Among The Wolves

Chase

I needed to keep going, I needed to run. Run.

But no, running brought unwanted attention. Still the nerves, do not fidget, do not look around too often, look confident and be confident.

He will smell me.

Almost as if I could not help it I gazed behind me again. The department store that I left a mere five minutes ago had now disappeared behind other stores. My eyes searched every shadow that I could see before I turned once more to the path ahead. The cement sidewalk, swarming with people, gave me only one avenue to take. Going the opposite direction was not an option and I had not spotted a taxi so stopping to hail one was not an option. I had to keep moving.

The dreaded feeling of being followed had me turning my neck. My hair swirled over my face as I studied the shadows behind me. Lots of unfamiliar faces weaved the walkway behind but none gave me that unsettling feeling that seemed to wreck my insides.

Where were the darn taxis? It would undoubtedly end any scent trail I was currently leaving. A side glance at the cars rolling past was all I needed to note that there were no yellow transportation vehicles present. With a nervous huff, I quicken my pace.

Another notch of trepidation irked my gut. My hand went up to my neck but I forced it back down, afraid that any odd movement would bring unwanted attention. In hopes to settle my knotting stomach, I turned again. Flitting my eyes from one person to the next, looking deeply in the shadows to ensure that no wolf was there to attack me.

My chest rose in alarm when the sight of a man dressed in black and sporting dark sunglasses caught my attention. The clear coil behind his ear told me this was not your average business Joe, and the way he was heading my direction in a fixated way told me that I had been found and was indeed being followed.

Behind this man were yet two others just like him.

A gasp from deep in my throat left my lips. I spun from them and quickened my pace again. My brisk walk migrated into a jog. I looked around frantically but there was no escapable building in sight. Only sure doom and dead-ends. In the distance, down the road, I joyously spotted a yellow taxi. If only I could intercept it at the right time. I would have to go to the other side of the road to get its attention. Seeing the traffic light that was way too far ahead, I knew that jaywalking was in the very near future for me.

A hasty look behind me confirmed the men were gaining on me, their long strides beat mine. They were not wolfbloods but being male they still had the physical advantage. That taxi was my only hope. There was still no building  on this sidewalk that would help with escape.

I watched the taxi loom closer, still, for some reason it seemed so slow! All the times in my life that I called on a taxi they seemed to rush past and hailing them was worse than catching a loose chicken.

With my heavy breathing filling my ears I looked for an opportunity to cross the street. The humming cars that whizzed back and forth invited a game of Frogger. A life and death game of Frogger.

Still jogging past people I saw a hot-dog stand just ahead with a line of people. This would be good enough, sprinting faster I reached the line and then ducked down behind the people waiting for their weiners. Creeping up to the road I gazed back and forth, Hoping that a safe enough opening would come soon.

When a blue sudan trundled past me I jumped forward onto the street, dashing for the center line. Immediately, the sound of angry honking filled the area. My heart rate skyrocketed at the attention I was drawing. My foot reached the yellow line and I stilled, seeing that the taxi was now only five cars down. Worst case scenario, I could jump in front of it. Since I was on the road people were slowing their vehicles down. I spotted another opportunity and used it to race to the other side.