The Beta's Broken Mate

The Trek

Cassie was panting. She was fit from cleaning and rushing around but even she was beginning to feel the effects of carrying both the backpack and Liam. Not only that but the air had gone from being chilly to being warm and she was fairly sweltering now. unsure if she was even going the right way but pushing herself on regardless. The hospital had to be close, surely she hadn't got turned around? Liam still slept but she was beginning to grow worried now, a sense of panic rising within. Perhaps this hadn't been the best idea, but she couldn't just steal a car, that would have been heard for sure and Isabelle could have it reported as stolen. No this was the better way.

The ground was hard underneath her shoes that were thin and didn't offer any protection against it. Twigs dug into her feet painfully, sometimes so sharp she cried out, branches scraping against her arms and sides. She also heard trees rustling from the wind and the sounds of birds chirping. She was vehemently hoping that there were no other creatures she'd run into. She knew for certain that wolves were often seen, having seen one herself just weeks ago. Did they normally hunt during the night though or sleep? Cassie didn't know but she was praying they did the latter.

"Come on" she panted "where is that damn hospital."

She was close to weeping now, almost banging her head against the large trunk of a tree in frustration. This had been foolish. As it was she could see the very beginning of daybreak. Had she been walking for hours? Surely not? Liam was beginning to stir now and rub his eyes sleepily as she sank to the ground in despair. What if she had gone in the opposite direction? "Mummy" Liam said softly, sensing her distress, eyes wide as he saw where they were and not in his bed. "trees" he said happily and she gave him a shaky smile, trying not to cry in front of her son who still seemed unwell but better than he had been last night. Had being in the cold air done him some good and helped break his fever? If so then the hours walking had been worth the discomfort even if she still had to determine where she was.

"Yes trees" she murmured kissing Liam on the forehead and giving a smile when he gave her a large hug in return. "Mummy needs to find out where to go" she told him, standing back up and placing him on the ground, glad she'd put shoes on him.

"What if I climbed a tree" she muttered to herself, eyeing one with trepidation "then I could see where the main house is and the hospital, determine the right direction."

Liam thankfully was unaware of the seriousness of their plight, too interested in watching the birds flying and something else she saw, moving closer to him as he'd gone a little distance away. She stared in horror as she saw a pair of bright red eyes glowing on the creature, it coming slowly towards them from the tree it had been hiding behind.

"Liam" she squeaked "I need you to get behind me" she added desperately, searching the ground for a weapon, anything to fight the wolf off. The best she could manage was a large branch, which might do some damage but she highly doubted it. Liam sensing the danger stood directly behind her thankfully obeying her for once. The wolf however just sauntered closer slowly, as though it was enjoying the fear radiating off of her.

Cassie cursed herself. It was her fault they were in this predicament and she shook, whole body trembling as she eyed the creature, certain it was larger than any wolf she'd seen before. Were they normally this large? She was beginning to become hysterical the closer it got. She'd have to fight them off though, she wasn't about to let it get close to Liam. Not if she could help it. She began to raise the branch, preparing herself, shoving Liam back a little bit to create more space as the boy offered no protest, eerily silent. She couldn't afford to give him a glance, let herself be distracted for even a millisecond.

The wolf was running towards them now and she took a deep breath, swinging the branch as it tried to leap at her and sending it a little distance away as it growled ferociously. She was disheartened. It had only been slightly injured if that and a few feet away if that. It got to it's feet and she could swear it was frothing at the mouth now. Her knees began to knock together. This was it, she'd led herself and her son to their deaths. She would keep fighting till her last breath to keep Liam safe now.

But the wolf was sniffing now, looking away from them both. If they ran though it would catch up easily and they'd be vulnerable with their backs to it. Now it was growling but not at them, backing away and staring hard into the distance as Cassie spared a look to see what it was looking at. For a moment she couldn't quite see, it just a blur, whatever it was too fast for her eyes to see and then suddenly the rogue was growling and darting to the side, a big white and silver wolf suddenly appearing out of nowhere, facing off against the other one which Cassie thought privately smelt quite rank as well, whereas the other one looked majestic, like one out of a fairy tale. Perhaps they should run while they fought each other?

Then she saw the majestic wolf glance over at them for a moment and she stilled, sensing something from it but unable to express what it was. Her son, she saw was transfixed as well, coming up beside his mother and clutching her hand, his little face lit up with excitement as Cassie stared down at him. Trust Liam to want to get closer to the wolves. They were his favourite creature after all. Still they were in danger but for some reason she couldn't make herself move, eyes staring wide eyed as the wolves began to fight between themselves, a bloody and gruesome scene that had her silently screaming in her head with terror.