Jack
He snuck away from the cabin, taking a twisting path between the trees. When he was sure he was alone, and too far from the house to be overheard, he dialed the number and brought his phone to his ear. It rang only twice before a low voice drifted through the speaker.
“Jack,” Freddy said, a slight sneer to his voice. “Camping, I see.”
Jack sighed. He knew his cousin was probably tailing them, but he hadn’t been sure. He was hoping their roundabout drive managed to confuse him, but apparently not.
“So, Celeste is home safe and sound.” Freddy chuckled. “For now, anyway. She caused quite the stir at the Crescent compound from what I hear.”
“What do you want?” Jack growled.
“You know what I want, Jack,” Freddy answered, his tone dangerous. “I want your sister.”
Jack weighed his options. There was no way he was giving up his sister, but he couldn
We didn’t move for hours, instead staying up to strategize well into the night. We took a few breaks to get food, but that was it. Everyone was reeling after Zoe’s message, long after she disappeared to rejoin the Crescent wolves.Eventually, Nina called it a night. “We can talk more tomorrow,” she said. Her skin was pale, and she looked exhausted. Everyone did. We all dispersed, and Matt led me to his cabin, Fiona trailing behind us.“I’m just there,” Fiona said, pointing to a cabin a few feet from Matt’s.“Okay.” I squeezed her hand. “We’ll talk soon. I promise.”She nodded, then walked over to her cabin. Matt unlocked the door of his with a key and stepped aside to let me in.“You can stay with her tonight,” Matt said as I walked past him. “If you want to catch up.”I just shook my head. I was much too tired to get into everything.
MattI opened my eyes, squinting against the light spilling in around the thin curtains. Celeste was asleep next to me, her head resting on my mostly numb arm. I held her close to my chest with the other. I closed my eyes, hoping I could slip back into sleep, but it was no use.She shifted in her sleep, pressing back against me. I tucked my face into the back of her neck and breathed in her scent. It was soft, like sunshine and grass, and I let it wash over me. It still felt like a dream, having her here. I half expected to wake up and discover none of it was real. That she was still in that place, and I couldn’t help her.Every time I thought about it, my chest tightened. No matter what she said to reassure me, I knew I’d failed her. I’d never forgive myself for that.She sighed in her sleep and rolled slightly away. I slid my arm out from under her head, careful not to make any sudden movements. She settled into the pillow without waking, and I got out of bed, trying not to jostle h
I jolted awake, sitting straight up in bed with a gasp. Someone was pounding on the door, and it took me a moment to remember where I was. The cabin swam into view as I gasped down air. My heart rate slowly returned to normal as I took in the teak furniture and the sunlight slanting across the floor.“Celeste,” Jack called. “Are you awake?”“One second!”“Meet me in the main building,” he shouted.“Alright,” I yelled back.I forced myself out of bed. I had no idea what time it was, but I could’ve slept for a few more hours. A note on the bedside table stole my attention, and I snatched it up. I recognized Matt’s elegant handwriting.Went into town to get supplies. Will be back in the afternoon. Help yourself to anything here. - MattShort and to the point.I smiled and put the note back on the table. The dresser was half-full of clothes. Stuff that seemed old, but still in decent shape. I pulled on a clean pair of track pants, rolling them up a few times so the pant legs didn’t drag o
MattI stocked up on clothes for Celeste, making sure to grab multiple of everything, just in case she wolfed out again. I picked up a few things for myself as well, but I didn’t need as much. While my clothes were slightly baggy, they didn’t bother me if I had a belt on. Celeste, on the other hand, was swimming in fabric.It was one of those combat stores, run-down and off-putting from the outside. The sort of place respectable people didn’t shop. It was perfect for what I needed.I put the clothes in my car and walked down the street, heading for a corner store at the end. Ted sent me out with a few bills and a plea for a carton of cigarettes. We weren’t supposed to leave the compound if we could help it, and Ted was getting desperate for nicotine. His boyfriend, Andrew, called it a nasty habit, but Ted didn’t seem to care.“I need it,” he’d insisted. I was taking pity on him.I was halfway down the road when the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. I reached the corner but didn’t
Jack and I were just leaving the main cabin after lunch when Matt’s car came squealing to a stop, its tires skidding in the mud. We exchanged a glance as Matt jumped out of the car. I barely had time to step back before he was there, tackling Jack to the ground.“I’m going to fucking kill you,” Matt growled, pushing Jack’s face into the mud.Jack punched him in the side and gasped for air. “Get off me, asshole.”“Um…” I started, not sure if I should intervene or not. The cabin doors opened, and people came streaming out–Fiona, Ted, his boyfriend Andrew. A minute later, Enzo and Nina followed, trialed by Seth, Jenna, and a boy from the team named Brodie. Soon everyone was gathered around to watch the fight.“I’m going to kill you,” Matt snarled, punching Jack in the side of the head.Jack hit him in the ribs again. “Get the fuck off.”“Should someone maybe stop them?” Seth asked, his brows pulling together.“We need to contain Jack,” someone said. Everyone turned, noticing the man for
JackHe sighed and tilted his head back against the wall. It was almost a relief to have the truth out in the open. To not have to sneak around and lie anymore. If he was being honest with himself, the subterfuge was really getting to him.Now, at least, everyone knew what he’d done. He’d told Matt everything, down to the last detail. Whatever they did to him now was out of his hands.Still, the fact that the truth came out because of Henry Schreiber was a hard pill to swallow. His father, if he could even call him that, threw him right under the bus. Jack shouldn’t have been surprised. He’d already abandoned him. Why not get him killed, too? Then he could take the newly minted Maiden all for himself.Jack didn’t believe that Henry actually cared for his sister. How could he? He’d abandoned her just as much as he’d abandoned Jack. It was an unforgivable offense, and it hurt him to see Celeste talking to him, being somewhat friendly. They went off together, Fiona trailing after them wi
The sound of gunfire split the night, and I sat up, my heart racing. I didn’t give myself time to think as more shots sounded in the distance. I ran to the dresser and pulled on the cargo pants and jacket Matt had bought me the day before. I laced up my boots and did up my belt.I grabbed a handgun and loaded my pockets with mags. I also put a knife in my boot and added one to my belt. Before I left, I double-checked that my gun was loaded, and that the safety was off. Then I was out the door, running toward the noise.I had to find Matt. When I fell asleep, he was still guarding Jack.I headed into the forest where the noise was loudest. Silver moonlight washed over the trees, illuminating the ground. Growls split the night, followed by a few gunshots. Someone grabbed me from behind and I yelped, fumbling with my gun.“It’s me,” Jack hissed. He was holding the back of my jacket.I released a breath and turned to him. He was crouched in the undergrowth, a splatter of blood on his face
MattI reached for Celeste’s hand and gave her fingers a gentle squeeze. She returned the gesture, her eyes locked on the pyre in front of us. We’d buried the dead Schreibers out in the woods, our own we planned to honor in the old way.Brodie succumbed to his injuries the night of the attack, his healing powers unable to contend with the silver powder the Schreibers used to tip their blades.We found James’s body in the woods, a bullet hole through his head. His siblings, Andrew, and Kelly stood together, tears streaming down their faces. Ted hovered near them, his hand on Andrew’s shoulder. I could barely bring myself to look at them. I kept seeing the triplets together in that motel room, laughing over their pizza.Seth and Jenna stood together. He’d taken a silver bullet to the leg, and he leaned on a makeshift crutch Enzo had found him. It was basically just a large stick, but it did the job. Despite the bullet being removed, it was the sort of wound that took a while to heal.Th