A small red exclamation got my attention. The battery was almost dead, and I had only a single bar of reception. Crap.
The phone rang, and I put it up to my ear.
"Sofia?"
I almost wept when I heard Doc's voice.
"What's wrong?"
"They're chasing me," I whispered.
"Where are you?"
"I don't know. My phone's about to die. We were at the campus observatory. They did something to Alex. I ran. I'm in the woods."
"Sofia, we're coming. I need you to keep moving as quietly as you–" the rest was cut off as my phone died, letting out a way to loud chime.
"Fuck." I slipped it into my bag, put the strap over my shoulder, and listened.
I thought I heard a branch snap, but I couldn't be sure.
After another moment, I knew I had to move, I just didn't know where to go. Down was the easiest at the moment, so I set off mostly heading down. I added a slight angle on my travel so I would hopefully put more distance between me and my pursuers. Especially if they thought I had gone straight down.
Wolves or coyotes howled in the distance. I shivered, hoping I wouldn't have to deal with wild animals, too. Though, if I had to pick, maybe the wild animals would be a better fate.
I heard a branch snap clearly behind me and a muffled curse. Knowing what a hunted deer must feel like, I bolted, trying to do so quietly, but desperate to get away.
"There!"
Whimpering, I pushed through dense pines, barely noticing the sap that stuck to me. Some instinct warned me, and I dove to the ground as orange colored energy slammed into the tree next to me. I lay on my side, pine needles digging into the right side of my body.
I wanted to scream, or swear, or something. I froze instead. I couldn't do anything. They were so close, they would see me if I moved. If I didn't, they'd find me anyway.
"She's around here somewhere," one of the men said.
Tremors shook my limbs, and I tried to press myself into the bed of pine needles I lay in.
Howls filled the night close by and something ran past my hiding spot.
"There!"
Whatever raced through the underbrush caught their attention, and they went after it.
My heart pounded in my ears. I didn't dare move.
A strong hand clamped down over my mouth. Someone grabbed my shoulder.
Fuck.
Chapter 11
Sofia
"It's me."
Doc's breath tickled my ear, and I gasped in relief.
"Shh," he whispered. "Slowly, get up."
He helped me stand, but once I was on my feet, my legs shook so badly, he had to hold me up for a minute. His strong arms wrapped around me and held me while I shook.
"Ed and Allan are drawing them off. We need to move." His lips brushed against my ear as he spoke.
I could barely hear him over my pounding heart, but I nodded.
"Stay behind me." He took a hold of my hand and led the way through the dense pines. Somehow, he found a path that let us avoid crashing through trees and stepping on noisy branches.
He moved like he could see. I focused on his back, as best I could in the darkness, and followed as quietly as possible.
We went like that for a small eternity before we came out of the trees near a road.
"We're going to have to walk for a while," he whispered.
Not trusting my voice, I nodded and followed when he led me across the road, my hand still grasped tightly in his.
The moon was full, and the only lights were from distant homes. Doc held my hand tightly and led me down a grassy slope.
We came to a wooden fence, and he slid through it and tugged me after him. For a minute, I worried about trespassing, then decided I had bigger problems.
A few cows mooed softly at us as we passed close to their herd. I couldn't even worry about stepping in patties. If it happened, I'd survive it. My shoulders were so tense, I was starting to get a headache, and everything ached from my tumbles. Other aches were making themselves known. I tried to ignore them.
Doc hesitated at the bank of a stream I hadn't noticed until we were almost on top of it.
He glanced at me, though I couldn't see his expression well.
"It's a little deep," he murmured, and before I could tell him I didn't care, he had swept me up into his arms.
I was in shock, but not so out of it that I didn't notice how effortless he had made picking me up seem. I wasn't that big, but I wasn't light either.
The water went up to his knees in the middle, and soon we were on the other side. Though I didn't think he'd be able to carry me long, I was almost sorry when he put me down as my abused leg muscles screamed at me.
"You okay?" he asked when I stumbled. He still spoke quietly, though not in the whispers he had earlier.
"Everything hurts."
"Only a little bit farther. Do you want me to carry you?"
I almost said yes. A small shred of pride, or stupidity, or maybe simply disbelieving that he could carry me that far, kept me from saying it, though. I shook my head. He took my hand again, and we continued on through the darkness.
"Doc," I whispered.
He glanced at me.
"Are there wolves in Sunnyglade?"
He tilted his head, and I was pretty sure he arched his eyebrow.
"Only two?"
This time, I knew I saw him smile.
"Only two," he echoed quietly.
"I'm glad they're on my side."
Doc didn't reply. He did drop my hand and put his arm around my shoulders, holding me close. I inhaled his freshly cleaned leather scent and leaned
