a Primal Pursuit

thirteen

We walked through the darkness of the forest, and I stumbled a few times, causing Caleb to steady me from behind. Eventually, Asra turned and picked me up, bridal style. I, of course, complained the entire time until I realised how warm he was against my cheek.

The forest grew scarcer as we walked and eventually, I could see better. When my eyes locked on a particular tree, I yanked on Asra's collar to stop. He grunted but halted for me, so I wriggled from his grasp until I fell to the floor.

Yep.

He dropped me.

Damn dog.

Grumbling, I ignored his humoured expression and brushed off the mud from my hands. I ignored him and made my way over to the tree I had grown up to love. She wasn't the largest tree, but she was unique.

When I was little, I would venture into the backyard by myself. There, I had discovered this tree, broken and bent. We had a grim winter. Living so high in the mountains meant a lot of snow and a lot of high winds. Sitting on the top of a small alcove-type hill, the tree didn't make it and fell when the ground gave way. But it somehow survived, and now continued to grow despite its lack of environment.

Its body cushioned the floor as its branches grew upward and I lifted myself onto the trunk to walk down it to my favourite spot. Climbing a few twisting branches, I settled on one that was about five feet in the air. Blindly, I sought the carving in the wood. I could barely see it in this light, but there it was. My name.

"So she can climb a tree but not a wall?" Caleb wondered, and Asra snorted.

"What's with the tree?" Asra asked, coming up behind me.

"It's my favourite place to play when I was younger. When Arabella was older, we would come here and play many games."

"Oh yeah? Like what?"

Shrugging, I climbed down from the branch. "Restaurant sometimes, or pretend it was an airplane or boat."

He smiled, helping me down despite being perfectly capable. "Sounds like some wonderful memories."

"They were." I nodded. "Until I was too old to play, anyway."

His smile fell, eyebrows furrowing. I knew his pitiful expression from the get-go and was quick to change the subject.

"It means my house is just over there." I cleared my throat. "The one with no flowers, despite the season."

"Let's move quietly." Asra mumbled. "Either watch your step or I carry you."

I contemplated my options. My stubbornness wanted me to walk, but the smart part of me knew I could be clumsy. Sighing, I pressed myself against him, wrapping my arms around his neck. He swept me up bridal style again, stealing a kiss with the movement.

We walked, well they did, toward the house. I was grateful it wasn't snowy, because my teeth would chatter far louder than their footsteps. I heard nothing but the soft padding of their bare feet through the mud.

That's another thing. They didn't bring shoes with them when they shifted, so just how tough were the soles of their damn feet? Were they like cavemen?

Stopping at the back of the house, I swallowed as nerves washed over me. Asra settled me on my feet, keeping his eyes locked on the dull wood cabin I once called home. There was a small clearing with a three-foot fence, squeezed in between two houses that were the same. They each had one door at the back, which was the hallway, so thankfully, nobody could see us unless they were awake and walking around.

Asra's lips brushed my ear. "You okay?"

I swallowed down the anxiety. "Is she there?"

I watched him as he straightened back up, his nostrils flaring. "I am unsure. If she is, she smells... different, and it isn't fresh."

Dread washed over me. How could she smell different?

"My sister could be in danger and you don't know?" I scoffed. "I'm getting closer."

He cursed at me, but I had already jumped the small pathetic fence. Creeping low, I kept my eyes locked on the side of the house. Arabella's window overlooked the alley on the right, and at the right angle, you could see into the trees and gardens.

Pressing myself into the wood, I peered around and tried to listen for any sounds. There was nothing. I was about to slither further down the house when a large figure blocked my way. I scowled up at Asra, who was preventing me from passing.

"What are you doing?" He growled.

"Getting my sister." I hissed.

"This is not the plan."

"The plan is to find her. Nobody is here. Let's see if she is in the window. Not everything has to be by the book."

His glare was terrifying. "Somebody is walking down the street; they are about two hundred yards away."

I paused, a soft oh escaping me. With bated breath, I waited until I heard the footsteps. When I did, my head cocked with confusion.

You know, when you grow up as a child, you learn the sounds of your family walking around? Even their breathing sometimes became familiar.

So, it was not a surprise to me when I recognised the familial feminine footsteps on the cobbles. No, the actual surprise was the question of why my mother was walking down the street at one o'clock in the morning.