The Pack - On the Run

The cat was officially out of the bag.

I felt Rosalynd’s and Jack’s enigmatic gazes that told me exactly nothing, and I swallowed, feeling the blood whooshing in my ears. I abruptly stood up, more than ready to abort.

“Okay, little buddy, it’s bedtime for you,” I decided, trying to cover for Mikey, who had just fessed up to whatever Louis’ father was implying. Something the rational part of my brain was still trying to deny. And hard.

I was too tired for this shit anyway. Too tired to share my family’s dirt with the strangers I knew nothing about and whom I hardly trusted. Especially after the stunt, they had pulled on my mum. Plus, it was freaking midnight.

I met Rosalynd’s amber eyes, noticing sadness in them, and then shifted my gaze back to Jack. His face was still unreadable to me as he leaned back against the chair and crossed his arms over his chest, his muscles bulging under the gray sweater.

“We’ll talk in the morning then,” he agreed slowly after a pause, regarding me cooly. I squirmed under his suffocating stare, trying to appear braver than I was. Unfortunately, we both knew I was fooling nobody with my pathetic act. Thank God, I was unexpectedly saved by Louis, who suddenly emerged from the hall.

“I’ll show the siblings back to their room then,” He offered, drawing Jack’s attention to himself. My contracted lungs relaxed, and I felt I could finally breathe. I inhaled cool sweet air through my nose.

Smooth Josie, real smooth.

“Good. You know the drill,” Jack nodded as the boy approached me, holding out his outstretched arms to take my brother. I recoiled immediately, feeling stabbing pain when I put my foot in the wrong position. It hurt like bitch, but I made no sound. I was far from showing any more weakness in front of the three.

Louis’ brows creased, and he sighed softly. “C’mon, Josie, I’m not going to hurt your brother. I just want to help you carry him upstairs.”

“And you want me to believe that after you’ve just taken my mum to some shady basement room?” I gritted out, staring daggers at him.

He growled under his nose, running his hand through his jet black hair in aggravation.

“Fine, do what you want,” He finally bit back, his eyes turning from quicksilver to light gray, taking me aback. “But don’t regret it later. Now, come.”

Although I was far from happy about being ordered around, my feet moved of their own accord, something in me prompting me to follow. I swallowed the soft moan that burst on my lips when another wave of pain struck me for the umpteenth time this night.

This was getting very old very fast.

We left the kitchen - me in the front, Louis hot on my heels - and I headed for the stairs. I tried to coax Mikey down once in front of the first step, but my little brother wouldn’t have it. I could only grit my teeth at that and proceed to slowly climb up, sweating and puffing from the effort this little activity caused me. I felt Louis’ gaze drilling a hole at the back of my head the entire time, his frustrated huffs mixing with my own exhausted ones. Despite that, I didn’t ask him for help, and he didn’t offer again, even though I had this odd feeling he really wanted to.

I finally reached the landing and stopped abruptly, gripping the railing like a lifeline as the black and white spots exploded before my eyes. My forehead, armpits, and back were drenched in sweat, and I was short of breath. What was worse, I was also fairly sure my ankle could take no more of the climbing with the additional weight.

Well, shit.

“What’s going to happen to us? What’s going to happen to my mum?” I asked in a desperate attempt to distract myself from thinking about having to go through the second part of what quickly became my very own purgatory.

I wouldn’t reach the second floor with Mikey in my hold. There was no way I could do that.

I licked my chapped lips, catching Louis’ heated stare in my peripheral vision.

I turned to face him, surprised to notice his eyes were ablaze with pent-up anger, his hands twitching at his sides as he held them in place with what seemed like a great difficulty.

“It depends,” Was all he answered, and my frustration accelerated.

“On what?” I gritted out.

“On your mother.” Louis deadpanned. “...And my dad. But do you really want to have that talk now, with your brother listening? He is frightened enough.”

It shocked me Louis had noticed that at all. I also couldn’t argue with his reasoning, so I sighed, ceasing fire for now. There went my diversion, eh. I looked up at another flight of stairs, giving it a last hopeless look before I braced myself for some more pain. Before I took another step, though, I heard a soft, “Josie, let me help you.” Followed by a bit more desperate, “Please.”

I turned my head to the side crossing my eyes with Louis’ frantic ones. I was not ready to admit defeat, but I was also pretty sure I wouldn’t reach the top with my pride alone. I needed the boy’s effing help, whether I liked it, or not.

Louis must have seen the moment’s weakness on my face as he wasted no time walking closer and gently lifting Mikey from my arms. Begrudgingly I let him, my pulsing, exhausted ankle welcoming a brief respite. I almost cried out of relief.

Mikey, being the little traitor he was, immediately relaxed in Louis’ strong embrace, and I shook my head. I then started to climb the stairs again, leading our small group of three to my and Mikey’s temporary room - a fancier version of what undeniably was now our prison cell.

* * *

I was startled awake by a hand gently shaking my shoulder. I turned around, my sleepy gaze drifting towards a familiar pair of navy-blue eyes.

“Mum?” I asked incredulously, immediately sitting up and watching her place her pointing finger on her lips, gesturing for me to remain quiet.

“Shh. Mikey’s still asleep,” She whispered. I peeked at my brother, sprawled at my side like a starfish. His chest rose up and down as soft snores left his half-opened mouth. He was out cold, which wasn’t surprising as it was still dark outside. I wasn’t sure if I had even two hours’ sleep.

I carefully slid out of bed and followed mum outside. I couldn’t help but notice she was dressed in different clothes that she had worn when she had been taken to the anger management room. It also seemed that she had very recently had a shower. Her loosely knotted brown hair was still damp, and she smelled of soap and peach-scented shampoo.

Mum quickly and quietly led me downstairs, her steps light on a wooden floor. I followed after her, still trying to figure out what was going on and why she woke me up in the middle of the night. How did she get out of this strange room?

I was so antsy by the end of our little game of sneaking around that I didn’t even realize I wasn’t limping anymore - my foot must have fully healed while I slept. We reached the first landing, and I spotted Louis leaning against the wall at the bottom of the stairs. I frowned, again wondering what was going on, as my gaze moved to Jack standing next to Louis. Blood drained from my face.

“Mum, care to explain what’s this all about?” I asked slowly, as we bet the last step and found ourselves next to the two. A sudden feeling of dread twisted my insides.

Mum abruptly turned on her heel, and she pulled me towards her, making me stumble. I collided with her body with a soft grunt, but she ignored it. She started muttering in my ear, her words frantic. “Listen to me Josie, and you listen well. Those people here, there are just like you and Mikey, they are werewolves, and they will help you go through your first transition.”

“W-What? What are you talking about? W-What about the cure...?” I wiggled away from her hold. I was utterly confused. “You promised you would help us! You said there were doctors at Dover Hill who could prevent us from turning into... into m-monsters... You’ve said it yourself!”

“There is no cure!” Mum cut me off, gripping my shoulders and shaking me, her voice full of despair. “The people I trusted my entire life led me astray! They used me. They just wanted to... Oh my God...” Mum closed her eyes, as she covered her mouth with her hand, trying to collect herself. I peeked at Louis and Jack. Their expressions were grim, Louis' sad even... Mum exhaled loudly, as though she was trying to brace herself. I snapped my attention back to her. “Jack and his Pack... They will help you, Josie. They will help both you and Mikey survive the shift... They will teach you how to control the beast, so it won’t hurt anyone. But you have to stay. You have to stay, and I can’t. I c-can't. I have to leave...”

She didn’t make sense. Mum didn’t make any sense to me. Had she finally lost all her marbles in the basement room?

“No, no, no, no, no, no. This is all wrong. You’re not my mum. My mother, Melinda Hart, wouldn’t just leave her kids with complete strangers! What have they done to you?” I asked, shocked, my words soft even to my ears. “What have you done to my mother?!” I roared as a white-hot blaze of anger filled my veins. I leaped at the first person at my side, shoving mum out of my way, my hands shaped like claws, lips curled back in a vicious snarl, ready to remove the threat.

Louis had me pinned against his body before I could even do any real damage. My back hit his hard chest as he locked his hands around me, murmuring soothing nothings in my hair.

“Let me go! Let me fucking go, you prick! Let me gooo...” I sobbed, losing my momentum, collapsing on myself. Hot tears were streaming down my face. “You can’t leave us, mum." My lower lip was wobbling and everything was blurry. "Please...” I begged.

“I love you both, sweety,” Mum chocked out. She, too, was crying. “I promise I’ll come back. Take care of your brother.”

“No! Don’t go! You can’t go! You can’t!”

She left anyway.