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Series 5 Episode 8
"Family"
The car revved up. Dami was feeling terrified, for the first time in a long time. She had been so determined to gain some intel and explore the forest that night. She needed answers, though she didn’t want to tell Jake that. He was too scared already.
Now they were being attacked by something. It was too dark to make it out, but it was fast, and had chased them all the way back to the car. She couldn’t start it up quickly enough.
Bump! Something landed on the car roof. Dami slammed her foot down on the accelerator. Whatever it was – and it sure wasn’t acting human – Dami was desperate to shake it off.
It peered down, obscuring Dami’s view of the road. She ground to halt, staring at the reptilian, scaly face that was directly in her eyeline. The car stopped. The brakes squeaked. THUMP! The creature bumped onto the concrete road.
A moment of silence followed. Dami looked towards Jake. Neither of them knew what had happened. Was it dead? Dami sure hoped so. That would be one less problem to deal with.
Its eyes shot open. It was awake. Dami followed the orange and green eyes as they approached the car. It placed its hand on Dami’s car door window. It looked scary, but Dami could properly see into its eyes. They had a level of worried humanity in them.
Dami placed her hand gently against it on the glass. It was like she had made a new friend. Now, the night felt peaceful.
Now they were being attacked by something. It was too dark to make it out, but it was fast, and had chased them all the way back to the car. She couldn’t start it up quickly enough.
Bump! Something landed on the car roof. Dami slammed her foot down on the accelerator. Whatever it was – and it sure wasn’t acting human – Dami was desperate to shake it off.
It peered down, obscuring Dami’s view of the road. She ground to halt, staring at the reptilian, scaly face that was directly in her eyeline. The car stopped. The brakes squeaked. THUMP! The creature bumped onto the concrete road.
A moment of silence followed. Dami looked towards Jake. Neither of them knew what had happened. Was it dead? Dami sure hoped so. That would be one less problem to deal with.
Its eyes shot open. It was awake. Dami followed the orange and green eyes as they approached the car. It placed its hand on Dami’s car door window. It looked scary, but Dami could properly see into its eyes. They had a level of worried humanity in them.
Dami placed her hand gently against it on the glass. It was like she had made a new friend. Now, the night felt peaceful.
Pure silence. Freddie couldn’t believe what had just happened. He glanced over to see Kamilah’s face. She looked numb. Everybody did. No words of comfort would be of any help, so Freddie thought it best to remain silent. Even a joke wouldn’t lighten the mood; it would probably make things worse.
“She’s okay, right?” Kamilah broke the silence, sounding frightened. She was trying to convince herself that the inevitable hadn’t happened, something Freddie knew extremely well. Allyn locked hands with Kamilah. They kept each other strong.
“We need to keep going, the scent is strong here,” Drew regretfully reasoned.
“Sierra just died. Forgive me if I’m not rushing to find the person who’s basically responsible for it,” Kamilah yelled.
“If we don’t find her, there will be more deaths. All of us. Sierra bought us time, but we’re not safe down here,” Drew delivered a harsh truth. He was right - they would all be dead if they gave up. They had almost lost Jono already, and Sierra had given her life for them to succeed; it would be stupid to ignore that.
“Come on, this way,” Freddie led the way. The tunnels were always a difficult place to track scents, but Freddie had a lock on Dami. He was determined.
As the group turned a corner, Freddie ground to a halt. Stood in front of him, blocking his way, were three students from school. They looked as if they had been expecting them. The lad in front – Freddie didn’t know his name; he was a freshman – held out his hand.
Gently, he blew a purple powder over the group. Wolfsbane. Freddie immediately began coughing as he inhaled the toxic substance. He couldn’t fight it off.
Rushing towards Lily’s car, Dylan was panicking. Brett was obviously Dami’s foot soldier, doing whatever she wanted him to do, but Dylan didn’t like his words. Particularly when the rest of the pack were on their way specifically to find Dami. He had more than enough reason to be concerned.
“Where are you going?” Lily called out after Dylan.
“We have to find them before they get to her,” Dylan explained.
“Aren’t we doing everything Brett told us not to?” Jono considered, also following.
“Yes, which is why you need to stay here,” Dylan decided, pausing in front of the car.
“What? Is that a good idea? I’m a ticking timebomb,” Jono reasoned, unconvinced.
“They don’t know about you, and we might need that. If you don’t hear from us within an hour, then come and get us,” Dylan advised. He took both of Jono’s hands, “I love you.”
Dylan planted a long kiss on Jono’s lips, before getting inside the passenger side of the car. He gazed at Jono’s scared, puppy-dog expression, and it broke his heart into a million pieces, like a shattered chandelier. However, he was the most important piece of the puzzle. He was their secret weapon.
“You’re keeping him out of this deliberately,” Lily realised. She wasn’t incorrect. Jono was a ticking timebomb, in his own words. It would be too dangerous to let him come.
“Can you blame me?” Dylan reasoned, “It’s breaking my heart.”
“It’s the right thing to do. Hopefully we can leave him out of this entirely, for his own sake,” Lily agreed.
“I don’t know how to act,” Dylan confessed, opening up to Lily. She was his family, he trusted her, “I don’t cope well with change. I like my routine, and I’ve just gotten used to my new routine. Now it’s different again. I hate it.”
“My friend Shawn was like that. We were besties in primary school. He was my first kiss,” Lily recalled, “He was autistic.”
“Autistic? Isn’t that like, a learning difficulty?” Dylan considered. He’d been fine in school, if demotivated.
“Yeah, but it’s a spectrum. It affects everyone in a different way,” Lily advised. It was definitely food for thought for Dylan. He needed to look into it, but first, he had to save his friends.
Jumping down into the tunnel, Josh was feeling on edge. This was definitely the way the kanima and Jake went, but the tunnels were like a maze. Drew’s bunker was to his right, and the dim, dark and dingy tunnel led on directly in front.
“What are we waiting for?” Monty impatiently queried as he jumped down after Josh.
“Hold it,” Josh placed a hand on Monty’s shoulder. He was like a toddler, desperate to explore, but with little understanding of the world he was in, “Remember what McCall said. We need to be careful.”
“I know how to protect myself,” Monty hit out.
“He’s not saying you don’t,” Yasmin clarified, “But we need to stick together. We’ve all seen what they are capable of. Rush ahead and you’ll give the game away.”
Monty sighed, knowing full well that she was right. Josh loved Yasmin’s way with words. She could convince someone to become her slave for life if she wanted to – she was that good.
With caution, they proceeded down the tunnels. Josh wasn’t claustrophobic, but the tunnels made him feel as close as he ever came.
Josh checked his phone. No signal, as expected. They had promised they would call McCall or Ed if they caught up to Jake, but they would need to fight alone. Josh wasn’t even sure what the plan was; that was usually Yasmin’s department.
“What are we going to do if we actually find them?” Josh queried.
“Attack,” Monty replied. Josh could get on board with that. He had little sympathy for any of them.
“No, we call Ed, like we promised,” Yasmin sensibly replied. Josh was pleased that Yasmin was there to counteract him. He knew it was better to be sensible – Dylan had taught him that violence was unnecessary – but his nature was animalistic. It was a daily battle with himself. On the bright side, Josh knew that he was winning.
Interrupting their discussion, Josh heard a grumbling growl. It was very near by the sound of it. Josh could almost feel it against his neck.
“Did you hear that?” Josh whispered.
“I was hoping it was my imagination,” Monty responded, terrified.
“Even I heard it,” Yasmin added. That confirmed its close proximity. Josh looked all around, but nothing was in sight.
Josh then had a sinking feeling. Slowly, he glanced upwards – not wanting to see what he was expecting. Clinging to the ceiling with intent was the kanima, and it looked hungry for blood.
“Retreat,” Josh commanded, but it was futile. The kanima swiped Josh’s arm, causing him to collapse immediately. Monty and Yasmin were attacked in much the same way. They stood no chance.
“Where are we going?” Dylan enquired. Lily wasn’t sure – she was driving aimlessly on Dylan’s instructions. She had hoped he had a rough idea of their direction, because her mind was elsewhere. Lily was worried about Jono, and she knew what he was going through because she had experienced something very similar in herself. It took a lot of getting used to, but with her and Dylan’s support, Jono was surely going to pass with flying colours. That didn’t stop the interim period being worrisome, though.
“I thought you know,” Lily replied, panicking.
“Um,” Dylan hesitated, getting his phone out. The last thing any of them knew was that Yasmin and Josh had gone to the sheriff station, and the others were at the warehouse, “They’re all together. All of them.”
“How do you know?” Lily was confused. That surely couldn’t be the case?
“Snapchat locations,” Dylan replied, “They’re underground.”
“The bunkers,” Lily realised. Her least favourite place In Crystalshaw. There really could be anything down there, and it worried Lily.
“They’re in trouble,” Dylan figured.
“And we’re about to plough straight in,” Lily added, “We need back-up.”
“We can’t ask Jono,” Dylan remained firm, “I can’t risk it.”
“I wasn’t asking you to,” Lily clarified. She had other ideas – they had more allies than they realised, surely it was time to ask for some favours? Dylan sighed, looking at his phone, before dialling. Lily was at least a little relieved to know that help was on its way.
Lights flicking on. Yasmin blinked several times, her eyes adjusting back to the dim light. She glanced around. She was in a bunker, much like Drew’s in design but bigger.
She was sat at a table. She was restrained to the table. Yasmin’s panic levels began to soar. She remembered the kanima in the tunnel. Where were Josh and Monty? Yasmin was getting angry and agitated.
“Josh?” Yasmin called out. She couldn’t see much in the room beyond the little light she had above her. The cabinets hid both left and right from her view, and quite how far forward the bunker went was anyone’s guess. Next to her hand on the table was a big red button. As clichéd as it was, it can’t have been good news.
“Yasmin,” Josh croaked back. He wasn’t in sight yet. The lights flickered on. There was Josh – chained up to railings against the wall. Monty, Josh, Drew and Allyn were with him. They all had knowing, saddening looks on their faces.
“I’m sorry we have to reunite under these circumstances darling,” came a frightfully familiar voice situated behind her. A shiver raced down Yasmin’s spine. She knew that voice anywhere. It was the voice of every nightmare she’d had for months, “But I needed to see my little girl again.” Yasmin stared in horror as her father walked in front of her.
“How did you get out?” Yasmin yelled in frustration.
“Such a warm welcome,” Mr. Forsyth remained irritatingly calm, “Your friend Dami did her homework. She sent her little pet to get me out.” Yasmin shuddered. This made the situation so much worse. She knew what her dad was capable of, and he was scornful. That made him more terrifying than ever.
Bored, Jono tried his best to focus on the past exam paper in front of him. He had PSATs that year, and was determined to do well. However, he was struggling to focus. Dylan had rushed into something that was potentially dangerous, and left him out of it.
Dylan’s intentions were good, they always were, but Jono knew the real reason he had been left behind. As he said, he was too much of a loose cannon. Jono just needed to learn how to protect himself and earn his new, revamped place in the pack.
His emotions now felt heightened. Anger was so much easier to feel, but every emotion was so much more impactful than Jono was used to. Currently, it was sadness, and he was pleased to be alone.
“Hey, what’s up?” George smiled kindly, joining him at the library table. Jono wasn’t sure he wanted the company, but George was a calming influence on even the craziest of people. Notably, Lily.
“How long have you got?” Jono laughed. If he didn’t laugh, he knew he would end up crying.
“I don’t know how you’re feeling, so I won’t pretend I do,” George spoke with sense, just as he always did, “But it will pass. What you’re feeling is new, but it’ll become the new normal soon.”
“I don’t want to wait though,” Jono opened up, “This in between part is so annoying.”
“You’ll learn what you need to know,” George encouraged, “Dylan will make sure of it.”
“I think he’s got bigger problems than me right now,” Jono sighed.
“Dude, don’t be ridiculous. Dylan’s number one focus is always you. He bit you because he couldn’t bear to lose you. That’s not giving up, it’s the complete opposite. Trust in him,” George encouraged. Jono couldn’t deny it – he was right. Dylan had saved his life, and if that didn’t prove his importance to him, nothing would.
Thumping as loudly as he could on the bunker door, Freddie was furious. He had been locked in a bunker pretty similar to Drew’s for a period of time that he didn’t know, and there was nothing Freddie hated more than being trapped. Every second he could gain by getting out of there could be crucial. Dami had clearly orchestrated the entire thing, and he didn’t want her getting her way.
“Quit the banging,” Kamilah groaned. She was sat against the back wall of the bunker, refusing to help Freddie out.
“You could help, we might get out sooner,” Freddie suggested. He needed a proactive teammate, not a sulker.
“Neither of us are getting through that door, be realistic,” Kamilah hit back, “And if we do, there are so many people out there poisoned by Dami’s words. We’d end up like Sierra. Dead as a dodo.”
“We can’t just sit here and do nothing,” Freddie refused to give in.
“We can. We can do exactly that. Dylan’s still out there, he knew where we were going. Kid’s not stupid,” Kamilah reasoned. Freddie knew Dylan would find them as soon as he could, he just had to be patient.
Freddie perched himself next to Kamilah on the floor.
“We will make it out of this, you know,” Freddie returned the encouragement.
“Not all of us have,” Kamilah was quick to note.
“I get it, I do,” Freddie tried to sympathise.
“No, you don’t. Sierra was the closest thing I’ve ever had to a mom. She was there for me and helped me become who I am,” Kamilah argued.
“I lost my mom a couple of years ago,” Freddie opened up, “She was my everything.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t think,” Kamilah quietened down.
“It’s okay,” Freddie smiled, “My point is, you move on. You’ll never forget Sierra, but life still has to go on.” Kamilah nodded, understanding and appreciating his words. Now they just had to play the waiting game.
Dylan had forgotten just how long the tunnels below Crystalshaw were. These led to all of the bunkers, most of which were disused, and unbelievably they didn’t appear to link up with the tunnels that connected to the cottage. Crystalshaw certainly had more than its fair share of secrets.
Dylan had called in a few favours to get some help, but he also knew how volatile Dami was. She had already pulled the trigger, on someone who wasn’t even a werewolf. Now she was dying, and that made her more dangerous than ever.
“I can smell Freddie’s aftershave,” Lily noted. Her sense of smell was improving notably.
“He must be near,” Dylan deduced. That was a positive sign. The sooner they were able to find Freddie and the others, the better.
“Here,” Lily identified, stopping outside a bunker. They must have been quite near to the end of the run of tunnels by now. Dylan took a curious sniff, and sure enough, Freddie was there. Not just his aftershave, but his scent in general was strong. Kamilah was there too, but nobody else.
“Let’s see if we can shift this,” Dylan optimistically eyed up the bunker door. He knew it was unlikely that he would break the door down – Drew’s bunker door was tough enough even when it wasn’t locked – but he tried heaving it nonetheless. Optimism had always been his finest weapon. He began heaving with all of the strength he had in his body.
“It’s not working,” Lily quickly assessed.
“Got any better ideas?” Dylan sighed, letting go of the door. It hadn’t moved even a millimetre.
“Nice try,” a voice came from Dylan’s left. It was Jake, smiling as arrogantly as ever. Dylan immediately attempted to run backwards, in the direction they came, but the kanima was blocking their route. They were cornered.
Unable to process her feelings properly, Yasmin was sat in a state of disbelief. Seeing her father again had brought up such a crazy wave of triggering feelings; feelings Yasmin had attempted to bury far down. It felt unfair that he was able to wade back into her life so easily. She deserved better, and she didn’t for one second forget that.
“What do you want?” Yasmin interrogated, still restrained to the chair. She wasn’t letting her physical position stop her from leading the interview.
“Just a catch-up with my daughter, is that too much to ask?” he smiled smugly, like the cat that got the cream.
“Yes,” Yasmin answered honestly. She wasn’t going to pretend they were part of one big happy family. In fact, her family couldn’t have been farther from that if they tried.
“As passionate as always, perhaps more so now,” Mr. Forsyth spoke as if he were goading a reaction out of her. Yasmin could tell what he was alluding to as well. He obviously knew that she was a full nix.
“Why don’t you say what you want to say?” Yasmin demanded. She wasn’t here for any of this baiting crap.
“Don’t you see my point of view? Your werewolf so-called friends have tried to make you just like them. It’s a disease that’s spreading, and now it’s infecting my little girl,” Mr. Forsyth reasoned.
“I’m still your little girl. You’re just too blind to see it,” Yasmin hit back, “You need to decide whether you enforce your shitty agenda on me, or make an exception, because I will save my friends, and I’m not going to press that button.” Yasmin hadn’t forgotten about the conveniently placed red button on the table next to her. It was obviously designed to shock Drew, Allyn, Josh and Monty, and she wasn’t going to put them through it. Not for his sick benefit.
Mr. Forsyth almost looked impressed at her response, until he burst into laughter. He was mocking her.
“Bless your heart, my sweet, naïve beauty,” Mr. Forsyth explained himself as condescendingly as he could, “If you don’t press that button, that’s okay. I know you’ve already figured that it won’t hurt you. You’re smart, and I could never forget that. However, it will affect your friends.”
Mr. Forsyth pressed a remote control, switching on an old television on the desk Yasmin was restrained to. CCTV footage displayed on the monitor, which even had a VHS slot, proving its age. Yasmin saw four familiar faces in another bunker: Freddie, Kamilah, Lily, and Dylan.
“Two more guests just arrived, it’s shaping up nicely,” Mr. Forsyth continued, “If you don’t press the button, giving our friends in this room a little shock, your friends in the other room will be breathing in toxic gas.”
Yasmin shuddered. Maybe he was bluffing? She certainly hoped so. It’s the sort of mind game he would play. On the other hand, she wouldn’t put him past a cruel act of murder like that either. Yasmin didn’t know which way to go.
Time was up. The hour Dylan had asked for had passed. Jono wasn’t waiting any longer. He refreshed his messages one final time – still nothing, from Dylan or any of the others for that matter. This was it. He had to play his part.
Jono leapt into his car and kickstarted the old engine, the radio firing up as “Higher Love,” by Kygo and Whitney Houston began playing – Jono’s current favourite track. As he went to accelerate, he saw someone blocking the way. Brett. Darn – he had been rumbled. So much for keeping his head low. He was surely about to get an earful from Brett – one he could do without in such an emergency.
“Open the door,” Brett commanded. Jono sighed, clicking open the passenger door. Brett climbed in and rudely turned the radio off.
“I’ve got somewhere to be, Brett, so if you could give me the edited highlights, I’d be very grateful,” Jono pre-empted Brett’s words.
“Hey, you’re the one who’s meant to be dead, your boyfriend’s good at keeping secrets,” Brett remarked, making himself comfortable in the passenger seat.
“Long story. Are you sure you want to be seen with me?” Jono queried, confused by Brett’s intentions.
“No, but here I am,” Brett sighed, “I saw what they’ve done. They’ve got your friends, all of them, and they’re going to die. Dami thinks I’m on board, but I can’t do it.”
“How can I trust you?” Jono considered. He wasn’t going to allow himself to be bait.
“I want to help. I can’t prove anything, and I don’t expect you to trust me, but I can get us close,” Brett explained.
“Then what? I barely even know what I’m doing right now,” Jono confessed. He knew he needed to safe his friends, but how he’d do that was another matter.
“We expose them,” Brett added. Jono was intrigued. Surely being exposed as the last thing any of them wanted, “Dami spoke to my fear. My fear of the unknown, of you guys. I never wanted anybody killed though. You get your friends out, I get a recording, it’s easy.”
Jono loved the plan. He revved up the engine. Next stop: Dylan.
Furious, Dylan was pacing back and forth across the bunker that was currently doubling up as his jail cell. He was close to flying off the handle, because he felt helpless, and as an alpha, he knew more was expected of him. However, he had three people in the cell with him. He and Lily, while captured, hadn’t been separated, and at least he now knew Freddie and Kamilah were safe.
“Hey, Dylan, it’s okay. We’re safe,” Lily tried to encourage him.
“How? We’re trapped in a cell, unable to do anything to help the others who are trapped somewhere else. None of us are safe,” Dylan vented, “They’ve got Noah, and he’s stronger than any of us. We’re screwed.”
“We were being patient, waiting for you,” Freddie unhelpfully noted.
“Sorry I’m such a failure,” Dylan took Freddie’s words to heart. They were depending on him.
“You’re not. If you are, we all are, we all got caught,” Freddie encouraged. He was right. At least they had all gone down together.
Making Dylan jump, the door opened. It creaked as Dylan stood back, keeping a close watch on who was about to enter. He could hardly believe his eyes as a man in his early fifties, grey hair slicked back and wearing a dark business suit covering his slender body entered the room.
“No,” Lily was aghast, expressing Dylan’s words better than he could. He was speechless.
“It’s been a while,” Mr. Forsyth smiled devilishly, “How is life as an alpha treating you, Dylan?”
“How can you be here?” Lily questioned. Dylan still remained silent. He felt his blood simmering all over his body, fury creeping further and further, on the brink of overflow.
“I’m sorry to hear about your boyfriend, a tragic loss,” Mr. Forsyth’s sympathy was laced with a smug tone in his voice.
“I’ll avenge him, and you know that,” Dylan made his intentions clear. He wasn’t going to tell Mr. Forsyth the truth about Jono – he was the secret weapon. So secret that Dylan wasn’t even sure it would work.
“I know, and I respect that,” Mr. Forsyth continued, “In fact, my visit is one of courtesy. I just wanted to tell you your lives are in the hands of somebody close to my heart. Your friend, and my daughter. She’s next door deliberating between two options. All she has to do to save your lives is shock the kanima’s sweet lover, and your adorable ex-alpha. The one who tried to convert me, but failed as he had lost his powers.”
“Monty and Josh,” Lily noted.
“Where are Allyn and Drew?” Kamilah interjected.
“They’ve got a separate task,” Mr. Forsyth grinned, “You’ll find out your own fate in sixty seconds, and if no decision is made, you’ll all die.”
Mr. Forsyth exited the room, the key slamming into the lock on the other side. Dylan couldn’t think straight. Yasmin would never let them die, but if Dylan knew her as well as he did, she would be desperately thinking of a way to save everyone. Dylan just had to hope that a lot would happen in the next sixty seconds.
“She’s okay, right?” Kamilah broke the silence, sounding frightened. She was trying to convince herself that the inevitable hadn’t happened, something Freddie knew extremely well. Allyn locked hands with Kamilah. They kept each other strong.
“We need to keep going, the scent is strong here,” Drew regretfully reasoned.
“Sierra just died. Forgive me if I’m not rushing to find the person who’s basically responsible for it,” Kamilah yelled.
“If we don’t find her, there will be more deaths. All of us. Sierra bought us time, but we’re not safe down here,” Drew delivered a harsh truth. He was right - they would all be dead if they gave up. They had almost lost Jono already, and Sierra had given her life for them to succeed; it would be stupid to ignore that.
“Come on, this way,” Freddie led the way. The tunnels were always a difficult place to track scents, but Freddie had a lock on Dami. He was determined.
As the group turned a corner, Freddie ground to a halt. Stood in front of him, blocking his way, were three students from school. They looked as if they had been expecting them. The lad in front – Freddie didn’t know his name; he was a freshman – held out his hand.
Gently, he blew a purple powder over the group. Wolfsbane. Freddie immediately began coughing as he inhaled the toxic substance. He couldn’t fight it off.
Rushing towards Lily’s car, Dylan was panicking. Brett was obviously Dami’s foot soldier, doing whatever she wanted him to do, but Dylan didn’t like his words. Particularly when the rest of the pack were on their way specifically to find Dami. He had more than enough reason to be concerned.
“Where are you going?” Lily called out after Dylan.
“We have to find them before they get to her,” Dylan explained.
“Aren’t we doing everything Brett told us not to?” Jono considered, also following.
“Yes, which is why you need to stay here,” Dylan decided, pausing in front of the car.
“What? Is that a good idea? I’m a ticking timebomb,” Jono reasoned, unconvinced.
“They don’t know about you, and we might need that. If you don’t hear from us within an hour, then come and get us,” Dylan advised. He took both of Jono’s hands, “I love you.”
Dylan planted a long kiss on Jono’s lips, before getting inside the passenger side of the car. He gazed at Jono’s scared, puppy-dog expression, and it broke his heart into a million pieces, like a shattered chandelier. However, he was the most important piece of the puzzle. He was their secret weapon.
“You’re keeping him out of this deliberately,” Lily realised. She wasn’t incorrect. Jono was a ticking timebomb, in his own words. It would be too dangerous to let him come.
“Can you blame me?” Dylan reasoned, “It’s breaking my heart.”
“It’s the right thing to do. Hopefully we can leave him out of this entirely, for his own sake,” Lily agreed.
“I don’t know how to act,” Dylan confessed, opening up to Lily. She was his family, he trusted her, “I don’t cope well with change. I like my routine, and I’ve just gotten used to my new routine. Now it’s different again. I hate it.”
“My friend Shawn was like that. We were besties in primary school. He was my first kiss,” Lily recalled, “He was autistic.”
“Autistic? Isn’t that like, a learning difficulty?” Dylan considered. He’d been fine in school, if demotivated.
“Yeah, but it’s a spectrum. It affects everyone in a different way,” Lily advised. It was definitely food for thought for Dylan. He needed to look into it, but first, he had to save his friends.
Jumping down into the tunnel, Josh was feeling on edge. This was definitely the way the kanima and Jake went, but the tunnels were like a maze. Drew’s bunker was to his right, and the dim, dark and dingy tunnel led on directly in front.
“What are we waiting for?” Monty impatiently queried as he jumped down after Josh.
“Hold it,” Josh placed a hand on Monty’s shoulder. He was like a toddler, desperate to explore, but with little understanding of the world he was in, “Remember what McCall said. We need to be careful.”
“I know how to protect myself,” Monty hit out.
“He’s not saying you don’t,” Yasmin clarified, “But we need to stick together. We’ve all seen what they are capable of. Rush ahead and you’ll give the game away.”
Monty sighed, knowing full well that she was right. Josh loved Yasmin’s way with words. She could convince someone to become her slave for life if she wanted to – she was that good.
With caution, they proceeded down the tunnels. Josh wasn’t claustrophobic, but the tunnels made him feel as close as he ever came.
Josh checked his phone. No signal, as expected. They had promised they would call McCall or Ed if they caught up to Jake, but they would need to fight alone. Josh wasn’t even sure what the plan was; that was usually Yasmin’s department.
“What are we going to do if we actually find them?” Josh queried.
“Attack,” Monty replied. Josh could get on board with that. He had little sympathy for any of them.
“No, we call Ed, like we promised,” Yasmin sensibly replied. Josh was pleased that Yasmin was there to counteract him. He knew it was better to be sensible – Dylan had taught him that violence was unnecessary – but his nature was animalistic. It was a daily battle with himself. On the bright side, Josh knew that he was winning.
Interrupting their discussion, Josh heard a grumbling growl. It was very near by the sound of it. Josh could almost feel it against his neck.
“Did you hear that?” Josh whispered.
“I was hoping it was my imagination,” Monty responded, terrified.
“Even I heard it,” Yasmin added. That confirmed its close proximity. Josh looked all around, but nothing was in sight.
Josh then had a sinking feeling. Slowly, he glanced upwards – not wanting to see what he was expecting. Clinging to the ceiling with intent was the kanima, and it looked hungry for blood.
“Retreat,” Josh commanded, but it was futile. The kanima swiped Josh’s arm, causing him to collapse immediately. Monty and Yasmin were attacked in much the same way. They stood no chance.
“Where are we going?” Dylan enquired. Lily wasn’t sure – she was driving aimlessly on Dylan’s instructions. She had hoped he had a rough idea of their direction, because her mind was elsewhere. Lily was worried about Jono, and she knew what he was going through because she had experienced something very similar in herself. It took a lot of getting used to, but with her and Dylan’s support, Jono was surely going to pass with flying colours. That didn’t stop the interim period being worrisome, though.
“I thought you know,” Lily replied, panicking.
“Um,” Dylan hesitated, getting his phone out. The last thing any of them knew was that Yasmin and Josh had gone to the sheriff station, and the others were at the warehouse, “They’re all together. All of them.”
“How do you know?” Lily was confused. That surely couldn’t be the case?
“Snapchat locations,” Dylan replied, “They’re underground.”
“The bunkers,” Lily realised. Her least favourite place In Crystalshaw. There really could be anything down there, and it worried Lily.
“They’re in trouble,” Dylan figured.
“And we’re about to plough straight in,” Lily added, “We need back-up.”
“We can’t ask Jono,” Dylan remained firm, “I can’t risk it.”
“I wasn’t asking you to,” Lily clarified. She had other ideas – they had more allies than they realised, surely it was time to ask for some favours? Dylan sighed, looking at his phone, before dialling. Lily was at least a little relieved to know that help was on its way.
Lights flicking on. Yasmin blinked several times, her eyes adjusting back to the dim light. She glanced around. She was in a bunker, much like Drew’s in design but bigger.
She was sat at a table. She was restrained to the table. Yasmin’s panic levels began to soar. She remembered the kanima in the tunnel. Where were Josh and Monty? Yasmin was getting angry and agitated.
“Josh?” Yasmin called out. She couldn’t see much in the room beyond the little light she had above her. The cabinets hid both left and right from her view, and quite how far forward the bunker went was anyone’s guess. Next to her hand on the table was a big red button. As clichéd as it was, it can’t have been good news.
“Yasmin,” Josh croaked back. He wasn’t in sight yet. The lights flickered on. There was Josh – chained up to railings against the wall. Monty, Josh, Drew and Allyn were with him. They all had knowing, saddening looks on their faces.
“I’m sorry we have to reunite under these circumstances darling,” came a frightfully familiar voice situated behind her. A shiver raced down Yasmin’s spine. She knew that voice anywhere. It was the voice of every nightmare she’d had for months, “But I needed to see my little girl again.” Yasmin stared in horror as her father walked in front of her.
“How did you get out?” Yasmin yelled in frustration.
“Such a warm welcome,” Mr. Forsyth remained irritatingly calm, “Your friend Dami did her homework. She sent her little pet to get me out.” Yasmin shuddered. This made the situation so much worse. She knew what her dad was capable of, and he was scornful. That made him more terrifying than ever.
Bored, Jono tried his best to focus on the past exam paper in front of him. He had PSATs that year, and was determined to do well. However, he was struggling to focus. Dylan had rushed into something that was potentially dangerous, and left him out of it.
Dylan’s intentions were good, they always were, but Jono knew the real reason he had been left behind. As he said, he was too much of a loose cannon. Jono just needed to learn how to protect himself and earn his new, revamped place in the pack.
His emotions now felt heightened. Anger was so much easier to feel, but every emotion was so much more impactful than Jono was used to. Currently, it was sadness, and he was pleased to be alone.
“Hey, what’s up?” George smiled kindly, joining him at the library table. Jono wasn’t sure he wanted the company, but George was a calming influence on even the craziest of people. Notably, Lily.
“How long have you got?” Jono laughed. If he didn’t laugh, he knew he would end up crying.
“I don’t know how you’re feeling, so I won’t pretend I do,” George spoke with sense, just as he always did, “But it will pass. What you’re feeling is new, but it’ll become the new normal soon.”
“I don’t want to wait though,” Jono opened up, “This in between part is so annoying.”
“You’ll learn what you need to know,” George encouraged, “Dylan will make sure of it.”
“I think he’s got bigger problems than me right now,” Jono sighed.
“Dude, don’t be ridiculous. Dylan’s number one focus is always you. He bit you because he couldn’t bear to lose you. That’s not giving up, it’s the complete opposite. Trust in him,” George encouraged. Jono couldn’t deny it – he was right. Dylan had saved his life, and if that didn’t prove his importance to him, nothing would.
Thumping as loudly as he could on the bunker door, Freddie was furious. He had been locked in a bunker pretty similar to Drew’s for a period of time that he didn’t know, and there was nothing Freddie hated more than being trapped. Every second he could gain by getting out of there could be crucial. Dami had clearly orchestrated the entire thing, and he didn’t want her getting her way.
“Quit the banging,” Kamilah groaned. She was sat against the back wall of the bunker, refusing to help Freddie out.
“You could help, we might get out sooner,” Freddie suggested. He needed a proactive teammate, not a sulker.
“Neither of us are getting through that door, be realistic,” Kamilah hit back, “And if we do, there are so many people out there poisoned by Dami’s words. We’d end up like Sierra. Dead as a dodo.”
“We can’t just sit here and do nothing,” Freddie refused to give in.
“We can. We can do exactly that. Dylan’s still out there, he knew where we were going. Kid’s not stupid,” Kamilah reasoned. Freddie knew Dylan would find them as soon as he could, he just had to be patient.
Freddie perched himself next to Kamilah on the floor.
“We will make it out of this, you know,” Freddie returned the encouragement.
“Not all of us have,” Kamilah was quick to note.
“I get it, I do,” Freddie tried to sympathise.
“No, you don’t. Sierra was the closest thing I’ve ever had to a mom. She was there for me and helped me become who I am,” Kamilah argued.
“I lost my mom a couple of years ago,” Freddie opened up, “She was my everything.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t think,” Kamilah quietened down.
“It’s okay,” Freddie smiled, “My point is, you move on. You’ll never forget Sierra, but life still has to go on.” Kamilah nodded, understanding and appreciating his words. Now they just had to play the waiting game.
Dylan had forgotten just how long the tunnels below Crystalshaw were. These led to all of the bunkers, most of which were disused, and unbelievably they didn’t appear to link up with the tunnels that connected to the cottage. Crystalshaw certainly had more than its fair share of secrets.
Dylan had called in a few favours to get some help, but he also knew how volatile Dami was. She had already pulled the trigger, on someone who wasn’t even a werewolf. Now she was dying, and that made her more dangerous than ever.
“I can smell Freddie’s aftershave,” Lily noted. Her sense of smell was improving notably.
“He must be near,” Dylan deduced. That was a positive sign. The sooner they were able to find Freddie and the others, the better.
“Here,” Lily identified, stopping outside a bunker. They must have been quite near to the end of the run of tunnels by now. Dylan took a curious sniff, and sure enough, Freddie was there. Not just his aftershave, but his scent in general was strong. Kamilah was there too, but nobody else.
“Let’s see if we can shift this,” Dylan optimistically eyed up the bunker door. He knew it was unlikely that he would break the door down – Drew’s bunker door was tough enough even when it wasn’t locked – but he tried heaving it nonetheless. Optimism had always been his finest weapon. He began heaving with all of the strength he had in his body.
“It’s not working,” Lily quickly assessed.
“Got any better ideas?” Dylan sighed, letting go of the door. It hadn’t moved even a millimetre.
“Nice try,” a voice came from Dylan’s left. It was Jake, smiling as arrogantly as ever. Dylan immediately attempted to run backwards, in the direction they came, but the kanima was blocking their route. They were cornered.
Unable to process her feelings properly, Yasmin was sat in a state of disbelief. Seeing her father again had brought up such a crazy wave of triggering feelings; feelings Yasmin had attempted to bury far down. It felt unfair that he was able to wade back into her life so easily. She deserved better, and she didn’t for one second forget that.
“What do you want?” Yasmin interrogated, still restrained to the chair. She wasn’t letting her physical position stop her from leading the interview.
“Just a catch-up with my daughter, is that too much to ask?” he smiled smugly, like the cat that got the cream.
“Yes,” Yasmin answered honestly. She wasn’t going to pretend they were part of one big happy family. In fact, her family couldn’t have been farther from that if they tried.
“As passionate as always, perhaps more so now,” Mr. Forsyth spoke as if he were goading a reaction out of her. Yasmin could tell what he was alluding to as well. He obviously knew that she was a full nix.
“Why don’t you say what you want to say?” Yasmin demanded. She wasn’t here for any of this baiting crap.
“Don’t you see my point of view? Your werewolf so-called friends have tried to make you just like them. It’s a disease that’s spreading, and now it’s infecting my little girl,” Mr. Forsyth reasoned.
“I’m still your little girl. You’re just too blind to see it,” Yasmin hit back, “You need to decide whether you enforce your shitty agenda on me, or make an exception, because I will save my friends, and I’m not going to press that button.” Yasmin hadn’t forgotten about the conveniently placed red button on the table next to her. It was obviously designed to shock Drew, Allyn, Josh and Monty, and she wasn’t going to put them through it. Not for his sick benefit.
Mr. Forsyth almost looked impressed at her response, until he burst into laughter. He was mocking her.
“Bless your heart, my sweet, naïve beauty,” Mr. Forsyth explained himself as condescendingly as he could, “If you don’t press that button, that’s okay. I know you’ve already figured that it won’t hurt you. You’re smart, and I could never forget that. However, it will affect your friends.”
Mr. Forsyth pressed a remote control, switching on an old television on the desk Yasmin was restrained to. CCTV footage displayed on the monitor, which even had a VHS slot, proving its age. Yasmin saw four familiar faces in another bunker: Freddie, Kamilah, Lily, and Dylan.
“Two more guests just arrived, it’s shaping up nicely,” Mr. Forsyth continued, “If you don’t press the button, giving our friends in this room a little shock, your friends in the other room will be breathing in toxic gas.”
Yasmin shuddered. Maybe he was bluffing? She certainly hoped so. It’s the sort of mind game he would play. On the other hand, she wouldn’t put him past a cruel act of murder like that either. Yasmin didn’t know which way to go.
Time was up. The hour Dylan had asked for had passed. Jono wasn’t waiting any longer. He refreshed his messages one final time – still nothing, from Dylan or any of the others for that matter. This was it. He had to play his part.
Jono leapt into his car and kickstarted the old engine, the radio firing up as “Higher Love,” by Kygo and Whitney Houston began playing – Jono’s current favourite track. As he went to accelerate, he saw someone blocking the way. Brett. Darn – he had been rumbled. So much for keeping his head low. He was surely about to get an earful from Brett – one he could do without in such an emergency.
“Open the door,” Brett commanded. Jono sighed, clicking open the passenger door. Brett climbed in and rudely turned the radio off.
“I’ve got somewhere to be, Brett, so if you could give me the edited highlights, I’d be very grateful,” Jono pre-empted Brett’s words.
“Hey, you’re the one who’s meant to be dead, your boyfriend’s good at keeping secrets,” Brett remarked, making himself comfortable in the passenger seat.
“Long story. Are you sure you want to be seen with me?” Jono queried, confused by Brett’s intentions.
“No, but here I am,” Brett sighed, “I saw what they’ve done. They’ve got your friends, all of them, and they’re going to die. Dami thinks I’m on board, but I can’t do it.”
“How can I trust you?” Jono considered. He wasn’t going to allow himself to be bait.
“I want to help. I can’t prove anything, and I don’t expect you to trust me, but I can get us close,” Brett explained.
“Then what? I barely even know what I’m doing right now,” Jono confessed. He knew he needed to safe his friends, but how he’d do that was another matter.
“We expose them,” Brett added. Jono was intrigued. Surely being exposed as the last thing any of them wanted, “Dami spoke to my fear. My fear of the unknown, of you guys. I never wanted anybody killed though. You get your friends out, I get a recording, it’s easy.”
Jono loved the plan. He revved up the engine. Next stop: Dylan.
Furious, Dylan was pacing back and forth across the bunker that was currently doubling up as his jail cell. He was close to flying off the handle, because he felt helpless, and as an alpha, he knew more was expected of him. However, he had three people in the cell with him. He and Lily, while captured, hadn’t been separated, and at least he now knew Freddie and Kamilah were safe.
“Hey, Dylan, it’s okay. We’re safe,” Lily tried to encourage him.
“How? We’re trapped in a cell, unable to do anything to help the others who are trapped somewhere else. None of us are safe,” Dylan vented, “They’ve got Noah, and he’s stronger than any of us. We’re screwed.”
“We were being patient, waiting for you,” Freddie unhelpfully noted.
“Sorry I’m such a failure,” Dylan took Freddie’s words to heart. They were depending on him.
“You’re not. If you are, we all are, we all got caught,” Freddie encouraged. He was right. At least they had all gone down together.
Making Dylan jump, the door opened. It creaked as Dylan stood back, keeping a close watch on who was about to enter. He could hardly believe his eyes as a man in his early fifties, grey hair slicked back and wearing a dark business suit covering his slender body entered the room.
“No,” Lily was aghast, expressing Dylan’s words better than he could. He was speechless.
“It’s been a while,” Mr. Forsyth smiled devilishly, “How is life as an alpha treating you, Dylan?”
“How can you be here?” Lily questioned. Dylan still remained silent. He felt his blood simmering all over his body, fury creeping further and further, on the brink of overflow.
“I’m sorry to hear about your boyfriend, a tragic loss,” Mr. Forsyth’s sympathy was laced with a smug tone in his voice.
“I’ll avenge him, and you know that,” Dylan made his intentions clear. He wasn’t going to tell Mr. Forsyth the truth about Jono – he was the secret weapon. So secret that Dylan wasn’t even sure it would work.
“I know, and I respect that,” Mr. Forsyth continued, “In fact, my visit is one of courtesy. I just wanted to tell you your lives are in the hands of somebody close to my heart. Your friend, and my daughter. She’s next door deliberating between two options. All she has to do to save your lives is shock the kanima’s sweet lover, and your adorable ex-alpha. The one who tried to convert me, but failed as he had lost his powers.”
“Monty and Josh,” Lily noted.
“Where are Allyn and Drew?” Kamilah interjected.
“They’ve got a separate task,” Mr. Forsyth grinned, “You’ll find out your own fate in sixty seconds, and if no decision is made, you’ll all die.”
Mr. Forsyth exited the room, the key slamming into the lock on the other side. Dylan couldn’t think straight. Yasmin would never let them die, but if Dylan knew her as well as he did, she would be desperately thinking of a way to save everyone. Dylan just had to hope that a lot would happen in the next sixty seconds.
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