"I hate that this is coming to this."
Words like that do not exactly boost one's confidence.
"We have one objective right now," Peridot continued, meeting my gaze. "Get them away from the house. And there's only one way to get them to move."
I stared at her, awaiting her solution to the problem. Turquoise was getting antsy again and was moved to Topaz's arms, where she became slightly calmer.
"We have to use you," Peridot said, slowly approaching me.
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"They're after you," Peridot answered. "Which means they'll follow you. Which means we have to use you as bait."
I turned around, noticing the disapproving look in my father's eyes. The last thing he wanted was for me to have to be used as bait.
"I really don't want to have to use this plan, but it's the safest option," Peridot explained her reasoning. "I'll do the running since I'm the fastest. I'll go slow enough to keep them on my trail but fast enough to not let them catch up. The rest of you, flank me from behind and make sure they don't catch up."
I nodded as I listened to her plan. The others were listening intently. Especially Topaz. She was listening the most.
"When we get far enough from the house, Agate, I need you to take Lapis from me," Peridot ordered. "But make it really quick. They can't know you have her." She turned to the other wolves. "The rest of you, when Agate is taking Lapis, make a diversion. Run in front us so they don't see." She looked towards Smoky and her little sister. "Pink, go with them. They're going to need more than one guard."
"What about our baby?" I asked.
"She needs to stay with your dad," Peridot answered. "When you, Agate, and Pink get back to the house, get both your dad and Turquoise and get in the car. When you're in, go straight to my mom's house. She'll be happy to help you."
"Of course she will," I said.
I noticed how Peridot seemed completely focused. There wasn't much human in her at that moment except for what we saw on the outside. She was like a wolf. The alpha wolf. Her only desire was to protect her pack. Her mate. Their cub.
Topaz walked up to us then. Turquoise started to become excited when she saw Peridot and I, which finally got through her. Her mood softened, and she took one of her baby's hands.
"I love you," she cooed. "I'm gonna be back for you soon, and you, Mommy, and I are gonna have a great time together. Okay?"
Turquoise silently listened to her mother, seeming to try to smile the whole time. Peridot pressed one kiss against her forehead before turning to me.
"I love you," she whispered. "Everything's gonna be okay."
I wrapped my arms around her, and she wrapped hers around me. After a quick but passionate kiss, everything turned to one thing: getting out of here. Topaz gave the baby to Dad, who protectively held her close. Peridot picked me up and cradled me as if I was our baby. I wrapped my arms around her neck, ready for the speed.
"We have three seconds," she said. "Close your eyes."
So I did.
I could feel the cold early December winds blowing against me as Peridot ran through the forest. Winter was coming soon, I could feel it. Peridot didn't stop running even with the cold. It probably felt fine to her. She was warm, after all. I heard Peridot panting, clearly nervous about the oncoming threat. All four vampires must have been behind us, but I didn't hear a thing.
"Hold them back!" Peridot shouted suddenly. "Don't let them catch up!"
I thought I heard something break and fall to the ground. A tree, maybe. I heard the grunt of someone quickly jumping out of the way and stumbling as they continued to run. I heard Peridot growl.
"Damn it," she cursed, holding me closer.
"Wh-what's going on?" I asked nervously as my grip on her became tighter.
"They're trying to take down some of the wolves," Peridot answered. "They almost got Pink there. Lucky for us she's the youngest—and the most agile."
"She barely dodged it?" I asked.
"Just barely," Peridot answered. "She's catching up now. Just about ahead of brunette."
"And Topaz?" I asked.
I heard Peridot turn her head back. "Catching up to blue hair," she answered.
For a moment, I stayed silent, letting Peridot concentrate on running. She held me even closer, this time holding my head in her hand. She grunted in frustration from who knows what, and I felt the bumpiness of the running suddenly go away. It came back quickly, causing my head to jerk forward slightly. We had jumped over something. She had just landed.
"We shouldn't have to go too much farther," she said to me. "We just need to be far enough to where it'll take them a few minutes to reach the house. We can beat them there."
"So how much longer?" I asked.
"Likely about another minute," Peridot answered. "Then Agate's taking you. Get ready. It may not exactly be the most smooth transition."
I felt us speeding up, as the wind was blowing harder against my hair. I shivered, and Peridot held me nice and close, allowing her warmth to work its magic on me.
"We're almost there," she whispered gently. "Not much longer."
"I love you," I hissed, tightening my grip on her even more.
"I love you too," Peridot whispered in reply. "Stay safe for me, please."
"I'll try," I said. "I'll be looking forward to when you come back."
I heard the werewolves approaching us. The first step of the diversion. They were gathering around us, creating a crowd. Peridot's grip on me became looser. I unwillingly loosened mine. I would soon be handed over to Agate. No longer with Peridot, but I would be with my baby.
The transition was quick and unexpected. A few jerks around, and, suddenly, I felt Agate turning back and running off. I could hear the ever so quiet pitter-patter of Pink following behind us. We were heading back to the house, about to leave again. We were going to go somewhere safer, where the vampires were not at the moment. Surely they wouldn't notice my absence until the wolves had lead them far beyond my father's house's reach.
A few minutes of bitter cold wind later, I heard the front door to the house swing open, and I was set down on the wooden floor. Dad's heavy footsteps approached, followed by Turquoise's excited little noises. I took her from my father, giving her the quick serving of attention she wanted before we got into the car.
"Pink and I are up front," Agate said to my father. "We're in charge while Peridot's gone. We'll be waiting outside when we arrive at Yellow's."
"Okay," Dad responded, raising an eyebrow.
"Do you have a child's seat in your car?" Agate asked.
"Yes," Dad answered. "Just in case Lapis came with Turquoise."
"Good," Agate said. "Let's get going. We don't have all the time in the world."
Dad, Turquoise, and I were all escorted to the car, where we were rushed to get in and buckle up. I buckled Turquoise in her little car seat. She didn't like being restrained, and she began to fuss. She didn't calm down until I was holding her hand, a sign to her that everything was okay. Mama was here.
"Baby," I whispered, leaning in so my face was near hers. "I love you. Everything's gonna be okay, I promise."
Turquoise made a noise, kicking her tiny little feet in response to me. I smiled. She was so precious. I loved her with everything I had. She was my little miracle. She was never meant to happen, but I adored her from the start.
The car began to pull out of the driveway, then speeding onto the street. I held Turquoise's hand throughout, hoping to keep her comfort as the car jerked to stop and go. I heard Pink murmur something, then I saw her look over at Agate.
"We're being followed," Pink hissed.
Agate looked over at her mirror, her eyes narrowing. "Indeed we are," she agreed.
I looked out the back window, noticing the brown haired vampire, Jade, following us. She wasn't in a car, no, but on her two feet. I gasped. Not only that, but she was catching up to us rather easily.
"Step on it!" Pink cried as we neared the beach.
That's exactly what Agate did. She slammed her foot against the gas pedal, making the tires squeak as they struggled to pull us as fast as Agate wanted them to go. We swerved down the road on the beach, barely escaping the vampire following us. I held Turquoise's hand the whole time, and she barely seemed to notice the commotion. After many twists and turns in the road, none of us saw her anymore, and we assumed we were safe.
We pulled into Yellow's driveway. We were almost there. I looked to the left, and there she was again. Jade was speeding towards us, making no effort to stop. Then I gulped as I realized it. She wasn't going to stop. All my brain had time to think in that moment was one thing.
Oh no.
Just as I wrapped my arms around Turquoise, Jade's hands slammed into the back of the car, sending us spinning toward the water. It had been pushed with enough force to make it tumble over into not-very-shallow water, not to mention making everyone's heads jerk violently to the right side of the car. Almost immediately, the inside of the car began to fill up with freezing cold water. I took one gasp of air before my entire body was submerged.
Everything began to slow down right then. Pink looked at me with a panicked expression, frantically pulling her seatbelt out of its buckle and swimming back into the backseat. She tore Turquoise's seatbelts apart, took the baby, and kicked the glass of the right door, swimming as fast as she could with Turquoise to the surface. It felt so nice knowing my baby was safe, but the rest of us, not quite yet. I got myself out of my seatbelt, but I knew I had no way of getting out of the car without hurting myself. Agate followed, swimming into the backseat, grabbing Dad and I, and kicking the left door as hard as she could, forcing it open. She swam us to the surface, where Dad and I took the biggest breaths we had ever taken. I was freezing, shivering.
"Pink!" Agate shouted. "Are you alright?!"
"I'm fine!" Pink responded squeakily. "The baby's okay too. I think she's upset, though."
The three of us swam to the other side of the car, where I saw Turquoise. She really was okay. Pink had a few cuts from kicking the window, but Turquoise had none. Pink had protected her.
"God," Agate said, looking toward the shore. "She's waiting for us to come back to land. We have to get her away." She looked at Pink and I, and a spark appeared in her eyes. "You two are near the same height," she explained her idea. "Switch clothes. The vampire will follow the scent of Lapis's clothes if you start running, Pink."
"But where do I run?" Pink asked.
"To the exit," Agate answered. "Peridot and the rest of the wolves should be meeting you there."
Agate gently took Turquoise as Pink and I sank underwater to swap our clothes. It was too necessary to feel awkward. This was the only way we were going to make it. As soon as Pink had my clothes on, she was out of the water, leading Jade away. This was when Agate took the rest of us back to shore.
As I should have expected, Yellow panicked when we came in cold and wet. She immediately interrogated us, and we had to explain Jade pushing us into the water, and that we really had the wolves to thank. Yellow got warm towels for us to help us dry off and a small hand towel for Turquoise. I held my baby close as she shivered from the cold. I kissed her head. It was okay now. She was safe.
I heard the frantic knocking at the door. I looked up.
A tearful voice cried out. "Lapis!" A sniffle. "Lapis!"
Author's Note: So apparently I had enough motivation to write another chapter, so hopefully this makes up for my lack of consistent updates