The Challenge | BOOK 2

21 - Another Visit

I hope you guys are enjoying the second book so far. There's still a lot to come for this novel. Trust me!

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I slipped out the cabin and made my way down the trail slowly. It was dark, everyone was asleep. Within an hour, there'd be light and people would start to get up again.

I decided that leaving the house early in the morning was smart, because I could then return to the pack looking like I'd just been on my daily run. I hoped that the witches were awake.

My run was quiet and boring. No one was on duty from this early in the morning, so I had nothing to sneak around. Not that I minded. I preferred having no guards rather than having them.

"Where are you going?" I heard from behind me. When I turned around, I almost fell over as I found Lucas and Leon jogging up to me. They both were wearing only their pyjamas.

What the hell?

I'd been too caught up in my own mind to notice their presence. They'd followed me. What the hell were they doing awake at this time of the damn morning? I'd only just managed to slip out of Liam's embrace by telling him that I wanted to go for a long run with Ezra.

"What are you guys doing out here?" I whispered to them both. The brothers gave me odd looks and then glanced sideways at each other.

"Answer the question, Ali," Leon told me. I clenched my jaw and turned around as I began to run again. They both caught up to me quickly.

"If you must know, I'm going to see the witches," I said. They both went awkward and tense. I said nothing.

We all ran in silence for a while before co versatile started up. "Why are you going to see them?"

Lucas' voice was fragile and drowsy. He'd been asleep not long ago, clearly. I assumed that Leon must have woken him. But why? Why would they both follow me out?

Did they want to see the witches? Ask questions? I didn't want to ask the witches questions about anything that had happened. But I had to if I wanted to live.

"They often have the answers to the questions I have," I replied simply as we came to the rocky cliff side that meant we weren't long from the witches' cottage.

"When are you going to tell Liam about all of this?" Leon asked me. My heart wrenched at the thought.

I knew I couldn't avoid it for much longer. Liam has so many unanswered questions and avoiding them was digging a hole in our relationship. I could never keep secrets from him for too long. It never ended well.

"Soon. I don't want to tell him if he can't handle it," I said with a huff. The boys lined up behind me as we came to a more narrow path which lead up down the rocky cliff side. I could see the cottage from where I was.

"The longer you wait, the worse it will be," Lucas told me. I nodded. I already knew that.

"It'll be soon. I promise," I told them both.

When we reached the grass field, both Lucas and Leon hesitated before they walked through the grass. It was still all dead, but standing tall like it was living, still growing.

I noticed how much more prickly and sharp the ends were. They'd changed since I'd last visited. It was strange.

"What the hell is this?" Lucas asked as he reached out to touch the grass weeds. Before he could touch it, the wind changed and the grass blew.

It was leaning.

I didn't answer Lucas' question and just started heading for the door. I dreaded what the witches would tell me. I hoped that Henry wasn't planning anything.