The Eleventh Hour (FINISHED)

61 - RUN

Almost an hour later, it was one in the morning, and Meadow as well as Ash found themselves sitting in a twenty-four-seven café Kit-Cat Café.

They were given chais and Meadow went over the entire plan with Ash that Lily gave her, and as he listened, she noticed his eyes were darkening in anger.

"I don't like the idea of that," Ash stated boldly.

"It's the best we got," Meadow responded. "Elijah's very intelligent, Ash. Lily said that since he's in 'love' with me, that he's no longer patient like usual, he's impulsive."

"Mm..." Ash murmured. "I still don't like it. It seems cruel that Lily's making you do this."

"I honestly don't mind," Meadow stated. "Think of it as saving the world."

"I mean, yeah," he said, hesitating, "you are saving the world, but I still don't like it."

"Just because you don't 'like it' doesn't mean I'm not going to do it."

He sighed, clearly in annoyance.

They were both silent after, the cool air in the café blowing around the empty room.

Since it was just Ash and Meadow there-and that the workers were in the back-she felt as if she were able to talk to him about this with no witnesses.

"Ash...?" she said quietly, breaking the silence. "Why does he want me? Of all girls out there, why me?"

He slightly smiled, and she looked at him with more curiosity, less shyness. "Because you smell good," he told her.

She froze. "Huh?"

"Think, Meadow." He was still smiling.

She blinked.

"You sucked in an entire house fire. You smell like burnt chicken. A werewolf's favorite food."

"Hold on..." she said, then looked at him, slightly panicked, "what?"

He rolled his eyes with more amusement than anything else, then looked at her. "I was joking."

She raised her arm and smelled her skin. "How do I smell like burnt chicken? You said I smelled like strawberries!"

His grey eyes glowed from the moonlight outside the window. "I also said I was joking, did I not?"

She sent him a menacing glare, but before she could snap at him, her phone came to life in her pocket.

Ash glanced at the device, then at her. "You going to answer that?"

She made a noise of protest but picked up her phone, gazing down at the screen.

All annoyance washed away from her expression and was replaced with something dark.

"What?" he said.

"It's..." she whispered, "it's my mom." And she answered it, pressing the cell to her ear. "H... hello?"

Something crackled through the other line.

"Mom?" Meadow pressed.

"Meadow!" River yelled, sounding panicked.

"Mom, where have you been? I've been calling you!"

"Meadow, shush!" she snapped. "Listen!"

She did as River said and shut her mouth.

"Run!" River said. "They've found you! RUN!" And the line clicked.

"Mom?" Meadow said, startled. "MOM?"

"Meadow, what's wrong?" Ash pressed, brows pinched together.

She looked up at him, eyes glimmering before they widened. "Ash! Watch out!"