Fated reborn - Chapter 87: Chapter 87

There was a gurgle, and I assumed it was a groan before the atmosphere settled into silence. My heart slammed wildly in my chest and clouded my hearing, but I still strained myself to hear. I would have thought they had given up but I didn't hear their footsteps retreating so I had to think otherwise. And there was no reason for them to go just like that since they had been sent here.
Just as I let go of the breath I had been holding, I heard the voice of one of them.
"We can't just leave, so let's go back in and keep looking."
"And if we still can't find her?"
"We tell them that she wasn't in the forest when we got here and had probably gone far." The voice lied through its teeth that I had to pause and process.
It was a while five minutes later of them going back and forth before I got sure I heard their footsteps retreating back into the forest in their "search" for me. I didn't even know them but they already gave off the impression that they were over being here and wanted to leave.
I felt the same as well, but our reasons for wanting to leave were totally different.
The critters of small forest animals filled the air, and I heard no footsteps or voices. I pressed myself against the tree, glad that it had somehow masked my scent or else those goons would have sniffed me out no problem.
I sat there, summoning the courage I could only dream about. I needed to find a new place to hide because being here made me feel like a sitting duck, just waiting to be caught. And that didn't sit well with me.
I
As careful as could be, I stepped out of my hiding spot, breathing the damp night air into my lungs. It was dark out now, so at least that was on my side. My body didn't ache as much, and testing my muscles, I knew I could go a good sprint if things went south and they eventually did find me.
A ruffle of bushes to my left caught me jumping out of my own skin. Only to see, the outline of what looked like a cat sashay passed like it had not just nearly scared me to death.
I took determined steps away from there, heading in the direction I knew was towards the edge of the forest while keeping to the shadows to avoid being caught.
My heart rate has steadied and I was succeeding. Feeling more and more confident, I hurried a bit more, making a little more noise as I went. And my carelessness didn't go without consequences.
This part of the forest had gone still enough that I was able to catch it. And just then, I heard footsteps. They were still a distance away but that didn't stop me from freezing from fear. I was still out in the open with no option of a hiding spot in sight.
I crouched down and waited until the footsteps faded away before breathing a sigh of relief. It was clear I had no luxuries, because if I so much as took it easy, the goons would be on my tail just as fast.
I moved as quickly as I could without making any noise, slithering from bush to bush before coming across a thick expanse of it. I didn't think twice before burying myself in it, the rough leaves scratching against my skin, and I didn't even want to think about the kind of insects roaming in it that I couldn't see.
Physically and mostly mentally, I was exhausted. My muscles aches from all the running around and my mind was tired of the car and mouse game I was forced to be a part of.
It was already enough that I had been banished from the pack but I guessed that still wasn't enough for some people. It was enough that they had to send goons after me to take me back, and only the gods above knew what they would do to me if they did get their hands on me.
My mind flashed to Lykania and my Father because they were the only options swirling in my head. But would they really go lower than low and do something like this?
They had gotten me kicked out of the pack and all because of them, my things were burned to ash and all the memories I had regarding my physical items had been wiped away.
The leaves tickled my nose as I moved about, trying to find the best position to stay hidden while simultaneously being comfortable.
A good chunk of hours had passed, and I didn't bother to move from where I hid. I didn't know if those goons had given you and left like they said, but I wasn't willing to take any chances. So I stayed put, my eyes were droopy too so I knew there really wasn't any hope of me trying to navigate my way out of here.
I slept, though uneasy because every little sound made my eyes crack open just in case there was any danger nearby.
There has to be strong luck on my side because when I cracked my eyes open again, it was slowly starting to get bright out. My heart felt lighter than it had been all night and I was really starting to think those goons had indeed given up and left.
I didn't move though, and planned to wait until it was just a bit brighter before I headed out again. And hopefully the walk would be smoother this time.
What gave me even more hope was the fact that the air in this parts was shifting, and I knew they indicated I was a few meters away from breaching the borders of another pack. And according to what I learned before leaving my old pack, it would be Luciano's.
The first rays of the sun cracked through the blanket of the cloudy sky before I got up and stretched. My joints cracked at having been in the same position for hours, and I did a little stretch before getting a move on.
"I can make it." I told myself, and even crazier than it was, a small smile graced my face at the thought that I had gotten away.
"You sure do know how to hide." The voice from last night said from directly behind me. My back went rigid, and I stood frozen to my spot.