On The Run

Prologue

To my Mother and Toni,

Mum- You always supported my ideas, no matter how out

of this world they were and never told me to be quiet.

Toni- You've always encouraged me to write and

when I've wanted to stop, you've motivated me to go on.

PROLOGUE

"What's the Mate Meeting?" I ask as my mother braids my hair in to two neat plaits, I notice her smile in the mirrors reflection.

"Where did you hear about this dear?" She speaks quietly, as if the subject is forbidden.

"The other wolves around the castle are very excited about the subject and recently I've been able to hear thing further away, they speak about it a lot." Mother continues to interlace three thick strands of my hair in to one as I reply.

"The Mate Meeting is where wolves, much older than yourself, meet their soulmate." She answers and takes her time in tying my fair plait together with a hair band, I frown at her words.

"But, what are soulmates?" I press further as she starts on the second plait, looking in to the mirror I watch her facial expression. Even at the young age of eight, I can notice when my mother is trying to hide something from me. Her green eyes narrow down at my hair, and the slight tugs from braiding my hard become somewhat harder.

"Soulmates are like a best friend, but more. It's the one person in the world that knows you better than anyone else, maybe even yourself." She whispers, her tone of voice is almost sad, as if she is upset at the thought.

"Someone who brings out the better side of you, they care for you and no matter what happens, they will always love you." Mother finishes and ties the second braid together, she sounds bitter as she speaks and her expression looks sad.

"Like you and father?" Mother's face contorts in to a look of sadness and her heartbeat quickens before she replies.

"Some people are not fortunate enough to find their soulmate, and others may not be allowed them." She busies herself with packing away the hair stuff, placing the tiny clips back in to the draw. I sit patiently on her lap, waiting for a reply, mother's auburn hair covers her face as she bends down to grab loose bands.

"But you and daddy found each other." I state proudly, she releases a small sigh from between her lips but smiles back none the less.

"Yes dear, your father and I are fine." She hesitantly replies, her heart beat quickens, something I have noticed happens when people lie. I do not continue the conversation as it is evident that it brings sadness to mother. Instead, I stare at my reflection in the mirror in silence, observing my own features.

The ginger hair on top of my head in loose curls matches my mothers, but my amber eyes are from my father's shared genetics.

"So Layla, tell what has changed for you recently." My mother changes the subject and brings my two pigtail plaits to the front of my chest.

"I've been able to hear things further away recently mummy, oh and I'm faster too!" I shout excitedly and clap my hands together, the grin on my face widens as my mother laughs with me.

"Is that all?" She asks, although she knows that is not all.

"I can smell when dinner is ready and when we're doing martial arts at school everything gets slower, although some of my friends at school say that my eyes go red sometimes." I reply as I slide off of her lap and brush my big dress down to remove the creases like my mother showed me.