As Alex entered the cave, he collapsed the entrance to prevent the vampires from following them.
The tunnel was narrow, forcing the group to walk in a single file.
"Dammit, I can't see a thing."
"Don't bump into me."
"Walk straight."
Mireille could no longer stand their ramblings and used a little magic to light the tunnel.
"Wow! You can do this?" Seven asked in surprise.
"Mhm~" Mireille was quite pleased with herself. "I learnt it by myself."
"Good." Lloyd said, impressed, "By the way, where does the exit lead to?"
"Let's hope it doesn't lead to the least convenient location possible." Zave groaned.
"Probably leads to a crappy forest in the middle of nowhere." Alex grumbled, his broad shoulders brushing against the walls.
Seven gave an awkward laugh, "C'mon guys, it can't be that bad, right?"
"You'll see." Mireille replied succinctly.
Zave: "So discreet?"
The tunnel sloped downward, the air growing damp as the distant roar of water reached their ears.
"A waterfall? That's so smart." Lloyd complimented.
Zave whistled, impressed despite himself, "Ha. Not bad half-blood."
Alex muttered, "At least it's not a dead end."
Seven just beamed, "Looks like she knows her stuff."
They emerged out of the tunnel into a wider space behind the waterfall. A crisp draft of night air swept through the stone entrance, carrying with it the scents of pine and earth. the group stumbled out of the cave, avoiding the waterfalls. Their gaze fell on the breath-taking scenery before them unable to utter a word. The water's surface reflected the silver moon. Tiny fish shimmered beneath, their silver glints making the lake look as if the sky itself had fallen.
'It's gorgeous." Seven managed to say.
"Yeah, it's amazing." Lloyd glanced around, still alert, "But where are we this isn't our territory."
His words brought the others to their senses, 'Yeah, I can't smell anything familiar here." The werewolves were about to have a panic fit. Mireille watched them and knew they'd turn to her and start nagging about her bringing them to an unfamiliar place. Before they could snap out of their daze, she spoke, "I know a way back to your place."
Lloyd's golden eyes flicked to her, as if sensing her hesitation. "You do?"
'I really don't want to tell you but I equally don't want to die early ┬┬﹏┬┬'
Zave crossed his arms studying her expression. "I'm sure she does. Probably knows the mountain better than the back of her hand."
"Seven grinned nudging her, oblivious to the tense atmosphere building up, "That's kinda impressive honestly."
Alex's eyes showed a faint glint, 'If she doesn't speak...'
A heavy silence fell as the wolves waited for Her to show the way.
She let out a heavy sigh, 'I hope I don't regret this.'
"I'll show you the way."
They made their way through the dense undergrowth, the moonlight filtering through the trees in silver streaks. The scent of damp earth and pine filled the air, mingling with the lingering tension of the day's events. Lloyd walked behind Mireille, his presence both watchful and protective. Zave and Alex flanked the group, their senses on high alert for any signs of pursuit. Seven walked close to Mireille, his earlier enthusiasm tempered by the silence around them.
After what felt like forever, the trees began to thin, and the familiar scent of werewolf territory reached the group-musky, wild, and unmistakably theirs.
Lloyd broke the silence, "You did good tonight."
Seven let out a cheerful howl, "We're finally back."
Zave nodded, his eyes darting around taking in the familiar scenery.
"Let's hurry home." Alex grumbled.
Mireille watched as the wolves moved deftly through their territory heading towards their home.
Lloyd turned back, seeing that Mireille wasn't following just standing there and watching them go. The others also looked back at her, puzzled.
"Why are you just standing there?" Lloyd asked her, "Aren't you coming with us?"
Silence enveloped them, they waited for her answer. Mireille's face was unreadable, torn between fear of the vampires and uncertainty about belonging among wolves.
"You're coming with us right?" Lloyd asked, his voice leaving no room for refusal.
'Well, here goes nothing.' Mireille sighed, "It appears I don't have a place to stay anymore, could you take me in?"
Lloyd gave a heart-warming smile, "You're welcome to stay for as long as you want."
"Woo-hoo," Seven shouted happily, "Welcome to the pack half-blood."
The newly expanded pack trudged deeper into their territory. Before long, they came to a stop in front of a large cabin at the heart of their lands.
The outside of the cabin wasn't that impressive, it just appeared to be huge. When Mireille stepped inside she wondered if she had entered a different world. The difference between the outside and inside temperatures were worlds apart. Outside was dark, cold and gloomy, but inside was the complete opposite, it was well lit, warm and cozy. And there was a comfortable smell in the air. Lloyd watched the surprise that appeared on her face, "Like what you see? What do you think?"
"It's ok." Mireille muttered, feeling somewhat embarrassed, having been caught gaping around.
Seven appeared beside them, smirking. "It's ok? Really? Be honest-it's way better than your place."
Mireille's face flushed in embarrassment. Seven was right, their place was much better than her place, the cabin was divide into two floors. Strong wooden boards separated the levels. Rooms lined the top floor, while the ground floor opened into a wide space with wooden chairs and a large dining table. To her left was a room with its door slightly ajar, she could see some miscellaneous items arranged carefully on shelves along with some books neatly arranged.
"Impressed? That's Zave's area I'll advise you to stay away from there. And you see that room," He pointed to another room to her right, this one had its door tightly shut. "Never go near there, if you don't want Alex to kill you." He ended his sentence in a whisper.
Mireille looked at the door, making a mental note not to wander there no matter what. "Anything else?"
"No that's it. I don't have a special place here, my room is enough for me, same goes for our alpha." He paused, "By the way you know our names, right? I'm Matt," He pointed to Lloyd, "He's Lloyd, the one who calls the shots here," then he pointed to White Head and Zave, "He's Alex and he's Zave."
'Well I already knew that, but I never thought Seven's name would be so...ordinary? 'Matt' well, it's not so bad I guess.'
"It's been a long night, let's save our strength for tomorrow." Lloyd's deep voice came through interrupting Mireille's thoughts.
"Yeah, I'm tired as hell today." Matt yawned heading towards his room, "See you tomorrow."
"Alex, Zave you're keeping watch tonight."
"Um."
"Mm"
Lloyd turned to look at the half-vamp, "Follow me." He led her upstairs, they walked along the corridor bypassing several doors until they came to a stop before one. "This is your room, mine is right opposite yours, if you need anything you can come to me, Matt's door is to your left, you can go to him to explain anything too." He turned around heading for his room, "Get some rest."
Mireille pushed the door and entered the room, she was surprised by what she saw. 'It seems these people liked to visit the humans a lot.' The room was well furnished with a thick curtain covering the large window. The bedding material was soft and comfortable to lie on. This was the first time in ages she had slept on a proper bed. Tears welled up in her eyes, she felt joy and sadness, but pushed her emotions aside and jumped into the bed. Feeling the softness beneath her, Mireille buried her face into the pillows, drifting off to sleep before she knew when.
The night air was chilled, the soft rustle of the woods and the distant hoot of an owl, the only sounds breaking the silence. As Zave settled in for first watch, Alex retreated to his makeshift bed on the couch. Lloyd stayed in his room. Only Matt seemed to find reprieve, snoring softly from the other side of the cabin.
Hours slipped away, unnoticeably... until a sudden noise cut through the silence of the night.
Mireille sensed something in her sleep and shifted mumbling something and going back to sleep.
Zave snapped to attention, his ears perking up. His red eyes flicked around the woods, scanning the shadows. He called out to Alex who was half asleep inside. Alex grumbled, bleary-eyed as he sat up.
"Something's coming."
Alex's gaze flicked to the trees, his claws already out. Lloyd and Matt appeared behind them, having also heard the noise.
"What's out there?" Matt asked, rubbing his sleepy eyes.
Zave shook his head, his eyes narrowed.
Lloyd's eyes hardened, his voice a low whisper. "Get ready."
The four of them stood in silence, waiting for the threat to reveal itself. The silence stretched taut as a bowstring. Then-crunch. Something moved through the underbrush. The group held their breath.
Then, a massive, shadowed figure stepped into the moonlight-a huge bear. A deep growl escaped its throat. The group stood frozen staring at the towering figure before them.
"What is a bear doing out here?" Matt whispered.
The bear's gaze locked on Mireille's window. Its growl shook the night air. The group followed the bear's gaze and froze, it seems drawn to her?
Zave's face paled, "Guys, I don't think it's here for us."
"Mm, why is it so noisy?" Mireille woke up, wondering why it was so noisy in the middle of the night. She got out of the room and headed downstairs. When she reached the bottom of the stairs she noticed the door to outside was left open and the four brothers were standing with their backs to the gate.
"What's going on here-" She stopped halfway out the door, "...Paulo? How did you get here?" Surprise written all over her face.
The bear-Paulo immediately relaxed at the sound of her voice, its murderous intent dimming slightly as it lumbered toward Mireille with a low, rumbling whine.
The group's jaw dropped, stunned at the sight of a massive bear nuzzling her hand like an overgrown puppy.