What Did You Say, Mate?

Chapter One: Burnt Bridges

Marceau 

"Maman! Maman!" I cried, through the sleeve of my hoodie. 

The smoke was crawling up my nose and down my throat and sunk into my eyes. 

I'd woken up coughing, the smoke engulfing the entire house. Flames danced on the floor and ash was raining outside the window and onto the woods and other homes. I could see people running around frantically, looking for loved ones or an escape route.

"Mom!" I cried again. 

My coughing grew more rapid until strong arms grabbed my shoulders and threw me through the window. 

The shattering glass hurt my back, but the air was fresher out in the open. Both my lungs and my back stung from the action that just took place.

My father followed me out of the window. His expression angry, fury in his eyes swirling brighter that the flames that licked away the last of my childhood home behind him. When he recognized his only child, he sighed, and embraced me. His black hair that matched mine was even darker with the soot that clung to the strands, and I didn't doubt my of skin was darker, like his from the smoke that we'd run through.

"Sorry. I thought you were a DarkPaw!" he said. 

I coughed again and my eyes widened. 

"Are they behind this?! Dad what are we going to do? Where's mom!" I cried.

The DarkPaw pack was a rival werewolf pack that we, the BleuLune pack, despise. We attacked each other constantly, so I assumed we'd be ready for this one. I guess... the warriors got lazy after the few months of quiet. 

I saw dad's eyes darken at the mention of mom. A pain was there, like I'd never before seen. It could only mean one thing. And I feared it with all of my heart.

"No. No, no, anything but that. Dad please, tell me it's not so." I said, holding my chest. 

My family was everything to me. My mother had raised me, and my father protected us both. They were my life. I couldn't live without either of them. I couldn't live without my mother's bright green eyes that mirrored mine. I couldn't even think of leaving the chocolate haired woman who'd always been there for me.

He shook his head, but then took a deep breath.

"Marceau, listen to me. Listen now! We- we were planning to give this to you when you graduated, but we want you to take it now. Take it and run. Please." he said.

I watched as he extended his hand. In his clenched fingers was a crinkled plane ticket.

"Non. Papa. Non." 

"Take it! And when you get there say this address to anyone who will take you there. " my father said, then said something in a different language, "Now, go!"

He shoved it into my hoodie neck then pushed me out of the way of an ugly mud colored wolf as it sprung at me.

Dad tackled the wolf and held it down by the shoulders as it snapped at his face. Fangs the color of urine couldn't reach him, but I knew my father couldn't last long against the wolf. It was higher ranked and stronger. 

"Run! Marceau, run!" he shouted before more wolves were upon him. 

The group was savage, biting and tearing at him. I wanted to shout at them, I wanted to cry, but I couldn't. I couldn't move. I couldn't speak. I could just watch in terror and agony. 

I didn't see it, but I didn't need to. I heard the snap and my dad's shouts were no more. I let loose a sob then and only then did I realize it was too late. I'd alerted the wolves. 

A wolf turned toward me and it's eyes locked onto mine. 

That's when I turned and fled. 

I felt the ticket dig into the skin of my neck as I ran. I had on hand there to keep it from flying away, and one hand in front of me as I tried not to trip.

I was agile, and I outran the evil wolves quickly, but I wasn't much for fighting. If they were to catch me, I'd be long gone, and my father would be dead for nothing. 

"Non!" I shouted just as I tripped, falling into a highway. 

A silver car swerved, skidding to a stop just inches from me.

"Dude! Are you okay! What are you doing, jumping in front of cars like that! It's not sa-" he cried, hopping out.

"Please! They're after me! Help me escape! Please, we have to go!" I pleaded, jumping up, and grabbing his sleeve. 

Seeing me frightened, the man nodded and opened the passenger door and beckoned me inside before dashing to his door, which he left open. 

I hopped in and I didn't need to shut the door, for it was slammed closed by a black wolf with evil blue eyes.

"Go!" I cried and the man sped away. The pedal to the metal as the car hit fifty meters per hour. 

I looked back to see the rest of the wolves staring at me. Six pairs of eyes slowly dwindled and faded in the dark until they were smaller than the stars in the night sky. They'd be coming. I knew it. I knew it for sure.

"Where are we going, Monsieur?" the man asked frightfully. 

The wolves no doubt scared him as well. We were both seating and breathing hard in fear. My heart threatened to bust out of my rib cage and fly through the window. 

I repeated the words of that foreign language. The words that made no sense to me, but I held on tightly to them, because they were the last words of my father.

"What?" the man asked, turning toward me, confused.

"L'aeroport." I said.

******************

This will hopefully be the first and only authors note in this story. 

First of all, I know a little bit of French, at the moment, I am currently leaning French, however most of the more complicated stuff will come from google translate. So, if I spelled something wrong or my French grammar is incorrect, I would apreciate knowing, that way I do not insult anyone and it helps me learn. 

Also, for all the ones who don't understand French at all, I will try to add some words that are easy to recognize, however, if anyone can't figure it out and needs a translation, I will be happy to edit the story and put parenthesis at the end of that word or phrase with what it means. It's not that hard. 

Anyway, hope you enjoy the story, but please don't judge too hard, it's only my second story on Wattpad, and I'd like to see the nicer faces instead of seeing more rude comments than good. All of the comments that I see as rude WILL be deleted. 

                                                                                                                      -Jaylay