The Lycan's Werewolf Mate

In-extremis

Chapter 16 : in extremis.

One of the search units deployed to find Skylar was getting dangerously close to the site of the abandoned factory, below which the Equalists had set up their hideaway.

Skylar and Twilight were already outside. The passage they had taken to get there led discreetly out of the underground and no one had seen them exit.

Twilight took a breath of fresh air and sighed. "Hah! That feels great doesn't it?"

Skylar covered her forehead with her hand to protect herself from the sun. "It's true, it feels really good." Skylar replied.

"Come, follow me. The wild berries are a little lower. Even if no one ever passes by here, we must not hang around outside." Twilight resumed seriously.

Twilight in the lead, the two weaved their way through the tall grass without suspecting that she was heading straight for the search unit.

"I don't understand. Why are you making so many sacrifices just to see werewolves and lycans living in harmony?" Skylar asked. "Like you, I also find that the hatred between our two species makes no sense. But you, why do you run so many risks and undergo so many deprivations?" she continued.

Twilight turned to answer and Skylar who was advancing behind her stopped. "We all share the same ideal. We are all driven by the same flame and we are led by Lyra, who despite her youth was able to impose herself and strengthen our convictions."

Skylar listened in fascination and Twilight continued. “She showed us that we lycans basically have nothing more than you except perhaps physical strength. This is the reason why your relationship with Asher is decisive for the fulfillment of our dream.."

On this Twilight turned to resume the way. They weren't far from where the berries were when Skylar whispered in her ear, "Didn't you say no one ever comes through here?"

"Yes why?" Lyra asked.

"Who are these people approaching us from afar." Skylar resumed.

Twilight looked up and squinted. "Oh my moongodess!" She exclaimed terrified. "They are soldiers, quickly get down."

They were all shaking, terrified that they had been spotted. While in the distance, they could already distinguish their voices.

"I think I saw something moving there." said one of them, detaching himself from the group to approach the bushes where Skylar and Twilight were hiding.

"They're coming. What do we do?" Skylar hissed. "Are we crawling back?" she added, panicking.

"Especially not." Hissed Twilight in turn. "If we move, the bushes will also move above our heads, they will know that there is someone. Above all, stay still and shut up."

Meanwhile in the underground, Lyra racked her brains for a solution.

"The sensors have been hit several times in the wild berries area. This indicates the presence of several people. It could be a search unit." Said Marcus, one of Lyra's collaborators.

"They're way too close to the wild brries area. And if Skylar and Twilight are already there, it would be too risky to try to warn them. If so, they've even been caught already." Added Stan, another collaborator.

"And they will directly deduce that there are people in the vicinity of the factory." said another in panic.

"Stop being so pessimistic. As long as there is even a glimmer of hope, there's no way for me to abandon Skylar. I'll go alone and if need be, I'll try to create a diversion." Lyra said firmly.

"I recognize you there. You never give up. But how are you going to avoid getting caught?" resumed Marcus.

"That's my problem. No one following me." Lyra said determinedly, then took a confident step towards the exit.

But outside, the soldier was only a few feet away from Skylar and Twigliht's position. He approached cautiously, convinced he had seen something move.

Skylar was in a panic. The thought of being captured again terrified her.

As she heard footsteps approaching, she was about to get up and run when Twilight stopped her by clutching her hand and hissed, "No, wait, look."

Vixel was coming out nearby.

"What are you doing here Sven." he asked seriously, but casually.

"I thought I saw something moving around here. Was it you?" Sven asked.

"Don't do it to me. Rumors circulate about you that you like to follow people when they go to piss. Here I see for myself that it was perhiaps not false." Vixel replied with a laugh.

"Stop messing around. I'm sure I saw something here. Was it you or was it not?" resumed Sven with a more serious air.

"Of course it was me. I was in a pee break so if there was anyone else I would have seen them." Vixel said.

But Sven seemed doubtful and approached. He was only two steps away from looking down to see Skylar's foot when their unit leader screamed.

"Hey you two over there. Are you chatting or what? If you haven't found anything, then join the ranks."

Sven took one last look and turned, followed by Vixel who waved at Skylar and Twilight to stay hidden.

Meanwhile, Lyra had also come to the surface. Bent over, she cautiously headed for the wild berries area, hoping to find Skylar and Twilight there first.

But she saw the search unit going in the opposite direction, towards the factory, probably to search her there, she thought. She hid to observe them and recognized Vixel among them.

Although there was no trace of presence and it would be difficult to suspect that there could be a hideaway below the factory, Lyra was worried, especially since she had no not seen Skylar and Lyra yet.

"Where can they be?" She wondered.

But the presence of Vixel reassured her because even if he did not entirely agree with the ideas of the Equalists. There was no way he could betray her. So she decided to continue to the bay area and what was her relief when she ran into Skylar and Lyra.

"We'll wait for them to search and when they're gone, we'll go back." Lyra said. "The rest, Twilight, we'll talk about once in a safe place." She continued, rolling her eyes on Twilight.

After more than an hour of painstaking searching without finding anything, the search unit resumed its journey. Lyra and her companions who had waited all this time in silence, were able to return to the underground.

"What stung you?" Lyra asked. "You especially Twi. You know the context and you know better than Sky how tense the situation is right now. I just had to turn my back for you to do something stupid." she added then continued.

"How did you escape them?"

Twilight recounted the unfolding of events and the reasons that led them to come out, including the miraculous intervention of Vixel.

"I'm sorry. Sky had nothing to do with it, it's all my fault." concludes Twilight.

At the end of the Twilight story, Skylar felt dizzy with a sudden headache, and almost collapse. But Lyra who was very close caught up with her.

"It was too much for her today. She needs some rest." Lyra said before asking to he'p go and lay Skylar down.

Inside Darkfire City, popular discontent resumed. There were a lot of theories circulating about Skylar's escape and in the face of incomprehension, the people demanded explanations.

Fearing that he would end up losing control of the situation, the Lycan King summoned Grendel.

"You called on me my king. How can I help you?" Grendel asked.

"How are you doing with the search for the escaped werewolf and the investigation to find those who helped her?" Aric asked in a deep voice.

"I'm raking the forest right now. I've also asked that the site of the old chemical factory be searched without success. The internal investigation to find those who helped here is also continuing." explained Grendel before being cut off by the king.

"Don't you hear the popular grumbling outside. The people are confused. They are asking to see the blood of this werewolf flow." vociferated the lycan king before continuing.

"If I didn't punish you after the chaos your choices caused in the arena, it's only because I hoped you would try to make up for it by bringing results quickly. But I'm deeply disappointed. If soon I don't have anything concrete, someone will have to pay. Grendel, I will have to strip you of your beta title."

Grendel jumped. "My king, you don't need to come to this." He declared. "I promise you that you will have results shortly."

"I'm just waiting for that. You can dispose." Finished the Lycan King.

Grendel stormed off. He saw these threats from the Lycan King as too much humiliation.

"I always do my best, but my efforts are never fully recognized. It's time for me to take my rightful place." Grendel thought to himself as he walked away, a sinister smile on his face.