49

Jules is on the run from her past. She meets the two brothers Carter and Jasper. And suddenly it seems like she's getting a second chance to start over.

***

While there was absolute silence in my head, there was the greatest noise around me.

Despite the pain I felt with every step, I would not and could not stop running.

My feet felt like a fire was traveling up my legs and sending a sharp pain through my whole body.

The cries of other people and wolves echoed through the forest, but my footsteps sounded louder than their pleading calls. The steps of a weakling and how he makes his escape while her pack, her family , needs help.

I could have taken the chance, but I turned it down.

****

With the saying everyone makes mistakes , my parents have been glossing over my mistakes for as long as I can remember.

Of course everyone makes mistakes, but their mistakes should never affect people around you or even your whole pack.

We'll manage , convince yourself. To relieve you of the burden, even though you don't want to carry it yourself.

Look at the bright side , they say, to make you think that your flaws aren't all downsides. Although they themselves wouldn't see anything positive if they were in my place.

With their seemingly harmless sentences, they manipulate you so that you forget that your mistakes can really have consequences. Always this false optimism. One really thinks the past doesn't affect the present or the future. You start to close your eyes to the truth yourself, until reality slaps you in the face and lets you see properly again.

When you face the truth you have two choices. You can face it and admit your mistakes or run away like I did and let everyone suffer for my mistakes except me.

I was supposed to stand by them and face them, but I couldn't. Their deep voices made you wince, not to mention their growls.

It was an inner struggle that I fought with myself. While even my wolf blamed me, that is, the human side.

Exhausted, I finally slid down a tree trunk, and the images came back to me.

It was my damn fault, all mine. Why did I have to have such a big mouth? Why couldn't I have the strength to keep my words instead?

Shaking my head, I buried my face in my hands and just screamed into it. Hoping my hands would muffle my scream somewhat. But in the end it didn't do much.

Because apart from a few birds flying away, a silence that I brought about that was more than just overwhelming followed. She strengthened the sense of guilt again and showed me my loneliness. Which I got myself into by the way.

It felt like someone was pushing against my chest with all their strength, making it difficult for me to breathe. But there was no one there, I was alone. Maybe this is how it should end. With me. Alone. In a forest.

Only now did I notice the darkness, as if it had appeared in the blink of an eye. I'm not afraid of the forest or of the dark, just what it brought with it. What she hides and only reveals in such moments.

I had no desire to face another werewolf, even this would be my certain death. I have no stamina, let alone coordination. Although as a wolf this should go without saying. Just like the strength, which is not particularly pronounced for me either. In general, I was not a model. In every sense.

You can tell how lucky I am in life.

Dejected and exhausted, I rest my head on my knees, which in turn have my arms wrapped around them.

Just as I was closing my eyes, I heard a noise that startled me immediately.

The thought immediately came to mind that you have found me and this is the end of me. Which I certainly deserved after today, but it wasn't one of them. What I could tell by the smell.

It was someone else.

Inwardly, I was hoping that my fear-ridden body was awakening some super werewolf instincts in me. But nothing changed. I felt no strength running through my body and strengthening me. There was just nothing. Except for the guilt, the sadness and the loneliness. I was once again on my own. No one would come to my rescue now.

I slowly slid closer to the tree while my eyes searched for the source of the noise. The bark dug into my skin uncomfortably, but I swallowed the pain.

I had to really work hard and concentrate to be able to perceive anything. But there was just this smell of another wolf that I couldn't see. I could only hear and smell him.

But as long as his smell doesn't get stronger, it wouldn't be a problem, would it? It would mean he wouldn't come any closer and I'd rather that. Until it occurred to me that I might be on his territory. Then I would have more than just a small problem. In my pack, strange wolves who crossed boundaries were punished, whether unintentionally or not. There was no exception.

My heart clenched at the thought of my old pack, I shouldn't have run away. I should have stood by them. I should have defended her and both myself. But at that moment there was no other choice for me, it was as if someone else had chosen and directed me. Maybe they think they kidnapped me and not that I just ran away. But I don't know what I would prefer. One thing was certain though, I was a coward and a traitor.

I can just imagine the disappointed look of my parents. They would say something like " what else did you expect ?" And they were probably right about that. What other outcome had I imagined? It had to end this way.

Raising my head again gave a start, my whole body convulsing. Suddenly there was a boy at the tree in front of me, who wasn't there a second ago.

Shit was the first clear thought I could grasp. How could I be so inattentive? With this bad sense I was more human than wolf.

He strode toward me, looking quite purposeful. His gaze had taken me completely. I felt helpless and caught.

"Who are you?" he asked while I considered escape options. But escaping is out of the question, he would intercept me before I could even get up. He was in top form, a wolf as you know him. A wolf as it should be.

When I didn't answer, he sat down in front of me and eyed me, making me uncomfortable. However, he was not in an attacking stance. He exuded an authority that didn't completely intimidate me.

"Jules," I finally answered him when I could persuade myself to swallow my fear.

"So Jules, you know what's going to happen, don't you? Packless wolves aren't allowed into other people's territories." He asked me, causing my heart to start beating faster.

I just fled from death only to run back into it? At the same time, he would no longer have any power over my life because it would simply no longer exist. And I wouldn't have died by his hand. Also, he might finally suffer anguish.

"Actually, I'm sorry, you look quite young, but rules are rules. I'm going to take you to the Alpha now," he explained to me, which made me shake my head.

Because one of the words scared me even more than the fact that I could die here.

But the boy ignored this when he pulled me up by my arms and pulled me behind him. It didn't even look like he was making an effort.

I couldn't defend myself, he's way too strong. He would also catch me immediately if I ran away. In short, a weak wolf is a useless wolf. But no matter how much I trained, I felt I wasn't getting any stronger. Training didn't strengthen my human side, nor my non-human side. If ever something would happen to my non-human side.

"Wait," I called, remembering his words. Maybe I would get out of this situation differently. He looked at me questioningly while I took a deep breath. It was worth a try. "You said before that I'm rogue, but that's not true," I said, drawing his eyebrows together.

"Then what are you doing here?" he asked me again. His gaze wandered along my dirty body. And I have to admit, I looked pretty packless.

"My pack was attacked and I was running from another wolf. I didn't realize I was in another territory as my whole body was in pain."

He looked unimpressed by the little story before we continued on our way. I tried to catch my breath, trying to figure out what pack I might be in. But I couldn't say in which direction I was running and how long I was on the road.

And before I gave up hope, he finally answered.

"Tell that to my Alpha, maybe he will show you mercy and help you."

Dried blood was still clinging to my skin, most of it not mine. But I pushed that thought into the farthest corner when two boys opened the door.

A pungent odor hit my nostrils immediately, causing me to grimace. Strange pack. strange smells. Everything in me struggled, because this was not a peaceful pack meeting. It was decided whether I was allowed to continue living or not.

They were huge and quite broadly built, so I instinctively slid backwards until the wall stopped me. i wanted to leave I wanted distance. But no chance.

"What's happening now?" I asked clearly with panic in my voice as the two men grabbed my arms and carried me out when I didn't start walking on my own.

But as with my signals that I would rather stay in this small cell, the two did not respond to my question either. Instead, her grips tightened on my arm. A little more pressure and my bones would break.

"Hey," I complained, trying to break free of their grips by kicking the two guys.

Where I got this courage from was not clear to me when another voice that seemed familiar to me intervened.

"There are problems?"

My eyes went up automatically and saw the boy from yesterday who had found me and brought me here against my will. I was completely taken in by his dark green eyes.

"No" replied one of the two boys holding me. While his grip got tighter and tighter, I almost couldn't feel my arm anymore.

Yesterday's boy gave me another look before turning back.

"I think we have the same goal, follow me" he said before the two boys changed course with me and we followed him.

I made up a little story in my head where it didn't come across as my fault. Although I was aware that exactly the opposite was the case. How far would I go to survive again? How many lies would I have to tell them and especially myself? I should be convicted of treason.

It would be of little use if I died now. They wouldn't know where I was and my pack would think I was dead, it was a new beginning. It doesn't matter if it's deserved or not, I just have to get out of here somehow.

A large door opened in front of us, leading into a room resembling an office. An elderly man sat at a large table. He didn't look like I imagined him or what a typical alpha looked like. He also didn't have that charisma that made you want to hide away.

Before I knew it I was put on a chair, or rather pushed, as another person entered the room.

Immediately I felt the charisma of his wolf, which forced me down. I almost couldn't breathe. Everything tightened inside me. I automatically squeezed both my knees together so that not even a sheet would fit between my thighs. I wrapped my arms protectively around my upper body.

Startled by my already instinctive resuscitation, I had to swallow. Before I slowly raised my eyes again.

He sat down at the table when his gaze shifted to my two companions.

"You can go now, too," he said, and his deep voice gave me goosebumps.

Only now could I take a closer look at him, he had dark blond hair and also those dark green eyes.

Everyone left except for yesterday's boy. Which now nodded to the alpha.

"Again crossing borders?" asked the alpha monotonously as he let something through. That behavior alone didn't make me feel good.

"Yes" replied the boy next to me, whose name I still don't know.

"Then what are you doing here?" The Alpha asked now more annoyed as he looked up and I realized that I really did escape death once again last night. until now . There had to be a reason I was brought here. That I've made it this far.

There was a strange tension between the two. It was a constant demonstration of power and who is in charge here.

Before the boy next to me could speak, the Alpha spoke again.

"How many times do I have to tell you not to waste my time on this?" The Alpha asked with a snarl, at which the boy next to me reluctantly bowed his head. He balled his hands into fists before relaxing them again.

Without knowing what to do, I looked at my feet, because this situation reminded me only too well of my pack. Also, there was more going on here than I really understood.

"So why is she here?" The Alpha asked again, seeming calmer again.

"There was an attack on her pack-" he started, but the Alpha cut him off again.

"What do we have to do with this, Jasper?" he asked while stroking his fingers over his eyes.

The guy from yesterday, who then turned out to be Jasper, exhaled deeply and somehow I couldn't get rid of how similar the two looked. Just those eyes. Both a dark moss green. Were they brothers?

"I think you want to know which pack she belongs to."