The Wolf Of Penshaw Lake

“You have forty-eight hours.”

“Are you sure that is what this means?” Mason begged, frantically shaking the piece of paper in the air.

“Y-Yes Sir, I’m quite sure,” came the stuttered reply of Mr. Hanson, a literary scholar who studied languages for a living and taught at the primary school part time.

“Thankyou Mr. Hanson your help is much appreciated by all of the pack.”

“I-is anyone in danger?” He asked feebly.

“You needn’t concern yourself, I have it under control,” Mason replied coolly, allowing the puny man to hastily leave the room. He scrunched up the small piece of paper and threw it into the waste paper basket in the corner of the room.

“Forty eight hours for what?” I asked from my cross-legged position in the middle of Mason’s bed. I looked out the window to see the sun beginning to set. There had been people in and out of the room all day, mostly ignoring me for which I was thankful as I was nursing a hangover and my eyes felt like pissholes in the snow. I hadn’t slept all night after telling Mason my story and since receiving the letter.

“I don’t know,” Mason sighed, the defeat beginning to settle in his eyes. He had been sending trackers out all day and they all came back with no information. Whoever sent the letter covered their tracks well and I could see he was exhausted.

“Maybe it might be a good idea to speak to other packs?” I suggested.

Mason’s eyes brightened briefly at my suggestion, “Ahead of you darling, I’ve informed Patrick’s pack that we have received a threat and there are a couple of packs to the east and south of us that I have notified too. Both Alphas have agreed to give us any information they have, but as for the moment they’re just in the dark as us. The pack in the south, run by Alpha Kieran, was completely unaware we had a lone wolf problem. That just shows how skillfully they have been working against us.”

I uncrossed my legs and stretched them out across the duvet before swinging them over the side of the bed and clasping my hands together on my lap. I felt completely useless, just a human girl in the center of a wolf problem and I knew that if it came down to it, I would be hopeless in a fight.

“Alpha! Alpha!” Came a sudden shout from downstairs. I could thundering feet fly up the stairs and I immediately shot up to my feet in anticipation. Mason’s quick reflexes had him fired up in an instant and he stood to alert, carefully positioning his body just in front of my own. A young pack member, no older than eighteen grabbed the jamb of the doorway with his hand and panted to catch his breath.

“Alpha it’s the Luna’s mother,” He stammered, “Jane went to check on her and she’s not at home-”

“What?” I cried, pushing past Mason to stand in front of the boy. I grabbed his collar and pulled him towards me, “What do you know?”

“I-I was just sent to inform the Alpha, I-I’m sorry I don’t know any more!”

Mason placed a calm hand on my shoulder and peeled my fingers from the boy’s collar with his free hand. The boy made his escape and quickly ran down the stairs. He pulled me into him for a hug, but I struggled to get out of his grasp, I couldn’t think when I was enveloped in his strong scent and as much as I wanted to relax in his hold, I couldn’t. Dan had my mum and I had to do something.

I was going to kill him.

“He has my mum,” I cried aloud, running a hand through my hair as I paced the room. “It’s Dan, ithasto be, he’s found us and he’s taken my mum!”

“Let’s go downstairs and figure something out ok?” Mason attempted to sooth me with a calming voice, but it just riled me up further.

“You do not get to be calm right now, how are you calm right now? I need to find my fucking mother and kill this son-of-a-bitch!”

I stormed downstairs to find half of Mason’s pack in the dining room and kitchen, all with worried faces, discussing things I didn’t care for in hushed voices. A few turned to try and console me, but I ignored them and made a beeline for Jane, whose red eyes indicated to me that she had not long stopped crying.

“What happened?” I asked her, not caring for any formalities.

Jane took in a deep breath and wiped at the moisture that was beginning to gather in her eyes, Andrew rubbed her shoulder comfortingly and I couldn’t help but glare at his hand, my nostrils flaring in annoyance.

“I went to the B and B to see if she wanted to come over for coffee and she wasn’t there. The place is in a mess and her scent is faint but there. There were another two scents, but I didn’t recognise them, they smelt strange; masculine and dirty yet floral as though they had tried to mask their scent.”

“Can anybody follow these scents? Find out where they might have lead to?”

“The trail stops near the primary school,” Andrew spoke up. “We have men searching the area, but so far there’s no luck.”

“Penshaw Lake is a small town, there’s only so many hiding spaces surely,” I cried, with every passing moment, I could feel hopelessness creep into my bones and sent exasperation flooding through my voice.

I could feel Mason wrap his arms around my waist and I sank into him begrudgingly, “We’re doing all we can sweetheart,” he whispered against my hair, pressing a deep kiss onto the side of my head.

“There’s the pit,” shrugged Ella indifferently as she typed away on her phone.

“The what?” Mason asked before anybody else was able to.

Ella sighed, “I wasn’t going to say anything...cause adults aren’t supposed to know about it. If anyone finds out I blabbed I’ve basically just committed social suicide.”

“Ella,” Jane warned slowly, “You better talk right now.”

“There’s an abandoned house a few streets past the school, it’s been boarded up for a while, but we use the basement for parties,” she shrugged nonchalantly. “The pit.”

I was almost to the door when Mason grabbed a hold of my wrist and gently pulled me back, I shot round, confusion and anger placed on my face.

“You stay here,” he told me, “It could be dangerous.”

“I am going,” I stood my ground firmly, “That is my mum and if Dan is there, then I am going to be the one to kill him.”

“You are going absolutely nowhere. Isaac, Kai can you round up a few men to come with me?”

Isaac nodded dutifully and walked briskly towards the garden where the pack’s most trusted warriors were waiting anxiously to hear news or be deployed. Eric and Kate marched forwards; Kate’s blonde hair tied in a French plait, her toned body evident in her sports bra and tight sports leggings. She didn’t look like a lycan warrior, but I knew different and I could tell she was a powerful ally to have as they would completely underestimate her.

“I can’t just stay here,” I pleaded, grimacing internally at the sound of my pathetic, whining voice, but I was running out of options.

“I can’t concentrate and allow myself to focus if I’m thinking about you. I need to know you’re safe,” Mason sighed.

I looked down at the floor, I knew he was right.

“Just please don’t keep me in the dark,” I replied, defeated.

Taking my plea as a change of heart, Mason’s shoulders slumped with relief. He took my face into his hands and I closed my eyes as I relaxed into the warmth of them before I felt his lips softly caress my own in a fleeting kiss that I wanted nothing more than to deepen. I opened my eyes before him and pulled my head away, signaling that he needed to go. Mason nodded and gestured to Isaac.

“I will explain our tactics on the way, we need to move.”

“Yes Alpha.”

***

It had only been forty-five minutes since they had gone, yet I spent most of it pacing and peeing. I couldn’t calm my racing heart and the nausea in my stomach had risen tenfold in the last five minutes alone. I couldn’t stay here waiting like a ninny otherwise I would be physically sick. I peeped around the corner where Jane and Josie were sitting, having been deployed to be on guard and babysit me like I were some toddler. They were deep into a discussion and didn’t notice me peering around the door.

I glanced at the large, front door and I knew I wouldn’t have much of a chance to run before one of them caught up to me. I shook my head and sighed, I would just have to stay here.

Or...

No, I had to stay here and wait.

Could I make it? If I was really quiet?

I checked again and they had left the dining room and gone into the garden to speak with Dee. I knew this was my now or never chance. I threw my trainers on, shoving the laces inside the shoes instead of tying them, and crept slowly to the door, looking behind my shoulder every few seconds to check on their whereabouts.

So far, so good.

I opened the door slowly and was relieved that it hardly made a sound. I pulled it open just enough to slip my body through and closed it, wincing when it quietly clicked. I backed up from the door as though I expected someone to come running out of it any moment. When I reached the end of the driveway, I pelted it myself as fast as I could towards the primary school. What I was going to when I found them I had no idea, I wasn’t a fighter and no match against any lycan, not even a lone wolf.

Although I doubt they can call themselves lone wolves if they are now working together,I thought as I slowed my pace when I noticed the empty car park of the school come into view. With the sun having already set, night was creeping in and although it wasn’t completely dark yet, it still gave off an eerie vibe. A noise from behind me startled me and I spun around ready to face my attacker, only to be met with an empty road.

I placed my hand on my beating heart, willing it to calm. I gulped and took a few deep breaths until my heart stopped racing a mile a second. I continued walking hesitantly past the school, but a noise to my right had me stopping in my tracks. This time, I was sure that something or someone was there.

Once a chance, twice a coincidence...I told myself, trying not to get worked up.It could be anything.

But when the noise was unmistakably footsteps speeding up behind me, I took off into a run.

Three times a pattern.

I didn’t get far before I felt something heavy shove me from behind and I fell forwards with cry, throwing out my arms to protect me from the fall. I hit the ground hard and pain reverberated through my body, but I hardly had time to register it before I was hauled to my feet by two large, dirty hands with mud caked through the fingernails. I was pulled to a man’s chest and my nose took in a putrid stench making me gag uncontrollably.

“Well I owe him fifty quid,” The man laughed, “He said you’d be disobedient and come running after your mummy but I said no way, she’ll listen to her Alpha but here you are.”

I ignored his jibes and writhed pathetically in his grip. He gave a high pitched whistle and I wanted to move and cover my ears, but with my arms gripped firmly behind my back it was impossible. I fought against his grip with everything I had; even attempting to throw my head back and headbutt him, but I only received a swift slap to the face for the act.

The urge to cradle my stinging cheek was strong and I could feel tears begin to fall down my face, dripping uncomfortably off the edge of my chin. Fighting against this wolf was tiring me out and I could feel myself growing weaker by the minute.

“Where is he...” The man grumbled, his impatience and frustration being taken out on me as he pulled my arms tightly behind my back causing me to cry out in pain. I watched as a sleek, black car pulled around the corner and the man sighed, “Finally, I was beginning to wonder if knocking you out would have been the more sensible option.”

The back door was opened from the inside and as I was pushed forwards I dug my heels into the ground as a last ditch attempt to regain my freedom. My head bumped against the roof of the car as I was almost lifted completely from the ground and shoved inside the car, the door swiftly shut and locked behind me. I turned around and grabbed at the handle, yanking it down with all my effort as though it would somehow spring open.

“No,” I cried, “Let me out!”

“Now, now Heidi, we have a lot to catch up on,” came the voice sitting beside me.

It sent my blood freezing cold and I stopped in my tracks, my hands not leaving the handle as I turned around slowly to see Dan sitting calmly in the seat next to me, his hands clasped in his lap and a smile on his face. I stared at him for a moment before screaming bloody murder and punching the window as hard as I could.

“Don’t be silly, you’re going to break your hand,” he chastised as though he was talking to a baby. “Step on it Frank,” he called to the driver.

The driver’s sudden acceleration sent me flying back in my seat, hitting my head against the headrest. I sat myself up straight in the car and turned to gaze at Dan with the most hate-filled glare I could muster.

“Where is my mother?” I spat.

“Not, help me? help me? Where are you taking me?” Dan mocked, throwing up his hands and putting on a girly high-pitched voice.

“My mother,” I repeated, spittle flying out of my mouth, landing on Dan’s cheek.

His face scrunched in disgust and I expected a beating, the old me inside begging to shrink down and hide my face from the impending punches, but I stayed strong and continued hoping that in this case looks truly could kill.

“You’ve got some spirit,” he laughed, “All that time with your Alpha gave you some courage?”

I scoffed, “I seem to remember it was me who knocked you out with a bottle before we escaped your filthy, fucking ass.”

He leaned forward, the joking smile on his face disappearing, “I will not tolerate that kind of disrespect,” He warned, putting a finger in my face.

I slapped it away, “Fuck you.”

His hand gripped my throat and tightened enough to limit my breathing, but I was determined to show him that I wasn’t some scared, little, sixteen year old girl anymore and he could try his hardest, but my spirit would never be broken.

Not by him.

Never again.

In some kind of twisted game of who would look away first, I succeeded when Dan realised his mild threats weren’t going to send me cowering under his belt again. He let go of my throat and shrugged nonchalantly.

“Your mother was just a decoy. I got what I wanted and where we’re going is somewhere your pathetic Alpha will never find you.”