Wilcze Panna

Chapter One - Aubrey

I woke from the darkness slowly. I emerged in steps. When I was finally able to think, I was bombarded by thoughts, none sounded like my own though. Lots of talking about how they hoped that I would wake up soon so that they could move or asking if they should go get Iris, whoever that was.

"Who are these people and why are they in my head?" I demanded of the voices. Slowly I started to be able to hear what was going on around me outside of my own mind. I was surrounded by what sounded like a group of people with a constant crunching of leaves on the ground. My blood ran cold when I heard a small whimper from behind me and the memory of what I had witnessed flooded back into my mind. I couldn't bear to think that it was all true and that I managed to leave Copper alone in a cave surrounded by wolves.

"What happened? Why am I here?" I screamed back to the voices.

"Did you guys hear that? I think she's awake! Bre? Aubrey! Say something, Aubrey!" A voice screamed at me, now not in my head.

"Copper, stop screaming at her! You're filling her head with too many thoughts you guys! Come out of wolf form so she can think for a second." A voice said from my left.

"But Shay, what if she needs help?" I heard Copper pleaded back. I heard a low growl from where Shay had been and felt a light breeze of him getting up and getting into Copper's face. I was instantly filled with anger. What was Shay doing here? What kind of strange cult did he suck me and my brother into? There was no way I was going to let Shay hurt Copper. I had already abandoned him once by passing out and I wasn't going to force him to deal with anymore of this alone. I tried my hardest to sit up but my body didn't listen.

"You don't do anything unless I tell you to." Shay growled to Copper.

"Shay back off, he is just worried about Aubrey! She is his sister after all." A female voice came from behind me.

I could hear Shay growling again, but then he stopped and snapped his teeth closed with a loud ting. My thoughts were all so jumbled that I probably couldn't have even identified up from down. I knew that had been attacked by a wolf but if I was remembering correct, that wolf was Shay? No. That couldn't be right. People aren't wolves. This isn't a sitcom.

I could hear Shay position himself next to my left side again. "Luna, give me some of your leaves. We are waking her up now." Shay demanded quietly from next to me. I couldn't help but mentally roll my eyes. I always assumed that Shay was a pothead but this didn't seem like the time to be lighting up.

"But Shay, that's dangerous!" A little girl voice said. I assumed that was Luna.

I tried to move to show them that I was awake, but found that it was like I was paralyzed. Even my eyelids were too heavy to move.

"I don't care! The next patrol is going to be coming around soon and we can't have them finding us here!" Shay screamed at Luna and she whined a little in fear. She sounded really young.

"You do care." A small voice said so quietly that I thought she was the only one who heard her, but Shay growled in response. An overwhelming panic was beginning to set in. I couldn't open my eyes or move my body. I was beginning to worry that I wasn't as safe as I first imagined.

"Now Luna!" Shay screamed. I could hear a few little steps, then a stumble, but it sounded like she caught herself right as Shay sighed.

The next thing I knew, there was something pushing against my nose, forcing me to breathe it in. I tried just not breathing for as long as possible, but it got to the point where I needed to. I took one deep breath and was awake instantly.