Drey POV:
I walked into the cell my wolf had brought me here only to see Becky chained. The sight and the pain in her eyes made all the anger had been holding for the attack vanish. My wolf surged, a growl rumbling low in my chest, ready to tear Anita apart for touching her.
Her eyes burned with defiance; they stared at me with so much fury. She looked at me like I was the enemy, even refusing to tell me why she worked with such people. She'd been innocent when she first set foot in Atlas City; now terror and defiance replaced the softness in her eyes.
I released the chains. I watched her stagger, not even letting me help her; she spat near my boots, vowing to pay back every debt.
My wolf whined inside me, restless and confused. Why was he so drawn to her? Why did her scent feel like home and danger at the same time?
She pushed me away like I was poison. So I let her go. Watched her walk out into the rain with nothing but pride to keep her warm.
My heart twisted, wanting to run after her, but I couldn't protect her. Do I deserve a chance? I hoped for the day we could say it again, and I would have taken all of my enemies down so nobody could harm her.
- - -
Becky POV
The house greeted me with silence; every step echoed, reminding me I was back to where it all started and my mother lay sick in the hospital.Shivering, I pulled off my clothes as I rummaged my wardrobe for a new set of clothes.
I drew my claws without thinking, only for them to slide out sharp and gleaming.
"Now you can be out!" I screamed, cursing at this strange power. I was weak as a human now, even as a werewolf, so pathetic, I hissed.
The claws vanished again. I knew I had to. Hide this cursed power now I was no longer in Atlas City; it would only make me a target, a freak among humans but I couldn't stay among wolves either.
They didn't even sense my blood; they all called me human, making me a joke among wolves.
I shoved the thought out of my mind. Grabbing my bag. The hospital smell still clung to me from the last time I visited. I hoped my mom had been recovering.
The bus to the hospital was no longer available, so I ran all the way to the hospital.
Pausing halfway, "Who's following me? Show yourself," I asked into the night, but it was nothing. Deciding it was the power that was playing tricks on me, I felt my neck itch like I was being watched.
By the time I reached her ward, my chest hurt from more than the sprint.
"Mum…" My throat cloaked tears threatening to fall.
Her face lit up with joy. Although weak and thinner than the last time I saw her, she still managed a smile.
"Becky," she murmured, touching my cheek with a trembling hand. "You look more mature than the last time I saw you."
We hugged mother and daughter sharing a moment. Tears slipped down my eyes. This was the only time I allowed myself to be vulnerable.
"There's something I wish to tell you," she said after a moment, her voice lowering.
I put a finger to her lips, forcing a smile I didn't feel. "No. Save your strength. We'll talk when you're stronger."
Her eyes glistened, but she nodded.
The next day I signed the discharge papers myself and took her home. The doctors warned me she'd need regular checkups. I promised them I'd bring her back every week.
The apartment felt warmer with her in it. For the first time in weeks, there was soup simmering on the stove, her soft humming under her breath. I did the dishes, tucked her in, and sat by the window, thinking. I needed a job, money, anything to keep us afloat until she healed. No more deals with devils.
No more werewolves She had to get strong so she could explain all this to me, but for now I wasn't going to watch her die and leave me in this cruel world.
Late at night I got up to get a book I was reading on the supernatural before I left for Atlas. When I passed by a mirror, it called me. Raising my hands, I touched the cold glass of the mirror, but it felt like my soul got sucked in there I was in a trance and saw my mother battered, covered in her blood.
My mother's voice crying, "Becky, run."
In another world, the moon was red while I stepped on a pile of dead bodies.
My breath caught, I snapped back, removing my hand from the mirror. I spun around, scanning the apartment. Everything was still. Quickly making my way to my mum's room, it was normal relief that filled my chest; the only sound was Mum's slow breathing.
"It's just my mind," I whispered. "I'm tired. That's all."
But the image had felt so real my claws trembled at the tips of my fingers.
Still, I didn't go back to my room. I dragged a blanket to the floor beside her bed, curled up there, and kept my eyes on the window until the city lights blurred. I had to protect the only person left in my life…
- - -
Somewhere across the city, another mind couldn't sleep.
The masked man sat alone in his office, mask off, fingers he bit his fingers now stained red. This was how he always coped with his pain by inflicting more pains.
Every time he closed his eyes, he saw her face in the moonlight, defiance burning even when she'd been cornered, even when she'd failed him. Any other person would be dead by now. But he couldn't bring himself to finish her.
"Boss, we've got the information," one of his men murmured at the door. "She's already left Atlas City."
His hand froze on the desk.
"Bring me my coat," he said quietly, rising and putting his mask on. "I'll go myself." "Boss, you can't go there alone," his men replied.
"I'll go alone. Stay here and take care of things. Update me on any movement from the Alpha's side."
Rain slicked off his hood as he stepped out into the night. Under the shadows, a pair of eyes watched him from afar.