Krey looked from Pip, then to his mother. Krey was the only northern pack to have major conflict with the Bedlam Pack of the south. They would be at the meeting looking for him, or someone close to Krey to hurt.
They don't know about Pip, Krey thought. They're probably coming for me. Krey separated himself from Pip and nudged him towards the Omega. "Francis, Sid, take Pip to the cars. If you can go, then go. Southern wolves don't know I have a mate. They're coming for me or for my mother. Go. Now."
Wait, but Krey-" Francis pulled on Pip's shoulder before Pip made it harder for Krey to split them up.
"It's alright Pip," Francis soothed, sharing a last glance with Krey before they turned away from each other, making a silent promise to keep him safe.
Pip wanted to protest, but he did what was best and allowed Francis and Sid to guide him through the room.
Victoria and Mark were walking hand in hand down the corridor when Francis gently pushed Pip through the doors.
"What's going on?" Victoria asked, seeing their stress.
"Southern wolves are close enough to smell," said Sid, not stopping to discuss anything else. "This way." Sid took two steps down the corridor until a wolf emerged through the arched doorway at the other end, grinding them all to a sudden halt.
Pip heard the growl before he saw where the growl came from. The wolf was huge, white, and baring its teeth. The wolf's hackles were up, and its sharp claws scraped the tiles when the wolf edged closer. Both Pip and Mark paled and slowly walked backwards, barely blinking, and barely letting themselves breathe.
Sid and Francis stood ahead, sharing nervous glances. "Pip, keep backing away," Francis said, but Pip didn't need telling. Neither did Mark as Victoria stood with Francis and Sid, forming a line between the wolf and the humans.
Silently, Mark and Pip moved further and further down the corridor, forgetting the tension between them and accepting the one thing they had in common. They were both human and wouldn't stand a chance against a werewolf.
"Where's Krey?" Victoria whispered.
"Warning Makena." Sid barely moved his lips when he spoke. Sudden movement would trigger a charge, nobody in the corridor dared to breathe too deeply. But the people in the main room had no idea what was going on, and a laughing couple burst through the doors, spilling into the conflict.
The music and the talking and the door screeching open was enough noise. The wolf raised its large fluffy head and howled. One long eerie 'AAAAOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH' churned Pip's stomach until he nearly vomited all over the floor. His skin tingled like little needles pricked the back of his neck, down his spine, and down the back of his weakening legs.
Then the wolf charged. Pip and Mark turned and bolted without looking back to see how the others handled it. They ran as if the wolf only had eyes for them and their backs were large targets.
Pip had no idea where he was going. His heart smashed around his chest. He ran in a blinding panic, following Mark down corridor after corridor. He assumed Mark now lived in the Packhouse and knew where he was going.
"How do we get out?" Pip cried, hearing more howls in the distance. He still didn't dare to look behind him, scared that the wolf was on his heels. Pip felt the same fear the day Krey showed himself in the woods. If a wolf was on his trail, he would trip over his own feet or faint and be eaten alive like his parents.
Mark didn't reply, but Pip still followed, keeping up with Mark's pace.
Breaking glass ahead sent Mark skidding to a stop. "Oh god, oh god!" Mark Frantically looked around and entered the nearest room.
Pip saw shadows up ahead. Large shadows casting on the walls, too distorted to be human. Quickly, he followed Mark before the shadows revealed their true forms. Mark yelped when Pip slammed the door behind them. They were both a trembling mess, darting left and right, looking for another way out.
"The windows," Pip said. "We should-"
"Climb out of them!" Mark shoved him out of the way and jumped onto the windowsill to reach the large brass handle. He pulled until the rust wiggled loose. Mark pushed the window open and looked down. They were still on the ground floor, thankfully.
Pip, not wanting to be alone, followed Mark onto the windowsill. Mark hopped down onto the snow below and started sprinting. Pip hesitated. He was clumsy and would hurt something if he simply jumped into the darkness. He turned and slowly lowered himself, sliding his feet against the red brick wall on the other side. He couldn't feel the ground, even when his arms were stretched out above his head. He kicked around until a pair of hands slotted underneath his armpits and guided him to the floor.
Pip turned, wondering if Francis or Sid, or even Krey had found him. Mark stared down at him with annoyance. "Come on," he grunted and sprinted off again. At least Pip could keep up with his pace. Mark must be scared to be alone too.
By now, screaming mixed with the howls. Pip and Mark edged around the perimeter of the Packhouse. Snow crunching under their feet had never sounded so loud.
"What about Victoria and Krey?" Pip asked when they ran further away from the building, seeing wolves running down the paths, lit up by lanterns next to each plant pot. The light made the edges of the field dark. Pip and Mark were merely shadows in the distance. The wolves only cared about those inside the building.
Pip watched the wolves, black, brown, white, and grey glide past, thudding heavily with their large paws. He pinched himself as they ran. He wasn't in some mad dream.
"They can turn into wolves. We'll be dead before we see them again if we go back," Mark hissed. "Victoria will get out. As long as I'm safe. She'll get out."
Pip felt cowardly, running away from Krey. But the fight was between wolves, not two insignificant humans. Mark was right. If they went back now to be the hero, they wouldn't survive. They're after Krey, Pip thought, nearing the gate that was now bent and broken, showing the true power of a werewolf's jaw. Please let Krey be safe. Please, Please, Please.
The moon broke through the clouds, covering the exit in a silver light. Mark slowed, looking around. The woods beyond the gate was a black void spiralling deeper than the eyes could see. Pip looked left and right, wondering which way Crescent Town was, and how far away he was to Krey's Packhouse.
The boys almost jumped from their skin when a wolf howled closer than expected. They pressed themselves further into the shadows, staring wide eyed at a wolf only metres away. The wolf's breath wisped into the bitter air, then it turned its head and stared right at Pip with eyes as black as the night.
Pip sank to the floor, and hot tears wet his cold cheeks. The wolf could easily snatch him up in its big mouth and carry him off into the night, never to be seen again. Pip and Mark covered their mouths, trying to conceal their terrified whimpers.
The wolf's black nose sniffed in their direction. It either didn't see Pip or didn't care. Instead of charging his way, the wolf sprinted down the path and towards the building.
Mark grabbed Pip's shoulders and dragged him through the broken gate. Pip's burgundy blazer snagged on one of the sharp bent metal poles. He tugged and tugged but couldn't break loose. He slipped from his blazer and left it to hang on the gate. If Krey came to find him, at least he would know that his mate had left the building.
Pip was thankful for the knitted jumper with the embroidered wolf's head in the middle. The night was cold and would soon slow him down. But now, Pip was hot with adrenaline and wildly followed Mark into the darkness, running frantically before more wolves found them.
Pip licked his fingers and smudged them on passing trees, wanting to give Krey every chance to find him, knowing his scent would be essential. He touched what he could, leaves, bark, stumps, twigs. Pip's worst fear was getting lost in the woods with wolves all around him. He felt like he was living a nightmare, not knowing if he would make it through the night or not.
Keep going. You need to survive, for Krey, and for my parents. Keep going Pippor. Run faster. He picked up the pace, despite tears blurring his vision. Mark had to run faster to keep up with him. He also cried silent tears.
Eventually, they found a rhythm and ran side by side for what felt like hours. Pip followed the moon. He had no idea how far they travelled by the time they slowed to catch their breaths.
"I think...I think we're..." Mark bent over and was sick in a bush.
Pip turned away, breathing heavy. He rubbed cold sweat from his forehead. His tears had dried crusty around his eyes. He moved away from Mark's vomit and crouched by a tree, leaning his back against the wood. "They might follow our tracks in the snow," Pip said. His voice sounded loud in the silent night and surprisingly emotionless. He meant to sound hopeful.
Mark was sick again.
"I mean Krey and V-Victoria. They'll find us." Pip nodded to himself and wrapped arms around his knees to contain his heat. Cold seeped through his layers almost instantly. They had to keep moving to stay warm.
Pip waited until Mark stopped being sick to catch his breath. Mark crouched by a tree opposite Pip. They stared at each other in the darkness. Mark's round nose and pointed chin stood out in the moons glow. The rest of him was hidden in shadows. Pip heard Mark's breath calming down, one exhale at a time.
For a moment, Pip closed his eyes and listened to the silence of the woods. If he weren't starting to violently shiver, he might have pretended that he was in Krey's room, safe. Mark's voice pulled him back to the woods before Pip could try to imagine.
"I now know how my mum felt all those years ago," Mark mumbled. Pip opened his eyes, watching him glumly tracing a finger through the snow. "Running for her life." Mark paused and looked Pip dead in the eyes. "As wolves ate my dad and your parents."