6

The three women spent the next few days gathering the essential supplies that Eve might require in the coming days. They came to the conclusion that the best course of action would be for Eve to visit the Three Mountain pack and have a conversation with Alpha Ian, who was a distant cousin. They had high hopes that he would be able to take Eve in, but they were unable to ask him in advance for fear that word would get back to their own Alpha before Eve had the chance to leave. Instead, Marie and Joanne had written a letter of introduction to Alpha Ian, asking him to give Eve a place to stay and support her while she dealt with the rejection.

During this time, Eve started to say her farewells, despite the fact that she wished she could do it in an appropriate manner. Instead, she made a stealthy visit to the childcare center for the very last time, this time bringing a bag stuffed with candies with her. As she left the building for the final time, she had to carefully wipe her eyes in order to maintain her composure. After that, she ambled around the outskirts of the town, avoiding making eye contact with anyone while she took in the scene and the commotion of people moving through the streets. This location had been her home for the entirety of her life. Having to give up everything felt like she was tearing a piece of her very being away from her, and she was sad about it.

She heaved a sigh and turned on her heel to go back inside so that she could tend to her garden. She had provided her mother with detailed instructions regarding the timing of the harvesting of the vegetables that were growing in the garden. After that, her mother was free to use the small patch of land however she saw fit. Eve had a hunch that it would be covered in flowers within the next few months, so she kept an eye on it. That would give her a purpose, and she would be more motivated to get through the next couple of months if she had that as her goal. If she was lucky, she might be able to start another garden at the Three Mountain pack.

She then spent the next few hours tending to the garden because she wanted to make sure that her mother had as little to do as possible given how ill she had been recently and how weak she had been recently. Because of the rejection, Eve found that she needed to take more frequent breaks than usual because she was experiencing a sharp, stabbing pain that would hit her for one to two minutes at a time before subsiding. This was a side effect of the rejection. After some time, she finished what she was doing and went inside the house so that she could wash her clothes and take a shower.

Afterwards, Eve went to see her mom in her studio. She stood in the threshold of the room and admired her mother as she worked at the easel, painting a scene on the canvas that was reminiscent of the forest that encompassed their humble log home.

As soon as Marie heard the floorboards start to squeak, she turned around to face her daughter.

“Oh, hi Pumpkin. All done outside?” Marie asked.

“Yeah, I'm going to miss tending to the garden. Even so, I am confident that you will handle it with care.” Eve let out a long sigh.

“I have no doubt that you will be able to contribute to the maintenance of the vegetable garden at Three Mountain. When I last spoke to Ian, he was busy assisting a few members of the pack in setting it up, and it sounded like a wonderful event. I promise that I won't let any of your plants perish, but I can't make any guarantees, my love.” Marie offered words of solace to Eve as the latter stood up from her painting easel and started organizing her paintbrushes.

“Come on, Joanne should be here soon, and we will have dinner. It is imperative that you get a good night's sleep in preparation for tomorrow. Have you put everything you need together in one place?” Marie remarked as they turned and began to make their way toward the kitchen.

“You could say that.” Before taking her seat at the kitchen table, Eve murmured in a low voice.

“I am aware of the fact that you do not wish to depart. But soon I'll come and visit you.” Marie said while attempting to reassure Eve.

“Mother, are you sure you can't come with me?” Eve begged.

“Oh, honey, I wish that I could,” she said. “But after living in such close proximity to Darren for such a long time, I don't think I would be able to survive if I had to move away permanently. Because of this, you need to get out of there before the connection gets too strong, and you're stuck there forever, like I was.” Eve was aware of what Marie was saying, but she chose to ignore it because she did not want to believe it. In the span of a little over a week, she not only said goodbye to her lifelong companion, but she also said goodbye to the one and only family she had ever known.

“I know, mother.” Eve finally gave in, and the two of them were able to relax into a pleasant silence while taking in each other's company one last time before being parted forever.

Joanne appeared out of nowhere and stormed through the front door. She struggled to speak while her face was flushed, and she was puffing.

“The Alpha.... He is aware... he is aware that you are going to leave, Eve. Someone witnessed me purchasing a train ticket in the town. They must have shared their information with the Alpha. Eve, I really do apologize. It would have been better for me to exercise greater caution. I sincerely apologize. It is imperative that you leave immediately so that he is unable to prevent you from going. If you do not leave, they will lock you up, and then you will never be able to leave.” If you do not leave, they will lock you up. Joanne's speech was hurried and full of desperation as she desperately grabbed onto Eve's shoulders.

“What! No, no—I have until tomorrow. You mentioned that I had until the following day.” Eve cried out.

“Pumpkin, I am so sorry. You should leave right away. It is likely that he has already set out on his journey through here. You need to get to the human town as quickly as possible and head to the train station. You should be able to board a train that will take you in the right direction and get you where you need to go. Please, little one. Now. I had the impression that we had more time, but you need to get to safety as soon as possible.” Marie sat up straight and gave her daughter some instructions.

Prior to making their way toward the back door of the house, the three women hurriedly gathered Eve's backpack as well as a small duffle bag.

“Don't worry; things are going to work out.” Joanne gave Eve a hug that was brief but intense.

“Goodbye. I love both of you so very much.”  After turning and running toward the tree line, Eve said what she had to say.

Before moving to the front veranda, Joanne and Marie stood hugging one another in the entranceway of the house and watched Eve's figure disappear. After only a few minutes had passed, the two individuals finally caught sight of the approaching Alpha. He appeared to be very angry.

“Where on earth is she?!” He yelled angrily at Joanne and Marie.

“It really isn't any of your business, is it now,” she said. Joanne hurled spit in the direction of Alpha, who was fuming.

“Not that it has anything to do with me, huh? Isn't this my pack? And now I have heard that there is a member of the pack who has vanished without permission and is headed toward who knows where. Joanne, this is my fucking business. So, let me inquire about this once more. Where. Is. She!?” Alpha Darren demanded as he approached the cousins and stood between them.

“It's too late now. It is too late to find her now.” Marie spoke softly while keeping her gaze fixed on the ground.

“She will be apprehended by border patrols, who will then drag her pack to a suitable detention facility. This cannot be allowed to stand.” Before his vision became clouded, the Alpha presumably signaled to the patrol that they should be on the lookout for any wolves attempting to leave the pack's territory.

“No! My daughter will not suffer the same fate as I did because I will not allow it. Please, she needs to be able to leave. She still has a future ahead of her, and you want to rob her of that opportunity? Your very own blood?” Marie approached the Alpha and begged him to help her.

“She is not my daughter, you slut,” Alpha Darren grabbed Marie by the scruff of the neck and lifted her so high that the ground only made contact with her toes. Joanne heaved a sigh of relief and dashed forward in an effort to rescue Marie before the Alpha could toss her to the side.

“You are both going to be punished for this,” he said. After making the statement, he shifted his position and started running in the opposite direction that Eve had gone.

Joanne encircled herself with Marie, who was now sobbing on the ground, and prayed that Eve had escaped capture before they were found.