Never Run

034 ::: Never Attack

I reached my hand out to stop Callum in his tracks. "What's in there?" I pointed at the dark looming building.

"That's the silver shop," Callum informed, turning to face me.

My eyebrows furrowed for a second before it finally clicked in my mind, "you guys have silver?" I hissed quietly, though I don't know why, it's not like there were any werewolves walking around that could hear me.

"Yeah." Callum's response sounded more like a question as if questioning my odd reaction to this news.

I shook my head, "sorry. I was just caught off guard is all. I guess I didn't expect all of this to be so elaborate and thought through."

"I'm not going to lie, it caught me by surprise too, but this has been a long time coming, it only makes sense that they've been able to collect and grow over the years."

My head bobbed in agreement. I couldn't help but let my eyes drink in the building once more, it stood out like a sore thumb compared to everything else but considering silver was really the only true weapon against wolves at the end of the day it needed to be heavily guarded. I wondered if the bullets in the guns were silver - they had to be.

"Look, Rizzo. There's something I want you to have," Callum began as if shoved his hand down the side of his pants.

I gave him a questioning look to which he just rolled his eyes.

"Shut up, idiot. I'm just grabbing this," from his pants he pulled out what looked to be a small knife. "This whole thing ain't gonna be easy and I want you to have something to protect yourself."

He pressed the knife into the palm of my hand. I stared at the knife, running my fingertips over the smooth metal and then even lighter over the blade itself, careful to not knick my skin.

I scoffed, "and how is this supposed to protect me, Cally?"

"It's silver you dumbass. Why would I give it to you otherwise? Don't be dumb," he grumbled, though I knew it wasn't with ill intent.

I smiled at him and tucked the knife into the back pocket of my jeans, "thanks, Cal." I stepped forward and wrapped my arms around his neck to pull him into a hug. His own arms found their way around my waist and he pulled me impossibly closer to him.

"I missed you, Riz," he breathed into my hair. Right then I could feel the relief he felt in his bones. To be able to see me, touch me, hold me, after being ripped away from each other for so long was soothing to him. It was soothing to me too. I finally felt at home. My own inner turmoil and anger were finally at peace, if only for a brief moment.

But I was going to relish that moment and drag it on as long as possible.

"I think that's the first I have ever seen you show any type of affection there, C" a voice too close to us called out.

I could feel Callum's jaw clench as I sighed in annoyance. I wanted to stay like this, hugging Callum, just for a while longer. Unfortunately, someone had to come along and ruin it.

"Fuck off Zell," Callum grumbled, this time with ill intent. Seems like he didn't want it to end either.

We pulled away from one another, Callum quick to spin on the newcomer while I cleared my throat and took a deep breath.

The man, Zell, just laughed and raked his hand through his hair a few times as I turned to finally take him in.

Thick muscled legs confined by dirty tan cargo pants and an equally dirty white shirt too kept his corded muscular arms in check. His bright white smile stood out against his tan skin, perfect teeth, and even more perfect short brown hair. His nose was slightly crooked, showing that it must have been broken and healed incorrectly at one point or another.

It wasn't until I studied his smile more in-depth when I finally realized it and once I did my hand reached for the knife that Callum had just given me. I squeezed the metal in my back pocket, ready if anything should happen.

"Such a way with words, am I right?" He laughed and looked to me for confirmation, but I just stared back.

Zell's wide smile faltered slightly as he took in my off-putting and slightly hostile stance. "You just have impeccable timing, dickwad."

This time Callum shot Zell a small smile. Cal was joking with this man, this thing. He was fraternizing with the enemy.

"I don't think your girl likes me too much, C."

"Why the fuck is he here, Cal?" I spit out, briefly shifting my eyes to Cal.

He didn't get it right away. Idiot. Once it finally clicked he placed his large hand on my shoulder and gave it a gentle, but reaffirming squeeze.

"Right, Riz, it's okay. I promise."

"No. No, it's not okay, Callum. Why is he here? He is one of them. And you're just going to let him roam around the entire place?"

Zell shifted awkwardly on his feet and opened his mouth to speak, but Cal cut him off before he had the chance.

Callum walked around in front of me, placing both of his hands on my shoulders, "Rizzo, I promise it's alright. He is on our side and has been for years. He is not a threat-"

"He is one of them!" I couldn't help but shout at Cal. "How can you stand here and be fine with this fucking dog walking around? You can't trust them, Cal, you can't. They're all the same and only care about themselves," I spit out, slowly losing my cool.

I couldn't believe it. They actually thought that this mongrel was on their side? That he wouldn't turn them all in at the first chance? He was probably just the intel for the other side, a double agent feeding all of our secrets to the mutts. Any hope or faith I had in this whole rebellion was gone the moment I noticed his canines.

"Look your highness-" he began sarcastically.

"Oh fuck you-"

"You don't even know my story. Yeah I'm a wolf and yes, I used to think like them, but people can change and I did. You don't know me and you don't know what I went through-" he stopped, clearly becoming choked up, "-what I'm still going through, so until then, why don't you keep that pretty mouth of yours shut."

If I wasn't sure that Cal was his mother's son, I would think that we were long lost twins because he knew right when I was about to jump. Instead of landing on the wolf and beginning my attack I was caught and slung over Cal's shoulder.

He walked away from the wolf and back to the original room I was in when I woke up, but not without me hitting and punching his back to let me go. I wanted to go back to that wolf and give him a piece of my mind.

Cal set me down on my feet, to which I tried to push past him, shoving him and screaming for him to let me go.

"Rizzo stop!" He yelled at my, grabbing my wrists with both of his hands and shaking some sense into me.

I didn't realize how close we were until he reached out and swiped at a tear along my cheek. I was crying? I hadn't noticed.

"It's okay," he whispered, "I promise you, Riz, with all my heart that it is fine and everything with him is alright. Nothing is going to happen to you with him, you're safe. We can trust him."

His words did little to soothe me, "how can you trust him? What makes him so different?"

"That, my friend, is not my story to share. You'd have to ask him." Cal held up a finger to shush me the moment my mouth opened, "but not right now. It's late and we have to get you back before sunrise."

Discussion

1. Would you trust Zell? Why or why not?

2. Do you like to go for drives? Where you literally just drive and listen to music? 

3. What do you think is Zell's story?