Chapter 7: Crossing into a Grey Area

"There it is, the last Redwood tree," I say to myself, but beyond here, the forest seemed to get darker. I brave through the last bit of light and slip into the gloomy-looking forest. 

I didn't even know where to find them, let alone if I was going the right way. Maybe my instincts would tell me? Ugh. Being a Werewolf was confusing as fuck. 

I had no idea how far I had gone, but suddenly the hairs on the back of my neck stood up; I froze.

Someone was watching me.

I try to calm myself and keep moving, but the snap of a branch makes me burst into a sprint. I race through the trees; I glance over my shoulder and see a brown wolf, probably one of the rogues.

Oh no.

I shift and try to outrun him, but soon, two more wolves are chasing after me and nipping at my heels. These guys were more significant than I was; how the hell was I supposed to fight them off!?

Damn it; I should have listened. Suddenly I trip over a root in the ground and stumble; I back into a tree as the three wolves close in on me.

The brown one shifts, "Well, well, it's been a while since a pretty female stepped into our territory. So where's your pack, sweetheart?" His smile makes me sick, but I don't dare shift back to my human form. No way was this guy seeing me naked.

He tries to get close, and I bare my fangs at him, "Oh, your feisty, I like that," he grabs my scruff, lifting me off the ground, "Shift, I wanna see that body of yours."

I growl at him and snap at his face in response to his request, "Awe, are you shy? "he chuckles, "Looks like we have shy one guys," the other two men laugh as well.

"Harvey!"

I looked towards the shadows and saw the vivid glow of green, "Atticus…." I think to myself.

"Get your hands off my mate," he growls; he was in his human form, striding towards Harvey.

"This one?" Harvey looks me up and down, "Well, aren't you brave-"

"Put her down," Atticus demands.

Harvey hesitates, then drops me," Whatever, she's probably a virgin anyway."

 I watch as they shift and run away. Atticus looks at me, and I still don't shift back, not yet. I wasn't sure if those freaks were gone yet. 

Atticus shakes his head, "How in the world did you slip through Thane's grip?" he asks with a slight smile, then he frowns, "Why are you here?"

I figured the men were farther away now, and I shifted back, "For one, your packmates are assholes, two, I want to bitchslap the guy named Harvey for assuming I'm a virgin! Fucking perk." I dust myself off.

Atticus stifles laughter, "Don't let him hear you say that…."

An awkward moment of silence passes between us.

I cross my arms around my chest," As for your question, as to why I came," I pause, "I came for you."

Atticus' eyes widen, and his face seems to brighten, "You came to see me?"

"There have been killings going on around here," I kick some leaves with my foot, "I wanted to know if some of the Rogues in your pack might be doing them, or-"

"Or what?" Atticus's eyes darken, "Me?"

I sighed, "My parents were killed, same as the others, it looked like an animal mauling, but they were werewolf attacks-"

"Go back to Thane," Atticus turns his back on me before I finish, "Hey! I wasn't done!"

"I don't need to hear accusations from you of me possibly killing your parents," his voice sounded more hurt than angry. 

Was I wrong for assuming such things? Maybe I had hurt his feelings, but I was at a loss.

"Atticus, just tell me, please."

He still walks away from me, "Thane wants me to reject you!" I shout.

That got his attention; he halts, turns sharp on his heels, and gets in my face. He gets so close I back into a tree, "Do it then. You think I'm the monster who killed your parents. Reject me."

"I-I know about Khione…."

I watch as Atticus' eyes widen; he swallows hard, "Let me guess, Thane told you I killed her. Figures."

I could see the pain in his eyes, and for some reason, I wanted to soothe his ache. I guess it was the wolf within that wanted to lick his wounds, to heal him. He turns from me, wracking his hands through his hair, "I was a fool to hope…." I hear him say under his breath.

"Go ahead; I'll even tell you how to do it."

"Atticus-"

"It won't take long," he heavily sighs.

"I just want to know if you think anyone in your pack could have done this!"

He scoffs, "Hell, if I know, they go out on their own sometimes. Their Rogues for a reason, I'm only the leader because I can kick all of their asses."

Great. But how was I supposed to know Atticus wasn't lying? Of course, he could just be saying that to throw me off his trail. 

I sigh, rubbing the bracelet on my wrist. It looks like I took a considerable risk for nothing. But, of course, there was no way he would tell me if he did this. But I couldn't let my guard slip.

"What is that?" I hear him ask. I look up and see him eyeing my bracelet.

I hold it close to me, "My mother's bracelet."

"Is it rose quarts?"

My hand tightens around my wrist, "Yes…." I start to slowly back away from the tree. How did he know what kind of stone the bracelet was made out of? 

"Can I see it?" He starts to walk towards me, I back up; Atticus sees the suspension in my eyes and stops.

His lips pressed thin, "The only reason I ask is that a Werewolf pack that used to roam these forests before my father, had bracelets just like that, only, the females wore them. It was said to enhance and control a technique they were gifted with."

"What?" I say breathlessly, "No, my mother gave me this," I look down at the bracelet.

"Yeah? Which one?" He crosses his arms," You were raised by humans, right?"

I swallowed slightly, "Yes."

"But they weren't your birth parents. Evette, your adapted," he points to my wrist, "And the bracelet was meant for you, not your adopted mother."

I suddenly felt paralyzed; now it made sense. My nightmares were probably an ability of some kind, and when my bracelet was near me, my nightmares weren't so bad. 

"How do you know all of this?" I ask him.

He turns his head away from me, "You're not going to like that answer."

"Trust me, I've had a lot of answers I don't like, but none I can't handle. So try me," I said, determined to know what he knew.

"I know this because my father, the Alpha before Thane, killed your parents."

Shock hits me so hard it sucks the air from my lungs; I balance against a nearby trunk.

"No, that can't be…."