Behind Closed Gates [Edited]

Chapter Twelve

Marie didn't shift into her wolf as she watched Carter run around. It wasn't about her, about the two of them running off into the sunset together. This was his time to get to know his wolf side and she didn't want to intrude on that. She remembered her first shift a few years ago and how much joy she had running, truly running, for the first time.

So she waited at the back of the packhouse for him. She glimpsed his light blonde coat amongst the trees as he leaped over fallen branches and upturned roots. Marie smiled to herself when she spotted him sniffing the ground so innocently; he hadn't figured out that he didn't need to press his nose completely to the soil to smell it. Carter still ran around, oblivious to the soil stuck to his snout.

Marie was sitting on the stairs, letting her mind wonder. Here she was, waiting for her mate, who was her old best friend. It was the little argument with him coaxed by Jasper that lead her to where she was right now - the infamous rogue of Silverwood trying to break a werewolf out of a zoo with no one around her to help.

Except now she did. Now she had the royal wolves beginning the plans of a heist to break out Willow. Now the ball was rolling and Marie couldn't quite believe it.

Marie felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. Her frown turned into a smile when she saw Gail's name flash on the screen.

"Hey Gail, how are you?" Marie's chirpy voice quickly filled the call, but Gail wasn't as happy as she was.

"I'm good Marie, when are you coming back?" Her voice was shaking slightly. Marie knew her well enough to hear she was anxious, worried.

"I'll head back tomorrow, why? What's going on?" Marie knew she wouldn't be this worried for herself, so something had happened at the zoo. "What's happened to Willow?"

Gail sighed on the other end of the line. "Look, Delilah got wind that you were away this weekend. I'm sorry, I didn't know what else to do but call you."

Marie's heart froze over. "What happened Gail? What happened to her!?" A million things ran through her head. Was Delilah finally getting her wish of having Willow put down? Was Willow being shipped to another zoo for a publicity stunt? Was she injured?

Is she dead?

"She's called in a vet for a check up." Gail was quiet on the other end. "I don't...I don't know if it's actually a check up or if she's putting her down."

Her stomach twisted as a cold horror slapped Marie in the face. She was barely registering Gail's words as her mind played over the last time she saw Willow. She'd made a promise to her that she'd break her out, she had only just got the royals to approve - she couldn't let it fail now.

"She played up this morning on one of my tours, we think that someone had a fit or some sort and it set her off," Gail's words wobbled as she tried to get her words out. "I think it might have been the final nail in the coffin for Delilah, I think... I think you should be here, in case it is."

"I'm on my way now." Marie stood from the steps. "When's the vet getting there?"

"He's on his way now but they've already knocked out Willow. I think they drugged her meals - whatever they did they had to up the doses. They used a tranq' gun on her Marie." Gail sniffled.

Marie held the phone to her chest and shut her eyes, pushing the anger that was burning her throat. A tranquiliser gun?! Willow would have smelled the drugs in her meal but a tranq' gun would have caught her by surprise. She willingly ate those drugs. She would know what this would mean. Willow had probably accepted her fate, that she wouldn't wake up.

She would never meet her mate.

"I'll be there in half an hour." Marie was already running through what she had to do to get to the zoo as fast as she could. "Can you stall them for as long as you can?"