PETRICHOR , paul lahote.

007. wolf boy

JACOB DIDN'T FALTER. Instead, he turned around and took off running into the woods while Lena stood in shock, hand to her cheek. Now she knew what Paul felt when she punched him on that first day, the familiar strength that Jacob never had before stopping her in her tracks. The boy had disappeared past the tree line by the time she got over it, and she was already pulling her phone out and letting the boys know what had happened.

She then took off running, entering the woods and looking for Jake, only to come up empty. The woods were dark, and Lena knew the only way to find the boy would be by scent, so she stripped off her clothes, making sure her phone and clothes were safe under some leaves, and phased on the spot into her wolf form.

Running on all fours was always easier to Lena, she found. It was more freeing when you didn't have arms to control, and even if it sounded a little weird to say, she always would. To her uncle, who wasn't a werwolf. Although, right now, she didn't really feel all that free as she sprinted through the woods looking for Jacob before he tore someone or something to shreds. She also had no idea how she was going to stop him, since the only other phase he'd witnessed was Embry's, and that was in the middle of the day.

She didn't have the mind link that the pack did, because she wasn't part of it. Not officially. She couldn't talk to him in his mind like the boys could, and she prayed that she could hold Jake off until they got here. Reaching a clearing, she spotted Jake curled up on the floor, groaning in pain, limbs contorting in all different directions. She winced, knowing that there wasn't much she could do in terms of help, other than to let the shift take its course.

She waited, hidden, as his body contorted in all different directions, bones snapping and skin stretching. It was agonising for Lena, reminders of her first shift entering her mind. Eventually, though, Jacob shifted fully, a light brown fur coat and four legs in his place. Jake's wolf twisted and turned in a panic, and Lena stepped forward. Her own coat was brown too, but more of a dark chocolate than Jake's, and it blended into the darkness of the forest beautifully.

She threaded carefully along the sticks and mud, slowly inching toward the freshly-turned wolf boy. She didn't have a mind link to rely on, which meant that she would have to stall until someone else who did arrived. Only problem?

Jake was angry.

Of course he was, so as soon as Lena came into his line of sight, he lunged. Lena knew combat, better than before, since she'd watched over Embry's training for his first few weeks as a shifter. So when the light brown wolf leaped for her, she ducked out of the way, letting Jake crash into a tree.

They weren't far enough from the tree line. That's what she noticed when she turned so she was facing the way she came from, still being able to see the faint light of the parking lot they'd left. She had to lead Jacob further into the woods so they didn't get caught and shot by the Chief of Police.

Turning around, she sprinted off into the forest, Jake hot on her heels. She howled out into the night, praying that the pack heard her. Would they hear her? Would that even work? She didn't have time to dwell on it because Jacob was on her back, pushing her down into the dirt. She growled and rolled over, knocking him on his back before taking her place on top of him, baring her sharp teeth. She snapped at him, and him at her, the constant back and forth giving her a headache as Jake tried to push against her.

Then, Jake's head snapped to the left, his movements pausing. The echo of feet against dirt made it's way to their ears and Lena knew the pack was here, talking to him. She stayed steady on him, keeping him down as the pack showed up through the trees. One after the other; Sam, Paul, Embry. Jared was out with Kim and Quil was...she didn't know where Quil was. Sam tilted his head in signal and Lena took herself from Jake, walking over to Embry's side. They watched on—Lena having no idea what they were saying—as Sam talked down Jacob back into his human form.