Aida

The wind whips my ears as I run out into the open and head for the mountain range.

My every morning has been like this lately. Running. Freedom. The sweet release I get from just shifting and running like I'm a wolf in the wild. Alone and free. No returned daddy- drama. No new hybrid monsters to think about. No more secret plans of epic disaster revealed daily to force me into continuing to live in this everlasting nightmare that is now my life.

And I thought being institutionalised for so long was tough. At least I was buzzed.

Don't get me wrong. There is extreme good in my life. Argent for one. And James and Jemma. And the pack. There is light in my dark, but the dark is so overwhelming at times that the only way I can escape is to just run and run until I can't breathe anymore, until I have to stop and take a breath. In that one deep, desperate second, I'm not thinking about anything but the air filling my lungs, and that sense of urgency is bliss.

Sick, right? Or sad.

I reach the top of the mountain easily now and faster every day. I look out over the cliff edge and daydream about what it would be like to just run and leap out into the unknown. I think on this for a while until I catch a familiar scent on the breeze. Argent.

It only takes a second before his soft padding feet are right behind me, and I feel his large, warm body brush against my side.

"I beat you."

"You had quite the head start, Aidalyn."

"Full naming me, huh? What have I done to deserve that?"

A soft growl leaves his muzzle, and I nudge him in response.

"Just teasing, big boy, easy now."

"We have somewhere to be right now, you know? There's not really time in the schedule for a run."

"I would literally choose to be anywhere else in the world but there today, Arge. I had to get some air before we're stuck in there all day with ... him."

"I know."

The silence over the link is as thick as it is tense. We both know today will be.... interesting. I sigh and paw at the earth beneath me. He leans into my side, and I sigh again. This time it leaves my body as a soft purr.

In defeat, I turn to make the journey back to the house.

"Race you back, then."

I don't give him a chance to respond. I use all four limbs to launch myself over the ledge and down the mountain side, much more confident in my strides now and less cautious. It's glorious. The danger is addictive.

He howls behind me and disappears to my left in the cover of the rocks. Ah hah ... he's trying to use cover to get ahead. But I know his game by now. He will cut through the trees and try to head me off at the narrowing edge of the field and the trail.

But I have a secret weapon today. Yesterday on my run, I found a hidden pass through the other side of the trail, where the mountain range meets the lake.

The edge of both creates a little hiding space and if I stay low and run, I can't be seen.

I head backwards a little and head for my discovered path.

I can hear him over the link.

"Where are you going?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" I tease back and stay my course. I know that after a few minutes hidden by the ledge of the mountain, staying close to the lake, I can make it back and out before he does.

I'm just about to reach the end of the path when I catch a scent unfamiliar to me. Sweet but sickly. Old. I've never smelt anything like it before. It's almost nauseating.

"Arge, can you smell that? What is that?"

"Where are you? Move back towards me, NOW!"

"What is it?"

I do as he said, turning back and heading to where I came from. But as I turn, I run full force into a woman.

I let out a howl.

"Aida, are you okay?"

"There is a woman here. I hit her, and she didn't even flinch. He body is like ... rock."

"Run, Aida!"

"Hello, Aidalyn. It's been a very long time."

I stare at the woman; she reminds me of someone, but I can't quite place it. Her voice is sing-song and sweet, but the tone is low. It's an odd combination. Like what I imagine a spider to sound like.

How does she know me?

Before I can make any kind of response, I hear Argent approaching. He lets out a loud and low growl. The force of the sound hitting the rocks makes me jump a little.

The woman doesn't move. She studies us closely, and if anything, the sound makes her seem not at all bothered and instead more ... amused.

"Don't grandstand for me, young man. It's not necessary. I mean no harm, I'm simply passing by."

Argent moves in front of me and shifts. He stands in full naked glory and stares down at the woman.

He turns to me and nods.

"Don't shift. Stay as you are."

"What is your business here, vampire? You have no right to be on our land."

I stare at her closely, looking her up and down. She's strong and striking in her appearance. She's beautiful.

"As I said, I'm just passing by. I apologise for being inside your lines. It's purely an accident, I assure you." She smiles at him and bows her head ever so slightly but keeps eye contact with him. She then lifts her head once more and looks over his shoulder at me, and a small grin forms on her red painted lips.

"Move along now. And fast. I will have our guard here to make sure you do."

"No need for that, young Argent. I will be on my way now." She turns to make a break from us but stops and turns back to face us after only a few steps. "It was lovely to see you like this, Aidalyn. What a happy coincidence, most pleasing indeed."

With that odd last sentence, she is gone in the blink of an eye, and Argent waits to make sure she's gone. I can no longer sense her, and her scent lingers where she stood mere moments ago.

"Guards? Please perimeter check, now!"

"Yes, Argent."

He turns to face me and steps back a few feet, shifting once more. "You okay?"

"Yeah. That was ... different?"

"Hm. What the hell did she want? And how did she know you?"

"My thoughts exactly. Maybe a friend of my good old dad?"

"More to ask that idiot."

I hear the thunder of the guard approaching, and we wait for them to reach us before we move. Argent briefs them on what just happened, and then they are off to follow her trail. More shift work for them tonight, the poor things, just to make sure she isn't planning a second visit.

What a random morning. Totally ruined my run. And now he knows my secret path! Such is my life! Honestly! What I wouldn't give for a slice of normal right now!

We run back in silence but stay close together. The synchronised pattern of our run is a comfort to me as we head for home. When he's close to me, I feel safe at least. He is my safe haven.

We reach the blockworks of the old buildings and shift and change in silence. As we head back into the house, hand in hand, I have a million and one thoughts racing in my mind.

Why is my life such a mess? Why? What did I ever do to deserve this? And now I'm putting it on Argent.

He squeezes my hand as if he's been following my inner turmoil and shakes his head.

"What? I didn't say anything, and I'm pretty sure I wasn't linking."

"You don't have to. I can see your mind literally ticking over."

"I don't hide it very well, huh?"

"Nope."

"It's just ... a lot. All the time."

"Yeah. It is." He stops and pulls my hand so that I'm forced to stop too.

"Aida, one thing at a time, okay? And first ... Crispin. We need information, and he has it."

"Okay, boss! But first, I insist we have waffles. I refuse to do anything else before waffles."

"Okay, boss." He laughs lightly, and we head in.

Breakfast and then baddies. That's how I roll.