An enslaved pack ruled by a merciless dictator. A pack of assassins out for blood and revenge.
A lone wolf who can't find his place among any of it.
Through betrayal, binding pacts, and revolutionary acts, with more shadows looming between the tree...
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Even with the end of the year approaching, the snow had been refusing to let up. When it finally settled, at least for a while, the wolves took to training outside during most of the morning. Jake moved away from a training group as a few started to go in for lunch. Jo hovered near the house, and though she trained as well, she kept a careful gaze on all of her own wolves. The Beta gave her a small nod as he moved past, but only remained inside a moment before he returned outside.
He immediately found Erica on the other side of the door. The girl squeaked and flinched until she released it was Jake. Still, she stepped out of his way. "Sorry," she said and hastily swept her hair back from her sweaty brow.
"I should have been paying better attention," he said and looked past her towards the Compound. "I'm just...distracted." Jake moved out of her way and tried to give her a smile.
"Well there's a lot going on," Erica offered and kept her position.
Jake shoved his hands in his pockets and cleared his throat. "Right. I was just..." He sighed and lifted a ribbon from his pocket.
Erica's expression fell and she fiddled with her fingers. "Who is it for?" she asked.
"I need to say goodbye to someone. I didn't know she died." Jake tucked the ribbon away again.
"Do you think-" Erica cut off and glanced away from him. "I mean... could I come with you?"
A shadow of a smile started on his lips and he nodded. "That'd be nice, actually." She tried to offer him a smile as well and moved to his side, silently offering a hand. He took it up and laced his fingers with her before walking out. "She was one of Aaron's wolves," he told her.
Erica kept close, near leaning into him. "How did she..." she trailed off, timidly looking up to him.
"Trying to save Pack Cell wolves and working with the Hunters." He sighed and kept her close. "Dominic told me."
"She was... she worked with them?" Erica asked.
"She used to be one." Jake tightened his grip on her. "We were close."
Erica leaned in closer, bringing a hand to his arm as well. "Who was she?"
Jake drew in a breath and stopped before the Hunter cemetery. He stared out at the graves and said, "Her name was Lena." Jake stepped out and began tracking the names. "She was tough, and brave. I miss her, sometimes, just thinking of what she might say." With a pause, he looked to Erica. "Sorry. We had...something, once. I don't think it was really love. But it was something."
"I understand," Erica said and lingered before Lena's grave. The headstone was elegant, her name carefully chiseled into the stone. "She was important. Irreplaceable. Still is."
Jake knelt down in the snow and pulled out the ribbon again. "They buried her like a Hunter. I'm sure she'd rather be here, but with me...she was a wolf." He rested the ribbon beneath a stone to keep it in place and put a hand on the gravestone. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "At least you were able to go home." Jake put a hand to his mouth and ducked his head down, his breath going ragged.
Erica crouched beside him, setting a hand to his arm. She didn't say anything, simply offering her presence. He leaned into her touch as a few tears rolled from his covered face and dropped into the snow. She moved her arms, and he returned the embrace as he took shuddering, uneven breaths. Erica was patient with him and waited until he had calmed a bit.
"Sorry," he whispered.
"No," Erica murmured and tightened her grip on him. "Dont. Never be sorry."
Jake lifted his head and loosened his arms to run a hand across his face. His next breath was long and deep, and he relaxed a little more. "Thank you, then," he said instead.
Pulling back as well, Erica offered the tiniest of smiles. "Would you like to stay a bit longer?"
He watched the grave a moment before shaking his head. Jake turned back to Erica and stood, taking both her hands to draw her with him. "I actually had a different idea for today. If- if you'd like?"
"Yes," Erica said immediately and flushed a little. "I mean sure." Her smile faintly grew as she took up one of his hands more properly.
Jake looked back towards the wolf house and grinned. "It's just a picnic, really. If you don't mind the cold?"
Erica's smile grew and she squeezed his hand. "Not at all."
He laughed and tugged her back with him. "Don't worry," he said, "I'll keep you warm."
