CHAPTER ONE - ARRIVAL

I was free. The forest was mine and I was hers. My howls echoed like chains crashing across the land. Nothing could stop me. Nothing could hold me back but myself.

 

I could feel the threads that bound me to the pack snapping. I could feel everything perfectly around me. The smells, the tastes, the noises, everything was connected like nerves in my body. The sensations of fear, adrenaline, I could feel it all in the air. I was free. And I felt like everything was in my control. No fixed place, no rules to follow. Fugitive from the laws that pursued and tormented me.

 

After running practically all night, I ended up stopping at the border of another pack's territory. My muscles vibrated, and my paws had never felt so much pain. But the pain was pleasurable and made me more euphoric.

 

I was left with nothing. Absolutely nothing. No clothes, no belongings and nothing that could help me. The nearest town was much bigger than mine. But before I got to her, I had to change and find some clothes to wear. I was doing the riskiest thing of my life. It was totally forbidden to enter such a territory without first informing the local Alpha. And if any member of the pack here caught me, that would be the end of me.

 

In the rural part, after going deeper into the new territory, I ended up finding a house. A farm I think. I could hear the noise of some cars going by hour or hour. It must have been close to the road.

 

I crept through the woods and made sure the place was safe. I made sure there weren't any dogs that might start barking if they saw a wolf in their yard. There was no little house, no bowl on the porch that indicated an animal. I noticed that in the back there was a clothesline with some clothes hanging. The house was all out and probably the residents were sleeping. I approached carefully and sniffed the place. Everything looked safe. And when I got close to the clothesline, I changed behind a big, long sheet. The transformation was even more painful as my muscles were already tired from running. I went by the clothesline and looked for some clothes that could fit me. I took the first ones I saw ahead. A pair of jeans, a red blouse and further ahead I saw a pair of sneakers on the porch stairs. I was only a few meters away, but I didn't want to get too close to the house. I took a good look and noticed that they probably weren't going to serve me, but I was going to have to. I couldn't go into town barefoot.

 

I snuck everything in and got dressed before the owners heard anything strange and came over to look. The shoes, just as I imagined, were a little baggy, but I didn't care. I just wanted to get out of here. Preferably with clothes.

 

I silently walked back into the forest and headed towards the road.

 

It would take a while to get to town if I walked. So I decided to try to hitchhike even though I've never done that in my life. I don't know if they would be brave enough to help someone at 5:00 am in the middle of the road. But it didn't hurt to try.

 

I kept walking, fixing my tangled hair and waiting for the first car to pass. It took several minutes before the first lighthouse appeared. But when I waved, he didn't even slow down as he drove by.

 

This would take a lot longer than I thought. But on the bright side, at least the clothes I wore were clean and smelled good.

 

After a few failed attempts, I saw the next vehicle coming. I signaled with both arms this time. In order to draw more attention or show enough urgency. I noticed when the car slowed down and stopped on the other side of the shoulder. It was a small truck. The driver rolled down the window and motioned for me to get in. It was a woman who was driving.

 

I crossed the road and got into the truck. The woman was wearing a denim jacket and dark pants, her dark blonde hair was tied back in a ponytail, and she looked to be about 35 at most.

 

" What are you doing on the road at a time like this? " She looked at me carefully and left with the vehicle again.

 

" Ah, I live nearby, I have commitments in the city first thing in the morning but I couldn't go. "

 

" Lucky I was passing by then. " Laughed.

 

" Yes I had. And thank you. " I faced the road.

 

From the woman's scent, I could tell she was human. She had just had coffee and she also smelled a bit of tobacco. It was a relief to be a human, though. It would be very unlucky for me to run into a wolf first thing in the morning.

 

" Have you lived here for a long time? " I asked amidst the silence.

 

" It's been two years. " She smoothed her thumb on the steering wheel. " Is that you?

 

" I just moved. " I avoided giving too much information.

 

I glanced over and saw a bottle of perfume in the glove compartment in front of me. It would be great to give it a few spritz to mask my smell. Even more so after a transformation. Would it be weird for me to ask her that?

 

"Look lady, I smell like an animal, would it be too much to ask for a spritz of your perfume?" Stop being an idiot Sarah, of course it would be weird, I thought.

 

" Young lady... " She looked at me. " You know, I left the house running to a job interview and ended up forgetting to put on perfume. " I scratched the back of my head. " I read once that smell counts for a lot on days like this. " What the fuck was that Sarah?! " Could you help me and let me spray some of yours? " I pointed to the glove compartment and laughed without grace. At least she was surprised, but she didn't care, because the blonde started laughing at me and shook her head positively.

 

" Clear. " He said and turned his attention back to the road. " Job interview is? I think it's pretty easy to get around here. They always need more people. " I took the perfume and sprayed it on myself.

 

" Oh what a horrible smell! "

 

I held my breath so I wouldn't sneeze and turned my attention back to what she had just said. Well, it's great to know that my chance of getting hired somewhere is high. I have to get a job urgently if I want to survive here.

 

" I'm hoping to get it. " I put the perfume in the same place.

 

" I work with deliveries. I started working the second day I moved here. I bet you will. " I nodded as confidently as possible and we followed to the city.

 

It didn't take so long for me to see the first sign welcoming those passing by. Everything was well organized and beautiful. Convenience stores, wide streets and bars on almost every corner. But because of the time, there weren't many people walking around yet.

 

We continued cutting through the streets and I could already see the sun appearing between the buildings.

 

" Where can I leave it? " The blonde asked.

 

" Ah, well, the center would be perfect for me.

 

She continued driving for a few more minutes and then stopped the truck in a loading and unloading space. Close to a convenience in the city center.

 

" All right, it's delivered. "She smiled and looked at me.

 

" Thank you so much girl. " I didn't know her name. " You saved me.

 

" No problems. Good luck on the interview. " He waved at me and I got out of the truck closing the door.

 

" I'll need. " I gave an exaggerated smile.

 

I really had to get a job. I would even wash dishes if I had to. A market or a restaurant wouldn't be bad at all.

 

I waved back at the woman and saw her leaving with the truck. I looked around and sighed. She was in front of a building that looked very old. Maybe a warehouse that wasn't being used, but that stood out in the neighborhood among the other pristine buildings.

 

At a time like this, my old pack has probably already missed me, but they still haven't realized I've run away. They must be thinking that I went for a run like I always did. They'll only be really surprised when they realize I didn't come back for lunch. I've never been away that long.

 

I started to walk some streets and blocks while observing the city. It looked like a good place to live. The sun had already risen, but I didn't know what time it was. Seven in the morning maybe? Most trades were still opening.

 

As I walked around paying attention to my surroundings and smells, the sweet aroma of coffee caught my attention. I turned my face towards the smell and realized it was coming from across the street. From a diner on the corner. The coffee there smelled a little different than the others. It was buttery and seemed to come with melted chocolate as well.

 

"BunnyBlaki's".

 

My tummy rumbled but I managed a smile at the cute name. It was the only place that already looked like it was open. It had large clear smoked glass side windows and the place looked more like a pub style restaurant.

 

There was a man cleaning the windows from the inside. I crossed the street and walked slowly past the cafeteria entrance. He had a little wooden sign hanging next to the door that said they were hiring. I almost felt like laughing. For once in my life luck seemed to give me its blessing. I wasn't going to lose this job for nothing.

 

I opened the dark glass door and went inside. The atmosphere was very nice and it smelled really good. The smell of cinnamon was also visible though faint. The walls were tiled with gray brick and the floor was dark and polished, as were the small round tables that were there.

 

That man who was cleaning the windows came to me. He was of medium height, with brown hair and black eyes. He wore beige pants and a white shirt with a black apron tied around his waist.

 

" Good morning miss, we will only open in half an hour, but you can sit and wait if you want. "He was a little taller than me and his voice was calm.

 

" Good Morning. I was passing by and saw the hiring sign. " I pointed to her.

 

" Oh yes... Are you interested?

 

" I am very interested. " I made it clear.

 

" Okay, follow me. " The man soon signaled for me to follow him.

 

We made our way to a dark marble counter that was a little way back near the cash register.

 

" I'll call the manager. "

 

" All right. "

 

I saw the clerk leave and enter a door.

 

After a few long seconds, another guy appeared. Not a guy, a potbellied old man who looked to be in his 60s. He was dressed like a waiter and had slicked"back gray hair. As he approached the counter and stopped on the other side, I caught a faint whiff of cigarettes and peppermints in the air.

 

" Hi! Are you the one interested in the job? " Her voice was quite hoarse. He seemed to be a very strict gentleman by the way he stared at me, but when I analyzed his face better, he ended up showing a gentle smile.

 

" Yes it's me. "

 

" Great, what's your name and how old are you? "She took a paper under the bench and a pen. "

 

" Sarah Saunders. I am 26 years old. " I could have given it another name, but..."

 

The old man repeated as he wrote it on a card.

 

" Where do you live?"

 

Oh gosh, I thought.

 

" Huh... I just moved, so I don't have a fixed place yet. " I said, as the old man looked me in the eyes for a moment and nodded.

 

After a few more questions, where I had to lie a bit, he pocketed the silver pen.

 

" We open every day at half past seven and everything starts working at eight o'clock. We pay by the hour here. Can you start today? "

 

" Yes of course! I can start now!"

 

" Welcome Sarah. My name is Jake. "She extended her hand and I shook it friendly. " The one who received you is called Edward, but you can call him Maxwell. We have a chef named Scarlet but I don't think you'll meet her today. It's her day off. Who is in her place today is John. Soon he will arrive. But for now, he can go inside and change his clothes. " He looked around for someone. " Maxwell! Show her around, please.

 

I nodded and saw that Maxwell guy appear in the doorway with a tray of freshly baked cheese bread. I almost salivated from being so hungry. He put it in the window and looked back at me.

 

" Clear. Sarah, come with me.

 

I followed him through another door and down a short hallway that led to the staff locker room and bathroom.

 

" Is here. "She opened the locker room door and went to a silver locker. She opened it and grabbed a change of clothes. It was the uniform. " I think this one will work for you. "She held it out to me. " If you need anything else, just say so.

 

" Thanks. " I took the clothes from his hands and watched him leave. Very polite...

 

In the corner of the locker room, there was a dressing room. I walked over to him and closed the curtain at the same time I saw the mirror behind me. Jesus, my hair was a mess and I had dark circles under my eyes. I was quick to get out of my clothes and change. I needed to wash my face and fix that hair.

 

I put on the white shirt, put on the beige pants and tied the black apron around my waist. I looked in the mirror and turned around. It had turned out better than I had imagined.

 

I put my clothes in the closet and left the locker room. There was a bathroom just ahead, so I went there and wet my face to stay awake. My hair was like a nest. Jesus, how could Charlie hire me like that? I tried to smooth the strands with a wet hand and made a bun in my hair. It would be better.

 

I had stayed up all night. It was just the dust. But I stayed strong. Starting over was new to me.

 

Come on wolf... We need to do this well.

 

I left and walked back down the short hall until I found Jake outside the door. He was walking by when he saw me.

 

" It looks great!

 

" Thanks. " I gave a weak smile. " Where do I start?

 

He pointed me to the menus on the counter. He said it would be good for me to memorize the dishes and prices when I went to serve customers. And Maxwell would always be there for me if I needed help.

 

I went to the counter and got the menu. I sniffed the air and smelled a delicious aroma coming from the kitchen. Probably the cook Jake mentioned had already arrived. I took a look at the menu and ended up memorizing a few dishes, but there were many and varied prices. From cakes to breads, pastries, pies, coffees of different types and sizes. I would need to carry a menu in my arms for today at least.

 

Minutes passed and the cafeteria was already open when the noise of the bell sounded at the door. A man entered the cafeteria. He was in a suit and had just hung up the phone in a rage.

 

" Good day sir. " I went to him and took the pad that Maxwell had given me to help me.

 

" Good Morning. " He didn't even look at me. She was frowning and seemed to only care where she decided to sit. She looked to be in her 50s and smelled like hand sanitizer. Alright... Let's go...

 

He sat down and held the menu in his hands.

 

" May I help? " I stopped by the table. Only then did he lift his face and look at me. His features subtly changed to less angry. I continued to stare at him, waiting for the order, but my face wasn't so pleasant anymore. " Can I take your order?

 

" Yes. "She tapped her fingers on the wooden table and ran her eyes over me. " I'll have two cheese breads and an espresso.

 

" Okay, anything else? " I wrote it down.

 

" Just that.

 

" Right. Soon I will. " I turned around and went to the counter. I handed the paper to Maxwell and he quickly prepared a plate with two cheese breads and poured a cup of espresso.

 

" This is Richard. Attorney. Usually stressed. " Maxwell put everything on a tray and handed it to me. Sit down for him.

 

" I noticed the stress. " I sighed and walked back to the table. I left his order and he thanked me.

 

More people started arriving and I continued to serve them. This went on for breakfast, lunch and late afternoon. Which was to finish only at 19:00 after I washed all the rest of the dishes that I had left. And of course, my lycanthropy helped me get through the day. If not, I would be lying on this floor, completely dead.

 

I received Jake's money at the end of the day, in addition to the tips I had earned for being "a very nice and kind lady" according to one 60"year"old woman. It wasn't much, but it was more than enough to get by for a day and still buy a change of clothes on sale. I met John, a young man and an excellent cook. He was lanky but good looking. And at the end of the day, with the food left over, he made two lunchboxes. One for me and one for Maxwell. Which made me even more relieved that I didn't have to spend money on food. I changed, grabbed my things and left.

 

" Good night Sarah. You were great today. " Everyone was gone. There was just me and Jake.

 

" Thanks. See you tomorrow. " I waved and left the cafeteria.

 

The city was busiest at night. And I had to look for a place to stay. But first, I went to a little shop, bought some underwear and a change of clothes. Which almost cost me half the money despite being on sale.

 

I walked a few more blocks looking for a hotel, until I finally found one that seemed affordable to me. A little further out of the centre, but decent enough. I crossed the street and entered the hotel lobby. I walked to the reception and saw a young black woman, she didn't even seem to be of legal age. She had shoulder"length black hair and one side of her head was shaved. She was reading a magazine until she turned to me as she saw me approach.

 

" Good night.

 

" Good night. " He left the magazine on the table.

 

" Do you have any free rooms?

 

" There's room 201 on the second floor, 301, 305, 4...

 

" Could be 201. " I interrupted her. " How much does it cost to stay for a week?

 

"$140.00. " Wow.

 

" Perfect. " I was in profit. I certainly couldn't find anything cheaper here in this city.

 

" Okay, can I see your ID? " I looked at the girl.

 

What? What for? I don't have anything with me.

 

I pretended to look for the ID in my pants pocket and looked astonished that I couldn't find it.

 

" I don't believe! I forgot! " I looked at the girl still with my astonished face and she sighed giving a weak laugh. She looked me over from head to toe.

 

" No need to lie, I'll let it go.

 

I deposited $40.00 in front of her in advance.

 

" Thanks. " I said really relieved. " I lost my documents, and well... " I stopped talking. That's not exactly what happened, but it's still true. " Anyway.

 

She opened a drawer, took out the room key, and handed it to me.

 

" If you want, I can give you an address where you can get a fake ID. " I took the key from her hands and looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

 

" Would you do that for me?

 

Normally I wouldn't accept doing something so risky, but I was already doing it, so...

 

The girl took a piece of paper from the same drawer and wrote down the address.

 

" If you go there, you can get it. " Delivered me. " But it's a little far from here. It's on the outskirts of town.

 

" Thanks. " I didn't care where it was.

 

I waved at the punk and headed upstairs. I went into my room and locked the door. I looked out the window and saw some drunks at the bar across the street. I closed the curtains, threw the things on the bed and took off my clothes. I really needed a shower. Very much.

 

I went to the bathroom, turned on the light and then turned on the shower. I waited for the water to heat up and got in.

 

Finally...

 

I soaped up, washed my hair and after a few minutes, turned off the shower to get out. As hungry as I was, I could eat a whole bear. I tied the towel around my body and went to get the lunchbox from the bed.

 

I finished drying my hair after I devoured the food. I brushed my teeth and lay in bed already dead. I was exhausted, just the tail dust. And at least for today, I had a place to sleep in peace.

 

I remembered that I had to set the clock to wake up at 7:30 to go to work. I looked at the bedside table and by a miracle I saw an old table clock. I reached out my hand and set the alarm clock. And when I rolled over after turning off the light, it didn't take me long to fall asleep. Which was a rare thing to happen.