After Alpha Connall left, I was in a state of petrified shock. I stared at his wide back as I witnessed his muscular figure recede in the crowds of villagers, and back into the woods where I guessed he came from.

"Oh. My. GOD. ELENORE! Alpha Connall just SPOKE to you!", Mahala screamed in my ear. "What was THAT all about?"

"I have no idea. I have..no idea.." I zoned out, still staring in shock in the direction Alpha Connall left, thinking about what he said. What did he mean by 'You're going to need it'?

Just then, Isaac and my mother walked over to me, completely ignoring the customers waving around a few small tomatoes in their faces, hoping they could just buy them and leave.

"Ellie, did you SEE Alpha Connall's face? He so liked you!", Mahala loudly butt in once again before my family could speak.

"Haley, hush!", my mother whisper-yelled. Harshly, Haley snapped her mouth closed, a faint pink color flooding her cheeks.

"He's weird..", Isaac thoughtfully put in. "Why did he just come up and start talking to you?"

"I don't know, and I don't really care! He talked to her, and is obviously going to be watching her tomorrow, so that's all that matters!", mother exclaimed, ecstatic. Isaac's and I's mother obviously approved of the entire Running tradition, and always wanted me to be caught by a high-ranking Wolf. I knew that in her mind, she saw me and Alpha Connall together having pups, living lavishly in the Alpha Mansion.

Sighing heavily, I asked if I could have the rest of the day off because of what just happened. Mother and Isaac agreed, saying they could handle the crowd for today, seeing it was going to be slow. I gave Haley a look, asking if she would be okay if she stayed here, helping out my family, and also letting me have some alone time. I've always been that kind of person, needing time alone to think about whatever's happened that upset me.

Being the devoted person and friend she is, she gently nodded, understanding flooding her eyes.

I cautiously walked out of the stand, fearing that Alpha Connall would come back and speak to me. After all, I could barely reply to him before in the stand! Thank the Moon Goddess Isaac was there for me.

As I walked through the crowds of villagers, seeing some familiar faces and smiling or waving at them softly, I started to think about Isaac, and how he had to take on the leading male role in the family, going to work at 11 years old, feeding and protecting our mother and me, but mostly me.

My train of thought went back in time to our original protector, my father. How he would always make us pancakes and bacon on Sundays, and give me a new charm on every one of my birthdays for the bracelet he gave me on my 1st birthday, along with my first charm: a small wolf paw. I still have that bracelet, too. Instead of settling perfectly on my wrist, it's sitting in the bottom of an old wooden jewelry box stuck high on a shelf in my closet. Pathetic right? I cant even wear my dead father's gift to me..

Without noticing, I stepped onto the dark brown woodchips littering the ground of the park. Nobody else was here, but with the rusty slides and broken swings, I doubted anyone would. The park was surrounded by tall pine and ceder trees, creating a wall-like barrier between us and the woods beyond. Back years ago when my dad was alive, he would bring both Isaac and I here, when the park was in it's prime. He would chase me and young Isaac around the field when we were playing tag, and push us both at the same time on the swings. Children and parents would came here every day, enjoying the warm sun and company of their family and friends.

That's when I met Haley.

I was 6 years old at the time, thoroughly enjoying myself by swinging as high as I could go, kicking my legs back and forth against the wind blowing through my wild, messy hair. A girl with unruly blonde hair was standing by one of the poles supporting the twin swing-set, watching me swing through the air with thoughtful gaze. I finally got tired of her just staring at me after a few minutes, so I dug my heels into the disturbed soil under the arch of my swing, slowing to a stop.

"Do you need something?", I asked her with my premature voice, curiosity and aggravation lacing my speech.

"No. But I bet I can swing higher that you." She stated simply, smirking, amusement pulling at the corners of her lips.

Everyone knew that, when someone bet me something, I never lost. This was no exception.

Ever since then, we played at the park together, competing and laughing until our parents called us to go home.We grew closer and closer with each passing day, until realization dawned on us: We were best friends.

When my dad died, I was heartbroken. He was my best friend, even more than Haley. When I had a nightmare, he would come into my room and sleep with me, warmth and protection radiating off his aging body. I locked myself in my room, putting up emotional walls and barricading myself from any feeling whatsoever. Isaac tried to console me, but it never worked. My mother was too busy sitting in the living room chair my dad would always sit in, mourning his loss.

Then Haley came.

Haley came everyday, and talked to me about random things, never pushing me to go any farther than what I was ready for. After about a month and a half, I finally started talking to Isaac and coming out of my room, eventually getting to a somewhat normal life again.

I snapped out of my haze, coming back to reality, realizing I had been leaning against one of the slides the entire time. Slowly, I turned around and started walking back towards my house, the scent of pine needles wafting up to my nose, calming me and reminding me of my past yet again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After I arrived home to find myself alone, I made small snack, seeing I wasn't really hungry. Once I was done, I went to the bathroom connected to my room to take a second shower that day, knowing it would help me relax.

Squeezing some Green Apple and Vanilla scented body wash onto a rag, I tiredly washed off the nonexistent dirt from the pores of my skin, leaving only soft pink flesh behind. I stopped the water and stepped out, wrapping myself in the fluffy white towel I had laid out for myself.

'Nikita?', I asked dully.

'What's wrong, Ellie?', she replied, sensing my apprehension through my emotionless tone.

I mentally sighed, 'Will things get better?', knowing she knew what I meant. She already knows how I have a tough time moving on from the past.

Nikita didn't reply for a few minutes, and I sensed I already knew her answer. But just when I thought she wouldn't reply, she spoke;

'Elenore, I know the past you've had is one no little girl should ever have. I know you felt like there was no one there for you, that putting up emotional walls and preventing yourself from getting close to anyone was the only way to protect yourself, but Ellie, let me tell you something. I was there. I was there with you, feeling the exact same thing you did, seeing the exact same things you saw. I took a lot of the pain you felt. What you experienced was all excess of what I couldn't take. You were never alone, Ellie, and you never will be. So yes, Elenore, things will get better.'

I gasped at what I had just learned. Nikita took most of my emotional pain? How could she stand that? I didn't notice, but warm tears were running down my cheeks, pooling in my eyes so much that I couldn't see. Never had I ever heard Nikita talk like that to me, but I am so glad she did. My stomach felt warm, and I felt new life flooding through my limbs and into my chest. Nikita had saved my life all those years ago, because without her, I would've absorbed every feeling of dread and abandonment possible. I wouldn't have survived without her.

Nikita gave me new hope.

'Nikita, I-..Thank you. You have no idea how much that means to me', I managed to get out without my voice breaking.

Nikita softly chuckled. 'Actually, I do. I feel everything you do, remember?' I could practically see our wolf smirking.

'I love you, Nikita', I thought to her.

'I love you too, Ellie.'

By now, my hair was dried into it's usual soft waves, a towel still around my body. Slowly, I changed into a pair of Pajamas and flopped back onto my small bed, snuggling under the soft white and black covers piled on top of me.

Glancing at my clock before finally closing my eyes, I saw it was 8:45. The running was in less than 24 hours, and for the first time in months, I wasn't scared of the future. I embraced it.

The last thing I felt was a pair of warm lips on my forehead before I slipped away into peaceful blackness.