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Getting to Birmingham New Street was easy enough. It was as I was navigating my way through the press of pedestrian traffic to catch my next train that I ran into trouble, in the form of two faces from my past; Cherry and Honey. I froze, my heart slamming to a stop in my chest as they placed themselves squarely in my path. "How the hell did you find me?" I demanded, feeling like a helpless teenager all over again.
Cherry rolled her eyes and seized one of my arms, while Honey grabbed the other. "We're not stupid," she said. "Your friends spilt the beans, and that old biddy is getting her just desserts for deceiving us."
I felt sick inside at the thought of harm coming to my family. "If you've hurt any of them..." I began, but I got no further as Cherry slapped me across the face, causing me to see stars.
"You watch your mouth, bitch," she snapped, glaring at me. "If I have to gag you, I will. Now shut the fuck up and do as you're told."
I did no such thing; instead, I screamed loudly, kicking, thrashing, and making a ruckus loud enough to cause several passers-by to come running. Cherry put paid to that by punching me in the jaw, before wrapping an arm around my neck and pressing a knife to my throat. "Don't anybody move," she warned, as I struggled to clear my fuzzy senses. "The girl is coming with us, and if you don't want to be witnesses to a murder, you're all gonna back the fuck off and go back to what you were doing."
"Is there a problem?" 80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm1vKtLCEkV
That voice froze Cherry in her tracks, and I had the unbridled pleasure of seeing her go sheet white as a police officer came up to us. "I suggest you let the girl go," the officer added, his voice making it clear that wasn't a request. "She doesn't want to go with you, it seems."80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEI6CNYkMlm
Honey stepped into the breach. "She belongs to our pack," she snapped. "She ran away from home, and we've been sent to retrieve her. Move the fuck on, officer."
The officer didn't move on. "Let her go," he said, his voice tight with anger. "I might be off duty, but that doesn't mean I can't radio for back up."80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyJWBDfR1hB
He looked ready to do it, too, and Cherry swore under her breath. "Get lost," she snapped, tightening her hold on my neck to the point where I found it hard to breathe. "We're leaving, and the girl is going with us whether she likes it or not."
Something inside me snapped, and I did the one thing I could do under the circumstances; I bit Cherry's arm hard, so hard, in fact, that I tasted blood. She screamed and yanked her arm away, giving me the chance to roll clear. Honey tried making a grab for me, but I bit her as well, and she swore, cradling her now bleeding hand as I got to my feet and grabbed my suitcase. Cherry tried to lunge at me, but the police officer had made good on his promise; more officers came running, and, perhaps realising they were beaten for now, Cherry and Honey backed down. Their eyes warned of vengeance, however, and I felt a shiver pass over me. That didn't stop me from giving a statement in full once the girls had been marched away, and afterwards, two officers escorted me to my train, staying with me on the platform right up until the moment in pulled in. They continued to remain on the platform until the doors had closed, and only once the train had started moving did they leave. I let out a long sigh once they were out of sight, still shaking from the attempted kidnapping.
For them to have caught me at Birmingham meant that Dad and my brothers had cracked a lot sooner than I'd feared, and I prayed Aunt Tempe had given her attackers what for. I didn't want to entertain the idea that Aunt Tempe had willfully betrayed me, but even so, a small sliver of doubt worked its way into my mind and refused to be dislodged.
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I had no further issues at Plymouth, mainly because I had a police escort waiting for me when the train pulled in. Once they'd verified who I was, they escorted me to my final train to Penzance, again waiting on the platform until the train had left the station. I was still shaken, but calming down now, and I hoped my arrival at Penzance would be just as trouble-free. I had no idea who'd be meeting me at Penzance, but Aunt Tempe had promised they were willing to take me in, and I trusted her on that, at least. I didn't want to think I was heading into another trap, and when the train started slowing down, I made a swift decision in my head. Werewolves were long-lived, but they could choose to die at any moment if they felt their lives were in danger. And I still had my instincts despite losing Gambit all those years ago. I hadn't used them in some time, but when I reached into that hidden wellspring, I felt my senses lift and sharpen, until I was practically tingling from head to toe. Most importantly did I engage my danger detection; I didn't want to be caught off guard like I'd been at Birmingham.
Faith was not going to get her hands on me again, and if I had to cross the Wheel to do so, I'd do it.
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