Running Off

'What are you doing?' Skye growled at me.  I tried to ignore her as I bolted deeper into the forest, 'Stop!' 

'HOW COULD YOU?' I yelled at her. 

'Why are you angry?' 

Behind me I could hear a loud howl.  It sounded as though it was back at the training ground a few miles away. 

'Shadow.' 

'We aren't going back,' I yelled at Skye, 'the gifts we can deal with.  It's common for a wolf to have gifts.  But you're a white wolf!  Once words spread to the elders-' 

'They'll accept us,' Skye said in a growl, 'go back.  NOW!' 

'You don't control us, Skye,' I yelled at her, still forcing us forward, 'I do!' 

I could hear her growl at me.  Our running began to slow to a jog, and I felt her will try to overpower mine.  

'This is my body!' 

'It's our body,' She growled back, 'and there are two souls in it.  And this body, is mine!' 

We continued to fight, but I continued to get further away from the pack house.  She was not happy with my choices, but I didn't care.  I needed to get out of there.  I needed to breathe.  Hell, I needed to process what just happened and what is going on. 

How would the elders react when they found out about my wolf? 

How would they react knowing that Dark Moon removed the enchanted necklace? 

The necklace.  

It just dawned on me that we still weren't wearing it.  

'Maybe you're right,' Skye agreed, the realization hitting her as well, 'Maybe we don't need to go back to Dark Moon.' 

Suddenly I felt terrified.  I stopped running, and looked back in the direction of the pack house, but now there was hesitation to go back from Skye.  I didn't know what to do.  The terror of being alone as well as my mate pull had me wanting to go back, but the terror of the outcomes from today had me wanting to continue running away.  Sighing to myself I looked in the direction that I'd been heading.  My mind raced at the possibilities.  

What would I do?  Where would I go?  

'We are not becoming rogues,' Skye growled at me.  She sat down at the edge of the riverbank and planted herself.  Sighing I laid down, close enough to the water's edge where I could see myself. 

'We are beautiful,' I admitted to her.  

Skye only huffed in response.  

I rolled over so I could see myself.  My wolf was fairly large, and pure white.  I was muscular in every sense of the word.  Rolling back over, I looked at my reflection in the water.  My eyes were so blue they almost looked metallic.  

That's when I heard something.  Multiple somethings.  I tried sniffing them out, but I wasn't familiar with their scent.  

Rogues?

Achilles POV

I howled into the forest, hoping that she would slow down and come back. 

"Should we go after her?" Sam asked.  

I looked around to the members of the pack that had been engaged in watching Athena and Mira fight, "get back to training." 

They followed my authoritative tone, and Magdalena began to instruct them once more.  Sam still looked at me expectantly.  I waited a few more moments and realized that she wasn't planning on coming back. 

I lunged at the forest, shifting mid-air, and mind linked Sam, 'follow behind.  When we near her, stay back.' 

'Yes Alpha.' 

I bolted into the forest, following her scent.  I could still hear her a few miles south of where we were, and figured that she'd probably try to go to the water to mask her scent.

'If we don't find her at the river bank, head North and follow the river.  I'll continue on South.' 

'Should I alert the others if we cannot find her?' 

'Only the trackers,' I commanded.  'We don't want the elders getting wind of this, or any gossip to spread amongst the pack.' 

'Understood Alpha.' 

We continued to run until we came across the clearing.  Skye was alert and had jumped to the other side of the river bank.  Her eyes were glowing as if she was ready for a fight.  

That's when I realized that she'd never seen us in our wolf forms.  I looked at Sam, letting him know not to follow me, and rather, went to the edge of the river bank by myself.  Skye looked at me, then her eyes began searching the forest behind me. 

'Do you need assistance, Alpha?' 

Kieran.  She must have smelled the patrol. 

'It's a new pack member,' I said to him in response, 'she was going for a run.  Move on.' 

I felt the link close off, and I looked back at her.  She seemed a little more at ease, but was still on alert.   I sighed, remembering that I could not mind link her yet.  I hadn't marked her.  Backing up, I shifted back into my human form.  She watched with curiosity as I neared the river bank again.  She began to growl as I went into the water to come to her.  

Raising my brow I backed up. 

'Mate won't let us near her.' 

'I know, Shadow.  I'm here.' 

'Did you anger our mate?' 

But before I could give a response she went behind a grouping of rocks.  I heard the familiar cracks of a first shift when you go back from wolf to person, and I internally cringed.  She was going to be sore.  

'Sam, run back to the pack house and grab clothes for us.  She won't be able to run back.' 

I heard the familiar noise of him padding away, as she came back into view.  She was covered in dried blood from her fight and first shift.  I honestly couldn't tell what was what.  

"Are you alright?" 

She nodded weakly and leaned against a rock.  I could hear her exhausted, heavy breathing as I raced across to the other side to meet her.  She looked weak.  

She didn't fight me when I reached her.  Instead she fell into my arms, as if that was what she was waiting to do the entire time.  

"Achilles," she whispered. 

"Shh," I pleaded, "your first shift takes a lot out of you.  Just relax for now." 

She nodded as I lifted her bridal style and walked us both back to the river.  Sitting down in a shallow part, I placed her between my legs and began to wash away the dried blood.  She relaxed into my arms, and lay against me as I cupped the water over her body.  

I continued to do so even after she softly fell asleep in my arms, snuggling herself into me as much as she could.  I didn't remove us until she was clean and Sam had returned with clothing for the both of us.  He dropped the bag off and linked me that he would be a few miles ahead of us until we reached the pack house to give us some space.  

I was thankful that my best friend understood.  

"Hey," I said, as I laid her on the rocks by the river's clearing.  She nuzzled into me more, "hey, we have to go back." 

"Can't we stay here forever," she pleaded, wiping the sleep from her eyes.

I wanted to tell her that we could.  Part of me wished that we could.  I would enjoy days like that for the rest of my life if it meant having this kind of peace.  I didn't have any anger.  Or rage.  Or duty.  

Just her. 

"We have to get dressed and go home." 

"I'm too tired to walk." 

"I know," I sighed, kissing her temple, "I'll carry you, don't worry."