Jessica grabs her phone removing the sims card, I do the same. Neither of us have any cash, but we thought it would be better to cut the black cards than risk using them for anything. We tried to take scissors to them, but we laugh at our idiocy when the metal wouldn't budge, "I guess we just leave them here."

We snagged comfy clothes, both in jeans and hoodies with soft tennis shoes. Neither her or I carry anything extra, the only thing we hold onto being the service-less phones that we slide into our back pockets, "Ready?"

"Ready." I nod back to her, and she hypes herself up before walking over to stick her head of the apartment door.

The guard is immediate, turning his head to her with a smile, "Beta, how can I help you?"

"Beta?" She calls back, I see his face turn red before waving his hands.

"Sorry, Mrs. Denmark not what I meant, I meant to- Well I can see that upset you as well." He swallows deep, and Jessica just stares at him while he fumbles over anything he might consider a brain cell, "How can I help you?"

"Veronica and I order a delivery meal and they are refusing to bring it up, mind grabbing that for us? We don't want to deal with the media again if they are down there." She pushes out her bottom lip, the guard looking around the hallway for moral support I assume.

"Do you promise to stay here? The alpha would kill me if he knew I left my post." Alpha?

"Of course, we promise to stay here and keep our mouth shut. No need to worry. I am just about to get into my pajamas anyways." She smiles at him and that finally convinces him. He nods at her turning away to run to the elevator. She waves as the door closes before turning to me, "Let's move. Stairs are on the right."

The two elevator system confuses me, one entering directly into our apartment, one only being for the people in the hallway. However, when you have to make a break for it, it's nice that there is also stairway access. We exit the apartment, closing the door behind us. Our feet are padded as we run down the carpeted hallway to the emergency stairs. Jessica pauses, "This is our last chance, are we sure?"

I nod, she nods in return, and then we were off. Our feet patter down the staircases, one after the other as we move as fast as we can. The numbers tick down on levels, each number a new relief to see. I keep a subtle count to my self just a reminder to keep me centered on the matter at hand, and not the five thousand things running through my head.

The base floor comes quick enough, our breath heavy from all the stairs even though it was only a down hill walk, "Here's the exit. It's going to set off the alarm, we have to run okay?"

"Wait. We need to think about this. Those guards seem to smell things, have you noticed?"

She taps her chin, "I have, what are you getting at?"

"The dumpster, it's on this side of the building right? We need to jump into it to cover any normal smells we have."

"You're kidding." She whispers running her hand down her face, I laugh lightly.

"We know somethings up with them, why take any chances?"

"Fuck..." She groans pretending to slam her head into the wall, "Fine, let's go."

She counts to three throwing her body into the door setting off the fire alarm for the whole building. My heart sinks as we run into the alley, thankfully a full dumpster coming into view, "Come on, together!" I call out grabbing the edge to jump in covering myself in the trash of the building. I crawl to the other side, grabbing the edge and launching myself out to run towards the opposite walk way, Jessica follows suite. I smell the air and want to gag at the smell of myself, perfect.

We take quick turns through the back ways of the city, left rights, they all blend together until our lungs give out and legs burn to the point of no return. We stop in a back alley trying to fill ourselves with the polluted air of the city. Jessica laughs, me joining her, "I can't believe we just did that."

"We aren't done yet, we have to get out of the city."

"And with no money what's our plan?"

While we should have thought through this better, the freedom that we taste on our tongues is worth it. This is how we should feel all the time, "People know our faces by now, they've pinned you too last time we checked. We have to stay in the dark."

The media was all over us, Jessica now looped into it by taking another one of the wanted bachelors. We gag at how they ripped us apart, both her and I looking obviously pissed in the few photos they stole or caught of us. Because we look so happy with these men.

"And what does that correlate too?"

"We are going to have to walk. Stay on the side walks. Streets are always busy and there's a trail that connects Canada to New York that we can walk. From there we can break west to stay in the more rural areas."

"Okay, okay, fine. We can start walking and then figure it out on the way. Dive bars are always looking for a server or two." She winks at me and we begin to walk.

It's only an hour later before we finally give into the tired, our bodies lagging as we travel the busy streets. I poke Jess, her eyes just as heavy, "Come on, we have to sleep." We find a nearby alley, other homeless already filling the space as well.

I pull her to one corner, and we lean against each other, heads holding one another up. We take our phones and slide them down our pants, no need to take chances, and if anyone attempts to take them then we will know. And if it were to happen, have much bigger problems.

She hums against me, none of the others in the alley giving us a glance, "Good night."

"Good night."

~

"There scents pick up nearby, Alpha. We are close." A familiar voice cuts through the morning air. Jessica grabs my shoulders shaking me fully awake.

"It's fucking Daniel. We have to move. The dumpster wore off." She scolds grabbing at me once more to drag me to the back of the walk way, another dumpster coming into view. Jessica shoves at me and we both jump in, the squish of food entering our personal space. It had to be a restaurant dumpster. She tries not to puke, the smell of rotten food sending us into gagging fit that we have to stop breathing to evade.

"Where the fuck could they have gone Daniel?" Another male calls out to him, and I hear his growl in return.

"The Luna isn't stupid, she probably noticed something and has been using it to evade. Doesn't help that Beta is just as intelligent." He scuffs coming close to the garbage. I hear his intake of breath, I assume from smelling around us. We both hold our breaths keeping as still as possible.

"They will be great for the pack." The other responds, a laugh leaving him.

"I agree, if they would stop running from their mates. Such determination, it will be good for the pack to be led by strong women, and watch the Alpha learn how to submit once in a while." Daniel laughs while we listen to his feet shuffle over the concrete.

"And why can't they just come and tell them?"

"Tradition I suppose. The girls need to admit their feelings before their secret is shared. Listen pup, the mates of the high ranks are always human, it keeps them balanced and reminds them of their softer side. You can't handle a human like you would a female wolf."

Female wolf? These people really are delusional... but then again...

"Have you gotten their scent yet?" The new one asks, both Jess and I starting to starve for air. I meet Jessica's eyes, her face burning.

"No, but I assume they're close. Just... waiting."

"So what do you think is going to happen when we find them?"

"I'd be surprised if they ever leave their sights again. It was a whole ordeal just to get them into the high security apartment. My back still hurts from changing out those windows to be permanently closed."

Jessica nods her head at me, her eyes watering, face as red as a tomato. I shake my head at her, but she can't take it, opening her mouth to breath in as much air as possible.

"Got you." The lid to the dumpster is thrown back, Daniel looking down at us both with a warm grin, "Hello ladies, I was sent with Adrian here to find you both. It's good to see you alive."

I start breathing as well, trying to evade his hands that grab at me, "Mind-link the Alpha, tell him we found them. Beta Josh is nearby."

"What are you talking about? Is this some..." I start quizzing them trying to get an explanation for everything that we just heard. Daniel waves his finger at me tossing me into the hands of Adrian.

"Not for us to share, Luna, you got lucky to hear what you did."

"Please don't send us back there without an explanation!" I scream, Jessica fighting against Daniel's hold when he pulls her out as well.

"The dumpster was smart, Luna. You just needed to be more diligent. I promise the Alpha won't hurt you."

It's not him I'm worried about, "Daniel, please, please." I cry out to him, but he shakes his head looking over my shoulder. I try to turn my head, but Adrian keeps my arms pinned behind me facing Jessica who's eyes go wide at the sight.

"Hello, mate."