Chapter 117

I wake up early today which is a little surprising considering I stayed up late reading, it's been two days since the heat incident with Dale and after he left later that day I haven't seen him since.

Although he looked just fine when he left if a little pale and uncomfortable so I'm still worried, even worse is that I haven't seen Shana or Virgil either.

Sure, we all still text but it's really weird to not see them for so long, I could understand that they were probably busy with Werewolf business.

The rogue Werewolves seem to be getting worse because I see people patrolling close to the woods when it gets quite late plus the howling gets louder each night like the wild wolves are moving closer.

I was itching to get more information about what was going on, and Mae would be the perfect solution.

She always seemed to know what was going on, well she is a Werewolf too, right?

It's almost noon when I come down the stairs, Mae had texted that she was on her way and I didn't want her to wait too much.

Staying outside the house wasn't very safe so it's basically like being on house arrest but it's not something I'm not used to, considering I never go anywhere.

The pink had almost faded from the edges of my hair and I am glad to have my hair color back.

Autumn is almost here and so is school, it's just over a week till school begins and I couldn't wait to be done with it.

The knock I'm expecting rattles against the front door and I hurry to open the front door, looking around furtively.

Mae just huffs out a light laugh and shakes her head. "They won't come out this far, Hay, it's daylight." She says coming in.

I click the door shut. "I know but you can never be too careful."

"The others say hi, I met them at a meeting yesterday." She says as we settle down on the couches, her curly hair is in a braid today, a bright yellow ribbon at the tip.

"Oh, okay." I murmur, wringing my hands. "Are they okay? How can you come to visit me? Won't you get in trouble?" 

"Take a breath, Hayden." She hallts my rapid questioning. "They're okay, a lot of things is just going on right now and I can come visit you because I'm not exactly a member of either Packs…"

"Either Packs?" I interrupt her without realizing it, a frown on my face. "There's more than one Werewolf Pack in Pine Creek?"

"Oh yeah, although it's a pretty recent development, you know that new people keep moving in right?"

"Well, yeah but are they that many enough to make a new Pack and why don't they join the Pack already here?"

"Yes they are many enough, our street is currently on surveillance that's why a lot of them have been advised to not live here until they deal with the rogue Weres problem." She explains, lying on her stomach with her head on the arm rest so that she can face me. "Plus they can't join the current Pack which Mr. Everett is the Alpha because they're from Dale's old Pack."

"Wait, what?"

"Exactly what I said, Virgil's and Shana's Pack is called Crimson by the way, Crimson Pack."

"Oh and Dale's?" I ask, curious.

"Dark Moon Pack, apparently there's a similar wave of rogue Werewolves in the city and they're seem to be majorly attacking other Werewolves who can't fight back because of the exposure." She tugs on her braid. "Not to mention that their lack of an Alpha is greatly affecting them as well so they followed their Alpha's footsteps and tracked him all the way here."

"Whoa." I murmur, staring at her with wide eyes, I liked listening to stories revolving around Werewolves and I was looking into getting into fantasy books just because of that.

"Pine Creek is big enough for both Packs to live in peacefully, not to mention quite concealed from the rest of the world so it's like a paradise especially to the city Werewolves."

"There's still the problem of the rogue Werewolves though." I think out. "Does anyone know who they were before they went rogue? I don't think they're from either Packs."

"You're right, they aren't but no one knows where they came from or who they were before they went rogue and to make things worse, they keep increasing." Mae sits up at this. "It's unnatural and downright creepy for so many Werewolves to go rogue at once, it doesn't even happen often."

"Want some juice?" I ask, getting up.

"Sure, where's Renee?" She asks, looking from side to side.

I worry at my lower lip, it was relieving to here that it wasn't any member of Virgil's or Dale's Pack that were going rogue but some people were so there was that, vaguely I wonder what they did with the rogue Werewolves.

"Oh, my mom said she had a meeting with Virgil's dad, probably something to do with how close we are to the woods." I inform her, settling the tray on the center table so I can pour a glass of orange juice for her and myself. "It's so nice for the Alpha to worry about us even though we aren't in his Pack."

"You might as well be now." Mae shrugs. "I mean, you know about them and you're the last humans left so it's only natural."

"Hey, Mae?" I call after a short spell of silence. "What happens to the rogue Werewolves?"

"Hmm?" She glances at me. "Well, it's complicated, usually if there was just one or a couple, they would capture it with as little harm to the Werewolf as possible and send it to a correction centre made specifically for rogues but that was only if the rogue posed a threat."

She takes a small sip of her drink. "Most rogues are actually quite gentle, preferring to remain deep in the woods in their wolf forms for the rest of their lives."

"Oh." I mumble, unable to contribute much to the discussion not that I needed to.

"But now, if the danger of the rogue Weres increase they might have to be killed off, which might actually be much better for them, considering that their human forms are trapped."

I go quiet at the implications of Mae's words. I didn't want anyone in Pine Creek to be killed but the thought of killing other people who didn't choose to go rogue doesn't sit well with me either.

"School is in a week." Mae says after a long while of nothing but silence and fruit juice.

I carefully drop my cup on aside table before sprawling on the sofa with a groan. "Ugh! I know."

"I'm not a big fan of school either." Mae shrugs. "But since it's my final year, I might as well plus it shouldn't be so bad now that I have friends." She gives me a wide smile which is bigger on one side.

"I know right, same thing I thought." I agree enthusiastically. "What are your plans for college?"

"Non-existent!" She exclaims happily.

I laugh at this. "Really?" I ask in half awe, half disbelief.

"Of course, I'm a witch, do you think they have witchery courses in college?"

I choke slightly on another tiny laugh. "No, I don't think so." I lie down again, slowly this time and stare into the distance. "I don't want to go to college either but I know that Virgil, Shana and Dale will, it's so sad." I mumble to myself thinking of when they would all have to leave.

"Well, you would have your unicorn right here to play with!" Mae exclaims in excitement, making a pose with her hand in a fist and her forefinger and middle finger out.

I just smile softly at this, humming in agreement.