Page 15 of Pack Fever

Then, in a final, savage stop, my head connects with something hard, and stars explode behind my eyes. I have no idea what I hit… It’s dark, and everything is happening too fast.

Whimpering, I lie on my side, knowing I’ve failed, knowing the world around me fades fast. Instead of escaping the enforcer to go back for my friends, I’ve left them alone. With that crushing realization, the shadows and suffocating storm slip over me, and I’m taken by darkness as I pass out.

Chapter

Three

DANICA

My eyes blink open to a forest.

I’m half-buried in a hollowed-out tree trunk, as though I’d rolled into it when I slid down the hill. I savagely shake as fear runs down my spine.

I had passed out under a damn log, and now it’s the next day, morning sun overhead. The storm’s gone, and somehow, I survived. But what happened to my friends?

Coldness wraps around me as I quickly inch out, my mind going over the bus crash, the chase, the fall. A sharp pain travels up my arm and centers on my elbow, where I broke it in the car accident years ago. It’s never fully healed. Holding on to it, I ride the waves of pain.

I’m caked in mud, some of it dry on my arms and clothes. My body feels as though I’ve been run over by a truck, then backed over several times. Every part of me aches, my hip still smarting when I turn on the spot to take in my surroundings.

Rolling hills surround me. I’m in a valley with a stream farther in the distance, broken trees here and there, and a jungle of shrubbery.

My thoughts swirl on my friends as I stare up the hill. They’d be long gone by now, but the last time I saw them, they were alive, which is something.

Jess had been tasered, so I can only assume they took her to the Nexus facility. But what about Casey and Kayla? Did they get away? God, please let them be safe.

Glancing back up the slope, the mountain that leads up to the main road is steep, covered in mud, dead branches, and bent trees. Even if I tried, I wouldn’t make it far without breaking my neck.

Still unable to believe I survived the fall, I drag myself to the stream to clean myself off, unsure what I’m going to do. My nerves are dancing under my skin, but I can’t freak out. That won’t get me anywhere.

Deep breaths.

I’ve got this.

Going back home won’t work. The enforcers will be watching the place and waiting for my return. Do I want to lose my freedom because I went to a club with my friends, and be watched like a lab rat while being prepped for an Alpha? Or worse…

Fuck that!

Another option for me is to survive on my own. I’m not going into heat yet, so is it wrong of me to just vanish for a while? Though I would have preferred if my friends were with me.

There is the small problem that I have no belongings with me and not a cent to my name right now, but I’ll find a way to make this work. There are lots of assistance homes for Beta females around the country, and they don’t ask questions or for proof. I know they help pregnant Betas after Alphas abandon them. It’s a huge issue in our society. So, these community centers help clothe and feed females, and I’ve heard they can even help find you a job.

First, I need to find my way out of the forest.

Semi-convinced of my plan, I crouch by the stream and splash icy-cold water over my face. It’s crisp and refreshing. The gurgle of the water is calming, as is the stillness of the woods, with only the occasional bird chirping in the distance. Lofty trees surround me with wild branches, brimming with palm-sized green leaves.

As I continue cleaning myself of mud and wiping down my clothes, I remember in all the survival TV shows I’ve watched, they always follow a river to reach some kind of civilization. At the very least, I won’t die of thirst on my journey. There’s no way I can climb that slippery hill I tumbled down to reach the road, so I have to move forward.

The mud on my clothes proves stubborn, but I manage to scrub enough off that I don’t feel like I’m a walking earth sculpture. Once I’m as clean as I can manage without stripping and dunking myself into the stream, I take a deep breath of the fresh air.

“Alright, Danica, time to channel your Wilderness Scouting skills.”

I follow the stream, my hip still pinching with every step and my arm still smarting, but the longer I walk, the easier the pain gets.

I have no idea how long I’ve been walking, but by the time the shadows are stretching across the land, I know it’s moving into the afternoon. Still following the damn stream faster, I start to panic that I’ll be stuck here for another night. Exhaustion clings to me, and I’m dragging my feet, having no clue how long I’ve been walking. I don’t want to be stuck in these woods forever.

Just as I scoop some water in my hand to drink, the distant honk of a car sounds.

My pulse quickens, hope booming in my chest that I found a way out of the woods, and I pray it’s not an enforcer.

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