The Scarlet Tower

Arlie

5 days until move

I was concerned about how close the pack of monsters was. How did we not notice this, I felt like I may have failed. As long as they didn’t find us, we would be okay. If they did, we would be forced to fight before we were ready. I knew I could go and kill them all. But the longer I was away from Her the more I didn’t want to fight them. The more I didn’t feel they were the enemy. I decided I had to find out more about them and if we needed to leave right now. I ignored the thought that no matter what I did they would die. Like all of the others.

I left midday when the girls were all at school. I walked through the woods slowly paying attention, for some reason we could always tell where new territories were, we also had above average smell and could move faster. We had more strength as well all things related to the monsters in our minds that we had to keep very tightly locked away. Wandering around I remembered when I did that for hundreds of years. Just wandered after it happened. It was while wandering that I found Her. Which saved me. I found close to the edge of their territory and climbed up a tree and watched the boarder guards. They must be a large pack for having so many guards. I didn’t notice or smell any scouts meaning they didn’t care about the humans or anything close to them we may be safe. I got out of the tree slowly. Once on the ground I heard a guard howl, shit how did they notice me. They were too close to run away. So, I spun and attacked them. We fought for seconds when he managed to hit hard enough, I felt my wrist snap. At some point I had turned to where my back was to their territory. A stupid move. I would have kept fighting but the most beautiful scent entered my nose. It was like fresh bread and the ground just after rain. I suppressed the dangerous side and a growl and turned to hit the good smelling monster who had managed to come up behind me. But the monster sensed that and grabbed my arm. He pinned me against a tree. Pressed against the tree his shining wolf eyes shining in to mine he spoke the word, the thing that showed we had to leave very soon.

“Mate.” he says looking like he just found the best treasure in the world. He didn’t seem to realize that he had actually just found the deadliest poison. The stirring in my chest was dangerous. So, I pushed him away ignoring the pain of my broken wrist.

“Don’t touch me.” I say letting the authority and power I had leak through my voice, She said it was from my birth I was a born leader. I noticed his little wolf friend bow his head. I felt a savage satisfaction that I made him submissive but the boy in front of me seemed unaffected. So, he was an alpha, the worst of the kind. The ones who had to be destroyed the most. I pushed down not only the presence coming into my mind and looked him in the eye. A direct challenge but he wasn’t paying attention he was looking at me confused. Probably because he though he felt something in me, something calling to him. I felt that deathly monster in me pushing against my prison I made for it. I shoved it away I needed to get away. I rolled my eyes and walked away I knew he wouldn’t follow. I tensed my shoulders ignoring the whimpering from him, that was echoed in the dark parts of my mind. The parts that I had long ago forsaken, the parts that wanted to destroy me.

I went home and tried to forget his amazing voice and how good he looked. I cleaned the house and ordered take out for the girls. I trained with our youngest Veronika, she was like 14 and could control fire. She was always so nice and sweet.

Training her made me smile because she was goofy, she did all of her powers like an anime character she made me watch it once. I don't remember what she called it but it was fun. I just didn't have time for fun.

After training her it made me feel better about him. Made his face fade from my mind, but worse about what I was getting them in to, that they were never prepared for the horrors that going to her would cause them..

They growled grabbing me and yanking me along ignoring my pleading and crying. I was thrown down on the ground in front of them the council. They looked at me coldly.

“Send her to Spain with the rest of the filthy witches.” They say the men grab me again and savagely dragged me outside. The sun blinded me I had been locked away for a week in a dark cell that stunk of urine and unwashed bodies. I was shoved on to the rough floor some cart with bars. As we drove werewolves and humans spit and harassed me. They didn’t know my crime but knew that I had done something to anger the council. Finally, at the border of Spain I was thrown out of the cart. They beat me, my screams becoming whimpers as they left me for dead just over the border. I curled up and waited to die. I wanted to die.

I woke up panting and covered in sweat from my nightmare it was really a memory. A memory for a long time ago, but something I couldn’t forget. That is why I knew she was correct; they were monsters and had to be removed for the survival of our species.