Run, Run, Run, As Fast As You Can

Gone

...12 years later. 

I watched from the trees as the boys got their fighting lessons. 

Backhand, hook, kick, use the momentum from the kick to spin around, backhand, spin the other way, backhand. Repeat. 

The rough bark of the tree bit into my skin, leaving it red with tiny cuts crisscrossing the knuckles and backs of my hands. I let my anger at the tracking device on my ankle drive my hits. Backhand, hook, kick, use the momentum from the kick to spin around, backhand, spin the other way, backhand. Repeat. 

My muscles started to burn with the exercises and I decided it was time to do push-ups. One, two, three... twenty. I dropped to the ground and rolled over onto my back for sit-ups. One, two, three...fifty. I stood up and got into a running position. 

'Ready, set, go!' I though before taking off, curving my path around the HMH so that whoever was watching my tracking beacon would know I wasn't running away. 

I dogged the trees with ease, and jumped over the bushes without breaking stride. The wind whipped against my face and blew through my short red hair. A familiar happy feeling bubbled up inside me, and laughter started to spill from my mouth. This was freedom! Being able to run with abandon was freedom!

Suddenly, I heard the soft pants of a wolf and quiet footfalls running beside me. That was all it took to bring me back to reality. I wasn't free. I was a prisoner, wearing an ankle-bracelet and under constant surveillance. 

"Go away!" I yelled over at the brown wolf I could just see weaving in and out of the trees to the side of me. 

When he didn't, I stopped and started to walk in circles to avoid the cramps that I knew would come if I didn't keep moving for a second. 

After a minute of this, I saw Jack walking out of the trees in nothing but a pair of basketball shorts, "No can do, Rosie. Grace told me I need to stay on you for today. We can't have you running away a week before the ball. It took us an entire month to find you last time."

At mention of the ball I shuddered a little. I needed to get out of here before that. I couldn't let them throw me into a ball gown and parade me around for all male werewolves to see. One of them might think I'm their match. In fact, the probability that one of them won't decide that I was their property was next to nothing.The purpose of this kind of event was to make sure werewolves would find their matches.

The ball was a three day event that all werewolves in the Americas were required to attend. If a wolf could make it over from somewhere else, they did. The first day was just for already mated couples to dance and have fun. The second and third were for all unmarked people to look for their mates. Everyone in a HMH above the age of 17 was required to go. Last year I was just barely under the age limit. This year, I wasn't so lucky. 

"Come on, Rosie, let's go back to the house. You're missing some of your classes and you're making me miss mine." 

"I don't have classes anymore. I graduated," I said before pretending to give in and follow him back to the house. 

When Jack turned his back on me I picked up a thick branch and hit him over the head with it as hard as I could. He dropped like a sack of potatoes. I liked Jack as a person, but he was standing between me and my last chance at true freedom.

I started to look around for something I could cut my ankle-bracelet off with.

There was nothing but rocks. 

I grabbed one of them and started to try to smash the little box that was transmitting my location. When it looked sufficiently damaged I took off running again. Only, this time I didn't curve my path around the HMH, and I didn't stop when I heard howls in the distance.