章 4: Chapter Four- Forest Run

"Leading out strong, huh, Cherry?" Mary mumbles over to me running her hand through her hair. I stay frozen by the bathroom curling my toes into the carpet for comfort.

"That is really important information, do you realize that Gamma?" The man growls towards her from the back of his throat, I take another step back trying to gather my wits. Is this the pack?

"I know, I know, but you were taking care of her, and she was knocked out cold… and to be fair I had no idea she was your…" Cherry pretends to zip her lips, "I am going to take care of the tomatoes."

"Wait!" I call out to her, but she doesn't stop leaving me along with the man that stares me down like one would an ice cream sandwich.

"Don't worry, you'll see her at dinner. Come, we have introductions to be made." He tries to grab my wrist, but I snatch it back holding it against my chest like one would a hostage.

"Did you not hear me? I am married and want to go home please. This was nice however, and thanks for the water with drugs," I clear my throat trying to keep a straight face, "But now I need you, handsome stranger, to take me home."

Was there a reason I said handsome? No. Did I enjoy calling him handsome? Yes.

"It's Levi. My name's Levi."

The reminder snaps back into my head, a small brain cell finally firing to rekindle the memory of him saying his name while I hung off his shoulder. My drunk self-stopped fighting and hung from him letting him take us to his truck in the middle of the night, Mary had already passed out.

The blacked-out thoughts rush back one by one, my stupid comments and brutal honesty mocking me all the way down to my final moments before the fall came crashing into me. I let my eyes widen, and Levi realizes what's happening holding his hands up in apprehension, "Cherry, please, we love the chase!" It's a warning I don't heed.

I book it before he could finish his statement. My feet are barely staying under me as I run through the large manor attempting to find any form of a staircase or exit. Ladies and men move out of my way, their heads bowing in passing. I don't take any time to analyze, my eyes landing on the front door, sun breaking through onto the hardwood flooring.

"Cherry!" His voice calls out, I look over my shoulder, his once blue eyes now a pitch black. What the fuck?

"Luna?" An older woman groans to me, opening the door with a confused look. I smile at her without bothering to correct and bolt.

The warm sun has heated the concrete to the point that my bare feet are doing a small jig as I run to keep them bottoms from burning alive. And while my steps are more frequent, I still manage to keep myself ahead of him, the driveway coming into view. Each step I take is one moment closer to freedom.

The forest dwellers are known for owning the land, but not many people can say they have seen it. Now that I have seen it, I would prefer to unsee it and be in the familiar evil of my husband. At least his crazy is predictable. My blistered feet work their way down the path and nothing seems to be stopping me until I reach the fields of the driveway.

"Cherry?" A friendly voice interrupts my survivor thoughts, Mary runs next to me with a smile. I give her one in return waving my hands down the path.

"I-I have to get out of here. He-" I didn't know how to explain, but Cherry understood grabbing my arm like before pulling me into soft moss grass behind a tree.

Her upper canines sit over her bottom lip, black specs floating throughout her normal green, "Cherry, know I love you and I wish I could explain however…" She takes a deep breath, her canine receding. I cover my mouth, the fear settling deep into the pit of my stomach, "I wasn't lying to you, I know I made jokes all the time when I shouldn't have but everything was the truth. Wolves are real, I'm real. Everything. And baby...Levi has claimed you, and," She sucks in snot, tears brimming in her eyes, "I can't go against him."

"What are you saying? Do you mean?" I try to tug myself from her grasp, her fingers lock tighter, her head turning away from me, "No, Mary! Mary please!"

Tears run down my face, hers following suite. I see the shadow of a man come from behind the tree, a sickening voice that cracks with every word, "Found you… mate."

"Please no, please no." I shake in her arms, Levi walking up to me with pure black pupils, his canines elongated over his bottom hip, and claws coming from his nails. I scream in terror, Mary pulling me into a hug, but the comfort leaves me quickly when Levi snatches me from her shoving me deep into his chest.

"You shouldn't have run, mate."

"Please… I want to go home." The predictable evil, I need it. I need my comfort.

He backs his head away, eyes and teeth back to normal and with a deep sigh responds to my plea, "Cherry, darling, you are home."