Chapter Seven

Empty Homes

Yavonne

She was so focused on getting away she barley felt the long gash along her side leading to the glass protruding from her hip. She simply ran. Ran like she hadn't since the day her family was slaughtered. Flashes of green and brown mixed together and there she was again, her mother and sister on either side of her, her brothers Infront of her, she heard the screams. the screams and shriek of cannon, the crash of bullet, bark splintering, thud of bodies crumbling to the forest floor.

She could smell it, death in the air, her village, her home burning behind them as the remaining survivors scattered into the forest. Yavonne reached for her younger sister’s hand as she began to fall behind, but something crashed into her quickly and sent her rolling, head over feet down the steep rock cliff and into the little river below.

She didn't know what was real just now. They screamed still. screamed and burned and turned to ash while she lay there, unable to help.

Heathens. Our name. Their name for us meant to turn us into savages. meant to demean us. meant to cast us as the heartless feral villains.

Yet it was our homes that burned. our kind that died in groups under the name of a so called peaceful loving God. We were feared for our nature. We were feared for the idea that our ways would destroy theirs, but in fact it was their ways that literally took our lives and homes.

Once they called us heathens as a way of separating and description, like a slur. They didn't understand when we began to call each other by the same name with smiles and greeting. when we wore it proudly.

Yavonne Woke face down in the river, painfully aware of how sore and tender she was. She laid there collecting her thoughts and the courage to move. Was there any need?

Of course, there was. Anger surged through her. Anger fueled her as she stood. For 3 years she had run. She was 16 now. And the gods had turned away from her. some stupid boy had made her flee. She nearly growled herself.

With strength that surprised her she began to search for a way back up the cliff she had tumbled down. This too seemed familiar, and the memories only added to her own coursing anger that suddenly had her climbing up quickly, grasping at root and rock. She paused at the top, her hand falling on a foot. Her eyes swept upwards, but she couldn't see much, blood laid thick over her forehead now partially crusted. Whoever it was had no clothes on, but..she could tell from the warmth of their skin, this was no human.

She was lifted slowly, pushing up with her legs. She expected to face them when her feet touch the ground, to see the thing that came to her aid after days of screaming for a reply, but they were gone.

Yavonne felt a new determination settling in her bones. She would make them pay. All of them.

Koin

he had expected his father to be angry, his mother upset. What he didn't expect was the understanding that fallowed their reprimands.

"The mate bond can make us act irrationally." his father eventually said "but now you need to make it right." Koin looked up to him in confusion "How? I don't know where she is. no one seems to know her. I doubt she'll ever return to school." Connor laughed quietly "So? Doesn't mean we give up." Koin looked down to his hands "Why would she ever even look at me again?" His limited memories of her played out for him. his mother put a hand on his gently "Everyone makes mistakes. I'm sure even she has. Just be patient and give her time." His father stood "I'll do some snooping of my own." He said before he stalked off.

Koin watched him go numbly. He felt like he had lost her already, like he was given a glimpse of heaven and he had broken the gates, only to have them fixed and locked against him. His mother sent him off to his room to rest a while, but he couldn't fall into any sort of sleep. He was beyond restless.

It was nearly midnight when he shifted and wandered off the pack property, towards the outskirts of town. He decided to go to her usual path behind the school again, but this time he could smell her. Her wonderful earthy scent made his heart ache for her, and he was amazed at how quickly he had come to need her. He heard someone behind him and turned excitedly, Azier nearly howling out in anticipation for his mate, but it was only Connor.

Azier fell to the ground with a thud and a deep huff *Find anything?* Connor mind linked him. koin watched through Aziers eyes *No.* Connor sniffed and started to walk into the forest *Come on. * Koin stood to fallow him. the scent was stronger her; she had been using this same path for weeks at least. His heart lifted a bit as it led them to a small old apartment building. He shifted back to human form and lept onto a small porch with no shame for his nakedness, yet the scent of her blood stopped him in his tracks.

The window was busted inwards, shattered glass and blood all over the bottom frame. he leaned in slowly to glance inside, but Connor was already pushing the door in, shifting it off it's hinges "Hello?' he called out loudly with his usual reserve, which was none. Koin rolled his eyes a bit but fallowed him in. The place was empty. No couch or chair. Just some dirty clothes and dishes in the kitchen. Was she..washing clothes in the sink?

He was amazed to be in her space like this..where she lived but..there was nothing here, no pictures, no books. Just a bed and some blankets. He knew it was hers by the smell and he wandered into her bedroom tentatively, as if the wrong step in her empty home might upset her. That's when he noticed, the closet floor. a perfect square had been cut and pulled up, the same shape taken out of the floor board bellow to leave a hallow space between dirt and the floor boards. Something had been here, and something was left. A long necklace with an odd pendant hanging from it like a letter, and a leather journal. He took both out and looked them over a moment before cradling them to his chest. It wasn't much, but these items somehow felt..important, a part of her. They were special enough to be hidden..yet she had left them behind. was she coming back?