cloud

I left my pack.

Those four words continue to replay throughout my mind as I walk aimlessly through the woods. In some ways, it felt liberating to be away, but now there was the issue of finding shelter. Despite being back for months, I still haven't really left the pack and to say I didn't know where anything was would be an understatement. I had no clue where the closest human town was and even if I did, it wouldn't do me any good. I had no money, no home, and no family or friends.

I was completely and utterly alone.

Leaving was the easy part, surviving was going to be much harder.

Shaking my head, a sigh escapes my lips. First of all, I needed to get out of the woods. The unclaimed lands were dangerous, rogues lurked around every corner, and with the number of ferals rising, I wouldn't be able to last long out here.

As I walk, I think of Gray. Was he looking for me right now? Did he care that I was gone? These were questions I had asked myself when I first went missing from the pack. Did anyone care that I was no longer there? Were they secretly happy that I had disappeared?

Were they disappointed when I came back?

A scowl forms on my face and I shake my head. It doesn't matter either way. I'm not going back.

My stomach growls and a frown forms on my face. I didn't even have food or water. How far could I make it? My frown grows and a small amount of fear begins to bloom within me. I force it down and continue to walk.

The further I walk, the more it feels like something is watching me. My eyes dart around the seemingly peaceful area and my body tenses, ready to bolt if needed. The sun was beginning to fall and the feelings of uneasiness grow. During the day, I had a chance at survival. But at night? The night was when the rogues came out and they had the advantage.

My pace picks up at the thought and I continue to search for any signs of civilization. A town, road, the faint sound of music, or a car — anything. Thinking back, I regret not paying attention to the mandatory survival lessons at the pack when I was younger. Maybe if I did, I'd have a clue of what to do now.

If I still had my wolf then maybe I wouldn't be in this situation right now.

In a desperate attempt, I try to call my wolf forward. I try to shift or at least gain access to the enhanced senses of a werewolf— healing, sight, smell, and more. Unsurprisingly, nothing happens though. The silence I had grown used to remain.

Fuck you, Michael Cain.

My steps stop when an area of water comes into view. The dry feeling in my mouth becomes much more noticeable. Though I didn't pay attention in the survival classes, I wasn't stupid enough to drink unpurified water in my current state. But I'd be lying if said it didn't look tempting.

I continue to stare at the water with the burning need to drink it. Sighing, I force my gaze away from it, and my brows furrow when I hear something begin to shift. Tensing, I glance around but nothing is there.

Am I going crazy?

"Fuck, Cloud. Now you're imagining things," I scold myself with a shake of my head.

I force myself to walk away from the water and continue to walk. Silence once again fills the air. The sun continues to quickly disappear, so in the last minute effort, I change directions.

The more I move, the more the feeling of eyes watching me grows. Stopping, I turn around again but there's nothing there. My brows furrow.

I know there's something there.

I begin to walk again and the noises stop. My thoughts run wild as I try to come up with some plan on what to do, but my feet stop when the faint sound of music fills the air. Without thinking, I quickly take off in the direction of the music, it had to be coming from some type of vehicle. Maybe I could catch a ride.

The idea of hitchhiking causes my stomach to churn, but I quickly push the uneasy feelings away. There wasn't much that could be worse than the lab.

A road comes into view and I quickly make my way toward the side of it and but before I can make it, I hear a growl from behind me. Turning around, I see a regular rogue staring at me. Its silver eyes meet mine. The sound of the vehicle gets closer. Maybe I can make a run for it.

Neither the rogue nor I move. We continue to stare at each other until the sound of music grows louder. Once the vehicle sounds close enough, I turn to dart toward it, but as I do so, the rogue pounces. Our bodies collide and I hit the ground just as the car races by.

The rogue lets out a snarl and I attempt to push it off of me. Unlike the feral, this rogue is much smaller in size. Its body is skinny and it looks like it hasn't had a meal in ages. The rogue attempts to sink its fangs into my neck, but with the remaining strength I have, I force the rogue off of me, but its claws get tangled in my shirt sending us both rolling in the opposite direction of the road.

I don't have time for this. The more time I spend dealing with the emaciated rogue, the opportunity for a real threat to come along grows.

The two of us continue to shuffle until I finally manage to detangle myself from it. The rogue stands up and moves to pounce again, but its legs are wobbly. It looks like it'll drop at any given moment. I take two steps back from it and it attempts to walk toward me. Its mouth opens again and it snarls.

My eyes narrow in a glare and the rogue attempts to pounce at me. I move out of the way before it can connect and it starts to try again.

This is pathetic.

I'm prepared to move out of the way again, but the sound of a louder growl has the rogue and I both freezing. Slowly, I turn around and see five wolves standing behind me. While dealing with the emaciated rogue, I didn't realize just how far we had managed to move away from the road.

One of the wolves growls again and the emaciated rogue lets out a whine. The five of them begin to circle us and I mentally curse myself.

We had crossed into another pack's territory.