Chapter 2 Run

Malia's POV

It's Rhys," my lips trembled, barely holding back a scream, "keep going, don't look back!" He said as we kept running, my eyes weren't as adapted as his as I've not been able to shift, though I showed a little sign of shifting earlier before all this tragedy befell me.

I tripped on what seemed like a log and I fell to the ground. Logan rushed to me lifting me up. "Are you okay?"

"No, I think I twisted my ankles" I hinted at my foot, a mixture of pain and frustration on my face. "Shit," he said lifting me on his powerful arms. "You'll be okay," he said as he ran with me on his shoulders, showing no bit of struggle.

Suddenly, the noise behind us just quieted down, silence filled the forest with only a constant murmur of rustling leaves, shifting with the unseen hands of the wind.

As Logan carried me through the dense forest, the silence between us was palpable. My ankles throbbed in pain, but I was more concerned about escaping Rhys. I glanced over Logan's shoulder, but the darkness seemed to swallow everything.

Suddenly, Logan stopped and listened intently, I followed his gaze but saw nothing. "What is it?" I whispered.

Logan's eyes narrowed. "I thought I heard something. Stay quiet."

I nodded, my heart racing. We stood there for what felt like an eternity. The only sound is the distance howling of wolves.

Logan's grip on me tightened. "We need to keep moving," he whispered. "We're not safe here."

I nodded, and Logan began to run again. The Forest seemed to blur around us as we fled from our unseen pursuers.

As we ran, my mind wandered to the strange occurrences in my life. The shifting problem, the harassment from my step-father......

Logan's voice interrupted my thoughts. "Malia, we need to hide. Now."

I looked around, but all I saw was the endless forest. Logan, however, seemed to know exactly where he was going. He dodged trees and leaped over roots, with me clinging tightly to him.

We finally reached a small clearing, and he gently set me down behind a thick veil of foliage. "Stay here," he whispered. "I'll scout ahead and make sure we're clear."

I nodded, my heart pounding in my chest. I watched as Logan disappeared into the darkness, leaving me alone and vulnerable.

As I waited, the silence seemed to grow thicker, like a living entity. My senses went on high alert, and I strained to hear any sound that might indicate Logan's return...or something more sinister.

Suddenly, a twig snapped behind me. I spun around, my eyes scanning the darkness. That's when I saw it: a pair of glowing yellow eyes staring back at me.

"Here you are," the voice said. But before he could come close to grab me, Logan snapped his neck from behind. "We have to move now, they're trying to round us up."

He grabbed my hand, and we took off in a sprint, the darkness of the forest seeming to swallow us whole. The trees blurred together, the branches tangling above like skeletal fingers.

"We need to get out of here, fast," Logan yelled over the pounding of our footsteps.

I nodded, my heart racing in my chest. I could hear the sounds of pursuit behind us, the snapping of twigs, and the rustling of leaves.

Suddenly, Logan yanked me to the left, and we burst through a thicket of brambles. My skin scraped against the thorns, but I didn't dare look back.

We emerged into a small clearing and I saw a glimmer of light in the distance, "what's that?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

Logan's eyes locked onto the light, "It's a cabin. We can lose them there."

I nodded, and we sprinted towards the cabin. Just as we were about to go in, "Wait! Something feels off, we can't go in." He paused.

"What's wrong?" my eyes widened in terror.

He dragged me off in another direction, I could feel them gaining on us as the sound of pursuit increased.

As we ran, our footsteps echoed off the walls of the canyon. Panic set in as we reached a dead end - a sheer cliff dropped off into the darkness below. My eyes widened in terror as I grabbed Logan's arm. "Oh my God, what do we do now?" I exclaimed, my brow furrowed in desperation.

Logan's face was set in a determined expression, but I could see the fear lurking in his eyes. Before he could respond, Rhys emerged from the shadows, a smug grin spreading across his face.

"Well, well, we meet again, Logan," Rhys said, his voice dripping with malice. He clapped his hands together, his betas moving to flank him. "I'm going to give you a chance to hand over the girl and walk away."

Logan's jaw clenched, his eyes flashing with anger. "I'll pass," he growled.

Rhys's grin faltered for a moment before he collected himself. "Well, then there's nothing much I can do for you," he said, his voice cold. He nodded to one of his betas, who handed him a silver gun.

My eyes went wide as Rhys raised the gun, my heart racing with fear. "Don't do this!" I pleaded, trying to reason with him. "Come with me and no one gets hurt."

Rhys's face twisted in a snarl. "She's not going anywhere with you!" Logan yelled, stepping forward.

The sound of the gunshot was deafening. Logan's body jerked backward, his eyes wide with shock, as he stumbled toward the edge of the cliff. I screamed, my voice echoing off the canyon walls, as Logan fell, his body disappearing into the darkness below.

"Nooo! Logan!" I wailed, my face contorted in anguish. I felt like I was going to collapse, my legs trembling beneath me. Rhys's face was a blur as he turned to me, his eyes gleaming with triumph.

"Logan" I whispered as I sat down on the ground, my shoulders slumped, with a defeated look on my face.

I knew it was over.