Nocturne

CHAPTER TWO

There was always something off about training with Felix after Dad passed. It was no longer then usual training with pack mates. No, that had long been over even before our Dad told him to “take care of the rest.” Training had become more focused on my stamina levels, perception levels. Rarely had it been offence and defense like the other wolves. It was as if nothing else mattered. Who wouldn’t find it weird to be told to heighten  my skill in expression reading? But one thing I learnt was to have undying faith in family. I still had Mason teach me whatever he learnt but never had I been so grateful for both these things.
My body always needed to get up by exactly three am to use the bathroom so I knew when to lose my tracker since I had forgotten my cellphone. I needed to get far away from little miss Darkness over there, whom I had decided was no ordinary teenager and back on my quest of finding whatever place Felix was going on about and getting something for Mark when he awakens. Going by what Felix said I’m still a ways from the final destination and I wasn’t a shifter. Brittie was a true shifter so I had to be extra careful as I also had Mark to think of in case she got violent.
After stopping at the entrance of my God given cave to spare one last glance, I hightailed it out of there. When I was at what I decided was a safe enough distance, I started jogging before sprinting into a run. While running I hoped and prayed she didn’t try to follow me when she woke up because I didn’t want to have to fend off my sister’s age mate but she was first and foremost a shifter. If she got violent, Mark would be my number one priority.
Speaking of priorities, it was about time to forage for what the world’s cutest ten soon-to-be eleven month old baby would eat. There were obviously no convenience stores around so, I was currently brainstorming for ideas while on the run. Nature has nothing to offer a baby such a Mark so either I feed him fruit juice for this one night or I start lactating. Fruit juice it is!
Stamina build up was really a nice choice of focus so hats off to Felix. I was able to get at a really safe enough distance from Brittie by what I assumed was noon. Giving all thanks to small mercies, now found myself at a strawberry orchard that had a stream of running water by the wayside. I prayed once again that these grew by themselves as I wasn’t ready for any interaction what so ever with who might’ve put them there. I stretched out my hand to pluck the first strawberry and immediately wondered why I hadn’t taken a closer look at Mark earlier. Especially after I had Brittie hold him.
I unwrapped Mark’s shawl and found a little black recorder and tracking device. All my hours of running were in vain. So much for all the sobbing. The kind Mason and I used to bug enemy teams while playing “physical CoD” with Moon River kids at the border. Speaking of Mason I missed him terribly but I had an assurance he was ok since his family went visiting his grandma at her exotic resort. I just needed to get a call across to him so I could warn them but first things first. Taking the recorder which could also act as a tracking device and my freshly picked strawberries I went in the other direction of my way. When I had gotten far enough I crushed it on the ground to make it seem like I had discovered it at that point and destroyed it in a fit of rage. I was angry really because whatever happened yesterday and four years ago we interconnected and God knows who else is involved.
Even if Felix hadn’t said it outright, now I knew…
No one was to be trusted.

I went back to my normal route which was exactly due east of my family house. I still worried greatly about Felix and Reese but he said they’d make their way back to me and I’ll trust that promise. He sure had a lot of explaining to do and I had a lot to digest.
Who put a twelve year old up to this kind of thing? I always know Therese was a precocious child but if my suspicions added up then she was in on whatever the heck was going on. Why was Peak Valley massacred? Why now? I was still thinking about all this while walking for hours and hours, only taking a rest to eat some of Mark’s strawberries and drink from the occasional stream. Come to think of it, could a ten month old drink strawberry… What was I about to give Mark? Strawberry juice? Extract? Whatever it was he had to bear with it.

The sun was setting and after a repeating pattern of walking and resting for hours on end I saw another cave. Things seemed to appear or happen when I really needed it these past few days but who am I to question and if I’m quoting my big bro right, he said to  walk until I couldn’t anymore and not to run and I honestly couldn’t at this point.

Settling down in the cave was a bit more taxing today. There were no leaves or branches or anything for that matter.
“Well, Mark you’ll just have to camp our with us innit” I said laughing at my mediocre attempt to lighten the mood.
Then he stirred.

True relief must have been evident across my face because my days had been filled with uncertainties and so many questions. I was beginning to even question if Mark would ever open his eyes. Despite what I knew about always trusting Felix, normal babies just didn’t sleep that long. He didn’t even poo!
Mark stirred again while I watched him closely and after scrunching his cute face up he opened his eyes and looked directly at mine.
Mark was usually a calm baby so it must have been the tears streaming down my own face that made him to start wailing. I cried for my chaos filled past few days. I cried for Therese and her rambunctious set of friends who were all dead. I cried for Felix who I had no contact with. I cried that we might never been reunited. I cried for my dad who wasn’t with us anymore. I cried for my pack mates whose fates were sealed. I cried because no matter how hard I try none of these things were in my control anymore. I cried for baby Mark who had been my only source of solace. Never had I been so relieved to hear him cry.
“There, there. It’s ok. I’ve got you.”
At that point I didn’t know who I was trying to console. Myself who needed a hug from Mason or Mark whom I wasn’t sure would have the best ever older siblings in his life.
After stopped sobbing, I then realized he hadn’t stopped crying most likely because he was starving.
“I’m a horrible brother Markie. I have you to think about.”
Getting out the strawberries, I began to squeeze out the juice into his tiny mouth and he actually stopped crying which further solidified the theory that Mark just wasn’t a fussy baby.
“Eldest brother was right again wasn’t he Markie. Just remember in all that you do, always trust Felix. He’s the more reliable one of us two. Gosh I even put you in the arms of a treasonous pack member.” I said as I continued to feed him “He said you’d be hungry the moment you woke up and here I was crying like a baby”
He just kept staring at me with his big doe eyes.
“No offense to babies such as yourself of course”
More staring
“Not that you can understand what I’m saying”
“…”
“I’m hopeless aren’t I?”
Thank goodness I got enough strawberries because I lacked the material to produce enough juice from one of these bad boys so I had to make use of many. One our fifteenth berry his eyes became droopy once more but I wasn’t anxious this time around because I could still hear his soft snores. It was getting darker and I really needed some shut eye.
I propped my aching back against the wall, held Mark closer and closed my eyes. I left the rest to my internal clock.


I was awoken not by my internal clock but my this premonition of impeding danger. I was deep in the cave and who ever was at the mouth of the cave didn’t want to bother with concealing themselves as I could clearly hear the distinct sound of their footsteps.
I thanked my lucky stars Mark was still asleep as I had no interest whatsoever of confirming it.
Tying Mark back in a sling, I tried to blend in with the darkness at the walls of the cave so I could somehow get to the open space outside the cave. This was much more preferable to being trapped in a cave with another possible crazed stranger.
I tried to think what Felix would do in this situation. Mason would just arrogantly charge head first and try to catch the stranger off guard but he was part of a  group of people who massacred a whole pack of wolves. I wasn’t taking any chances.
I kept trying to use the fallen shadows to my advantage while keeping in mind that we both had night vision.
“I know you’re there St. Pierre”
That made me pause. Not because he knew exactly where I was and turned to face me but because he knew my surname. The name everyone usually called my father instead of his first name. Why would he call me that? Heck! No one called Felix that.
“I just want to talk”
I didn’t see any way out of this situation and my heart was beating against my ribcage at this point. I then thought to myself it doesn’t get worse than this. If anything went wrong I’d find a way to keep Mark hidden and away from this man and then I stepped out of the shadows and took a proper look at his face.
Yupp, definitely haven’t met this one before. His face didn’t stand out but I kept a steady gaze at him to read for any and all giveaways. Can’t be taking any chances now, can I?
“You should’ve led with that and not killing off my pack”
“Now, now. They’re not dead. Just asleep”
Now this part made me angry. “I know what I saw”
“Do you?” he countered “Do you really?”
This was the part I had to come to terms with before slumbering off earlier. I had seen the dead and bloody pieces of what was left of Therese’s friends and no signs of life at the time I had fled the pack. The Alpha was no where in sight and I couldn’t feel any bonds. Not even familial ones. Reese’s body was intact and I couldn’t really take what Brightness had said at face value. Everything was contradicting itself and I had no way to get to the bottom of it but I could tell he was trying to get under my skin and for now, I’d just let him believe he was succeeding.

“Even if they are still alive. The fact still remains that you attacked us. How do you even know who I am… or where I was?” I asked the last part while taking a step back and wishing I hadn’t as he gave a sinister smirk.
“Come along silently and you’ll have all the answers you need. Here, I’ll even hold the half-blood”
Now that made me angry. No one, picks on my little brother. Even if he was too young to actually care or understand.
“Uh uh uh, don’t do anything foolish” he said “You’re obviously angry and unwilling to come along gently. How do you know you can take me on if I got serious. You still have the half-blood to think about”
More provocations
“You can take your opinion and shove it up your…”
I was in a chokehold before I could complete my statement. How was he so fast? I couldn’t even track the movement.
“Let…me…go” I struggled out
“Why should I? You’re obviously not compliant and my orders were to bring you alive not necessarily conscious. I don’t even need the half-blood” he emphasized trying to get a proper look at Mark who was still on a sling at my back.
“He has a name” I said spitting on his face. I let go of his hand around my neck and started scratching at his face while kicking his legs.
He wiped it off and I could clearly see that he had crossed the threshold of his patience.
He cocked his fist back and I squeezed my eyes shut in preparation for what would have been a silencing blow but it never came. I felt myself being let go of and falling backwards.
I tried to turn around remembering Mark who was still hanging at my back when I was caught by two slender but strong arms.
I turned around and saw a tall blonde holding me and another one standing over the now bleeding stranger with a silver knife in his hands.
“Found you, St. Pierre” the blond said with a smile.

Again with this? I had now heard that name twice in one night which I thought was more than I had actually heard it in the past four years and frankly I’ve had enough.