The Run

17 - Grace

I sit watching Amelia sleep. Caden and I decided to keep her in the cave where its safest, that way Ragers couldn't find her and all she had to do was run for the cabin. That is if it came to that.

"Will this plan work?" I ask one more time and get a reassuring smile from Caden.

"There were only a few Ragers remember. Between the traps and the two of us we will be able to get rid of them." Caden asnwers and I nodd gently, looking to the note I left for Amelia, a sad smile playing at my lips as I remember the two of us as pups learning about Ragers.

"Alpha, what are Ragers." My tiny twelve year old voice fills the office as Amelia and I sit looking at a clay model of The Run.

"Well Grace, Ragers are rogues who claim as many mates as they can to grow their sort of pack." Alpha states and I tilt my head confused.

"But rogues don't have packs, they  can't get along enough to work as a pack." Amelia states beside me.

"But there are some who create small packs and, unfortunately, participate in The Run. Some use this as a chance to return to a pack and others claim shewolve to grow their rogue packs." Alpha adds on and I nodd understanding some of it.

Ragers want power or pack.

I sigh softly and look at Caden, stretching softly as I walk towards the exit, memories rushing through my head of the warnings that we were told about Ragers.

If you see them, run.

If they find you, fight.

If they claim you, kill yourself.

The last one is used only if they wanted to make you a pawn in the rogue pack. If they claim you to return to a pack then give them the benefit of the doubt, but watch them carefully.

The plan was simple, I will swim towards the edge we disappeared to and walk around the forest area in my wolf form or naked, trying to gain their attention.

From there I lead them to trap after trap until they are gone, then its back here to get Amelia and our stuff and run.

Caden will be there to help push them into traps and keep me safe.

But we both knew we were running out of time.

Five nights left of the blue moon.

Five nights to get to the lodge safely before the blue magic swirls away just as it came.

The sound of the waterfall reaches my ears and I shift, diving into the water and swimming under the waterfall before surfacing near the edge.

Stepping onto the shore I shake my fur out and look back at the waterfall, praying that Amelia stay hidden and safe.

"You really do look like a fish in the water." A voice says behind me and I turn to face Caden, padding over to where he is and nudging my head against his chest.

"You'll be fine Lady Silver. I promised I wouldn't let anything happen to you or Amelia and I wont." He adds and I nodd.

Howls erupt from the forest and I shiver, recognizing them as the Ragers and a small growl merges from my throat.

"Stick to the plan and I'll be here to protect you." He reassures, rubbing a spot behind my ear, making a soft pur replace my growl.

He moves away from me and I miss his warmth.

Wait. I missed his warmth?  I freeze in my spot as the thought runs through my mind.

A lick to my cheek breaks me from my thought and I turn to see Caden's golden wolf look at me, a frown on his face. I give him a wolfish grin and nudge his side before nodding three times, our signal to start the plan.

With a sigh I stretch my legs, then trott into the forest, heading near the howls.

Minutes passed and I walk around the forest, keeping close to where I hope was a trap until finally a growl from my left catches my attention.

With a quick sniff to the air I shudder.

It was a Rager.

I hear his foot steps get closer and I stood still, waiting.

The Rager was slowly getting closser to me and when I felt how close he really was I turn and ran, racing towards the trap.

The sounds of some one crashing through the forest behind me confirmed that the Rager was behind me, hunting me.

I had to stay just ahead of him.

More howls and rushed foot steps sound behind me and I knew this Rager had linked his friends. Now I had more after me.

Something I haven't felt in a long time flows into me as I let fear guid me towards the trap.

I was scared because I realized we had miscalculated the amount of Ragers. There had to be about six or seven after me.

If I was in my human form I knew I would be crying.