Sirens screamed into my ears, red and blue lights all over the bridge and beyond, all the way back into town. We were surrounded and basically stuck to the railing of the bridge.

“We can’t be here, Owen,” Dante said, his hand gripping mine.

“What do you suggest?” I asked.

“Follow my lead?” he said, a nervous twinkle in his eye.

I nodded and, without warning, he roared at the crowd. I did as I was told and started to bark at them, driving them backwards, giving us just enough of a space to get away.

Dante ran first and I followed, pumping my legs as fast as they would go, desperate to get away. I heard gunfire, I heard cars getting started up, I prayed Dante had some idea where he was going because I was following him and if he was lost, we were totally fucked.

He ran across the bridge and towards a heavily wooded area just off the Pacific Highway. We must have been nearer the camp than I thought, or at least Dante knew some kind of shortcut that would get us from here to there.

We didn’t stop running, leaping over fallen trees and small ravines, dodging past trees, constantly on the lookout for the lights of police cars or for their sirens.

The further into the forest we got, the denser the treeline, the less likely they were to find us. I hoped. And eventually Dante stopped, leaning against a tree and sinking to the ground. I joined him, leaning my back against the rough bark, happy to have even a minute to try and get my breath back.

He leaned over and started kissing me, rushed, breathless, euphoric, the first time we’d done this in our full fur and it was oddly exhilarating. I kissed him back as hard as I could, my claws dancing over the muscles that rippled in his back. I was happy to have this closeness, happy to be with him once again like this, the horrors of the last twenty-four hours behind us, a brand new set of horrors in front of us.

I pulled away. “Fuck,” I said. “My Mom.”

“You’re thinking about your Mom right now?”

“Not the time for joking,” I hit him playfully in the chest. “What about my Mom?”

“Where is she? She’s not still on the bridge?”

“No,” I panted. “She’s at the hospital, she fell asleep, she doesn’t know where I’ve gone.”

“We’ll go and get her,” he said. “Not right now, but we’ll go and get her. Just have to hope she sits tight.”

I still hadn’t caught my breath. How was I this unfit? I reached down and took hold of Dante’s hand, lacing my fingers between his, breathing hard.

“What are we going to do?” I said. “They’re not going to rest until they find us. They saw us so clearly, Dante, they must know we’re nearby.”

He nodded. “I don’t know yet, I’m thinking about it,” he said. “First we need to get back to the pack. Horus will know what to do.” He swallowed. “I think we may have to go,” he said, turning his head to face me. “We won’t be safe among these trees anymore. A fresh start is needed, I think.”

He stood back up, brushing the leaves and mulch off his fur. He helped me to my feet. “We should get walking back to the camp,” he said. “I’d say we’ll make it back within the hour.”

We walked together, side by side, Dante leading the way until we reached a cabin that I thought I recognized. Dante immediately walked up to it and knocked quickly on the door. Horus stepped out. This was Horus’ cabin? I looked about myself, trying to get my bearings. We must have come at it from a different angle because I hadn’t seen where we were.

“What’s happened?” he said, shifting to his grey fur in the moonlight before our very eyes. “You’re out of breath, what’s the matter?” His eyes found me and he softened a little at the sight of my injury. “Are you keeping well, Owen?” he said.

“We don’t have time for that right now,” Dante barked. “We’ve been found out, I think.”

Horus looked shocked, it was the first time I’d seen him look anything other than placid and kind. A sadness crossed his face. “I know what we need to do,” he said. “I’ll inform the rest of the pack and we’ll head off within the hour. No time to waste.”

“Tell them to only pack the essentials,” Dante said. “We can buy new clothes when we get to where we’re going.”

“What about my Mom?” I said. “We can’t just go and not tell her. She’s got nowhere to go, you said she could join us.”

“Maybe we can drive through?” he suggested, but he didn’t seem sure.

“Dante, please, it’s my Mom and–”

“Let me go,” Horus said. “I’ll get Eric to inform the rest of the pack and then go and get her. You’re right, Owen, we can’t leave anyone behind.” He paused. “I imagine your mother would have been smart enough to stay inside so she didn’t turn, am I right?”

I really fucking hoped so. “Of course,” I said. “Be careful Horus.”

Horus brushed my comment away and started up the track towards the campsite. I could hear his voice booming, even from here. It was unnerving. It was the knowledge that something had gone terribly wrong and now we were paying the price, and the price was our home. I couldn’t imagine how it felt for Dante. He grew up here. Presumably, he never left here much either apart from to go to the occasional Howl. This was home, and now he would have to build a new one from scratch. Not just for him, but for the whole pack.

I took his hand and he squeezed it tightly in response. That was the right move. I was getting better at this.

We walked back to the cabin and didn’t hesitate in grabbing suitcases and filling them with our things. We took one set of clothes each and then started putting in various things that felt sentimental to us in some way. Dante tried to talk me out of taking the Harry Potter books with me, but they were his editions and I didn’t feel like it would be the same to just buy another set. I took the clothes I’d been wearing that first night we’d properly met at the Howl and found myself clutching at the necklace he had bought me like it was a lifeline. I could finally see it as the start of a special thing for us both. To think I nearly missed it by being so cold and negative towards Dante, thinking he was just leading me on some kind of ride when really he just wanted to take it slow. And now I was stupidly in love with him, and carrying his child. I could hardly believe my luck.

A couple of hours passed, a couple of hours where Dante was pacing the living room and checking outside for Horus’ return, waiting for headlights, waiting for news. Eric kept reporting back, updating Dante on what was happenings, making sure no one got left behind. The time seemed to pass so slowly. My suitcase was by the door. I was nervous, twitchy, ready to get out of there.

“Horus is back,” Dante said, as a set of headlights lit up the whole cabin. “And we should probably get in the truck and get going.”

I sighed and grabbed my suitcase, hurrying to the door and kissing him lightly on the lips.

“What was that for?” he asked.

I smiled. “For you.”

Mom didn’t get out of Horus’ car, still completely wiped from her surgery, but she was okay and she was happy to be coming with us, happy that Horus came back for her. She really was trying to be the more open Mom that I knew from my childhood and it showed in the way that she thanks Dante.

“We need to be heading off,” Horus said. “I can’t hear them coming but it’s only a matter of time. The sooner we leave, the better chance we have of outrunning them, of getting a head start.”

“Of course,” Dante said, grabbing both of our suitcases and heading over to where Eric was with his Jeep.

“Have you had to do this before?” I asked. “Leave because of humans?”

Horus shook his head. “I fear there are difficult times ahead for our kind Owen,” he said solemnly. “Times are changing, attitudes are shifting, and I worry what will come of it.”

My blood ran cold. “War?” I asked.

“I sincerely hope not,” he said. “If there is war, I fear it is a battle that our people cannot win.”

Dante appeared at my side. “Eric fixed the Jeep so we’re about ready to go.” He turned to Horus. “Will you follow us?” he asked.

“Until the very end,” Horus said.

Dante took my hand and we walked over to the Jeep. I found myself looking back at the cabin, longing to step back inside one last time and see it all, properly take it all in. This had been my first home with Eastwind, my first home with Dante and I didn’t want to forget it. Even though I’d spent the last couple of months there, I felt like I could so easily forget it if I wasn’t careful. I didn’t take it in enough.

“I’m sorry our time here had to end this way,” Dante said. “I’d honestly hoped it wouldn’t have to end here at all.”

I smiled. “Me too.”

“Onwards?” he asked.

I nodded. “Onwards.”

We put our cases in the back of the Jeep and led the rest of the pack away from the campsite, through the forest and out into the big wide world. On to the next campsite, the next home, hope in our hearts for a brighter tomorrow.