Chapter 6: Getting out of Dodge

I should have gone home and slept. It wasn’t safe for me to be out in the open right now. It wasn’t safe for me to be wandering around at night in the city. I couldn’t stay confined in the four walls of my apartment, though. Not on a night like tonight.

The city lights made it difficult to see, but I could tell the moon was full. I could feel the power of the Moon Goddess prickling my skin, urging me to embrace the beast within. It had been so long since I’d let go and run freely. Living in the city made that difficult and dangerous. With “wild animal attacks,” on the rise, I never knew if there would be some trigger-happy cops, or hunters, looking for a little payback.

But I needed a change. So, I hailed a cab once I was back on the main street.

“Where to?” the cab driver asked.

“Just get me to the edge of the city,” I said.

I leaned my head back on the seat and closed my eyes. The hum of the engine helped settle my quivering bones and my heated skin. I had thought it was all just a reaction to being in the presence of a male after so long. Now, I wasn’t so sure. Maybe that feeling was more.

I’d never even thought about finding my mate before. After defecting from Nightshade, it wasn’t like I had the option to sniff out other wolves on the regular and see if my mate was hanging around. I had to stay away from the packs if I wanted to keep my freedom.

As depressing as it was, I’d given up the girlhood fantasy of finding my mate and living happily ever after. I suppose the looming threat to my freedom took away any joy I might have in finding my mate.

Opening one eye, I watched the city buildings speed by as the cab took me further out. They were starting to get smaller and weren’t so close together. It wouldn’t be much longer until I could run free.

Would it matter if Loki was my mate? There was a certain ethical boundary that I felt shouldn’t be crossed. He was a paying client, after all. Besides, he only cared about getting his sister back. I doubted he’d been so charming and flirty for any other reason than to just get my compliance.

“Anywhere, in particular, you want me to drop you off?” the cabbie asked, my troubled thoughts disappearing in a puff of smoke.

“Um… there’s a park a few miles west of here. Can you drop me there?” I asked.

“Sure. Do you want me to wait? I can bring you back into the city when you’re done,” he offered.

“Yeah, actually, that would be great,” I said with a nod. Our eyes met for a moment in the rearview mirror.

“You got it, little lady,” he said, winking.

My stomach soured. There was something about unsolicited pervy kindness that made my skin itch.

The moment the cab stopped at the park, I launched out the door. I’d pay the guy later. For now, there was just one thing on my mind. I jumped into the nearest thicket of bushes and pulled my clothes off.

With a quick shake, I shifted into my wolf form and trotted from the bushes. I stretched like a happy puppy, arching my back in and stretching my front legs long as my tail wagged happily.

I’d come to this park once before when I’d first moved to the city and found it completely stifling. Just like tonight, I’d had to get out and run. It wasn’t something I could do often, and it wasn’t good for me to go back to the same locations regularly.

Now that I was out of the city, I could see the moon and stars. The moon hung low in the sky, a bright, silver orb guiding me deeper into the park.

I pressed my nose to the ground and took in all the earthy scents, my mind moving a million miles an hour as the energy of nature surrounded me. I definitely needed to do this more often.

I’m not sure how long I ran and pranced; how many fallen branches and logs I jumped or how many small streams and puddles I waded through. I pressed my paws into the dirt and rolled around in the grass. No playful puppy could have been happier.

Finally, I knew I had to get back to the cab. Already, my fare was going to be astronomical. The cabbie probably hadn’t stopped the clock while he waited for me. I sniffed out my clothes and shifted back to human, buttoning myself back into my cargo pants. Clothes after a joyful run were like a prison of their own.

Shaking my fingers through my pixie hair, I shook out all the twigs and leaves I’d picked up. I’m sure the cabbie had his suspicions about why I was alone in a park outside the city at night, but I didn’t want to give him any more to speculate on.

True to his word, the cabbie was still waiting when I got to the edge of the park.

“Where to now?” he asked as I slipped into the back seat again.

“Just bring me back to where you picked me up,” I said. I’d learned early on not to have cabs drop me off or pick me up anywhere near my apartment.

“Are you sure? That isn’t the nicest part of town. At this time of night…”

“I can handle myself,” I butted in.

The cabbie looked in the rearview mirror again and I only caught his eye for a moment before looking out the window again. He sighed and put the cab in gear. We were off again.

Now, I was tired. It had been a long day and an even longer night. My venture outside of the city didn’t help. But I’d needed it. I felt so much better already, even if a little grumpy that I couldn’t stay longer and run all night.

I paid my astounding cab fare and waited for the cabbie to drive off before heading in the direction of my apartment. I didn’t need him playing some kind of “hero” and tailing me home in some misguided attempt to keep me safe.

There were a few new messages from Zinnia on my phone. One was an email with the missing person report Loki had filed for Persephone when she went missing. The other two were just friendly check-ins. I sent her a quick reply letting her know I was fine. We’d have to get together for coffee someday when neither of us was bogged down with work.

Although, Zinnia would prefer to go to a bar. A smile tugged at my lips. I’d indulge her if it meant she could blow off steam and openly complain about the men she worked with.

Tomorrow, when I put together Loki’s case file, I’d analyze Persephone’s police file and include my assessment. Loki would be more than capable of finding Persephone on his own.

I just wondered… would he let me off the hook so easily?