Just One Bite

Chapter 16: James' POV

Come on... that's it... you can do it...

I take one last breath and force my back straight, first feeling the pain and then the relief when my spine finally clicks back into place.

There. Human again.

I stumble through the undergrowth, but quickly lose my footing, and tumble down a small grassy bank, straight into the staff's carpark.

"For fuck's sake," I mutter under my breath, gritting my teeth when my sensitive skin scrapes against the rough tarmac. Everywhere aches as I force myself to my feet. I can hear sirens in the distance and footsteps getting closer. I had to move fast.

But where could I go? Everyone knows now. Everyone saw. My face will be all over the news within the hour and it's not like I could keep a low profile. I was naked.

I wipe the sweat from my brow with the back of my hand and sniff hard, fighting back the angry tears.

Wow. I've really fucked this up.

Half of me was debating whether I should just turn myself in. Surely it would be easier? But what would happen then? What would they do to me?

I snap out of my thoughts when I hear voices behind me.

Shit. They're close.

"This way!" I hear one shout.

"Be ready, boys!" Says another.

"Fuck!" I growl under my breath. I quickly scan my surroundings, trying to suppress the panic. The carpark was dead, about forty vehicles scattered about; there were a small patch of trees on the other side and the exit to the right.

The trees were too obvious. But the exit led to a main road.

I'll just have to.

Where I was planning to go, I had no idea. I just needed to get out of the city. Forests covered this part of the country for miles and I would finally have an advantage. The large amount of time I had spent there trying to keep the shift under control had made me pretty familiar with the area.

So I run, first on two feet, but the Lunarcin starts kicking in again and my spine begins snapping and curving. Soon, I'm running on all fours, the heat and pain rippling through my shoulders and thighs, but I force myself to keep going.

The Hunters can see me now. I can hear their voices, their heavy boots pounding against the ground as they attempt to run after me, followed by the occasional gun shot. So I dive for the parked cars, sliding across the bonnets and jumping from roof to roof in an uneven pattern, the sound of their fire hitting car metal close behind me. They're only shooting amnesia darts but I'm still scared where I'd wake up next if they caught me.

I'm almost at the exit now. They won't catch me; I'm too fast. They're just shooting at me out of desperation because they know, once I'm out and in the city, it'll be ten times harder to find me.

I look over my shoulder for a split second, smirking when I see the Hunters are only little black silhouettes freaking out beside the grassy bank.

I think I'm gonna make it -

"Holy shit!" I shout, skidding to a halt when a silver car suddenly bursts through the carpark's gates. I cower and brace myself, waiting for it to hit me. But I look up again when nothing happens and I hear tyres screaming against the tarmac. With my mouth open, I watch it spin, drift and screech to a stop right behind me, sheltering me from the Hunters' fire.

Then the front passenger door opens.

"Get in!" The driver shouts.

I didn't question it.