It beat against my hands and my nose as I ran across the parking lot towards the forest. My shoes were the first thing to get soaked with water and mud as I made it to the trees and plunged forwards, not looking back.
My pants and hoodie soon joined the shoes, leaving me permanently cold. I blinked water out of my eyes and slowed down a little, trying to get my bearings in the dark trees. They towered above me, swaying in the wind, their bare branches letting all the rain down on top of me. I swiveled my head back and forth, my eyes darting across the ground looking for-
Aaaaaawwwwooooooo... 
I closed my eyes tightly as a high pitched howl rumbled through the trees over the wind. I covered my face with one hand, taking a deep breath and then wrapping my fingers around the handle of my basket tighter. I dropped my hand and spotted the small stack of rocks I had been looking for at the base of a tree.
I could have found the clearing with my eyes shut. My feet had memorized every step, every tree after that rock pile. So many nights sneaking through these trees had branded the journey in my mind.
The rain was still falling hard, driving into any part of my face that my hood didn’t cover. I clenched the basket closer to my chest and pushed through the bushes. They grabbed at my red hoodie and black pants, making tiny rips everywhere. Blood showed on the fabric as I pushed on, feeling like I was going to pass out with worry.
Why did I have to be the one to do this? Did Maxwell know about…us? I slid past one last tree and then felt the rain increase its force a little as I left the shelter of the trees into the semi clearing. I stood in the middle of the muddy grass, my gaze jumping from tree to tree as I waited, knowing he was almost here. The howl had been too close for him not to be.
“Adoff?” I croaked, my throat burning in protest at the loud use of my voice. “Adoff, its Blake. I need to talk to you.”
The wind seemed to get stronger at my request, bending the branches and some of the smaller trunks around me. I slipped a hand closer to the baskets lid, hovering over it. My head jerked up as a crack sounded to my right. I turned and let out a gasp of relief and pain.
“Adoff.” I cried, my hand whipping away from the basket as I faced the newcomer.

He entered the clearing slowly. First one paw landed hesitantly in the drowning grass, then another accompanied by red eyes glowing in the darkness. Next was an open muzzle with white fangs dripping in saliva, large ears perked forwards towards me. Adoff paced forwards a few feet until only his shaggy tail and hind legs were hidden in the tree line, the rest of his huge black body in full view.
“Blake…its been a long time since I saw you last.” He whispered, his voice surprisingly gentle for such a rough body.
I rubbed a hand across my chest as I felt my heart breaking slowly at the sound of his voice. I swallowed.
“I know. I’m sorry. Master Maxwell wouldn’t let me leave.” I lied, my eyes trying to take in all of his rugged beauty. I wanted to stab myself in the head so I wouldn’t have to do this.
“I see. Are you alright, Blake?” He asked quietly, his scarlet eyes gleaming as he looked down at me, taking another step closer with his silent paws. The way he said my name made me want to cry or kick something. The care in his voice…
“Not really. Adoff I- Master Maxwell wants me to do something that I don’t want to do.” I choked, trying not to cry. My hand drifted towards the basket lid again, clenching on the lid. Adoff frowned, freezing. I shook my head a little and swallowed again. “What should I do? He wants me to… to deal with a glitch in his plans. And doing that involves me giving up every dream I ever had. And you know that wasn’t many.” I tried to joke but my voice cracked and I coughed a little, looking away from Adoff’s keen eyes. He was silent for a moment, and when I looked up he was about ten feet way from me. I cried out and stumbled backwards, sliding my hand into the basket, my hand clenching on the handgun inside. The cold metal hurt almost as much as it had when Maxwell had shoved it into my hands, whispering “Dispose of the creature.”

Adoff made a whining sound low in his throat, swaying a little as he c***ed his head at me. His ears went back in a hurt expression as he watched me scramble back to my feet.
“Sorry.” He mumbled, his bright eyes flickering from me to the ground. I felt like screaming in pain like I had for hours last night after receiving my orders. I couldn’t do this, not to Adoff, not to the love of my pathetic life…
I glanced down at the wrist of the hand that was holding the basket. The watch was telling me I had an hour left. But it would take most of that time to get back through the rainy forest. My hand tightened around the gun in the basket.
“I’m so sorry.” I whispered, almost hearing my heart cracking some more as I came to my decision. Adoff’s ears flicked forwards, trying to catch what I had said.
“Blake? Love, what is that man trying to make you do?” He asked, taking another step closer.
“No!” I yelped, shaking my head violently. “Don’t come any closer, please. Please just run away, I am so sorry…” I moaned, squeezing the gun so that the hard handle cut into my palm. Adoff stopped moving and stared at me, almost frowning.
“You haven’t done anything to me, stop apologizing.” Adoff said with a small shake of his head. I fell to my knees, unable to take the weight of standing.
“Adoff I need you to hear me say this. I am sorry. I am so so sorry. Please forgive me, please…” I choked again and started to cry, huge sobs racking my body. I heard near silent paws coming closer and I felt my heart shatter as I looked up and lunged forwards, dropping the basket and pulling the handgun out into sight. Adoff didn’t move as I lifted my arms together, aiming the gun and quickly squeezing the trigger. There was a too loud bang, then a quiet “Oh…” from Adoff.
“Forgive me, please forgive me.  Oh Adoff.” I sobbed, dropping the gun like it was going to burn me. I watched as the wolf fell to the ground, blood already pouring from his chest. My aim had been too good. I knelt beside him and wrapped my hands around his fur, my sobs stopping as suddenly as they had started. Adoff looked up at me with surprised and sad eyes, his mouth hanging open so his tongue could loll out.
“Forgive you, my love? Any day.” He panted, then his blood colored eyes closed forever at the same instant I realized I felt nothing left where I had felt the constant pain of knowing I would have to kill my lover.

 “I love you, Adoff. The stars will welcome you home.” I whispered, leaning down and kissing his dripping snout. For one brief, beautiful and unreal moment we looked just like the carving that was in my thin backpack pressing against my back, a lonely girl and a gentle wolf intertwined as one. A carving that had been made by those innocent paws for the treacherous girl.
His blood was mingling with the mud and my hands and the rain, a mixture that should never have happened. A mixture that was entirely my fault. I pulled the knife out of my hoodie pocket and cut off a clump of wet black fur from Adoff’s side, clenching it tightly in my fist before rising quickly, slowly shaking my head.
I killed him.
I killed him.
Adoff, my poor Adoff… I should have insisted that he run, told him to never see me again, to be safe from me, from Master Maxwell.
But no. I had been a coward, and I had killed him. I couldn’t bear the thought of having to live with a breaking heart knowing he was being hunted by every human on earth except me, knowing he was out there and we could never  see each other again.
I started running through the woods as yesterday’s conversation with Master Maxwell replayed as my mind refused to except what had just happened.
Master Maxwell stood from his polished desk and came around to me, shoving a small handgun into my hot palm. He leaned in close.
“Dispose of the creature.” He whispered, letting go of the gun and turning away.
“I can’t. I won’t kill him.” I shook my head, gaping down at the gun. Maxwell turned back to give me a smile that was not at all friendly.
“Well, if that is the case, it will be hunted down by my assassins and utterly destroyed. I just thought you might want to say goodbye, Blake.” He shrugged, walking to the door.
“Don’t you dare touch him.” I growled, shoving the gun into my back pocket. Master Maxwell shook his head and opened the door, gesturing for me to leave.
“Then you will be the one to kill it, tomorrow night. Agreed?” He asked, raising an eyebrow. I felt my heart shake, my hand clenching. Maxwell nodded. “So I’ll take that as a yes. You are dismissed.”
I stalked out of the room and slammed the door behind me. Then I ran, ran as fast as I could unable to see from the anger blurring my vision. Not just anger, shame. Shame that I was actually going to give up this easily.
I finally collapsed on a staircase, gasping for breath before letting out a scream that reverberated around the closed staircase.
I screamed until I lost my voice, whispering one more word before passing out on the metal stairs.
“Adoff…”

I collapsed against a tree trunk to catch my breath, knowing I was almost to the edge of the forest. Almost to the car that would take me back to Master Maxwell.
I would be safe now. Safe and broken.
I pushed away and started running again, feeling the rain washing away the traces of blood still on my knees and clenched hands, trying to pull the lock of hair out of my grasp.
“You are not taking the last thing I have of him.” I growled, throwing my hood back as I spotted the street lights shining through the dark trees. They seemed to have a reddish tinge to them as a burst through the trees and froze, gasping and blinking rapidly as a hard white light suddenly flooded my vision. I squinted around me, trying to find a shape in the light.
I eventually made out multiple cars with flashing lights and the dark shapes of humans, all facing me with their arms raised.
“Hands in the air.” Demanded a voice from my left. I complied, switching my earphone on as I did so.
“Help me, Master Maxwell.” I muttered, squinting to see the faces of the people nearest me. My earbud remained silent.
“What do you think you were doing in there? This is protected wildlife, don’t you know there is a deadly wolf in there that could kill you?” A mans voice asked, stepping forwards into the spotlight. The police officer glared down his gun at me, nodding to a woman on his right.
“Cuff her quickly. Officer Gun send a ranger out to check on the wolf. You are under arrest miss…?”
“Blake, Officer.” I whispered, my voice cracking a little. I clenched my fist around the tuft of fur tighter as a woman approached me and cuffed my hands behind my back, grasping my shoulders once she was done to keep me in one place. I shivered from the cold. The rain was still pouring down, but it didn’t seem to bother the police arrayed out in front of me.

We stayed like this for another twenty or so minutes before another car pulled up and two men in ranger outfits jumped out and approached the officer who still had his gun pointed lazily at my chest.
“We found him.” The first frowned, giving me a special glare. I looked blankly up at him, my heart thudding in my chest even after having stood still for so long.
“And? The officer asked.
“He’s dead. Found a gun and a basket next to his body with a scrap of red fabric in the bushes. He had been shot in the chest, a direct hit to the heart. We don’t think the old boy suffered too much.” The second man explained, pulling my gun and basket out from behind his back. The officer took the gun and turned to me, holding it out to me. 
“Is this yours?” He asked, his dark eyebrows meeting. I looked down at the gun splattered in mud and blood, then shook my head. The officer glared, then shoved the basket in my face.
“And this?”
I silently shook my head, feeling the black edging in on my vision again as I felt ready to pass out from the stress of the past two days. The man looked angry as he ripped the piece of my hoodie out of the park rangers hand and threw it at my feet. I watched it hit a puddle, sending a ripple against my soaked sneaker. I looked up at him and gave him a broken smile.
“No sir, I don’t think so.” I whispered. The man gave me a shocked look, then lunged forwards and grabbed my arm, pulling me so that my side was facing him. I didn’t look down as his cold fingers rubbed against the patch of skin showing through the hoodie sleeve.
“Take her to the wolf’s body, then get her to the station. I don’t believe a word she’s saying.” He spat, releasing my arm and spinning around to the car behind him as the floodlight turned off. I was blinded again, but didn’t fight as the woman holding my shoulders dragged me over to a car and shoved me in the back, then took off quickly following the rangers car.
“Maxwell where are you?” I hissed, whipping my head around to watch the trees of the forest fly past us in the rainy dark. There was no sound. I was alone.
I couldn’t understand why.
Did Master Maxwell think I was going to chicken out and not kill Adoff? Had I been slower than I realized?
The car slowed to a stop and the female officer opened the door and helped me out, then pushed me ahead in front of her towards the clearing. Yellow tape was put up on stakes around the huge body of my wolf, his fur matted with blood and rain and mud, making him look like something out of a painting where the artist had just dabbed colors onto the canvas, effectively making a heartbreaking masterpiece.
Flashlight beams bounced across the scene, showing my dazed eyes more than they could handle. I fell to my knees, watching everything spin around me. Why had I been so stupid as to think Maxwell would keep me safe. He only needed me to do his business, then he would leave me to the police.
I felt a hand on my shoulder and I looked up slowly, my eyes unfocused and dull.
“Remorse isn’t going to help you Miss Blake, if that’s even your name.” The man glowered, his hand squeezing me slightly. I gave him a crooked smile.
“I know sir, believe me, I know.” And then I broke out into sobs as I realized the full extent of what I’d done. As I realized I had killed the only thing on this earth that cared for me.
And now I was alone. Very, very alone.
:END: