~Layla’s POV~
How much longer are you gonna run?
’Until the urge to turn back and rip that girl to bits is gone’
So not anytime soon then
’No’ Clara growled and ran through amongst the trees and jumped over rocks and hills. She ran down a stream and her paws splashed in the water as it flew up on our sides.
She eventually came to a stop somewhere deep in the woods far, far away from any pack.
She dropped the bag that she held between her teeth and we shifted back and got dressed.
I looked around at the wilderness and couldn’t hear or sense a single car or human which meant we were far away from civilization. Just as I had wanted.
We couldn’t go back to my old pack because I would be putting everyone there in risk so this was where we were gonna stay for the time being. My back hit the trunk of a tree and I slid down the bark until I was sitting on the damp grass.
The sky was bright and the suns hone but a gentle breeze was swinging through the trees and playing music on the branches.
The stillness of the environment awoke a peace within me that had been long lost.
It was broken however by snatches and breaks heard from behind the trees.
”Hello?” I slowly got up and extended my claws.
”It’s me, don’t attack.” I recognized the voice. The man from the memory stepped around the tree and walked through some bushes pressing the branches apart as he walked up to me.
”What do you want?” He smiled and placed his hands in his pockets, he pressed his shoulders down and tried to look smaller than he was.
”Just talk,” he said softly.
He walked away from me, down the unpaved road and I figured that I either stay here alone or I follow him and see what he wants.
”It all began centuries ago,” he started and walked through the forest without sparing me a single glance. I could tell how deeply devoted he was to what he was about to tell me and truthfully, I wanted to hear it. This was my history too.
”A werewolf was born into a regular pack not unlike any other. With time, people started noticing his strange behavior and his parents started asking questions. It was unheard of for a werewolf to see into peoples memories or to plant their own into inanimate objects and yet, that’s exactly what the boy did. When the day came that the he gained his wolf and shifted, everyone grew more and more curious and scared of his odd predicament. His father grew angry and accused his mother of cheating on him with a wizard.” He stopped talking but we moved deeper into the woods and i was focusing on nothing other than his voice.
”The father, succumbed by rage, killed his wife and his son out of fear and jealousy. He later killed himself as well. That is the first ever known werewolf to be born with the gene,” he said and looked at me.
The shadow of a smile of sadness pained his face and i saw how much this was hurting him but chose to stay silent and hear what else he had to say.
We walked up a hill, the sun was bouncing off the leaves and the grass and it looked enchanting.
”After him, another boy was born only this time history would repeat itself but not quite in the same way. The boys parents were killed by rogues and he was adopted by another couple in the pack. The boy grew up and the parents noticed his strange behavior. They told the Alpha and he, worried about his people and his power, had the boy killed. This was in the 1800’s, Layla, you can imagine how many more have been born since then. Eventually, some would come to be seen as anomalies and their powers would be used instead of feared but most of these werewolves never felt at home in their packs. They were different, just like you. Strength, speed, agility and supernatural powers beyond the understanding of a werewolf or a witch caused them to seek sanctuary away from all those would harm them. Eventually, as though it was written in the stars, they found each other and formed their own pack with people just like them.” On the top of the hill we looked out over a gigantic field filled with sparkling green grass and surrounding the field in a circle was the dense forest. It was perfectly symmetric and you couldn’t see past the trees that aligned the circle.
”Welcome home.” I quickly turned my head and with a questioning gaze I looked at him. He smiled.
”Home?”
”There’s a reason your wolf took you here. This, all of it as far as the eye can see, is ours. This is our home, with werewolves just like you and me. This is where you belong.” We walked down the hill and I was looking around in confusion and excitement.
Glaring from behind the trees were people that I saw only when we entered the circle. They stepped out and nodded their heads. With big arms and smoldering eyes one of the guys lifted his head.
”Justin, you’re back. And who have you brought with you?” His name was Justin, I couldn’t believe i hadn’t asked.
”This is Layla Lecruest. Layla, meet the guys. This is Derek, Aiden and Freddy,” they all reached out their hands but i was just staring at Justin.
”How do you know my last name?” He chuckled and i looked at everyones smiling faces. Freddy slowly pulled his hand back when I wasn’t grabbing it and looked awkwardly between us.
”I know a lot about you. Whenever we notice someone with the gene I make sure to get all the information.”
”Why?”
”Because i make it my business. Because that’s how I know who to protect,” his dark eyes were glaring into mine and i felt the confidence he held in his words. I nodded my head and looked back at the others. Freddy smiled, Aiden was glaring and I felt some hostility coming from him but Derek was different. He eyed me up and down before settling his deep gaze on my eyes and staring past the walls.
”So the Alpha finally pulled his claws from you, did he?” Derek asked and raised his head.
”I don’t believe it’s any of your business,” that hit a nerv, I’m not gonna lie.
”Come on, let me show you your new home.’ a sense of ease washed over me and we walked into the forest.
