Broken Chains

Part 13

Chapter 13

We did indeed stretch our legs that evening finding a relatively large amount of woodland not too far from our hotel and yet still far enough from the borders of the neutral territory that we should still be safe there. We ran through most of the night hunting small animals simply to challenge our reflexes rather than having any need or desire to feed and anyway we always let them go in the end. We just raced around following these spattering trails zigzagging through the trees just racing around simply savouring the strength of our alternative forms. We raced through the dark shadows of the trees together until the dark sky began to take on the pinkish glow of dawn at which point we returned to our clothes and shifted before redressing all in equal silence. Carl was back in the car when I returned I simply slid into the passenger seat next to him silently. He smiled at me as I busied myself with re-securing the chain I always wore around my neck. Before I secured my slightly damp hair back in a low ponytail. Carl kicked the car into gear and swung out onto the quiet narrow twisting roads heading back towards the city as a light spattering of misty rain began to patter down onto our windscreen.

"I drop you back at the hotel to get some sleep and I'll go pick up some food. "

"Ok but soon we'll need more money huh." I said with a smile,

"Is it always like that?" he asked gently, I turned to look at him with a frown. "Running without our brothers. Does it ever get better?" I shook my head

"On your own it's about as much fun as taking a piss isn't it." I smiled twiddling with my ring.

"Well I've had more fun." He said pulling into the city.

We spent four further days in that same location. We didn't move hotels for once, I was actually glad of I was tired of constantly moving and a few days in the same location made the near empty hotel room seem like home, which was something. I was surprised actually that Carl didn't seem to want to move like he usually felt the constant need to but he seemed to be suddenly too tired . Bryce still called daily to 'update' us but the updates didn't actually consist of much. It fact it seemed to be more of an excuse for him to flirt with Carl than anything else as there seemed to be absolutely nothing of any use to update me on. Despite his constant reassurances he didn't seem to have any clue where they were or have any clue where they were going. It seemed him and his band of rogues kept splitting up and were searching their surrounding areas for them but so far with no luck, although infrequently we're told that he had found one or two of them somewhere nearby but they were always gone by the time they arrived. The only thing we had changed was the fact that we had begun 'patrolling' around the streets, just in case. But it seemed redundant as after four days the closest we had come to detecting any of the rogues we were seeking was the trail Carl had found which when we followed had turned out to be a little poodle bitch who was taking a walk in a nearby park. But despite the lack of any threats or any hints of any leads we still persevered and kept up our redundant little patrols day after day, and I knew we would until either we found the damn rogues or Bryce called to say he had found them.

I sighed as I left the harsh sparkling lights of the shop shoving a packet of cigarettes into my pocket along with several chocolate bars. I needed something I wasn't sure though whether it was chocolate or nicotine, but it was raining too hard outside to even bother trying the latter. I sighed again actually revelling in the silence it had been so long since I was last alone. But for once I was without Carl. He had gone out around and about just searching for any sort of sign of Derek, Carl for once seemed to find my incessant frantic growling irritating so he had banished me back to the hotel. I had made a slight de-tour but I was going to head back there. I don't know why initially I had found that little niggling voice that whispered to me whether to go left or right unsettling, now I half wished I could have it back but no there was nothing I didn't have a clue where Derek was the only thing my judgements were based on was what Carl and Bryce said unless I smelt him oh how I wanted to smell him. I sighed and turned up my collar and turned walking down the wet pavement. My phone beeped and I sighed pulling it out of my pocket Carl's number popped up, unsurprising since he and Bryce were the only ones who had this number. I opened the message which simply said,