Kiera is hardly annoyed when Revokers attack and she’s too far away to help. Her mind is stuck on other things, stuck in an endless circle. Despite knowing Romy is a tough fighter, Kiera can’t help worry that something bad will happen. Then again, the Alcrests land wasn’t exactly safe either.
Kiera growls, dropping her head towards the snow.
Patrol rolled by so slowly, dragging on and on and on. Chase had tried to lighten the mood with jokes and playful nips, nuzzling up to Kiera until he was nipped at a few times too many for his liking, and only then did he quit and just keep running. She didn’t know if she liked the privacy or not.
The mind numbing circles of patrol eventually end and Kiera’s finally allowed wonder home.
She doesn’t hurry despite worrying that Romy will be leaving shortly, or worse still, had already left. She doesn’t know if she can face Romilda. It was one thing for her friend to be rebellious, but another thing to be completely wayward and plain stupid. Never would Kiera dare challenge Jordan like the other girl had. Jordan is the Alpha for a reason; and it wasn’t because he was a push over.
Chase cocks his head at Kiera. Concern flashes across his human eyes, at odds with his animal face and propped wolf ears. From anyone else Kiera would have bristled at the invasion of privacy. From Chase it is nothing but plain curiosity.
She huffs, a thin white cloud spreading away from her nose.
A grey pokes at her jaw, provoking a nip from the moody, darker wolf. Chase pulls away, but Kiera hardly cares. Talking wasn’t going to help the sick feeling rolling in her stomach, or the dread filling her brain with gory, horrifying detail of everything that could go wrong for her friend. She can’t think about that, won’t think about it.
Much to Kiera’s delight Chase doesn’t push his concern the rest of the way to her house. His silent form stays a comfortable step away, a ghost beside her.
Kiera’s paws are numb as she steps onto the cold, wooden porch. Snow dusts the dull coloured timber, imprints of shoes and paws left in the powder creeping towards the door.
Kiera stops, looking at her charcoal paw. She lifts her paw back, balancing easily on three legs as she looks at the two replicating shapes. Two prints, one the right way up with an old upside down print next to the new mark. She doesn’t know if both prints are her own, and it shouldn’t matter-it’s just two paw prints, but suddenly, it does matter.
Kiera’s head snaps up, her gaze locking onto Hunter through the frosted window.
Chase barks in question as Kiera suddenly spins around, leaping into the snow at full sprint. White ice puffs into the air after her, leaving a trail of over turned powder in the wolf’s wake.
Seeing Hunter had clicked a haunting memory in Kiera. Only a few nights ago, he had nearly died, and all she could think about was how she should have said something, anything so he knew she loved him. Kiera didn’t say it much, she knew.
She can’t let Romy leave without at least a good bye.
It will be too easy for Romy to over judge something, to get too into the fight, and then suddenly someone’s telling her that Romy’s-
No, Kiera snarls to herself. Romilda is not going to die, not so soon. Her thoughts suddenly scramble, the wolf tearing apart the logic. Yes, it hisses, softly, growling in apathetic nature, she will die, everyone does. But it’s just one person, she’s no longer you’re pack member anyway-forget her!
Fire burns Kiera’s mind and body. Anger, hatred and blood lust, so hot she feels scolded in hot oil, blazes through her veins, a war between human and beast. She doesn’t know which one’s winning as she races through the icy world. Kiera’s eyes flick up, seeking the moon. The wolf surges at the sight of the wanning rock, only a slither of the surface. The full moon had come and past without fault, and now the new moon was closing in fast.
A scary thought invades her mind, but is pushed out by both wolf and human.
Shaking away the thought Kiera leaps over the porch railing, not bothering to run around to the steps. She clears the rail with room to spare; nails clicking on the timber floor as her paw touch the wood.
Kiera almost forgets to shift at the front door to Eve’s house. A few seconds before she ploughs through the fly screen a sharp ache races through her body, hot and fast as it tears her human shape back into the present. Keira’s fingers close around the door, ripping it open before her nails have fully retracted.
Jared and Nathan jump as Kiera barges into the house. The boys stare wide eyed at her, both looking like criminals caught outside the prison walls.
She hardly pauses, instead calls over her shoulder “where’s Romilda?”
“Upstairs” Nathan squeaks.
“No, she isn’t, you idiot!” Jared snarls.
Nathan suddenly yelps, arguing back, but Kiera’s already halfway up the stairs. The boys continue fighting, yelling louder til something falls over.
Kiera shoves the door to Romy’s room open, throwing up her hand to catch it as it ricochets back at her from off the wall.
A pair of cold blue eyes freeze Kiera in the doorway. The glaring aims every ounce of hatred in the worlds at the intruder, than some.
Kiera shifts her weight on her feet, taking in the scene rather calmly, impressing herself.
Romy’s shirt had vanished, and her jeans are unzipped. Messy blond hair tangles down her back, to where Romy’s bra claps are open enough that the straps are halfway down her arms. A male lays pinned under her werewolf friend, and not just any male. Alex. His shirt seems to have found a home on the floor with the blankets, pillows, socks, shoes and a towel. Blood rushes to Alex’s cheeks as it deserts the rest of his body-or so Kiera hoped.
Romy’s fearsome glare fades to mild annoyance. She leans back against Alex’s bent legs, lounging a long, bare arm over til she can almost touch his toes. “Thanks for knocking Kiera, I love how you see my privacy as such an importance. You really should learn to let yourself in, what is mine is-“
“Shut up” Kiera snaps. Suddenly anything and everything could have been said-meaningful, emotional things- abandon her. Instead, a colourful arrangement of words gather and clog her stream of thoughts, so when Kiera opens her mouth to speak only a jumble of sounds fall out, until, they slowly find order.
Disbelief colours her world icy blue, but it soon heats to a burning crimson of betrayal and anger. An ugly ball of fury rages in her chest. “What you thinking-you stupid? Jordan’s an Alpha, don’t challenge Alphas, unless crazy, you crazy? Are you Romy? He could kill you, or beat you up or-why would you challenge an Alpha?” Kiera shouts, heat flaring to life again. “Why would you do that? You stupid, crazy-rat!” she blurts, raking fingers threw her hair.
Before Kiera’s rampage can continue Romy throws herself off the bed, marching towards Kiera like a wolf hunting. “What the hell? I did nothing-he’s the idiot. And don’t call me a rat because I don’t want to be pushed around like you and that stupid baby you call-“
“Ladies” Alex says from the bed. His tone’s light, unaggressive, but both females growl at him without turning away from each other.
“Don’t start with Chase!” Kiera spits. Anger boils her blood. What a thing to go on! Chase was not in this, and shouldn’t be dragged in because of her being so low, so rude! “You know nothing about him! We’re talking about you and you’re idiocy-!”
Romy snarls, baring her teeth. The wolf flashes in her eyes. “Don’t talk to me like that! I’m not the idiot here-you and the rest of this stupid pack are! Jordan can’t run a pa-“
“Jordan can run a pack-that’s why he’s the Alpha, stupid!” Her hands form
A sharp bark of laughter comes from Romy. “Don’t be so foolish! He’s not a wolf, he’s a puppy! A fat, push over puppy licking up the scraps from those stupid w-”
“Girls, please” Alex says softly, laughing awkwardly..
“Those stupid witches are what keep us safe-”
“Don’t be so blind! They are just using us! Why should we protect-“
Kiera laughs harshly, “-is this really about Jordan, or are you just jealous that people are-”
“I’m not jealous, dimwit! I just-“
“You are jealous!”
“No-you’re jealous! You are a stupid, blind, selfish-“
“Am I selfish? Really? Am I selfish for not wanting my friend to-“ Kiera cuts off, swearing a rugged curse. She spins around, still spitting out curses. Tears sting her eyes, blurring her vision. Thankfully Romy says nothing, staying quiet as Kiera gathers herself. Kicking herself, Kiera looks out across the corridor. Such foolishness. She always thought she was better than this, better than a crying, babbling baby. Jesus, she just loved screwing stuff up didn’t she?
Wiping at the tears that hadn’t fallen Kiera half turns around, not sure what to say anymore, not sure if she wants to meet Romy’s hard stare and know what the other girl was thinking.
Luckily Romilda’s looking away, but it doesn’t stop the sting of her words. “I think you should leave, Kiera.”
By sheer will Kiera doesn’t flinch. She isn’t going to give into Romy like that, no way. They’d been through too much growing up, lost too many friends, too much family to end it like this. Romy was practically her older sisters, good, bad, intolerable. She’d been the one sitting with Kiera as kids, waiting for the Revoker attacks to end. Romy was the one who stood behind Kiera like a still stature ready to erupt in vicious murder. A burst of defence and determination blooms in her. Kiera isn’t a lot of things, no hero, no saviour, nowhere near perfect; but she also not a quitter.
“No.” Kiera states firmly. She turns around, fully intent to pin Romy to the wall in she needed to if Romy refused to listen. “I didn’t come here to fight, and I don’t intend on leaving with us hating each other.”
Romy’s eyes slide back to Kiera, sharp and intense. She’s quiet for a minute, eyes burning, muscles coiled as if ready to pounce. “Have I ever told you that you’re a dog?” Her mouth quirks up at the corner.
Kiera lets out a strangled laugh, grinning through the traces of tears in her eyes. “Many times”
Romy chuckles, opening her arms wide. “Come here, ratbag.” Without pause, Romilda drags Kiera in a hug, indifferent that she was almost naked. Kiera wraps her arms around Romy, closing her eyes tightly. A chin rests against her head. “You know, if I didn’t love you so much I’d hate you right now. Jeez, you are so…infuriating and persistent and just plain annoying.” Romy laughs, patting Kiera’s shoulder. “You are such a brat, but, I guess I wouldn’t change that for anything. Promise me you won’t sulk around like a puppy while I’m gone?” She demands.
Kiera shakes her head in tiny side movements. “Me? A puppy? Did you lose your brain when you lost your shirt?”
Romy laughs.
“I’m serious. Although…now that I think about it, you must have lost your brain long ago.” Kiera pulls back, suddenly very aware of how much skin Romilda was baring. “I mean, come on Rom, you’re crazy and all, but challenging the Alpha?”
Romy shrugs, tugging up her bra. “Err, no biggie’.”
“Rom-“
“Hey, you’re not here to fight remember” Romy tisks. “Besides, I just can’t be pushed around; I can’t stand it, Ki. I’m meant to be an Alpha, I just-can’t stand him”
“You can’t be an alpha,” Kiera informs slowly. The Alpha is the most important member of a pack, the leader, the father, the order; it’s a male, determined by dominance and influences. No female can ever stand as an Alpha, it’s strictly against all wolf instincts, a female’s highest position is Luna, which orders, by no means, can be ruled over the Alphas. To even think of messing with the system didn’t compute with Kiera. Alpha= dominate male. Alpha ¹ rebellious female.
Romy presses her lips in a thin line. “Well, they should change that, shouldn’t they?” Before Kiera can talk she continues. “Besides, it’s not like I challenged him for the spot of alpha…I just said I would be better at his job than he is…”
Kiera’s eyes almost bug out. Romilda may as well have challenged him for the pack. Such under minding of someone who earned their position is stupid. If Kiera was Jordan she would have torn Romy to shreds then and there. Hell, she felt a flicker of disrespect now.
Romy frowns. “Don’t look at me like that. I’m crazy remember, you can’t blame me for my actions.” Then she spins around, clasping her bra with one hand while she points an accusing finger at Alex who was now standing in only his jeans.. “And you, mister, are a bad distraction. Out now; both of you. I have packing to do; you can cry and whine over me later”
Kiera rolls her eyes. That was probably the nicest goodbye she was going to get from Romilda right now; not that she cared. Stepping into the hallway Kiera watches Alex poke around for his shirt, taking his time looking under every object. She didn’t doubt he would soon be lifting crumbs, just to annoy Romy a bit more. She snarls, crossing her arms.
“Ahhh, found it” he chuckle, lifting a shirt that may have once been black, but now has faded to a grey. He strolls out slowly, ignoring Romy’s taunts. Standing in the hallway with Kiera he shakes his head. The door slams behind him. “You know, if you were 2 minutes later, you would have walked in on-”
“Shut it” Kiera interrupts, not wanting to imagine what she may have seen. It was one thing to see her best friend practically naked, to see…that was different story. She shudders.
Alex pauses, a lazy smile still stuck on his face. Casually he spins the shirt on his finger, looking at Kiera evenly.
“What?”
“Nothing. I was just wondering if you know that you’re naked”
Startled, Kiera quickly throws her arm across her chest. By now, you’d think I’d remember this shit she grumbles to herself. While in her hurry she’d forgotten one of the worst things about being a werewolf, the stupid shift back that left you naked and completely exposed. “You are a bastard!” She hisses, pushing past him.
Alex laughs. “Don’t worry, I wasn’t looking.”
“Yeah, cause that makes me feels so much better” Kiera snaps. She glances back at him shaking her head. Embarrassment heats her cheeks, but then Kiera reminds herself it could have been worse. It could have been Kadar; he would never let her live it down. Alex on the other hand, wouldn’t tell anyone-except maybe Chase.
Kiera pauses as she passes the lounge room.
“Don’t tell anyone!” Nathan begs, big pleading watering.
Jared sneers, pushing the smaller kid aside. “We didn’t do anything, we swear. Don’t be such a blabber mouth, stupid!” he whispers the last part to Nathan as he turns his back to Kiera..
“But-“ Nathan mumbles, sounding close to tears, “what if she tells on us?”
“Shh! We didn’t do nothin’” Jared huffs loudly.
Kiera shakes her head, leaving the two chocolate covered boys sitting on the chocolate smeared carpet. Their mother will love the new stained carpet, Kiera was sure.