Chapter 200: Part 6

Talya

Getting away was easier than I thought, though I was far from safe. I'd gingerly climbed from the trunk of the car and escaped the back parking lot behind Dmitri's club. My broken leg slowed my progress, but I wasn't letting it stop me. Physical pain was nothing compared to the sizzling burn of desperation darkening my soul.

I placed one shaky foot in front of the other. I could do this. I had no choice.

I did my best to walk normally without drawing attention. The stretch-bandage secured beneath my loose sweatpants didn't help, but I was determined. Choosing my direction was easy because it didn't matter which way I went as long as it was away from Dmitri and the bear clan, who would quickly track me down once they discovered my absence.

The city smelled different; car fumes, garbage, people. Human people. They went about their day - walking, talking on cell phones, and ignoring the sights and sounds around them. They didn't feel hunted.

I did.