It had only taken two weeks to travel the land, I approximated 120 miles now laid between me and my father. Me and Lex. That side thought hurt, my heart beats laced in sorrow. I hadn't seen her in two weeks now, my anchor and voice of reason. Was she okay? I hoped so. The pack link had faded, her check ins were hard to catch now. A tingle in the back of my mind, but nothing more. Had I even felt one today?
There was a little over two weeks until my 18th birthday, and I could feel my wolf stirring inside me more and more. She had been keeping me alive, I was certain of that. Even without being able to shift, the enhancements to my senses were noticeable. I could hear even the smallest of paw steps, my night sight was better than ever, and I could smell scents for miles. That was the only reason I had managed to avoid the Evermaw borders. I could scent when I was getting close, and would turn away. That's probably why it took me longer than it normally would have. A week was all it should have taken, it's all it took us when we went to another pack for a holiday. I hadn't known how long it would take me though, since I didn't know the way like the others did. I was still pretty proud of myself for making it this far, for keeping myself fed and alive.
My body hurt though. I wasn't used to all this walking, and such little food. I was exhausted, from both travelling and worrying over my pup. Had I managed to keep myself healthy enough for them? We had tried, both me and my wolf. I rested often, she found us the easiest prey to catch and the cleanest water sources we could find. We had done our absolute best, but we both worried, feared for our pup. Had it been enough?
I sank down onto a fallen tree, the forest around me was unfamiliar, spruce trees replaced with what seemed like oak. Leaves crunched under foot rather than the silence of needles. It gave me an advantage when listening for anyone approaching though, which is exactly what I heard.
Foot steps crunching through the dried leaves, small branches snapping. It was a small group, three maybe, but that was of little comfort. I still couldn't shift, and I couldn't overexert myself while carrying this pup. If they were aggressive, they could easily kill me. I had been lucky, so very lucky, up to this point. Scenting predators long before I was anywhere close to them, thus able to avoid them. Not this time though. My heart beat began to hammer in my chest, and I struggled to steady my breathing before I went into a panic. I had to stay quiet. Maybe the stench of rotting leaves would keep my own scent hidden.
I assumed there was no such luck. I was silent, hardly breathing, eyes scanning the forest for any sign of movement. Adrenaline rushed through my veins like electricity, and every muscle was tense. I was ready to run at the first sign of trouble. The foot steps stopped, and I knew they wouldn't just pass me by. They must have scented me, and were trying to track me.
“Mitch! There's a pregnant wolf around here!” A male's voice, and by the name he called out, there was another.
Right. They could scent I was pregnant… but was that concern in his tone?
“Find her. She might need help. Any others?” That must have been Mitch, his voice a deeper bass.
Help? Were they… friendly? I didn't trust it, my instincts told me they were a threat to me and my pup. I didn't know them, and I was weak. They could easily kill me.
“I don't smell any others, Dad. Should I go get Mom?”
“No…well… yes. Go tell her, we'll meet you back at camp.”
They were so close, their conversation was easy to hear. Panic began to set in, and I lightly placed my feet on the ground. Standing now, I scanned the area for anywhere to hide. They'd know the area better, I'd have to be very careful.
The scent of a wolf was nearly overwhelming for a moment as the guy shifted. Heavy paw steps grew quieter as he ran the opposite direction. That left two out here with me. A little more in my favor, but only marginally.
My eyes frantically scanned the area, looking for anywhere I could take shelter. A hollowed out tree, anything. At the very least, somewhere I could put my back against, eliminating the chance of a surprise attack.
For a brief moment, my vision changed. Hues of blues and reds over taking the scenery. Wolf sight. My wolf was trying to surface as much as she could, give me as much of an advantage as I could have. I hadn't even met her yet, hadn't even taken fur, and she was fighting the very magic of our being to keep me safe. Tears began to build behind my eyes at the sentiment, but I shook them away. I had to focus.
Using the wolf sight, I scanned the area. Orange and reds of silent prey in the trees jumped out at me, but I ignored them. I was looking for the predators that searched for me. I turned in a circle, barely lifting my feet. There, through the trees, the brightly colored hues of one of the men. Where was the other one though? I continued my soft circle, eyes wide in anxious fear.
I froze, the mass of orange and red a couple yards ahead of me. Was he…Facing me? I blinked away the wolf sight, knowing my eyes melted from wolf to person, and my breath caught in my throat. He was still, watching me with caution and examining my every movement.
“Mitch, I found her.” He called out, looking behind me briefly before slowly raising his hands in surrender. “Easy there, girl. We aren't here to hurt you.” His voice softened significantly, but it didn't put me at ease.
I had one in front of me, and one behind. Not the most ideal situation, actually, it was the one I was trying to avoid. The footsteps behind me stopped a few yards away. They were trying to give me space, but I still felt trapped. Everything inside of me screamed for me to run, but without my wolf, I would never be able to escape them.
I pivoted my body, keeping both of them in view as I took a step back.
“Hey, she's just a kid..” The one who was named Mitch said.
I was so tense, my chest hardly moving with each shallow breath. If I ran, I could trigger the chase instinct, but I couldn't just sit here and let them do whatever they wanted to me.
Mitch took a step closer to me, and I bared my teeth. A wolfish growl left my throat, surprising me. Was this normal? It had to be. My wolf was close to the surface because it was almost my 18th birthday.
“Easy kid. We won't hurt you, I swear that upon the moon.”
I eyed Mitch warily, and he mimicked the surrender pose that his friend still held.
“May the moon take my wolf if I'm lying.” He reiterated.
That made me pause. The moon was the one to give us our wolves, and while there was no proof she could take them away, it was only logical that she could. It was a serious vow, staking your wolf on your word. I didn't want to trust him, and I didn't, but I believed he didn't mean me harm.
I guess my body relaxed slightly, because he smiled.
“That's it… How about you come with us back to our camp?”
I tensed up again. He had vowed he and his friend meant me no harm, but a pack? He couldn't speak for all of them and I would be severely outnumbered.
“Just so we can get you washed up and fed, okay? You've been out here alone for a while, right?” He guessed it correctly, but it wasn't like it was hard to figure out.
I was a mess, hair thoroughly tangled, dirt staining my clothes and skin, and I knew I had lost weight, despite how hard we had tried to keep ourselves fed.
“We want to keep you safe.” The other one spoke. My head whipped to him. It wasn't that I had forgotten about him, but I hadn't expected him to speak.
“Both of you safe.” Mitch added. He wasn't talking about me and my wolf…and that's what made me break.
I needed food, and rest. I was exhausted, border line paranoid, and stressed out. I let out a sigh, my shoulders drooping.
“Fine…” I'd mutter, my voice hoarse from disuse. I didn't really have any reason to talk, so I didn't really. It showed.
“That a girl.” Mitch would say, his voice warm. With how adept he was at diffusing a situation and how he spoke, I guessed he was used to situations like these. He reminded me of Jacks.
I still tensed when the other guy walked up behind me, and I could feel my lip pulling up in a snarl. Mitch gave his friend a look and the guy gave me a wide berth, ending up beside Mitch.
“I'm Mitch, this is Leroy. You don't have to tell us your name, but those are ours.” Mitch would say, finally introduce himself and his friend.
I opted to stay quiet, to which he nodded. I wasn't comfortable sharing my name, not yet. What if my father had put a bounty over my head? Rogues were known to bounty hunt, if only to get access to the rewards that followed. They were crafty too, he could easily mean no harm and still return me to the pack. It was safer that I didn't say any thing, at least until I got a feel for these wolves and their intentions.
“Alright then. Follow us. The camp is a bit busy, but I promise, no one there wants to hurt you. I sent my son ahead to let my wife know you were coming. She's a healer and can check you over.” He'd explain, starting to walk off.
Leroy followed, neither looking back at me. They trusted I'd follow and not attack. It struck me as odd, rogues being so comfortable around a stranger. Could they tell I couldn't shift, and so I was a low threat? Probably, why else would I have let myself be found in my human form? I ended up trailing behind them, listening but not saying a word. I didn't want to end up being kicked out if I said the wrong thing. If I could manage it, I wanted to try and stay until I shifted. Then I could keep searching for the rogue pack on my own. I estimated they'd be closer to the mountains, closer to Silvervein. I still had a day's travel to go, but I needed to rest first. Maybe this rogue camp knew where to find the makeshift pack, but I'd have to ask my questions carefully in case there was trouble between the two settlements.
Silence fell between us, but it was anything but comfortable. The air was still tense, even if they tried to play it off as casual. I was a loose cannon to them, and I was being led into their home. My wolf didn't like it, she was urging me to run, but I fought the urge and tried to calm her. Rationally, we both knew I needed to rest and eat a proper meal or two, but instincts screamed that entering a pack alone while pregnant was putting me and the pup at risk. These strangers held no loyalty to me, their wolves wouldn't care if I carried a pup or not. I would be taking resources away from them. If anything, they should be trying to chase me out of their territory, not bring me to their camp.
Did they have ulterior motives? I couldn't think of what those could be, no matter how hard I thought about it. What could they possibly gain by inviting a stranger into their den?
My thoughts were interrupted by a wave of new scents. All wolves, melding together similarly to a pack, but not as solidified. It was dizzying, how many scents surrounded me at once, wolves after wolves. They had said it was a bit busy, but this was far beyond that. It was bustling… Like a pack. Wait, had I accidentally stumbled upon the rogue pack I was looking for?
The camp came into view shortly after, but it was more like a village. Huts were lined up between trees, some trees being used as cornerstones for the houses. Well worn dirt paths weaved around houses and campfires, and a woman stood waiting on one of the roads. A boy who looked around my age stood next to her, and on her other side a girl around eight.
“That's my family, well, some of them. The other boys are around her somewhere.” Mitch said, not even bothering to hide the love in his voice.
As we neared, the woman walked over to meet us, the girl holding onto her skirts.
“Oh look at you, you poor dear… what happened honey?” she asked, immediately addressing me.
My guards, as I decided to refer to them as, stepped out of the way so she could get a look at me. I suddenly felt exposed, and I averted my gaze. She reminded me of my mother, strangely enough.
“You can explain later. Come, let's get you some food. Zack, go heat some water for a bath. Poor thing looks like she hasn't bathed in weeks. Oh, how could anyone leave you alone like this?”
Oddly enough, I didn't even flinch when she approached and gently wrapped an arm around me. I was slightly taller than her, I noted. She began to lead me deeper into this little village. “Mitch, honey. Could you go hunt for some more prey? This girl is thinner than I thought, her clothes hide it well. This won't do at all.” She'd tut at the end, barely casting her husband another glance as she turned down one of the dirt roads.
We approached a cabin of sorts, one story as were the rest of the buildings here, but large. Bigger than the rest. The little girl opened the door for us, and Zack swept by us and into the back. I was sat down at a table, enough spots for eight people.
“Now wait right there. I'll get some food cooking. Here.” The woman placed a wooden cup of water in front of me, along with some bread.
I fought back tears. It was both overwhelming and touching that she was so kind to me. She hadn't even paused for a moment, hadn't hesitated even a breath. Something told me this wasn't the first time her husband brought her someone like me.
“Go on, eat dear. There's more where that came from.” She'd say, gaze softening as she looked at me. “You're safe here sweetie.”
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