1. Phoebe (Continued)

Naomi jumps out, grinning at me, and I can’t help running even harder towards her. Does she even know how badass she makes black look? It’s just sportswear, but the way she carries it, how do you ever have that much self-belief?

“Naomi! I didn't think you'd come back! I’m dodging Sawyer, Mama is always sending him to fetch me back to Cragstone.”

“Why are you always getting away? Is there something wrong?” she asks, and I don’t even know where to begin. It's shameful not to get along with your wolf. To admit you're lonely and the only person you talk to regularly is hired to bother finding you.

I need her to stay around long enough. Maybe I could even ask her for advice about Huli. her wolf might be a handful, too, for all I know. I open my mouth to try and string something together except for my other sister.

“Hey! What are you doing this far out!” Leona interrupts, shouting out of the truck window. She can piss off, always treating me like a baby. Naomi is the one staring at me with concern in her eyes. So I flip her off, hand raised high, smirking like a child as Leona rolled her eyes.

Then I felt pain. Sharp, searing agony. Only after smashing into the ground did i feel the heat and the brightness. I put a hand to my face only to feel the heat of my own blood gushing from my cheekbone.

Where Leona and the truck once stood there existed only flames. Naomi was in a ball, moving, screaming, and wailing. I tried to edge myself towards her only to realise my leg and shoulder were cut up, blood seeping into my white gown. “LEONA NO!” my heartbroken sister screamed, her face completely savage with pain, staring straight at the fireball.

For a few seconds, I held her, completely dumbstruck as burning paper flew about, carried by the wind. What the hell were they fetching back?

/Get help!/ Huli shouted at me, snapping me out of my shock.

Sawyer. Sawyer linked me a few minutes ago.

/Sawyer, are you there?/

/Phoebe? Phoebe there’s been an explosion, I can see the smoke. You’ve got to come back now-/

/That's where I am. I’m hurt, so is Naomi-/

/I’m on my way, don’t move./

I somehow manage to tell Naomi I’ve linked Sawyer and hold her as she screams the darkest, most desperate roar I’ve ever heard in my life.

/Are you in danger? Talk to me for fucks sake!/ Sawyer snaps, his voice as harsh as the heat that slams into Naomi and I in waves.

The smell of charred flesh hits my nose and I fight back the urge to vomit. I'm bleeding. Naomi is bleeding. My big sister. A sister I had nothing nice to say about has gone.

/We could have saved her. If we still had our gift/ Huli remarks and it is my wolf’s extra layer of guilt that sees me retching into the tall grass, the sound of vehicles rumbling closer over the roar of the flames.