The group was quiet until they reached the hills Alyson mentioned earlier.
"I think we should take a break here and wait until nightfall," Alyson said looking up at the rolling hills that slowly turned into a mountain.
"No, we don't have time to waste pussy-footing around," Dustin barked.
"Listen I honestly don't want to fight you right now, but we need to rest or else when we attack we won't be at the peak of being and that slims the success rate. Plus there's no way you lot can go up against these hills in your human forms," Alyson said keeping her voice neutral and free of the anger that boiled inside her every time Dustin spoke.
"But-" Dustin started but Alyson cut him off by raising a hand palm out to show she didn't mean to start a fight.
"Please, Dustin for once trust my judgement, I know this is your pack and I respect that, but right now I need you to follow me," Alyson said letting some of the bone-tiredness leaks through while still trying to be civil with the angry Were. Instantly Dustin's chest deflated because there wasn't anywhere to object.
Alyson said nothing more as she turned to search the area, "There's a clearing about 10 feet behind those trees, we'll set up camp there," Alyson said strolling towards the trees and pushing branches out of her face while keeping a firm hold on Kai's sleeping form.
"Alyson is there an inch of this forest you don't know?" Hayden said brushing past her.
"Nope, I've been exploring this forest since I was five or six. I used to miss days at school because I would be lost in the forest for days on end," Alyson said setting Kai down gently he gave a yawn of displeasure at being released.
"And your parents didn't say anything about missing school?" Hayden asked.
"Nope, my teachers always marked me present even though I wasn't there," Alyson said off-handly as she laid out her blanket and a few other necessary things, but froze as she felt Hayden's arms wrap around her.
"Hayden?" she asked nervously turning towards him.
"I'm sorry," he said, his voice thick with emotion.
"It's okay, you didn't do anything wrong. It's in the past there's nothing we can do to change that. My life wasn't all lonely I had this forest, these animals, to keep me going. That's why this means so much to me," Alyson snuggling into Hayden's chest. His warmth made Alyson feel at ease like for once she didn't have to fight all her battles alone anymore.
"It's not about if I did anything, it's more about feeling sorry I wasn't there to help you through it," He says running a hand through Alyson's long wild hair. It ran smoothly all the way through as if his hand knew exactly the course to chart to manage the harsh waves of her hair.
"I appreciate the thought but I don't want to sound like some victim who has only been cursed, all this pain has made me who I am. It also brought me to you guys. If my family didn't forget me, I would've never explored the forest and met you and your family. I would've met you when we got introduced the day you moved in and I would've been another blonde with blue eyes," Alyson says chuckling at the mere thought.
"Yeah, but I would've found you way more beautiful than your family, your wild curls shades darker than your family's platinum hair, and your fiery blue eyes with more than a few green patches in them," He says pulling away from her and planting a kiss on her forehead.
"Honestly! You two need to get a room!" Mason called Luca let out a wolf howl.
"You two need to stop insinuating something that's not happening," Hayden said. Alyson nodded and gave the two of them a glare that told them to drop the topic.
"It will it the rate you two are going," Luca said elbowing Mason lightly making the other boy laugh loudly until Collin came up behind the two of them and smacked the back of their heads instantly making them silence.
"And you two are going to die alone if you keep up that bitter attitude," Collin said laughing at them as they rubbed the back of their heads.
"Why is it we have to wait again for you all to shift again?" Alyson asked.
"Because if we change now our night vision will make it hard to see and function, plus it's just encased someone stumbled across wolves in the midday people would be suspicious," Dustin snapped at her. Alyson fought the urge to snarl at him for his tone, but trying to be the bigger person with someone like him was extremely difficult.
"Sunset is in about three or so hours until then I suggest you get some rest who knows the next time we'll be able to sit back and relax," Alyson said sinking into the log that sat next to her.
"You don't have to tell me twice," Nate said plopping down next to her on top of the log inside of against it. Hayden shifted uncomfortably as he scooted closer to her. Alyson almost laughed at his movements, he was jealous that easily? Or was it just that it was Nate? She didn't know but she found it cute he got jealous that easily.
They sat around and waited for the sun to fully set, the little conversation happened between the group as they waited for the sun to set. As soon as it did the group sprung to life and instantly the boys went to change, expect Kaden who stood awkwardly.
Alyson looked at him in question," I can't change unless I get angry, so I have to wait for one of them to finish before I can change," Kaden said kicking the patch of grass in front of him. An idea flashed through her mind as if it wasn't her own. You can force him to change try it the voice whispered into her mind, they were not her own they weren't English at all, but another language something old and forgotten. Alyson had no idea how she understood it, but her mind instantly translated it.
"How?" She asked the voice, but it gave no answer. Alyson huffed she knew the voice belonged to Ilna, but Alyson didn't know how she knew.
Alyson growled to herself but beckoned Kaden closer. He came hesitantly. She opened her hand to him he placed his hand in hers.
"Close your eyes and focus on changing," Alyson ordered as she searched their mind link. She felt something snag at her as she pictured herself walking across the bridge she'd made to Kaden. She could feel it sways with the wind and the creek of the oak wood as she stepped on it. She felt the uneasy building as she peered down at the black pit that lay under her feet. She didn't know what was down there but she didn't want to find out as she finished crossing the bridge.
When her feet met solid ground she released a breath she didn't even know she held. She looked around and saw images floating around like clouds of smoke the images blurred. Around her looked bright and happy but concern pinched her nerves, she wondered what she felt concerned about. Though it's not every day someone invades someone else's mind like this, it felt profound to Alyson, she devoured the idea of letting it excite her.
She then realized it wasn't her own concern but Kaden's. He was concerned for her. Alyson smiled at the thought she gasped as the saw the image of Kaden transforming into a wolf. She raced toward it and it seemed to harden form blurry smoke shapes into a wondrous picture like a lit fire that formed into an image.
The feelings he felt flooded her, anger so much anger. Then the sharp cracking sounded through the cavern, she turned away not wanting to watch the pain that comes with a first transformation. She can already feel the pain coursing through her it's like liquid fire coursing through her veins as each bone breaks and reforms. She grits her teeth and bears it as the transformation finishes.
As it does the fire turns into ashes her feet. She picks them up and blows them hoping the pain from the previous transformation isn't there. she feels Kaden's shock like it's her own. she must've done it. she hurried out of the cavern of his mind and cross the bridge back to her own mind where she's shot back into the world.
"Whow," is all she can say as Kaden's form is formed into a wolf. The guys look at her astonished in their own wolf forms.
"What was that?" Mason asked.
"I dunno I crossed the bridge into his mind and found the memory of him transforming then it turned into an image of fire and turned to ash then I blew them and he started to change," Alyson says shuttering at the pain from the memory.
"Where'd you learn to do that?" Daniel asked.
"I heard Ilna's voice telling me that I can force him to change then it just happened," Alyson says looking to Kaden. He was finished transforming.
"Did it hurt this time? I used the first change memory I didn't want it to hurt though..." Alyson asks.
"No actually I didn't feel a single bone break this time," Kaden said making Alyson sigh with relief.
"That pain was horrendous," Alyson said shuttering.
"You could feel the pain from it?" Hayden asks.
"I could feel everything he felt. Is it that painful every time?"
"Yeah, but you hardly feel it after your first few changes, your body eventually learns it's not a danger and that it's normal so it stops sending pain receptors to your brain," Collin explains, Alyson blinks a bit confused but nods anyway.
"So that second change should've hurt," Nate says answering Alyson's unsaid question.
"So, I made the action in the memory appear but was able to change it?" Alyson asked still completely confused it the thoughts going on here.
"Basically," Collins says.
"Alrighty then, with all this weirdness let's move on," Alyson said pointing towards the incline. The boys nodded their acceptance.
"Now, this is a struggle on foot which is why I made you all shift and why I'm going into the trees instead of walking on the ground," Alyson explains as she starts her way up the tree.
"Please be careful last time you were in a tree didn't turn out so well," Hayden gently reminded her.
"I know, I know," Alyson said rolling her eyes but her stomach warmed at the concern in his voice.
As the group started up the hill Alyson could see their strength slowly start to slip away, Alyson shook her head at them. She warned them it wasn't easy and that they should take their time. They, of course, didn't listen to her and proceeded to rush up the hills.
She didn't try to stop them either. If they wanted to waste their energy then she'd let them. She regretted that decision as she saw a horde of skinwalkers start their way.
"Skinwalkers, in you four o'clock," Alyson warns. Instantly, the boys are on alert their strength seems to reappear. Alyson readies herself and takes out a few arrows and readys them as she watches from her place in the trees. Her bow pulled back ready to shoot.
She watches and shoots one clear through the head as it comes for Hayden while his back is turned away. It falls to the ground in a pile. She doesn't to see if it's dead as she moves on to shoot a few more that are gaining on the group. Each arrow hits its mark.
Alyson was good with a bow and arrow but never this good, something was making her abilities stronger. Whatever it was Alyson didn't have time to think it over as the horde thickened.
Even with her deadly accuracy she didn't have enough, at some point she'd need to go and recollect her arrows.
As she fired her last arrow she let out a troubled sigh and launched herself from the tree knife in hand slamming it into the skull of a Skinwalker.
She danced around stabbing Skinwalkers as she grabbed her arrows from the corpses of the slan Skinwalkers. A few got a bit too close for comfort.
Upon trying to get her last arrow, a skinwalker made from the body of what looked like a deer it's antlers long and intricate. That buck must've been quite the strong one when it was alive.
Alyson stared it down it's dead beady eyes making her skin crawl. It watched her as she watched it, both waiting for the other to make a move. It made Alyson uncomfortable at how aware it was, it's eyes shone with intelligence.
Then it roared at her, making her skin crawl even more, as it charged at her. Alyson waited until the last moment like a luchador waiting for a bull to charge. Then it the last moment she moved away and spun digging her knife into its skull.
She nearly puked when it let out a cry of pain, they'd never done that before. They all died silently accepting their death.
She looked over for Hayden and instantly found his grey wolf. It watched with wide eyes and fear radiated off him like waves in an ocean mixing with Alyson's own fear. Alyson quickly got her last arrow and scrambled back up a tree and catching her breath. Making her shaking hands steady out. She tried to lift the bow again but her body shook with tremors. She couldn't do it, that scream and those eyes.
These things are evolving they are aware now and Alyson didn't like that.
A small yelp grabbed her attention. Her heart dropped at she saw Kai fly through the air. Instantly she swung her way to the tree inorder to stop the impact. But was human and she couldn't move fast enough.
Her heart shattered as the pup's back smacked into the tree. She got closer and his wines of pain made her stomach churn. Gently Alyson picked him up off the tree and climbed away from the action. She looked at the pup his eyes were already starting to gloss over.
"No, no, no, no," those were the only words she cloud form as she got to work trying to save her pup's life. There's no way she'd let him die. She gently prodded his back and he let out a pained wine.
Tears blurred Alyson's vision as she worked to save her pup. His eyes getting glossier and glossier. Alyson let out a frustrated cry.
Finally she finished with everything she could do. His poor spine had hit the tree, she thought it was broken at first but it was simply sore. Kai's side bleed she quickly sewed it up. His body limp already making the sewing easier.
"You're going to be okay, boy. You'll see the morning light, I swear," Alyson said petting his head gently. Soon his breath became even and he fell into a slumber that Alyson hoped he'd wake up from. From underneath her she heard the wine of Hayden.
"He's alive at the moment I dunno if he'll wake-up," Alyson said scooping up the pup and gently coming down from the tree. Hayden nudged her softly his face covered in the blood of battle but Alyson paid it no mind.
"Do you want to turn back?" Daniel asked his voice free of anger or belittlement, bu held empathy and remorse.
"No, we need to get rid of these monsters they're evolving. One with large deer horns. It's eyes weren't the empty pits they usually are but they shone with intelligence. It even made a sound of pain when I killed it," Alyson said her voice firm though it hurt her to put Kai's life on the line it must be done for the better of not only the forest but the lives outside it.
Daniel said nothing further on the subject but nodded his head and said, "We'll head the way they came, surely they're base is that way." Everyone nodded and followed Daniel through the path.