Grace of a Wolf by Lenaleia

Chapter 196: Grace: Unwanted Interruption

Seven minutes. That’s all I have left.

I sprint down the street, phone clutched in my sweaty palm as I check the map for the fifth time in thirty seconds. The little blue dot of my location inches painfully slowly toward the destination marker. This app doesn’t bother with luxuries like street names or turns—just a straight line cutting through buildings, yards, and whatever else stands between me and this mysterious Guardian.

My lungs burn, legs already turning to jelly. I’m no stranger to running away from danger, but there’s a huge difference between running on demand and running out of fear.

When I’m afraid, I don’t notice things like how my thighs ache and I have a stitch in my side and how my breathing’s getting too short and shallow. Adrenaline takes over and I just go until I can’t go anymore.

But now I’m forcing every extra step. Running for thirty seconds? Doable. A minute? Sure. Three minutes straight? Torture.

Had I known this was going to happen, I would have started working out days ago. Maybe trained like I was going to enter a marathon.

Behind me, there are shifters shadowing my every move, probably not even breathing hard. They’ve been following me since I burst out of the camper, probably watching my every move to feed gossip to the pack. Or maybe wait until I’m even farther and more isolated to bully me to tears.

Too bad. There’s a scary little app in my phone far more terrifying than the shifters I grew up with.

I cut across someone’s front yard, earning a startled curse from an older shifter out watering her herb garden.

"Sorry!" I gasp, not slowing down.

My destination is still too far, and—

backward with enough force I nearly topple over. The world spins as I’m whirled around, meeting

Ellie.

But now her flawless features are twisted with something feral, something unhinged as her

I snap, trying to

inch in her grip. My human strength is nothing against hers, and we both know it. I glance at my phone screen—6:42

hisses, her nails digging into my skin. They’re the sharp, pointy kind of manicured nails, and they hurt like hell when

back a wince as her grip tightens. "Why do you care? I’m not going after your precious

she demands, "What

I blink, genuinely confused, temporarily pausing at trying to regain ownership of my own limb. "Seriously? I’ve never even met your father." How she expects a human girl to

eyes narrow dangerously. "Don’t lie to me, you wicked little

anyone on this planet would

her hair’s a mess instead of neatly brushed, and there are

Strange.

quite as strange as how she’s acting,

all started with you, and I’m going to

moved a muscle to help, of course. They’re loyal

at my phone shows she’s wasted twenty seconds

talking about!" I struggle harder, digging my heels in. "Leave me alone, for fuck’s sake! You can have Rafe—I

connects with my face so fast I don’t even see it coming. My head snaps sideways, and I hit the ground hard, my knees scraping against the pavement. Blood fills my mouth as

up! I know what you are. You filthy little whore. What tricks have you

help but flinch when she raises her hand again, but I meet her gaze squarely.