Family

Chapter Eight

Nicole and Andrew run for as long as they can and as fast as they can. Andrew notices Nicole starting to slow down and runs along side her to try and keep her going. The pack behind them isn't letting up, but they can't fight them and survive.

Nicole keeps telling herself to push, push for Maddie, push for Maggie, push for her sister, push for everything she lives for, but it's getting hard. Nicole is finding it difficult to breath and keeping her pace is becoming impossible. She feels Andrew along her side pushing her forward, but it can only help for so long. Andrew nudges her and she turns to where he pushed her. She sees a waterfall and knows what he wants her to do. She knows that she's going to be feeling pain but lunges herself over the edge. Andrew jumps in right after her almost caught by the pack behind them.

They both shift on there way down knowing that their wolves aren't strong swimmers and they're less likely to be hurt in there human form. Nicole slams into the water and is pushed under because of the current. She swims up with the little strength she has left but is knocked back under. She starts to feel herself getting dizzy and knows that if she doesn't get air soon she's going to black out. She swims kicking more than using her arms. She takes a huge breath as she breaks through the surface. She opens her eyes and sees rapids coming up.

She shifts in the water and swims up to jump on a rock and then get onto the grass. She looks around for Andrew. He's already running towards her completely naked. She looks down even though her wolf would rather look. She's kind of a perv in Nicole opinion. "Nicole, your wolf is going to need rest and they will be able to track our scent more if we keep running in our wolf form." He says and she shakes her head. "Ok, Nicole this is not the time to be shy." He says and she growls lowly. He looks down at her confused, with her paw she moves it in a circle. "Oh, my gosh." He says and turns.

She shifts back into her human form and then walks behind a tree. Andrew turns around and looks confused. He looks into the forest and sees her head sticking out behind a tree. "Don't give me thah look." She says and he shakes his head.

"Ok, so you wanna tell me why you decided to just up and leave?" He asks taking a seat down on the ground. He looks up and sees that the pack wouldn't jump. The last of them are walking away.

"They'll be distracted on me now. You weren't supposed to follow meh." She says staying behind the tree.

"Well, that didn't play out well. We should go to my pack, they are preparing to fight against the Blachhunter's." He says and she looks at him confused. "Your siblings are in our pack and he followed them demanding that Jake handed them over. Of course, he didn't and now he's ready to fight." He says and notices her face fall.

"No one was supposed to be hurt, that was the point. No more bloodshed." She says shaking her head and then starts mumbling to herself in Italian. Andrew begins walking towards her. She looks up and him and moves so her body is covered more.

"If you don't want anyone getting hurt we need to go back, there are people from our pack tracking us along with packs of wolves trying to kill us. If we go back you'll be protected-"

"I don't need t' be protected. Maddie and Maggie do." She says and he takes a breath to keep his anger down.

"They are safe, but you need to be as well. Hiding and running in the woods isn't going to help you or them. You promised Maddie you wouldn't leave her, she can't lose another person." He watches as she looks down and thinks about what he said.

"Ok, but I'm not joining yowr pack." She says and he feels hurt. His wolf wants to beg for her too, but he quiets him down.

"Fine, you don't have to join." He says and she nods her head.