't stay quiet, we both will be a meal to the wolf."

I tried to stand again, and this time, I managed to do so despite the pain I felt. I hid the rock behind my back, "You won't spare me even if the wolves did, will you?" I asked, "So why don't I make you pay as well? That way, I know that you will be dead with me too, "

His expression blanked, "Are you stupid?"

I shrugged, waiting for him to completely let his guard down, and then threw the rock, aiming for his torso as hard as I could. The man doubled over in pain and let out a scream, "You, b***h!" He growled.

"Sshhh, the wolves might hear you," I said before scampering away from there, leaving him alone.

I couldn't run properly. My right leg jolted in pain, and everything I put the leg forward, but I had no other choice. If I don't keep running, the man might catch up to me. I knew the wolves weren't savages except if it was a rogue, but the man who was currently chasing me was sure worse than an animal.

I panted for breath as I ran, feeling like I would freeze to death at any moment now. The worst part is that I don't know the way I came from anymore. I couldn't recognize it. The fact that it was dark made it even harder.

Why did that street have to bring me right into a forest or whatever this was? I was hoping for a bright area with a lot of people when I ran into it.

Should I just take refuge under one of the trees until dawn? I can go back once there is enough light for me to see. But what if that man gets here before that? I couldn't get on one-on-one combat now, could I?

I mean, I did receive a hell of a lot of training when I was in my pack, but at that time, I was a werewolf, and I was strong. Now, my strength would mean nothing against that big man. Will it be worth it if I fought with him?

I heard an animalistic growl right next to me, and I snapped my head in that direction to see a giant werewolf staring right at me. My eyes went wide as I stared at him like a deer in headlights. My throat went dry in dread when I realized there was no way to escape now.

Oh f**k.

Just what I never wanted to happen.