The howl of my heart

Chapter 8

Elena woke up to the strong smell of burnt plastic and gasoline, feeling disoriented and confused. She rubbed her eyes and tried to focus, realising that the car had broken down and Nick was outside trying to fix it.

"What happened?" she asked, her voice groggy from sleep.

"The car overheated," Nick replied, his voice tense. "

As Nick worked on the car, Elena got out to stretch her legs and take in their surroundings. They were on a deserted road, with no sign of life in either direction. "Do you know where we are?" she asked.

"Not exactly," Nick admitted. "But I know we're not too far from the pack where my friend is based. We'll make it there."

Elena felt the weight of the situation sink in and a sense of hopelessness crept up on her.

Nick felt her mood change and decided to give up on trying to fix the car. As he closed the bonnet he said "But don't worry, we're not too far from where we need to be. We'll just have to walk the rest of the way."

Elena nodded, feeling a sense of unease settle in her stomach. They were in unfamiliar territory, and she was worried about what she should expect at this new pack. But she trusted Nick, she knew that he was a capable Alpha, but the uncertainty of their situation still made her uneasy.

As they started walking, the sun started to set, casting an orange glow over the horizon. The air was warm and humid, and Elena's clothes were sticking to her skin. She was still wearing the blue dress from the birthday party last night. She really wanted to change and have a shower now. She sighed, feeling frustrated and helpless.

As they walked, the silence was heavy between them, broken only by the sound of their footsteps on the pavement. Elena could feel Nick's tension, his muscles coiled tight with anxiety. She knew he was worried about the pack's reaction to their disappearance, and the consequences they would face if they were caught.

"How much further?" she asked, breaking the silence.

"Not far," Nick replied, his voice low. "We should be there soon."

"Do you think Alpha Simon will come after us?" Elena asked, feeling a sense of fear wash over her.

Nick shook his head, "I don't think so. He's a proud man, and he won't want to admit that we've outsmarted him. But we still need to be careful and stay hidden."

As they continued walking, the scenery around them started to change, and they knew they were getting closer to a small town. The smell of fresh earth and pine trees filled the air, and Elena felt a sense of comfort wash over her.

Elena's feet started to ache and her stomach grumbled with hunger. She tried to ignore her discomfort, not wanting to slow Nick down or appear weak.

Nick noticed her struggle and said, "Let's take a break, at this village. We can't keep walking without rest or food. I brought some snacks and water in my backpack."

***

As Nick and Elena walked into the small town, they noticed that there were not many people around, and the town seemed quiet and a bit eerie. They walked for a while until they found a comfortable spot to rest and have some food and water from their backpack.

Just as they began to settle down and enjoy their food, a group of men approached them. Elena felt a sense of unease wash over her as the men looked at her in an unsettling way. One of the men leered at her and said, "Well, well, well, what do we have here?"

The men were rough-looking, with scruffy beards and tattered clothes. They eyed Elena with interest, and Nick could sense that they were challenging him. "What do you want?" he asked, his voice filled with arrogance.

"What a pretty boy like you is doing around here? Shouldn't you be busy somewhere on the cover of a magazine?"one of the men says wit a cheeky smile as the others laugh

"Get lost," Nick growled, his voice laced with anger. 

 "Aw, don't be like that... I thought we could be friends here.  I can see that you are lost and thought you need help" the man continued

"We don't need your kind of help." Nick responded while putting everything back in the backpack.

"Pretty boy, why don't you go and busy promoting some sort of underwear or put on some makeup, while we look after your girl here?"

"What did you just said?" Nick's Alpha instincts kicked in, and he stood up, facing the men with a challenging look, he stood his ground looking directly in to the mans eyes.

Elena felt a shiver run down her spine. These men seemed dangerous, and she could tell they were from a different pack, or possibly rogues. Nick's Alpha senses were put into a challenge mode, and he started to flip out a bit too much, considering they didn't have their pack to support them.

The men laughed and looked at each other. "We just want to have a little fun," one of them said, eyeing Elena. "She looks like she could use a real man to take care of her."

Elena felt disgusted by their words and tried to move closer to Nick. "We don't want any trouble," she said, her voice trembling.

Nick, however, was not one to back down from a challenge, especially not in front of Elena. "I suggest you leave us alone," he said, his voice laced with arrogance and overconfidence.

The men were not intimidated by Nick's words, and one of them stepped forward. "We don't take orders from pretty boys like you," he said, his tone menacing. "

Nick felt his anger rising, and he took a step forward, ready to fight. Elena knew they were in danger and tried to grab Nick's arm, but it was too late. The men attacked, and Nick and Elena were forced to run.

As they ran, they could hear the men's footsteps pounding the ground behind them. They ran as fast as they could, but the men were closing in on them. In their panic, they dropped their backpack, which contained all their belongings. They ran through the woods, with the men hot on their heels, until they finally outran them.

Eventually, Nick and Elena lost sight of the men, but they were now lost in the woods. The night sky appeared above them, and the moon illuminated their path as they stumbled through the forest. Elena could feel her heart pounding in her chest, and she clung tightly to Nick's arm, hoping that he would be able to lead them to safety.

As the night sky appeared above them, Elena and Nick realised they were completely lost in the woods. They were tired, hungry, and had nowhere to go.