He had been able to get rid of the guards easily. They were completely lost when it came to the forest. They couldn't even track him by his blood. The fog hid the smell from them. It also brought him to a place in which he could make something to help heal. He stopped the bleeding using the plants of the forest. He had used his knowledge plenty while he was avoiding the wolves that patrolled the area.

He wished he could transform into his wolf form. He would have been able to get out of that territory much faster. He already cut himself off from that pack. If he didn't then it would have been easier to track him down. As much as he wanted revenge on the leader, he did not wish to leave the others that were there. Why, he didn't know. For he had shoved his memories deep into his mind. He couldn't think on them now, he had to survive and find a way out.

The dumb shackles were what kept him from changing forms. Silver weakened him. He had tried to no avail to get them off. All they did was burn and sap him of even more of his strength. He couldn't have that. He would just have to settle with them being attached to his wrists and ankles until he found something to help him. The forest seemed to know exactly where to go. It beckoned him like a mother to her child. He listened to her, for she was wiser than anyone he had ever met. She listened to the Spirit of the Moon, her orders coming from her directly.

He came upon a building, small and quaint. It was right on the border of the territory, glowing in the little bit of moonlight that was shining through the trees. He could use it to gather some supplies he needed. He needed food at least. If he didn't eat anything than his body would not last much longer.

He went inside silently, still warry of any enemies looking for him. It was simple, with some beds and a small kitchen. There was even a bath. It might be a good idea to wash himself. He wasn't sure if he had enough time to do that. Food was the first most important thing that he needed, so he went to look for that first. It was easy to find, as there were plenty of things that would help him regain his energy. He grabbed a few ingredients and set to work on the stove. He did it in the dark, so as to not raise any suspicion. If anyone saw a light on, they might think to look in the building.

He could make a fast meal. One that would fill him and prepare him for the journey ahead. He didn't know how long the adventure would be, but this would help. Even with the silver working against him and weighing him down, eating could help him heal faster. He needed those wounds healed up if he was going to be getting his revenge soon.

"You know how to cook?" He surprised him by wrapping his arms around him. His smell was enticing, warming him to the very core.

"That was another thing I learned," he leaned into his hold. He told him that he wanted to see the true him. He didn't know how with how much it had been buried. But he figured that his instincts would know the best. "Only, it wasn't from my grandfather."

"Oh? That's shocking," the man rested his head on his shoulder. The action calming him to his very core. "Is there anything you haven't learned?"

No. He couldn't do this. This building was sparking memories. He needed to make his food quickly and get out of there. He couldn't let his memories come back. He hadn't even gotten to safety yet.

That smell, though. That scent. He remembered it. It was lovely, and addicting. He wanted to be around it all the time. That was where he felt safe.

No. Not yet. He couldn't lose control of this body yet. He had been locked up for too long, waiting for the perfect moment to come out. He had to protect himself so that he could protect the others. That was his mission. That, and revenge. For he had been working with all of those friends and family on this. He had been plotting with them all, making sure that this would be successful. He had been there for everything, witnessing everything, so that when the moment came for him to strike, he would punish that man for every horrible deed that he had ever done.

Not yet, Shiro. We aren't safe yet.

He scarfed down his food, cleaning the dish so that no one would suspect a thing. They would not think anything of this building when they came to it. For he could hide his scent too well for them. They had been taught that craft, but he was one of the few who could perfect it.

Follow. The fog beckoned him once more. He went outside and looked for any enemies. The fools would never think that he came here. They were probably thinking that he was going the opposite way. They were probably thinking that he was going to leave the forest completely: to start anew elsewhere.

That was just what that Alpha wanted. And there was no way he would ever give in to that man.

He followed the fog, letting it hide him as he ran. The forest trusted him, just like it did the ancestors before him. He was her rightful ruler. And he would remember to truly celebrate her when the time came.

Howls came in the distance. They were closer than he expected. But they wouldn't see him. The sun might be peaking over the horizon, but this forest was dark no matter the time or day. And he knew it better than any of those warriors.

He needed to get over the border, but he knew that once he did whatever pack was there would feel him crossing over. He had to think of a way of getting in unnoticed. Looking around, he silently asked the forest for its guidance.

A part of him begged for him to simply walk over to the other side already. It wanted him to trust the wolves on the other side. But he couldn't trust anybody. Not yet. He needed to follow the forest, as it was the only one that he could trust right then. There was no telling just how dangerous the other side could be.

The wolves were getting closer. He could hear their feet fall on the soft ground. They were supposed to be silent, and they probably would be to the average wolf or human. But he knew these warriors too well. He knew how to listen to the forest.

There was a river that split the ground he walked on. It rushed over the black rocks underneath it. It seemed like it was trying to leave just like he was. He looked into the clear water and saw his reflection for the first time. He did not think that he would look this way. There were no whites in his eyes, only black. His hair was matted, with long strands coming out and sticking to his face. He was in nothing but rags. Rags that clung to him, torn and bloody by what had happened prior to him running.

He looked pale. He looked small, and weak. But he would laugh in the face of the man that ever tried to call him that. For he was anything but. He would find a way out of this mess. He would find a way to save himself along with all the people that Alpha was hurting. He would have his revenge.

He dipped into the water, unable to feel the temperature. It did not matter to him at the moment. All that mattered was getting away from those warriors and trusting the forest to bring him to safety. He let his body slip into it, going all the way down to his neck. It soothed the cuts and bruises that adorned his body.

The river was rushing around him, ready to sweep him off his feet and carry him to his next destination. He could trust the river. For it was a part of the forest. It beckoned him to trust it fully, and he did. After scanning the area, he took a deep breath and submerged himself completely. Closing his eyes, he remained calm as the currents carried him. No one would notice him if he went under the water. The pack that was along this border wouldn't know he had crossed at all. It protected him from the attention of potential enemies.

He could hold his breath for a long time as long as he remained calm under those waters. He had helped train this body to withstand much. That was why the silver chains weren't as heavy as they should have been. They should have weighed him down, and slowed him down. They should have rattled as he moved, giving his enemy an advantage towards finding him. But he knew how to move silently with them on. He could still hide within the fog and run away from his enemies faster than they could even see.

Breathe. He heard the whisper through the water currents. It sounded soothing, like a mermaid helping someone who was drowning. It wrapped around him and coaxed him back up to the surface. He made sure that he did not gasp when he came up from the water. Any sound would give him away. He opened his eyes to see the other side of the forest. It looked the same, but it felt different. There was a lighter feeling when he got out of the river. It seemed like this pack wasn't as restrictive as the other. That's what he could feel from the air that blew past. The sunlight struggled to get through the dark leaves. That was okay. He could still see in the darkness.

The area seemed familiar to him. He didn't quite know why. He looked around for enemies, but found none. He wasn't going to take his chances. He still hid in the shadows that the forest provided as he followed the fog. It still seemed to have the same glow to it. It sparkled in the little sunlight that broke through.

"The hunters in the city are taken care of," Geo mind linked with him. "But we saw some of them disappear into the forest."

"Which territory?" he asked, a sense of urgency filled him.

"The Valor Pack," Geo told him.

They weren't allowed to go into another pack's territory without permission. However, he knew that emergencies like this made an exception to that rule. He didn't want any harm coming to that pack either. For their allies were important to keep. And there were innocents in every pack.

"Then we will follow them," he told his beta.

"What if the Alpha gets mad?"

"Leave that to me," he told him. "But we need to make sure that those hunters don't get away. They'll come back with more if they do."

Why was this memory coming up? They weren't even in the city. They were in the forest. How that memory could override his reign didn't make sense to him. That seemed like so long ago. Yet it had only been a month. Their enemies worked quickly. He needed to work faster than them. He needed to catch them by surprise.

But he also needed to find a way to get these shackles off so that he could heal correctly. He hadn't come up with a plan for that yet, so he put his faith in the forest. It would tell him when to stop traveling.

The sound of paws hitting the ground got his attention. He hid in the shadows of a large tree, peaking around it just enough to try and see just what kind of wolf it was. These packs all had different colors and shapes of wolves. This way he would be able to tell where in the forest he was.

A small group of black wolves came to the clearing near him. They were larger than average, built for battle, but not speed. They sniffed the air around as if they were trying to track something. He didn't know what it was, but it raised his suspicions. If this pack had gotten word from the other pack about him, then they could be trying to look for him. And that only meant bad news.

A snap of a twig brought him back to another memory.

"Gotcha!" he heard the sound of a twig snap and a gun cock. All it took was a quick look over to Geo and Teddy for them to know what to do. They ran through the unknown terrain silently, making sure that they weren't heard.

He didn't know who they had, but he wasn't going to let these hunters kill anyone. They thought that werewolves were evil, but they make themselves evil by punishing all instead of the few who committed the crimes. And Shiro wasn't going to let that happen.

"An Alpha's head," the leader of the group of hunters pointed the gun to a wolf. "Is going to look perfect on my wall."

The Valor Pack consisted of black wolves, slightly larger than average. They were confident in their strength, and it was obvious as to why, but there were such things as overconfidence. He wouldn't let it be this alpha's downfall, though. Not when he hadn't done anything wrong. Those orange eyes looked at them with hatred, searching the area for a way to get out of this sticky situation.

No! They weren't safe yet! He wrestled with his memories, trying to resist the urge to growl his frustrations out. That would only get this groups attention. That would cause more strife. He didn't want to fight if he didn't have to. He needed to preserve his energy.

He remembered those orange eyes. They drew him in, along with that scent. They called to him like a siren each and every time he had come across it. He wished he could see those eyes again. They shined with love. That was one thing that he had rarely gotten. One thing that he had fought for his people to get. For love was complete freedom.

The group left, running off in a different direction. They looked focused on a task. He didn't know what it was. All he knew was that he would have to be careful to remain hidden. He knew that this wasn't the only group around.

Their faces didn't look hard when he watched them, though. It wasn't like the wolves that were chasing him in the other territory. Their faces looked concentrated; determined. There was no hatred in it.

"Thanks for the help," the Alpha said, his eyes were intense when they landed on him. He liked the fact that this alpha showed him respect, even though he was much smaller than him.

"There's no need for thanking," he told him. "We are allies. I'm sure you would do the same for us."

He shook off yet another memory, his mind begging to take control once more. He couldn't. Not until he knew they were safe. That was his mission at the moment. That was the most important.

He remembered that day. That was the day that he had finally met the Alpha of the Valor Pack. The day before he reached the age to be mated. He remembered fighting alongside him. It was nice to fight with someone of his strength.

He also remembered getting escorted back over the territory lines. Those orange eyes could have burned into him right when he walked out of the building. As soon as he found them peeking through the dark leaves, he couldn't help but smile. For that gaze, as intense as it was, warmed his soul. He hadn't met an Alpha as kind and respectful as this one.

That same warmth filled him. He couldn't fight it off. It pulled him through the forest. But he couldn't follow that pull. He needed to follow the forest. For he couldn't trust a strange pull, even if every fiber of his being was begging him to.

He needed to find safety. Then he would follow this pull. The best way to get himself under control wasn't to fight against the other emotions that threatened to come out, but to work with them. He understood what was at stake if they failed in their task. It wasn't that he feared for his death. He feared for the innocents who were subject to that vile man's will. He needed to gain strength so that he could protect them, and find vengeance for them.

Follow. He snapped his head to where the sound came from. It was the direction in which he was trying to avoid. It was the direction that pulled him.

But he didn't understand. The forest and the pull were two separate things. Why would they both lead him in the same direction?

Follow. It commanded again. He had no other choice but to obey. He didn't know what it had planned for him, but he trusted it. It was the only thing in which he could trust.

More wolves came through the trees. He hid from them every single time. None of them had a clue as to him being there. Traveling through the river truly helped him keep his stealth. The group of wolves would all do the same thing. They would all sniff the area, look around, and then run off to a new destination. Their numbers were growing, though. He wasn't sure how he'd be able to hide from a large group of them.

The pull grew stronger as he went. He wanted to run, but he hadn't the energy to. The silver was sapping him more and more with each step he took. He wasn't sure how much longer he could carry on. All he knew was that he needed to get to the destination in which the forest was trying to bring him to. He had to push himself forward. If he tried to rest now, he knew he would not have the strength to wake up again.

He came by a large clearing in the woods. The sunlight glittered and bounced off the fog that rolled through the grassy field. Judging by its position in the sky, he could determine that it was noon. He had been traveling for a long time. He was sure that his legs were going to give out on him any minute. But he had to keep moving. He had to survive.

There was something at the opposite side of that field. He was going to hide when he saw it move. But then he noticed something familiar coming into the sunlight. Someone who's memories wouldn't stop coming into his mind and overwhelming his reign. It was those eyes that made him stop in his tracks. They seemed to look through the fog, straight at him. Worry shined through those orange eyes. Worry and fear. It pulled him. He wanted to be closer to him. He wanted to be happy again. He wanted to be safe again.

"Shiro?" that familiar voice sounded desperate as they looked through the dense fog. He didn't even know how he could see him. No one else did. But he could always see him. He could always look at him and see him for what he truly was. He knew him, even when he did not know himself.

But he was scared. What if this was a trap? He couldn't take much more of this. If he wound up with another wound, it would be fatal. He couldn't trust anything but the forest, as much as that pained him to think. As much as those eyes drew him in with the promise of safety and warmth. He couldn't. Not when he didn't know if he could trust him.

"Can I ask you a question?" that calming voice said over the phone. He missed him, even though he had barely met him. He was getting too used to these late-night calls. So much so that it made him toss and turn when Jett didn't call him that night. He had somehow mustered the courage to be the one to call him this time. He was so bad at this, and felt awkward. But Jett made him feel as if it were nothing.

"Anything," he told him. He had no idea what he was going to ask, but he hoped it wasn't anything too serious. He really needed to wind down from the day.

"Do you ever feel that you're in danger?"

All the time. He was always in danger. But that wasn't something that Jett needed to worry about. He could handle himself. He had been for five long years.

"No. Not other than a few times in battle, that is," he lied. It felt bad to lie to his mate. But he couldn't have him knowing the truth. Not yet. That would be too dangerous. "Why do you ask?"

"Maybe I just worry too much for you," Jett chuckled a bit over the phone. He liked how nonchalant he always spoke. It was really soothing. "Just know that if you ever feel in danger, you can always come here, alright?"

No. He couldn't. He had to deal with this on his own. All he could trust was the forest. It was too dangerous to trust anyone else. Trustworthy people were hard to come by.

"Shiro," the man called for him again, taking a few steps forward. "Is that you?"