"Harry? Harry!" I groaned, rubbing my throat. I had been shouting his name for over an hour now. My voice had started to crack and I felt a stinging pain in my neck. Flynn, as his lion, trotted next to me, sniffing the ground.
"Harry!" I shouted, my voice straining. I decided to relax my throat and head into my thoughts.
Had any luck Flynn?
I've got his scent but . . . Flynn's shoulders sagged. It's hard to track as he is still moving.
Just try your best. I looked up. It was getting dark already and my forearm was burning under my hand. The bandages already need to be replaced but we haven't got time. We have to find Harry, before he does anything stupid.
Harry where are you? I thought. I looked anxiously behind me. Beyond the trees it was pitch black. No light anywhere. I concentrated, closing my eyes. When they reopened I saw everything clearly as if it was daytime.
I squinted, staring into the pitch black space. I saw movement. Flynn, look. He spun and snarled, jumping in front of me, baring his teeth. The bushes rustled as the animal moved around. We spun in circles, following its movements.
It jumped out at us on the fourth circle. Flynn was getting ready to snap his teeth into the animals neck. Wait a minute . . .
Flynn, stop! It's Harry!
He stopped snarling. Harry?
Harry shifted and stood up slowly. He limped closer towards us. His shirt was gone, his hair covered in mud, scratches and bruises all over his body. He stopped a few feet away from us.
I clutched my forearm tightly beside my leg and ran towards him. I let go of my arm, seeing a quick glance of blood on my hand.
Harry's eyes widened. He moved back. "Astrid, don't come any closer. I don't want to hurt you, I never intended to hurt you! I - I wasn't in control."
He lacked eye contact, his jaw clenched. Harry scolded himself quietly. "Astrid . . . I promised myself I would never hurt you. But I have. I'm not asking for your forgiveness, but I'll understand why you don't want to forgive me." His head bowed, nothing more to say.
Should I forgive him? Of course I should! It wasn't his fault, he got angry and he wasn't in control.
But what if it happens again?
It wouldn't. Harry would never hurt me.
But he did . . .
Which he apologised for! This mental argument is not going well.
"I'll need time." I finally decided to say. Harry exhaled, a sign of relief. He opened his mouth to say something but I silenced. "I know you didn't mean it, but, if it happened again . . ."
"But it wouldn't Astrid!" Harry cried desperately. "I would never intend to hurt you!"
"But Harry - "
Listen to him Astrid.
"Stay out of this Flynn," I growled. I cleared my throat. "If it happened again - "
"It wouldn't!" Harry interuppted me.
"You don't know that Harry!" I shouted. He seemed startled by my voice as he cringed. "You don't know that . . . " I repeated sadly.
I heard his footsteps and before I could stop him, he wrapped me up in his arms, pulling me to his chest.
"It will not happen again, I'll make sure of it." Harry whispered. I shivered at the warmth of his breath. But I turned around in his grip, my back to his chest.
He slammed his chest into my back. He nuzzled my neck, pecking my skin gently. His hands curled into fists around my shirt.
I felt a hot breath on my neck, then the tender brush of lips, burning as they make contact with my body. He knows that once he kisses my neck, my thoughts will turn foggy.
A hand runs down my side, as the kisses become harder and more urgent. Another hand slides around my waist and pulls me even closer to his body.
He stops. I unexpectedly whined, missing his touch. He kissed me one last time, tightening his hold onto me. I leaned back into his comfortable chest, my head resting against his shoulder.
He bites my ear lobe gently. "How was that?" He whispered, his tone husky that made my stomach churn.
"Could've done better," I said, laughing.
His chin rested on the top of my head. "Seriously Astrid. I want to know if you enjoyed it."
"Well, what if I didn't?" I whispered.
"I would've kept doing it until you enjoy it."
"Then you'd be doing it forever, wouldn't you?" Harry looked down at me, his eyebrow raised. His lips soon curled into a smirk as he finally understood what I had said.
"Ha ha, very funny," he muttered.
I pulled myself out of his grip. "Come on," I said as I started walking forward, "let's go." I stopped and glanced behind me to see Harry standing still.
I turned around. "Harry? What is it?" I stared at him. Something was going on in his mind - what was he thinking?
"I'm not going with you, Astrid."
I was stunned. What did he mean, he wasn't going with me . . .
"Harry . . . " I warned.
"You gotta go back alone. The pack can't know that you found me. The rules are rules."
"What rules?" I've never heard of any 'rules'.
"If a member of the pack attacks a fellow member, they are not allowed to come back. The attacker will and become a Rogue."
"Of course you can return, you're - "
"It doesn't matter if I'm the Alpha's son, the rules apply to everyone. I won't be returning . . . Ever."
"But Harry," I started, "surely something can be sorted out."
Harry shrugged, smiling at me sadly. "What's done is done."
This wasn't fair, it wasn't fair. Harry wasn't in control so it wasn't his fault. They can't just kick him out of the pack!
"I'm staying with you." I decided, I wasn't going to leave him alone. I'd rather become a Rogue myself than let Harry be on his own.
"No, Astrid. I won't let you. You don't deserve to be out here, I do. You're going home and that's it. I'll visit when I can but . . . it'll be rare occasions."
"No!" I cried, tears leaking out of my eyes. "I'm not leaving you!"
"Yes, you are."
I couldn't help it. I ran and jumped into his arms. They locked around his neck as I sobbed into his shoulder. Harry's own arms wrapped tightly around my back.
"I love you Astrid," he whispered before he slowly pushed me away. He walked back, shifting as he did before he ran off into the darkness of the night.
My knees buckled as I fell to the ground, staring into the pitch black space of the trees.
