The Alpha's Siren Song

Chapter 8

I made sure I wasn't followed to the train station, then I slipped into a phone booth and called the landline for the house we were staying at.

"Hello?" Eddy grunted on the other line. I almost smiled thinking about how many times his gruff voice made scammers just hang up.

But now wasn't the times for laughs and old stories. I could still feel my heart hammering away. "Eddy, hey. I have been thinking about what you said about wanting space and I think I'm going to travel around for a couple days. I want to make use of Scotland while I'm here."

"Can you afford it? Where will you stay?" he asked.

"I'll figure it out, but yeah, I have some money left on my credit card. I can book some hotels as I go," I reasoned, my voice still a little high pitched and shaky.

Clearly, I wasn't as good at hiding my emotions as I thought. Even my rough Eddy was concerned from just the way I sounded. "Kaia, are you safe?" he pressed.

"I will be, I'm sure of it. I just want to make sure that you're safe too, okay?"

He didn't ask what happened or why I was so spooked. He didn't even ask me if he should be afraid for himself. He just told me to call him every night which I agreed to. Then I boarded the next train to Glasgow.

Glasgow struck me as a strange and unusual city, in the best sense. There was a systematic merging of old and new together. Office buildings were being constructed by cranes that towered above, but there was still expansive green spaces and crumbling grey stones that told of it's age and former glory. Though, to be fair, there was still an impressive amount of glory left. through all of the advancements the original buildings were being resorted and loved just as the new ones were being erected.

But sightseeing would have to wait. I tied my hair up with an elastic, letting my bangs brush over my eyebrows, then set off in search of a cheap hotel with room for one more. After that I would have to purchase a change of clothes and a toothbrush, but I needed a home base first.

I was lucky enough to find a old hotel rather quickly. It was close enough to the Clyde River that I felt safe and the front desk attendant was so excited to tell me that this was a certified historic building. Not that she needed to tell me, it was clear in the old light fixtures and spiral staircases that creaked underfoot. the charm was just a bonus though. All I cared about was that it was cheap, close to the water, and near a library.

And once the door shut behind me and I found no other way in to the hotel room, I settled myself down on the bed. How long had my legs been shaking? I didn't know. My head fell into my hands as I took a shaky breath. 

How was this possible? How had that bloody werewolf found me? Did Nero know that I had been located or would he be updated later, after I had been captured for good?

And what the hell was I supposed to do now?

I had already traveled across Canada to get away from the bastard and now, I wasn't even on the same continent and he was still sending his minions after me. Where was I supposed to go? How far was his reach, really? If I made it to Japan or Australia would I be safe? The only way of knowing that was understanding how they had tracked me here and to do that I had to get information from them.

That was too much of a risk. 

How was I supposed to move forward, though? They had seen me at Eddy's house in Canada. They would know how to find me if I ever returned, even just to pick up some clothing and essentials. And they now knew I was in Aberdeen. 

The positive spin was that they didn't know where Eddy was. All I had to do was stay away from Eddy and he would be safe. He was a bystander, a helpful human that most people would never even consider being vengeful against.

I would lay low here for a while. Then I would go back home where my spotty identification records and my troubling past would raise less suspicion. I had a fair amount of the proper documents, even if I had forced someone to make the fraudulent copies. Because of my invalid paper trail I could get a job back home, steal another car, and drive to another sleepy town. If I got really desperate I could always use my powers to get myself whatever I needed, but that came at the risk of being discovered and putting other people at risk, even if it just meant they lost their job, not their life. Still, it seemed like a small price to pay to stay alive. I could figure out a more permanent plan after I slipped under the radar.

For now, Glasgow would be my haven.

I spent the whole first day in the hotel room, trying to derive the energy I needed from a long shower and several glasses of water. But, even as a siren, water did not replace food. And it certainly didn't clear boredom. I was safe, but stale.

I eventually caved and went outside of the hotel to a nearby cafe after watching the street from my hotel room, looking for anything suspicious. It didn't ease my anxiety when I left the safety of my room. I sat with my back to a wall and hot coffee in my hand. My eyes stayed trained on the massive glass windows, watching everyone pass. No faces I knew, no sharp green eyes. And certainly no wolves strolling down the street.

After chowing down on a muffin I decided that there could be no real harm in venturing to the nearby library that the clerk had told me about. They thought I was in Aberdeen. I was over two hours away from that city now. And there were people and bodies of water everywhere. All I had to do was make a scene and hunker down in my hotel room until the heat passed again. Worst case scenario, I got to some water and didn't have time to tie my hair. No one would believe one or two on lookers. 

Plus, I was in need of some deodorant and a toothbrush. A spare set of clothes wouldn't hurt either.

So I set off, getting myself a couple pairs of underwear and a couple tee shirts and a pair of jeans from a department store. After collecting some personal hygiene items, I dropped my bags off at the hotel and moved on to the local library.

The nearest library was small and what would be expected as such. It smelled like old books and everyone that offered to help me had a thick accent and greying hair. I just smiled along, feeling like I hadn't smiled in years, and wandered through the aisle until I found a section that suited my tastes. There, I found a plastic chair that was fit for a public school, and I read.

So maybe my life wasn't perfect. And maybe I lived with constant stressors and had to look over my shoulder a little too often. But these moments, quietly curled up, living a fictional character's life, made everything else seem more bearable. Libraries always made me feel like I was home and each time I unpacked or packed my life, I would look at my worn paperbacks and know that I would escape reality some day soon.

But, my eyes slid upward, feeling like someone was watching me.

The aisle was empty. And just as I was about to dip my head back down and get back to my book, I saw a man stroll into view. He wasn't looking at me, but he didn't have to be. I knew it was him from his brown hair and the way he walked and how square his shoulders were.

My whole body curled in on itself, trying to be as small as possible. I had not been as discreet as I wanted to believe. I had been caught.

Yet, he passed by without noticing me, focused only on a young boy who was walking next to him.

I held my breath, not believing this. How was he here? And if he was tracking me down why had he brought a kid? And he must have been a terrible tracker because I was almost literally a sitting duck.

But I wasn't going to give him time to notice his mistake. After he was passed, I slowly climbed to my feet and let out a quiet breath through my nose. The book I had been reading was tossed on the shelf and I clung to my purse with both hands as I began walking as quickly as I could without running. A librarian called after me, telling me to stop by again. 

I didn't smile now, didn't thank her.

I just swallowed hard and pushed on.