"Miss! You forgot your change." I stop dead at the sound of the voice behind me, my hand slipping from the door handle as I turn.

I thought my trip to the gas station would be easy, and uneventful, but I have no idea what I'm doing apparently.

The burly cashier has an odd look on his face as he stares at me. He eyes me up and down. I feel like he's staring into the depths of my soul. Can he tell that I'm a werewolf?

I gulp, embarrassment flooding me. I cross the small distance between us to grab the few bills that I'm owed. In my haste to get out of this place, I forgot that change was a thing.

Despite the fact that he's just a human man, he's intimidating, he's quite a bit taller and wider than me. I've never been in the human world, and this is my first interaction with one, besides Luna Veiler of course.

I have at least $200 in cash, and I'm hoping that it will be enough to get me to Colorado.

I shove the money in my pocket, murmuring a thank you as I excuse myself. I don't know why I'm so afraid of a person when I'm stronger than them. Well, maybe not anymore. This whole mate bond thing has stolen most of my strength.

The wind outside is frigid, so I curl my jacket closer to my body. I open the small map that I purchased, staring at the large landscape that I have to cross. Everything around me is covered in snow. This whole situation is scary.

As soon as I was safely outside the pack borders, I went to the closest town to gather supplies that I didn't have. One of those being a map, and another being a pen to mark the way.

I should be able cross all the way through Wyoming. I'm not far from the border. I chance a glance upward, staring at the snow that's already pouring down.

Despite the fact that it's a straight shot to Colorado, Wyoming is covered in snow. 3 feet of it to be precise. It's a nightmare. Roads are closing, people are staying inside. It's an arctic wasteland.

I knew Wyoming had bad winters, but 3 feet of snow? There's no way that I'll be able to make it through that much, even in my shifted form. It'll take me weeks to get to Colorado.

Completely dejected, I lower my map, the paper flapping in the breeze as the snow continues to barrel down.

I already have a detour planned, but it makes it so much more complicated. I have to go all the way through Yellowstone and cut across Northern Utah. It's completely out of the way, but luckily camp Arrowhead is a couple of miles from the Utah Border.

By then, I'll be so motivated to see my mate that the journey to get there won't matter.

Sighing, I watch uneasily at the humans coming and going. All of them drive their own cars or trucks, filling them up with gas. I've never driven in my life. It was never an essential skill. There are hardly any vehicles at the pack, and only a select few drive them.

I never had the desire to drive either, until now that is. A car would make my trip a whole lot faster. I'm quicker on four legs, but even at full strength I can't run 60 miles an hour.

Grumbling under my breath, I hitch my backup up my shoulders and start walking down the sidewalk. It's the begging on my journey. A trek across the ice. Snowflakes fall into my eyelashes, sticking to my face and melting on my skin.

I get the occasional glance from people driving by, and I try not to pay them any mind.

Shoving my hands in my pockets, watching my breath turn to fog in the cold sky, I attempt to keep my mind off of my Dad. He'll be so upset when he finds out that I'm gone. I don't doubt that he'll try to track me down.

I try to forget Rain and the look of sorrow on her face as I left her behind. She'll spend the days missing me as much as I miss her already.

Don't even get me started on my pack. My home. My room. The memory of my warm bed has me squirming. What I wouldn't give to be fast asleep, wrapped in a cozy blanket. But instead, I'm trapped in a frozen tundra miles away from home.

Not to mention my weak body. I feel so frail, the effort expended to just put one foot in front of the other is astronomical.

Somehow I'll make it to Colorado, and into the arms of Keifer. I try to picture him in these times of never ending pain. I imagine his warmth. His smile. His tousled, dirty blond locks. I wonder how much he's changed in the past few years. I can't wait to see him.

That's what I have to remember. He's the reason for my sacrifice. Without him, I'll die. I've felt it for some time, but I didn't know how literal the feeling was. I could die from this, but at least I'll have tried my hardest.

Glancing around, sure that no one is watching, I sneak into the snowy woods. I trek through the thick, white fluff, determined to make it without taking a break. I set small goals for myself as I go, making sure that I have something to work towards.

As soon as I'm positive that I'm far from any prying eyes, I dip behind a tree and drop my bag. I start to strip my clothes, my thin body becoming naked in the frigid, unforgiving weather.

I look anywhere but my protruding bones and joints, now is not the time to hate the things I can't change.

Instead, I start stuffing my clothes and map into my backpack, zipping it up in a hurried mess. Kneeling in the snow, I close my tired eyes and channel my energy. I breath in. I focus.

The shift happens gradually, and it's painful, it sucks all of the energy out of me. It's a difficult shift. It's getting harder every time I try. I grunt in pain, keeping the tears out of my eyes as I picture Keifer.

I remember the times we spent in the valley, frolicking in the sun and flowers without any worries.

We had no idea what our futures held. The greif. The pain. The sadness. It was right around the corner, and we were oblivious to it.

Nothing bad could happen as long as we were together, and I'm determined to make sure that I feel that kind of peace again.

☾❂ ☾❂ ☾❂ ☾❂ ☾❂ ☾❂ ☾❂ ☾❂ ☾❂ ☾❂ ☾❂ ☾❂ ☾

If you're reading this, you are brave :)

❤️