The Pack House

The Journey Part 2

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"We're lost?" Zach whimpered.

"Not lost, just...turned around." I paused to cough, feeling my chest tighten. Breathing was getting tough. "Let's stop for a minute?"

We were all puffing a bit as our lungs fought the infection. Charlie was leaning sullenly against a birch, hacking into his fist. He shot me a filthy look when he caught me looking. I rolled my eyes and coughed into my elbow. "Charlie do you know where we are?"

"Yeah," he paused to cough. "We need to go West."

"Are you sure?"

"Obviously you aren't." he retorted.

I sighed in dismissal. "Fine. West. Lead the way."

"Gladly." He began to cough more violently when he looked up, there was a blood on his lips and hand. "Ah, shit."

"Charlie--?"

"It's fine. I've had The Cough like ten times already. I always cough up blood. Just...not so soon normally. But I'm not a little bitch and I can't handle it." He spit the blood on the ground and started to walk.

Zach looked petrified and the question in his mind was in my own--was the going to happen to us? Surely coughing up blood was a bad sign. We trekked for hours, stopping only when our coughing made it impossible for us to continue.

"I think we're still lost." I pointed out unhelpfully.

Charlie had stopped suddenly, holding onto the bark of an oak with enough strength to cut into his hand. A bead of blood ran down his forearm. "Charlie?"

"This place..." his voice was trembling. "I know this place. It sounded...familiar but now I remember."

"Remember what? I don't think we've been here before..." I replied quietly. "Are you feeling okay?"

"Crimson Canyon... This is the Camp that sold me to Red." He sprinted toward me and I realized how afraid he was. It was unnerving to see such a solid wolf crumbling. "Mason please. We can't be here!"

"Charlie, calm down." His eyes were wide with terror and his chest heaving. "Red owns you now--they can't hurt you."

"Wanna bet on that, Omega?"

In he midst of conversation we hadn't noticed the small group of wolves coming in to us, against the wind. Charlie spun on heel and without a single glance toward Zach or I, attempted to flee into the forest. He wasn't out of sight for longer than a moment before a bloodcurdling yelp filled the woods around us.

"Charlie!" I cried, starting toward the area.

"Not so fast," one snagged my arm in his massive fist and restrained me with ease. "What are little things like yourselves doing wandering alone?"

"We're going to the Crimson Canyon," I growled, trying to seem fearless. My fear gave them power--I had to know Charlie was alright! "Now let us go!"

"Go? Where? There are some big bad wolves in these parts, Omega. I'd hate to see you become someone's toy...or dinner." He gave me a wolffish grin and my skin crawled.

It was obvious I held no power here so I pled to the only thing I could--his compassion. "Please Sir. We're sick. Our...owner set us to get medicine. We're no use to you. I'm not even pretty."

"No," he agreed. "But the others are. And you'll do for a desperate fuck or two--sick or not."

I clawed at his hand. "Let go of me or you'll be sorry! Red will kill you if you hurt us!"

"Red?" The man echoed tone suddenly suspicious. "How do you know that name?"

"He owns us!" Zach whimpered. "Please don't hurt me!"

The man holding him hit him hard. Blood burst from his nose and the boy began to weep as he cradled his face in his free hand. "Stop it!" The man holding me snapped to his friend. "No one is to lay a finger on them. Take them to Arrow. Where's Dax?"

"He's got the other one in there," the one who hit Zach replied somewhat moodily. Clearly he didn't appreciate his fun being cut short.

"Go get him."

"That's the little slut from a few years back. Ran away didn't he?" He argued. "We owe him--he belongs back at camp!"

"No you don't! He's our friend and belongs to Red!"

"Can it," the man snapped. "Alright but tell Dax to put him back with the whores after he shows him exactly what happens to doggies who run away from home."

My blood ran cold and I fought to get away from him. This had been Charlie's fear--going back. He didn't deserve it. I wanted to save him from this. The man gave me a solid tug and I lost my footing, slamming into his body. "Let's go--this little shit is getting on my nerves."

They began to pull us in a new direction as a cry filled the woods around me.

Charlie.

QOTC: Thoughts?!