Wolf Among Us

19 Solace

19 Solace

Avery rolled onto her stomach, sighing deeply into the pillow. She missed sleep. She would gladly just sleep and eat for the rest of her life if this is what it would feel like.

She curled up under her blanket, blinking her eyes open. A breeze blew in from the broken window, the curtain gently swaying. The familiar room felt safe again. Most of her stuff had been placed back, the new door fixed shoddily onto the door frame. For once, Avery felt calm.

Leaning over the edge of the bed, she dug around for her phone on the floor. The clock read near five in the morning. Even after sleeping since yesterday afternoon, her body woke up before dawn. She laid back onto the bed, knocking her head against the wall.

“School,” she muttered, frowning. Last week left and then everything would be up in the air. She ran a hand over her face, rubbing away the sleep lines.

School was one week. And a few more days after that would be the full moon. Avery knew more now than she ever had before, enough to make a decision before the deadline.

With Castle threat’s ringing in her head, Avery threw the blankets off her.

She showered and got dressed, zipping up her bags once done. The reflection in the mirror glanced at her with a challenge. Yeah, Avery had decided. Arturo offered her a way she would never have considered, but he pushed her enough to give a damn about more than just laying low.

Someone knocked on her door, a quick and urgent patter.

Avery shouldered her bag and peeked through curiously. “Adam?” she frowned.

Hopping on one foot to another, Adam grinned at her. “Open up, will you?”

“I guess it’s back to business,” she muttered, undoing the chain and throwing the door open. “What’s up?”

Instead of walking in, Adam grabbed her arm and pulled her out in the hallway. “Alpha Newman. That’s what up.”

“Whoa!” Avery quickly jerked back, staring wide-eyed. “You’re not…?”

Adam frowned, thinking. “What? Oh no, of course not, Avery.” He shook his head, his blonde hair tumbling like waves. “Reece and Sawyer are kind of making a stand. And we need you with us.”

She turned around to lock her door, smiling slightly. “I’m way too hungry to kick ass this early in the morning.”

Adam chuckled, walking down the hall already. “I wanna ask what’s up with your arm now, but I’ll just let it go.”

“And who said you were dumb.”

Avery rode in her Jeep behind Adam’s car back into the dense forest. This time at least she feared nothing. She’d take on Matthew, and anyone that tried to box her in.

The car steadily bumped along the dirt road, slowly the sun peeked over the far away ridges. The road was different at this time of the day. The pale light filtered through the leaves, turning everything into a technicolor haze. The smell of her Jeep was a familiar hug, now warm and comforting. The soft twittering of birds eased her with its melody. Dust motes floated dreamily in front of her.

The decision Avery made might lead her into more danger, but she felt nothing but calm at that moment. The bright sky was her whole world right then. Avery was never more herself, never more still in the midst of everything.

The ground smoothed out as the came upon the hamlet. Adam drove straight passed all the buildings towards the wide clearing before the houses. Avery pressed on the brake, pulling her car aside.