Those In The Forest

Part 32: Hazel

A couple of days later

"Alan is back, and he's looking for you. All of you." Avah said, sitting on the island counter, she had a sheet wrapped around her nude body.

          Ivy tensed beside me. I placed my hand on her quiver thigh, hoping my slight touch would bring her some comfort.

          "What does he want with us?" Iris asked, confused.

          Reagan was up in our room throwing a fit because of an argument we had about her not wanting to be naked in front of us. The good news is she already ate, so we didn't have to worry about that. Our Elders and Alphas took that opportunity to tell us about the Dolin pack situation.

          "Reagan is... scary for him, which isn't shocking. He is a control freak, and he can't control her." Karina said, sighing. "He wants Ivy back in his pack. He wants to do the ritual that will break her ties with us and tie her back to him. But because of Reagan and you all, it will make things harder."

          I snarled lowly. "He abandoned her! He wanted her dead. He saw her as nothing but an abomination. What the fuck does he want with our mate?!"

          Ivy put her hand over mine that occupied her thigh. When I looked over at her, she gave me a soft smile.

          Rose growled lowly from the other side of the table. She might actually get to him and kill him before me.

          "He no longer sees any of you as a sin anymore. He sees you all as a threat. You somehow mated with a human. Not only that, but you went against our nature and are mated to each other. It's never been heard of of five werewolves to be mated. He's planning something, but I'm not sure what. I'm just warning you." Lennox said, looking over at Ivy.

          "How he remains alive after what he did is a miracle." Rose huffed.

          Iris glared at Avah and Lennox. "You killed my old pack for what they did to me; why can't we do the same with the Dolin pack?" Iris asked, snarling.

          Avah and Lennox looked at each other sadly. "We killed them in blind anger, and we had to pay the consequences of that. Some laws prevent us from harming Alan and his pack." Lennox said, defeated.

          "Trust, if we could have, we would have done it by now," Celia huffed.

          "So what do we do?" Ivy asked quietly.

          "Be a bit more cautious on runs and hunts. Don't go too far unless absolutely necessary. Let us handle this. Understood?" Karina awaited our response.

          We all looked at each other, then back at our Elders and Alphas. "Understood," we said in unison.

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A week later

Something is off with Reagan, but she won't tell us what it is, and I can't figure it out from her behavior.

          She hasn't wanted us to touch her intimately, yet we can tell she at least wants us around her. When we sit anywhere in the house and we keep our distance like we think she wants, she looks sad. However, when we try anything, she gets upset.

          Her emotions are going to give us whiplash.

          Ever since our rut, she's been acting out and being more silent. More defiant. I didn't even know that was possible for her.

          We sat in the living room, her on the couch farthest from us, watching the TV. Well, she was looking in its direction. I'm not sure she's actually focusing on anything happening on it.

          "I want to go on a run," Reagan said, not looking away from the TV.

          We all looked at each other and then back at her, but she wouldn't look at us.

          "A run?" Ivy asked, confused.

          She finally graced us with her attention. Her blue eyes held something I couldn't read.

          "Yes, a run. I've been cooped up in this house for weeks. I need to get out and stretch my legs. Do something other than eat, sleep, and occasionally fuck." She said really aggressively.

          I really hate to have to tell her no, but with what our Elders and Alphas told us a few days ago, I'm not sure what to do.

          Rose looked at me with a tense expression. "You can't... at least not right now," Rose said, looking back at Reagan.

          Reagan sat up on the couch, glaring at us. I'm sure if she possessed the same werewolf traits as us, she would be baring her teeth at us.

          "I'm sorry... I can't?"

          I don't like that look coming from her. She's pissed. Really pissed.

          "Reagan, you have to understand-" Ivy started, but Reagan interrupted her with a scoff.

          "Understand what? That now that we are mated, I'm being held hostage. That all I am now is just something to fuck and breed whenever you want?!" Reagan stood up angrily.

          I have some suspicions there is more to this temper than just not being able to go for a run.

          "That's not true, and you know it," I said quickly. "There are just some new things happening right now that are out of our control, and we are trying to ensure your safety. That's all."

           "I don't believe you," Reagan said, huffing.

          "Look, fine, you can go for a run, but you have to remain close to our borders, and we have to come with you." Ivy offered. It was still too dangerous, but hopefully, Reagan would agree.

          "I am a grown fucking woman! I can go by myself!" this would feel a whole lot more threatening if I thought she could actually kill us with her glare. It almost felt like it, though. She was at least trying to anyway.

          I sighed and looked down at my hands. "Can we think about it?"

          She scoffed. "Think about it. Are you all fucking mad? I don't need keepers, okay? I'm capable of taking care of myself." she said before leaving upstairs. "I've been taking care of myself for years!" I heard her voice when she made it upstairs.

          I hate this. I hate how every time I think we are making progress with her, things get fucked up, and we're back at the beginning. I need her to feel like she belongs, yet all I feel is we are doing the opposite.

          "She is going to grow to hate us," Rose said, defeated. "And I can't blame her. What do we truly offer her?"

          I sat there slumped. What do we really have to offer her?

A/N: Another chapter!!