Lycans Of The Woods

Chapter 23

"This will just be a few minutes." Yanneek slowed the jeep to a halt as he spoke, and I watched as he stepped out of the vehicle, a hand searching through a pocket of his pants.

Twisting around in my seat allowed me to see that several other jeeps, with warriors of the Wildeland Pack, had joined us. Grimacing, I too got out of the vehicle, legs uncomfortably stiff from not moving for so long.

I walked a few feet away from the gas pumps, absent-mindedly listening to the voices of those who had recently joined us and came to a stop at a shop nearby, which windows were partially barred; the shop was evidently long abandoned.

The shelves that I managed to see were completely bared, and a few empty wrappers laid on the dusty floor. An old, strange smell grew when I pressed closer to the window, to take a further look inside, and I immediately staggered back at the scent when it hit me.

"Are you alright?"

Elijah's voice reached my ears and I turned to face him. A hint of a smile was on his lips, and dark eyes watched me steadily as I gave a half-hearted nod.

"There is some food that was prepared in case you were hungry," Elijah told me, and it was then that I noticed the duffle bag in his hand. He gestured that I take it, which I reluctantly did. A wrapped sandwich was revealed to me, as well as a bottle of water.

"Hannes and I were made aware of you in that prison by Alec last night," Elijah said, retrieving the now empty bag from me. "We figured that you both did not have anything to eat throughout that time and this morning."

I nodded, the weight of the sandwich heavy in my hand. "Thank you."

Elijah's face momentarily shuttered at my words, as if displeased, but he managed a small smile. "Of course."

He shifted on his feet, and his boots scraped against the pebbled ground.

"A word of advice, Olivia."

My body immediately stiffened, and I looked expectantly up at him. Any hint of playfulness had vanished and although I sensed he had no ill-will towards me, my stomach nonetheless began to twist.

"If you choose to leave the pack again, tell someone. No one has any intentions of stopping you, but you could very well find yourself in a much worse situation than you had been in previously," Elijah's eyes narrowed as my own did when he spoke, and the sounds of engines starting richocted behind us, but he did not look away, not just yet. "Do not be as naive as you were before." 

Coldness settled in my chest. "Naive?" I whispered, head tilting.

"You left the pack with people you barely knew." Elijah responded with equal quietude and building anger like my voice held.

"And I was in a pack with lycans I know little of." I hissed, taking a step closer to the Beta, but he held up a hand.

"I have no intentions of arguing with you," Elijah said, nose flaring. "But take heed to my words, Olivia."

I watched him walk away, striding confidently towards a jeep, one which Lilith sat in as well. He opened the back door, and I barely saw a glimpse of a sleeping Alec inside, before it closed again.

"Olivia!" Yanneek called my name and my eyes followed his movements as he circled his vehicle and entered the driver's seat. My body rocked as uncertainty grew, and I could feel my fingers becoming cold, not because of the weather, but because of stress.