Not going Easy

Disorientation must have lasted a long time before I came partially to my senses; I was lying on the cool surface of the forest floor, with the coolness of the earth pressed against my skin. Everything felt alien, even my feelings; hence I considered that maybe my senses were heightened, and very faint, far-off sounds reached my ears: leaves rustled, leaves murmured. I pushed myself up and blinked in the light coming through the branches.

“Clark!” came Lucian's voice, filled with worry. My heart was in my throat, and I attempted to sit up, looking around. The others were scattered, and the extremely beautiful woman was nowhere in sight.

“Over here!” I croaked out. Just my control held as relief flooded in upon the arrival of Lucian, who knelt beside me.

“Thank the moon you are safe!” he said, shaking me and bursting to his feet. “We thought we lost you.”

“What happened?” My whirling head needed the rest to consider it. “Where is everyone?”

“I don’t know,” he said, glancing anxiously. “One minute we were ready to fight; the next, it was all dark. I suppose we were either ambushed or they used magic.”

Looking around made my heart sink. The trees were thick, dark, and ominous, pairs of branches danced independently as if possessed. “We have to find the others. They could be in danger.”

The sudden motion caught my eye. From the shadows emerged the beta and the two omegas, tense. “We’re here!” one of the omegas gasped, relief flooding through him at our sight.

“Heaven be praised!” I sighed. "What happened? Did you see where the girl went?"

The beta shook his head with concern. "No. After everything went dark, she vanished. We were all confused, but now we are safe."

"Okay," I said, my mind racing, "But we need to investigate whatever is going on. We can't be caught off guard if the Silver Fang Pack has a plan."

A pang of anxiety returned as we regrouped. The forest indeed felt wrong; the air that skimmed against my skin was heavy with raw energy, causing my neck hairs to stand on end. I turned to see Lucian—he, too, showed signs of sensing it.

"We move," he commanded. "Find a safe spot for a strategy. If the Silver Fang Pack knows about our presence, we will be at a disadvantage."

I nodded, inhaled deeply, and braced myself. "I agree. Stick together; eyes open. Fear has no place here."

Darkness enveloped us as we journeyed farther into the heart of the forest, and the path grew more treacherous. The trees were ever more twisted and gnarled, creating a tunnel-like maze that threatened to close in on us. I kept my wits about me for the sake of the mission, though it weighed heavier with each passing second.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, we rounded the corner to find the small clearing illuminated by subdued moonlight. It was the perfect opposite of the dark, tormented woods from which we were crawling through, and I felt a slight lifting of weight from my shoulders. "That does for now," I said, waving the group to a halt.

We stood in a tight circle, tensions mounting, glances passing from one anxious pair of eyes to another. "Alright, what do we know?" I asked, grasping at straws to regain at least some control over the scene.

Lucian was the first to speak, calm and reassuring. "That girl mentioned something terrible was being planned by the Silver Fang Pack. We need to find out what it is, and we should work to stop it."

"The witch! Why didn't we interrogate her some more?" The omegas were now complaining, filled with anger. "She might have told us something that would be useful!"

"Either being scared," my attempts at justification continued, "would not have helped in matters if she is right, and we have to be very wary about this. Acknowledging the danger but never letting it work in our favor would have been better."

"Agreed," replied Lucian with a nod. "We will cover the perimeter to see what information we can gather. If they're planning anything, we will be able to track it down."

“Well, it is settled then. Let's split up! Two will go on perimeter patrol, while two remain here as lookouts. We will regroup in an hour and share our observations,” I declared.

As plans were being made, the urge to get this moving surged in me. Somehow, this felt like a huge weight on my shoulders, and if I were to fall, it would all slip away. My goal was now solidly in mind; rescue Lucian's mother and discover the truth at any cost.

We split into the woods, darkness swirling around us. Blood pounded through my veins, sharpening each of my senses. The distant rustle of leaves and snap of twigs sent an icy chill through me in every direction; it marked danger.

As I plodded through the undergrowth, that strange yet incessant feeling once more arose in me that there was someone with us. I glanced over my shoulder but could hear nothing but the dry rustle of leaves interrupted by some distant chirps. Nonsensical as it might have seemed, I pressed forward in search of clarity.

What felt like an eternity passed until I finally came across a mere trickle that intercepted and reflected moonlight off its crystal-clear surface. I bent down, scooping up water into the palm of my hand, letting it cool down my burning throat. As I stood, something moved across the trickle to catch my eye.

Out of the darkness flowed a tall figure filled with presence. My heart pounded as I recognized the unmistakable outline of a wolf with luminous eyes. The girl I had glimpsed only moments earlier stood before me, her savage mane of dark hair fanned around her shoulders like a dark cape.

"Wait!" I shouted, slowly dragging myself to my feet. "I'm not going to hurt you. I just want to talk."

She stood hesitating, her fiery gaze boring into mine. "You should not be here," she hissed. "The Silver Fang pack is not what they seem. You have to leave while you can.”