Blood Rose

24

"Have you even gone to school at all?" I asked randomly, dodging a branch that was swung back towards my back. Cleo looked back at me for a second and gave me a small glare, matching her pace with mine so we were side by side.

"Not the kind of school you have. But that doesn't make me stupid, I just don't know formulas but then again why would I need to for basic survival?" I raised my hands and looked back at the boys that were a couple yards back. They were so damn slow when they were talking, especially if it's about business. "So how are you feeling after yesterday?"

"Better, my strength coming back slowly."

"So why do you think the fairy poisoned you?" That's a fair question that I don't have the answer to.

"Maybe as a warning? Or they just wanted to show how easy it is for them to take away our power."

"Would it affect everyone though? That's the question, whether or not they can steal the power from the titles."

"I am a title though."

"But your power comes from a mutation in your DNA. There's is embedded in their DNA, a code made specifically for them. You only have power from a defect of poison." I stayed silent, the only noise from the boys chatter and the crunch of leaves and dirt beneath our feet.

"What do they want from us?" I finally spoke, Cleo sighing.

"Werewolves hold the highest power in the supernatural world. The fae probably want to steal that away, starting with the strongest pack in the world." That didn't make me feel better.

"What do you think they'll do with us if they win?"

"I don't want to think about it, Naomi." I looked at her somber face and decided to drop it. We stopped by the same river that me and Fox mated by and sat on a log, waiting for the boys to catch up.

"We should play a game." Cleo suggested when the boys were in front of us and silent. I forgot she was only fifteen, and I suddenly felt bad for scaring her with all these questions. I guess complying to a game would make up for it. She was still so young, too youthful to face these life threatening challenges.

"Okay, what did you have in mind?"

"Hide and seek tag, the classic children's party game." I grinned at her suggestion and looked at the boys, quirking a brow.

"Team hide and seek, boys versus girls." I stood up and brushed the dirt off my butt and legs. "Girls hide first." We didn't even give them a chance to say no before we both ran in different directions and before I actually started looking I made sure they had their eyes closed.

I looked around, coming short of places. I was wearing a red flannel with the sleeves pushed up and tucked into my black shorts, so being camouflaged wasn't an advantage I would have. Instead of being an idiot and hiding behind a tree I started climbing the tallest tree I could spot and stopped when I reached the crook of the branches where they all sprouted. I could hear them warning they were done counting in the distance and I slowed my breathing.

After several minutes of nothing but forest noises I started to worry. What if something happened, like the fae trapped in here with us found them and took them. Oh god-maybe I should go find them.

I stopped my movements when footsteps on the forest floor came into my hearing range and I looked around, spotting Fox looking around. I held my breath, knowing his senses were more advanced than other werewolves and could probably hear my breathing. Oh shit, I didn't even think about my heart beat. He said he could hear it one time.

"I can hear your heart beat, Naomi." He teased and I held my breath tighter.

How do you know if it's actually me? I mind-linked him.