His Wounded Omega - I

The sound of paws pounding loudly against the forest floor, crushing the fallen leaves and twigs, sounds in my ears. My own paws dig into the Earth beneath me, stirring up the dirt and lunging me forward with each stride. The wolves behind me snarl, growl, and bark as they slowly catch up to my much smaller form. Exhaustion and lack of food threatened to make me collapse onto the ground. I search the passing trees for any sign of escape.

A loud yelp sounds from me when a claw scapes across my back. I tumble down the hill ahead of me in a bustle of whimpers and whines. The wolves continue their chase after me while I struggle to regain my footing along the slippery surface of leaves and moss-covered dirt. My heart rate rises considerably as my vision begins to blur. Their harsh snarls grow nearer as I roll, enlightening an immense wave of anxiety.

I couldn't let them get me. He'd get me.

Coldwater rushes over me as I land in the river at the end of the hill. Water begins to fill my lungs in my struggle to push toward the surface of the water. The rapid movement of the water causes my head to bob over and under the surface, throwing my body in many different directions. In my muffled ears, I hear the sound of the wolves' howls. Relief fills me when I see them calling off their chase and disappearing into the tree line.

It wasn't until I heard the faint sound of crashing water did I begin thrashing around once more. In my heap of panic, my eyes catch onto the ledge not too far from me. The waterfall grew closer and closer with each passing second. The angry rapids pushing me didn't help in my attempt to escape the water.

My stomach drops as I'm soon falling through the air. I grow dizzy seeing the pool of water below me. My struggle to position myself upright fails as my back lands harshly against the water. Fish disperse around me while I frantically search for land.

Upon arriving on the bank, I collapse onto the sand-mixed-dirt. I become painfully aware of the scratch along my back as I lay there. My tiger calls at me inside my head, telling me to stop and rest. She could no longer run as she used most of her strength to help me escape from the wolves before. Curling up in my mind, she disappeared.

I immediately shift out of my tiger form and into my wolf. Knowing my slight change in scent would bring about unwanted visitors, I stood despite my body screaming against it. I continued walking through the forest, listening for any sound of danger. My only hope was to put as much distance between myself and that man despite the pain erupting throughout me.

Hours passed and the moonlight replaced the bright sun, lighting the path ahead of me. Lights soon shone in the distance. A tall black, metal fence made itself clear when I ran into it. My tired clouded eyes failed to see it in front of me. The sound of my impact vibrated off the metal and into the air. I quickly ducked toward the ground, curling my tail further underneath me. The beasts inside my head huddled together in anticipation and fear.

Voices erupted from around me. I let out a frightened whine, looking for anywhere to go. Catching sight of a small hole underneath the fence, I slip in. I still couldn't place where the voices came from as I slowly crept forward into the fenced area and toward the lights ahead of me.

I didn't like the dark; I couldn't see what was coming.

As I crawled underneath the light post, I saw many others lighting a dirt path that leads away from the fence I just snuck under. I chose to follow it, keeping my stomach close to the ground.

Sounds suddenly erupted around me as more lights light up the area around me. Crows, growls, and much more vibrated throughout the air. More metal fences showed themselves with the new light and different creatures stood by them. I took off in a panic, running along the middle of the dirt road through its many different twists and turns. Different animals alike called out to me, some lunging at their confines and some simply watching as I pass by.

The constant overwhelm of stimulation made me miss the group of humans standing ahead of me. It wasn't until I crashed into one of their legs did I see. Immediately, I laid flush against the ground. My eyes started on in fear of what they might do to me. I glanced around searching for any sign of escape while the people circled around me. The fear and exhaustion clashing around inside me didn't allow me to get a coherent thought out.

A slight sting in my hip caused me to let out a loud yelp, enlightening the creatures around me to let out voices of their own. I couldn't understand anything as it felt as though I was underwater, every sound muffled and incoherent. Pants left my mouth as I struggled to breathe. The metal stick now sticking out of my hip pushed itself further into my body as I crumpled onto my side. Blood began to pool beneath me from my back and hip. Black spots entered my vision as I soon gave in to the ever-growing exhaustion and pain. My breath evened out as I fell into a deep sleep.