Hunt

Chapter 69: To Escape Fate

Walker takes a moment to pull himself away from the memorial. Getting a better look at him as he stands I could see that his eyes were red and puffy, confirming that he had been crying prior to my arrival.

"Kyle... I swear I never wanted any of this to happen." He starts to say. "I thought by warning David of your plan it would prevent more death and bloodshed..."

Chewing on my cheek my eyes fall to the names etched on the stones. "Look how well the turned out..." I mutter. "You sold us out, got us put in this situation in the first place. If you simply stayed quiet none of this would've happened. All this blood is on your hands. Vince's life..."

"I... I know..." He begins to stammer. "What can I do? How can I fix this?"

"I think you've done quite enough already. Just keep quiet and stay out of our way." My voice was calm, betraying my true feelings. Anger burned like a fire in my chest.

A twig snapping behind me causes me to spin, but the trees were empty. Was it Julie finally catching up? Reyna or Nyx? Surely it couldn't have been five minutes already. Standing up straighter I fidget with the knife in my pocket. Why was I being so paranoid?

"I know I can still make this right! Please just give me another chance." Walker begs. Taking a step forward. "Let me help you fix this. I can fix all of this!"

I suddenly snap, all my contained anger boiling up to the surface as my sudden wave of paranoia prevents me from holding it back any longer. "You want to help?! You had your damn chance! And what did you do with it? You chose your side and it got Vince killed! No, you're not getting a second shot. You're lucky I'm even standing here letting you speak to me! You're lucky I don't put you in the ground for what you did!"

Walker deflates as he takes a couple steps back. "I... I'm so sorry." He's quick to excuse himself from the memorial as I replace him at the stone markers. I could see him huddled into a ball, silently sobbing. But in the moment I couldn't care any less. Kneeling down I send off a silent prayer to the fallen. My white hot anger was quickly cooling as I find myself calming down much quicker than I anticipated.

Eventually Julie arrives at the clearing, after what felt like more than five minutes. Had it only been that long since I left the car? She breaks the tense silence in the clearing as she arrives by asking, "So? You two have a good chat?"

"I wouldn't say it was good. But I think it needed to happen. Put some of our actions into perspective." A growl from behind Walker answers Julie's question. Spinning quickly I spot Nyx emerging from the shadows. Seemingly materializing out of the darkness. The black wolf moves to sit behind Walker, who was suddenly looking much more uncomfortable at her arrival.

"I ran into a white wolf on my way here but we didn't talk. Reyna gonna join us?" Julie asks, taking a couple steps towards me.

"She should be. Should've been right behind me..." Nyx says as she glances over her shoulder, "She's been on edge since we got back within Silverlock territory. She's probably just out patrolling the area right now."

That nagging feeling in the back of my head that I had pushed away while confronting Walker was beginning to return. I couldn't exactly place what it was, but something felt off here. Almost like a sense of Deja Vu.

"Well it's probably better if we don't sit in one place for too long. We haven't had any run-ins with your old pack, and I don't want to change that..." I say as I begin moving back towards the entrance to the trail.

The second I turn my back to the others a snarl and yelp erupt from behind me. Spinning around quickly I come face to face with a scene from one of my worst nightmares. A circle of wolves had instantaneously emerged from the trees, seemingly materializing out of thin air around us. Nyx and Walker had both been pinned to the ground. Among the circle was a pure white wolf, who steps forward towards Julie and I.