City Dogs

Chapter 10

I wasn't used to such loudness. The forest was alive, constantly making sounds that I never though I'd hear again; crickets chirping, birds singing, wind rustling the leaves. It was all so new, yet so familiar.

Echo was unusually quiet, observing her surroundings carefully. Her nose twitched and ears pricked, taking in new smells, sounds, and sights.

<Nothing too new,> she commented. <I recognize most of this.>

<This is the life we should have been living.>

<And now, we can.>

We fell into a comfortable silence as I walked through the forest. It was morning, so early that I could watch the sunrise paint the sky gold and pale pink, illuminating the wispy clouds. I can't remember the last time I've seen a sunrise, but I'm glad I was able to. All the little things I've missed over the years have accumulated into a giant, gaping whole in my heart. A whole that would take years to fill up, but it would fill up non the less.

<Eventually,> Echo said, her voice hopeful and strong.

I nodded, a smile tugging at my lips as I walked through the forest, drinking in the landscape. Cool morning air washed over me, not cold enough to be uncomfortable. I haven't stopped since last night, wanting to get as far away as I could from the pack house. From Damon. My feet grew blisters, my legs aching. Physically, I was overall miserable. There was nothing I should be happy about, yet I was humming, jumping over fallen trees, ecstatic. There was nothing that could get me down except a tree root, which I tripped on.

I scuffed my palms and my knees burned with new injury, but they were minor, nothing more than a few bruises. Echo laughed at my fall, more carefree than ever. I chuckled along with her, shifting so I could lay in a more comfortable position on the ground. Closing my eyes, I focused on the slight breeze that filtered through the green foliage. Some of the leaves have already started to fall down; autumn was indeed on it's way.

I must have fallen asleep at some point, because the next thing I knew, I woke up to the sound of howling. Wolf howling.

<Shit! How did they find us?> I scrambled to my feet, having Echo point me in the right direction.

<Jude said this was no-man's-land, a neutral territory. It's fine for werewolves to enter as long as they don't hunt,> came her reply, sounding frantic.

<No hunting, my ass! They're hunting us!> I hissed, reaching out my arms as I tried to navigate through the dark, cursing when a branch snapped into my cheek, leaving a stinging mark.

<What directions are they coming from?>

Echo paused to smell the air, pointing her nose at our pursuers. <We're downwind, so it will be hard for then to locate us by scent.>

I nodded, not daring to run any faster in fear of causing too much noise. I made long strides, trying to make as little contact with the leaf-filled ground as possible. With a patient but urgent voice, Echo guided me, using her pure wolf instincts. I followed her instructions without question, even when she led us back in the direction of the wolves for a little while. I trusted my wolf to lead the way out of danger, and Echo trusted me to get us there by following her.

The forest was her territory, even if she has been missing for a bit. This was her court, and I knew if she abandoned me, my chances of survival would be close to nothing. Echo's head suddenly shot up, her ears pricked and swiveling around. I skidded to a stop, giving her a chance to listen to whatever she needed to.

<The river Jude was talking about. . . I can hear it!>

<Which way?> I urged, practically running in place and nearly jumping out of my skin as I heard another howl, this one much closer than the last.

<Let me in front, it'll be easier.>

I obliged, sliding to the back and letting her take control. Immediately, we shot off. I'll admit, I was slightly jealous of the reign she had on my body as she nimbly dodged trees and made my footsteps much more quietly than I ever could. She had not been in front for more than a minute when we arrived at a river bank, the rushing waters cold and fast. She aimed our body for the edge, and I had a blank moment as I realized what she was about to do.

<Echo, don't you dare--!>

She jumped, the water's fierce current shoving my head under. The sudden shock of water dissipated the air from my lungs, and I struggled to stand upright. I thrashed around before my feet finally found purchase on the rocky ground. I pushed up, coughing and gagging for oxygen.

<Echo, you--!>

<We're safe now, no?> she simply said, cutting me off.

<You know I can't swim!>

<I also know that this river isn't as deep as it seems. Suck it up.>

I trudged along, grumbling, grateful for the link we shared so I didn't have to say out loud how thankful I was that she made me jump. I never could have done that on my own, and by the sound of her satisfied purring, she knew it, too.

Once I got the all-clear from her, I pulled myself out of the water, nearly slipping back in when my foot hit a patch of wet leaves stuck to the slant of dirt. My hands and pants were smeared with mud, and I was soaked from head to toe.

But I was alive. I was still free.

And I was cold. Shivers wracked my body, my teeth chattering. The night air, accompanied with the breeze, didn't make it any better. I tore off my jacket and shirt, setting them up on a low tree branch to let them dry, and got the thermal blanket from the backpack I was (somehow) still wearing. Apparently, the backpack was waterproof, so none of the supplies within got ruined. I sat with my back against the rough bark, the blanket wrapped securely around my upper body, nibbling on a protein bar. The adrenaline coursing through me made it seem as if I weren't hungry, but I knew that as soon as it wore off I would be starving.

<We're near the town Jude mentioned. A day's walk, I presume,> Echo said, turning around in circles, settling in for the night. I made myself comfortable as one could be sleeping on dirt and leaves in nothing but wet pants and a blanket.

The adrenaline wore off faster than I expected, and soon I was sleeping once more, hopefully not waking up to wolf howls again.