The Willow and the Wolf

Chapter Fourteen: A Journey To Remember

Clara opened her eyes. The remembrance of the day prior made her heart heavy and her breath catch in her throat. Her mom and sister. Both long gone, and probably scared. Clara couldn't just sit and do nothing. She had to find them.

After stretching out her arms and legs, Clara sat up and fixed her frizzled, unruly hair.

"We should wake her up-" Clara heard Orion's voice from outside of the tent.

"No. You won't touch her." Cage growled lowly and as Clara stood and walked out of the tent, she rubbed her tired eyes innocently.

"What is going on out here?" Clara asked, her voice husky.

"They-" Angelica started to speak but Cage quickly interrupted. "We were waiting for you to awake. I hope we didn't make too much noise. There is breakfast." He pointed to the roasted rabbit skewered on a stick Callum held by the extinguished fire.

Clara scrunched up her nose as she laid eyes on the cooked rabbit. She had eaten rabbit meat countless times, she simply wanted something different- was that too much to ask?

"If you would like something else, I can-" Cage started, but Clara interrupted him this time.

"No. It's fine. Thank you for this..." She took the stick from Callum and ate some of the meat, suppressing her complaint about the taste.

~~~

Everyone gathered their gear and belongings as Clara ate and drank. She could feel their impatient gazes on her as she threw Orion's bag- her bag over her shoulder, leaving the tent and the rest of the things in it.

"Let's all get two things straight before we venture... Wherever we're going," Clara glanced at everyone.

"Number one: Cage, you need to calm down. Orion didn't do anything to you, so watch it. And number two- if any of you have a problem with me, you need to tell me, because otherwise I'm oblivious. I understand I'm the only human here, and you all think I'm less than, but if you have something to say- say it now, or forever hold your peace."
Cage found Clara's grumpy morning attitude cute. He let out a laugh at her words.

Everyone simply blinked at Clara. Callum was the first to speak. "I'll start first then... I think this 'little helpless girl' facade you have going on, is all a lie. I don't know what you are planning, or what you have done to have this poor excuse of an alpha," Callum pointed to Cage. "Wrapped around your little finger. All I know is that I don't trust you. Kai might, but I don't. As long as you know that, we won't have any problems." He said.

Clara's hands tightened into fists at her sides. Her heart rate was accelerated from the anger she felt. Cage sensed her frustration and he wanted to punish Callum for making her feel that way. He didn't care if it was wrong or right.

Just then, before Cage could give his werewolf pack mate a piece of his mind, Clara said something the rest of the group wasn't expecting.

"I understand how you feel, and I know you may never trust me...But, you shouldn't be so quick to judge someone you just met." She said, taking the moral high route.

No one responded, so Clara spoke again after a moment, "Would anyone else like to say anything?"

There was a pause before Angelica spoke up. "Why are we taking her with us?" She ignored Clara and glanced at Cage.

"That is exactly what I would like to know!"Callum chimed in.

The two pack mates mumbled a few things to each other as they heatedly discussed the redhead with tears brimming in her eyes. She turned away and wiped her tears as she heard Cage's loud, booming voice echo through the clearing.

"ENOUGH!" He almost yelled. Authority and dominance in his tone, a sparkle of anger in his brown eye.

Everyone fell silent.

"Do you two have a death wish?! Because I swear, it sure seems like you do. I will not have either one of you speak to Dani that harshly. She may be a human, but she is also my mate. And if, or until you have me removed as alpha, only then can you disobey me. Don't ever forget that." Cage let out an animalistic growl.

Clara's tears stopped and she fought against the urge to hug the man who graciously stood up for her, not out of pity, but out of care. He cared.

"She is going to slow us down. We could have been halfway to Tallahi territory by now if she wasn't here!" Angelica persisted.

Cage shot Angelica one of his signature death glares and she glanced down, her lips pressing together in a silent line.

"Now that that's over with, Cage I need your opinion..." Kai ushered his brother over to glance at the unfolded map in his hands.

Orion, Daniel and Clara all stood quietly, double checking to make sure they had everything they needed. Clara reached into her pocket to find the item she had picked up from inside of the tent. Her mother's locket. The golden chain was unfortunately broken, most likely having been torn off of Guinevere's neck during yesterday's happenings.

The cool metal sent a chill up Clara's arm as she held the locket in her palm, not wanting anyone to see it. She knew the small pictures inside were of her father. When Clara tried to picture her fathers face, she couldn't. But that was her doing. She never dared to look into the locket, no matter how much she wanted to. No matter how much her father's face faded in her memory, slowly blurring into the past.

Perhaps she didn't want to remember him, and that was the reason she wouldn't allow herself to open the locket. It was for the best, she told herself.

Cage returned to the rest of the group and walked straight towards Clara, his expression unreadable. "Are you ready to go? If you are tired or hungry, we can wait until later to leave." He moved close to her.

"I'm okay Cage, I promise. You know that you are just delaying something that is important. I have to find them." Clara replied.

"I know." Was all Cage said before the group set out towards Tallahi. The ground making a low rustling as each of their heavy steps hit the forest floor.

And now, the real adventure begins.