A Way Forward

I hear Kellan whispering at me and slowly wake up.

"Now, before you let your mind run away with stuff, you need to eat. So breakfast."

I won't even argue. I'm actually starving.

"You're not having breakfast with the others. Not until we talk and figure this out."

"Figure what out?"

"Just get ready. Yori is outside and will bring you down." Smiling at me, he walks out. Getting up and ready, I walked out. Yori stood smiling at me.

"I'm to escort you to breakfast." He begins to walk, and I follow.

"What needs figuring out, Yori?" He will know.

"Just some things. I'm sure you can wait like thirty seconds." I laugh and nod. He's right. I can.

Walking into the room, I sit down. Darius looks at me. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, I just need to wake up fully." I slept in. Normally, I have at least half an hour to get ready. Not today.

"Okay, well, everyone is going to know you have your wolf. Yesterday, you didn't get close, and everyone was too focused on their own family and packs to realise." Kellan speaks, and I nod and begin to eat.

"Today, you're going to be around the contestants. They will question where your wolf came from. We need to get a story for it until we have figured out the main guy at the underground."

"No! The whole point of getting my wolf was so I could tell people who I am and confirm you and Kellan had nothing to do with my parent's death." I'm not hiding it.

"We got your wolf now because Ethan planned to get it. Not so you can save us." Kellan speaks, but I shake my head.

"You two need protecting."

"We are. Stop worrying about us and focus on you." Darius shouts, but I can't. Winter speaks in agreement.

"Why get my wolf back if not to protect you two and stop the riots?"

"I said for you, Elara, because Ethan was going for it."

"You said after I got my wolf, I could tell everyone the truth." He did.

"No, I said we would discuss it and not to go all crazy telling everyone you're Xenia. At no point did I agree you could put yourself at risk for us."

I look at Kellan, hoping he will agree, but his head shakes. "I can help." If they let me, I can.

"You're no help to us dead! You're not telling anyone yet." Darius shouts, and I nod, my head lowering. "Sorry. I didn't mean to shout, but you announcing who you really are even to save us is a risk. There's still another woman dressing up like you. We still haven't found Ethan."

"Listen to him, Elara. The plan is for the contestants to know you have your wolf back. The person who had it reached out and offered it back in return for immunity for taking it through fear you might make this competition and become queen."

"If you had already decided, why bother speaking to me? You could just tell me what you planned."

"We planned, and it's to keep you safe. We're not saying never, just not until we get more information. You need to be cautious around the others."

My emotions, that story again? "I know, focus on things around me, not my mind and the emotions, so I don't go all crazy."

Darius laughs. "No, what we mean is your strength, physical strength. Be cautious, for instance, you used to have to yank the doors to open them; don't yank them, or there's a good chance you will pull it from its hinges."

"That's a bit dramatic."

"It's not. Right now, your wolf is right there, so a lot of your wolf's strength is running through you. Until you learn to hold it back, be careful."

"Fine, I shall be careful." I still think they are being a bit excessive.

"Sage's event is tonight. As you will have your wolf, you can shift. Just be cautious. It's a full moon, which means wolves are heightened, their senses and everything. With your already heightened senses, it could be overdrive, so if it's too much, say."

"Okay, if it's worse than yesterday, say. Got it." This seems like a list of rules.

"No running off. There's a chance if your feelings overwhelm you that you will run. Don't do that. It's not safe. Find me or Kellan." Darius looks at me and is clearly worried.

"No running off. If I get too overwhelmed, say, try not to yank on anything. Any other rules?" I'm bored and annoyed with it now.

"You sound agitated." Kellan looks at me.

"I'm not." My words are loud. "Okay, I am. I'm sorry." I didn't mean to shout at him.

"Don't apologise, but you need to figure out where the feeling is coming from. If it's your wolf, fine, listen to it, then force your mind to focus on you, not your wolf." Darius looks at me. "I'm sorry if it sounds like we're trying to control things. We're not, well, we are. We're trying to keep you safe, and we want everything covered before others know you have your wolf."

I take a deep breath and try to focus. I don't know why I feel so annoyed; they are trying to protect me.

"The plan is, you go see the other contestants now. They were told you were in a meeting with us. When they see you have your wolf, they will know why."

"Thank you." I just realised I never thanked them for this for getting me my wolf.

"You have nothing to thank us for. Go see the other contestants, try not to kill anyone." I laugh at Darius. "Okay, make sure Winter doesn't try to kill Lyra."

I smile at his words. "I wouldn't kill her, and neither will Winter." As I say it, I hear Winter disagree.

"Yeah, even I can tell Winter doesn't like her, so try not to get into an argument with her." Darius looks at me, and I nod. He realises it's Lyra, and arguments are her thing? Walking out, William guides me through to the main room and I mentally prepare myself for what may come.