We kept walking, not taking any breaks, just treading further and further along the forest, going deeper than I’d hoped. There’s no way I could find my way home, especially on my own.“We’re here”. The man finally spoke and when I looked ahead, I good see through a cluster of trees, small orange lights glowing, dotted around.As soon as we walked through the trees and got to the other side, I couldn’t believe my eyes. “Where are we?” I asked him.“Camp! The safe zone!”. I simply replied. “Wait here!”. He ordered.I stood in the one spot as I looked around, there were several little wooden huts and cabins and ladders all up along some of the trees that lead to planked walkways. I scanned them, following where they led to with my eyes, and on opposite sides of the camp were two circular areas resting near the tops of the trees, and I could just about see two figures standing, watching on each of them. I glanced back at the man, to see he had walked to the first cabin and knocked on the
“Good morning grams”. I greeted her groggily as I sat up on the wooden bench.“Good morning my dear”. She replied with her back facing me as she filled two cups with hot water.“It feels so bizarre waking up to see you”. “I feel the same”. She said, turning around to hand me one of the cups. “I’ve put more herbs in it again. It’ll help your wound, everything in there is very good for you”. “Thank you”. I replied with a tired smile as I took the cup. “What is this place anyway, grams? Last night, I saw other people here. Who were they?” “I’ll tell you everything soon enough. But first I want you to tell me what you know about these rogues that attacked Whitlock”. “I don’t really know much actually”. I told her with a sigh. “It’s the second attack we’ve had in the space of a few weeks. When the first attack happened, there weren’t many of them. The second time, there were more, but Leo said they were quite weak, easy to take down. He seems to think the pack is being tested”. “Teste
My last four days at the camp have been…. Different. Good but different. Everyone here have been very welcoming especially when they learned I was Gram’s granddaughter, although they’d recognised it almost immediately with our same raven black hair and blue eyes. I spent most days just slotting myself in with whatever task certain groups were doing, whether that was gathering food or water. Keeping the camp up together, and last night I even had my very first guarding duty. I had begged Grams to let me do it, and she finally agreed, only if I had someone right next to me the whole time. It was actually fun being partnered with Izzy. She was twenty two, so close to me in age, long blonde hair and green eyes, she was pretty, tough and just such a breath of fresh air compared to the girls I had been used to. The more we got to know each other through the night, the more honest we became about our pasts and when I told her about the Whitlock pack, my family, Leo and why I ran away, she c
“ENOUGH! IT’S NOT WORKING”. I shouted in frustration to grams and Dante. We’d been doing this for a week now and so far there had been no sign of my wolf. “You just want to give up, do you? Like you gave up on your pack when you ran away!”. She goaded just as she had been for the past three days. “I didn’t give up! I wanted to go back!”. I replied defensively. “Oh, of course you did. If you say so, Raven, then I guess it must be true”. “Stop it grams!”. I said looking at her with warning. “Why, Raven? Can you honestly say you put up much of a fight or protest to go back?”. “I was scared grams!”. “Yes, scared of everything! Scared of being everything you’re meant to be! Or do you enjoy being on the end of everyone’s insults?” “That’s enough now, you’re going too far!”. “Me? You’re the one who told me you felt as though you let your family down! Is that it, Raven? You’re so comfortable with that idea, you have no interest on being true to yourself?” “I’ve always been true
“Grams!”. I nervously called out as I approached her. She turned to greet me whilst she cleared away loose mud and grit on her cabin steps. “Hello sweetheart. Did you manage to collect enough for dinner?” “I did. I’ve already put it away with the rest of the food”. I informed her. “Great, it’s nice to see you’re more comfortable with the camp and mucking in with the rest of us”. “Just want to do my bit. But I need to talk with you”. “Ok, what’s on your mind?” She asked curiously as she walked over. “Well, I know you’re not going to like it, but it’s something I have to do”. “And what is that?” She asked dubiously. “I want to go back to Whitlock, but not actually into Whitlock, I just need to get close enough to the border….” “What for?” “Grams, I need to know if everyone is ok. The way I left thing… I… I feel so guilty. I just have to know what they did to my father”. “But Raven, it’s so risky. Not only could you get caught, but you said yourself there have been rogues
When we had returned to camp, I could see that grams was itching to ask me questions, but I took my serving of food and ate alone in my cabin, before going to sleep. Every night I had thought of them, but last night, I could see how sad and tired my father had looked. He was always so strong, capable and I always felt safe when he was home, but yesterday he looked as though he had no fight left in him. I kept telling myself not to get too hopeful that it was my mother Izzy had seen, but ohh… how I kept wishing and hoping it was! At least then father wasn’t handling everything alone, although him even leaving the house suggested mother was alive and well. I knew for sure, he’d keep himself locked up and isolated in the house, if she had died in the fire. The only person neither of us had seen, was my uncle. I ached with how much I just wanted to be back in the house with them, even if it was on a bad day dealing with one of uncle’s episodes, I didn’t care, I’d take it, as long as I wa
“I know I need to let you do whatever it is you need to do”. Gram’s sad dolefully as she put her soft hand on my cheek. “I guess I was just so happy to be in your life again, that I became afraid that I lose you”. “I know. I don’t want to lose you either”. I sighed as I realised why she had been so protective. “But the more you try to keep me locked away here, the more it’s just going to push me away”. “Yes, I can see that now. Just be safe my darling, and whatever happens, we’ll deal with it together, that is a promise”. “Really, you mean it?” “Of course, I do. You were right, we should always want to do want to do what’s right for the ones we love so, from now on, I won’t hold you back”. “Thanks grams”. I replied as I leaned in to hug her. “Now then…”. She continued as she sniffed back a tear of worry and unwrapped her arms from around me. “I’ve asked Zach to go with you, Dante and Izzy today, just for precaution. The more of our trained members you have with you, the more
My mind was on overdrive as I roughly bonded two long planks of wood together for the new cabin. I was tired, furious and I kept picturing Violet on the night of the fire. That girl has got some damn good acting skills, I really believed her that night, she just looked so genuinely scared for me, and I felt like the biggest fool to have ever listened to her and trusted she wanted to help me. Everything about that night just wouldn’t stop flashing though my mind no matter what I did to try and distract myself. The mood I was in was certainly clear, it must be so evident on my face, as everyone kept their distance and gave me some space. Even when we walked back to camp yesterday, Neither Izzy, Dante or Zach said anything as I stomped along in silence. The urge to tear her apart was bubbling inside of me, and I’d even fantasize about doing it. What she had said was true though, and that’s what worried me even more. My father had been at Caleb’s side for so many years now, his best guard