Trusting Aden | ✓

thirty: ABC

thirty: ABC

The forest raced past us as we followed Jezebel's scent.

The surrounding area looked familiar to me, but I couldn't put my tongue on it. Deer moved out of our way in our presence and we made it to the clearing, a street. Looking both ways, I realized why this area looked so familiar: it's my hometown.

Without caring, I ran down the middle of the street. Since the town consisted of mostly elderly people, there weren't many cars on the streets.

Houses and buildings I grew up knowing flashed before my eyes, people stared and some even gasped. Two oversized wolves ran through their town, of course, it would cause attention. I didn't care though, I only sought out my mother.

I couldn't shake the feeling of her scent. Maybe she masked it or maybe she did some witchy type of spell on herself to throw us off, but I knew the scent was so unique that I could find it through a town of people.

Aden and I ran through the town, without stopping, and left Silverland Park's borders. We crossed over into another human town nearby but kept on the outskirts. "Jezebel must have gone through my town to throw off her scent, but it didn't work," I told Aden. He huffed in agreement and continued to run through the thick trees.

The scent got stronger and I slowed down, we were most likely near her house. I slowed my run to a trot and squinted my eyes to see an odd-looking house in the middle of the forest. Aden followed suit and nudged me, giving me a warning look, "be careful. You never know if she excepted you."

"I don't think she did, but I know to be careful," I reassure him. I put down the clothes I carried in my mouth and shifted back into my skin. I slid on the long shirt and shorts, throwing the other pair to Aden.

Slowly, I made my way to the house. It was old and decrepit. The yellow paint was faded and chipping off the outside of the wooden building. The front porch was dusty and the railing was falling apart. The wooden steps were molded and broken. The house smelled like it was rotting, but had another weird smell. The more I sniffed, the more I believed she wasn't the only one that lived here.

Looking through the dusty windows, I noticed how small and barren the house was. I could tell she lived here through the big pile of dishes in the sink and the open bottle of alcohol on the coffee table. I moved to another window and realized it was the bathroom. The bathroom door was closed, but no one was in the room. Coincidentally, the bathroom window was cracked open. "Can you boost me up to the window so I can climb in?" I mind linked Aden.

"Are you sure that's a good idea, Lottie?" he asked.

"Yes, it's my only way in. I have to." Aden came up behind me and hoisted me up to the window.

I lifted the window up and put my hands on the windowpane to pull myself in. Pulling myself into the room, the collar of my shirt was pulled into the bathroom and the bathroom window shut close. I looked up and met the triumphant face of Jezebel. "Human or wolf, you are still an idiot," she laughed. Stay in the bathroom, I'm coming! I found a back door, Aden rushed.

"Oh no, you pulled me into the bathroom what do I do now?" I asked sarcastically.

"Insolent girl," she slapped me across the face for a second time today.

I growled in anger, letting my eyes flash violet, "when will you learn to not hit me? I am a grown woman in charge of a pack of two thousand. I am a werewolf, a Luna, leader in my own right. I will not be belittled by lowlife creatures and vermin like you." The door is locked, I'm trying my hardest to take it down. Kill her if she tries anything, he tells me.

Standing up, my five-foot self towered over her. Although she was taller than me, she seemed to have shrunk like a bug under my foot. "Charlie, you do not scare me," she tried to convince herself. I'm coming down the hall now, hold on, Aden mind linked me.

"You should be," I shouted at her. Aden kicked down the door and pulls Jezebel into the hallway. She screams at the impact of her back to the ground. Aden's eyes were bright yellow, letting me know his beast was coming forward.

"You two have nothing. You won't kill me, you can't," Jezebel spat at us.

"Oh, yeah? Watch me try," I cackled. Taking her hair, I pulled her up against the wall. Her feet dangled a few inches off the floor.

"You can't kill me," she laughed sadistically.

"We are more powerful than you think, witch," Aden mocked her. Aden partially shifted, letting Jezebel see his wolf. Her eyes widened in fear and she bit her lips trying to muffle a scream.

"Scared now?" I snarled.

With his claws, Aden punched her chest, breaking her sternum and grabbing her heart. She screamed in pain and then turned into ash when Aden pulled her heart out. His hand was filled with ash and he growled in disappointment.

The scent in the house started to lift and the other scent started to become more apparent. It felt familiar but different.

"What's wrong?" Aden asked.

"I smell something. Do you smell that?" I asked. Aden softly sniffed in the air and nodded in agreement. "I think we should follow it. She might have someone else here."

Aden agreed with me and followed me as I followed the scent. The scent led me to an old wooden door with multiple locks. It looked like she was trying to keep something, or someone, down there.

"What is that?" he flicked one of the locks. I shrugged and watched him as he pulled the locks off their hinges and slowly opened the door to reveal steps.

"Of course it's in a basement. Why wouldn't it be? I feel like I'm in a scary movie. First, we have the wicked witch of the west and now the horribly dark and scary basement scene," I groaned.

"You act as if you can't see in the dark," Aden chuckled softly. I lightly hit his arm and I let him go down the stairs first.

Slowly we made our way down the stairs. It was dark and I could hear the light drips of water hit the ground. There was a soft sound of breathing and a rapid heartbeat. Aden walked around the corner to find a small little cot and a box with a pair of clothes. "Someone lives-" I started, but Aden covered my mouth quickly.

"Sh, be quiet," Aden whispered.

I moved his hand off my mouth and glared at the back of his head, "as I was saying, I think someone lives down here. Look at the-"

"Chacha?" a voice croaked.

I jumped at the new voice and spun around the face in the direction the voice came from. "Who are you?" I shouted loudly. Aden growled lowly behind me and I heard the person whimper.

"I- I- you're here. You found me," the voice spoke louder. With the little confidence the person had, I could hear something familiar in their voice.

"Who?" I asked softly. A shuffling was heard a light was turned on. "Oh my god," I gasped.

"It's me. I promise," she cried.

"Lia," I breathed and ran into her arms. She looked so thin compared to how she did before. Her long black hair was now short and brittle. Her skin was always pale but somehow managed to look so much paler. "How did you get here?"

"That crazy woman up there said that you were sick and that you had asked for me. She looked so much like your mom, I believed her and followed her. But then when I asked where you were, she laughed and kidnapped me," she tried.

"Amelia, I'm just so happy to see you. We thought you were gone forever," I cried.

"Where is Belle? Who is this?" Lia asked.

"It's been four months, Lia, you've missed so much. I have no much to catch you up on," I informed her. "Let's go."

"What about Jezebel?" Lia trembled. The strong girl I knew was nowhere to be found, but I was just happy to have my best friend back.

"You won't even have to worry about her again. I promise. She's gone," I huffed.

"Actually?"

"Yes, you're safe with me."