The Pack - On the Run
Thirteen

~ LOUIS ~

Louis crouched in front of the body surveying the human’s empty, dead eyes, the expression of horror forever frozen on the marred face.

“Another one?” The Enforcer asked, rage making his proverbial and literal hackles rise. His wolf wanted to rip the human to shreds, the remaining parts anyway. Clearly, someone beat him to it. Only the face was left - mostly - intact. And if he had to make a rough guess, it was merely done so they could identify the assaulter.

“So it seems. This time, one of them managed to make it past the first line of defense, killing Drake before Leigh heard him and got to him. She’s still crushed about it,” Raph answered grimly, his mood even darker than usual.

“Fucking hunters,” The curse slid through his mouth before Louis could stop it. His eyes automatically went to the brunette sitting on the log. She was hugging herself, her expression stiff, nails digging in the soft flesh of her arms. An oversized, black t-shirt covered her naked body - Fallon’s, as he absentmindedly noticed - and she was trembling, but not from cold. Werewolves were not subject to the whims of the weather, so it could only mean one thing - shock.

Louis let out a low growl that made Raph snap his eyes in his direction, and Fallon wince. Leigh gave him a quick, nervous glance as she licked her lips, her eyes frantic. Louis exhaled, struggling to calm his raging wolf and trying his damn hard not to add to Leigh’s agitation. He hated seeing the girl so vulnerable. She hardly let anybody see her weak side - she was too proud for that - so the mere thought of Leigh showing any weakness drove his protectiveness into override.

He ran his hand through his hair, fury boiling inside him.

The brunette shouldn’t even be here - she wasn’t an acting warrior. No female was. There were too precious for that.

“For God’s sake, take the girl to Rosalynd,” Louis barked out at Fallon, and the other guy immediately followed. He belatedly realised he sounded too harsh, but Louis' wolf was too angry to care.

“They definitely get help from somewhere,” Raph commented, pointedly ignoring Louis' mood and bringing him back to the problem at hand. “Two of them managed to get away. We lost their tracks near the river.”

Louis sighed, then stood up, feeling the headache forming at his temples. His father wouldn’t be pleased. “Take me there.”

[*]

~ JOSIE ~

“Rise and shine, Pretty, we’re hitting the town,” Jonah announced the following morning, busting the doors open and ostentatiously letting himself in.

“Yeah, please do come in. It’s not like I’m naked or anything,” I grumbled, giving the teenager a stink eye while hurriedly pulling my t-shirt down to cover the remaining parts of my bare stomach.

“Oh, yeah, I forgot you were a human. Us, werewolves, don’t care much about nakedness. Everyone has seen each other in their birthday suit at least once,” Jonah announced unmoved as he walked in, tossing the car keys up and down. “Hello, Shrimp.”

Mikey peeked his head out of the bathroom and smiled at Jonah.

“Are you taking Jo somewhere?” He asked cutely, sitting on the edge of our twin bed. He started to bounce up and down on the mattress, the bedsprings squeaking underneath him.

“You’re coming too,” Jonah grinned at my brother and ruffled his hair. Mikey wanted to swat at his hand but the teenage boy was too fast for him and he missed, so Mikey stuck out his tongue instead.

I shook my head, crossing my arms over my chest and frowning at Jonah. “You’re assuming I’ll agree to be taken... well, wherever it is that you want to go.”

“The town, I’ve already told ya Ms. Grumpy. We need to buy clothes for the two of you and whatever it is that you need for school. The Alpha’s orders,” Jonah explained patiently, focusing back on me. “Now come, we don’t have all day,” He added, grabbing my arm. Well, he tried to anyway. I sneaked past him before Jonah could touch me, so instead of my arm, he clasped air. The teenager’s eyes widened in surprise before his mouth curved in a wicked smile, his irises flashing light blue.

I didn’t like that look.

“Just a little tip, Josie,” Jonah said, creeping toward me while I backed away in sync with his movements. “Never... run... from... a... wolf...” He started and then unexpectedly pounced at me with an inhuman speed. I yipped and stumbled back, tripping over my feet as Mikey snapped to attention, his gaze drilling holes in Jonah, who gently but firmly wrapped his hand around my arm, helping me regain my balance before I planted myself on my butt. “We like the chase,” Jonah finished, winking at Mikey, a smug smile on his teenage face. “Now, will you come of your own accord, or do I need to drag you out?”

“Oh, just shove it,” I mumbled, wriggling myself free while rolling my eyes. “I’ll come.” And put my plan into motion. “Happy?”

“You have no idea,” Jonah replied, already heading towards the doors. “Oy, Shrimp, you comin’?”

Mikey threw me one last questioning look before he rushed out after Jonah. I sighed in surrender, grabbing my backpack and flinging it over my arm.

Redforest, here I come.

* * *

“This is freaking unbelievable,” I mumbled under my nose, simmering with rage.

It was the third or fourth shop that was looking for a full-time worker. The problem was that as soon as I introduced myself and asked about the actual job position, all owners suddenly had only a vacancy only for a part-timer or nobody at all. It was driving me nuts! I couldn’t get rid of the feeling that Jack was behind it. He had to be. There was no other way everyone would turn me down as soon as they learnt who I was.

I kicked the stone that was lying in front of me with the full force of my anger and sighed, leaning on the hood of Jonah’s black car. It surprised me that the boy had a license at all. He didn’t look older than thirteen, maybe fourteen, and yet he had actually hit his sixteenth summer two months ago. Maybe werewolves aged slower or something. I handn't noticed many elderly people in the town anyway.

I peaked at the woods in front, crossing my arms over my chest as I waited for Mikey and Jonah to return from the bathroom, the car keys dangling in my hand.

Redforest was all about greenery. Even the mall’s small car park was surrounded by old, effuse trees currently bathed in all shades of autumn. It looked gorgeous. And maybe if the circumstances were different, I wouldn’t have minded living here for the rest of my life-

“Don’t make a sound, or I’ll shoot.”

Or maybe fucking not.