Open Closet

Chapter Two

Kahlan Sky

In and out. In through the nose and out through the mouth. The phrase repeated on a loop throughout my head, steadying the racing of my heart as I ran further into the forest. My eyes darted back and forth while my ears swiveled around, searching for any sign of life.

Nothing. The trees were silent and the noise of paws behind me disappeared. Skidding to a stop, my throat burned along with my limbs. I gasped for air, panting heavily from exhaustion. Scanning the area, I huffed and fell to the grass.

It's been days since I've taken a rest. Days since I last saw a town or city. However, those days don't make up for the years it's been since I last saw my family, my pack. Years since I last saw my parents, years since their death.

The pain is buried within my eyes which show what I've been through. My exhaustion showed on my body. Bags darkened underneath my eyes and my arms drooped as if weights were dragging them to the floor.

I missed my family but grief held me from returning. I know what would happen if I returned. My brother would hate me for leaving him alone. My pack wouldn't want me back, not after I ran from my duties as alpha.

My mind raced with the grief and heartache as I thought of my home. I left the pack two years after my parents death. I couldn't handle seeing them when they weren't even there. Beneath me, my knees gave way to my fall.

There was no strength left inside of my body to soften the blow of the ground against my face. Black dots blurred my vision and soon enough the exhaustion took control.

I'm not sure when I woke up except that the moon hovered over my body like a bug. Gritting my teeth, I rose up to my knees. Out of the corner of my eye, a soft glow caught my vision. Swiveling my head in that direction, a gasp slipped from my lips. "A town..."

I don't know why this town was located in the middle of the forest and miles from a city but here it was. Clambering to my feet, I shifted and bounded off towards the town with newfound energy. My limbs ached but I pushed forward until my claws scrapped against the pavement of the street.

My ears perked up, alert for anything to jump from the shadows. Lifting my muzzle, I tested the air for any scent. Humans. That was the only scent my nose could pick up. A sigh of relief passed my jaws as I padded down the street.

As I trotted through the town, my vision glanced over to a window that was lit up by a light outside. My defecting stared back at me when I looked at the window. Dark brown fur covered my body as black and white spots splattered along my fur. Brown hues filled with fatigue and relief.

The color of my wolf brought back memories of my family. Of the twin I had left behind. For werewolves, twins always had the same color of fur. The similarity would also apply if a wolf were to turn a human but it didn't always happen so the coat of fur wouldn't always be the same.

Ripping my eyes away, I continued on my path. The scent of laundry caught my attention and I headed towards the smell. Luckily enough, my nose didn't deceive me. My eyes landed on clothes that were hung out to dry. Shifting, I stretched my arm up and snatched a shirt and leggings.

As I tugged on the clothes, they hugged my body perfectly. My eyebrows furrowed in confusion since the scent from the house was coming from someone way older than me. I wonder who's clothes these belonged to. Maybe a daughter or niece.

With a shake of my head, I turned away from the house and carried on my way into the town. It was probably three a.m. now by the look of the moon. Wandering through the human town, I could tell it had been here for generations. The architecture of the buildings provided a small incite of what this village was.