Hunted by the Shadow Division

Chapter 2

Ryan POV

The house is quiet. It is still early, and there is a sense of peace. I know that there are exactly three more minutes before the alarm in my bedroom goes off, so I begin to make the second cup of coffee. I also know that the arm belonging to a very sleepy and grumpy person will soon stretch lazily from under the covers to snooze that alarm. I smile at the thought.

How long has it been like this? Peaceful. Quiet.

I ponder as I busy myself with the second cup. Remembering when I first got here.

…

Nat and I had made it all the way to Bay City after two days, stopping only briefly to rest. Nat looked like she knew where we were going, but I think that was just me being hopeful. She had given me only berries to eat as they were the only thing she knew anything about. She had tasted them first and waited a long while before giving me any. I didn't understand at the time and thought she was just being selfish.

For four weeks, we hid in the nearby forest while the weather had begun to turn cold. Nat had gone to get food, occasionally returning with something she found, something thrown away. We hardly spoke, afraid to make any noise that would attract attention.

As we were only pups, we had no idea how to hunt prey and were too young to shift. I remembered that Mom always said she and Dad needed to be the only ones around when we eventually did. Shifting would have been really handy now, as there were plenty of rabbits and rodents in the area.

That night, Nat said we could no longer stay outside. We needed to find somewhere warmer as the ground had begun to ice. She could have given me any reason at all, and I would not have cared, eager now to finally get something good to eat and to be able to sleep somewhere soft and comfy. Most nights, we would hold onto each other as the sadness overwhelmed us, dreaming of Mom and Dad, fighting off the nightmares that came.

Early the next morning, we were found by hikers getting in that final walk before the snow started. An older couple, the Rogers, found us huddled below a tree stump covered in icicles, fast asleep. Of course, the icicles barely bothered us as pups, but they did not know that.

We were woken by soft and tender voices. Somewhere, I heard my sister growl, and I sat up to see what it was. Mr. Rogers had his hand stretched out to Natalie as she snapped at him.

"Calm down, little one. We only want to help."

Nat moved in front of me in a protective stance.

"Oh honey, they're scared to death," crooned Mrs. Rogers.

"OK, OK, we won't hurt you," said Mr. Rogers as he removed his coat and passed it to Natalie. "Put this on little one, or you'll catch yourself a death of cold."

Nat growled again, this time aggressively lunging forward without losing her footing.

"OK, little one, fine. If you don't take the jacket, then maybe your brother will." He pushed the jacket my way. It was big with a fur collar and smelled of bacon and eggs. I immediately began to salivate at the thought, remembering how hungry I was. Mrs. Rogers saw my expression and immediately went for her bag. She pulled out a sealed packet with what smelled like an egg sandwich. "With Mr. Rogers, I always need to carry a snack along just in case he gets hungry out here," she said as she opened the bag, handing me one half. Even if I wanted to, I could not resist. I grabbed it with both hands and began scarfing it down.

"No, Ryan!" Nat scolded. "What did I say about taking food from anyone other than me?"

I frowned as best I could with my mouth full.

"It's OK, sweetheart, we won't hurt you," said Mrs. Rogers, offering Nat the other half.

That day, Mr. and Mrs. Rogers took us to their home after they managed to convince Nat they weren't a threat. It was a nice house, much smaller than the pack house, though, even smaller than our home. Natalie was not happy and fought with Mr. Rogers any chance she got that day, eyeing him with suspicion while trying to keep an eye on me while Mrs. Rogers and I made ourselves at home in her kitchen.

Mrs. Rogers prepared me another sandwich, taking the time to explain who they were and that they meant us no harm. Eventually, the smell of food had even Natalie succumb to her hunger.

Mr. Rogers made a call to the local police department and offered to keep us until they made arrangements. Mrs. Rogers looked up at him, stating, "If they have nowhere to go, John, they are staying with us, and that's final," thumping her fragile hand on the counter.

Mr. Rogers smiled, walked over to hold his wife, placed a small kiss on her cheek, and said, "And that's why I love you."

I think that was when Nat knew we would be OK, as she settled next to me at the kitchen counter to eat her sandwich.

Later, Mr. Rogers left for the police station. Mrs. Rogers prepared a list of things we would need.

"Sweetheart, do you have anything else with you? Clothes? Anything?" she sweetly asked Nat.

I looked over to Nat, feeling her sadness as she shook her head no, pulling her knees up to her chest.

"No matter, we will make sure to get you everything," said Mrs. Rogers, looking a little sadder herself then.

Mr. Rogers returned carrying a few shopping bags and explained that we would need to tell the police where we came from but that we would be staying with them for the near future. Dropping to our level and handing us both a bag of goodies, he asked if that was OK with us. As if we had anywhere else to go.

…

Suddenly, I hear the alarm clock wailing from the bedroom. The same bedroom, Mr. and Mrs. Rogers used to sleep in. The bedroom I now sleep in. We planned an early morning today, even though it's Saturday.

On cue, the alarm is snoozed as I walk toward the bedroom, holding the second cup of coffee. As always, it's the smell that hits her first, as she groans from under the covers.

"No, stay away. You will not tempt me," she says sleepily.

I smile. She has always been cute in the morning, my Cassandra. She has also always been grumpy.

"Mmmm, smell that delicious coffee."

"Go away, Ryan," she says, half laughing.

"How can I, my love? How could I ever leave your side?"

Slowly, she begins to peek from under the covers. Her curly raven hair is everywhere as I see one brown eye stare at me.

"No matter what?" she asks.

I place the coffee on the nightstand and jump onto the bed, making her screech in delight. I find her perfect little face under the covers and hold it in my hands.

"Never," I say as I slowly kiss her lips. A low growl escapes from my throat, letting her know how much I want her.

She giggles as she kisses me, rolling me over so that she's on top.

"Now, this is so much more tempting than coffee," she says as she lowers her mouth to mine.

Luckily, I had left the coffee pot on downstairs, as her cup was about to get cold.