Knock.
1308 Words
AMELIA
We made our way off the pack land, finally accepting that there were no other survivors as we headed toward town.
Navigating through the forest, I knew there might still be rogues lurking nearby. We were exhausted but managed to jog as fast as we could, staying hidden in the shadows.
About an hour later, we finally reached human town, even though I still didn’t feel safe. Annabelle was far too tired and complained along the way, but we had no choice but to keep moving through the trees.
Given that we were hungry, we decided to check out a diner, even though I didn’t have much of an appetite. Someone had to eat something.
I checked my phone again, but my sister was nowhere to be found. I had lost count of the number of times I’d called. Why wasn’t she answering the damn phone?
“Maybe she’s busy with something, Lia.” Annabelle said gently, trying to alleviate my frustration.
“Well, I guess so.” I replied, letting out a sigh.
After we finished eating, we returned to our small motel room. It had a double bed, one for me and one for Annabelle, along with a bedside table on the other side.
A unit sat at the foot of the bed, housing a TV, kettle, and water bottles. A built-in wardrobe was on the left side, while the bathroom, equipped with a sink, toilet, and shower, was on the right. Nothing special, but it was all we needed.
I placed our bag on the table, rummaging through it to gather the toiletries we’d need. We hadn’t showered since before leaving home, so that was next on the list. Thankfully, this motel provided travel-sized bathroom essentials; otherwise, we would have been in trouble.
I asked Annabelle to lock the door, then turned on the shower, leaving the bathroom door open in case someone knocked.
I stripped off my clothes and stepped under the hot running water. It did a great job of soothing my muscles, but my mind was anywhere but here. I couldn't stop reliving everything that had happened in the last few hours.
The tears I had been holding back since leaving the pack lands finally surfaced, and this time, I didn’t stop them; in fact, I welcomed them. I slid down the shower wall, pulling my knees up to my chest as I broke down. I cried for the loss of my family and, somehow, my pack members.
I cried for us—me, Annabelle, and Annabella—mourning the loss of our parents. I cried for Mrs. Meyer, knowing we had to leave her to die alone. I cried out loud, overwhelmed by the anger and frustration that made me want to tear apart everything in my view.
It felt like I would never stop crying, but then my thoughts drifted to Annabelle and the harsh realization that right now, I was all she had. I had to be strong for her. I had promised our parents I would look after her and protect her, and that was exactly what I would do.
Once I had washed up, brushed my teeth, and slipped into my pajamas, I crawled into bed. I tried calling Annabella again, but there was still no answer. The weight of the day slowly caught up with me as I fell into a fitful sleep.
I woke up to the sound of my phone ringing.
Dragging myself out of the nightmare, I dove out of bed and grabbed my phone.
It was Annabella.
Thank the Moon Goddess.
“Hello, Bella! I’ve been trying to reach you for hours! Why didn’t you answer your phone?” I spoke so quickly I struggled to catch my breath.
“Hey, hey, Lia. Slow down. We had my welcome party yesterday, and I left my phone on the charger. What’s wrong? Are you okay?” My big sister’s voice was laced with panic.
“No, Bella, I’m not okay at all. Nothing is fine. I can’t do this anymore.” I fought to keep my tears at bay.
“Lia, I can’t understand what you’re saying. Keep calm and tell me what’s going on,” Bella urged me, her voice steadying as she tried to soothe
“Sunday night, rogues attacked our pack... They... they killed everyone. Our parents... David... Mrs. Meyer—everyone is gone... dead.” My voice trembled as I spoke, my sobs tearing through the words. Repeating that scene reopened my wounds.
“What? Are you sure? Oh my God! How is Annabelle?” I could hear the sheer terror in Bella’s voice as she processed the gravity of what had happened.
“So, how did you manage to escape with Anna?” she asked, still trying to wrap her mind around the nightmare.
“Anna is fine. She’s with me now, but it’s just the two of us,” I replied softly.
The phone went quiet, and I sensed Bella was crying on the other end.
“Hello, Amelia. This is Beta Michael. Are you safe? And where are you now?” His voice carried an edge of worry.
“Hello, Michael. I’m safe where I am. I’m with my younger sister, but she is in the shower as we speak. We booked a motel in human lands,” I said, trying to project strength over the phone.
“Okay, okay, Amelia, don’t worry. You won’t be on your own much longer. I’m sending my Gamma and a few warriors your way to come and get you right away. They’ll bring you here to us and your sister, okay?” Michael assured me.
“Okay, Michael, but how will I know they’re your pack members and not the rogues?” I asked, panic creeping into my voice.
“Smart girl. My Gamma will be there with my warriors, Johnson, Peter, and Jake. I’ll give them the password code for the Blue Moon Pack. Will that be okay with you?” Beta Michael asked.
“Yes, that sounds fine,” I replied, quickly jotting down his pack’s name.
“Good. It will take them about two to three hours to get there. They’ll be driving straight through to reach you both, so they should be with you around half past two. In the meantime, I would prefer it if you didn’t leave the room. If you need anything, just order through room service, and Gamma will pay for it when he gets there,” Michael explained. Despite everything, I felt grateful my sister had a kind mate unlike mine.
“Thank you, Michael. I appreciate everything you’re doing for us. Please come for us; being alone terrifies me,” I admitted, the words tumbling out.
“There’s no need to thank me, Amelia. We are family now, aren’t we? You won’t be alone for long. Losing your home and parents... nothing can replace that. But there’s a place here for you and Annabella, and we are all waiting for you,” he said, his voice steadying in an attempt to comfort me.
“Okay, thanks again, Michael. That means more than you’ll ever know. How is my sister?”
“She’s not doing well. I guess the same applies to you?” Michael asked gently.
“I’m not doing too well, either. Anna just got out of the shower; I’ll have to update her on everything. Please take care of my sister,” I urged.
Michael assured me he would look after her and promised to call back to check in as they made their way to us.
I placed my phone on the charger again and relayed everything Michael had told me to Annabelle. Just two more hours to wait... I thought we could manage that.
Suddenly, there was a knock, knock, knock at the door.
- Writer
