Wild and Free

(Mason’s POV)

We all looked at each other in slight shock. I watched as her long brown hair grew more distant before she finally disappeared through the doors of the cafeteria.

“What the hell was that about?” Holden broke the stunned silence among our group.

I shook my head, standing up and starting to head in the direction of where the blue eyed girl went.

“Mason I don’t know if that’s a good idea,” Kenzie called out, stopping me.

I turned around to face her, “What’s wrong?”

“Maybe she needs some time to cool off. She seemed kind of offended,” My sister explained.

I shook my head, “I just need answers. How different she’s been since the break in, it’s not normal. I have to at least try to see if there’s something I can do.”

She opened her mouth to reply but closed it and nodded, signalling for me to go ahead. Not that I was looking for her approval.

For the first time I really tried my hardest to catch Auden’s scent. I had long since given up on trying because it seemed pointless, but I never had such a dire need to find it. And not saying this was dire but it was still important.

After a minute or so of roaming the halls and trying, unsuccessfully, to sniff out her trail, I saw her stop by the corner at the end of a long corridor. I called out to her, causing her to turn her head. She made eye contact with me for a fraction of a second before rounding the corner.

I wasn’t about to let her get away that easily so I bolted after her. But when I turned the corner, she was gone. There was nothing there but an empty hallway.

“What?” I whispered to myself.

I hadn’t been at WCHS for very long just about long enough to know that that particular hallway didn’t lead to anything. So where had she gone?

My first instinct was to go back to the cafeteria but I knew that if I was going to have a chance at catching Auden before she left the school grounds, I didn’t have time. So I hurried toward the nearest exit of the school which just happened to be in the back and it lead straight out into the forest.

Sure enough Auden slipped through the door just as I approached it. It didn’t seem like she’d seen me that time but for some reason I found myself trying to stay hidden as I followed in suit and exiting the still empty corridors of the school and out back.

In complete surprise to me and contrary to what I thought she would do, she headed straight into the forest, not taking a glance back at the school. But I really didn’t expect her to do what she did next and that was breaking into a run.

I hesitated for a second, thinking about what Kenzie said. Maybe she did just need time to cool off. But my curiosity, per usual, got the best of me and I ran after her. Again.

She was surprisingly fast and it hadn’t been a minute before we got deep into the forest. It didn’t take her long to realize that she wasn’t alone and she didn’t look happy about it. No, instead she ran faster.

Man this girl is fast, Bentley thought in my head.

I guess she really was serious about her ‘training’ every weekend at Holden’s.

Some cocky part of me figured: did she forget that I was an Alpha or something? When she saw that I wasn’t going to give up she rolled her eyes and slowed down, eventually stopping.

“What do you want Mason?” She said standing behind a tall tree, her back facing toward me as if she was trying to hide or something. Her voice sounded more frustrated than angry. I couldn’t tell if I should be confused of relieved about.

I wanted to ignore the fact that she wasn’t even out of breath but it just found itself on top of the pile of questions and mysteries that never left my mind. She was wearing plain black leggings and a pale yellow lace tank top with black flats. She shouldn’t have been able to run that fast like that.

“Why did you run out on us?” I started, trying not to make her mad at first word.

“Oh I don’t know, maybe because I was attacked by my friend for nothing?” she spat. Her shoulders were tense, I could tell even from behind her.

I sighed, running a hand through my slightly sweat damped black hair, “It wasn’t my intention to make you feel attacked. It wasn’t any of ours.”

“Then what was it?”

“It was exactly what I said,” I walked to the other side of the tree where she stood. “Believe me, I understand that having your home destroyed feels horrible, I’ve been through it too. But you were fine up until a couple of weeks ago. I just want to know what changed.”

She was silent in response, I could see her rubbing the scars on her hands as if they burned. So I stepped around the tree so I stood just behind her left shoulder.

“I just wanted to know if it was something that we did. S-something that I did,” I said.

A shiver went down her back and I couldn’t figure out if it was a reaction or if she was just cold. She turned her head, looking at me over her shoulder but not moving from where she stood. It was clear she was waiting for me. Watching my every move for what I would do next.

I was happy to oblige, “Please just tell me what I can do to get back that girl who yelled at me in the library and who tried to bludgeon me to death with a letter opener.”

That got a laugh out of her and she finally turned around fully so her shoulders were squared with mine. The moment didn’t last though.

Her smile fell, as did her captivating gaze, “I can promise that it was nothing you did.”

I knit my brows, “Then what happened? We were fine the days before you found the note and everything.”

She shifted at it’s mentioning.

I peered into her eyes, “Is that what this is about? That stupid threat?” when she didn’t answer I took it as confirmation. “God, Auden I’m sorry if we haven’t helped you feel safe since then. You should’ve just come to us, we- we would’ve done something!”

“It’s not that it’s just-” she started but stopped herself. Her gaze couldn’t stop moving, like she was fighting with herself about something. “I can’t,” Auden whispered and covered her face with her hands.

I shook my head, confused, “You can’t what? I don’t understand. If those assholes empty threat isn’t what’s been making you like this-”

She looked up at me for a moment with seriousness, “You are sadly mistaken if you think for a second that their threat was empty.”

“Okay fine but answer the question,” I replied.

Her hand ran through her own hair, grabbing at the strands aggressively.

“I-I don’t know,” she said again.

I grabbed her wrists softly but enough to surprise her for some reason. Her pulse beat rapidly beneath the skin of her wrists and I might’ve smiled at the prospect of finally knowing her heartbeat, had it been another day.

“Just spit it out. Whatever you’re going to say just say it. Whatever’s stopping you just ignore it,” I said, brown eyes boring into blue.

She looked at me for a second before whispering so quiet I almost didn’t hear, “I’m leaving.”

I dropped her hands, my eyes wide hoping I had misheard her.

“What?”

She turned away seemingly ashamed, “I can’t stay here anymore, Mason.”

The way she said my name made it almost seem like she was saying goodbye already.

“W-What? Why the hell not? If it’s because of those idiots I swear I’ll-”

“No, you won’t do anything,” she stated, cutting me off before I spit fire. “You aren’t going to do anything and you aren’t going to stop me. I’ve made up my mind.”

Her tone bothered me. It almost sounded defeated, as if she was being forced to leave.

I narrowed my eyes, “I don’t get it. After one little break in you’re ready to run? After two years spent building your life here?”

She shook her head, “It’s not just one little break in. The attack that night with the grey wolves was my fault. It’s my fault you and your father haven’t spoken in weeks. It’s my fault that all of our best friends were all almost killed. I can’t just sit back with all of that guilt.”

“You don’t have to,” I said quickly. “You didn’t have control over any of that.”

She shrugged, “Maybe not but I won’t stay here knowing that there is always a possibility of them coming back and hurting the people I’ve grown to love.”

I sucked in a breath but didn’t give up, “So you’d rather run away and leave those people without any warning?”

She paused, “I haven’t decided whether I’m going to tell them or not.”

I threw my hand up, “Well I sure as hell am not going to keep my mouth shut about it.”

Auden’s head snapped in my direction, panic written on her features, “No please Mason you can’t tell them anything,” she said, grabbing my arms in a tight, pleading grip. “I need to decide on my own what I’m going to tell them.”

We both slowly looked down at her hands before meeting each other’s eyes again. As always her scarred, calloused palms were a strange feeling against my skin but it was the heat that grew underneath that drew my attention.

She pulled her hands away like she had just touched fire which was exactly what it felt like. Peculiar. It reminded me of the night of the attack when she helped me up. Our hands had touched and I had felt something similar. She reacted the same even then, pulling away before I could make anything of it.

She cleared her throat, “I just need some time to make my decision. But I need you to keep it to yourself until I do. Will you do that for me? Please?” she near pleaded.

I opened my mouth to protest but nothing came out. My mind couldn’t seem to figure out if what she was asking me to do was a good idea or not.

Of course I didn’t want her to leave. Despite all that had happened since we arrived in the town of White Chapel, I wouldn’t go back and change anything if I had the chance. Nothing. Because changing just one thing would change who I was in that moment and I didn’t want that.

But was it better or worse for the new kind of relationship I’d formed with Auden to tell that secret or keep it to myself? Telling the rest would greater the chance of her staying but she would indefinitely hate me for it.

So which was worse: Her leaving or being hated by her for making her stay?

~~AUTHOR’S NOTE~~

So Auden is leaving. I need a tally of those who want to slap her and those who want to cry. I haven’t decided which side I’m on yet which is unfortunate because it’s my writing...

Anyways, hope you enjoyed!

As usual, comment, don’t hate, and read on!

~your Cheshire Cat loving friend