Extraviado Chapitre

Hey folks! You may not notice but this is the missing chapter of Chapitre 7. You may continue reading and have fun!

***

I looked around.

All wolves were engaged in battle. Alpha Eros scurried around like a shadow, always looking for his next victim. None of the Silverblood Wolves stood a chance against his force.

Blood dripped from his mouth.

Nothing suggested the relaxed man of yesterday.

He was a monster.

A monster that had just saved my life.

I looked back at Tommy.

"Close your eyes."

He looked at me scared.

"W-what?"

"Close your eyes. I'll get us out of here."

He frowned and hugged Frido tighter. Then his lids drooped and he took a deep breath. I pulled him out from between the rocks and lifted him onto my hips.

Painful snakes licked the claw marks on my forearm, but I ignored them and clenched my fist on the silver. I looked around one last time. Then I ran.

My legs flew across the leaves surrounding the big fight. The lifeless bodies of wolves lay everywhere, blood stained the ground and the angry hissing of the warriors echoed through the forest.

If nobody noticed me...

A growl sounded behind me and I jerked around. Tommy cried louder and buried his head in my neck. The brown wolf looked at me. His eyes revealed who he was.

Beta Leo.

He snarled at the sight of the silver, his expression filled with hatred. My heart pounded painfully in my throat.

He had seen it.

Beta Leo reluctantly turned back to the battle.

I took a few steps back before running on with Tommy in my arms. As the forest thinned, I felt only a small spark of relief, which was immediately smothered by a sinking feeling. We were safe, but that wouldn't save me. Beta Leo had seen the silver.

He knew it.

I was dead.

I continued walking with Tommy back to the center of the ghost town. All was still except for our gasping breath. The houses cast shadows on the path and my arm started throbbing. The blood on my skin had dried, the wound was still open.

I carefully put Tommy down.

"You can watch again."

His lids lifted and the eyes beneath were red from the tears he had cried. I hugged him tightly and took his hand. I had to at least get him back to his family.

"Come."

We kept walking through the deserted streets until we came to the square. The sun was high above our heads. Hot sweat ran between my shoulder blades as we came to a halt, panting.

"Tommy!"

Lizzy's voice echoed across the square. The desperate fog lifted from her eyes. She rushed towards us. Tommy let go of my hand and ran to his sister crying.

A smile scratched my lips. At least the two were safe. The world in front of my eyes blurred as if through water.

I blinked.

"Thanks."

Lizzy wrapped her arms around me, but I stood there motionless. My whole body was paralyzed as my muscles tried to comprehend the situation. But there was nothing to understand.

"What's going on?" Lizzy asked with a worried expression.

I couldn't get the words out of my mouth. I could only stare into her leafy green eyes.

I would die.

A victorious chorus of wolf howls snapped me out of the trance.

Doors opened around us and people cautiously peed out of their homes. Everyone seemed to be waiting.

A second howl of joy filled the air.

Silverblood's attack was successfully repelled. A cheer erupted around us. People stormed out of their homes and gathered in the square. The shadow that had lurked over the city for the last few months had finally lifted.

My strength was finally gone.

I felt my way to the stone floor and sat down while observing the people around me. Their carefree expressions and cheers passed me by. I could only hear my breathing.

Lizzy stood in front of me, her brow furrowed in concern. Her eyes dropped to my bleeding, clawed arm and then to the bracelet I was clutching tensely in my hand.

I couldn't let it go It seemed to stick to me like my life depended on it. Lizzy took a few steps back.

She knew.

It didn't need words.

Deep fear reflected in her eyes. She ran her hands through her fiery red curls. She knew what to expect and so did I.

Nobody could save me from that.

I didn't even feel remorse for what I had done. I would do it again every time. My mother's bracelet had saved my life, even if it would kill me now.

The crowd in front of me parted. Suddenly, fingers grabbed my wrist. They dug into the very welts Gamma Johnson had left earlier.

I groaned in pain. A force hauled me to my feet as I blinked the stars away from my eyes.

Beta Leo.

He was seething, his gaze darting from me to the bracelet. Funny how a small piece of jewelry could instill such fear in werewolves.

He pulled me through the crowd that parted in front of us. I didn't have the strength to fight back. There was no escape. Up until now I had always accepted fate as it came and I would not stop with that on my last day. So many times had I escaped death.

It was only a matter of time...

Beta Leo threw me onto the stage. The acrid smell of sweat clung to him. I looked at the astonished faces of the people. All joy was forgotten. A wave of whispers swept the crowd.

"Let it go."

The cold hate in his voice sent goosebumps down my spine. But I could not obey his command. My hand was cramped and my arm was shaking. My body no longer belonged to me, but to the shock that dulled all my senses.

A jostling moved the crowd before some warriors stopped in front of the stage. They wanted to know what was going on here. When they saw the spectacle, they froze.

"Let it go!"

Silence settled like lead across the square. I closed my eyes and clutched my injured hand tighter to my chest. I couldn't give it away, it was a part of me.

"Ephilia!"

My gaze jerked to Uncle Theo, who was pushing through the crowd. But the werewolves in the front row easily stopped him. He tried to grab me, but he had no chance. Sheer fear crossed his face and gave me a stab in the stomach. I didn't want to see him like that.

A shadow blocked the sun from my eyes. An excruciating pain pierced my wrist and I shrieked. The scream shrilled in my ears. Beta Leo stood over me, his foot on my forearm.

With my other hand I tried to lift his leg. But he stood on it like a tree trunk. I tugged at the hem of his pants, but he didn't move an inch. When I resisted, he squeezed harder.

My throat was raw from my screams, but he didn't let up. Big tears formed in my eyes. I didn't want to give up. But my body couldn't listen to me.

My hand opened and the bracelet clattered onto the wood of the stage. Dried blood clung to it and a metallic odor clouded my senses. I tried to grab it.

Beta Leo forestalled me.

He swung his boot and knocked the bracelet off the stage.

"No!"

The werewolves in the front row backed away as the silver landed in the dirt. I closed my eyes defeated. I rested my forehead against the wood. Tears ran down my cheeks.

Hope no one could see her.

I received it yesterday and lost it again today. My family fought for me and I threw it away. It wasn't even safe for me for a day. A deep pain settled in my heart.

I had disappointed everyone, the living and the dead.

"What is going on here?!"

The growling voice sent a wave of horror down my spine. A tremor went through the crowd. The people parted like the sea and formed a passage. Everyone bent their knees and bowed their heads while I raised mine. I wiped away my tears.

I didn't want to die crying.

I wanted to face my fate. My vision was blurry and the more I blinked, the worse it got. Gravity involuntarily pushed my head towards the ground.

The last thing I saw was black hair and blue eyes before my skull hit the wood.