The Last Pack

Chapter Seven

Robin Carmichael

The days after they came and got me were a whirlwind of activity. Preparing different things for my shift and finishing the rooms that Cameron started building for me and Celeste.
We finished them quickly with the four of us working on them.

As the days passed, I could feel something in my mind and body shifting, something wanted to come out. A missing piece of my life was finally found, though I wasn't sure how I truly felt about it all. I had left the only family I knew, my mom and dad, Helena my older sister, was seventeen, Carlos my recently newborn adopted baby brother, for these three complete strangers that were and were not at the same time.

I was sitting under a great big pine tree near the front of the cabin, when I heard the screech of tires on the dirt road, a loud engine, a smell that was unrecognizable. An unrecognizable car pulled into the driveway.

I scrambled up and slowly ran for the cabin door. Just as I closed the cabin door, I heard the car door open. I was frozen in indecision. Behind me I heard Celeste get up from the couch, Damara coming down the ladder from the attic.

I stepped back as a knock on the door came. The handle rattled as the person knocked again and Damara darted forward and locked the lock and the bolts. Damara silently mouthed to them,

"Quietly get up into the attic you two, Now!"

I softly walked to the ladder and climbed up it. Celeste followed behind me, and together we huddled into the corner near the window. Neither of us dared to look out the window. Fear crept up my spine.

With trembling hands, Celeste grabbed my hand and squeezed. She didn't let go, and I certainly did not mind.

Cameron's POV

I sensed a stranger in the yard, specifically in the front in the driveway. They were in the front of the cabin. I was in back finishing the touches on the outside of the rooms when I heard the tires, unfamiliar tires, an unfamiliar engine, an unfamiliar smell.

I dropped what I had in my hands, and crept towards the front. I heard running foot steps as Robin, ran and darted inside.

Silently cursing, I waited till the stranger got out and knocked on the door. I heard the telltale clicks as Damara locked the door. I silently pleaded that she would send the kids up into the attic.

I heard two, frantically racing, heartbeats up in the attic. Celeste and Robin had made it up there.

"Cameron, showtime, your turn to deal with this problem, I'll cover the inside."

Damara said in my mind link.

"I know. I'm moving."

With that I started whistling and strolled with tools in hand, towards the front door.

The stranger, a youngish looking man, tall, lanky, surprisingly fit, was bouncing up and down on the pads of his feet. The rough, scratched boots, instantly arose a memory in my mind. I knew only one person, more like only one Lycan that wore that kind of boots.

Still unsure I kept moving forward.

"Hello Stranger, how can I help you? What made you come up all this way up to my cabin?"

He turned, looked at me, took off his sunglasses and smiled.

The shock, of who stood before me, froze me. I could not believe it, did not want to believe it. I waited, if he was who I really thought he was, he would respond with something only I knew.

" Hello right back stranger. I came to find a friend. He lives around here, has an irritable sister who would and could attack me if I did anything to her baby brother. Oh, Celestial Ocean."

His eyes brightened and he took a step forward. I embraced him in a bear hug and was left speechless. He was here, he was alive. He was okay. How had I not sensed it was him before? How?

I heard the door unlock and Damara stepped out. Her mouth was hanging open, tears were starting to drip down her face. She took a step forward, reached her hand out as if to touch him, then a step back. Her mind wall had completely fallen. All her emotions flooded forth in my head, the memories. I physically stumbled back from all of it.

My friend caught my arm as I stumbled backwards.

"He-He can't be real. W-W-hy now?! Why!"

Damara screamed at him. But there was no rage in her emotions. It was only sorrow and pain, tears and screams. Images that didn't belong to me, kept flashing through my head as Damara suddenly darted around the house.

Soon her wall was back up, everything seemed to stop, in slow motion I crumpled to my knees and watched, more like heard my sister howl and leave the cabin grounds.

Damara's POV

"Cameron, showtime, your turn to deal with this problem, I'll cover the inside."

I said in my mind link to my brother.

"I know. I'm moving."

He responded. If it wasn't through the mind link, I would have guessed he would have glared at me.

I stayed behind the door. Not needing to try and hear what was going on outside. Didn't need to, Cameron made sure there was no doubt to what he was saying I listened in.

"Hello Stranger, how can I help you? What made you come up all this way up to my cabin?"

There was a pause before the stranger outside answered.

" Hello right back stranger. I came to find a friend. He lives around here, has an irritable sister who would and could attack me if I did anything to her baby brother. Oh, Celestial Ocean."

I couldn't believe it. It could not be, it was a trick. It had to be. My heart refused to believe it otherwise though. It believed it was him. No one else could make it beat the way it did. It had to be his voice....

My mind was in a haze as I heard them hugging. I felt my brothers joy. I felt nothing but my heart beating, the pounding of the blood in my veins.

One by one I unlocked the locks on the door. It was as if I was moving in slow motion. And when I opened the door, stepping outside of the cabin, unknown tears on my face, I saw the face of a man I never thought I would see again.

I felt my mouth hanging open, tears were starting to drip down my face. I took a step forward, then a step back. The wall around my mind was gone. It was something I could not control with the haze in my mind. The memories that were flooding back. I took a step forward, wondering if it was a mirage, if he was really here. I reached my hand out, to touch, to see if he was real.

Those eyes, the hair, the lips. The way his eyes were wide with surprise. His gentle, soft timid smile he directed towards me.

I took a step back, closing and reach my hand back away. It had to be impossible. Why hadn't Cameron sensed him? Why hadn't I? He had used the code, used that phrase. It had so much more meaning to it then Cameron knew.

I caught myself looking at him again. I couldn't, I had to, I had to....

"He-He can't be real. W-W-hy now?! Why!"

I screamed at him. But there was no rage in my heart, my emotions. It was only sorrow and pain, tears and screams. Images that I could not keep down, kept flashing through my head.

I ran towards the back of the cabin, not looking back as I shifted, not caring if I tore my clothes this time. None of that mattered.

Soon my wall was back up, everything seemed to stop, in slow motion as I ran away from the cabin.

I howled. Mournful and long, deeply sad and morose.

I kept running and didn't look back.