Before I knew it, we were there. The loud bang of the door filled the air with palpable anxiety. Heavy and thick with tension as his echoing footsteps seemed to grow to a peal of thunder against the wooden floors of the cabin. I barely had the chance to swallow my nerves when suddenly; his hands were hoisting me up by my waist. My fingers dug into his shoulders and without thinking, I straightened my back. I thought it'd be easier for me to get down and make some distance, but I was wrong. Instead, with his hands still holding me up into the air, I was face to face with Morax. He seemed startled for a second, or maybe it was just my imagination. But I was so close, I heard the way his breath sucked in, and I could see the way his pupils dilated. My blonde hair was cascading all over his shoulders, blending in with his dark locks. In the time it took me to shudder a breath, he placed me solidly on the ground. My feet welcomed the stable footing. "We're here." He stated curtly.

Staring wasn't my intention, but it felt like I couldn't tear my eyes away. My blood disappeared off his skin, and it felt like my soul was stretching out of my body, reaching for the Alpha in front of me. He was just standing there, his eyes unmoving. Yet for some reason, the air between us felt electric. A static shock that I couldn't see right beneath the surface. If he felt it too, he gave no indication. Shuddering in place, I kept my mouth shut tight. "Are you alright, little wolf?" Morax asked after what felt like ages, and I could only nod dumbly. There was a sense of belonging that surrounded me, and it was hard to remember I was among an alluring acquaintance, not a friend. The new bond felt like a safety blanket that curled directly into my soul. Like I was on one of my old moonlit runs, I felt winded after the devastating loss that just shook me. The pain was still there, but under the new bond, it was muted. Or maybe it was the hope of survivors still being present.

Pain blossomed at the base of my spine, and I could feel my lips curling while I grit my teeth. My forearm rested over my forehead, and I squinted into the dust filling the small shop. Birds were chirping outside, but besides that--there was no noise in the room. "Timmy, are you okay?" I called, coughing while I sat upright. It took a few minutes for the dust to clear, but the aftermath shook me when it did. The stool I was sitting on moments before snapped in half, and the leg of the stool splintered off on the other side of the room. I looked around for Timmy's orange and red-haired mop, but it was hard to see over the glowing blue light in the center of the room. "Timmy?" I called louder, palpations raging in my chest. The blood rushed through my ears as it pumped forcefully through my heart. "I-I'm a' okay! I justa' needed a second!" Relief poured over me when I heard his small voice answer. Then there was a clatter of wood, and Timmy was crawling out from under a flipp

"Robin, if you need me to carry you, I will. Just say the word, okay?" Brandon's voice carried over the toxic winds that blew fumes in our faces, and I shook my head as I coughed into my fist. My lungs were heaving, and it was hard for me to shift. But still, it was better than running in my human form. My skin was already damp with sweat from the heat, I wouldn't last long if I ran like this. "No, I got it. Timmy, once I shift, climb on my back." "But... I can follow too!" He whined. I quickly cut him a glare. "I'm not willing to risk it, and after what you just pulled, you have NO right to talk back to me!" "..'m sorry..." Timmy muttered under his breath, before he flinched. He seemed hurt at my anger, but it didn't matter right now. What mattered is that he was alive and well enough to be hurt. Without another word, I shifted in another spray of thick blood. It hurt a bit, my lungs felt caved in during the intense ripping of my human image. But I managed, glancing at Timm

"Missy Robin, c'mon! We gotta go!" Timmy's tiny fists hit my spine. The weight caused my fur to jump in time with the blows. But I couldn't tear my eyes away. My mouth felt dry, and my logic sputtered. It was like seeing him drained the rest of my strength. I could feel my wolf retreating without my consent and in a grotesque snap of bone, it was gone. "Wah, oof!" Timmy fell to the ground with a small thud. Meanwhile, I crumbled to my knees and crouched in the grass. Struggling to catch my breath. My shoulder was seeping blood still, and my face stung horribly. But through my increasingly blurry vision, that man was still standing there. As I tried to get my bearings, I could only barely reply to the person in front of me. It was hard to fight against the numb tingle that invaded my chest. "Hey, Dad..." I greeted back, but the words fell flat. I heard Timmy gasp behind me, and he seemed to recover from his fall. Because he scooted forward on his knees, burrowing into my side