The Girl and The Fox
Chapter 19

It was pouring with rain, each splash denting the ground for a second. A figure was running through someone else's territory, drenched. Her muddy hair was drenched with frantic hazel eyes, matching the colour of her hair. The woman had a cloak on, masking her identity to everyone and it seemed like she was running from something... or someone. A wolf circled round in front of her, cutting off her escape. She kept her head held low so the mutt wouldn't know who she was. The silvery white coat shifted into a rag like the brunette's.

'M...mother?' The boy asked, unsure whether he had made a mistake or not. 'You know you are welcome with us. We are allies. And why haven't you visited me? Where's father?' Her son kept shooting questions at her she didn't want to answer.

The woman lifted the hood on her cloak down, the rain having seeped through and wet her hair, revealing a rather wet Stacy. She didn't know where to start. She hadn't seen him since he was ten and now he was fourteen. It had been four years!

'Well, I... I didn't think you would want to see me,' she solemnly admitted. Lucas stared at her, signalling for her to go on. 'Your father got... he... he wanted to help the other wolves and he got kicked out the pack. I thought you knew that though. Didn't you?'

Lucas thought hard for a minute, a crease on his forehead, and replied, 'The last time I saw him, he said he was going to see you. That was three years ago.' Everything in the forest went quiet as if they were all listening. There was one thing that was as clear as a dead bird; he lied.

'Come, I'm sure we have all the things you need for whatever you're doing,' the boy fake smiled, hurt that his father lied to him. The boy tilted his head to the sky, wishing he had a girl like all the other boys his age. His parents had been 'protecting' him his whole life, keeping himself away from girls. He had barely met any until he joined a proper pack. The pack his father was meant to return to. The pack his mother and father deserted him in.

'Come on! I'm sure the alpha will be happy to see you. I'm sure you can discuss the war,' Lucas said whilst walking forward, the leaves barely making a noise under his feet.

'Wait,' Stacy urged, her words having no affect on her son. He just kept walking along. 'Please. I... I'm running from someone and I sort of need to know if you can turn into a fox,' She solemnly admitted.

Lucas slowly turned around so he was facing the embarrassed woman, and replied, 'If you wanted to talk to me, then why were you running? It's simple. You walk into our grounds and ask to speak with me. And no, why would I be able to turn into a fox? You can only be one shifter and you know I am a wolf.' Lucas was now just confused, his eyes looking questionably into hers.

'A hybrid nearly killed me,' Stacy ranted. 'She's Crystal's daughter, one of the wolf pack's alpha. She can turn into both. She's... she's Eric's.'

Lucas looked at her with shock, lots of things winding round his head, but the most promenant was, 'Why do I feel like I know her?'

Stacy's son led her back to his pack, questioning her unanswerable questions. Or just questions she didn't want to answer. She followed behind Lucas, careful with what she was saying, and hung her head low.

When they finally reached Meeka's territory, Stacy stopped dead in her tracks. She wasn't sure if their Alpha would want her there. What if she thought she was like her husband? Or a spy? Or maybe she would just work with them and stay there until all Eric's allies were to gather.

Lucas looked back, beckoning her to come, and called Meeka. She came fourth from the plans her and her small group were discussing, and shifted from the magnificent almost black hound into a bright white haired woman with similar clothing to the boy.

'I guess you found our unexpected survivor, Lucas,' the pack leader stated, her red eye gleaming more than her green. Lots of rumours were heard about her eyes. Some said she could see into the future, but it came in confusing puzzle pieces. Others said she was psychic. No one really knows how or what happens, but in the end you just learn to not question it.

'You knew!?' the boy screeched, some of the group Meeka had left turning towards him. All Meeka did was laugh and tell him that she could have sent anyone, any better trained guard, and yet she sent him. Lucas just stared at her with wide eyes. He didn't know how to reply to this. Luckily, his Alpha did it for him.

'Eric has asked us to come to him. To train with his army, and soon we will finish this war that our ancestors started.' Meeka's red eye started glowing more than before. Maybe red was for evil and green was for good. Try as you might, no one would ever be able to guess. Not even me.

'We leave tomorrow.'