Lucas sped up the car as a distorted outline of a blazing mansion up ahead entered my vision. As we got closer and the car pulled to a stop just in front of it, new scents wafted into my nostrils.
Wolfsbane…. There’s wolfsbane and also…. Blood!
Panic came along with a sharp throbbing in my head, sweat rolling down my forehead. I was quick to tell myself to think pessimistic, but I couldn’t help the dreadful thoughts that ran through my mind.
If this was the actual place my parents were being kept as Lucas said, which it more than likely is, what the hell happened here?! And where the fuck is mom and dad?!
With my eyes trained on the raging flames scorching the building, I forced my trembling fingers to reach for the car door. I was more than ready to jump into the fire if I had to. But the problem is, how on earth would I know for sure if they’re inside? H-How will I—
“…ra…. Clara!”
Lucas’s voice had my fingers halting on the handle. Slowly, I turned my head to look at him, and even as I felt my eyes gloss over with tears, I couldn’t find it in me to hide my face from his watching eyes.
“Th-This…” I swallowed, “…isn’t the place… is it?”
My eyes practically pleaded for him to say no, but the silence that followed my question was enough of an answer.
Sucking in a breath, my fingers opened the car door and I rushed out. Without a second thought, my feet took flight, running straight for the fire. Each step was heavy and the heat radiating against my skin got hotter the further I went, but I didn’t stop. I wasn’t going to stop.
Not until a hand grasped my wrist, the tight hold threatening to snap my bone.
“Are you out of your mind?! You’re not going in there, it’s not safe for you to inhale this amount of wolfbane!” Lucas tugged on my arm, his strict stare pinned on me. “Stay in the car. If you notice anything out of the ordinary, lock the doors and scream. There’re a few guns in the trunk, you can grab one to be safe. I’ll get them out myself.”
Has he lost his mind?!
“I’m not some useless Princess! And what about you? Don’t tell me you won’t get hurt because I’m positive being a werewolf doesn’t make you invincible! You’re not going in there alone, I’m goi–”
“I’m not going alone, the others have already arrived.”
Just in time as he finished his sentence, multiple footsteps reached my ears and in seconds, the men who had been tailing us flew past like the wind and fearlessly rushed into the flames as if they were indeed invincible. However, one in particular stopped beside me.
“Luna.” He briefly bowed his head in greeting then out of nowhere, he outstretched his arm and extended a hand kerchief my way. “Please tie this over your nose. It’s clean.”
I glared down at it and made no move to take it. A frustrated Lucas grabbed the handkerchief in my stead and before I could object, he was already behind me.
I stood stiff as a board and allowed him to wrap the cloth over the lower half of my face. The suffocation of having him so close to me wasn’t as bad as before, but his hands were moving as slow as ever and as more valuable time passed by, I was getting more and more desperate to go in.
“Stay.” He repeated, his stern stare penetrating me as he finished with a slack tie at the back of my head. “My ears says they aren’t dead at least. You don’t need to worry.” He tore his gaze away from my figure to flash the kerchief guy a look. When he got a nod in return, he used that as his cue to turn on his feet and charge in behind the others.
I didn’t try to hold him back.
The second he was out of sight, anxiety proceeded to eat at me. I’d never felt so fucking useless in my life.
They could be battling with their last breath at this very moment and the thought makes me feel like I can’t even breathe, yet he expects me to just stand around and do nothing?! If he doesn’t come crawling out of there in five minutes, I’m definitely going in!
But in a matter of mere seconds, those five minutes I mentioned began to feel like hours.
M-Maybe something happened?
It hasn’t been even five minutes yet but—
“Luna, there’s nothing to worry about.” As if knowing that my restraint was about to pop, kerchief guy hurried to assure me as his body suddenly slid before my vision with his arms spread open like some kind of barricade. His face screamed nothing but nervousness but the way his feet dug into the ground told me that he wouldn’t be letting me go off anywhere.
I cursed under my breath.
“Please don’t make this hard for me. I’m sure they’ll do everything they can to save them.” He continued, yet he didn’t sound so sure himself. “They’re Lucas’s family as well, right?”
His family?
Now that I think about it, I’m not sure if he’s just good at hiding his feelings or what, but I don’t remember seeing any form of worry on his face. Unlike me who’s worried shitless, Lucas had been so calm…as if he wasn’t even bothered by all this.
I know he doesn’t have any memories, but to not care at all…. is that normal?
“Clara.” The familiar voice had my ears twitching and my eyes widening like saucers.
D-Dad?!
I tilted my head, and felt my chest tighten when father’s distraught form came into view along with mother who was coughing as she struggled to keep a button shirt that looked much like Lucas’s over her shoulders. They looked pale enough to make me think they’d faint any second but the fact that they were still breathing, had a wave of relief washing over me.
As for Lucas, despite being shirtless after having given mom his top, my eyes didn’t catch much difference from when he went in. I’m glad he wasn’t hurt.
“Mom…Dad! Are you okay?! Have you been hurt anywhere?!” I swerved pass the guy who had been guarding me and ran over, my arms immediately enveloping them in a tight hold. “I haven’t seen you both for so long and the moment I finally get to do so, you end up looking like this! Who the hell did this to you?!” My head nuzzled into father’s neck, the tears I had been holding back finally bursting free and soaking into his clothes. With a low grunt, his hand slipped over my back in a soothing manner but as I sniffled into the crook of his neck, I caught Mother shrugging Lucas’s shirt off her shoulders. It didn’t take a genius to pinpoint that she was far from pleased.
What’s with that expression?
“There was a room for safety purposes at the back, it seems whoever tried to kill them couldn’t burst their way in so they set the place on fire.” Lucas began to explain, pulling my attention in his direction. I lifted my head off father’s shoulder and turned to look at him, but just then, I felt Lucas’s fingers grip the back of my shirt, pulling me out of their hold.
I didn’t question his actions, and instead looked up at him for answers. “Someone tried to kill them? Was it the riders?!”
He bent down to pick up his shirt. “Seems like it. I assume they left the premises when they heard us approaching. The guard wolves have also been killed but your parents seem fine… mostly. I told you I’d get them out.”
‘YOUR’ parents again???
“For now, we need to bring them back with us.”
“They need medical attention, they can hardly even breathe!” Frowning, I reached out to grasp father’s arm when I saw him sway from the corner of my eyes, but before my hand could reach him, Lucas grabbed my wrist midway.
“It looks like I shouldn’t have brought you here, we need to leave.”
“Then what about them? What if they pass out on the way or lose too much blood?!”
“We’ll wrap their wounds or something, but we need to leave. If the ones who attacked are still somewhere on this land, then you’re in danger. There could be someone readying to snipe at this very moment. If you don’t want to die, I suggest you listen to me.” With that, he turned on his feet and walked off with my wrist still tight in his hold, but I anchored my feet to the ground, adamant on objecting. I knew he meant well, but I couldn’t tie down the frustration that overflowed at the fact that it seemed like his whole life was devoted to protecting me. He’d disregard their well-being for the sake of mine?!
And even mom and dad. Why aren’t they saying anything? Why aren’t they asking where he’s been or how he’s been doing?
“He’s right. It’s best we head straight for Alpha without any stops,” The kerchief guy popped up by my side, his eyes simultaneously surveying the premises as he spoke. “…especially since we can’t mind-link from this distance.”
“But w—”
“We’re fine, Clara.” Mother finally spoke up, her shoulders drooping as she took a shaky step forward. “Let’s do as they say.”
“No we ne-”
“Clara.” Lucas cut me off this time, his voice so low that I almost didn’t hear it. “I. said. we’re. leaving.” His words were forced through gritted teeth and they held an unmistakable level of finality that sealed my lips in an instant. His head then turned to me and once our gazes met, the dark irritation present in his eyes instilled a long-forgotten fear that I hadn’t felt in ages…