CHAPTER ELEVEN
1007 Words
Mayor Monroe turned to his men, two burly enforcers in town-issue jackets, and gave a simple gesture. One motion of his hand toward Maya.
“Hold her.”
I could feel my pulse rising. Maya’s eyes were wide. Her breathing became unsteady. She turned to her parents, pleading silently.
Mr. and Mrs. Hawke stepped forward instantly.
“You can’t do this!” Mr. Hawke yelled.
They pushed Mr. and Mrs. Hawke aside. Not hard, but firm. Enough to make it clear they weren’t asking.
The crowd watched as they grabbed Maya’s arms.
"No! Let me go!"
She thrashed, struggling against the hands that grabbed her arms. One of them pinned her down by the shoulders. Her hair fell in front of her face as she kicked out.
Zelda stepped forward, took one of Maya’s arms herself. “I knew it,” she muttered, loud enough for Maya to hear.
“Stop!” Maya looked around the crowd, desperate. “Please! Somebody help me!”
And that was it.
I couldn’t stay still.
Everything inside me shifted. Tyler surged to the surface, his anger matching mine. I opened the car door and stepped out.
Pain tore through my limbs as I shifted, the world around me blurring. Bones broke and reformed. My muscles stretched, fur rippling over skin.
I launched forward, growling, fury rushing through me.
The crowd screamed and scattered. People tripped over each other, diving away. Phones dropped. Gasps rang out as I snarled.
Zelda screamed, falling back, scrambling away on her hands.
Mayor Monroe stumbled, frozen in place.
Maya locked eyes with me. Her mouth opened slightly. Tears streamed down her face.
Run, I said through the link. Get to my car. Go now. Don’t wait. I’ll find you.
She understood. She tore herself free from the stunned men and bolted.
I stepped closer to the Mayor. Growling.
Monroe tried to pull a fast one on me… he had pulled out the syringe. Wolfsbane.
He lunged.
I was faster.
I spun and kicked him in the chest. He flew backward, hitting the ground with a grunt. The syringe rolled away.
Then I turned and ran.
Through fences, alleys, woods. My senses sharpened, scanning the air for her scent.
Then. There.
On the edge of town. The highway.
I burst from the woods and found her by the car, pacing. She looked up, and ran to me.
I shifted mid-stride, just in time to catch her in my arms.
We held each other like the world had fallen apart around us.
She didn’t speak. She just held on.
We got in the car.
I started driving, hands tight on the wheel.
She looked out the window, then back at the receding town.
“Do you think I’ll ever see them again?” she asked.
I kept my eyes on the road. “Maybe. Not today.”
She nodded slowly.
“What now? Where are we going?”
I smiled a little, even though my chest still felt heavy. “No idea. Wherever the road takes us.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Seriously?”
“Okay,” I chuckled, “that was a joke. Kind of.”
She let out a breath and leaned back. Her energy was different now. Settled. Like something in her had clicked.
She wasn’t fighting who she was anymore.
We drove in silence, until we pulled into a run-down gas station. She offered to go inside and grab a few things.
I stayed in the car, watching the sky shift into softer shades of morning.
A few minutes later, she came back with snacks and water. Tossed me a bottle.
As I pulled back onto the road, I glanced at her.
“What if I took you to meet the pack?”
She turned her head slowly, her eyes steady.
“Would they even accept me?”
“They will,” I said. “You’re one of us now. And you’re not alone anymore."
Her lips curved into a small, real smile.
And I knew we were going to be okay.
***
Maya’s Pov
The road wound endlessly through the woods, but I didn’t mind. I sat with my head resting lightly against the car's window, watching trees blur into one another. I still felt the weight of everything we left behind. My parents. The house. The mob. But in the quiet of the car, with Louis beside me, some of that weight lifted.
I didn’t know where we were going exactly, only that Louis kept driving with certainty.
Slowly as we moved on, the trees started to open up. The air changed. Cleaner. And ahead, something unexpected.
A village. Hidden in the woods. Not primitive, not broken-down or savage like the stories had painted werewolves to be. It was beautiful. It had buildings. Real buildings. Beautiful, sturdy homes made of wood and stone. Children played by a small stream that ran through the center of the grounds. Adults worked on gardens, some sat chatting on porches. It wasn’t chaos. It wasn’t primal at all. It looked... peaceful.
“This is it?” I asked, sitting up straighter.
Louis nodded. “Yeah. Welcome to the pack.”
My mouth parted slightly as I took it all in. It was the last thing I expected. Not cages. Not growls and blood. This place was alive. Alive with laughter, with community. With warmth.
“They live like this?” I whispered.
“They’re just people, Maya.”
He pulled the car up to what looked like a lodge. The largest house on the grounds. My hands felt clammy as I opened the door. Heads turned immediately. I felt their eyes on me.
“Why are they all so... pretty?” I asked under my breath.
Louis chuckled. “It’s a werewolf thing. We age slower. Heal better. Look better.”
I gave him a halfhearted eye-roll, but
it didn’t settle the nerves building in my chest.
As we walked together, people stepped aside. Not rudely, they were giving us space to go in.
- Writer
