He stepped closer, his hands coming up to grasp my arm. There was some expression on his face, one I couldn't quite read that spoke of pain and fear and something else. Something I refused to see. I wasn't ready for such an emotion from him. If I'd ever be ready.
"You need to get away from her. I know she's your friend, but once the change is on her she won't recognize you." His words were intense and hushed as if he could impart his desperation through them alone. I nodded. I knew that. She'd told me as much. "Run. Run as fast as you can. Don't look back, and don't stop for anything. We're coming for you. Just hold on."
The word 'run' echoed in my head as I came alive with a gasp, the last of the sun's light fading from the sky. Damn it, that hadn't been wise—napping when I needed to be escaping. With one hand free, I was able to divest myself from the rest of my bonds in moments, using some of the increased strength being a vampire gave me.
I gained my feet just as the sun began sinking below the horizon, turning the world a golden orange as it went.
Caroline stirred, a groan announcing her return to consciousness.
"Caroline," I said, taking a step in her direction and stopping.
"Aileen." Caroline's words were groggy as she sat up, coming up short as the collar and silver chain jerked. "What's this?"
"Don't touch it," I warned, moments too late as her hands closed around the chain. She yelped and whined, letting go of the chain—her palms bright red and blistered.
Awareness returned to her eyes as she looked around with dawning horror. Her eyes flickered, the color of her wolf shining through for a moment before returning to Caroline's normal blue. She looked up at the sky, fear on her face.
"You need to kill me," she said, her voice a few decibels lower than it should be.
I shook my head in denial, then kept shaking it. There were many things I could do, many levels I could sink to in the interest of surviving. Some horrible, some necessary. That was not one of them. I could not kill my best friend—not even if it meant saving my own life.
"Aileen, please," she pleaded. "I'm not going to be able to stop myself."
"No, no, I'm not doing that," I said, backing away.
She strained against her collar, her face a mask of rage for one moment before the old Caroline gained control. "How do you think I’ll feel waking up after the change covered in your blood?"
Horrible. Terrified. Full of self-loathing.
“Same way I’ll feel if I kill you.”
"You're my best friend, and I'm begging you to do this. I don't want to kill you," Caroline said, her voice breaking.
"And I don't want to kill you," I said, taking another step back.
"Then go. Run and don't let me catch you," Caroline roared, hair sprouting along her hands and face.
"But—" I took another step closer, every fiber of my being telling me I should help free her first. It went against the grain to leave her attached by a fucking collar and leash to a tree—as if she was a dog to chain up.
"Leave!" she shouted, her breath coming in pants. "I'll be fine. This won't hold me for long."
Lisa groaned as she came to consciousness, her head lifting as she looked around the woods with an alert gaze. Her eyes fell on Caroline. "Oh, fuck."
She started to struggle against the chain, thrashing to get free. "Don't go. You need to help me. Her wolf will kill me."
She had a point. There wasn't a lot of love lost between the two. I started for her, not wanting to leave her tied up and waiting for death.
Caroline's voice brought me up short. "Aileen, forget her. Run. She's pack. I won't hurt her—probably. I will hurt you. My wolf already yearns for the hunt so it can feast on your blood."
That was a rosy picture. It finally got me to back away on slow steps, my eyes holding hers. "Don't die."
Her smile was a little toothier than normal. "You too."
I turned and jetted off into the surrounding woods, not pausing even when I heard a spine-chilling howl lift to the fast darkening sky. Shadows thickened on the ground, following me like reaching hands as I raced through the twilight, cursing at the weakness pulling at my limbs. My body had been through too much recently—the werewolf bite, then getting knocked unconscious, followed by an afternoon of prolonged sunbathing. Even bathing in the blood of two of the most powerful vampires of the city wasn't enough to give any pep to my step at this point.
Keeping upright and moving took my entire willpower, forcing me to dig deep for the unrelenting survivor I hid at the core of me—the one willing to do almost anything it took to live another day. She was the one who had gotten me through some of the most hellish experiences of my life. I let her guide my thoughts, wiping anything but the next step from my mind. Each step was like slogging through quicksand. My mind was urging me to move faster, but my body could just not answer.
The moon was fully up by now, lighting the world and making it as easy to see as if it had been noon. Even a human would have no trouble on a night like this. I'd have no chance against a werewolf's heightened senses.
How much longer did I have until Caroline lost her battle and shifted? That chain wouldn't hold her long before it snapped, and I'd seen her move. Fast and deadly. There was no chance I would outrun her, not unless I stumbled across a fighter jet or its equivalent. That meant I needed to be smart. Fleeing blindly in a panic was just going to get me killed faster. I needed a plan. Unfortunately, I didn't have one yet, which was why I kept moving, my mind turning over possibilities as my feet took me up another hill.
It was a common misconception that Ohio was entirely flat. Granted, the majority of it was—especially up North—but there were areas of the state that were decidedly less so. The biggest example of this was Hocking Hills, located in the southeastern part. I've hiked there many times, exploring Old Man's cave, the waterfalls and the hollers that riddled the area. I doubted Theo had taken the time to drive us two hours south to that area. Furthermore, the ravines I navigated weren't as deep and lacked the unique rock formations that made Hocking Hills famous.
No, if I had to guess, we were in the northeastern part of the city. Maybe near Hoover Dam or Alum Creek. Both areas were wooded and known for the modest hills and ravines I was stumbling over. Orienting myself with the moon and North Star, I pointed my feet south. If nothing else, maybe I'd stumble across a road and be able to catch a ride before Caroline caught up.