97. A Warm Shoulder To Cry On

97. A Warm Shoulder To Cry On
Reiss

A jaguar shifter stopped to sniff the air. She scanned her surroundings. After seeing nothing out of place, she kept walking. She and another shifter guarded the entrance to the cave. 

I spied on them from behind a tall mound of dirt, peaking through blades of grass. If it wasn’t for the concoction Antonio mixed for us to pour over our heads, we would have been detected a long time ago. 

I used two fingers to motion for the Alpha beside me that we would now proceed as planned. He nodded.

I crept around them. He went to the other side. I hid myself behind a tree. The jaguar came closer, completely unaware. I grabbed him from behind and covered his mouth. Then I cracked his neck. My companion did the same. The jaguar’s body slid from my hold and onto the ground. I swept up his keys. I glanced over my shoulder.

Uncountable glowing eyes stared from the darkness. It was time.  

With no one watching the entrance, infiltration was easy. The wolves marched in five at a time. Those that were inside wore a shocked expression on their faces, as if they didn’t expect for us to make an appearance without them being notified. Some of them didn’t have a weapon in hand, choosing instead to gamble with cards in hand while their weapons lay at their feet. 

They launched into battle. I let my men take care of those who had shifted. The ones with weapons would be the more difficult ones. 

Such an opponent thought I would be a great target. It was a reptile shifter. I could tell by the way his thin tongue slithered out every once in a while. He aimed his spear straight for my chest.

I stepped to the right. His eyes followed me. I was only allowed a split second. I removed my hunting knife from its sheath. It went to the same place he tried to injure me.

He stepped back but I knew that wouldn’t be enough. My foot made contact with his stomach. He fell on his back. This was it. I stabbed his heart over and over again until he stopped moving. There was no way he’d be recovering.

There was someone behind me. Cries of war and shouts for help echoed in the well-lit cave. I turned and threw the knife behind me. It hit my attacker straight in the eye. Some of his blood landed on my face. I smiled to myself. This would be easier than I thought.

_____

Cindy

I checked the time. 2AM. They should have made their move by now. Most of the residents had retreated to their bedrooms. I wasn’t one of them. 

I couldn’t sleep. I could only sit on the windowsill and take in the outside. Lights were turned on even in houses that were left unoccupied. My gaze shifted to the rest of the living room. Looks like I wasn’t the only one who was worried. 

Krystal stood near the fireplace, hand on her chin as she watched the wood burn. Berry rocked back and forth, holding her knees close to her chest. Jessica’s brother, Bryant, was there as well. He sat directly in front of the flames, watching as they danced and changed shape. 

I leaned my head against the glass. I was about to wander back into my thoughts when I heard sniffling. There was Berry, with tears running down her face as she rubbed her nose. It was cold at night up here in the mountains. I knew she wouldn’t want to talk to me, so I did the next best thing. 

Berry looked up and watched as I placed a knitted blanket over her shoulders. She shook her head and took it off. “I don’t want it,” she said, handing it back to me.

I took it but only to place it over her once again. “It’s cold,” I cautioned. “I know you’re tough, but it doesn’t hurt to have a little help. You should go get some rest. The house is the safest place in the pack. Antonio made sure of that.”

When she didn’t protest, I turned my back.

“M-My dad, he’s…” 

I looked at her, waiting as she tried to gather her words. She sniffed and wiped her eyes. 

“He’s a Gamma and he’s with the others. I don’t know if he will come back. And I'm just sitting here because I’m too scared to follow them. I don’t know how to fight! My mom is gone. He’s all I got.”

After hearing her out, I sat down beside her. I got into the same position as her. I couldn’t guarantee that he would come back with all his limbs intact, but I could stay with her and listen while she spoke. 

Berry paused and glanced at her bare toes. She watched them wiggle and tucked them in.

“Emery was worried about me. That’s how she is, you know. She looks after her girls, even before she became a Gamma. She would invite me over after school when her mom came back early from work and cooked dinner. I would sleep over often. They treated me like their own. That’s why I will always defend her. But she’s not here now.”

“But I am,” I spoke up, adjusting my posture. “I know you don’t like me, but I’m still here. I’m not Emery but I don’t like to see you hurting. You can lean on me, I don’t mind.”

I didn’t expect anything to come from it. Berry surprised me by resting her head on my shoulder. She closed her eyes, taking in deep breaths as her eyelashes fluttered. 

Krystal and Bryant joined up and we all ended up sitting on the floor in an imperfect circle, the crackling of the fireplace being the only thing that made noise. Berry had fallen asleep and Bryant was close behind. I didn’t feel drowsy in the slightest. 

There was a noise, a bang. Our heads turned in the direction of the kitchen where the backdoor was. It happened again. For sure, there was someone hitting the door.

My breath hitched. Is what Antonio predicted coming true?