The sound of twigs burning was echoing in the cave.

Thomas had covered the little fire with rocks to save it from the wind that was reaching inside to us. The sudden silence from outside was showing that it had stopped raining but not properly. The little rain drops were still busying the night.

After convincing me to not feel guilty about wishing to cross the border, Thomas thought about taking a look at my feet when I had winced in between the talk.

"Is it bad?" I was worried about not being able to run with my full energy.

Thomas observed my left foot and clicked his tongue. "Just need some warmth. But first, I'll have to wash the dirt off."

He got up immediately and walked towards the exit of the cave. I was on alert, watching him returning with rainwater in his big palms. He poured the water on my feet, making two more rounds and repeating the process.

He tried to remove the dirt off my feet with the tip of his finger when a loud wince escaped from me.

Why did it feel like the condition of my feet was worst than he was showing?

"Oh, come on. We just need to wrap them. The cold dirt and continuous running, not a piece of cake. Is it?" He said while looking around and patting his pockets. He was probably looking for some spare cloth.

He was in jeans and a T-shirt. While I had an extra cloak. A warm one.

"Will this work?" I asked while removing the cloak and forwarding it to him.

He nodded slightly and took the cloak from me. "How have been the days?"

My eyes observed his actions in the faint light coming from the little fire. He held the hem of the cloak to spread it a little and stretched his hand with a jolt.

His nails protruded into large claws with a swish sound, making my eyebrows raise in endearment. I rubbed the goosebumps on my forearms slowly.

"They are far behind the time; behind the world outside the border," I mumbled absentmindedly, watching him cutting down three to four straps of the cloak beginning from the hem. "I have been going insane."

"You won't anymore," said Thomas while rubbing the straps against his jeans to wash off any dirt from them.

His words held the confidence with which they made this plan. They were comforting but even now, I couldn't just stay calm. I would only be when we would across the border.

I had spent more than a month living in the same room with Karam. I could never understand how he could sneak in and out of that room without making a sound and be alert all the time. There also had been many instances when I had observed that I couldn't just fool him so easily.

He had found me in that forest when I was looking for Chelsea. He had been able to hear my screams from the temple too.

Tonight, I didn't have the intention to fool or betray him. I was simply gone. Disappeared. I was desperate to meet Eva and Keira. I hadn't even thought the possibility of me going along with them.

But Karam had raised the reputation in my heart for him in these past weeks by his advanced thoughts and unpredictable acts. I couldn't digest that after being all loving and sweet to me during the bonfire party, he won't be able to sniff the absence of my scent on his large bed.

Every night, we would sleep in each other's arms. Even if I'd get up to leave for washroom, on my return, he'd be awake to pull me to him for cuddles.

My eyelids twitched at feeling the extreme pain under my feet. I was staring at the fire when sound of pea-sized rocks hitting the ground reached my ears. Thomas was removing them from my feet and I was too scared to take a look at them by myself.

Thomas rubbed the strap against my feet to clean it all and finally started wrapping the other strap around it.

It hurt like a bitch.

With the way he was changing sides of the cloth with which he was cleaning my feet under the shadow of his hand for me to not see, I knew there was bleeding too. But I was able to control my winces because of the fear of Karam that was growing every second in my heart.

I had to be smart and not waste this chance of meeting my loved ones. Chelsea and other old brides spent blood, sweat and tears to have this much communication with their old packs.

I had the golden chance.

I was supposed to make the most of it, keeping in mind how powerful the Lycans were.

"Thomas?" I called out after a lot of thinking.

My little brother was caught up in treating my other foot. Yet he replied with a sweet hum.

"There's a temple of Severa up high in the large mountains towards the east of this territory," I began while his eyebrows narrowed and ears peeked up at the sudden information.

"I got the chance to visit it with him. Severa used to pray there in her youth. Her mother was a mystic and thus, the influence. Just like our Alpha Rucus, there is this big statue of Severa, inside the temple, directly looking towards the direction of our pack," I described while watching his body turning stiff slowly. 

Thomas pretended to look relaxed. But I could see through his demeanor. He was hell surprised and curious.

He knotted the ends of the strap and sat back on the rock before placing my feet properly on the ground.

Even though my feet still ached, it was relieving to know that they were now cleaned and bandaged.

"I searched for the ashes there," I told him, still not getting any expected response. He was unmoving and quiet. 

He was probably having something else in his mind along with listening to my words. He looked around and after a pause, started removing his shoes.

"Did you find anything?" He asked while opening his laces.

"There was nothing," I told him.

Thomas removed his socks and threw them in a puddle of water a little far away. He placed the shoes in front of me. "Put your foot inside," he suggested while giving me a glance.

I was confused. "You're not wearing them?"

"You'll be faster," he reasoned while giving me a serious look. "I'll be fine anyway. I am a werewolf. Remember?"

I blinked and started wearing the shoes one by one. His expressions had turned quite serious and it was stressing me out. Was it because of my revelation? Though, his tone was still warm and comforting.

"Why didn't you look for it in the whole temple?" He asked curiously and got off the rock to get closer to me and tie my laces.

I felt scared a little before telling him anything. After all, I was spilling some ancient secrets that Lycans had succesfully hid from them from centuries. No one across the border must be aware of this.

I wasn't sure if those mystic dancers could observe all these years that there was a cult-like thing called Severans in this pack.

By telling him about the temple, I was putting his life in danger too in some way. I felt extremely guilty and worried about it.

I still had to make sure to not reveal about Uncle Joran's existence. I just couldn't ignore Chelsea's warnings.

So, I chose the right words carefully.

"The females who have mates outside the border take care of the temple. It was hard to do more in their watch," I explained slowly.

"What?" Thomas looked confused after he finished tying my laces and sat back at the rock. He started placing more twigs in the fire that he had brought in between from outside carefully. "The females don't live with their families?"

"They do," I told him. "But on the weekends during these days of celebration. In between the months and during full moons when they need each other's sympathy, they lock themselves in the temple."

Thomas gave me a look full of blankness. "Then, how did Pete's mate reached the border that night? It was full moon. Wasn't it?" He whispered the logic quickly and gave me a raise of eyebrows.

It was heartwarming to see that Pete's mate was an important topic nonetheless.

I nodded in agreement. "She must have escaped from the temple and ran away to the border."

"She must have been punished," said Thomas, thinking about it. "Their Alpha was talking about it during the fourth night too."

"I know," I whispered, thinking of what more could I reveal to him. "If there's no ash in the temple, I didn't know where else to look for it."

"The houses?" He asked while rolling his tongue inside his mouth.

I shook my head. "They are just living spaces. Simple and every corner is being used. It will be impossible to do it anyway."

The silence settled for a moment.

Thomas looked serious when he was staring at the fire with his eyebrows all furrowed.

I noticed his controlled reaction to each word I was saying. His eyes were going back and forth from his wrist watch to sniffing the air at different intervals. It felt like the time to leave the cave was coming closer. Because the wind outside had started to sound stronger.

"I don't think the packs should continue sending the females here," I said, observing his eyebrows raising at me in seriousness. The sea-green eyes now really paid attention. "The cost-benefit ratio of sacrificing lives to search for barely two-three clues, doesn't sit well. I know each drop in this ocean of research has mattered. But it shouldn't happen anymore."

"We have no other way to look for the remains, Misty. The pain of always being stuck here killed her. We want to bring her to where was meant to be."

Thomas blinked when I nodded in agreement. "But do you think that Lycans don't know about this spy thing? They mark their mates and won't know about this training?"

"As if we haven't thought about it," said Thomas, passing me a sad smile. "You think Stephen and father wouldn't have given it a thought. Even if it is going way too slow, it is still working. They have been trained to hide particular memories and thoughts."

"Not everyone must have been succesful," I mumbled quietly.

"It is the only way we can afford at the moment. Stopping it would bring more sins on our pack for separating the mates," he stated actively. "Things are slow but somehow still progressing."

"I don't see it happening," I told him truthfully. "Alvena's mate is too hard on her. She has given up on her old pack and now, these Lycans are her family. She has no interest in looking for the ashes because she too believes in Severa's power now."

Thomas stayed quiet, listening to me with full focus.

"Severa hated her brothers for being monstrous to Alpha Rucus' pack and later, not even feeling guilty about trying to kill him. She hated her mate too for bringing this border into existence and not caring that she was trapped here," I told him while sucking in a breath. "There's only one way to solve this and that way is to have a sincere talk with the Ly—"

Thomas looked away while letting out a sarcastic chuckle. "It's not happening. They won't agree—"

"You all think that it can only happen by the help of the females. But in reality, you all can make it happen by—"

Thomas shook his head while looking in my eye. "We cannot trust them again after what happened to the males earlier."

"That wasn't a betrayal," I stated while raising my eyebrows to emphasize. "Didn't you just say that no one can cross the border after the mark?"

Thomas froze by my words and looked blank for a moment.

I gave him a serious look. "Next year, don't let them sacrifice another female. The Alpha doesn't have a heir. Things would take a dramatic turn here if the cousins have an eligible male and these four descendants of Ronyn don't. Do you hear me?"

His lips parted when I explained, "The Alpha and the second brother have three daughters each. No males. Thus, they are stressing the responsibility on. . ." I gulped hard as my heart shook while remembering all the moments whenever Amelia had poked the topic. ". . . on us."

His mouth opened wide and he gave me a disturbed look. "You are talking as if we won't be able to succeed tonight. You are crossing the border. Have faith in us—"

"Just in case."

It took all of my heart to control crumbling and throat to not shake while saying those words out for him.

Thomas' jaws clenched and eyes turned glossy. His nostrils flared while saying, "If Pete gets closer to the houses here, the scent might reach his mate. The amount of triggers they have had in these past years by being able to feel each other's presence once or twice, it will be hazardous for the female if she smells his scent by any chance tonight. She might die."

Chill ran down my spine when he grabbed my hand with both of his hands.

"As Pete won't be there to take care of her like it should be in a parallel world, she might die. There are ways to take care of sufferings like these but what if she is one of those females from the cult you told me about. The pain of longing would be too much for her. Okay? That's what Severa must have had felt. That's what Nathan felt, Stephen said. That's what Willis might have felt."

I couldn't even breathe in the pity I felt for Pete and his mate.

"Our brother is sacrificing his mate's life and ready to break his own soul, to make it up to you. If he hadn't given you up that night, anyone else from the packs would have done that anyway. Lunas and Alphas of other packs were determined to not upset Moon Goddess' dearest Lycans. But now, he is here to wake you up from this nightmare. Don't spoil the spirit by believing in Lycan's supremacy, Misty."

He reminded, "Leo can't move more than just his neck. It all happened because Pete's mate was at the borders. Imagine now when he is in the same territory as hers."

Goosebumps risen on my arms.

"Things could get wickedly horrifying if they don't go as planned. Keep your mind alert and smart as you always have been. We need your will and cooperation to make this happen," he requested while staring at me. 

The corner of my eyes filled up with tears while he gave me an encouraging look.

My lower lip trembled when he pulled me in for a hug and patted my back from over the cloak. "You are the bravest female I know. I learn from you. I found my true self when you came home," he said while rubbing my back.

I sniffled softly when he confessed, "It was you who taught me that I could make jokes and goof around in a world full of serious and ambitious Werewolves. Because of you, I could loosen up. I was happy to have someone in family who could show people mirror right on the spot and yet be kind too."

He felt taller now that I couldn't really reach his shoulder. He added, "The Alpha of Lycans saw it all with his own eyes. The packs were fighting for you. We were trying to save you. He saw the chaos and so did your mate. They know what gem they have in their pack now. Of course, they'd be careful about you. But shame on us, if even after being so ahead in time and world, we don't outdo them tonight."

He let out a sincere sigh while pulling away from the hug.

Think of Goon. . . Moon Goddess. She might have given us unbearable and aged mates who wear black lipstick and keep bushy beard. But she loves us anyway."

I rolled my eyes while nodding sarcastically.

He shrugged his shoulder and gave a goofy smile. "Well, let's just pretend she does."

I immediately took the chance to say, "Let Natalie live there in the city with Gran unless there's an emergency. Okay? I feel as if this was what she might be needing all this time."

Thomas was frustrated from my words being said in the fear if the things might not go as they had planned. He started scratching his forehead while looking down at the fire in denial.

"A break from all the Werewolf environment where she was continuously being pampered and ironically being ignored as the youngest pup, it's good for her," I wondered while wiping the corner of my eyes. "Moreover, Gran is having an interesting company."

"Misty, we have to leave. The storm is rising," said Thomas while ignoring my words and shifting the wet sand over the little fire.

I grabbed his hand before it could get too dark for me. He guided me to get up and walk ahead. But I didn't move before looking at him with all seriousness.

"Tell Mom that I am not upset with her over the past. I understand and have gotten over everything," I repeated each word from mind to him. "I now have a family that'd do so much for me. You all tried to come here and all that longing I felt in the past is now forgotten. I have new happy memories."

"Misty, enough!" Thomas raised his tone and grabbed my shoulder calmly. "Stop it. You're going to tell her everything yourself. She has been dying to see you."

A faint thunder echoed outside in the forest, making us alert.

I still managed to say, "Tell Mom that Gran and I have always been fine about her relationship with your father."

Thomas didn't like the way I addressed Gilbert. His finger twitched.

I still continued, "We were never angry with in the first place. She always held this guilt on her face while talking to me. She doesn't have to feel that way anymore. As long as she is happy and he loves her. . ."

Thomas sucked in a breath and hung his head low in silence. "Anything more for your will? Like who's gonna keep the house after Gran's gone? Any last words for your neighbours, classmates. . . "

I wanted to smile but it didn't even come to that. I was that serious about this fear of getting caught, creeping me out.

"Don't turn into someone these Lycans have been wanting you to be," he said in a serious tone while shaking our joined hand encouragingly. "Stephen would be so disappointed if he'd seen you behaving this way. If father had been here, he'd have growled this fear out from your head—"

I stayed quiet.

Thomas shook his head and gave me a glance. "This is the time. We are going to run. The sound of rain will cover us. You don't have to stop by any means. Just keep running to the west. No matter what. Even if you hear any of us getting strangled, Misty. You won't stop. The rest will happen with the flow. Got it?"

I checked the fitting of the shoes by taking a step on the same place. They were bigger than my size.  There was no way I'd be running faster without dragging my limping-self and looking funny as hell.

Another wave of thunder struck the sky. Thomas cracked his knuckles of the right hand and his neck on both sides. He nodded while releasing a faint lowest growl through the nose.

It kind of prepared me for the worst. His expressions were telling me that the way wasn't clear this time.

"Let's go."

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The rain was heavier this time. Each drop on head felt like a stone.

I couldn't see anything. It was only the sound of Thomas' footsteps into the puddle of water and guiding my hand in one direction, that kept me going.

"It's not advantageous," said Thomas while leaving my hand and removing a branch from the way. "I can't smell the scent of our sisters."

I couldn't see much in the dark. But I knew that he had thrown away a heavy branch of a tree on the side to clear our path.

It must be half an hour since we left the cave. But there was no sign of Keira and Eva.

"What do we do then?" I asked worriedly.

Thomas grabbed my hand again. "Continue running to the west."

It felt like we were running on a treadmill.

Time was passing quickly.

But the rain and night was still with us.

Checking the left side, there was no sign of big ground behind Karam's room, signing that we had reached inside the forbidden jungles. They'd led us to the Southern Pack.

"Careful," said Thomas while pulling me to the side. "There's a big rock."

We kept running, drenched in rain, shivering in cold, and unable to connect to Eva and Keira.

"This area hadn't been mapped. I don't know what lies ahead. We'll have to careful. Okay?" Thomas warned gently in my ear while I started freaking out.

I left his hand and grabbed his elbow instead. We kept running somehow while his head was continuously moving around, even at the back.

A moment passed with the sound of rain staying that loud. But the drops weren't hitting us with the same force.

"The canopy is thick," Thomas muttered while looking up.

A faint scream escaped my mouth. "I stepped on something. Was it a squirrel?" I squeaked out.

Thomas looked back at the way while we kept running. "A dead lamb. It looks old though. Probably, a scene from two-three days ago."

My heart twisted inside from the view I imagined and kept gulping the nausea I felt.

Silence accompanied us inside the jungle while outside, the rain was still strong.

We had slowed down a little because I couldn't breathe anymore. It was better than just sitting down and taking a break. After that incident with one of the patrolling team Lycan, I couldn't risk it again.

I didn't even know if Eva and Keira had been able to handle that Lycan.

Misty. . .

My whole drenched self stopped in tracks.

Thomas observed me and looked around in confusion.

Misty. . .

The voice was feminine.

Oh God! No. Not at this time.

"Misty, what's wrong?" Thomas asked worriedly while continuously looking around.

What was not wrong?

From my head to my feet, I felt frozen. I couldn't move.

The sudden gust of wind from both sides crossed us dramatically, emphasizing the third call.

This one came right behind my right ear with the wind, shaking my soul.

Misty. . .

The loud scream that escaped me had echoed around the whole jungle.

Thomas gasped and looked back at the part of jungle we had crossed.

"Misty! Run!" He said while grabbing my hand.

Without a thought, I did as he told with tears leaving my eyes.

"Faster! Straight!" He shouted while I followed his words blindly.

Not even five minutes passed of running to save our lives when the loud sound of murderously calm growls echoed from behind.

"No!" I whimpered while Thomas gripped my hand tighter.

It felt like my heart would burst from this much fright.

All of a sudden, two rays of silver light crossed through us to ahead in the way. We looked back and froze as the Jeep came closer.

Only then I recognised that the sound was actually of the vehicle.

"You scared the shit out of me," Thomas said in a dry, wailing voice because of continuous running. "I peed my pants."

My eyes stayed frozen on Pete's face sitting in the driver seat, looking bigger from when I had seen him last time.

His face had changed. The eyes. They never looked so serious and scary.

He didn't show a single emotion and stayed quiet. My eyes observed his big muscles because of sleeveless white vest he had worn. How could he get this bulkier within one month?

"Come on, Sisty." Thomas grabbed my forearms so I could easily climb up on the Jeep. But he didn't waste time and carried me up and just put me inside like I was a doll. I stabled myself in the seat and felt my whole soul shaking.

The seat beside Pete was left free. I was in the middle one. Thomas climbed on the open space behind me.

"Five seconds, it is. Hurry!" Thomas guided actively while looking at the back. "Misty, get the belt."

I did it hurriedly and grabbed the handle behind the seat to save my life. Because Pete was silently driving into a black hole, it seemed. Even the head lights couldn't pierce this darkness. The speed was way too faster than I had ever experienced.

Both my brothers were with me.

It had slowly started to sink in my heart that I was close to the border. I had only dared to feel the little relief when Pete let out a faint sneer.

"It's going way too smooth to be real," he said, making my heart fall down in a groundless pit.

"The rain has stopped," warned Thomas quickly. 

I looked up but couldn't see anything. It only twirled my mind because of the immense speed.

My blood started to turn cold.

"I hear the breathing," said Pete while clenching his jaws and focusing hard on the road ahead. "Someone's following us."

We're about to fly soon.

"Misty's all drenched," replied Thomas worriedly. "No one can smell her or any of us."

Pete slowed down all of a sudden only for the two figures to jump on the Jeep from the trees in the way.

The stunt was too much for my heart to take.

Keira jumped from the hood of the Jeep to the seat beside Pete and looked back at me. Her long yellow skirt had blocked my view until she finally settled. 

"It's the blood," she grunted while looking ahead.

Thomas and I gasped and looked back at Eva who was now in different clothes. I could see the outlines of dark tank top in the dark. She was panting and looking around cautiously.

The speed was blowing our hair crazily.

"Are you hurt?" I whimpered in the fright.

Thomas jumped up a little at the sudden faint growl we heard from the distance.

Keira turned her head to answer me.

"It's a Lycan's blood."

My eyes widened and mouth opened in dread.

A sudden vibration happened along with a ring at the front. Keira bent a little to check a drawer in front of her. It was a phone.

Oh God! I thought I'd never see a gadget again.

"Nirvan's message. We are hundred and a twenty kilometres away from the border," she screeched because of the loud bump that came.

All of us had bounced. It was a thin branch of the tree.

My head hit the seat ahead. But the pain came from the info.

"That's too much. It's the same way from where they'd brought me the very first night. They were bare foot. I had fainted," I shouted through the air.

They all turned silent while my heart beats started drumming louder.

"We have to cover the distance anyway," Keira yelled with the force of the wind while looking at Pete. "Alpha?"

Their tones seemed way too scary to me. Ambitious and Active.

"Call the mystics out," ordered Pete darkly in a straight tone while Thomas stood up at the back of the Jeep.

I looked behind to watch him. But Eva cupped my head. "That ring changes the scene," she complimented in a light tone. "You look sharp."

"Is Leo recovering well?" I asked immediately.

Another bump came and we all were forced to jump. I kept holding the seat.

"Pete will describe you," she taunted while Keira looked back at us. "He kept visiting us daily."

"Really? Now?" She scolded while Eva huffed a little.

Thomas screeched his claws against the jeep's door making us cringe.

"Shut it for a second!"

We did and he stood straight against the wind and the speed.

My young little brother gritted his teeth and looked up, the veins popping out from his neck as the light from the side mirrors reflected it all.

The faint sound rumbled his chest, I watched. It blew out into the loudest howl I had heard.

The sound of birds flying away reached my ears. The howl could be heard again and again because of the gusts of winds crossing us from different directions like some enchanting land that we had entered.

My heart vibrated while in my peripheral vision, I saw Eva's eyes glowing golden.

I looked up to see Thomas's orbs holding the same fire. His canines had protruded out.

Eva growled behind me, checking her sharp claws. I looked ahead and saw a rough sneer escaping from Keira. Her hair blowing beautifully while I knew how dangerous she might be looking from the front.

It all seemed real, this escape. It finally felt that I wasn't dreaming.

But I still wasn't having a good feeling about this.

It felt like deja vu.

The same ride. The same chase.

The same thrill. The same escape.

In the end, it was all for nothing.

No matter how much Thomas had convinced me to believe in Pete's sincerity, he still looked like the selfless Alpha who'd put pack before anything.

The Alpha brother who'd throw me to the Lycans again if he'd have to.

He hadn't even looked at me in the eye for a second. Not even a word.

I couldn't blame him as we were dealing with unfavourable circumstances.

I just couldn't feel relieved. Especially when he narrowed his eyes and fastened the speed, making it literally a bumpy rollercoaster ride.

"Gear up," he ordered right before a loud monstrous growl came from far behind. It had shaken all of my soul. I could feel the sudden havoc in my heart physically. "It's our Lycan brother-in-law."

All I wanted to do in that moment was disappear into another realm.

_______

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This is a long chapter.
I hope, you liked it.

Will update soon.