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No one could drop an eyelid as the trickles of cold muddy water fell from the earth above them consecutively. Their hearts were nervous and scared, anxious for Naylor to return. Kevin was especially nervous, though he didn't show it. He was the leader of the pack. He had to be brave for the rest of them.
He stood by the crate, staring nowhere in particular. All he could see was darkness and all he could think of was revenge. His anger for what they did to his mother was fresh.
They had ruined their home, killed their people and made them fugitives. Now he had to protect their pack from an underground cave. They couldn't stay there much longer. The next full moon was in a week. But if they left, Naylor wouldn't know where to find them. That is, if he was still alive. He said he would meet them at the caves. He said he had to finish what he started.
It had been three whole weeks and he still hadn't returned. They had already lost too much. They couldn't lose an alpha.
Naylor was no ordinary alpha. They were brothers. Even though they fought, they still loved each other to death. They loved their entire family; Claire, Astard, their mother and the rest of the wolves.
Kevin pondered on these things as he stood by the crate. A lonely tear rolled down the side of his face. He quickly wiped it away as he heard someone approach him. He squinted to see who the image formed. Everywhere was dark. He picked up his spear.
"Whoa, it's just me", Robin alerted him. She waved her hands in mock surrender. He sighed and dropped the spear against the wall.
"Sorry, Robin. I'm a bit on edge", he told her. He wouldn't tell anybody else that. Only a few people truly knew Kevin Miller. Others saw him as brave and untouchable. Even his father didn't know him as well as Robin did.
"I know", she said coming closer. He could see the fear in her eyes, behind that warm smile. She moved over to the crate and pulled it open. She drew out a lamp and lit it. He glanced at her.
"After all this, I'll be glad to see the sun", he said.
"I'll be glad to get something decent to eat", Robin replied him as she placed the tip of her thumb on her lips. Robin always talked about food and Kevin found it hilarious. He tried to laugh, but it was choked by harsh memories. She was worried about him. He had barely eaten or slept, and he kept saying he had to guard the fort.
A rumbling sound came from the inner cave, followed by someone yelling, "Claire!".
Kevin ran off in the direction of the noise, caught with fright. Robin followed swiftly after him. He came into the large opening where most of them slept. Claire sat up in her make-shift bed as one of the wolves tried to calm her down.
"I said I'm fine", she snapped at the lanky fellow. Kevin sighed in relief and walked towards her bed.
"What's wrong?", he asked the confused man.
"She was acting up in her sleep. I think she had a nightmare", the man retorted. Poor guy Kevin thought. She had probably elbowed him in the jaw when he came to her rescue. She wasn't too good at playing the damsel in distress.
"Thanks", Kevin told him. He backed away in a haze. Kevin slid onto the bed beside Claire. Her eyes were fixed on the floor, enlarged in their sockets. She was beautiful, a sight to behold. She had caramel hair that cascaded down to her elbow, the same colour as Kevin's. Her eyes were a sparkly shade of green and her plump lips were as pink as a rose. Her face was perfectly sculpted. She had the face of an angel and the body of a devil, all her curves fit in the right places.
"Was it about mum?", he asked after a long and deafening silence. He kind of hoped she would say yes. He needed someone to grieve with.
"Please don't ask me that", she retorted without taking her eyes off the ground. Her body was as stiff as a rock. The pain was too much for her to bear. Three weeks would never be enough time to mourn her beloved mother. She was too young to handle it.
"It's okay to be sad, Claire. You deserve it", he told her. She sat up and glared at him.
"You're one to talk. All you've done is act like mum's death isn't tearing you apart. You think it's brave, don't you?".
His face went stiff. Naylor was always better at this sort of thing. Even though they were both close, he didn't know how to erase her pain.
"I'm just trying to keep the pack safe, Claire. Dad isn't in good shape and you've never wanted leadership", he answered her. "You never actually wanted any of this, but mum is gone and Naylor might be as well. We need to stick together, Claire. We're family".
Her frown turned into a sad smile as she fell into his chest and sobbed uncontrollably. Kevin wrapped his arms around her tightly. She felt his heartache and he felt her hurt.
"It hurts, Kevin. It hurts so bad", she whimpered. His hug became firmer as he realised that he would do anything for her. She was his little sister.
Robin placed her hand on his shoulder to comfort him. He glanced at her, "Thank you", he said. She nodded and walked off to the tunnel to guard the crate.
Claire lifted her head from his chest and wiped at her face. She hadn't cried in a while. After that, she had released a lot of pain and was prepared to return to her old self. Even though the memories of her mum's death remained with her, she knew her brother was there for her.
Robin ran back into the cave, catching everyone's attention -everyone who was awake.
"Kevin, you've got to come see this", she yelled with a grin as wide as her face. Kevin rose to his feet, as did Claire.
"What is it?", he asked.
Her smile grew wider, if that was even possible. "Naylor's here!".
They were all quiet for a while, seized with shock, until Kevin broke into a run with Claire on his tail. They got to the tunnel where dawn had hit and the place was brighter than before. There he was standing by the crate, clad in a black tee and jeans. They had never before so much appreciated the sight of him. He soon noticed them standing there and was filled with joy.
He couldn't believe it was them. He had been looking forward to the moment since they left him behind in their hometown. Words couldn't begin to describe how happy he was that they were alive.
"Naylor! ", Claire screamed as she charged at him with full speed. She flung her arms around his torso. He didn't hesitate to return the embrace. He had missed his beautiful sister so much.
"Claire, Kevin, it's so great to see you guys", he said taking in the sight of his siblings. The smile Kevin had lost returned to him as he gave his brother a hug. They pat each other's backs in a familiar manner before they pulled away.
"Naylor?", Astard inquired as he emerged from the cave.
"Dad?", he said. His father was at his lowest point. Neither Claire nor Kevin had spoken to him in days. He held a bottle of bourbon in his hand and staggered towards Naylor who was in dismay. His father loomed over him like a giant. Everyone was in awe. The once great leader of the Genera pack was now a haggard drunk.
"Dad, what happened to you?", Naylor asked. He tried to hide his disgust.
"Did you know they killed your mother?", he asked. The place immediately went silent. Naylor's head fell like a heavy sack. It was apparent in his countenance that he was aware of it.
"Yes", Naylor said. His father winced a little bit.
"Your sister, Claire watched as Thomas snapped her neck with his bare hands that day". Claire flinched as his words reminded her of the image itself. She remembered how Thomas, the Consino alpha had chased her mum and pushed her unto the ground. She remembered how she tried to get up to save her mother, but she was bleeding all over her body. She remembered how Thomas smiled viciously as he took her mother's neck and twisted it without remorse.
"I'm glad you're alive, my boy but I have to tell you", he stammered, slurring his words. "I'm not going with you. Wherever it is that you're all going, I can't go with you. I'm too old for all of this now. I have to live my life in peace. I know you both have the power to lead our pack to a place where they'll be safe so please do so", Astard told him. They were all too stunned to say anything. Astard went back into the cave, just as he came out.
"We just lost both our parents in the span of a month", Claire voiced from behind Kevin and Naylor. She wasn't going to cry. She might, later on, when she was alone but for the moment, she waited for her brothers to react to what Astard had said.
Naylor blinked rapidly. His joyous reunion with his family had been cut short by his father's announcement. He thought about how he would lead the pack without his father's guidance and no one to come between him and Kevin. Everyone's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Kevin's voice yelling.
"Get everyone ready for the roads. We leave by noon!", he ordered. Naylor and Claire were too shocked to respond. The wolves scattered around in a haze. Some were happy, some were scared, either way, they were all in a hurry to leave and find a new home. Claire snapped out of her daydream and turned swiftly to Kevin.
"Who put you in charge?", she demanded to know. He kept walking without actually looking at her.
"Don't be a bitch, Claire. I'm doing what needs to be done", he informed her. She was taken aback, but didn't stop.
"Don't call me a bitch. It's rather funny that you've just taken the position of top dog without so much as consulting Naylor. This is just like you", she pestered on. He stopped in his tracks and looked at her.
"Stop talking, Claire. Just stop", he said. She grunted, fed up with his indifference, and went back in the same direction. Claire and Kevin always bickered, but at the moment, he needed to clear his head. He needed to clear his head of his father's words. Though he had shrugged it off, he was the one most affected by it all. His father was part of him. They had always been so close and now it was gone because he wouldn't see his father ever again.
Back in the tunnel, Naylor had pulled out a map and stretched it out on one of the crates. Robin and Claire joined him with lamps of their own.
"What are you doing?", Claire asked him. She examined the map he had laid out. It was a map of the east coast with little markings of small towns.
"We need to figure out where we are going", he said as he meticulously scanned the points on the map. Robin and Claire gave each other quick glances. Naylor wasn't in the right mind to make decisions for the entire pack.
"Are you sure you want to do this right now?", Robin asked him skeptically. She couldn't directly point out that his mind was clouded by the loss of both his parents.
"I'm sure", he replied but didn't look them in the eyes. He was obviously in denial. He wanted to forget everything that happened by burdening his mind with heavier thoughts. In similar times, being the leader helped him to get through it all.
"But... ", Claire trailed off.
"Are you going to help me or not?", Naylor asked them. They exchanged worried looks, unsure of what to do. He waited for their response.
"Yes, we are", Kevin said as he returned to the fold. He took his place next to Naylor, his brother because that was where he belonged. He too examined the map. He placed his finger on a point analogous to where they were and moved his finger to the right in a swift motion.
"We need to move east ", Kevin told them with a determined look on his face.
"East is water", Robin informed them.
Claire rolled her eyes, "We know where the Atlantic Ocean is, Robin ", she asserted with her head cocked to the side. Robin blushed.
"Look here", Naylor said with a loud voice that soared above the noise of the wolves moving around. They all became alert. He placed his finger on a red spot in the south. "There's a little town in North Florida called Watering Hills. If we can make our way there by tonight, we can finally get that fresh start we've always wanted". He looked up at their faces for a response. A grin spread across Kevin's face.
"Sounds good. Count me in", he said as he knocked his fist against the paper.
"So that's it. We're just going to decide our new home in two minutes?", Claire asked as Kevin and Naylor begun to walk away.
"Are you proffering an alternative?", Naylor asked. Claire thought about it for a while. It was a good plan to move to a small town, where they wouldn't be found but it had been too easy. There had to be some sort of Achilles' heel in their plan. However there was none.
~~~~~
Author's Note.
Hi.
Thanks for reading. Please let me know if the chapter was too long. I'd also like your input. Anything you think, I want to know, please. Don't be a silent reader.
Mo.