Mate Massacres

Chapter 54

Pip saw shadows up ahead. Large shadows casting on the walls, too distorted to be human. Quickly, he followed Mark before the shadows revealed their true forms. Mark yelped when Pip slammed the door behind them. They were both a trembling mess, darting left and right, looking for another way out.

"The windows," Pip said. "We should-"

"Climb out of them!" Mark shoved him out of the way and jumped onto the windowsill to reach the large brass handle. He pulled until the rust wiggled loose. Mark pushed the window open and looked down. They were still on the ground floor, thankfully.

Pip, not wanting to be alone, followed Mark onto the windowsill. Mark hopped down onto the snow below and started sprinting. Pip hesitated. He was clumsy and would hurt something if he simply jumped into the darkness. He turned and slowly lowered himself, sliding his feet against the red brick wall on the other side. He couldn't feel the ground, even when his arms were stretched out above his head. He kicked around until a pair of hands slotted underneath his armpits and guided him to the floor.

Pip turned, wondering if Francis or Sid, or even Krey had found him. Mark stared down at him with annoyance. "Come on," he grunted and sprinted off again. At least Pip could keep up with his pace. Mark must be scared to be alone too.

By now, screaming mixed with the howls. Pip and Mark edged around the perimeter of the Packhouse. Snow crunching under their feet had never sounded so loud.

"What about Victoria and Krey?" Pip asked when they ran further away from the building, seeing wolves running down the paths, lit up by lanterns next to each plant pot. The light made the edges of the field dark. Pip and Mark were merely shadows in the distance. The wolves only cared about those inside the building.

Pip watched the wolves, black, brown, white, and grey glide past, thudding heavily with their large paws. He pinched himself as they ran. He wasn't in some mad dream.

"They can turn into wolves. We'll be dead before we see them again if we go back," Mark hissed. "Victoria will get out. As long as I'm safe. She'll get out."

Pip felt cowardly, running away from Krey. But the fight was between wolves, not two insignificant humans. Mark was right. If they went back now to be the hero, they wouldn't survive. They're after Krey, Pip thought, nearing the gate that was now bent and broken, showing the true power of a werewolf's jaw. Please let Krey be safe. Please, Please, Please.

The moon broke through the clouds, covering the exit in a silver light. Mark slowed, looking around. The woods beyond the gate was a black void spiralling deeper than the eyes could see. Pip looked left and right, wondering which way Crescent Town was, and how far away he was to Krey's Packhouse.

The boys almost jumped from their skin when a wolf howled closer than expected. They pressed themselves further into the shadows, staring wide eyed at a wolf only metres away. The wolf's breath wisped into the bitter air, then it turned its head and stared right at Pip with eyes as black as the night.

Pip sank to the floor, and hot tears wet his cold cheeks. The wolf could easily snatch him up in its big mouth and carry him off into the night, never to be seen again. Pip and Mark covered their mouths, trying to conceal their terrified whimpers.

The wolf's black nose sniffed in their direction. It either didn't see Pip or didn't care. Instead of charging his way, the wolf sprinted down the path and towards the building.

Mark grabbed Pip's shoulders and dragged him through the broken gate. Pip's burgundy blazer snagged on one of the sharp bent metal poles. He tugged and tugged but couldn't break loose. He slipped from his blazer and left it to hang on the gate. If Krey came to find him, at least he would know that his mate had left the building.

Pip was thankful for the knitted jumper with the embroidered wolf's head in the middle. The night was cold and would soon slow him down. But now, Pip was hot with adrenaline and wildly followed Mark into the darkness, running frantically before more wolves found them.

Pip licked his fingers and smudged them on passing trees, wanting to give Krey every chance to find him, knowing his scent would be essential. He touched what he could, leaves, bark, stumps, twigs. Pip's worst fear was getting lost in the woods with wolves all around him. He felt like he was living a nightmare, not knowing if he would make it through the night or not.

Keep going. You need to survive, for Krey, and for my parents. Keep going Pippor. Run faster. He picked up the pace, despite tears blurring his vision. Mark had to run faster to keep up with him. He also cried silent tears.

Eventually, they found a rhythm and ran side by side for what felt like hours. Pip followed the moon. He had no idea how far they travelled by the time they slowed to catch their breaths.

"I think...I think we're..." Mark bent over and was sick in a bush.

Pip turned away, breathing heavy. He rubbed cold sweat from his forehead. His tears had dried crusty around his eyes. He moved away from Mark's vomit and crouched by a tree, leaning his back against the wood. "They might follow our tracks in the snow," Pip said. His voice sounded loud in the silent night and surprisingly emotionless. He meant to sound hopeful.

Mark was sick again.

"I mean Krey and V-Victoria. They'll find us." Pip nodded to himself and wrapped arms around his knees to contain his heat. Cold seeped through his layers almost instantly. They had to keep moving to stay warm.

Pip waited until Mark stopped being sick to catch his breath. Mark crouched by a tree opposite Pip. They stared at each other in the darkness. Mark's round nose and pointed chin stood out in the moons glow. The rest of him was hidden in shadows. Pip heard Mark's breath calming down, one exhale at a time.

For a moment, Pip closed his eyes and listened to the silence of the woods. If he weren't starting to violently shiver, he might have pretended that he was in Krey's room, safe. Mark's voice pulled him back to the woods before Pip could try to imagine.

"I now know how my mum felt all those years ago," Mark mumbled. Pip opened his eyes, watching him glumly tracing a finger through the snow. "Running for her life." Mark paused and looked Pip dead in the eyes. "As wolves ate my dad and your parents."