Instincts - c.h.

Chapter 11

As the sun began to set, I decided to drive around the perimeter of the town, looking blindly for anything that could help. Due to the shorter days of October, the sun disappeared faster than anticipated, leaving me to drive with only the headlights down a road with only trees on either side. The longer I continued on, the more the uneasiness grew in the pit of my stomach. I was tempted to call Brody, just to ease my nerves, but I decided against it.

            An abrupt beeping sound made me jump. My phone. While continually glancing at the road, I reached over to see a message notification lighting up the screen. As if he could read my mind, Brody had texted me. Are you okay? I replied back with a simple Yeah, on my way back.

            I must have looked at my phone a second too long because suddenly I felt something collide with the front of the car, something heavy. A sharp yelp escaped my throat as I slammed on the breaks, adrenaline flowing quickly through my veins. I’d never hit anything before and the loudness of it all shocked me. Gasping for breaths, I sat still, unsure of what to do. The headlights showed a shadow moving in front of the car. Whatever it was, it was still alive. I could feel its energy, powerful and very much alive. Touching the ring on my finger I began to think of any defense spells I knew, really wishing I wasn’t alone.

            Holding onto the gear shift, I prepared to speed off if necessary when the figure moved again, this time standing. Oh god, I’d hit someone… What if I hit the wolf? What if I hit one of the townspeople? A hand came down on the hood of the car, pushing down to lift up the person. A leather jacket covered their arm, not giving any details as to who it was. By this point I was on the verge of panicking. The unknown person turned to face the windshield, glowing green eyes illuminated by the moonlight. A snarl broke from their lips, piercing eyes meeting mine.

I shuddered in fear. “Michael?”

****

“Are you fucking serious?” he grunted from outside, a hard glare set in his features.

            I got out of the car, scurrying towards him to check for damage. He leaned up against the hood, slightly shaking. When he saw me, a low groan vibrated in his throat.

“I…I am so sorry” was the first thing that came out of my mouth.

“You hit me with your car” he stated with a huff.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t see you, you just…you just came out of nowhere” I apologized again.

            Looking down over him, I then realized that he wore a clean leather jacket…just the leather jacket. Instantly looking away, I felt the awkwardness drop down on me.

“What?” he snapped, noticing my fidgeting.

“You’re…you don’t…why aren’t you wearing clothes?” I stammered, trying to gain control of the situation.

“It’s not exactly easy to run on four legs with trousers” he sneered.

            I didn’t know how to respond, so I just stood there. Feeling his eyes on me, I felt smaller than ever. Something about his energy made me feel weak, even though I could easily snap his neck without touching him.

            With a heavy sigh and an eye roll, he casually walked over to the passenger seat, opening the door and getting in. I looked at him, completely lost and confused by this entire thing. Rolling the window down, he stuck his head out.

“Well? Are you going to drive or not?”

            His words broke me from my stiffness and I started moving. Getting back into the car, I avoided looking at him as I changed gears and started back towards the house. The ride was silent, the air thick with tension and awkwardness. At least, that’s what I felt. Michael seemed to radiate composed energy.