This Time

Chapter 4

Mouths ajar, the five boys look at me in shock.

‘Wembley arena?’ Louis asked

I frowned and nodded, feeling tears slip from my lashes and trickle down my cheek.

Niall knelt in front of me and took my hand.

‘We’re with you, no matter what.’ I looked him straight in the eyes. His cool, blue eyes. So calming, so comforting...

There was a whisper of agreement from the other boys so I stood up and told them to link hands.

Letting the heat take over, my body slowly transformed from human to Atar.

I stretched out my claws, flicked my tail and ran my tongue over the razor sharp teeth that lined my jaw so viciously.

I looked at Niall and he clutched a hand to my back, making me shiver slightly.

Closing my eyes, I concentrated on every detail from that moment. The moment I walked through the door, saw them so innocently sitting there, saw them so peacefully talking.

I opened my eyes and looked around. I was human again.

‘You ready?’ I looked up at the burly man, dressed in all black with an earpiece and a clipboard.

I nodded and he pulled the door open, revealing five dishevelled boys.

‘Lucy!’ Liam ran forward, ‘We didn’t know what happened.’ He wrapped his arms around me and I felt the other boys join in.

‘What do we do now?’ Zayn said in a hurried tone.

‘We wait.’ I said, sitting on the all too familiar couch.

The boys sat beside me in silence, with nothing but a ticking clock to listen to.

Suddenly, a crash sounded from outside. The boys jumped and looked at me simultaneously, waiting for instructions.

I stood up and faced them, determined to do this properly.

‘Do exactly as I say. If I say jump, you jump, if I say run, you run. If I say leave me behind, you bloody leave me behind. Got that?’

Niall opened his mouth to protest, but I gave him a look and he closed it again.

Walking to the door, I grabbed the handle and motioned for the boys to join me.

More crashes sounded, but they came forward and huddled around as I pushed open the door to peek out.

‘Go!’ I shouted, whipping it open and herding them through.

They ran forward a few metres but I screamed ‘Stop.’ They all came to a halt and looked at me.

Just then a huge piece of stone pummelled through the roof and crashed in front of them.

‘Keep going!’ I said and they moved off again.

The next five minutes were filled with commands, both shouted and obeyed. By the time we reached the exit, there was not a scratch on any of them.

I smiled and lead them through the door.

They were there alright. Three of them, faces pointed into snouts, backs- arched and bony. They stood on their hind legs, hurling boulders with their front paws. I looked down the street at the path of destruction they had left.

I didn’t make any noise, simply ran past them with the boys behind me. The Elicks didn’t look around, didn’t even notice us. Some world leaders they would make.