MINE

Chapter 7- The One They'll Kill

KAELAN'S POV

The feel of dirt against my paws, and the air on my skin–I felt alive.

The trees moved fast behind me, as I ran through them. The air smelt of wet dirt and rain, filled with the heavy sounds of Locke behind me.

I slowed down when I reached the middle of the woods, and I looked around. I could smell Locke’s aftershave on him, I could hear his heart in his chest.

He was calm.

I turned around when I heard a twig snap behind me. Locke’s blue eyes, now a full mix of hazel and the blueness of the sky.

Staring at each other, I felt my bones cracking and stretching forward. As quiet as the forest was, our bones cracking and stretching was the only source of sound.

“We need to talk!”

I breathed out, once I felt my legs stretch out. We both got on our feet, and walked shamelessly naked into the deeper part of the woods.

“I know. That's why I came to you, Kaelan” I gave him a side glance, as the wind began blowing heavily where the sun doesn't shine.

“We need clothes!”

“Yep!”

It was a normal wind range, but the abnormality of it was what heightened the feeling of air on the skin.

We walked deeper, going farther away from the school, farther away from where humans were permitted.

At the faint sighting of a cabin, I heard footsteps behind us. It was faint, but still loud enough to be noticed, and close enough to be alert.

We hurried to the cabin that had spare clothes, changed, and waited.

The faint scent of citrus had my eyes squinted. I could hear laboured breathing, a reaching heartbeat, and…almost like a full extra scent of, fear.

“We are being followed!” Locke pointed out, but I didn't make a sound.

The footsteps neared, and we both came in contact with a young boy who looked lost, confused.

I shot a suspicious look to Locke, who eagly watched the boy.

“f**k! I lost them! f**k, Rycan’s gonna kill me” I raised my chin up, as confusion flowed through me.

After looking around for sometime, the boy walked back, his faced morphed in great distress.

“Rycan?”

“Head of the Redbones pack” I informed, as we both sat on the wooden rocking chair across each other in the room.

“Hmm…a Martian, I suppose” He hummed, as he began rocking his chair, but remained quiet after, closing his eyes.

I stared at the man in front of me, one of the most feared Alpha during his time, but now a man that was used to teach lessons to the children in the bayou on what happens if they interact with a human.

A man with a name of honor, integrity, pride, but now…with nothing.

“I'm sure you're wondering how I'm still keeping my head up after what happened?”

I blinked twice, as I played with my silver wolf head necklace.

But, kept shut.

“Hmm…you see, Kaelan Vance, you have the same fate as me. She's your Luna, stop wishing it would change”

I shook my head, as I leaned forward, my elbows on my thighs. “I have waited years to catch a scent, and suddenly, I have one, and she's human”

He let out a humoured laugh, as he slowly opened his eyes, and I could see his wolf's eyes coming to life, but it held a sense of dullness.

He was still grieving.

“Cruel, isn't she? The moon goddess?” He eased off his position, and leaned forward, elbows on his thighs too.

“What did you do? What happened years ago?”

“I killed them all, that's what”

I shook my head, and changed my seat to the ottoman directly in front of him.

“Tell me, again”

He took a deep breath, as he ruffled his hair, and his lips curved into a smirk. “I mated with her. And in my bloodline, she turns to my kind too, but the elders then, said she wasn't pure blood”

I gulped, as I felt the claws from earlier, tearing my insides. I felt my vein rush with heated blood, and I felt my actual real wolf claws, tearing out the tip of my nails.

“You won't be like me, Kaelan. Just hearing me talk about my Luna is making your senses go off all types of way”

I cleared my throat, and looked down at my hand–they weren't human anymore.

“I can't help it”

“I know…then imagine what a True Alpha like me felt that night when I came back and found out that they staged a plan to kill her while I was away, and succeeded”

I pressed my lips together, when I saw a tear drop from his eyes.

“I'm sorry, Locke. I just thought–” I released a breath, as my mind was spinning with the inevitable. “I thought hearing your experience will help me figure a way out”

He scoffed, and wiped off his tears. “There's something that might help”

I furrowed my eyebrows when I heard a string of hope from his words, and straightened my back.

“What's that?”

“Do you know the history of the treaty, my boy?”

I turned my head, reaching mentally deep into my mind, but then, realization dawned on me that I didn't know the history of the treaty.

Growing up, it was drilled into us. Human hunts werewolf, they hate our kind.. that's why we never coexist with them.

And then for our world, the elders believed that once we begin to breed ‘unpure’ blood according to them, the moon goddess would be annoyed, giving us another curse.

“What’s the history? Who made us sign the treaty, why was it even motioned for?”

Locke rose to his feet, put his hand in his jeans pocket, and reached for the door.

We began walking back to school grounds, when we both heard footsteps coming towards us–again!

I looked at Locke who already had his fighting stance, calm but alert. I took a deep breath into the air, and I froze.

What was she doing here?

“Strawberries. A female” Locke noted, as his gaze landed on me and he gave me a knowing look. “A human. Your human”

“Kaelan? What are you doing here?” Sweat dripped from the side of her neck, as she looked between I and Locke.

Her chest rose rapidly, as she tried to catch her breath, while her hand rested on her waist.

“Hi…uh, Kaelan's father?” She breathed out, stretching her hand for a handahake. Locke looked at me, amusement on his features, as he took her hand.

“No, beautiful. Kaelan's…friend. We go way back” I looked between the pair, and I felt a scowl growing on my face when I noticed Locke still held her hand.

I gave him a square look, and from the look on his face–the heightened amusement, I could tell he knew what he was doing.

“Yes, way back. Speaking of way back, isn't this too close to the student's restricted area? It's restricted for a reason, you know right?”

She freed her hand from Locke’s hold and walked to me. “Yes, I'm aware. But…I saw, uhm, what's his name–Ruka? He asked of you, said something about parents visit?”

I felt every bone in my body lock up, as I looked at Locke, who had an ominous look in his eyes. I wanted to ask him why he had such look, but Viella was standing right there.

“Uhm, what's your name, beautiful?”

“Viella”

“What beautiful name. Did you know he was here?”

I turned to look at her for an answer. But she glanced at me, a bright smile on her lips, as she danced on her feet.

“Nope. Came for my afternoon run, ran into him. When Ruka asked, I told him I didn't know where he was, but said I'll tell him if I met him again and he hadn't seen Kaelen yet”

Locke nodded, and with an urgent expression, pulled me aside. My eyes still rested on Viella who had crouched to tie her shoelace.

“Leave! Now!”

“What–”

“This is a common ground, so if they sent an unturned werewolf to her, it won't be against the treaty, because he's still human”

I squinted my eyes not understanding a word he was saying. But from his furrowed eyebrows, and stern look, I knew it was either important or bad, or both.

I was beginning to vote for both.

“Locke, what aren't you telling me?” I asked, but he pulled me towards Viella who stood there with a blank look, while glancing between both of us.

“Viella, right?” She nodded.

“Take Kaelan and go somewhere nice, hmm. I heard he was injured yesterday, take care of him. He nearly passed out, so he's not in any condition to see anyone”

Concern laced her features, as her eyes raked through my body.

“Go, he'll meet you at the school gate in ten minutes”

“Okay” Without another word, she began running back to the school.

“What is going on?”

“They came to put a face to her. If they see her face, they will hunt her down…and you know what happens next”

I gulped heavily, as a frown settled between my eyebrows.

“They'll kill her!”