The Runaway Maverick

Chapter 6 -No longer a stranger

I couldn't stop the few tears that flooded past my defenses. As I told this complete stranger, I had met but an hour before, my entire life story I realized I didn't want to be alone anymore.

My village may have be small but it had been my entire world. I had never known anything different. The fact we were so isolated from the rest of the world never appeared strange to me.

I wish I had known just why our community was originally formed.

"Jess I should have told you from the start" I looked at Fa with confusion. Something was obviously wrong. His hair was disheveled and his face was flushed red. As I went to question him he grabbed my arm yanking me towards our hut.

"Fa?" what was going on? "Ow Fa your hurting me!" I scrunched up my nose in pain as his nails dug deeper into my arm. I was so distracted by his state I didn't notice what I had stepped in before it was too late.

I couldn't stop screaming. Blood continued to pool onto the floor oozing from Tanni's decapitated head. Without thinking I had ripped my arm from Fa's iron grip and clutched my little sisters head in my arms.

Her eyes were still open in shock, her own blood had turned black on her lips. Whimpering I had found myself slumped on the floor her blood thick and cold on my toes.

"Jess you need to listen to me-" Fa's voice drained into silence as my ears filled with water. I was drowning.

"I c-can't" I couldn't breath. Soon I was gasping for breath. "B-b-bre-" My words were cut short as my vision began to speckle with black. It gradually polluted my sight till... till there was nothing.

I had been so enveloped in my words as I spoke them I hadn't realized Cato had me in his arms rocking me back and fourth.

"It's alright you don't need to tell me anymore" His voice cracked as he fought his own tears. Why was he crying?

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Cato's Prov:

Her words had begun to darken and her nails dug deeply into her arm drawing blood. Watching Jessie I was helpless as she tunneled further into her past. I knew then that I keep her safe.

Instinctively I got to my feet and pulled her sobbing frame onto my lap. I soon found my own tears spilling from my eyes.

She was broken... just like me.

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Jessie's prov:

"I'm sorry" I mumbled into his chest.

"For what?"

"Burdening you" with those two words I found my chin being pulled up so my gaze met his. The intensity of his glare wasn't frightening but endearing.

"You haven't burdened me. You haven't done a thing wrong... well apart from threatening me earlier" Through my tears I felt a small chuckle pass my lips. It felt so long ago.

Had it really been an hour or so since I had met this man?

"I don't understand what it is- yet. But I feel as if I need to keep you safe. It's strange and I personally don't get why you don't feel like a stranger but-" He began to fumble over his words as he attempted to describe his emotions? His thoughts?

" I feel the same." I whispered interrupting him. My throat was once again sore but I knew I needed to tell him.

Moving from his embrace I crouched over my knees pulling it from my pouch.

"This-" I breathed in deeply. " This stone right here, in my palm, is the reason for it all." He nodded clearly confused. "Allow me to explain" I rubbed the stone maintaining my composure as I chose my next words carefully.

"I don't fully understand why this stone is so important but my entire village died protecting it. For some reason they designated me, from birth, to become its sole guardian if-" I cleared my throat "when they all died."

I could see Cato mulling the words over in his mind as he comprehended what I just said. "Who are you running from?"

"I don't know" was all I could manage. No more tears. I had no time to continue being this weak and frail. My eyes now glowered at the stone as an eerie silence once again consumed the cave.

"Well whatever it is I'll help you."

"What?" I was taken aback. Here I was pouring my heart out to a stranger who had no reason to be kind to me or no less kill me right within this moment but instead he wanted to help?

"You don't know what your asking for Cato." My words seemed to alter his mood dramatically as he turned staring into the dying fire.

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Cato's prov:

"No I do" Unable to stop myself I grabbed a log and placed it into the flames and decided to tell her. With a last glance in Jess's direction I checked if she was watching. She was.

"My life has never been normal. I'm not normal. I mean your a stranger but I don't think I'll be able to leave without you now. Do you know why?"

"No" Her words came out in a hushed whisper.

"I'm no human." I waited for a reaction but received none apart from her hand grabbing mine.

"Do you know what a werewolf is?"

Squeeze. She tightened her grip on my hand " I do".

"Do you know what a rouge is Jess?" this time she stood up and moved to sit closer.

"I do not. Is that what you are?"

I nodded.

"What does that have to do with us... the strange connection between two people who don't know each other?"

Sighing I revealed my theory "Wolves travel in packs. Its the same with werewolves. A rouge is a wolf without a pack- a family. But that doesn't diminish the desire to be apart of a pack because its a primal need for wolves to survive."

Checking she understood I waited for her to motion for me to continue. "I'm an orphan. I have never been in a pack." She nodded.

"I never knew the need to be apart of something. In fact I haven't encountered many people before. You are the only one I have held a conversation with for so long"

"Really?" her disbelief was evident in her voice.

"Honestly Jess this just a theory but perhaps the fact I felt- no feel a bond between us is due to the fact we were both alone in the world-"

She interrupted me again "A pack of two"

Sharply I turned my body towards her shocked by her words. How could a human girl such as this have so much control over me?

Clueless she continued "I guess we're stuck together then? Pack mate?" Jess finished her words with a wink her eyes still red an puffy from tears.

In that moment more than anything I wanted to kiss her. She was no longer a stranger to me but the most important person in my life. I wasn't alone anymore.

My thoughts were interrupted by a small thud as Jess's head hit my lap asleep. Soon I found myself joining her as my eye lids felt heavy.

"Goodnight... pack mate" It sounded strange hearing myself say it but I couldn't be any happier.

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What do you think? Maybe Cato and Jess are mates? Maybe not...

I guess this is what happens when two broken individuals connect. Give me any feedback and I'll try to keep to incorporate it. I know it seems rushed and the switching of the prospective's is a bit much but this chapter needed to happen for the story to progress.