c h a p t e r | 01
When her fox spirit told her it was time to leave, it was time to leave.
Even if it was five a.m. in the morning.
"Sage, hurry up!" Twenty year old Melanie Abernathy urged as she stuffed what little clothes she had into her backpack. Her heart was pounding fiercely against her rib cage, the rapid thump thump sounding in her ears as she zipped the bag and slung it over her shoulders. She plopped down on the rickety twin bed and forced her feet into her combat boots.
"Damn overprotective fox," Melanie mumbled in frustration as she quickly laced her boots up.
She was a tiny bit mad at said fox. She was have an amazing dream, one that involved not so innocent things between her and the beautiful man with mesmerizing green eyes that always seemed to show up in her dreams. They were in the middle of not so innocent things when her wolf all but screamed in her mind.
She woke in both alarm and sexual frustration. Not a good combination.
Boots tied, Melanie jumped up. Checking once more to see she had all her things, she opened her mouth to call for her brother when—
"I'm ready."
A sleepy ten year old Sage appeared at her side. He was a tiny little thing, scrawny and a little under 5 feet, with jet black hair like their father and hazel eyes like their mother. Backpack on his back and shoes already on his feet, he didn't look the least bit worried. He was used to his sisters erratic behavior and knew that she would protect him no matter what danger came their way.
It was just the two of them. Their adoptive parents were killed, mauled to death, when Melanie was eighteen. It happened a week after her high school graduation. She was the one to find their bodies, after coming home from hanging out with her friend, mangled and ripped to shreds in their in the confines of their own home. They were killed by wolves, the had police said. How they got inside, they didn't know.
But Melanie knew how. They weren't your regular everyday wild animal. No, they were like her. A shapeshifter. What she didn't know, was if they were there for her instead of her parents.
So, per her foxes request, Melanie got her brother, who spent the previous night with a friend, and the two of them hightailed it of there as quickly as they could. Never looking back.
They'd been on the own for two years now. They had been all around the world, living in over sixteen states. They only stayed in a place until Melanie's fox said it was time to do; the longest being five months. They never questioned the wolf-spirits judgment and so far it has never stirred them wrong.
Staying in hotels, Melanie worked any jobs as she could—from waitressing to being a cashier—so she could feed and clothed them, while also paying for Sages' online schooling. Just because they were constantly on the run didn't mean getting an education was any less important.
"You have everything?" Melanie asked Sage.
"Yes ma'am." Sage covered his mouth as he yawned.
Melanie frowned down at him. She hated she had to wake him up like she did. They'd just gotten to that hotel room nine hours earlier after being on the road most of the day. They both were tired but she could handle it. "I'm sorry little man. As soon as we get to another hotel, you can sleep as long as you want. No school work today." She told him.
Sage perked up. "You promise?"
"I promise," Melanie nodded. "Now, let's go." She grabbed his hand, pulling him towards the door as she went.
The cool air was the first to hit as they stepped outside. Since it was the middle of October in Idaho, she assumed that it was around 60 some degrees right now. Good thing they had thick coats in their belongings. Three months in Minnesota, during the winter, was brutal.
'Where to?' Melanie asked her fox. She was their very on personal GPS. Melanie picked the places and her fox-spirit led them to where it was the safest.
'Head for the woods.'
'Is that safe?'
'Yes. Keep to the trees.'
Melanie went to do just that when a voice stopped her.
"Hey, you there, stop!"
Ah shit! Melanie cursed. A sliver of fear ran down her spine and she gripped her brothers hand tightly, eyes scanning the area. Being half fox, she had heightened senses 6x that of a normal human. She could see up too three miles away. And that was just at night.
Melanie froze, pushing her brother behind her as she found the source of the voice.
About five feet to the left of where they were stood a group of men. Three of them. All dressed in black from head to toe, tall and muscular in built, and their eyes glowed a deep amber. Much like hers were at the moment.
Melanie gasped in shock. No freaking way!
They were like her.
Shapeshifters.
She'd never met another Shifter before. Sure she knew there were more of her kind, she wasn't that naive to think that. Her fox had informed her of all the shapeshifter species as well, such as Wolf, Fox, Coyotes, and Bear. She'd just never actually came across one in all the four years as a fox-shifter herself. She grew up in the city and her fox-spirit would be never allow it, saying she was protecting her.
"Your trespassing, rogues." One of the men called out, the middle man.
Rogue?
What the hell was a rogue? And why did he call them that?
Melanie didn't have time to ponder the word when her fox growled in her head, 'WOLVES! RUN! NOW!'
Her instincts instantly kicked in. With her superhuman abilities, she had her brother in her arms and was dashing for the forest in a matter of seconds.
