Caught.

Chapter 31

I had taken off sprinting into the woods, the combined shouts of Roman and Terri doing nothing to slow me, let alone stop me.

Terri's words were echoing inside my mind on a loop "It's your parents Emma, they....they're dead." I crushed my hands over my ears, trying to stop the onslaught of noise but it was useless.

I didn't know where I was going, but honestly I didn't care. I just knew that I had to get away, as if distancing myself from Terri would make the news she had given me less real.

I could feel my wolf pushing against our barrier desperate to take charge, desperate to return to Roman. But I was so emotionally charged that she didn't stand a chance, I heard her howl and whine longingly inside my head as soon as she realised her efforts were in vain.

Another howl similar to that of my wolf echoed behind me, but I knew instantly that this one was Roman. Besides the deafening objections and pleas of my own wolf, I heard two lots of foot falls in the distance eating up the ground ferociously, they were heading straight for me . At first I thought it was Roman and Terri, but then I quickly realised there was no way Terri could of been keeping up with Roman - he must of shifted.

I was stumbling through the darkness my enhanced senses useless to me, because I had no clue where I was going. My feet were getting tangled in the  roots and undergrowth, branches were scratching at my face drawing blood as I ran past. I could tell the second the scent of my blood reached Roman, because his howls of pain and longing morphed into furious snarls his paws pounding harder and harder as he tried to close the gap between us.

It wasn't long before he caught me, I was no match for his wolf and I knew it.  Skidding to a halt a shadowy figure leaped into the path in  front of me, it took all I had left in me to keep up right. Romans wolf appeared in front of me his chest heaving, his golden eyes were ablaze  scanning my body for injury. I expected him to be furious at me for running off alone, but he seemed more concerned than anything else.

I glanced up at him through my lashes that were now heavily coated in tears. I was surprised to see him staring back down at me with a look of pure love and understanding. Romans wolf was beautiful, yet still utterly terrifying. Romans wolf radiated authority and power, he stood at least a foot taller than when in his human form. But the one thing that remained the same regardless of his form, was his liquid gold eyes.

They bore into mine begging me wordlessly to turn back, to come back to the compound with him, but I couldn't. The tidal wave of pain that had hit my body at Terris words hadn't subsided yet and I didn't know how to get it to recede.

Roman began walking towards me, his eyes not leaving mine as I felt my legs wobble threatening to betray me. Roman used his nose to nudge at my shoulder, and just like that the dam inside me broke at his contact. I lunged forward up on my tip toes, wrapping my arms around his wolfs neck. My face fell into the softness of his onyx fur, a scream ripped through my body muffled only by his thick coat.

Tears began their free fall down my face soaking his fur, as I clung to him as if my life depended on it. Roman didn't move whilst I emptied my emotions onto him he remained still, my rock, my protector in the darkness. The only time he moved was to gently nuzzle my neck with his nose, every time my sobbing got out of control.

***

After my cries slowed to hiccups and I didn't think I had any more tears left to give, I pulled back from him. Romans wolf gave me the once over, checking again for injury I assumed before he started nudging me gently back towards where I had come from, clearly wanting me back in the safety that the compound offered.