Anima Mea

CHAPTER 2

The dawn came sooner than I expected, changing smoky sky into colours of the Sun: amber, tawny, lemon and the clouds into cotton candy made of tufts with the light shade of fuchsia. I have always loved sitting in the garden full of forget-me-nots, daisies and my favourites, bluebells, while the Beta's family was still asleep, and dreaming about the freedom and the world without ranks, superiors and slaves, the world without fear of speaking and being heard, the world built on equality and respect, the world we will never have.

Today was different. No house. No garden. No dreaming.

We were somewhere in the forest, walking or running, still in the motion. Little Jacob sitting on the broad shoulders of his father, Alexandra carrying huge backpack full of clothes, shoes and a petite box of family memories: photographs, tapes...everything she had room for and I had only a crossbody bag filled with some snacks, mostly for Beta's son and me - the wolfs were much stronger than us, humans, their primal needs could be put aside in the order to safe energy, it was said that they could even block their human selfs and transformed into the wolfs running for weeks without swallowing a single flesh of meat - I handn't had that ability, I was only a burden, able to cross a few miles and lay down tired. The only thing I was doing, was slowing them down mile by mile, minute after minute, but Beta female insisted on taking me with them, for the reason unkown.

„When we will be there, daddy?" whispered voice of six year old filled with sleeping tiredness.

„Soon, son," Beta's answer was brief, simple merciful lie, but not convincing enough, not even for the child.

„How many trees we have to pass by? That and that one or, oh, this one, right?" I smiled on his impatience typical for every child, human or wolf. Beta wasn't that amused, not only a bit. „Stop it, Jacob," a slight growling sound erupted from his chest, „and be sile..." His words were absorbed by a powerful, dominate and intimidating howl. It lasted only a couple of seconds, but the power, anger and rage were strong enough to make us all violently shake with horror.

„What was it?" Stupid question. But I couldn't help it.

„Alpha," Alexandra looked at her husband, petrified, „he is here."

That meant only one thing. We were being chased.

I was prepared to run as fast as I could, imagined my legs moving, my breath being catched, lungs burned by oppressive pressure, but I didn't. No one did.

„Selene," serene yet desperate whisper adressed me, the syllables echoing through the deadly calm forest, „you need to run." I looked up, seeing worried face of the Beta Female.

I shook my head into denial. „N-no."

„Listen, Selene," I felt Alexandra's warm hands gripped mine, freezing ones, into strong hold, „I am giving you freedom," her voice broke a little, „You are free, Selene."

Boiling tears were streaming down my face: „What about you?" My teary eyes found petite sobbing figure, „What about Jacob?"

Beta Female sadly smiled at me: „We can't run, Selene. Our wolves are submitted to the Alpha's, our scents mixed with his, connection humans can't feel. There is no chance to escape him, especially now, when he is so close," her eyes slowly changed into the rough sea, „But he can't sense you, your scent is hidden from his power, because of the lacking bond, you have a chance. So run, Selene, run to the border and never look back."

I cried, sobbed, screamed in my own, quiet, inner way, but after hearing another howl, this time closer, and after a few last glances given in Jacob's direction, I did what I was told to do. I ran.

Minutes, maybe hours passed till I stopped, out of breath, sweat dripping down my back, light brown hair flying across my face, black glasses hazy and legs numb. I couldn't run anymore, I couldn't even move. So I only stood there and listened to the creaking of evergreens, twitter of birds and the wind singing it's cold melody. It all seemed placidly: no howls, no fear in the air, nothing...just silence. Silence before the storm.