Scarlett Moon

Chasing Mai

"Running away will never make you free."
~Kenny Loggins

***

3 days. It had been 3 days since we had heard anything from Mai. Mel was beginning to get worried, and the aura of the whole house was different with Mai gone. It was like even the house knew that something was terribly wrong. These last few days have not been easy for anyone, and for me in particular. Mel has been getting a lot tougher in training, but I'm "aggressive" now so that's progress. Although Mel is trying to act cool and collected, I can sense that she's just as worried as I am about Ophelia.

The girls and I all sat in the living room, in a strange silence. Not an awkward silence, but that kind of silence that lingers in the air, and is thick enough to choke on. After a few miserable minutes, I couldn't take it anymore. "Guys, I can't take this. I think that we need to search for her. I've got a good nose, I should be able to track her." I stand up, and wait for responses.
"I'm with you. I've seen a few visions, but nothing enough to clarify anything." Anna kay says, standing with me. After this, the rest of the girls stand up. I tilt my head a little higher.
"Alright then, first things first, get your things packed. There's no telling what we may run into, so be prepared for anything-that means weapons. We'll meet back in here in 15 minutes." I say as I start to head out of the room. The other girls follow behind, going into their own bedrooms.
I packed a few flannels from my original clothing I had before I came here, a lightweight jacket, some deodorant, a knife and handgun, and lastly, salt. But before I go back to the living room, I take one of Mai's jackets so I can get a good scent. After that, I swiftly make my way back to the living room. The other girls were already there, waiting on me anxiously. I stand in the arched doorway and heave a long sigh, "alright girls, let's ride."
And with that, they stand up and follow me out to the "family" car, an old, black range rover. I take a nervous breath as I turn the key in the ignition and back out of the driveway. Anna must have sensed my discomfort, or had some of her own, because she turned on classic rock station 101.3.

***

We had been driving for 3 hours straight, I had no scent at all of Mai, so I guessed that she had somehow covered it up. I could tell that the girls were getting tired, but we couldn't go back to our academy (I now know that it's called "Lunae Academy"). Noticing that the gas was running low, I pulled over to the nearest gas station. It was shabby and sketchy, but it was the nearest there was and we desperately needed gas. "Alright, you guys can stretch your legs while I get some gas." I say as we all pile out of the car. To my surprise, the gas actually worked and soon the tank was filled. I grabbed my wallet and walked into the shabby building to pay. When I walked in, I spotted a man with black hair and stunning blue eyes. Not the normal ones, wolf ones. I gave him a peculiar look as he stared at me, smirking. I shook my head and paid the cashier for the gas. As I turned to leave, the mysterious man stood in front of the door. I gasped as he tilted his head, as if he was confused that I was afraid. He was so tall, that I had too look up at him. He smirked,"going somewhere?" I rolled my eyes at his cockiness and sighed,"nowhere with you, would you please just move." But he didn't even budge. "I know that your looking for someone, I can help you find her, Leda." He had such a dark look in his eyes, but they were mesmerizing, and I felt like I had fallen under a trance. "Okay." I said without thinking it through, am I really that easily manipulated?
The man followed me to the vehicle and climbed in. The girls gave me strange looks. "So were hitchhiking now?" Haden says, annoyed and afraid. "No, he's going to help us look for Mai." I say. "And what is his name?" Anna asks, looking over the attractive stranger. He smirked and looked at her "Cain Duval." She smiled and the energy in the car was no longer tense. "Alright, Cain, help us find her. Which way do I go?" I ask.
"Turn left and drive straight until you hit a dirt road." He says, looking outside the window.
I did as he instructed and drove until I hit the dirt road. The sun was starting to set already, and an ominous vibe engulfed me. "Okay..what now?" I ask, looking at the mysterious man. "You see that trail? Were going to have to get out and follow it. She should be at the end of it." He says, opening the door and stepping out, the rest of us follow. He leads the way, as I walk beside him. "Soo...supreme alpha, how does it feel?" He asks. My muscles tense, how did he know about that? "How did you know that?" I ask. "We'll, I'm a seer. And, the beta to the Lycan Clan." He says, his blue eyes shining down on me, it felt like my soul was trying to climb out of me and reach him each time we made eye contact. If he's the beta, and Ophelia is the alpha of the clan, he must know her. Which means that she must know who I am. I freeze and stare at him. "Guys, what's going on?" Anna Kay asks. I just stare at him, I feel my eyes glow and fingernails grow. "Girls, run." I state boldly, and me and Cain turn, I feel the fur rising up on my back, as I growl at his black fur. His blue eyes are staring hard into my gold ones, our growls filling the crisp night air. "Don't be so surprised sweetheart, I've been watching you since you were born." He says, white teeth showing. "I just can't believe I was stupid enough to fall for it." I say, as we move in circles. "Oh darling you can't blame yourself, manipulation is my gift." He says, moving closer. My growl deepens. Just as he jumps up, jaw open, a flash of black jumps on him and takes him to the ground. Mai. I run over to them as she backs off him and stands in front of me. Cain gets up, struggling, and turns back into his human form. "Don't think this is over. Combined, you two may be impossible to stop, but when your bond is severed, your weak." He says as he vanishes into the dark forest. Once he's out of sight, Mai and I change back into our human forms. Breathing heavily, I say,"Mai, what the hell?!" She looks down, "look, I'm sorry. I just, I couldn't control it! Someone-something was calling me out here, controlling my limbs and I couldn't stop. But it stopped once you came." She said. I knew exactly who was doing it. "Ophelia." I say.
"What?"
"Ophelia, she's what was controlling you. She wants to kill me so she can become the supreme alpha. And I'm sure that Cain, the man you just attacked, would love to take your place." I say, hoping to clear things up. She just stares for a second and then sighs, "let's just go home."
"Agreed" I say as we walk out of the woods and get into the range rover. As I drive down the headlight lit road, dead or alive playing on the radio.