Chapter 19: Waylaid, Part 1

Lucinda

We'd been travelling for hours now, running this time. As a result, we were already beyond the land of the Moonbeam Pack and in that of the Dark Night Pack. Traveling at night was so much easier than traveling by day, and we had made it here before daybreak, even in our human forms(it still feels kinda weird to say that). Having ran very far, we were all set to keep up the pace and just drop at our door, but Lexi called us to a halt.

"What is it?" I called to her.

"Something's not right," she said, marching to me and taking my hand.

Matthews sniffed the air. "I don't smell anything," he said casually. He shrugged in the incoming light from the eastern sky.

"Couple of pack wolves passed here, but that was hours ago. Nothing to worry about," added Beta William cheerfully.

"Yeah. Your dad wouldn't have sent you out like this if there was," Matthews commented. Lexi beside me tensed and her hand clutched mine harder.

"Come on," Matthews said briskly. "Sun's rising, and we're only twenty miles from our pack lands."

He began to walk, his step lilting.

Suddenly, from above him a crash was heard in the tree branches. He leapt back not a split second early, as a large rock landed right where he was before.

He and Beta immediately surrounded us, eying the bushes warily. Lexi had her eyes pinned on me for some reason, but I ignored her. Wolves began to slip into view. Even in the faint light I could see perfectly. Six, seven, eight, they just kept appearing. The clearing now had nineteen wolves, counting us.

We were surrounded, outnumbered, and in another pack's land.

None of us spoke a word. I watched the one whose carriage nominated him as the leader as he stepped forward.

"I hope you see that you are at a disadvantage," said he smoothly. "I also hope you don't put us to any more trouble than absolutely necessary."

"Who are you and what do you want?" Beta growled lowly. He was treading water, and he knew it.

"Not your lives, that's for sure," answered the man. "I just want—" and here his eyes zeroed in on us girls— "A little help."

"Well whatever you want from these girls, you won't get it," Beta stated. "Not if I can help it."

"Look, here's the trouble I was looking to avoid," sighed to band leader. "Don't try resistance. It'll only get you killed."

Beta narrowed his eyes, and I could tell he was about to shift. But before he could, a twang was heard and he fell flat on the ground, unconscious. A tufted little dart sticking in his flesh.

Another twang sounded, sending Matthews down too. It was the two of us now.

My mind went into overdrive. These were not ordinary robbers or killers; robbers might come armed but they didn't come armed with tranquillizers. These people knew what the wolves were capable of, since they silenced them before the fight even began, and every single one had on a chemical- treated cloak. Besides, the fact that they were still not jumping on us and attacking showed that they were still a bit wary; that or they were waiting for the signal from their boss, and that required discipline; discipline which is not to be found among bandits. In short, these wolves were wary of us, meaning they knew who we were, meaning they had been spying on us.

"As I was saying," said the leader, his gaze shifting between the two of us in curiousity. "I need some help. Which one of you is Alpha Marcus' daughter?"

In a flash I understood. They had come looking for Lexi, maybe to capture or kill her. And in that flash I knew that I could not let that happen. First, I had been charged to with her; second, I had to be more fit to whatever they would do than she, since I had been kidnapped before; third, my pack would miss her a lot more than they would miss me, I knew; and most important, she was one of mine— my best friend, one I had vowed to protect.

So in her moment of hesitation, I spoke up.

"Me," I said. "What do you want me to do?"

He smiled a sinister smile, and my heart pounded lest he should see through my deceit.

"Very well," he grinned, "men, bring her up."

Lexi moved to stand in front of me, but I dug my nails into the hand to which I still held. I shot her a small glare, but it was enough. She relented unwillingly.

Two big men grabbed me away from her, while two more grabbed her. I was dragged up to the leader, who grinned and rubbed his hands.

"Wake those two up, boys," he commanded gleefully. "They must see how much they failed to protect their princess."

I don't know how it was accomplished, but the beta and the warrior were roused and held in place by guards, too. When everything was done to the leader's satisfaction, he said:

"We just need you to carry a little message for us to your father, Princess."

From his satchel came a pair of gloves, which he briskly slipped on. Next came a long, black whip.

I blinked and struggled to remind myself why I was doing this. To save Lexi. At least I had been whipped before, but Lexi hadn't.

The whip cracked through the air behind me. It landed across my bare legs, burning worse than anything I had ever felt. A cry of agony ripped itself from my throat and I strained against the men who gripped me. My wolf growled in fury, but I pushed her back.

The man chuckled, such a chuckle as can be expected from the Devil. "Silver-studded oxhide whip," he commented as he wound it up; "enough to pull the wail from any wolf girl."

The whip hissed through the air and struck, the sting multiplying tenfold. I emitted a full-blown scream at the intense burning, barely noting that my skin had been rent open.

Again and again he plied that whip against my legs, until the blood flowing down had soaked my feet. I lost count of how many times he hit me, but I thanked the goddess for at least sparing me the sight of Lexi during the ordeal.

All at once the men gripping my arms let go, and I crumpled to the ground. Immediately, I looked at my companions to see if they were all right.

Three white faces looked back at me, disbelief, horror, shame, and pity written in two of them.

But Lexi's face, which was whiter than beaches in Bahamas, was cold. Absolutely cold. Her head was cast down and so we're her eyes. Her mouth was set in a thin line.

I began to worry. Was she okay? Traumatized maybe?

The men released everyone and promptly made good their escape while we were still in shock.

I tried to stand up, and failed. Beta picked me up, gingerly avoiding the backs of my calves, without a word.

He nodded to Lexi and Matthews, but only Matthews stirred.

"Lexi," I called weakly. "Come, let's go."

"I'll catch up," she answered in what can only be called a corpse's voice.

"Lexi," I said, more firmly this time.

She raised her head, serving me with an eyeful of her face. Tear marks traced her cheeks, but that wasn't it.

Her eyes were white. Plain white, with no irises. A strange, electric blue color lined the edges, making the whole look entirely ghost- like. I gasped.

Without a word, Beta carried me away. But I craned my neck to see over his shoulder.

I saw something I would never forget.

***