Chapter 8

Rachel's POV

Clayton rushes to the window and peeks out again.

"Fuck!" He hisses under his breath. He walks away and runs both hands through his blonde hair.

I step to the window and look around.

I see a girl crying and stumbling across my yard. She is heading towards the pack house! She has long black hair that is braided back. I can make out leaves and tiny little twigs clinging to the braid as she gets closer. Something wet is matted to the side of her face. I squint to get a better look at her. Something seems so familiar about her, but it's too hard to make out who she is. One of her eyes is swollen shut. Her cheeks are red and damp from tears and sweat. Blood is dripping down her nose and over her mouth. I follow the flow of blood as it runs over her lips, down her neck, and to her bare chest. Her bare chest?

I blink repeatedly and stare with my mouth open. Her shirt is missing. The girl is only wearing a thin brown skirt with tiny white flowers sprinkled here and there. The left side of the skirt is ripped up to the elastic band that hangs unevenly across her waist.

I watch as she limps barefooted closer and closer. Holding her breast with her hands as she tries her best to get to safety.

She is mere feet away from the house when I noticed the girl outside is Joyce! My best friend Joyce! I feel nauseous as I take in all of her at once. How did I not recognize the only she wolf friend I have ever had! I yank the curtain open more and begin to yell her name when I felt Clayton's large, warm hands clasp my mouth and pull me to the floor.

Clayton turns me to face him, still holding a hand over my mouth. He places one finger over his lips and stares at me for a good second. The vision of Joyce is running wildly through my brain, and I start to shake like crazy.

" Do not draw attention to yourself. Do you understand me?" I nod a confirmation, and he slowly takes his hand off my mouth.

"That's Joyce!" I whispered. "What happened to her??" I started to feel hot tears rolling down my cheeks.

Clayton grabs my hand and leads me to the wall away from the window.

"Rachel, I promised your dad I would get you to the packhouse. We need to go now. Joyce is right behind us, and we have backup that will be sweeping through to collect those who can't make it on their own." He said softly. He starts to lead me out toward the backdoor.

For a moment, I started to follow him until this sickening feeling in my stomach started up. I felt at any minute I was going to throw up.

"This is wrong. We must help her." a female voice whispered out.

"Huh?" I mumbled. I glanced around and saw no one but Clayton and I. Maybe I am hearing things. Maybe I'm in shock.