Broken Chains

Chapter 13

We did indeed stretch our legs that evening finding a relatively large amount of woodland not too far from our hotel and yet still far enough from the borders of the neutral territory that we should still be safe there. We ran through most of the night hunting small animals simply to challenge our reflexes rather than having any need or desire to feed and anyway we always let them go in the end. We just raced around following these spattering trails zigzagging through the trees just racing around simply savouring the strength of our alternative forms. We raced through the dark shadows of the trees together until the dark sky began to take on the pinkish glow of dawn at which point we returned to our clothes and shifted before redressing all in equal silence. Carl was back in the car when I returned I simply slid into the passenger seat next to him silently. He smiled at me as I busied myself with re-securing the chain I always wore around my neck. Before I secured my slightly damp hair back in a low ponytail. Carl kicked the car into gear and swung out onto the quiet narrow twisting roads heading back towards the city as a light spattering of misty rain began to patter down onto our windscreen.

“I drop you back at the hotel to get some sleep and I’ll go pick up some food. "

“Ok but soon we'll need more money huh.” I said with a smile,

“Is it always like that?” he asked gently, I turned to look at him with a frown. “Running without our brothers. Does it ever get better?” I shook my head

“On your own it’s about as much fun as taking a piss isn’t it.” I smiled twiddling with my ring.

“Well I've had more fun.” He said pulling into the city.

We spent four further days in that same location. We didn’t move hotels for once, I was actually glad of I was tired of constantly moving and a few days in the same location made the near empty hotel room seem like home, which was something. I was surprised actually that Carl didn’t seem to want to move like he usually felt the constant need to but he seemed to be suddenly too tired . Bryce still called daily to ‘update’ us but the updates didn’t actually consist of much. It fact it seemed to be more of an excuse for him to flirt with Carl than anything else as there seemed to be absolutely nothing of any use to update me on. Despite his constant reassurances he didn’t seem to have any clue where they were or have any clue where they were going. It seemed him and his band of rogues kept splitting up and were searching their surrounding areas for them but so far with no luck, although infrequently we're told that he had found one or two of them somewhere nearby but they were always gone by the time they arrived. The only thing we had changed was the fact that we had begun ‘patrolling’ around the streets, just in case. But it seemed redundant as after four days the closest we had come to detecting any of the rogues we were seeking was the trail Carl had found which when we followed had turned out to be a little poodle b***h who was taking a walk in a nearby park. But despite the lack of any threats or any hints of any leads we still persevered and kept up our redundant little patrols day after day, and I knew we would until either we found the damn rogues or Bryce called to say he had found them.

I sighed as I left the harsh sparkling lights of the shop shoving a packet of cigarettes into my pocket along with several chocolate bars. I needed something I wasn’t sure though whether it was chocolate or nicotine, but it was raining too hard outside to even bother trying the latter. I sighed again actually revelling in the silence it had been so long since I was last alone. But for once I was without Carl. He had gone out around and about just searching for any sort of sign of Derek, Carl for once seemed to find my incessant frantic growling irritating so he had banished me back to the hotel. I had made a slight de-tour but I was going to head back there. I don’t know why initially I had found that little niggling voice that whispered to me whether to go left or right unsettling, now I half wished I could have it back but no there was nothing I didn’t have a clue where Derek was the only thing my judgements were based on was what Carl and Bryce said unless I smelt him oh how I wanted to smell him. I sighed and turned up my collar and turned walking down the wet pavement. My phone beeped and I sighed pulling it out of my pocket Carl’s number popped up, unsurprising since he and Bryce were the only ones who had this number. I opened the message which simply said,

Nothing so far. Just the south now will be back in 30 minutes Carl x

I sighed pointless message, but that was Carl he obviously felt guilty about not being glued to my side I knew him and I knew he felt guilty for just bringing me along, and so he was desperate to bring me home safely. I shoved the phone back in my pocket and sighed suddenly I froze. My hand wavered for just a second hovering thinking should I retrieve my phone? I began walking swiftly down the road my mind working frantically as I kept breathing deeply and there was nothing. I frowned my forehead crinkling had I just imagined that, was my desire so deep that I was starting to hallucinate? I sighed again lifting my eyes to the dark sky. And turned right the bright lights of my hotel appeared sparkling just across the road. I stopped looking left and right waiting impatiently for the road to clear and suddenly a hand was clamped across my mouth and before I could respond a huge arm was wrapped around me and I was yanked back into an alleyway. I didn’t think for one second that anyone from the road would have seen that or would help even if they had, but that thought was brushed aside as I was shoved roughly into the brick wall so hard that all the breath was knocked from my lungs. The hand disappeared from around my mouth and grabbed my wrists hard and lifted them into the air slamming them against the wall as a rock hard body was pushed into my back.

“You have to stop.” A voice growled in my ear as my chest and hips were pushed hard by his rock hard body grinding me into the cold damp bricks, his hands gripping my wrists in an iron grip that hurt.

“Hello again Derek I missed you.” I said sweetly his fingers released me though I was still pinned in place by his body.

“And quit this crap.” He said pulling the cigarette packet from my pocket flinging them aside. “It’ll f*****g kill you.” I almost wanted to laugh despite everything he was still Derek still trying to protect me.

“You quit first.” I purred as I could smell the smoke lingering on him, he had obviously recently become more than a light smoker. His fingers tangled in my hair yanking my head back. I winced he released this grip though after just an instant I felt an intense burning in my neck. I knew instantly what this was he had wrapped a silver chain around my throat, I tried to suppress my wince at the cutting burning pain in my throat. As shape shifters we were allergic to silver we could touch it for a little while but it was unpleasant and it didn’t take long to start to burn.

“You need to stop hunting us.” He snarled tugging sharply on the chain tightening it unpleasantly around my neck.

“You know that’s not going to happen Derek. Because we found you once run all you want we will find you again.”

“No. this time I found you” he growled “I’ve known every time you got close every damn time. I could smell you the second we arrived in this f*****g city.” He snarled yanking the chain taut like a noose. I gritted my teeth but held onto my restraint and didn’t respond.

“I don’t care Derek I’m not going to let you go.” I felt his entire body sag behind me,

“Baby I died.” He whispered in my ear “the one who was maybe good enough for you the one you loved he’s gone. God what I am now.” He broke off and pressed his face into my hair. I felt his chest expand as he slowly inhaled my scent “comparing what I am to what I was.”

“That was me.” I whispered “I did that to you.”

“I made the choice.” Derek said flatly,

“No I did this to you and I will not stop.”

“I am not the one you loved Jess I am not who I was.” He snarled,

“And yet I’m still here do with me as you will my love.” Derek snarled,

“You keep doing this and they will learn your there. They don’t know now but they will and they still are determined to destroy the pack so they will be more than happy to just destroy you.” Derek pulled the chain tight as if realising that he was supposed to be bullying me, “stop or Beth will kill you, she’s the Alpha she rules these f*****g rogues and f**k does she hate you.”

“Do you love her?” I asked gently Derek’s fingers clenched on the chain seemingly distractedly, the chain began to cut my skin and I felt an intense burning as the silver came into contact with my torn flesh. I felt my knees start to wobble and my legs collapse. Derek rested his chin onto my shoulder and nuzzled into my neck just for an instant I could feel his face contorting as if in pain.

“Don’t do this.” He said “you have to stop because she will take great pleasure in hurting you and I can't give you the only mercy I can give the others I can't and please don’t make me watch you die.” He muttered nuzzling into the hair around my neck. “However much you hate me please don’t ever force me to do that.” Suddenly as if worried there was too much tenderness here he yanked sharply on the chain and darkness consumed me. My legs collapsed and I fell but instantly arms went around me. As I felt Derek breathe into my ear although whether this was now a dream I didn’t know as I heard him whisper,

“No baby because she’s not you.”