The Pack - On the Run

~ LOUIS ~

Louis’ mind was in turmoil.

So far, he had not focused on the word that was said during the meeting, important as it was. However much he tried, his thoughts were constantly drawn to the girl he had left in his father’s house; to their kiss, to her wounded arm, and the fire he had seen in her eyes.

Louis’ wolf was driving him mad, urging him to return to Josie and guard her in her vulnerable state. The rational part of his brain knew he couldn’t do that, but the beast inside him fought him despite Louis being sure the girl was safe with his brother in the heart of the pack.

He fisted his hands on his lap, squeezing them so hard his nails were digging into the calloused skin of his palms. He had to chill and start paying attention. It wasn’t like him to be preoccupied with something else during the meetings with his father - it was all because of the bloody bond.

He internally sighed, uncurling his fingers with difficulty and gripping his thighs as he made himself scrutinize the attending people.

His da was propping his backside on a heavy, mahogany desk that took up the most room in the spacious Pack House’s office. He had his arms crossed over his chest, and his head was inclined towards Raph, who was saying something that Louis wasn’t actually hearing. Through it all, the Alpha’s eyes were drilling holes in the side of his son’s face. Jack must have sensed something was off about Louis, though Louis was quite certain his face remained impassive. He didn’t feel like sharing what he had gotten himself into - not yet, anyway.

Rosalynd was sitting at Jack’s side. She would have looked small and fragile in the massive, black office chair, but for the sharp glint in her amber eyes, that was currently aimed at Louis.

That was when he realized he had missed a question. His suspicion was confirmed when he felt a light kick to his ankle. He snapped his eyes to Raph, who nodded his head only ever so slightly in the Alpha’s direction.

Oh, well.

“Care to join us, Enforcer Everton?” His dad lifted his brows, giving him a look that made Louis feel like a kid again. Louis cleared his throat and adjusted his position on the brown leather couch by the doors.

“I apologise. My mind was elsewhere.” His excuse sounded pathetic even to his ears.

“That we have noticed,” Jack said, tongue in cheek. Louis should have expected the chiding, actually, but he still internally cringed. He had never been so off during the meetings. He rubbed his hand over his chest, angry at how the bond made him act all funny and disturbed.

Surprisingly, aunt Rosie was the one to give him some slack.

“The Alpha asked if you had any idea how three human hunters have managed to get so far into our territory and kidnap one of our own.”

Louis looked his father straight in the eyes. “The only logical conclusion is that somebody was helping them avoid our guards,” he muttered grimly, creasing his brows. “My bet is on the Lupines or rogues. But Lupines would never stoop so low as to help Hunters, not after one of their kids was killed in the ambush last month.”

The Lupines were their rival neighbouring pack, one who had been driven on taking over the Redforest pack’s territory for years. Their hatred towards Louis’ pack matched only the loathing they felt towards the humans - the Hunters in particular - and that was saying something. No one held a grudge like Lupines.

“So that leaves us with rogues. But they haven’t shown up in years. Why now?” Rosalynd mused, propping her chin on her fingers, shaped in a pyramid.

“That is what we need to find out.”

[*]

~ JOSIE ~

Jonah and Mikey were sitting at the table, a bowl of Cheerios in front of each of them.

The boys were alone in the spacious kitchen. The late afternoon sun was flooding them with its yellowish rays illuminating specs of dust whirling in the air and shrouding their faces in the shadows. Three electric fans spun slowly on the ceiling above their heads, making this rhythmic buzzing noise that drew me a little bonkers. I willed myself to ignore it, stretching my neck to relieve the tension I felt because of that bloody sound as I slowly crept towards the table.

Jonah shot me with a curious if wary glance. He sensed something was going on, though he couldn’t yet place his finger on what. He stopped munching on the cereals, putting away the spoon and loudly gulping whatever he had left in his mouth.

" ’Sup Pretty Face?” The teenager asked while wiping the remnants of milk from his mouth with the back of his hand. He tried for nonchalance, but I heard an apprehension in his voice, and that wild part of me smiled. I pulled out a chair from under the table, one opposite Jonah, turned it around and straddled it, my moves purposeful and determined.

“You’re going to take me to Rosalynd,” I announced, leaning my left forearm against the rest as I leveled the boy with a firm stare.

I had learned one thing about werewolves during those crazy three days - the eyes held power. I didn’t know the hows and whys behind it, but if I wanted to force my way with Jonah - and I most certainly wanted to - I couldn’t shy my gaze away until Jonah dropped it first. And he did. After struggling for four seconds or even five - I couldn’t care less - there was this flicker of movement... The boy glanced at Mikey and quickly back at me again, licking his lips.

A victorious smile crawled on my face.

“Erm, well, Louis-” Jonah tried.

I narrowed my eyes at him.

“Louis is nowhere in sight, is he? And you have a car. Unless you want me to drive by myself?” My voice was dripping with honey.

The teenager cringed, massaging the back of his head and sighing heavily. “He’s gonna kill me.”

“He doesn’t need to know,” I countered immediately, earning myself a doubtful look.

“Louis knows bloody everything. He’s just like my pops, eyes everywhere” Jonah shivered, standing up, and he tossed the bowl into the sink with a clang. “Anyway, we need to get moving before my bro’s back, otherwise, we won’t be going anywhere.”

The smile that crawled on my face was blinding.

* * *

Ten minutes later, a loud bang of shut doors echoed in the forest. I slid my eyes over the inn as Mikey ran around the car and hugged my side. Jonah scratched the back of his head, lost in his thoughts.

“Seems like Rosie’s not at home,” He said, half-hopeful, half-relieved.

I frowned, worrying my bottom lip as I quickly darted a look at the greenery surrounding the house. Something wasn’t just right, I felt it in my bones. The feeling was gnarling my insides, making the unease squeeze the pits of my stomach. Maybe I was overreacting.

“C’mon, we’ll return later,” Jonah approached me, lightly tapping my shoulder.

“We haven’t even knocked on the doors,” I retorted, giving him a bemused look as I started to walk towards the house, pulling Mikey with me.

The crunch of gravel told me that Jonah followed shortly after.

“Just to let you know, I hate carnations.” He said out of the blue.

“What are you even blabbering about?”

“My very own funeral. I don’t want carnations, buy me calla lilies,” Jonah mumbled grimly, and I rolled my eyes.

“Dramatic much, ain’t ya?” I asked, shaking my head when I caught sight of something silver glistening in the setting sun. My reaction was purely instinctive. Before I could even think, I was on Mikey and Jonah, pinning them to the ground as a loud bang cut through the silence. The dirt exploded a breath away from my face, pelting us with its tiny specs.

“What the fu-” I started, lifting my head just as another shot spread through the forest. I hid my head in my arm with a yip as a brutal realization hit me like a tidal wave, making my skin crawl.

Someone was bloody shooting at us.

"Shit!” It was Jonah who first recovered from the shock. He grabbed Mikey by his arm and callously shoved him back towards the car, hauling me with his other hand as he shouted. “Run, run, run!”

I stumbled after him to another crackling shot that echoed through the woods. And another. And another. The dirt dug into the back of my right calf as I zigzagged after the boys, covering my head with my arm.

I slid-jumped behind Jonah’s car when another bullet hit the side doors, piercing the metal with a painful moan.

“What the hell? Who’s shooting at us?” I whisper-shouted, my heart thundering in my chest.

“If I had to guess,” Jonah growled darkly, chancing a peek through the side windows, his navy blue eyes light blue and creepy, “I would say the fucking hunters. But they should have never got this far through our defenses... Then how?” He suddenly slid down to a lower crouch, cursing obnoxiously as the bullet shattered the glass right above his head. It rained down on him in tiny pieces, cutting his face here and there. A second later, his skin started to mend back together. Mikey’s eyes gleamed a dangerous shade of green as his whole body began to shake. His upper lip curled inwards, flashing us with his elongated canines as a low growl left his mouth. I gulped.

Jonah snapped his gaze to mine. “We have to move, we’re sitting ducks here. I’m going to shift and try to hunt down the fucker firing at us. You take your brother and run for the woods. Go straight ahead, and you’ll end up in the pack’s town. Do not stop, despite what you’ll hear.” The boy grimly commanded as he turned around and started to proceed with his plan.

I grabbed his arm. “Wait! What if there’s more than one shooter? And what the hell do you mean by the whole do not stop, despite what you’ll hear shit? Are you nuts?” I whisper-shouted. I didn’t want Jonah to do something stupid. And his plan sounded stupid.

Jonah was about to say something when Mikey suddenly burst into movement. I cried out, throwing my hand forward in a weak attempt to stop the seven-year-old, but he slipped from my grasp. I heard a loud bang and a yelp.

I screamed.