I could literally feel the awkwardness.
Somehow I had gotten stuck sitting in between Joshua and Bea in the SUV.
We were using two pack vehicles, the first one - which was ahead of us - was being driven by Peter with Allison, Andre and Courtney riding with him.
The rest of us were with May.
Bea sat with her arms crossed against her chest and Joshua just stared out the window.
May didn't speak either and I wondered if she too understood the gravity of the situation. She was Tristan's apprentice, which meant by default she had to know his brothers. How personal their relationship was the question. Like how well did she understand Bea and Joshua's relationship?
We were driving past the town centre, I caught a glimpse of one of Chris' mother's employees opening up the bakery. I sighed thinking about how she was probably starting a fresh batch of crossbuns.
I had worked for Mrs West for two summers in the past with Kat just to make a little pocket money. It was a really fun experience. I learnt to bake a few things and I got to hang out with Chris and Kat a lot.
I would much rather be in the bakery right now than in this cold vehicle right now even if it still meant waking up early every day.
I noticed that there were a couple of people in black outfits moving around.
"Are those soldiers?" I asked May.
It wasn't unusual to see pack soldiers out around the area. But they definitely weren't taking a leisurely stroll. They looked like they meant business.
"Alpha Tristan has soldiers scouting Woodfell." May explained.
"They think the rogue might still be here?" Joshua asked seeming very interested.
May hesitated. It was subtle but I noticed it.
"It's just precautionary." She explained.
"I got attacked a day ago, why now?" Joshua pressed.
"Just being thorough." May spoke dismissively.
"Of course." Joshua muttered.
The car was silent again for a little while until Bea spoke for the first time during the car ride.
"Thorough about what though? Do you think the rogue could still be in Woodfell?"
I felt Joshua stiffen beside me.
"No." May replied too quickly.
"May, if he's still here, I want to know." Joshua growled.
I saw May tighten her hand around the steering wheel.
"He's not." May replied. "And even if he was, you guys aren't privy to that information. So drop it, okay?"
The tone in May's voice was loud and clear.
Joshua turned to share a look with Bea.
I saw his eyes flash green. The same shade of green Tristan's turned when he was communicating telepathically.
I looked at Bea, her eyes flashed blue, the same blue as her eye colour but more highlighted.
Were they really having a private conversation in front of me?
Their eyes turned back to normal almost as quickly as they had become enchanced.
So quick that May didn't seem to notice.
My head darted between the two of them curiously.
Bea shot me a glare when she caught me staring and I quickly looked away from her.
First of all, I knew Joshua and Bea were dating but I didn't know they had gotten to the stage where they could so easily open their minds to each other.
And secondly, I wanted to know!
I was curious as to why soldiers were patrolling the streets.
The last time I had seen this... was when Roman had stolen pack information
My point is. The rogue couldn't still be in Woodfell, the land was vast, sure, but wouldn't someone have noticed by now?
May suddenly hit the brakes sending us lurching forward.
"What the heck?" Bea yelled.
"Peter just stopped." May spoke in confusion.
Surely enough I looked out the front from where I sat.
The SUV Peter was driving was just parked in front of us.
"May, something is wrong." Joshua spoke, already reaching for the door handle.
I heard multiple clicks.
May had locked the doors.
"Stay put, Josh." She told him.
The Bluetooth in the car suddenly pinged.
"May, it's an ambush! Get the kids out of here!" Peter's voice was heard through the speakers. "Secure the Luna!"
May immediately jumped into action, immediately stepping on the gas, sending us lurching backwards.
"May? What's -"
I didn't have time to finish my question because at that moment I saw a large gray wolf jump onto Peter's SUV.
"Oh my gosh." Bea gasped.
My thoughts exactly, two more large greyish wolves creeped out from either side of the SUV in front of us.
"Peter. How many are they?" May asked.
"Four, I think, they came from the woods." He responded hurried.
I gasped when I heard something land on the roof.
"Hold on, guys!" May yelled before lurching forward and then turning suddenly to the right, I landed on Joshua who let out a groan.
I heard a whimper and turned around to see the wolf on the ground behind us.
May sped forward. I saw two more wolves chasing after us.
"Pete, continue to HQ. I'll head back to town and alert the soldiers there." May yelled into the Bluetooth.
"No, head to the eastern woods, we can't have them too close to civilians. I'll distract them."
"Distract them? How?" May asked. I could hear the concern in her voice.
There was a ruffling sound like Peter was moving.
"Courtney, take over. Get your friends to headquarters." I made out his voice with more ruffling.
I heard a bang and gasped.
It was followed by growling.
"May! We need to go back and help Peter and the others." Joshua yelled.
May's hands tightened around the wheel. "No Joshua." Her voice shook a little. "Peter can handle himself, I need to get you guys to a safe place." May told him.
"We can't just sit here, we need to do something." Joshua argued.
"I am doing something." She took a sharp left.
And this time I had the sense to grip the seat to prevent myself from falling on Joshua.
The vehicle bumped around as we drove off the road and into the woods.
"You want to help, Josh? Call your brother. Neither Peter nor I can communicate telepathically with him right now."
"He rarely picks up my calls when he's working." Joshua spoke. He looked at me. "You call."
He gave me a look that I couldn't quite decipher.
"Will you hurry up? They're gaining on us!" Bea yelled.
She was looking behind us. Something I really didn't want to do.
I fumbled in my pockets for my cell phone.
Tristan...
Tristan...
Tristan...
I scowled until I found his number.
I pressed on the little phone sticker.
The phone rang and rang and for a minute, I thought he would not pick up.
And he didn't.
"His not answering." I spoke in a panicked voice.
"Try again." May spoke. It amazed me how she kept her composure. Her fiance was out there fighting rogues and she has three kids lives in her hands.
"Josh, communicate with Mikey. Tell him what's going on, see if he can get help."
I was shaking as I tried to call Tristan again.
I tried to send mental notes to him.
Come on. I need you. I need you. I need you.
I expected Joshua to take out his phone as well but he just shut his eyes and leaned back.
A second later he opened them. "I can't reach him."
I was about to ask what just happened but then I heard a voice.
"Yes?" I had never been so excited to hear Bridget's irritated voice.
"Oh thank God." I sighed in relief.
"Is there a reason you keep calling? Tristan is busy." She spoke in annoyance.
Okay. Rude much?
"Yeah, so we're kind of in a predicament." I spoke shakily.
May took another sharp turn.
"Are you kidding me? Tell her we're about to get killed!" Bea screamed.
"Give me the phone, let me do the talking." Joshua spoke, reaching out.
"No, let me do it, you suck at giving directions."
Bea also reached out for the phone.
"Really? Now?" Joshua spoke in irritation. "Crystal, give me the phone."
"I said I'm. Better. With. Directions." Bea repeated.
They now both tried to wrestle the phone from my hands.
"Guys!" I yelled helplessly.
"Phone! Now!" May's sharp voice stopped the bickering immediately.
I quickly and gladly handed it to her.
Bea and Joshua both glared at each other.
"Bridget, this is May, we've been ambushed. About five rogues have infiltrated our territory."
"What's your location?" She had put the phone on speaker.
"I'm in the eastern woods with the Luna, Joshua and Bea. Peter has the other candidates, he's along Diaz road. Track the SUVs for a more specific location. And hurry."
"Got it. I'm on my way. Stay safe and protect the luna at all costs." Bridget ordered.
She hung up before I could ask where Tristan was. Honestly, I was scared and I wanted him here. All that talk about keeping me safe and he wasn't here.
I didn't want to die.
No. Surely God wouldn't let us get killed like this. It wasn't His nature.
Bridget was coming. She would tell Tristan and everything was going to be okay.
And just then... we hit into something and the car stopped.
My eyes widened as I stared at May who slammed her hands on the steering wheel.
"Dammit." She muttered.
"What's going on?" Bea asked.
I heard a bang sound on the roof and a dent formed.
The wolves.
"Ah!" I screamed as another appeared on the hood and started clawing at the glass.
Bea leaned back when another appeared by her window.
"So there were three."
"We hit a log and something is wrong. We can't move." May explained as she helplessly pressed on the gas.
She gasped when the Wolf on the hood banged itself on the windshield causing a crack to appear.
"I think they got the tyres." Joshua spoke.
"W-what now?" I screamed.
"We run!" "We fight!"
Him and Bea responded simultaneously.
"Run?" Joshua yelled.
"Fight?" Bea exclaimed. "In your state, you can barely shift, let alone fight."
Bea was right. I'm sure Joshua's cuts weren't fully healed yet and the stress of shifting would definitely reopen them.
"I can manage just fine. Besides, we don't have a choice."
"Joshua," I spoke hurriedly. "Listen to Bea, one kicked both our butts, now they're three, we don't stand a chance."
"That's because we were taken by surprise before."
"Josh." Bea reached over me and grabbed his face in her hands, making him look into her eyes. "Do not make me watch you die."
The two just stared at each other. Even in this chaos, it really seemed like it was just the two of them.
I saw Joshua's eyes dart down to Bea's lips. Were they really about to kiss right now?
"Uhm, guys, might I remind you that our lives are still very much in danger." I spoke up.
"So it's settled. May and I have got this. We'll distract them enough for you to get Crystal out of here."
"Excuse me but I'm the instructor here." May spoke fiercely. "I'm going out there alone. You guys get yourselves to safety."
"I can fight!" Bea spoke.
"No. You think you can. This is a real life situation. Not training and I will not have any of you die on my -"
The glass of the windshield finally broke, scattering pieces of glass everywhere.
"Go!" I heard May yell as her eyes shone and she pushed herself off the seat, turning into her wolf, knocking down one of the wolves in the process. She growled at the Wolf before pouncing on it and letting her claws handle things.
"Come on!" Joshua yelled as he opened the car door and ran out. I quickly scrambled after him and Bea followed.
Joshua grabbed my hand then went off running, pulling me along.
Shifting would have been much easier but there's no way Joshua could handle that.
I heard a thud and was surprised to see one of the wolves had landed in front of us.
I quickly took a look behind and saw May occupied by the other two.
The wolf growled and we all froze.
Joshua placed himself in front of Bea and I.
"Josh, don't." Bea spoke, grabbing his arm.
The wolf growled again as it took another step closer.
What did it want? It definitely wasn't like the last one.
It was bigger and these were all grey. They weren't halflings either... they had scents.
Actually... they had familiar scents.
I acted before thinking and pushed past Joshua and ran towards it until I was at least a meter away.
"Crystal!" Joshua yelled. "Not again." I heard him mutter.
"What are you doing?" Bea screamed.
I ignored them both and stood right in front of the Wolf.
I couldn't believe I was doing this once again. Since when did I become the heroic type anyway?
I'm the scaredy cat. I've always been the scaredy cat.
"It's me you want, isn't it?" I asked.
The wolf just stared.
Its eyes fixed on my neck and it snarled.
"It's trying to tell you something." Bea spoke sounding confused.
I tried to follow its eyes.
And then it clicked.
I dug into my top and pulled out the silver chain with my crystal pendant engraved on.
It snarled. Almost in approval.
Realisation hit me.
"You're a Van Cliffe wolf." I spoke in realisation.
Before the Wolf could show any bit of confirmation, another Wolf swooped in and shoved it away.
With its teeth, it bit down into its neck.
I gasped as the Wolf whimpered then just grew still.
The Wolf stepped back, blood on its mouth as it turned to face us.
Tristan.
He didn't stay long before he jumped after the other two wolves.
I turned back and saw Tristan and four other wolves chasing the rogues that had now started to run away.
I looked at the Wolf that I had tried to communicate with. It was still not moving but was clearly still breathing.
I rushed up to it and saw the blood gushing out of its neck.
I felt a hand on my shoulder.
"Luna." I turned to see that it was Captain Park with a neutral expression on her face. "We'll take care of this. Right now you need to come with us."
I stared at the Wolf a second longer.
My mind was filled with questions. Why was a Van Cliffe Wolf in Woodfell? And why had it come for me?