My fingers curled around handfuls of snow as I laid on the ground, burning eyes fixated on Eric and the two men with him. Their hushed words did not reach my ears, which only grew my curiosity, but the ache in my chest soon distracted me and I lowered my head, feeling the cold seep into my pants as I inhaled and exhaled slowly, doing so until the strange pain dispersed.

Thoughts of hot tea swarmed my mind, and my lips became dry. I shifted from my hunched position, grimacing as I did so; my legs burned from running as long as I had been, and frustration mounted as I recalled the way Eric and his companions, who were also members of the Corozal Council, watched the way I followed Eric's commands.

I had looked absolutely pathetic despite the two weeks of training I had with Eric, and a decision needed to be made regarding my role in the rescue efforts that were to unfold in two weeks' time was being discussed.

I had little experience with using weapons, despite me being able to kill Anabelle with a dagger, and handling a gun was something in which I had to become accustomed to doing.

My jaw clicked when my teeth gnashed together, feeling not only tired but frustrated, and I stood at the sudden approach of Eric, his heavy boots crunching noisily against the snow.

My eyes briefly flitted to one of the males behind him, Bryant. He was not looking towards me, but stood facing the trees in the distance, hands folded behind his back. He had said little throughout the conversation sparked by Eric, and I found him watching me throughout it instead, his expression unfathomable.

"I've been advised to let you sit this rescue out." Eric muttered, a hand lifting to brush away some snow which had rested on the left shoulder of my coat. "But if I insist on allowing you to come, you will need to stay by my side and shall assist only in helping others to safety. Some lycans may attack, but your focus should be solely on the folks we are helping. We need as many people as we can get for this rescue and I won't have you sitting idly in Corozal."

I pressed my lips together, head lowering in a small nod, despite the unease that not only stirred in my stomach at his words, but because of him.

Throughout my training with Eric, I had seen a side of him, one which had surprised me at first; he was so very stern with his words and instructions and almost frightening with his advances. His friendly demeanour was gone throughout the daily six hours of training we had together, but would return soon after the activities were over.

"I'll have another word with them," Eric said, straightening, towering over me further. Light blue eyes narrowed upon my fingers which trembled because of the cold and he continued, "Training for today is over. I'll see you in the morning tomorrow."

I nodded again, stepping backwards eagerly, longing for the warmth that would come from my home. "Goodbye."

I turned quickly then, hurrying through the snow, thoughts completely on the kettle and a box holding tea bags in the kitchen of my home.

With a small smile twisting my lips, I quickened my pace as I neared the house, but was caught by my arm.

I jerked back instinctively and scowled as I saw a smiling Elizabeth. Her smile faltered at my expression and she apologized.

"I just wanted to say that a man from the Council passed by today, and he knocked on your door. You weren't home, so I told him that it's best that he return around this time."

I tilted my head, taken aback. "Did he say why he wanted to see me?"

Elizabeth shook her head, and tapped my cheekbone with an icy finger.

"Don't look so worried. I'm sure they'd just like to speak with you over something trivial. Unless..." Her voice became small, words trailed away and I watched the way her face shuttered, hardening as she demanded lowly, taking an almost menacing step forward, coming closer to me, "You haven't done anything to disrespect the Corozal Council, have you, Olivia?"

I watched this eerie, strange transformation of expressions and behavior, the way her unblinking eyes watched me coldly when I hesitated to answer.

A vein appeared by her forehead, throbbing against the pale skin and my heart pace picked up significantly when I eventually responded, "No. Not that I'm aware of, at least."

Elizabeth said nothing, but after a bizarre, and extremely awkward moment of silence, she shuddered and her smile returned, features melting and expression soft. "That's what I thought." She gushed, hand reaching out to touch my own but I took an apprehensive step backwards, still in shock at what I'd witnessed.

Her smile was frozen now, and looked so clearly forced as she watched me take some more steps away from her.

Swallowing thickly, I left the woman standing outside and walked up the stairs that led to my front door, looking at her still form one last time before closing the door behind me, locking it twice with bated breath.

Shrugging off my coat, I draped it over a chair and made my way to the kitchen, pausing by a counter to turn on a kettle and search through a cabinet for a small packet of tea bags.

After finding it, I went to the sink and began to wash the cup, noticing that my fingers trembled as I held a sponge. Sighing through teeth I lifted my eyes to a window, continuing on with washing, but caught sight of Elizabeth outside, her back facing me.

Beside her was a man, dressed in an odd dark purple uniform, and yellow boots. I stood watching them for a little while as they conversed, only moving once the kettle had stopped boiling the water.

When I returned to the sink, they were still there, and I saw the way the male began to turn to the direction of my house, but I swiped the curtains, allowing them to fall into place so that I could not be seen.

I stood in the middle of the kitchen, sipping my tea, waiting and listening. The wind howled softly, and a thumping noise approached my house.

And when the knock came at the door, I placed the cup of tea down on a table and walked and opened the front door, plastering a surprised expression upon my face at the sight of the man in the strange uniform.

"Good day, sir." I greeted when he didn't say anything. His lips pressed together, barely seen under the thick massive beard he had. He was my height, but that was where the similarities ended.

His impressive muscularity reminded me of the commanders I'd seen with some trainees, and his hostility towards me was suffocating. I knew, almost immediately, that he was apart of the Corozal Council.

"Can I help you with anything?" I asked politely, deciding to step outside and join him on the top stairs in which he stood, a slight shiver wracking my body as my socks touched the snow covering the ground.

"You have not answered Eric Mason's questions about why you were brought to Klawmoon's prison." His voice was scathing, full of distrust.

And just like that, I allowed my polite mask to crumble, and I regarded him the way he did me.

"Is that what you and Elizabeth spoke about?" I asked dryly, beginning to pace on the stairs since my feet began to feel numb. His hawk-like eyes watched me and I breathed loudly, folding my arms and eventually stopping to face him.

"When I was a child, I had been amongst others who had protested against the treatment of humans and many other things. As punishment for that, I was imprisoned."

His expression did not shift. "And how did you escape?"

I searched his face once more, noticing a bruise on his face, under his eye to be precise, and bloody knuckles.

I did not let my attention stay on these things for long and answered briskly, "An Alpha by the name of Hannes and other lycans invaded the pack which I was in and freed us. I...I did not trust them and chose to run, but eventually was captured and taken to Hannes' pack."

I moistened my lips, releasing a shaky breath at the memory of explosions and pain filled howls. "Would you like me to explain how I left Wildeland p-"

"No. I was told by Helda how you did so." The man interrupted me harshly and I walked back into my house, curling my toes at the warmth which immediately surrounding them when I managed to peel of the socks rest my bare feet on the carpeted floor.

The man watched me silently, not offering any words until I was finished.

"Hannes has been looking for you."

My head jerked upright, body stiffening. "How would you know this?"

The man stepped close to me, far too close for my liking and my fingers curled around the frame of the doorway.

"I was passing by a town not too far from here and a woman spoke to me. She told me about lycans searching through her town and Hannes was amongst those. Rumours had circulated about a missing mate and it didn't take me long to figure out who this mate was." He looked towards me pointedly and I nodded.

"And now what?" I asked quietly, fingers still gripping the frame. "Do you think I will be found?"

My words angered him, or rather, wounded his pride of Corozal. He bit out in a strangled, bitter voice, "No. We are well-"

"Hidden. Yes, I've heard." I released my grip and shot the man a questioning look. "Is there anything else you'd like to discuss, man with no name?"

Brown eyes narrowed. "Watch your mouth girl." His voice was guttural, full of warning and I eventually averted my eyes from his own. I could see some people behind him, pausing from walking to watch our tense interaction until I decided I had enough.

"Good evening then." I muttered, hand reaching for the handle of the door, but the peculiar man was already turning away, walking down the stairs and towards the pathway.

The door clicked softly behind him and I returned back to my tea on the table, frowning in disappointment when I saw that the wind from outside which had drifted into the house had affected the warmth of it and it was now cold.

With a slight headache, I began to make myself another cup of tea, but strained my ears for any sounds of whispers from outside, in case the man was still nearby and had chosen to speak to someone else. But all that I could hear was the whistling of the kettle after I turned it on.

**********

"Up." Eric's hand roughly wrapped around my upper arm, and I flinched out of the tight hold. He paused in concern, noticing the flash of pain which had arisen in my eyes but his blank expression returned when I gave no further signs of pain.

"You didn't stretch this morning." Eric noticed, giving me a flat look of disappointment. His coat billowed behind him as he walked a couple feet away from the rest of the group who he had been training as well.

After a stern look was sent my way by Eric, I begrudgingly followed him, almost stumbling over snow. My eyes stung with lack of sleep, and I had eaten far too much for breakfast this morning, which as a result, made me very sluggish.

"Jumping jacks." Eric said to me when I faced him.

"How many?"

"Start, and I'll tell you when to stop."

My jaw clenched, but I nodded, beginning to do them. Eric simply stood watching me throughout this, hands in the pockets of his pants as he observed me.

"You'll be coming with us for the rescue."

"I will be killed."

Eric lifted his eyebrows. "No, you won't. As I said before, you'll be with me and I will protect you. If things get out of hand, I'll direct you to safety."

I inhaled, saying nothing more, but my silence said a lot.

Three minutes passed, and I jolted mid-jump as Eric commanded me to stop. I did so immediately, blinking rapidly at the sudden watering of my eyes as I coughed throatily, hand lifting to rub at my eyelids when Eric caught my wrist.

"I'll protect you, Olivia." His voice was low so no one one else could hear, his eyes sincere and seeming to darken the longer he watched me.

My throat suddenly felt tight as I stared up at him, unable to move but did when I heard a trainee yell, asking for a break even though we'd started training less than fifteen minutes ago.

Wordlessly I brushed past the commander who dropped my arm, making my way back to the group of three, ignoring Eric's eyes even after he joined us.

*********

The next chapter is available on Inkitt.