Chapter Eighteen
Caesar came to my side and wrapped his arm around me, pulling close. Will I ever see Demetri again?
“What were you doing out here?” He asked me.
“I was clearing my head.”
“Next time stick closer to the pack, okay?”
“How did you know I was out here?”
“I caught the vampire's scent and someone told me they saw you come out here.”
I simply nodded. I stared into the woods in the direction Demetri had gone. I really hope he’s not gone forever. If he wants me to make a choice, I don’t know which I should choose.
“Let’s head back.” Caesar said, breaking my thoughts.
“Uh, I need to tell you something.” I stopped him. “Demetri’s father plans to make an attack on the pack tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow? But that’s too soon.”
“I know, that’s why I’m telling you this. We have to get everyone out.”
“Ellie, that’s harder than you think. That takes organization and preparation. We don’t have time for that.”
“Make time or else there will be a lot of bloodshed. On both sides.”
He stared at me for a moment. I gave him a pleading look. I don’t want anyone to get hurt.
“Fine.” He gave in. “I’ll tell Keith and we’ll start moving out.”
We headed back to the pack and Caesar left me to talk to Keith. I stood and waited.
“What?” I heard Keith ask loudly. He then looked at me and marched over. “What are you planning?” He asked me harshly.
“I’m not planning anything.” I answered, leaning away from him.
“You and your blood sucking friends are trying to trick us, aren’t you? Do they have a plan to cut us off as we run? We can’t trust anything that this human says.”
“Keith!” I heard Pearl yell.
Keith quickly turned to look at his mother who had an angry look on her face. I’ve never seen Pearl upset.
“You watch your tongue.” Pearl told Keith. “You may be alpha, but your father would not be pleased with the way you treat this poor girl. She sees us as her friends and she would never do anything to harm us. Listen to what she says and believe it.”
Keith sighed and slowly turned back to face me. He relaxed his stance and he instantly seemed less intimidating.
“I just found out about this attack.” I started. “I don’t want anyone else getting hurt after what happened yesterday. I hope to never see that again. I think we should leave for only a day or two and come back. I swear that I’m not leading you into a trap.”
Keith stood in silence for a minute before turning to the crowd that pack had formed.
“We move out in two hours. Take only what’s important. We must travel light. We‘ll meet in the center of the field for a head count.”
The pack dispersed and I felt relieved that the pack would get out and wouldn’t be harmed.
“Thank you, Keith.” I said.
“Yeah, whatever.” He answered before walking off.
Caesar came back over to me and wrapped his arms around my waist, I gently pushed him away feeling a little uncomfortable.
“I’m sorry.” He apologized.
“Let’s just take it slow, okay?” He nodded. “You heard what Demetri said right before he left, right? The thing about seeing him again is my choice? Does he expect me to choose between the pack and you?”
“Or he wants you to choose between me and him. Which in all honesty, you should stay with me.”
“Of course you’d say that.”
“No really. How many women do you think he’s been with? How many times do you think he’s fallen in love. You’ll just be someone who’s added to the list.”
I laughed, making Caesar give me a strange look. Everyone keeps reminding me how old Demetri really is and how many lives he’s had before me. But everyone seems to forget that werewolves have mates.
“What’s funny?” Caesar asked me.
“I’m sorry.” I apologized. “It’s just funny that you think we could have a life together. You seem to have it engraved in your mind that you won’t find your mate someday and forget about me. Then what? I’ll have no one because you have a mate and Demetri moved on.”
Caesar sighed and nodded his head. He knew what I said made sense. It’s exactly what would happen.
“Let’s talk about this later, okay?” He asked me. “Go pack your bags. I have to get ready and help others.”
Caesar gave me a kiss on the forehead before walking away. I headed back to the house where many people were running around. I made my way upstairs to my room. I pulled clothes from my closet and grabbed some things from the bathroom. I stuffed them into a backpack I found and headed out.
If I had more things, I probably would be indecisive on what to take with me. But all I have is what was already here. As I walked through the hall, girls were running back and forth yelling things like “where’s my favorite shoes” or “I can’t go without my makeup.” It was amusing in a way. Werewolves live normal, human lives. They just have a few differences.
I got outside and headed to the middle of the open field. It was strange seeing the large field empty. I’m so used to seeing pack members training. It seems that’s all they do at all hours of the day. It’s sad really. I wonder what they do for fun, if anything.
Once to the center of the field, I sat down on the grass cross-legged. I picked some flowers and began to make a chain. I smiled as I did this. Before my mother was diagnosed with cancer, she and I would sit out in the backyard and make flower wreath headbands. It used to make me so happy. After she became sick, she was always in the house in bed. She was too weak to get up and walk.
“Having fun?” Someone asked me, breaking me from my thoughts.
I looked up to see a familiar girl with dark, curly brown hair. Her face was thin and oval. She had full lips that were covered with light pink lip gloss. She had doe eyes and naturally long eyelashes. She wore little makeup, but it was still noticeable. She wore khaki shorts and a loose brown tank top with an owl on it. She sat down cross-legged across from me.
“I’m just waiting on everyone else.” I answered her.
“We still have a while. It’s only been fifteen minutes.”
“Great.” I said with a sigh.
I’m surprised this girl is talking to me. Everyone else seems to hate me. I’m shunned.
“Why are you talking to me?” I asked her, speaking my mind.
“Because I don’t care that you’re a friend of the vampires. You’re here now and that’s all that matters. If Caesar trusts you, so do I.”
“Do you have a crush on him or something?”
“Oh, of course not. He’s just a really close friend.”
Isn’t that what they all say? I’m sure she has feelings for him, as more than just a friend.
“Earlier, when he smelled the vampire prince’s scent, and he didn’t know where you were, I thought he was going to flip. Of course I didn’t know it was the vampire prince’s scent at the time. That’s the only reason I followed him, to make sure he didn’t do anything crazy.”
That’s why she looks so familiar. She was the one that was shocked to see Demetri.
“Is there something between you and the vampire prince?” She asked me. “He seemed…very protective of you. I didn’t think vampire’s had hearts. I guess I was wrong. But you know, Caesar is very taken with you. I can see when he looks at you that he’d do anything for you.”
“Except let me go.”
“What do you mean?”
“He didn’t tell you that I don’t want to be in a relationship with him? I constantly told him no, but he wouldn’t give up. Now I’m giving him a chance because he begged so much.”
“It’s worth it. Trust me.”
~*~
Soon the field was crowded. Every person had some type of bag, including the children.
“I’ve just done a head count.” Keith announced. “Everyone is here. Let’s move out.”
We began walking, heading through the woods I ran into earlier. I wonder where we’re going. Does Keith know?
“Hey, you okay?” Caesar asked, coming up beside me.
“Yeah, why?”
“You seemed spaced out.”
“I’m just wondering where we’re going.”
“We’re heading into the mountains. There’s a large cave that we discovered a while back. We decided to use it incase of an emergency.”
“We’re supposed to become cave people?”
“No.” He chuckled. “It’s just until we’re sure we can return.”
I sighed. “I guess it can’t be worse than living in my old house.”
~*~
It feels like we’ve been walking for hours and my legs feel a little like Jelly. I’m at the very back of the group because they’re naturally faster than me, and my legs are tired.
“Keep up.” Caesar said, placing his hand on my back and coaxed me along.
“I’m tired.” I said.
“I know, but we have to stay with the group. We can’t get left behind. The woods are naturally dark and it’s actually becoming night time. You and I both know those blood suckers live in the night.”
I put all of my energy into walking faster and I caught up a little. But after a while I became drained again.
“Let me just take a minute.” I said, stopping.
“No.” Caesar said, stopping with me.
Caesar dropped the bag that was on his back. He then surprised me by picking me up and placing me on his back.
“I’ll carry you until you feel rested, okay? You’re going to slow me down a bit but at least I can catch up with the others.”
I wrapped my legs around his waist and my arms around his neck. He picked up his bags and began walking. In seconds we were caught up with the rest of the pack. I rest my chin on his shoulder.
“Thanks.” I said to him.
“It’s no problem. You’re actually pretty light.”
“You expected me to be heavy?”
“Well, heavier than you are now.”
“I don’t eat much. I only look the way I do because of Demetri.”
Caesar hesitated for a moment and at first I thought he had tripped over something.
“What do you mean?” He asked me.
“Well when I went to work in the palace, I was literally skin and bones. I got injured one night and Demetri healed me. But it did more than heal my injury. It made me healthy. For the first time in my life I look attractive, presentable. And that’s all because of Demetri.”
I remembered back to the night when Nicholai got me alone and drank my blood. I remembered how I woke up in Demetri’s room confused. I remembered the first time I saw my transformation. I was pretty for the first time in my life. I looked normal. I know Demetri didn’t mean to do it. But it’s still his blood that changed me.
“You never told me that before.” Caesar said.
“I didn’t see why it mattered. Does it matter?”
“I guess not. As long as you’re fine now.”
“Hey you two.” I heard Pearl say.
She was standing beside us. I didn’t hear her come up. I’m surprised she’s keeping up with the pack. She’s human like me, and older.
“Hey.” I answered.
“Are you taking the easy way out?”
“Oh, no. My legs were tired and Caesar insists on carrying me until they feel better.”
“Well isn’t that sweet.”
“Sure.” Caesar said.
After a while I was back on my feet and walking. Caesar kept close, making sure I kept up. Suddenly the pack stopped moving. I looked around at our surroundings, but all I could make out was the faint outlining of the trees.
“We’re here!” I heard Keith announce from the front. “Let’s get inside and get some sleep. Training continues tomorrow.”
We shuffled inside the dark cave. Once inside, we all spread out. It was a large cave so there was plenty of room. I found an empty spot and sat down. Stray rocks on the ground pricked at my legs.
Caesar sat beside me and I gave him a confused look. Why is he here? This is my spot.
“What are you doing?” I asked him.
“Trying to go to sleep.”
“This is my spot.”
“I can’t lay here too?”
I know I told him I’d give him a chance, but he’s moving too fast. He needs to give me my space.
“I told you I want to take things slow.” I said.
“I know. I just… if anything happens I want to be close by.”
“I can take care of myself. How many times do I have to tell me that?”
“Until you can prove it.”
“How do I do that?”
“Take down a vampire .”
“You know I can’t do that. Demetri…”
“Would you forget about him already? We’re together now. Forget about him. If things don’t work out between us, then you can think about him. Until then, block him out.”
I don’t want to block Demetri out. If I do that, I may forget about him forever. I’d never forgive myself if that happened.
“Get some sleep. We have a long day tomorrow.”
He laid down on his stomach and folded his arms in front of him, using them as a pillow. I laid on my back and stared up at the darkness.
Will the king find us here? Does he know about this cave? What if he attacks us here? Would we be prepared? I’m afraid of losing the pack, but I’m also afraid of losing Demetri. If I had to choose, I’d probably choose Demetri. But I’d rather not decide.
The next morning I woke with my back hurting. The ground was far too hard. I sat up and looked around. The only people inside the caver were children and pregnant women. Everyone else was gone. I’m guessing they’re training.
I stood up and stretched, feeling my back crack a little. After stretching I sighed with delight and went outside into the sun. I could see the pack members training in between the trees. There’s no open space out here.
“Hey Ellie.” Caesar said, coming up to me. His hair dripped with sweat and shirt was soaked, showing his perfectly chiseled abs clearly.
“Training too hard?” I asked him.
“Just a little. I have to work up for my slack.”
“I’m sorry.” I know it’s my fault.
My heart skipped a beat when something whizzed past my face and flew into the cave behind me. Caesar quickly turned and stood in front of me. I looked over his shoulder and saw guards from the palace. They’ve found us.
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