Queen POV
My heart didn't slow down.
Not even a little.
Manny stepped closer, boots crunching against the leaves like he had all the time in the world. His friends stayed where they were—one behind me, one off to the side—close enough to block, far enough to watch. Cornered.
"Funny," Manny said again, dragging his gaze over me, "how you always take this way home."
He wanted me to know that he had been watching me, stalking me. I didn't answer. Didn't give him the satisfaction. Because this wasn't the diner. There were no lights out here. No people. No witnesses.
"What do you want?" I asked, keeping my voice steady even though my pulse was pounding in my ears.
He tilted his head, like he was considering the question. "An apology would be a good start."
"For what?"
"For embarrassing me."
I let out a short, humorless laugh. "You embarrassed yourself."
That did it.
The air shifted instantly.
One of his friends snorted behind me. "Told you she got a mouth on her."
Manny's expression hardened, the last bit of that fake charm slipping.
"You real bold for somebody out here alone," he said.
"I'm not scared of you," I lied.
He smiled. "You should be."
My stomach tightened. "Move," I said.
He didn't. Instead, he stepped closer. Too close.
"You thought that cowboy was gonna walk you home?" he asked quietly. "You think somebody gonna save you?"
"I don't need saving," I snapped.
"Yeah?" he said. "Then prove it."
My eyes flicked behind him. His friends shifted slightly. Closing in. No opening. No space. Think. Think. Think.
"Look," I said, forcing my voice to drop, like I was calming down. "It's late. I'm tired. Whatever you think happened in there—let it go." Manny watched me. Suspicious. I took a small step to the side. He didn't move. Good.
"I didn't mean to make you look stupid," I added.
That made one of his friends laugh. "She just did it again."
Manny shot him a look, then turned back to me.
"You got a funny way of apologizing."
"I'm trying," I said. Another step. Slow. Careful. He didn't follow. Not yet.
"You got a real smart mouth on you," he said.
"And you don't listen," I shot back before I could stop myself. His eyes darkened. Yeah. That wasn't smart. He stepped forward again, closing the gap.
"Maybe you just ain't been taught right, but I could teach ya. I can teach ya a lot, pretty" he said, voice low. Something cold slid down my spine. No more talking. I moved. Fast.
I grabbed him hard and shoved my knee as fast and with as much force as I could, right into his groin—and bolted. I didn't see if he fell as I heard the pained groan leave his lips, my feet moving fast as I clutched my purse tight to me.
"What the fuck?!"
"Catch her!"
I didn't look back. I just kept running.
Branches whipped against my arms as I pushed through the trees, my breath ripping out of my chest in sharp bursts. My feet pounded against the ground, slipping on loose dirt as I cut left, then right, weaving through the trees. I had no idea where I was going, feet straying from off the path.
"You bitch! You fucked up now!"
"Where you think you going?!"
Too close. They were too close. I pushed harder, lungs burning, legs screaming.
Don't stop.
Don't stop.
Don't stop.
A branch snagged my sleeve—I yanked free and kept going. The voices started to fade. Then, nothing. I slowed. Then stopped completely, bending forward, hands on my knees, gasping for air.
"Oh my God…"
I looked around. Dark. Still. Empty.
"I lost them…" Relief hit me so fast it made my knees weak.
I let out a shaky laugh. "Okay… okay… you're good…"
I straightened, and froze. Fuck I had no clue where the hell I was now. My eyes scanned quickly over the trees. "Check here!" I heard them yell, once again too close. Shit! Them fuckers were fast. I quickly found a hiding place in nearby bushes, laying flat on my stomach to blend in with the dense area. Hand clamped over my mouth to silence myself, I watched as their shadows got closer. And closer, and closer.
"Damn that bitch is fast" huffed Derrick, the lanky red haired man. Chris came to his side, hands to his waist as he scanned the area. Soon, Manny joined them, irritation and anger shown on his face in the moonlight. The night rattled with the sound of their heavy breathing. I prayed hard that they wouldn't see, eyes squeezed tight as I shoved my chest into the ground. Suddenly, a low, heavy sound rolled through the trees. My eyes opened wide as the men turned fast toward it, breathing quieting.
"Oh hell naw man let's leave her" Chris whispered, the sound echoing in the vast forest. Manny cursed, chest heaving as he glanced around him. For a moment I could have sworn his eyes locked on my exact position before he shook his head.
"I'm gonna get that little bitch," he sneered. "C'mon"
I watched as their shadows disappeared into the darkness. A breath I didn't know I was holding released from my chest. I waited a moment before slowly getting to my feet and brushing the dirt and leaves from my clothing. The cold crisp air blew through the gap in my jacket and I closed my arms tightly around myself. I was still lost, no idea how far my feet had taken me off the path. I began walking back in the direction I came when a massive shape stepped out from the darkness. Not behind me.In front of me.
"…you've gotta be kidding me."
Black fur shown in the moonlight, thick, huge. A black bear. It lifted its head slightly, sniffing the air. Like it had caught something. Me.
"Oh—oh hell no."
I turned and ran again.
"Not like this! Not like this!" I had only just escaped only to be ensnared again. My feet pounded against the ground, panic hitting even harder now. Behind me, heavy steps, faster than I expected.
"Are you serious?!" I cried.
My foot then caught a root, and I slammed down into the ground. Pain exploded through my ankle as it twisted beneath me, a sharp crack shooting up my leg. I screamed. "SHIT!" I tried to stand but the second I put weight on it, my leg gave out and I collapsed again. Hot tears began streaming down my cheeks.
"No, no, no…"
I scrambled backward, dragging my body across the dirt as the bear stepped closer. Slow. Deliberate. A low snort rumbled from its chest.
"Back up!" I yelled, grabbing my purse and swinging it wildly. "Go! Get away from me!" It didn't stop. Didn't hesitate.It kept coming. Step. Step. Step. Each one heavier than the last.
"I'm serious!" I cried, voice breaking. "I will hit you!" I threw my purse, it landing just a few feet in front of the wild animal.
The bear huffed. Unimpressed. It was almost on me now. Close enough to end it. Tears continued to blur my vision.
This cannot be how I go out…"
The bear continued forward, a gruff snort leaving its nostrils. I would have been better off with Manny and his gang of stupids. I cannot believe my luck! This was absurd. I had done nothing but what was expected of me my wntire life. I should have been more reckless, more care. Should have flirted with the sexy green eyed cowboy who saved me earlier. Definitely should have.
I squeezed my eyes shut as the bear closed the gap between us. My life flashed as I waited for the moment its claws would pierce my skin. But it didn't come. There was silence. I blinked my eyes open. The bear had stopped. Its head lifted slightly. Then, it stepped back. A low, uneasy sound left its chest. Not aggressive. Wary.
"Yeah that's right get gone!"
My moment of victory stopped short when I noticed something, the bear's eyes were shifted to the place above my head—like something behind me had just changed everything. It then turned and ran. My heart pounded. Slowly…I turned. And my breath left me.
A wolf stood there. Massive. White. Still. Golden eyes locked on mine.
"Shit!"
Relief twisted into fear and I cursed the universe for my sorry fate. What the fuck the was a mountain sized wolf doing here? The wolf stepped forward. Slow. Controlled. Not hunting. Approaching.
"That's worse," I whispered. I dragged myself back again, hands trembling.
"Stay back." He didn't. He came closer. Close enough for me to see every detail—the thickness of his fur, the rise and fall of his chest. Those eyes. Too aware. Too… human.
"That's not real," I whispered.
He lowered his head to me, nose sniffing my hair. I couldn't move. I had been prey all night, passed from one predator to another. It was clear, death wanted me. Eyes wide with fear, I watched as the wolf sniffed down my leg, pausing there… and nudged my ankle. I flinched.
"Don't—" But it wasn't rough. It was gentle. Careful. Confusion cut through my fear.
"What are you doing…?" He nudged me again, softer this time, letting out a low sound that almost sounded like a whine. I stared at him. My breathing slowed just a little.
The wolf stepped back slightly. Then lowered himself. Looked at me. Then forward. Then back again before turning its head to its flank with what only could be described as a nod. I blinked. He didn't move. Just watched. Waited. The pain in my ankle throbbed harder. My vision started to blur. Everything was hitting me at once.
Fear. Pain. Shock. Maybe, just maybe this wolf was my savior.
"I've officially lost my mind," I whispered.
The creature was as beautiful as it was scary. There was a need I didn't quite understand building within me. To touch this creature, to revel in the beautiful ferocity in its features. It was why despite my fear, I reached out anyway. My fingers brushed against its fur, surprisingly soft. I gasped as a sharp, electric jolt shot up my arm. My breath left my lungs. Then the world spun and everything went black.