It was the fight or flight mechanism in centuries worth of human evolution that ultimately stalled me.
Different scenarios ran through my brain as I debated; should I stay or should I go? I couldn't fight werewolves, that was crazy, but I could try to talk my way out of this.
Or I could run. I was never here and they never found me.
But I thought about the rogues and how I could never think of abandoning them to save myself. The guilt would haunt me, knowing that they were people I could call my real family.
Scatter! Lose them in the trees! Ever opened the mind-link and the remaining rogues ran back into the thickly settled woods.
"Maddy!" I heard Ares yell, his booming voice echoing in my head. But I ditched my conscience and followed my heart this time.
Someone grabbed my arm, practically dragging me with them they were so fast. I looked up and saw North's silver braids swaying back and force as we tried to outrun the werewolf tracking us.
I heard the snow crunching behind us, whoever was following was close behind.
How are we going to lose them? My heart spiked in fear.
They want you. If I stall him, he shouldn't be able to follow you. North said slowly.
"No!" I blurted vehemently, wasting no time in listing all of the negatives to her plan.
North ignored my protests, There's no time, run!
Even if you stall him, where can I go? They're going to find me sooner or later.
It's better than nothing. I'm not going down without a fight. Suddenly, North stopped running and shoved me forward. She turned, her eyes lit amber.
My feet froze in place, like weights I couldn't move.
I couldn't leave her. She'd be killed.
Go. Now. She told me almost angrily.
I blinked and saw a glimpse of Ares before deciding to run without her.
I tried to channel the mind-link and see through her eyes, but North had blocked her mind off. Which didn't help my growing fear.
I ran like the wind, leaping over rocks and frozen water. I tried to distract my dark thoughts with the sky. It was clear and blue, so blue that it could blend in with a sea of aquamarines. There wasn't a cloud in the sky, which contrasted with the stormy silver skies of most winter days.
It was only until I'd been so consumed by my thoughts that I encountered more werewolves. I dug my feet in the snow, relentlessly looking around for a way out.
Conrad and Zack stood in my way, their body language hinting that they didn't want to fight me.
Instead, they cornered me. I kept backing up until my heels hit bark.
My fingers itched for my knife, which was tucked inside its sheath on my belt.
"We're not going to hurt you," Conrad said lowly, coming closer. But I didn't trust them, I barely knew them, and what I did know about them didn't help. Zack hated me, he never approved of my presence in the first place.
In a blur, I unsheathed my small knife and waved it around infront of me, threatening for them to keep away.
"How did you find me?" I demanded, pointing it at them.
They didn't seem threatened by my tiny knife.
"You're welcome, by the way," Zack sneered, edging closer.
"Aren't you happy to see us?" Conrad asked, confused.
"Don't follow me." I stated strongly, slicing the air with my knife as a warning.
Zack narrowed his eyes, "What the hell is wrong with you?"
"Is this about your sister? She forgives you, you know, you don't have to run," Conrad tried to reason with me but I shook my head, "You can come home now, you're safe."
My anger flared, "It was never about my sister." Why did everything always gravitate towards her? Why was everything about her?
Incoming. Noelle's voice rung in my head.
"You can't outrun us." Despite my knife, both of them continued to move towards me.
"Oh, can't I?"
Duck. Noelle commanded and as soon as I did, a huge wolf jumped infront of me and challenged Conrad and Zack.
The werewolves growled, their eyes gleaming gold.
I'll take care of them. She mind-linked me, moving her head to tell me which direction to run.
.•*•.
Don't touch her! It was like they were actually there, right beside me. But I knew better.
Not only did the mind link expose our thoughts and provide a silent communication network, but it also painted a vivid picture through someone's eyes.
Through Milo's mind, I saw Ares and others in wolf form attack Sabine. Another wolf pinned down Milo and broke one of his legs to keep him from walking.
I saw them, struggling to hold them off to let the rest of us go. Sabine's nose and right hand were broken and I felt her pain, too unbareable to seem real. And Milo, drenched in his own blood, was still fighting back. I could hear them scream in pure agony, writhing for it to stop. It broke my heart, I couldn't take it anymore.
Should I stay or should I go? Fight or flight?
I scoffed, was there really any decision to make?
Guys, I'm coming, I told them, changing course and ignoring the protests coming from all directions. They were all protecting me, sacrificing themselves to save each other.
I needed to do the same.
Screams came from my right and I followed straight. I was in the midst of finding them when I heard their faint voices in my head. Once cheerful and playful, now somber and serious.
Sabine's came first, We should've left when we had the chance.
And leave Ever? Leave everyone linked to this conversation? No way in hell.
Adrenaline hit me like a bucket of cold water, forcing me to run faster.
We could've had the fairytale ending.
You think I wanted that? Milo laughed sadly.
I did. . . The link faded away. I found nothing but my own blank thoughts.
Dammit, I'm lost. I dug around my memories, trying to picture the clearing, trying to picture where they were.
That's when I saw it: the snowy flat, the clearing I just passed a few minutes ago.
I was close, so close I could see the image burned in my sight.
I'm almost there, hold on, I'll stop this. I didn't hear anything and tried again. I'm almost there.
I ran so fast I felt as if I were flying. The image came into view and I saw a tall figure dressed in black on the opposite side of the clearing.
"Stop!" I shouted, cupping my hands around my mouth. I ran to the white clearing, pictured exactly how it was in their minds, and saw the rogues clinging to their lives. My eyes could could barely make out the tiny figures of Milo and Sabine surrendered on the ground.
"Wait!" I was closer, sure the werewolves could hear me, but I realized they were ignoring me.
Because Ares and his werewolves had already delivered the final blow. I cried like a wounded animal, looking away.
I was too late. Too late.
Maddy, you can't save them. It was Ever, the Queen of the rogues. She came up behind me, grabbing my arm and leading me back.
I looked back, watching as Ares tracked us. My heart pounded in my ears, fear creeping its way back. I didn't want to die.
Ever and I created distance between the other werewolves. For a while, I thought we'd lost them and somehow survived.
Until we reached a steep cliff that overlooked a waterfall. The water was treacherous, jagged rocks covering the running stream. I couldn't see where it filtered out, there was too much fog.
"Let her go." We whipped around, shocked to see Ares and his powerful pack behind him. Ever hid behind her hair and squeezed my hand.
Maddy, stop hiding, you're more powerful than you know.
Those were Ever's last thoughts because she closed her eyes and leaped into the cold water, lost in the mysterious mist.
.•*•.
My return was discreet. Everyone treated me as if I'd never left.
"You're lucky they didn't kill you," Archer said while he cleaned and disinfected my wounds. He also pushed a tray of food towards me, trying to coax me, "You need to eat."
It had been four hours and Archer hadn't left me out of his sight. He'd checked almost every inch of my body to make sure I was unharmed then offered me everything he had in the pack kitchen.
"I'm not hungry." Tell me that didn't just happen. Tell me my true family didn't die. Tell me they're still alive.
Please.
He rubbed my arm with the alcohol but my skin was so numb that I couldn't feel anything. Or maybe it was just the shock.
"Something is different about you," he said quietly, "Your aura changed."
Of course it had.
He finished stitching me up and treated my wounds soon enough.
"Are you ready to go home?" He asked through the silence.
"I don't want to go home. Not yet." I added quietly.
"Okay," Archer nodded, "Okay, you can sleep here."