Trial and Error

1.                 Captive

 “Look at me.”

I focused on Aiden’s worried blue eyes and tried to drown out the sounds of death and violence that had filled the house.

“Lyss has is hurt.” Their blood bond made it so he could feel when she was in pain. “This is your only chance.”

I wasn’t sure what he meant at first and then it hit me. He was telling me to escape. I’d tried once before, after Elyssa caught me lighting a candle with magic and had Jeremiah break my fingers and toes then healed me and broke them again and again all night. I hadn’t even been able to get out the front door and Elyssa made Jeremiah spend an entire week punishing me for it. The memory of the awful pain and torture that just attempting to run away had caused me was enough to make me nauseous.

I shook my head and tried to stand a little bit taller, “No. I’m not leaving, she’ll just find me and things will be worse. Besides you cannot let me leave, you are bound to keep me here.”

He frowned down at me, worry causing crinkles to form around the corners of his eyes. “I can’t keep you here if I’m busy fighting for my life. As soon as they come in here looking for a fight I want you to shift and jump out the window. The sun is already up and it would be painful for anyone to try to follow you so even if they did they wouldn’t get far. I want you to run as fast as you can and don’t stop until you can absolutely not run anymore.”

“But she’ll just find me, you know she will.”

“Maybe, but this wolf pack was strong enough to weaken her, they might even have a shot at killing her. So if you follow their tracks and find their home you might be safe there. But you have to try.

My eyes welled with tears, he was right this was my only chance, but the thought of leaving the only friend I have in the world made my heart feel like it was splitting apart. Needing the comfort of his arms I buried myself in his chest and cried. “She’ll kill you when she finds out what you did,” I cried into his shirt.

“Shh,” he rubbed my back with one hand as he held me tightly with the other. “Don’t think of that, I’ve lived my life and now I want you to have a chance at yours.” He pulled away from me slowly and pulled my head up. My face was wet with tears that wouldn’t stop flowing. Aiden is all I have, my one friend in this entire world. “You’re going to have to shift if you want any chance of making it.” My eyes widened. He couldn’t be serious. I haven’t shifted since I was a kid, since before she kidnapped me I’m not sure if I can anymore. He must have seen the worry in my eyes because he continued, “The wolf pack isn’t from around here, the scouts confirmed that the wolf Lyss took was a lone wolf, without a pack and there aren’t any packs in Portland, or Oregon and there’s no way you’ll be able to travel another state or more away on foot in human form.”

“Then I can’t,” I shook my head. “I can’t go.”

Aiden’s jaw clenched and the worry lines around his eyes become more defined. “You’re going and that’s final,” I opened my mouth to object but the look in his eyes made me stop.

“I’ll try,” I sniffed and wiped the remaining tears away. “But I haven’t – ”

He raised up his hand to silence me and turned around to face the door, “I don’t want to hear any excuses, this will be your only chance, don’t waste it.” With a cracking sound two wolves, both dark grey, crashed through my bedroom door, teeth bared, growling at Aiden. He must have heard them coming, that was why he turned toward the door, so he could face them when they came in. “Don’t waste it,” he said again without turning around.