The Wolf Within

Chapter Eight: The Return; Revenge Is The Best Recovery

"It's sunset," Kai said, "we need to go and look for her now, and quickly."

"Yeah, let's get going," Bailey said.

They started packing up and I decided to come down from the tree. I ran to the end of the lake and got my breathe back before I started to walk back to them. I looked at my reflection in the water and then washed it all away.

I started to walk towards them. And before I could get back to the camp spot, I met them halfway there. Bay ran up to me and hugged me tightly.

"I'm fine," I said, "it's okay, I just took a break and some alone time for myself."

"Why didn't you tell us?" Kai said, "we were worried and was going to look for you, right now, isn't the time to go out and think we need to get them home."

I looked back at Bailey and Claire. They looked at me like they were scared. Not even worried. But I knew the truth.

"Don't blame her, just leave her alone for a while, she needed this time to herself," Bailey said, I looked at her and she stood next to me, "she feels like she is a bad person because she killed those wolves to save all of us, every single one of us she saved by killing a wolf, so don't get mad at her for wanting alone time after everything that has been happening, she didn't have to save us, but she did," she looked at me and I smiled. She was right, that's why I needed alone time.

"Because she is a great person," Claire said, "thanks for saving us Arden."

"Yeah, thanks," Kai said, "we didn't mean to put that much pressure on you, we all really appreciate you, okay."

"Wouldn't replace you for anything thing best friend," Bay said laughing.

I smiled and hugged them both. We headed back to the camp site and they gave me some food. Claire fell asleep on Bailey's lap, soon making her fall asleep too. It was just me, Kai, and Bay.

I finished eating and then I went to lay down. Kai and Bay were still near the lake just talking. I said "goodnight," and then faced the opposite way of them. Listening to their conversation.

"You know I love her right," I heard Kai say all of a sudden.

"I love her too," Bay said.

"We can't make her choose, we need to give it some time before we both tell her how we feel," Kai said, "there is a lot of things going on now, that she needs to get out of her mind, Bay."

"I know," he replied, "let's just keep our feelings for her down low, until we get back to your pack, is that a deal?"

"Deal," Bay said, then it went silent. I kept thinking about what they said and then I soon fell asleep.

My dream was of course, about Bay and Kai fighting over me. I had to choose but I woke up before I could, who would I choose? Do I love them both? Or do I love just one of them?

"Arden, wake up, it's time to go, hurry up," I woke up and Bailey was shaking me to wake up, "it's time to take us home, please, let's go, we're waiting."

I sat up and rubbed my eyes. She gave me a bucked of water and I splashed some on my face and then my hair. She helped me up and we packed my sleeping bag. Kai, Bay, and Claire were standing up talking. I took dirt off of me and then Bailey walked me to them.

"Which way?" Bay asked them.

"North," Claire answered, "I remember seeing that big tree in the distance when they took us and tied us up."

"Lets go, stay by us," I said, we started walking, letting the leaves crunch under our shoes and the wind blow.

I looked up at the sky and saw birds flying by in a V shape, I smiled and thought of what it would be like to be a bird. Free, happy, peaceful, and able to do whatever you want. Then I looked back at the ground and remembered were I was. In the real world. Again.

"You okay?" Bailey asked, I looked at her walking next to me, Bay, Kai, and Claire were behind us, talking.

"I'm fine, just thinking of being a bird, you know," I answered.

"Yea I understand," she said, "I do that sometimes, it's great to think of being free away from all of your problems."

"I heard them say they love me, I don't know how to talk to them as friends now," I told her, "I feel awkward."

"You shouldn't," she said, "you love both of them, if you don't want to choose then don't, just be friends, ok."

I smiled and she hugged me. I feel like I've grown close to Bailey. She was someone I knew I could trust. And I just met her, but I can't tell her everything. At least not quite yet.

We saw a sleeping bag near a tree, it was blue and Claire ran up to it.

"This is mine," she said, "this is were they took us, everyone went hiking and we came back to get my sleeping bag and then the wolves came and took us."

I started sniffing and I could smell Claire's sent. "This way," I said, "we are about to get you home."

They followed me and we were soon walking into town. Bailey and Claire recognized if and confirmed it was their hometown. They found their houses and were next door neighbors. We went to Bailey's house first. And it was not what we had expected.

"What did they do?" She sobbed. Her family was ripped to shreds. All dead. She fell to the ground crying and I hugged her, she held onto me tightly.

"Claire, go check your house, Bay go with her," I yelled, "quick hurry."

"Why would they do this?" Bailey cried with anger, "what did I do to them."

"This is what wolves do, they get revenge in the worst way possible, they are trying to break you," I told her.

"'My heart is breaking," she said.

"I know it hurts, I miss my family too, but I can't do anything about it now," I said, "revenge isn't the best answer."

She looked at me and I held her hair, wiping her tears, Claire walked back in and Kai looked at them. She was crying to. "They are dead," she said, "nobody is alive, there is blood everywhere."

Bay held her close and she cried on his chest as he touched her hair to calm her down. I looked at Kai and then back at Bailey, who was still crying.

"Sometimes Arden," she started, "when you lose someone or a group of people that you loved dearly."

Claire stopped crying and looked at Bailey, they looked at each other. It wasn't sadness anymore, it was anger.

"Revenge is the best answer."

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Next chapter: Oct.30th, 2016