Page 10 of Forced Knocked-Up Mate

“It sure has,” she mutters.

This time, I stride away quickly, not giving myself time to think. I start jogging down the street, almost desperate to get to the forest so I can shift and run.

I want to see my brother, but more than anything, I just have to get out of here and put this crazy encounter behind me.

I want to forget about her… but somehow, I’m still hoping I’ll see her again.

I’m not far from the trees when the air starts to feel like glue. Details of the world around me blur into lines of color, and my feet won’t move. I push hard against the sensation, feeling my chest grow tight as the air gets heavier.

What the fuck is going on?

I lunge forward, shoving against the invisible barrier. There is a sharp, loud snap and a nasty smell, like lightning struck a tower, frying all the instruments. A sense of motion hits me, like I’m on a rollercoaster, being swiftly moved through an impossible loop.

When my senses return, I’m kneeling on the ground in soft, damp grass. Panting to get my breath back, I look around.

What the fuck?

I’m back in Lucy’s backyard, and she’s standing on the steps with her arms folded across her chest, glaring at me.

“What are you doing?” she demands.

“I don’t know,” I say, completely honest.

“Didn’t you just leave?”

“I tried to.” I look around, standing up to get my bearings.

“You wanted to go. So, go,” she snaps. “I’m sick of talking to you.”

“Excuse me, lady,” I growl. “You act like I’ve got a choice here. I have no fucking clue what’s going on, or why I’m here. I’m trying to leave you alone, so we can happily go about our lives like none of this ever happened.”

“Good!” she shouts. “If that’s what you want, then do it!”

“Fine!” I growl, turning to walk away.

Did she look guilty, just a little bit?

I shake off the thought. I don’t know her, so I can’t even guess at how she’s feeling or what her expressions mean.

I just have to get out of here.

As I move away, a sharp ache splits my chest. I try to ignore it, but it only cuts deeper.

It feels like loss.

I shove the feeling away as hard as I can and start to jog. The air gets thick again, and all my senses are muffled as the world around me fades.

No, no, no!

I push harder into the air, fighting like a man possessed. I hear the loud snap, smell the acrid stench of lightning striking metal, and I’m back in Lucy’s backyard.

She’s still standing on the back step, but she doesn’t look mad anymore.

She looks scared.

“If you want to leave so badly, how come you keep coming back?” she asks, her voice hard.

I shake my head, looking around as I walk over to her. “I don’t know,” I mutter, paying careful attention to all my senses. When I’m turned towards Lucy, I’m hypersensitive. My already-keen wolf instincts are tuned up even higher than normal. When I try to walk away from her, my senses go dull, and I can’t read the world around me. If I move far enough away, it gets worse, to the point I can barely move or breathe.

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