Two

Minutes turn into hours and hours turn into days. I wasn't worried after two days because they are always gone that long on hunting trips. That I can never go on...But they've been gone for five days. I feel fear creeping up.what if they are in trouble? I try a Mind Link to see if anyone is close.

Nothing.

I wait for a few more hours then I can't take it anymore, I bust out the front door and nearly scream when I smell something in the distance.

Blood! The metallic smell makes my stomach twist into knots and I almost puke. I have to find them!

Knowing I can't run fast in this human form, I conjure up all my fear and anger so I can transform. Since I'm so new at changing, this is the only way to change until I have more control. My eyes change, then my bones start to crunch. In seconds I transform. I start running to the Southeast forest but I am stopped half way there when my head begins to pound. I hear a voice ringing in my mind. At first I thought it was my imagination, but then I hear his voice.George!

"Run mira! They will kill you! Get out of here!!" He sounds weak and in pain.

My heart starts beating rapidly and I start to run back home, but I can't leave George. He's my brother! I can't believe I even considered leaving him! I turn back around,

"where are you?" I ask through the Mind Link.

Silence follows. Fear grips into my entire being. What if I'm too late? What if he's past out from loss of blood? What if he's dead? What if he is being attacked right now and I can't help him?

"George, I'm not leaving until I find you!" I scan the forest, trying to find anything that might lead me to George

.

I listen for him, I try to catch his scent but I can't. I stand there frantically scanning the forest but I can't see anything. I feel my eyes involuntarily filling with tears. Trying to hold them in, I let out a heart wrenching howl, but even my howl couldn't stop the tears from running down my furry face. I can't lose him! That's not an option!

Please... Please,George . I can't do this without you." I start to sob internally.

As I'm about to break down, I hear a weak howl in the distance. My whole body becomes rigid, afraid that it was another wolf from the pack that attacked. Another weak howl rings out into the air and I then recognize the painful howl as my brother's. I bolt toward it without even giving a second thought and keep telling myself that I have to get to my brother. I'm coming, George. I'm coming.

I keep running until I realize I can't find his scent.

How am I going to find him?

"I can't find your scent!" I say in Mind Link. Then I hear running water. He must've washed his scent away.

"and you won't be able to. You need to listen not smell." George then cuts the Mind Link off.

That's my big brother. Even when he's half dead, he still finds a way to annoy me...

My breathing gets heavy as fear grips all over me. I have to find him! He's counting on me!I quickly pluck my ears up and listen. I only hear birds and the bugs crawling on the ground which makes my wolf growl in annoyance. I stand there, frustrated, shaking and afraid. I finally tell myself to calm down and luckily my wolf helps me out a little. I take a deep breath and immediately feel calmer. I wait and listen to everything in the forest. The sound of the leaves rubbing against each other. The sound of the trickle of a stream. I hear something that's out of place and try to zero in on it. The sound could be one thing, a wolf's heart beat, my brother's heart beat. I bolt for the sweet sound of my brother's heart beats until I see him standing weakly before me. He is limping toward me which makes my heart clench. He's hurt! He's hurt! he's hurt! My wolf wants to go into its protective mother mode but I manage to stop her. I stare at George! His body covered in cuts and his fur is matted with blood. I reach him then nuzzle him softly. Fear fills his eyes as he looks at me,

"We have to get out of here! Now!" He manages to get out but I refuse nodding my head as a no.

"But we can't leave Dad! Or the rest of the pack!" I whimper.

As those words leave my mouth, George’s eyes grow dark and he quietly whimpers.

No! No! He better not say what I'm thinking!

"They're...gone Mira. . They were..killed." His voice was raspy but truth rang out in the words.

In shock I step back. My wolf cries out inside of me and I want to myself, but I can't bring myself to even move. He's wrong! They aren't dead! They can't be dead!

"No! Dad's not dead!" I say through the mind Link.

George stares at the ground, pain evident on his face. From his injuries or what happened, I'm not sure, but the pain was clearly there. He looks up and limps coming close to me, pushing me back towards the pack house.

"Mira, we have to leave. Dad's not coming back!

He's dead! He's…..dead." I fall to the ground, feeling numb from his words.

At that moment I was breathing heavily and my heart was in pained, it was like am carrying the pain of the world in me. Tears slides down, then another one, followed by a waterfall of salty tears. George nuzzles my neck, trying

to comfort me and get me up. This can't be happening...

"It's gonna be alright. We'll be alright" he says

soothingly through the mind link.

"What happened?" I choke out, looking at him with puffy, wolf eyes.

He realizes I not going to get up anytime soon, so he flops down beside of me, wincing when his body

comes into contact with the hard ground.

He raises his snout and sniffs the air until he's satisfied that there is nothing around. Looking around , He sighs and relaxes a bit. Me on the other hand, My whole body is rigid and I feel like I’m going to fall apart at any moment. I nuzzle him, trying to get him to answer. He lays his wolf head on the ground and groans, probably not wanting to

talk about what happened.

"we were attacked. By the Blood Moon pack." His words are cold and filled with hatred. I flinch when

I hear the pack name.

The Blood Moon pack is the most brutal and blood thirsty of all packs. They come for one thing, and one thing only, to kill. As I'm lost in thought,George stands up suddenly. He growls toward the stream and his fur sticks up on his back he takes a few step back and turn to me.

Run and don't look back!" He yells. Suddenly I smell it, the stench of blood and ash.

A Blood moon wolf.

I hear a low growl coming from across the stream which makes me jump behind my big brother. George pushes me and I stumble a little but catch myself.

"Il be right behind you! Just go!" George yells in Mind Link.

I stumble back a bit but quickly start running as fast as I can back home. I trip once but George helps me up. I'd totally be dead if I didn’t 't have a big brother. Once we make it to the field I start running even faster, letting my wolf take over for a little while. Only then did I realize that I don't smell George anymore. I then look back to see that Ty is gone.

George’!! stop and look around. He's gone. My heart races and I begin to run back for him. I howl and then try the mind Link. I'm not going to lose him too!

"George! Where are you?!?" I wait for a response, trying not to cry.

"Im sorry." His words send a jolt of pain through my chest.

No.

"Yo-you can't lea- leave m-e” I scream out loudly.

He went back to hold the wolf off. I begin to run back but i stop when I hear a bloodcurdling howl. The howl was unmistakably George's. George!! No! This can't be happening! I want so badly to run back for him, but I know if I do that, him going back will all be for nothing. I hesitantly keep running for home, tears running down my furry face. I tell myself over and over again that he's gone but it doesn't seem to sink in. I keep tripping on sticks and falling on my face. But every time I get up as quickly as possible. Once at the house I I shift into human form, grab a suit case and pack some clothes and some of my family's belongings.

I walk quietly into my father's bedroom. I touch the unmade, green sheets and try to stop a sob from escaping my mouth. I can't believe he is gone. I walk up to the dresser and pick up a polished stone with our pack symbol, a maple leaf, engraved into it. Every pack had one of these stones with their pack symbol engraved onto it, I honestly don't know why though. It's just a rock. I run my thumb over the smooth stone and then place it in a pocket of the suit case. If it was important to my dad, then it's important to me. I next grab a family (pack) picture with me, my Dad, my brother, my mom and the rest of the pack in it. I smile at the memory of when the picture was taken but am quickly pulled out of my thoughts when I hear a twig snap outside. I jump and quickly lay the picture on top of the clothes.

Looking at the clock beside of my Dad's bed, I realize I must hurry just in case that wolf catches my scent. Unless it already has. As am about to leave I realize that I'm forgetting something. I rush into George's room and grab his iPod and headphones then put it in the suit case. George loved his music and I'm not going to leave his most prized possession

here. I zip it up then rush out of the door to the car. Every step breaks my heart more and more, because I know I will never see this place again. I open the car door and put my suit case in. Then I hop in and start the car. Good thing

my uncle always let me drive around. I drove the car onto the road having no destination in mind, but I know I will survive out there, At 9: 40pm was my new beginning.