Hailey’s P. O. V

By the time Kaesha and Timothy were back, I’d already finished my food, drank some water, changed into my pyjamas, and was wrapped up in my sleeping bag.

There was some chatter when they returned, but it didn’t take long for everyone to retire for the night as I heard ruffles and the zip of the other tent closing. And then I was suddenly hyperaware of him, of his movements as he walked over to our tent, of the heavy sigh he gave before climbing in, of the warmth emanating from him as he climbed into his sleeping bag next to mine. I was as still as an untouched lake through it all, my back to him and my sleeping bag cocooning me.

Outside our tent, crickets and critters conversed in their nighttime sounds, but in our tent, silence reigned.

“Goodnight.” He uttered, suddenly, softly, like he wasn’t sure if I were still awake.

A beat passed, then I whispered back, “Goodnight.”

More silence.

Try as I might, I couldn’t sleep. It felt like my entire being was on high alert with him so close, coiled to pounce or retreat, I didn’t know.

“I can’t sleep.” He said after some twenty minutes, “And your breathing hasn’t changed, so I guess you can’t either.”

“No.” I sighed.

The movement of his sleeping back ruffled and I was aware of his heat getting nearer. When he spoke again, his voice was closer.

“I don’t know what Kaesha is up to, making us stay together, but why did you agree to this?”

“I figured it couldn’t be worse than the last time we were left alone together.” I replied without thinking.

He sucked in a breath and I sighed, then turned to face him too.

“I decided to try.” I said, not meeting his gaze, “I’ve been avoiding you and I know it’s made them uncomfortable, so I decided to try.”

“Okay.” He said softly, then paused, looking unsure of himself, “I’m sorry for those things I said.”

I bristled, but he continued, “You had every right to avoid me, and it gave me a lot of time to think about how things went down. I was outta line and me listening to my fears since we met has been unfair to you. I just want the chance to make it up to you, if you’ll let me.”

I finally let my eyes meet his. They were earnest and unguarded, imploring me to accept his apology.

“You were so outta line.”

He nodded.

“And rude.”

He nodded again.

“And you hurt me.”

He winced, then nodded once more.

“But if I have some time… I think I can forgive you.”

Hope bloomed on his face and my heart squeezed at the sight, “Take all the time you need, Sunshine.”

I allowed myself to smile.

Then thoughts of Kaelin invaded my mind. Sweet Kaelin, who still blushed every time I looked at him, who listened to me yammer on and on without so much as a yawn, who loved to bring me little trinkets from his dad’s shop that he tried his best to bend into shapes and animals, who brought me food whenever he noticed any change in my mood.

Who had nervously asked to be my boyfriend just last week.

Who I’d said yes to.

My smile fell.

“I can forgive you,” I said around the dryness of my mouth, “but I don’t know if we can be together.”

The earlier hope on his face faltered, sputtering into disappointment. The urge to argue, to plead, was there in his eyes, in the furrow of his brows. But he just took a deep breath and gave me a smile that made my heart squeeze in an entirely different way, “I can wait.”

I gave him a feeble nod and we exchanged goodnights again, turning our backs to each other.

I fell into a restless sleep.

When we’d woken up, we’d been facing each other again, our faces mere inches apart. But I’d determined not to let that make things awkward, and it seemed he’d drawn the same conclusion. By the time we got to the Sanctuary, the energy between us was notably different. There was a longing every time he looked at me, and I no longer shied away from him completely.

It wasn’t lost on me that every time we interacted, Kaesha looked immensely pleased with herself while Ari just shot us curious glances.

But it was all forgotten once we reached the Sanctuary.

“Remember,” Ari had told us as we approached, “we can go for ten signatures, but we just need six. Make sure they know what they’re getting into, but don’t mention who we’re up against. We don’t know if the information will reach them if we say their names.”

If you’d ever imagined a town of tree houses, you’d have been able to predict what the place was like. Platform and tree houses interconnected above us, nothing but ropes and ladders built into the trunks to get to them. Some structures and tents were on the ground, along with a small clearing with a canopy tied to the nearest trees housing sacks of ingredients, pots and pans. In the trees, Werewolves of all ages and backgrounds moved around deftly, obviously at home here.

After we’d been inspected by the nearest guards, Ari and Kaesha had broken away to go talk to other Werewolves about joining us.

Tim and I had approached three Werewolves, only managing to get two no’s and one maybe after explaining our goal and inviting them to join us.

“Timmy? Is that you?” A voice called, quaking with emotion.

He froze, almost statuesque. I saw a kaleidoscope of emotions prance about on his face. Grief, relief, guilt, and then finally one that shouldn’t have prickled at my heart to see him feel – tenderness.

“Pen…” he breathed, turning slowly to look at the girl that stood behind him.

At the sound of her name from his lips, she raced over and captured him in a hug that pinned his arms to his sides. He wiggled his arms out of between them and wrapped them around her, his embrace tender and fierce all at once.

I averted my gaze, my eyes looking for anything to put my attention on other than the sight of him like this.

They eventually released each other and proceeded to chatter on.

“I thought I’d lost you.” She whispered, sounding like she was speaking around a lump in her throat.

Tim held her hands in his, his eyes searching hers, “I had to stay away. It was just safer for you that way.”

‘I guess that’s just his playbook for every girl. Stay away cause it’s dangerous.’ I suppressed the urge to roll my eyes, my internal sarcasm so potent that I was glad I hadn’t blurted it out.

She shook her head, her curls swaying with the motion. Tears made her eyes glossy, “I grieved you.”

He hugged her again, and I suddenly found some interest in the ladder on a nearby tree trunk. They’d really done a good job of keeping them sturdy.

“I’m so sorry I put you through that, Pen. There were some fucked up people after me and I really needed to make sure you were safe.”

“Okay.” She exhaled and pulled back, her eyes roaming his face as if to take every feature in, “All that matters is that you’re here now.”

“Yes, I am.” He said, caressing her cheek, “But I can’t stay.”

She pulled away, taking a step back as indignation filled her face, “What? I just got you back and you’re already telling me that you’re going to disappear? Again?”

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“I have to, Pen. I can’t go into details, but I’m working on something, and if it works out, I could get justice for our pack. Kieran, Jason, Cam… what happened to them will not go unpunished. I’ll make sure of it.”

She didn’t miss a beat, “I want to help.”

“Absolutely not. There’s a reason I had to stay away and I’m not taking you anywhere near it.”

“That’s not a choice you get to make.” She retorted.

They stared each other down, the atmosphere around them static with tension.

I needed to get out of there.

“I’m gonna go talk to some more people.” I said, my legs already carrying me away from them, “You two should catch up.”

He barely even looked my way, only deigning to mutter a distracted “sure”, his gaze still locked in hers.

‘Kaelin.’ I reminded myself as I approached another Werewolf, ‘Kaelin’s my boyfriend. This means nothing to me.’

‘If you say so.’ Opelene drawled, the pity in her voice apparent.

Natalia’s P. O. V

Walking into the Sanctuary, I didn’t know how to feel. Excitement, nervousness and the desire to turn around melded inside me, none of them dominant for long enough for me to be able to tell which I felt more.

After passing the inspections and confirming that we had permission to scout new members for our pack, we decided to move in pairs to cover more ground. After reminding them of the numbers we needed, Kaesha and I went into the trees while Hailey and Timothy stayed on the ground.

They’d been strange, interacting more than they had over the past few weeks. Hailey had called me, giddy with excitement last week, when Kaelin had asked to be her boyfriend, and since our phones weren’t getting much service out in the woods, I knew she wouldn’t be able to break up with him till we returned, if that’s what she decided to do. But the carefulness between them told me that maybe she’d decided to choose Kaelin over Timothy.

All of that was pushed to the back of my mind though, as Kaesha and I pressed on. I’d had her cast a spell to suppress my Allure, and my concealment kit was in full effect, so I had just my persuasion skills to rely on.

Most of the Werewolves we approached were open to the idea of joining another pack, as new as it was. What they weren’t as open to was the idea of having to go up against another pack. I couldn’t blame them. Werewolves were community creatures, and the whole point of being in a pack was safety, security, and connection. Throwing revenge into the mix, especially for Werewolves who had been in danger enough to need to come to the Sanctuary in the first place, wasn’t exactly an attractive proposition.

So I was surprised when, as Kaesha and I were going over our failures while seated free platform, we were approached by three Werewolves. Two of them were guys, their shaggy, long hair pulled back in low ponytails. The brunet had some of his hair free from his ponytail, obscuring part of his face and hiding the eyepatch beneath, while the black-haired one looked older, wearier of life and on edge. The lady with them was petite, barely reaching their chests, and deftly used her crutches to keep pace with the men beside her.

Kaesha and I shared a look as we got to our feet.

“We hear you’re looking to start a pack and you need some members.” The woman said.

We nodded.

“We also hear that you’re looking to bring justice to some pack that’s abused their power.”

I’d hardly call what I planned to do to the Lightwoods justice, it was more like pure, unadulterated revenge, but I nodded all the same.

“Who’s gonna be the Alpha of this pack of yours?” The eyepatched brunet asked.

I lifted my chin and met his eyes, “I am.”

They all looked skeptical, but the older man continued, “You’re an Alpha, no doubt from your scent, but are you strong enough to handle what you’re planning to do?”

My lips widened in a grin, “Why don’t you find out?”

Eyepatch laughed, a hearty sound that made his shoulders shake, “That a challenge, little lady?”

I cocked my head to the side, sizing him up, “More like an invitation.”

He laughed again, “I like her.”

The older man shook his head, while the woman regarded me evenly. Her gaze was piercing, like she was boring a hole into me and peering at my soul. No doubt, she’d find nothing but burning hatred and barely controlled rage if she could actually see it.

“There are many here who crave the safety of a pack once again.” She said finally, “There are also many waiting for an opportunity to right some wrongs, ourselves included. They will all follow you, should you prove yourself worthy of it.”

I nodded. I’d survived beatings and withstood torture. I’d had the ire of an entire pack determined to break me bear down on me all at once. I’d been ridiculed and belittled and treated like less than gum on a shoe. I knew I was strong.

But was I strong enough to protect others?

“How do I prove myself a capable leader and protector?”

“That’s easy, dear. You fight, and you win.”

………………..

They pitted me against two people.

One was a bear of a woman, with scars that crisscrossed up her exposed arms and an x marked on her cheek. The other was a burly man missing his middle fingers on both hands, who looked enough like her to be considered her brother. When Kaesha had protested against the fact that they were making me fight two people, Eyepatch had scoffed, saying that an Alpha ought to be able to fight regular Werewolves two to one. This logic was new to me, but then again, I suppose Alphas needed to be stronger for a reason.

“You may use the clearing and this portion of the trees.” The woman, Margorie, had explained, her gait brisk as she outlined our arena, “If one of you crosses the bounds, you’re out. If one of you loses consciousness, you’re out. If one of you forfeits, you’re out. Ari, you only win when both of them are out.”

“Are you sure this is fair?” The man, Daniel, asked, fingering his brass knuckles nervously as he echoed Kaesha’s earlier sentiment, “I know she’s meant to be an Alpha and all, but isn’t she a tad outmatched?”

“Yeah,” Daniella, his sister, chimed in with an entirely different tone as she eyed me gleefully, tossing her axe from one hand to the other, “fighting just one of us should be more than enough for her.”

I met their concerns with a wry smile. A year of proper nourishment and my Uncovering had taken my body out of the rickety, malnourished zone, but I was sure I looked like a fawn to them.

“Ready…” Margorie called, the crowd that had gathered to spectate cheering for the siblings in amused jeers as a backdrop to her, “Fight!”

For such large people, they moved quickly. Daniel charged straight towards me, all earlier apprehension having evaporated with the call to fight, while Daniella curved around, her axe ready to strike.

I readied the forearm-length dagger I’d been given, avoiding Daniel’s blows with slight movements, and avoiding getting hacked by Daniella.

They moved with so much unison, I was sure they’d fought together for years. Daniel would come in close with a flurry of punches I had to avoid if I didn’t want a nasty bruise, then he’d fall back in the same split second that Daniella would strike, his last-second withdrawal nearly making me a second late to dodge her blade.

With my newly Uncovered senses, I was able to track their movements easily, but had this been a few months ago, my coordination may not have been able to keep up with the speed I needed to avoid them both.

After a few minutes, I got used to their patterns, so the next time Daniel fell back, I swiftly moved in with my dagger and slashed at the handle of Daniella’s axe with as much force as I could muster.

I’d underestimated my strength, so the attack left me unbalanced for a second as the rest of Daniella’s axe flew to the side, lodging in the ground with a thunk and leaving her holding just a stump of wood.

In the second I’d lost balance, Daniel swooped in, landing a blow in my side that had my breath whooshing out through gritted teeth.

Forging through the pain, I immediately grabbed his arm and pulled him in, the both of us tumbling to the ground. Before he could get the upper hand, I locked my arm around his trunk of a neck in a chokehold and my legs around his torso, managing to trap one of his arms. His weight bore down on me as he clawed at my arms with his free hand to get me to release him. I refused to relent, only tightening my hold when Daniella started on me with hits of her own.

I didn’t let go till I was sure he’d passed out, then I rolled out from under him, in time to avoid the punch she’d aimed for my head.

My arms were bleeding, and my side still stung, but I jumped to my feet and rushed her with my dagger. She avoided most of my slashes, but I pressed on, refusing to give her an inch of ground in the fight. We were approaching the line in the sand marking the bounds. She seemed to realize this too, because she abruptly spun off to the side, risking a slash that caught her in her side.

I rounded on her with a kick. She managed to block it, but the force of it sent her skidding back several feet.

When she lowered her arms, her eyes met mine and her mouth widened in a twisted grin, “Oh, I like you.”

I met it with one of my own, “Thanks.” Then rushed back in.

Whatever counter she had in store for me met air as I dropped to my knees at the last second, slicing her thigh as my momentum helped me slip passed her.

She growled in pain, which continued into an actual growl as she shifted.

When I looked back at her, I was faced with her wolf. She wasn’t quite as big as Hailey’s or even Timothy’s, but I was sure that what she lacked in size, she’d more than make up for in viciousness.

I needed to end this quickly.

Snarling, she raced at me, and I ran headlong to a tree. When I was close enough, I pushed off with all the strength I could gather in my legs and leapt, reaching the platform above with a single jump.

As wolves, it wouldn’t be easy for us to climb trees, so staying up here would have forced her to shift back, but I didn’t wait. Almost as soon as I was on the platform, I dropped back down, landing on her back and wedging my dagger into her shoulder.

She let out a howl and thrashed about, rolling around in an attempt to shuck me off. I held on. Even as I felt the bruises and scrapes forming from the impact of her tossing herself to the ground with me still clinging onto her. I yanked the dagger out of her shoulder and buried it in her other one, earning more howls and violent thrashing. I took it out again and buried it in her side next.

Her howls grew sharper.

Finally, as she tried to slam herself to the ground with me on her back again, I rolled away, getting not a crouched position when I was far enough away.

It took her some effort to get to get up and winces of pain punctuated her every movement. She turned to me, her snarl full of violent promises if she got her teeth in me.

I smiled.

She charged.

When she moved in to bite, I held the dagger out in front of me, bracing the blade with my other hand. She pulled back just in time to stop herself from chomping on the blade, receiving a gash to the side of her snout instead. I moved in, ignoring her claws nicking my flesh and pushing grabbing onto her as I used me momentum and strength to toss her as hard as I could.

She skidded to a halt and turned back to me, gearing up to attack again.

“Stop!” Margorie bellowed.

She moved over to me and when she was by my side, she took one of my bloody, bruised arms in her own and raised it, “Daniel has been knocked out and Daniella fell out of bounds. Ari wins!”

The crowd was silent for a second.

Then they cheered.