Inhumane

029

DAMON

If I could return to any point in time and start over, I probably would have picked the day Paige stabbed me in the side. At first, I would have considered the day I went to the party and recognized a scent on a packmate's clothes. That scent was Paige's, and those clothes were on the body of Tye. But if I had gone back to that day, I would have killed Tye, and we would have never discovered the truth about Paige's late mother. Nor would we have uncovered the depth of her father's evil.

But if I really could have gone back in time to one particular instance, it would have been right before she stabbed me. Not like I could have stopped Cody from his domination, but I would have explained. I could have drawn her in close, showed her my world, properly. How much I wish that I could have. It hurt to recall, knowing the pain and suffering that was to follow.

I wanted to save her from the continuous pain that plagued her. I wanted to take it away.

Something told me that she would have believed me if I had told her. If I had shown her what I really was, peeled back my fur and exposed the skin beneath, she wouldn't have run. Before the bear attack, she had been on the fence between us and them. After the bear, she fell to the other side. Things happen for weird and roundabout reasons. I wanted to scold the Luna for the fate she had dealt Paige.

My thoughts drifted as I stood, a hand rested over the new mark that Paige had left me with, and watched her run away into the forest. Something in my gut urged me to follow her. I never wanted her to leave my side again. Nonetheless, duty calls. As the three disappeared from view, my hand fell limp to my side. The tumult was growing inside of me, this wasn't the time to be split apart.

I looked over to Cody knowing full well his feelings reflected mine. We exchanged a look.

"They're going to be fine," Cody said, more to comfort himself. 

"I know," I responded, trying to do the same. 

"We need to go to the training cabin and compile our information, then we will round up the Pack."

It was only a ten-minute run back to the heart of our territory from our spot on the perimeter. The training cabin looked massive and sleepy in the dull early afternoon light. The windows were dim and reflected the black-looking Evergreens. We climbed the steps to the front door, pausing to knock the clods of snow from our boots on the railing before we entered. Inside it was much warmer than the biting late Winter air. Shoving the door shut behind me, I followed Cody to his office that was just down the hall from my own. His was much larger, though he spent about half the amount of time in the building in comparison to me. 

The plans were already spread across the massive oak table that was placed right in the middle of the room. Every visible inch of surface was covered by maps and sketches and lists. We had compiled everything we could find on Samuel and his father. It had taken weeks, but we collected accounts of his attacks on other Packs, all of which were scattered and sparse. There were hardly ever survivors of the packs he attacked, and thus no one to tell the story. The number of packs slaughtered because of the human men and others like them was extensive. We had called around too, trying to find allies. But no one wants to take part in mass suicide, so hastily, each Pack declined. 

I refused to believe that this war would end in our Pack's fail. Deep down, I knew there would be tragedy, there would always be tragedy. Yet, I couldn't help but see this play out through the lens of hope. I hoped that Paige had brung about something that would ultimately result in fewer Hunters in the future. Maybe even none. All I knew was that Samuel and his clan were at the top of their artificial food chain, and we could take them down for good. Maybe other packs would be inspired to do the same.