Her heart jumped into her throat, and her insides twisted in fear as the world seemed to spin out of control swerving the convertible from their lane to the other in an attempt to avoid colliding with the oncoming vehicle, Alexa was almost sure her car would flip putting not only her life but the lives of her passengers at stake. The screeching tires woke the sleeping driver who jumped in his seat and jerked the steering wheel until he was once again back in his own lane. He hadn’t even slowed down as he sped away from the convertible, sitting awkwardly on the shoulder of the road facing the wrong direction. Alexa sighed in relief as she watched the car disappear in the horizon, her muscles finally relaxing as the adrenaline wore off. She twisted in her seat to look back at the frazzled six-year-old just to make sure she was okay. “Everyone Okay?” The redhead asked, and after receiving a nod from the little girl turned back to face the road. “Yeah.” Jayden shakily confirmed, her ow
Morning came much too soon for those who went to bed far too late. And it wasn’t long before the Winters family were piled into the maroon SUV and were off on a three-day journey to attend a carnival in the next town over. And just as they were leaving after a fun-filled time, in that very town someone else was arriving. Aiden who had spent a lot of time wandering from place to place, traveling the world stepped into the human town set on completing the orders given to him. There had once been a time in his youth many, many years ago when he had ventured out to broaden his horizons, against the wishes of his father, a rebellious son as all those who had come of age before him had been. He had stayed away for ten years learning to cope with the disappearance of his mother before finding his way home and back amongst his pack mates, now he just ran errands for his father. This was one of those times when he found himself in the neighboring town to attend a meeting with another pack.
Two weeks had passed since Alexa and Isaac’s birthday. The new year had come and gone with a bang, quite literally, as Isaac had accidentally set a tree on fire with a failed attempt to set off his own fireworks. Poor Jean had to explain to her friend the Sheriff and the small fire brigade that manned the town. But the family had enjoyed every minute of it. The small family had gone and had enjoyed the carnival. It had been their last day at the carnival and Alexa had somehow gotten tricked into volunteering for the dunking station, and it was surprisingly Gabriella who had landed the lucky shot, soaking the teen from head to toe. Alexa was now helping her mother pack for their camping trip. The gear had already been packed into the maroon SUV. The family was saying goodbye to electricity, proper beds, cell phones, or in Isaac’s case his sound and gaming systems. Ever since their birthday Alexa noticed how different Isaac was acting. He had distanced himself even more from her and
The redhead turned back toward the car, finally registering the sounds of her mother yelling at the stubborn eighteen-year-old boy, who was still sitting in the maroon car. She watched on at the scene before something else caught her gaze. Gabriella felt giddy at being outside, and the six-year-old ran around the clearing, laughing to her heart’s content. She spread her tiny arms out wide as if she were flying like a pretty bird. Her feet kicked up the thin layer of snow blanketing the floor. Alexa smiled at the carefree spirit that her sister was. She continued to watch the little tycoon who was undeterred from her task, even when Jayden came to stand next to her. Jayden’s honey-colored eyes stared at the commotion going on between mother and son. Feeling unsure at how the man refused to enjoy this precious time with his family. “Isaac Charles Winters, get out of that car this instant or so help me I will ground you for a month!” Jean had, had enough. She couldn’t take the treatme
Isaac sat there staring up at his redheaded sister in horror. The boy was surrounded by candles, but what had shocked the girl so much wasn’t the candles themselves but that they were floating. There were other things around Isaac, things that he was sure she wouldn’t even recognize. Alexa had a look of utter terror as she stared into her brother’s eyes, his eyes which were his but in the same way not his at all. Instead of the familiarity, she would often feel when staring into her brother’s eyes, she felt a cold shiver travel down her spine. His eyes, which she thought she knew best, were not their usual hazel nut instead they were glowing a bright green color. The redhead pulled her eyes from his and looked around the tent and the more she saw the more she began to freak out. When Alexa looked back at her brother his eyes were once again his usual hazel color, and that was the last straw for the azure gazed woman, who just abruptly pulled back from the tent nearly tripping in her
“It’s Gabriella, she’s gone.” The older brunette huffed, out of breath. Alexa and Isaac both felt the lead drop into their stomachs as the sentences left the newcomer’s mouth. All thoughts of the previous argument were quickly forgotten as the situation suddenly became direr than the twins were prepared for. “What do you mean she’s gone?” Alexa felt the slow build of panic set in making itself a home in her heart, squeezing it as hard as it could. She took in a sharp breath before she moved toward her cousin, her hands outstretched ready to grasp the older woman’s shoulders tightly. “I mean she’s gone. We can’t find her, and we have looked everywhere.” The brunette admitted, barely wincing as nails dug into the flesh of her shoulders, hazel eyes locking onto widened cobalt. Alexa closed her eyes and let out a worried sigh before she took in a deep breath and opened her eyes with a determined look upon her features. “Okay, let’s split up and look for her. Jayden, you come with me; we
Fear, absolute fear was the only emotion Jayden felt as she watched her eighteen-year-old cousin vanish from her sight. She didn’t even realize that she was screaming for the fallen girl, or that she had raced toward the edge of the cliff until she was leaning over the dirt searching for any sign of her best friend. Tear-filled hazel eyes scanned the expanse of the forest’s canopy below for signs of life. There was none, nothing but the missing rock that had given out when the eighteen-year-old redhead had turned towards safety. Not a single clue as to where she could be, for she had disappeared behind that horribly dense canopy. Jayden’s heart clenched in her chest, unable to breathe as she continued screaming. Her throat became raw at the harsh sound and her voice cracked under the pressure, but the older woman could not seem to stop. The cries of the six-year-old girl behind her were drowned out by the terror-filled cry of her own. The darkness of the canopy below that cliff seem
Aiden’s paws slapped against the hard ground, kicking up dirt as he sprinted at an inhuman speed through the forest, he called home. Heavy breaths escaped from his muzzle, a light cloud puffing out with each exhale. His lungs and muscles burned from the constant run. Trees flew past him, each blending into the background as he navigated his way through the border of our territory. His darkening grey pelt shimmered as the sun hit against his back, peaking through the thick branches of the leafless trees. Suddenly he skidded to a halt, his claws scratching against the frozen ground. Aiden’s sharp dark grey ears lifted and flicked toward the west, where he had heard the howl from his pack mate. Signaling that it was clear on his end. The wolf lifted his snout, and took in a deep breath, feeling his chest expand as his lungs drew in said breath. He lifted his head higher about to return the howl, when a sudden scent drifted across his sensitive nose causing his head to snap to the left.