Shifting Shadows [ON HOLD]

//Chapter four//

Carter's P.O.V

We reach the front door in one piece, my heart is in my throat as I keep an eye out, every nerve and sense on alert as I push it open. I can hear Astrid's heart pounding, speeding up as the door creaks slightly.

I signal to her to creep through the door and I follow her out into the warm, dark, silent night. One glance told me the patrol wasn't nearby and I lean down to Astrid. "Ok, on the count of three we're going to run for the tree line."

"Leaving so soon?"

My blood turns to ice as I hear the familiar, cruel voice call out from the tree line.

Kode steps out into the moonlight, anger radiating off him as he approached.

"You know, I knew that you were a traitor."

I hold Astrid behind me, "come on Kode, just let us go and then I'll be out of your hair."

"Now where's the fun in that?"

I watch as a tremble goes through his body and I realise he's going to turn.

"Astrid, when I say run, run into the tree line and keep going, don't look back. I'll catch up, promise."

She nods, eyes wide and shaking in fear.

"One."

Kode was approaching fast.

"Two."

This was barely a whisper as I face Kode.

"Run," I shove her towards the trees.

"Well, this will be fun," Kode smirks.

Astrid's P.O.V

"Run."

I feel his hand pushing me forward and I stumble forward, unable to get my head around what's happening.

Confusion clouding my brain, I run for the tree line, the woods stand silent and dark in front of me, the moonlight not even piercing the dark woods.

The cool, earthy smell of pine and dirt washes over me as I fly along, unfamiliar compared to the salty sea air I'm used too. Trees blur pass, everything looks the same as I run blindly. My chest starts to ache and I'm feeling breathless, but a howl from behind me spurs on my fear and I push myself harder. Another howl, this time, closer as it echoes eerily through the air. Great, now there're wolves.

Then, like the klutz I am, my foot hits something in the darkness and I pitch forward. I hit the ground hard, landing in a muddy ditch painfully. "Well, isn't this just fricking great," I mutter as I push myself back up.

Brushing off the dirt, I try to make sense of my surroundings but unfortunately I'm as blind as a mole rat when it comes to night time.

"Well you're doing well for yourself, aren't you."

I screech and whirl around, Carter steps out of behind a tree and moves into the soft moonlight beside the ditch. Bruises and cuts cover his body and there's a fair amount of blood soaking his top.

"Holy shit, Carter are you ok?"

He grins, white teeth faint in the darkness, "yeah, you should see Kode, this is practically all his blood."

"But, what-"

"Look, angel, I'd love to explain but we really need to run, I can smell someone closing in,"

"Ok, firstly don't call me angel, it's weird."

He grins at this.

"Secondly, what do you mean you can smell someone?"