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I am once again sorry for taking so long to upload :\
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I find myself staring off into space when the usually heavenly smell of smoky bacon drifts over towards me but instead of making me ravenous like it usually would it makes me feel sick. The usual tender, mouth-watering smell is gone and instead the foul smell of lost memories taints my tongue as my mind flashes through the thousands of times I’ve experienced the smell before while sitting around a fire similar to this one, but there’s something so wrong about this time that I can’t even appreciate what used to be. This time I’m not with my brothers, not with my family, not with my tribe, this time I’m a captive and I no longer want to enjoy these simple moments. These moments will never be the same again and neither will I.
I look up as a shadow looms over me and the sickly smell increases to find one of the Blood Valley Pack hovering in front of me, his streaky blonde hair hanging partially across his Olive green eyes as he searches my face silently. My eyes linger on the plastic plate in his hand that contains a piece of toast, a fried egg and two slices of bacon all slightly charred from the open fire it was just cooked on. He extends the plate out to me and I gingerly take it.
He looks at me strangely but holds his tongue, why isn’t he saying anything? I put the plate in my lap and nod at him in thanks and he looks as if he has something on the tip of his tongue but before he can utter a word a small growl comes from over by the other side of the fire. I look up to find Cole glaring at the guy who must be Edward warningly. So now he’s ordering them not to talk to me? What is his problem? Cole’s eyes flicker to me and I roll mine back at him before once again looking down at the plate.
: ‘It’s not poisoned.’ : Cole’s voice tells me quietly obviously struggling to make a sound among my thoughts with my currently strong shields. I pick up the toast grudgingly and take a small bite, chewing very slowly before swallowing with a sigh I look back at the obviously good food that seems utterly tasteless to me. I can’t even enjoy food anymore. I rip at the toast and slowly consume it after pushing it around my plate a few times. After I’ve finished I take a small bite of the bacon which is once again good, more than good but the taste no longer affects me. I take a few more slow bites and then suddenly I feel queasy I try to ignore it but as I take another bite bile rushes up my throat and I jump up, running over to the edge of the clearing where the small contents I just put in my stomach comes back up.
I walk away from the spot and go over to a large oak tree, slumping against it before sliding to the ground and wrapping my arms around my legs, not caring about how damp I am getting from the morning dew. So now I can’t even eat. Maybe I should let the instincts instilled in me take over completely? Then again going fully into a more animalistic side of me is a very bad idea; I’d do something I’d regret. I run my fingers through the moisture filled grass slowly, closing my eyes to the world and try to focus on something, anything then where I am and what I’ve done.
I let the non existent music fill my ears and I focus on making myself imagine the steps to go with it flowing with the beat that is now flooding my mind. The familiar lyrics flood my mind and I move slightly in my slumped position, with my head against the tree, as the movements come to me like a second language. ‘Tired of being what you want me to be...’ the emotions in every word from the song absorb all of my attention and I realise how similar the story is to the pain I’m going through. I feel eyes watching me but I continue to lose myself in my imagination until the song ends and the version of myself dancing in my head falls to the ground to the last note.
My eyes snap open and I discover myself feeling partially better, well at least no longer sick to my stomach like I was before. I ignore the confused and shocked expressions on countless faces as I rise from the ground and walk over to my previously abandoned plate looking down at the food that now repulses me. I grab the plate and walk towards the amber flames, tossing it into the very middle and watching intently as it turns charcoal black before disappearing into oblivion.
“What the hell was that?” A rough voice calls from behind me and I turn to face one of the most respectable looking guards I’ve seen yet, one that looks like he knows what he’s doing. He looks in his early thirties and has an air of authority about him unlike the others that I’ve experienced. His dark brown eyes are full of experience and he searches my face calculatingly but not threateningly. I ignore his question and instead regard him more closely taking in his cropped dark brown hair and exaggerated jaw line. I take in the air of confidence and authority around him but somehow get the feeling he’s not top dog, just the highest member here at the moment. I also absorb his well built frame and muscled body, a powerful opponent if I was to find one among these idiots.
He tenses as if to move towards me and I automatically tense as well ready to react within an instant if he chooses to advance. His un-tenses, his eyes regarding me properly this time as if calculating my strengths and weaknesses much as I am scrutinizing him and have been for the last few moments. I tense again, testing his reaction and find he returns my movement with only a fractional delay...impressive. He seems to act on instinct but think things through as well quickly before actually doing anything. We both un-tense at once and go back to regarding each-other. His hand twitches and my eyes automatically snap to the movement and then back to his face taking in the glint in his eyes. He’s testing me too.
I let out a small growl as amusement comes flooding from him and he stops appraising me. In response he twitches one of his eyebrows at me challengingly. He’s lucky I’m blocking my powers right now otherwise he’d be on the ground right now. I’ll give him this much, he’s the first one smart enough to consider sizing me up and checking how much trouble I can cause.
“So now do you feel like explaining what just happened?” He asks levelly. My eyebrows furrow in confusion...is he referring to my new hatred for bacon? He doesn’t say anything further.
“What exactly are you referring to?”
“The music that just surged through our heads while you were over by the tree” he clarifies. Music? Wait....they heard that? How is that even possible? Did I tap into their link without knowing it? I turn to look at Cole who is watching us from the other side of the fire, sitting with his pack. I question him with my eyes and he shakes his head in response. Okay, so it must have been me.
“I was distracting myself from the pain, I didn’t realise I had connected with the pack and guard links.” I tell the guard truthfully and he seems surprised by my straightforward answer.
“May I ask why you where focusing on that music that intensely?” He asks with a grin.
Should I tell him? Shouldn’t I hate him for being part of this? No, they are just following orders. “I was imagining the steps to it. I’m a dancer.” I tell him as if commenting on the weather. A few whispers rack around the clearing, probably from those who’ve never seen me dance....Cole’s lot and the guards.
“Really?”
“Yep” Neither of us says anything for a moment but I can feel his frustration as he searches for my weaknesses once again and I can’t help but laugh lightly, which gets me a few strange looks. I look directly at the guard “You won’t find it.”
“What?” he asks in confusion
“My main weakness”
“How is that even possible?” He asks light-heartedly a small smile on his face.
“Ask the mutt over there.” I tell him a small amount of venom slipping into my voice as I direct his eyes to Cole.
“What good would that do?”
“He took my weakness away.” I tell him simply. “I would die defending my pack, hurt them and you’d have me asking for surrender within a millisecond but I don’t have a pack anymore.”
He looks at me curiously and amazement spills out around us. “You just told a stranger your weakness.”
“If someone hadn’t already figured it out, I wouldn’t be here right now.” I tell him with a shrug and then glare at Cole before looking back.
The sound of Cole’s phone ringing echoes through the crisp morning air and without looking I can almost see him glare at it before marching off to yell at whoever’s on the phone. Asshole. The guard chuckles as I role my eyes because of Cole and gives me a questioning look. I shrug in reply.
“By the way I’m Paul Kempford, third in charge of this unit.” The guard, Paul tells me suddenly holding out his hand.
“Erin Daniels, Alpha of East Forest Pack and if you get on my bad side; your worst nightmare” I reply with a small smirk taking his outstretched hand and shaking it firmly.
“Noted” Paul grins.
“We’re leaving.” Cole’s loud voice calls from behind me and I spin around to see him slipping his phone in his pocket with a grin on his face. Fantastic. I watch as the Blood Valley pack members and the guard all scurry to get their bags and be ready to leave. You think they would have done that before instead of waiting around after breakfast.
I look over to Aaron who is now in his human form, sitting next to Oliver with Max a little over from them and decide to say goodbye. The three of them look up as I arrive and Aaron stands up quickly, stepping over to me. “Keep safe Erin and don’t let them give you any bullshit” he tells me with a grin before leaning in to hug me, giving me the chance to pull back but I don’t and instead find myself with my arms wrapped around him.
“Thank you Aaron, I won’t forget you.” I tell him as we pull apart and then walk over to Max completely ignoring a curious Oliver who continues to stare at me. He needs to back off before I hit him...
“Erin.” Max smiles, looking up from his distant expression.
“Hey.” I give him a genuine smile and he stands up encasing me in his comforting arms and blessing me with his calm once again. I pull him tighter to me as a tear runs down my cheek and he tightens his grip comfortingly.
“It’ll be okay.” He tells me softly as we both pull back.
“Thank you Max, for everything.” I whisper and he nods. I kiss him gently on the cheek and he squeezes my hand lightly before I turn my back on the West Peaks and walk towards Cole who is glaring at someone behind me, probably Max and Aaron.
“We’re leaving,” Cole says suddenly turning to face his Pack and the guard. Finally.
***
It’s been over four hour now of the same thing; walking through the forest to the edge of Keith’s territory while ignoring the dumbasses who are trying to get me to talk to them. They almost seem to have a rotation or roster on how long they can attempt to talk to me and actually get more than a three word response. The guards are probably the only ones who haven’t bothered and that’s because they are constantly on full alert as if waiting for someone to randomly jump out of a tree and try attack us or something. I talked to Paul for half an hour at the very start about nothing in particular until Cole got pissy and Paul needed to brief the guards on the journey as we got further away from the centre of Keith’s territory.
Every now and then Cole has come and walked next to me and attempted to get me to listen to him prattle on about whatever crap it is he’s doing to help me.... Help me my ass.
I watch my feet, focusing on putting one after the other while every bone in my body is screaming to turn back and run the other way. No. I watch the earthy dirt under my feet turn drier and look up to see what must be the border of Keith’s territory...took long enough. My nose tingles as the scent marker fills the air and I realise the border must run exactly along the next line of trees and off into the distance in either direction. I continue to walk, holding my breath as I pass the border to avoid getting a whiff of it. Why does he have that kind of scent border anyway?
I jolt my head up as a hand grabs my shoulder gently and find myself face to face with Blaise’s deep blue eyes. I slap his hand away and walk around him not wanting to endure another round of his taunting comments and annoying questions.
“Come on Erin, don’t be like that.” He fakes hurt and quickly steps in pace beside me. I ignore him and continue walking slightly faster across the slightly rocky ground. “Erin, you know you have to talk to someone at some point because I have a feeling you’re not the type to go mute” He persists to match my pace.
“Blaise it won’t work.” Someone calls out to him and i huff in agreement.
“It will. Come on Erin if the only people you ever talk to are your pathetic pack mates you’ll be silent for the rest of your life...” Pathetic? I let out a sharp growl, my eyes flickering to his face angrily.
“What? Don’t like me calling your little pack names?” He taunts and I growl once again, this time more quietly. “Well I don’t think you can really call them a pack anymore you see a pack has to be able to defend itself and they failed at that now didn’t they?” Is he trying to make me mad? Of course they can defend themselves, they are still an amazing pack with or without me... my stomach jolts as the realisation hits me once again....without me.
“You really shouldn’t be so upset about leaving them; I mean they are just worthless excuses for werewolves...” Blaise’s voice pounds through my head and my breaths come out sharply as I turn to look at him mid stride. Worthless? A vicious growl escapes my lips but Blaise continues to smirk. “Erin, Erin, Erin, if you loved them at all wouldn’t you be defending them right now? Obviously you’re glad we took you away.” Is he really questioning that? How stupid can he get.
“Blaise if I was happy to be here I might have actually said more than two words in the last five hours.” I tell him with a sigh.
“There we go, but tell me Erin how long do you think your little pack is going to last now their fearless Alpha is gone?”
“Who said it is going to disappear?”
“I did.”
“Don’t be so sure.”
“Don’t worry if they do last more than a few months we’ll personally make sure that’s as long as they’ll get.” I spin around to face him. He did not just threaten my pack! Yet another growl rips from within me, this one louder and more threatening. “How about we deicide how they’ll die now... Hmm? I think we could drug all of them one by one leaving your brother till last so he can watch and then we can torture him...what do you think?” His vicious voice echoes through my head and images of him holding a knife to Jack’s throat flash through his mind as well as the tribe houses burned down and bodies strewn across the dirt, the bodies belonging to my pack mates.
My eyes narrow on him, my vision goes red and my body begins to shake violently as anger rages through it like an all consuming fire. The fiercest growls yet echo around us and it’s as if the world is frozen around me. My clothes become confetti as my body instantly contorts into its wolf form and I feel my instincts take over completely. Nothing else matters, nothing else interrupts my stream of thoughts as I plan to eliminate the threat standing in front of me. I feel my self become fuelled by pure rage.
His eyes flash in shock and he too turns into his wolf form. I watch his muscles ripple as his form changes into that of a large black wolf with a strange blue sheen to its coat. The second the slackens his position for a single millisecond I lunge for him, taking him down in one swift leap. I bite into his shoulder, feeling a tangy warmth cover my muzzle before I am flung off him, landing with a soft thump on my feet half a metre away. The shaggy black/blue wolf in front of me bores its eyes into mine tensing slightly from the injury I just inflicted on it.
I stare him down, challenging him, challenging his status, challenging his strength. Deep growls pour out of my mouth and I dart forwards once again. My opponent realises that I intend to kill and begins to fight back whole heartedly though avoiding actually damaging me. Weak. We roll across the ground and I let out a yelp as my back gets cut on a sharp out jotting rock. I flip off him and bite his leg, hearing multiple cracks as the bone breaks beneath my powerful jaw. A loud whimper comes from my opponent’s mouth and he fights to get out of my hold finally managing to push me off, scratching my face just under my eyes.
I look up at his now deadly looking, deep eyes and find a new wave of anger flooding me. This is the wolf planning to kill my pack, torture my brother. This wolf is dead. I lunge once again this time closing my jaw around his neck and putting full pressure on it. Once again the tangy warmth floods my mouth and my opponent struggles underneath me, fighting against the terminating hold. I feel hands and muzzles a like trying to pry me off my opponent and voices shout around us distantly but it’s useless. Gargling sounds come from the wolf caught between my teeth and rasps echo through my mind. I feel his life force slipping away, his emotions leaving him as his mind blurs.
The wolf falls limp underneath me and I pull back taking in the chaos around me, looking for my next target, anyone who plans to harm my pack. A growl rips from my throat as someone touches my back leg and I whip around to find a frantic looking Paul staring at me in shock. My eyes narrow once again assessing whether he’s planning to fight me. A yell pounds through my head and my eyes snap over to someone leaning over the nullified threat hands flailing in the air. I growl viciously as I feel several pairs of eyes eying me up. I feel a sharp sting in my back leg and I look around to see someone standing with something shiny in their hands but before I can focus on it my mind goes fuzzy.
The threat is gone. My vision goes blank and I feel my self falling and then... nothing.