Chapter 10

I ran and ran until the trees swallowed the sky. The cold wind whipped past my ears, icy, biting, merciless—exactly what I needed to shut out the clamor in my mind. My lungs burned, but my legs wouldn't stop. As the edge of the forest drew closer, the world blurred into patches of dying gold and deep green, like a gaping maw ready to devour me. Then—it appeared again. That green light seemed to resonate with my pulse, leaping, silent, as if it had always been a part of my life. The thought sent chills down my spine the moment it entered my mind. No, I couldn't. I couldn't let it happen again. I couldn't let anyone—nothing—tell me what I should be. Fate wouldn't do it. Werewolves wouldn't do it. The flickering forest light wouldn't do it. My trembling fingers pulled out my phone and pressed my mother's dial button. The phone rang once, twice, three times. “Honey?” Her voice was soft. “Are you alright? How’s the new school? We all miss you so much.” “You—” I swallowed hard. “Are you real