Chapter 5
Avalon’s POV
“Am Hungry and tired Ava” Kayden mutters
“We will stop to eat and rest soon, okay?” I say while picking him up.
He nods and rests his head on my shoulder. I do feel really bad; he looks really exhausted since we didn’t get enough sleep yesterday before we had to get moving. We have been walking for hours today.
It has been four days since our so called parents chased us out of the pack. Surviving out here on your own without a pack is really hard; it is even more difficult with a four year old boy with you.
Sleeping on the cold hard ground for three nights sucked. The weather during the night was really harsh. It was extremely cold and unpleasant, keeping warm wasn’t easy for me since I couldn’t shift, Kayden shifted and I used the blanket I had to keep us warm during those three nights.
Anyway, after ten minutes of walking I see an oak tree and head towards it. I put my baby brother down and we sit on the floor. I start going through the bag pack, grabbing the bottle of water I turn to Kayden and give it to him to drink.
Standing up I look around the area to see if there is anything edible here, I didn’t go far so I can still keep an eye on Kayd. I see a berry tree in the distance. I walk back to my little brother and say to him
“You like berries right?”
He jumps up and down with a smile on his face and replies with “Yes, yes, I-I like them very much”
I laugh at how cute he is being right now, not able to resist I pick him up and throw him up in the air and catching him as he burst into laughter “Do you really?” I ask.
“Yes silly" he replies and giggles.
I kiss his cheek and put him down, closing the bag and picking it up. Kayden and I made our way towards the berry tree, as we approach the tree I hear I twig snap. I quickly grab Kayd and hold him closer to me. I turn to face the direction where the sound came from. Kayden is now holding me as tight as he can. My eyes go wide.
“OH SHIT” drops from my mouth.
I push Kayden behind me, still holding his hand. In front of me is a rogue. It is huge with rough, thick black fur with red eyes. It was snarling at us. It is my first time seeing a rogue up close and I freeze up, I don’t know what to do. I feel Kayden trembling behind me, oh god I need to do something quick because it looks like he is about to attack any seconds from now.
Before I can think of doing anything a man comes out from where the rogue came from. He looks scary, he is very tall, muscular and he looks like someone you do not want to get in a fight with.
“Don’t worry sweetheart, my pal here is just messing about” he says
His voice makes me cringe “First, don’t call me sweetheart ever again and tell him to stop it, he is scaring my little brother” I reply while glaring at him and his pal.
“Come on Jack shift back you are scaring the beautiful lady and her baby brother” he says to the wolf next to him who is looking at me weirdly.
The both of them are giving me the creeps so I mind link Kayden who is still trembling behind me “when I say run, you run, okay bubba?” I say to him while still looking at two men standing in front of us. I didn’t want to look away so they don’t get suspicious.
“No, I don’t want to leave you, am scared” Kayden replies
“What is the matter with the little brat, why is he crying” the guy called Jack sneers at Kayd with a look of disgust.
I quickly look down at Kayden and see that he really was in tears. I pick him and he rests his head on my shoulder closing his eyes. I rub his back while looking at Jack “Look at him like that again and I will make you regret the day you were born” I reply glaring at him.
He and his friend burst out laughing “oh my god, Mike did you hear that? She said she is going to make me regret the day I was born” Jack says
I hear Kayden whimper, I look down at him to see his eyes wide open looking straight at Jack. I look up to see that his eyes are glowing red and I knew straight away his wolf is in control. I turn to his friend and also see that his wolf his in control as well.
“Can we kill them already and get going” Jack says to his friend while staring at me with hatred and anger in his eyes.
“Yeah, whatever, if you are sure that these are his children, then go ahead and make it quick” Mike says and leaves.
I gasp and look back at Jack; he has a twisted smile on his face that makes me sick to my stomach. Putting my brother on the floor with his hand held tightly in mine, I mind link him.
“Get ready to run and find a place to hide and I will come get you okay?”
“No, what if you don’t come back for me”
“I will always come back for you Kayd, you know that” I reply
Before he can reply Jack, who is now in his wolf form lunges for me, I push Kayden out of the way while I land on the floor with a loud thud. The pain that shoots through my back is excruciating. The wolf is snarling in my face and he has his front paws on my stomach.
“Run Kayden” I shout while struggling to get the growling wolf off me.
From the corner of my eyes, I see Kayden turn around and run. Now that I know he has gone to hide, I can focus on getting rid of jack and getting us out of here alive. I have no idea where my strength came from but I push Jack away from me with so much force he goes flying into a tree and lands on the floor with the sickening cracks of bones breaking.
I stand up and make my way over to the man who is now whimpering on the floor curled up in a ball. He looks straight at me and a terrified expression washes across his face. He pales, which takes me by surprise. Why does he look like he has just seen a ghost?
“What are you?” He says with a shaky voice.
“None of your business, you shouldn’t have messed with me” I reply with a voice that sounds nothing like me.
The voice sounds cold and rough not giving away any emotions. I wrap my hand around his neck to pick him up and slam him against the tree hold him in place. He howls in pain. I tighten my hold around his neck and he starts struggling against my hold and throws a couple of punches, until his face is covered in bruises and blood.
I let him go and move away from him. He is trying to get his breath back, but I didn’t give enough time before I focus my energy and lift him up in the air without touching him. Shock is written all over his face and then he starts begging me to stop.
“Please I’m sorry! S-s-stop, I promise I won’t come after you or anywhere near you ever again just let me go” he yells out
I let go of him, but catch him before he could reach the ground and let him down gently. Walking up to him I grab his head and say to him while smiling, “oh, I’m sure you won’t be coming anywhere near me or my brother ever again”. Before he can think about what I just told him I snapped his neck. His lifeless body fell to the ground like a sack of potato.
Whatever came over me for the last ten minutes disappears. It is then I realize that I have just killed a man. Oh my god I killed someone. That is so not good. I look around to see if his friend or anyone is around.
I face the direction where I saw Kayden run earlier, running in that direction I start looking for my brother. I really hope nothing bad has happened to him. And I pray he is hiding somewhere he wouldn’t be spotted.
“Kayden, where are you?” I shout and wait to see if he comes out or makes a noise, but nothing happens, so I continue my search for him. Before I can start panicking, I hear a noise behind me. I quickly turn around standing at alert waiting to see what it was. I really hope it isn’t another rogue.
I see a little figure coming out of the little bush in front of me. I go to scream but then realize it is Kayden. I run to him and pick him up spinning him around. “There you are, are you okay?” I ask him
“Yes, I’m okay. I thought you weren’t coming and I thought the bad guy got you” he whispers while wrapping his little arms around my neck and resting his head on my shoulder.
“I’m glad that you are alright, you know I will never leave you. No bad guy will ever stop me from coming back to you, okay?” I reply.
He nods and doesn’t say anything else.
“Come on, I still need to find you something to eat before it gets dark. I’m sorry for not getting you something to eat earlier.” I tell Kayden.
“It’s alright, I know it’s the bad guy’s fault and I already ate some berries I found when I was hiding and I made sure they were safe before putting them in my mouth” he says smiling proudly.
I smile down at him. We really need to get out of this area. I have to get him to somewhere safe. Not knowing what direction I should take, I just pick one start our journey. It’s getting dark and we need to find somewhere safe to spend the night.
After walking for about three hours, I still haven’t seen somewhere safe enough for us to sleep and it is already dark. Kayden has been asleep for the past hour. I think we are going to have to sleep under a tree tonight because there is no way I can continue walking, I am exhausted and hungry. I haven’t had anything to eat today at all, but I am glad that Kayd had at least something to eat. I am just praying that the weather isn’t going to be as harsh as the other nights because we have nothing to keep us warm.
A few minutes later I find a tree that is hidden away, so even if anyone walks past they wouldn’t be able to see us. I sit down on the floor, resting my back against the tree with Kayden in my arms. Before I can even close my eyes, he wakes up and starts crying.
“I want to go home Ava, I don’t like this” he sobs
“I’m sorry bubba we can’t go home but I promise you I will find somewhere safe for us to live soon okay?” I say to him while holding him closer to my chest.
“But why can’t we go home? Is it because dad and mummy don’t want me and you anymore? Why don’t they want us Ava?” He asks with a shaky voice.
I rock him back and forth “it’s alright giggles everything will be fine, now show me that cute smile of yours” I say to him. I can’t tell him why our parent doesn’t want us because I don’t even know myself.
He nods and smiles.
I decide to tell him a story so he can fall back to sleep. Not even ten minutes into the story he is snoring away. I look at his sleeping form, he looks so peaceful. A few minutes later I close my eyes and go to sleep.
I wake up when I realize that Kayden isn’t in my arms anymore. I jump up and look around, but I can’t see him anywhere.
“Kayden where are you?” I yell
“I’m over here Ava” he replies, his voice coming from behind me.
I turn around to face him; he puts his arms up with a smile on his face asking for me to pick him up. I go to him and pick him up “Where were you? Something could have happened to you. Don’t you ever leave my side again, okay?” I scold him.
“I’m sorry Ava I went for a tinkle (pee)” he replies
“Okay but next time you wake me, you just don’t leave without me” I tell him
“Okay Ava” he says
“And what do you think you are doing on this territory” a booming voice comes from behind.
I stand up straight and grab Kayden's hand, turning around slowly I see a very angry looking man. He looks about 6ft and is very...
“I asked you a question and I expect an answer rogue” he says getting annoyed.
I flinch back from the tone he just used. Oh god, how am I going to get us out of this? There is no way he is going to let us go. Surely he is going to take us to his alpha.
“Err me and my little brother are just passing through, we are not here to cause any trouble” I respond
He looks at me as if something funny came out of my mouth “I don’t think so, you are coming with and if you think of doing anything funny I will make you regret it” he growls.
He makes his way towards me and Kayden and grabs my shoulder. I shove him away from me. He growls and four wolves come out from hiding snarling at me. Kayden whines so I pick him up trying to calm him down.
“We are not here to cause any trouble, so please let us go” I try to convince him.
“No, don’t think so, you are coming with me and that is final.” He says with a glare.
I nod in defeat and let him drag me to his Alpha. After walking for about ten minutes we walk out of the woods and in front of me is the pack house. Everyone around stops to look at me and my little brother, Kayden gets uncomfortable, so he hides his face in my neck.
I look back at the guy who brought us here to ask what happens now, but his eye is glazed over so I guess he was telling his alpha that we are waiting outside. I turn back around and see people are still staring so I glare at them and they quickly look away.
Out of nowhere the most mouth watering scent hits me. It smells like vanilla with a hint of honey. I put Kayden down and look up to see the most handsome man looking at me. He has a short straight casual hair which brings out his chiseled and clean cut face. His clothing style is very strong, stylish and fashionable. Oh his eyes are a glowing gold color. What comes out of his mouth makes me smile.
“MINE” he whispers.
“Holy shit, why are both of your eyes gold?” The guy who brought me here asks while looking between me and my mate.
“Shut up Jake, put them in the cellar with the other rogue” he responds to the guy, he looks back at me with a glare which takes me by surprise. He turns around to leave, but stops when I scream in pain and fall to the ground. I thrash around when the pain gets worse, suddenly I feel and hear my bones snapping and the pain because excruciating.
OH MY GOD, I’M SHIFTING
“Ava!” I hear Kayden scream for me.
“What is happening to her” a voice I think belongs to my mate says
“I think she is shifting for the first time Elijah” the guy called Jake answers.
I can’t make out the faces in front of me because my vision is now blurry, my eyes become heavy. But before I let the darkness swallow me, I whisper my mate’s name,
“Elijah”
It has a nice ring to it.