WITCHES OF WOLF CREEK: TRUTH

Chapter 20: Neeve

"I’m trying to find a way to get you out of here!" I said, barely containing my anger.

"Well, it’s safe to say you’ve been quite unsuccessful, Neeve!"

"We’re hiding, damn it! OK, you’re locked in, but it could be worse."

"Worse? Worse!" she gasps.

"Yeah, worse. Some guys are trying to kill us outside! And we still don’t know who, or how, or why. The wolves protect us. Bretton protects us!"

"He’s holding us prisoner!"

That’s when my best friend starts roaring. I take a step back when her fangs protrude from her curled lips. A tic at the corner of her eyes makes me understand that the phenomenon is painful.

"Go!" she says, staring at me with her grey, sharp eyes. "Go back to having fun with your friends, I’m going to find my friends the rats. With any luck, I’ll die before I turn back into a witch and get shredded alive by the pack!"

"Damn, but you’re serious, serious! It’s not my fault that you wanted to play advocates for lost causes with your current crush."

"So what? I should have let it go, is that it?!"

I roll my eyes.

"Yeah, that’s it! This Jaxson, you don’t know him."

"You don’t need to know him to know he’s different."

"But, you don’t even know what wolves are like, Six!"

"I know Jaxson. The rest of the wolves, I don’t care!"

I pinch the bridge of my nose. If she continues, we’ll get caught. I whisper after a sigh:

"What is clear, my dear, is you’ll be languishing here for a while. Show yourself more docile, and I’m sure you can join us."

"Us? Us! There is no more US!"

This time, it’s too much. I can’t hold back anymore.

"Six, I love you. You’re my best friend, like Elinor, but you’re annoying! We’ve been locked up in this den for a fortnight now and, unless I’m mistaken, they haven’t done us any harm! Put yourself in their shoes, we came out of nowhere. What did you expect?"

"To a little more freedom!"

"This was the plan, to be locked up and safe!"

"I didn’t remember the plan was to make a pact with our enemies."

"Our enemies? Your way of ogling Jaxson exudes animosity, that’s for sure."

"Jaxson is different!"

"The others too. If you opened your eyes for five minutes to our situation, maybe you would realize it!"

"Oh, my eyes are open," she said with a biting irony. "Neeve-the-nympho gets laid every night, in defiance of all the laws that govern our lives."

"You bore me with your laws, Sixine! And I haven’t slept with them, damn it!"

"Yet!"

This time, my fangs pierce my gums and my fingernails become claws. I turn on my heels and head for the exit, growling like a rabid dog. Damn, it tingles! But before going through the door, I turn around and say to her:

"Do you want me to tell you? You want to be seen as an irreproachable vigilante, but we both know that you hide a dildo in your purse. The truth is, you feel alone. You always feel alone. Even with us. Wolves are no different from us, and if you took off your blinders for three minutes and talked to them, you’d eventually agree."

"I can’t believe you’d say something like that!"

"You never hesitate to judge me, you, so now, I give myself the right to do the same."

A lingering silence follows my remark. My breath is jerky, my chest rises too quickly. I’m seriously pissed off, and her rolling her eyes at the ceiling doesn’t help calm me down.

"Think a little bit, s**t," I continue, "and take advantage of this time in your seedy f*****g cell to put your mind to yourself, you, the so-called most tolerant person on this planet!"

"It’s not about tolerance, Neeve, it’s the law! But you always free yourself from everything, don’t you? An advantage for someone who places their libido before their friends! A centuries-old law is no match for a horny Neeve!"

I stare at her, my heart pounding and tears rolling down my cheeks. Then my hand rests on the doorknob.

"Think what you want of me. For my part, I reserve the right to think that certain laws are bad and deserve to be changed. Enjoy your stay in jail, Six."

Then I leave.

My footsteps echo in the hallways. I’m almost running when I get near the cousins’ room, my heart in my mouth. I have never argued with my friend with such virulence. I blame her. I feel guilty. I blame the whole f*****g situation. But I know deep down that I have no regrets. Since sharing Tyler and Emmitt’s room, I’ve learned a little more about the wolf way of life every day. Like sorcerers, they rarely fall ill. A mysterious disease took away some females for a while, but according to Emmitt, it hasn’t happened for many years. Wolves do not need to protect themselves during s*x, their metabolism rejects human viruses. If they are injured, they heal quickly, and their life is longer than that of my fellows. Sorcerers can heal themselves, but the duration of their existence is equivalent to that of humans. It’s not so bad to be a lupine! I also envy their family spirit, their way of relying on each other, living together, and being ready to do anything to protect their loved ones. Only the pack matters and all their rules are only meant to preserve it. At the same time, I am angry that Sixine is still locked up; I’m angry that I haven’t seen Elinor in days. The cousins assured me that she was fine, along with the pack leader, but Sixine… How to help Sixine? With such behaviour, would it be wise to let her out of her cell? And another question arises: when the new moon comes – which won’t be long – what are we going to do? The threat hangs over our heads and we still don’t know why we are threatened by ours. I would like to scream as my thoughts collide and jostle under my head. When I walk through the door to the Falcks’ room, I’m dejected and terrified. Tyler immediately gets up from the couch he was sitting on with Emmitt.

"What is it?" he asks, alarmed.

My eyes lift and lock on his.

"I…I’m tired."

Emmitt gets up too. Each of them takes me by an arm and leads me to the foot of Tyler’s bed; I sit on the soft couch. It’s late and I suppress the urge to lie down there. Then the stormy conversation with Sixine comes back to me in the face. Remembering her words hurts me. The guilt eats at me. Sixine…

The cousins sit by my side. They surround me with their comforting aura as Emmitt’s hand rests on my back, his fingers slowly caressing it. Tyler rests his head on my shoulder and slides his fingers between mine.

"Sixine isn’t well," I said, sobbing, watching Tyler’s hand tighten around mine.

"I’m sure Cooper will get her out soon," Emmitt tries to reassure me.

"It will be soon," Tyler says

"Yeah, but when is soon?"

Only silence answers me and overwhelms me. My friend is going to freak out if we don’t get her out of there. Then I remember that in about ten days, we will have to flee from this place. Sixine will hold. She must hold. However, I fear that this episode in our lives will leave indelible marks on our friendship. Thinking about it makes tears roll down my cheeks again. One drips over Tyler’s ear, who sits up. His gaze sinks into mine as he wipes my face with one finger.

"It’ll be all right, Northern Neeve," he whispers.

I never take her eyes off her. His eyes to which I cling so as not to collapse.

"I…I’d like to see Elinor," I say, stifling a sob. "I need her."

Tyler and Emmitt stare at each other before the first ends up saying to me:

"I’m sure something could be worked out."

I nod my head. So far I’ve been pestering the cousins to focus their request to Cooper on Sixine, it’s time to use my energy to find Elinor. I know she’s in better shape than Six, but I have to see my friend as soon as possible and make sure that I haven’t lost her too… Because, in a corner of my mind, I have like the feeling of having lost Sixine in this place.

Emmitt gets up and takes me in his arms, inviting me to lie down on the bed. I don’t protest. When they are about to leave me alone, I grab his hand and pull myself up.

"No."

Emmitt squints, before meeting Tyler’s eyes.

"No, what?" he asks before coming back to me.

I swallowed a little before speaking.

"Don’t go."

A smile both sweet and delighted forms on Emmitt’s face. I try to respond by imitating him, but my lips refuse. He then decides to take off his shoes and comes to snuggle up against me. Tyler does the same and positions himself behind my back.

"We will stay as long as you need us."

My heart swells. I appreciate these two wolves more and more. They are my light in this place which is so devoid of it. I miss the sun. I miss nature. I miss my family. I miss Sixine and Elinor. And my tears redouble… Emmitt considers the drop that twists on my nose, before placing a kiss on it. The warmth of his lips on my face is saving. So when he pulls back, I can’t help kissing him back, but on the mouth this time. A shy and delicate kiss. A kiss that says "Kiss me so that I no longer think about my sorrow". When I pull away, his eyes meet mine. His breath caresses my skin. He dares another kiss, while Tyler rests his forehead on the back of my head, his arm around my hips.

I know I shouldn’t. But among these two men, I find a comfort that I don’t want to do without. I feel safe. Consolation… Since I left my cell, they protect me and take care of me. Until now, our relationship has been punctuated only by a few kisses, a few caresses, and a few hoarse whispers, exchanged here and there. Of nights spent by their side… But right now, lost in Emmitt’s gaze and feeling the comforting warmth of Tyler’s body, I need more. I want more.

So I risk kissing him again. Emmitt responds with his lips, wrapping his arms around my chest. Tyler’s hand lands on my knee and slowly pulls up the dress I’m wearing, until it reaches my stomach. Emmitt slips his tongue into my mouth. Tyler places his on the back of my neck and up to my ear. I welcome their caresses with a sigh that escapes from my throat. I pull my arm back and put my hand on Tyler’s waist. Emmitt is still getting closer. Their bodies surround me, protect me. I lie down on my back. Emmitt’s lips are replaced with Tyler’s. His cousin sits cross-legged on the mattress and takes off his T-shirt, before leaning over me. His mouth finds mine when the other imitates him to take off his pants. I can’t look at her naked body yet, my attention is so riveted on Emmitt. A blazing fire swells through my veins, and Tyler only fuels it as his fingers travel up my legs.

"You are so beautiful..." whispers Emmitt against my lips.

It’s too much. Too much. Not enough. I grab Emmitt’s neck and invite him to kiss me more. Tyler sits up and stares at me eagerly. My eyes drift towards him without my mouth coming off his cousin’s.

"Are you ready, Northern Neeve?"

My only response is to pull away from Emmitt’s lips and straighten up, my arms curling around Tyler’s neck. He kisses me passionately while pushing me onto the mattress. I barely breathe and can’t take my eyes off him. He places kisses on my cheek, then on my neck, his hands exploring my chest in suffocating caresses. My tears disappeared. Tyler’s eyes captivate me. The fire in my veins intensifies, my stomach boils, and my throat lets out a moan. So Emmitt leans into my face and kisses me again, while Tyler twists to take off his pants. Emmitt leaves my mouth causing me an unpleasant emotion, so Tyler immediately replaces him. When Emmitt is finally naked, I then look up towards him.

"Come on," I say.

The smile he gives me makes me melt as if it were still possible.

"So exciting," he said.

"So spellbinding," said the other.

My tears no longer flow.

My smile returned.