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Previous: "Edmund"
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Next: to be released
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Series 13 Episode 3
"The Manhunt"
Keeping his head low, Jonah knew exactly where to hide. Somewhere that nobody ever looked. Somewhere Edmund would be safe.
Jonah had heard all about the treehouse before. Lily and Dylan spoke highly of the memories they made there, and though Jonah hadn’t known Jono for long, the most valuable tales had come from him. What resonated most with Jonah was how Jono used the treehouse as his private escape. A refuge from the anger he felt in his own home. His safe space.
Still secured to the tallest tree at the front of what Jonah affectionately nicknamed “Chadwick Manor”, the treehouse had seen better days. Only Helen lived in that enormous house now that both Jono and Lily had moved out, so the treehouse had become a childhood relic, left abandoned with the wooden walls beginning to rot.
Nonetheless, it provided just the refuge Jonah and Edmund needed. Jonah didn’t have any time to think, launching into action faster than his brain could process. Faster than he realised he could move.
Everything had been something of a blur to Jonah. All he knew was that he was thinking about doing something, and then it had been done. The interim had been skipped, and Jonah felt like he was in trouble. He still knew very little about Edmund. Had he helped a fugitive escape?
“You didn’t have to do that,” Edmund said, breaking a period of comfortable, strangely trusting silence, “I’ve handled cops before.”
“It’s not the cops who can help,” Jonah justified.
“Who said I needed help?” Edmund defensively retorted, sweeping his scraggly curls out of his face.
“You think what happened in the bathroom is normal?” Jonah argued his case.
“Nothing about my life is normal,” Edmund explained, “What could you do to help anyway? No offence, but you’re a teenager like me.”
“Not me, but Dylan and Jono. They can help. It’s what they do,” Jonah clarified. He was determined to cut through Edmund’s self-imposed defences.
“They were nice, but I can’t stay. I’ve been here too long already,” Edmund sighed, his tense shoulders relaxing just a little.
“Just…think about it,” Jonah continued to chip away, “For me.”
“I don’t know you, Jonah,” Edmund remained defiant. Jonah sighed. How could he help someone who didn’t want to be helped? “Wait, who’s coming?”
Jonah focused. He could hear a scratching sound irritating the inside of his ear, like a bug had crawled in, except it was further away. It scratched louder and louder, like something approaching. Jonah blocked his ears. It was deafening and uncomfortable. What could have made a noise so intrusive?
“Hey,” Leah’s head popped up at the treehouse entrance. The noise ceased. Jonah made eye contact with Leah, who raised an eyebrow as she heaved herself into the treehouse, the noise briefly resuming as she did so. The noise of Leah’s trainers against the rungs on the tree trunk. How could Jonah hear that noise so loudly?
“Who are you?” Edmund’s shoulders raised again.
“This is Leah. It’s alright, she’s my friend. She knows everything,” Jonah quickly clarified.
“Great,” Edmund groaned.
“I found one of his hoodies. Here, you’ll need it,” Leah threw a plain grey hoodie to Edmund, “Get familiar with the scent. That’s how it works, right?”
Edmund raised an eyebrow at Jonah. His scowl was piercing, but Jonah didn’t regret a thing. He’d done Edmund a favour, so it was only fair to ask for one in return.
“I need your help. Our friend’s gone missing,” Jonah explained.
Jonah had heard all about the treehouse before. Lily and Dylan spoke highly of the memories they made there, and though Jonah hadn’t known Jono for long, the most valuable tales had come from him. What resonated most with Jonah was how Jono used the treehouse as his private escape. A refuge from the anger he felt in his own home. His safe space.
Still secured to the tallest tree at the front of what Jonah affectionately nicknamed “Chadwick Manor”, the treehouse had seen better days. Only Helen lived in that enormous house now that both Jono and Lily had moved out, so the treehouse had become a childhood relic, left abandoned with the wooden walls beginning to rot.
Nonetheless, it provided just the refuge Jonah and Edmund needed. Jonah didn’t have any time to think, launching into action faster than his brain could process. Faster than he realised he could move.
Everything had been something of a blur to Jonah. All he knew was that he was thinking about doing something, and then it had been done. The interim had been skipped, and Jonah felt like he was in trouble. He still knew very little about Edmund. Had he helped a fugitive escape?
“You didn’t have to do that,” Edmund said, breaking a period of comfortable, strangely trusting silence, “I’ve handled cops before.”
“It’s not the cops who can help,” Jonah justified.
“Who said I needed help?” Edmund defensively retorted, sweeping his scraggly curls out of his face.
“You think what happened in the bathroom is normal?” Jonah argued his case.
“Nothing about my life is normal,” Edmund explained, “What could you do to help anyway? No offence, but you’re a teenager like me.”
“Not me, but Dylan and Jono. They can help. It’s what they do,” Jonah clarified. He was determined to cut through Edmund’s self-imposed defences.
“They were nice, but I can’t stay. I’ve been here too long already,” Edmund sighed, his tense shoulders relaxing just a little.
“Just…think about it,” Jonah continued to chip away, “For me.”
“I don’t know you, Jonah,” Edmund remained defiant. Jonah sighed. How could he help someone who didn’t want to be helped? “Wait, who’s coming?”
Jonah focused. He could hear a scratching sound irritating the inside of his ear, like a bug had crawled in, except it was further away. It scratched louder and louder, like something approaching. Jonah blocked his ears. It was deafening and uncomfortable. What could have made a noise so intrusive?
“Hey,” Leah’s head popped up at the treehouse entrance. The noise ceased. Jonah made eye contact with Leah, who raised an eyebrow as she heaved herself into the treehouse, the noise briefly resuming as she did so. The noise of Leah’s trainers against the rungs on the tree trunk. How could Jonah hear that noise so loudly?
“Who are you?” Edmund’s shoulders raised again.
“This is Leah. It’s alright, she’s my friend. She knows everything,” Jonah quickly clarified.
“Great,” Edmund groaned.
“I found one of his hoodies. Here, you’ll need it,” Leah threw a plain grey hoodie to Edmund, “Get familiar with the scent. That’s how it works, right?”
Edmund raised an eyebrow at Jonah. His scowl was piercing, but Jonah didn’t regret a thing. He’d done Edmund a favour, so it was only fair to ask for one in return.
“I need your help. Our friend’s gone missing,” Jonah explained.
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Disorientated.
Freddie was overwhelmed. He couldn’t make sense of anything. How could he even try? His brain worked faster than an Olympic sprinter at the best of times, so any attempt to focus during intense situations were hopeless. Freddie only grew more and more frustrated. His ADHD was like his inner wolf; both could be controlled, but under certain circumstances, it became too much.
Rationalising the situation, Freddie did his best to remember he’d always suspected this was a possibility. He was sceptical of the scratch from Jono the entire time. When he used to be a werewolf, Jono was an alpha, and though turning by scratch was rare, Freddie knew enough to know it was possible.
Yet, this line of thought didn’t change a thing. Jonah was missing, and he had become something else. Something supernatural. Werewolf or not, Freddie was terrified. It was his worst case scenario, and he felt helpless.
All Freddie was sure of was his one overwhelming emotion: anger. He was angry at Jonah for acting so recklessly, angry at the situation, and angry at Jono for downplaying his part in it. Freddie knew there was a problem, but anger clouded his vindication.
“Freddie,” Dylan called out as Freddie stormed down the corridor. Freddie was in no mood to talk. All he could think about was his brother. Jonah was all that mattered.
“Freddie, stop, let’s think about this,” Jono repeated.
“Why? Why should I? It was you who did this, Jono. You scratched him, and now he’s…” Freddie yelled, as if steam was furiously pouring from his ears, “He’s something different, and it’s your fault.”
“I swear, I didn’t mean to,” Jono panicked. He looked sullen, but that meant little to Freddie in that moment.
“I don’t care,” Freddie couldn’t hold his emotions back any longer, “He’s out there, and he can’t control himself, and none of us know where he is. That’s before we consider that it happened right in front of a load of cops. He’s screwed.”
“Freddie, take a breath,” Dylan urged.
“I can’t,” Freddie’s anger was boiling over. His breath was fast and tight. He couldn’t slow it down. Everything was happening too quickly. His brain couldn’t process anything.
“Sit down,” Dylan commanded as Jono grabbed a chair from the newsroom office. Freddie panicked. He could barely breathe. He couldn’t stop and wait, Jonah was still in danger, but he could hardly move.
“Freddie, you’re having a panic attack,” Jono identified. Freddie was in denial. He’d never had a panic attack before. It couldn’t be.
“Look at me,” Jono said firmly, “Look right in my eyes. That’s it. Don’t look anywhere else. Focus on the colour. All of the details. Can you see?”
“Yes,” Freddie muttered between gasping for breath. He examined the intricate details of Jono’s eyes. A soft, warm hazel. The tiny lines around the iris, and the plain darkness of the pupil in the centre.
Freddie’s breathing slowed. His heart began to calm down. The furious pace of his thoughts reduced to a more manageable level. He could think clearly again.
“Thanks,” Freddie raised a slight smile to Jono.
“Any time,” Jono nodded, offering Freddie a helping hand up, which he gracefully accepted.
“Come on, let’s talk on the way. We can find Jonah together,” Dylan suggested. Freddie didn’t know how to react, but after all he’d thrown at Jono, he’d received an important reminder of just why they became friends in the first place.
Any hopes of pulling a day off to chill at home had been scuppered rapidly, and Josh couldn’t help feeling a little disappointed. Realistically he knew it wouldn’t happen; Yasmin was a workaholic, and Josh was invested in his job too, especially when slacking would fall back into Dylan, who didn’t deserve the stress of picking up the slack. That didn’t stop Josh craving an extra day at home with the woman he loved, though. A duvet day and a boxset to binge was all he desired.
A drive around town to look for Edmund had, at Dylan’s request, become an urgent search mission for Jonah. Quite what had happened, Josh didn’t know, but he was enjoying the one-on-one time he was able to spend with Yasmin in the process.
There was an underrated quality to a long drive with someone you feel close to, particularly when the playlist was, in Josh’s own opinion, an intricately crafted masterpiece.
“What playlist is this?” Yasmin queried, taking a left turn back towards the centre of town, it was their third lap of Crystalshaw that day, and Josh was beginning to feel defeated.
“One I made the other night. A mix of songs we both like,” Josh proudly explained.
“Wow, you really are a romantic at heart,” Yasmin blushed. Josh’s heart fluttered. Yasmin had the most magical effect on Josh. An effect nobody else had ever had on him.
“You’re only just figuring this out? How long have you known me?” Josh playfully replied.
“Oh, I’m not surprised. I’m very observant,” Yasmin shrugged with a smirk on her face, turning the wheel to the right.
“Um, Yasmin,” Josh tentatively observed, “Have you noticed where we are?”
“Err,” Yasmin paused, looking around the backstreet they’d just turned into, “This road leads into town, doesn’t it?”
“No,” Josh responded, “We’re going the opposite direction.”
“Oh,” Yasmin appeared startled, but it was clear that they both knew what was happening. When Yasmin’s subconscious was taking them somewhere, that was where they had to go.
Scanning the CCTV cameras across town, Jeremy was ensuring he didn’t miss a single detail. Any tiny movement could have been Jonah, or Edmund, or some sort of clue as to where they were.
The pressure felt higher given Jonah’s involvement, too. He was practically family, and a part of the pack, so Jeremy knew he couldn’t afford to miss anything. He was doing this for Sammi, Freddie, Lily and George just as much as Jonah himself. They’d all been in some pretty treacherous scenarios, and it was only through each other that they’d survived. Jonah needed that same assistance.
“I feel useless sat here,” Lily sighed, standing up to pace across the office, “I should be out there helping.”
“He might come here, we need to be here just in case,” Jeremy reminded, “And don’t forget, you can’t heal quickly right now.”
“I know, but this is Jonah. He’s like a son to me,” Lily shrugged.
“Then he might need you if he turns up here. You give warmer hugs than me,” Jeremy smiled, hoping to solve Lily’s panic even just a little. He knew more than anyone that there were no instant fixes to such intense emotions.
“You just want a hug now, don’t you?” Lily found a small grin.
“I definitely do,” another voice came from the door. Jeremy’s heart broke; he knew Sammi’s voice anywhere, but he wasn’t used to it sounding so sad.
“Come on, Chadwick group hug,” Lily invited them both over for what was one of the warmest, cosiest hugs Jeremy had ever felt. Gently, he brushed his hand up and down Sammi’s back. If there were anyone Jeremy could read without them saying a word, it was his twin sister.
“Freddie’s with Dylan and Jono. I wasn’t sure where to go. I’m sorry,” Sammi wept as the hug broke.
“Don’t apologise,” Jeremy considered without a second thought, “He’ll be okay. He’s a smart kid.”
“I know, but he’s just that. He’s a kid,” Sammi reminded.
“And we were in this world as kids, too,” Jeremy mentioned.
“It was your whole life,” Sammi realised, “I guess we grew up quickly. We didn’t have anyone older to stop us.”
“Would they have been able to stop us?” Lily chuckled.
“Not a chance,” Sammi smiled, “How are you both staying calm? I feel so stressed.”
“I’m an excellent actress,” Lily playfully replied, “I’m just as worried as you, but I trust Dylan and Jono, and the rest of the pack.”
“You and Freddie included,” Jeremy added, keen to reassure Sammi. The pack dynamics had undoubtedly shifted since Chadwick-Drummond opened, but to Jeremy’s eyes, nothing had fundamentally changed. The pack was still together, and as long as they remembered that, their bond could never be broken.
“Excuse me,” a knock came from the door as Ed poked his head round, “Dylan said you guys would be here.”
“Come in,” Lily invited, springing into her usual bubbly hostess persona, “How can we help?”
“Have you found him?” Sammi anxiously interrogated.
“Not yet, but I’ve got every available deputy looking. We’re leaving no stone unturned, but my deputies don’t quite know what they’re looking for. I was hoping you could tell me everything you know. It could be the key to finding him,” Ed requested.
“Everything about Edmund?” Jeremy checked.
“And Jonah,” Ed specified. Jeremy glanced at Sammi, whose worry painted a blatant picture on her face. Jeremy was determined to get to the bottom of the mystery, but this one was hitting much closer to home.
Edmund’s patience had worn thin. It was already threadbare to begin with, but time was being wasted, and he had little time to spare as it was. Whatever was chasing him couldn’t have been far behind. He was a sitting duck in Crystalshaw.
Yet, Edmund knew he could leave at any time. Jonah had roped him into some silly plan to track down a kid he’d never met, and Edmund knew it was a waste of his time. He could have ditched them at any moment, so why hadn’t he?
What Edmund knew deep down was that Jonah was a good person. He was loyal and kind-hearted, and it was blatant from the tiny amount of time they had known each other. Edmund knew better than to get attached, but for some reason, he felt compelled to help Jonah. All he needed to do was make sure Jonah didn’t get attached either.
The scent on Jonah’s friend’s hoodie had taken them all the way across town. Edmund was used to hiding in the shadows, but keeping two others out of view as well was a challenge. The police on their trail would have slowed everything down, and Edmund couldn’t risk not being able to escape.
“Are you sure it’s back here?” Leah glanced around, bewildered by the derelict buildings tainting the backroads.
“Have you ever tracked a scent before?” Edmund hit out, covering up the fact that he had next-to-no experience of his own. All he knew was that his sense of smell was far stronger than it once was, and that had to be of some benefit, and he had to hope that the scent he’d latched onto was the correct one.
“We trust you,” Jonah soothed, keen to keep the peace. Jonah’s optimism was clear to see, and it shone as clearly as Dylan’s did the day before.
“Do we?” Leah indiscreetly whispered before Jonah gave her an unsubtle nudge, “Ouch! Okay, we do, whatever you say.”
“You don’t need to trust me forever, just for now. Trust is earned, and if you remember, it’s me who’s doing you the favour,” Edmund spoke calmly and clearly.
“We know, and I appreciate it,” Jonah sincerely assured. His puppy dog eyes were difficult to resist, much to Edmund’s frustration.
Edmund resumed focusing on his sense of smell. So many different scents filtered through his nose, but Edmund knew which one to follow, and it was only growing stronger. That had to be a sign of success. Edmund valued his time, and by extension, other people’s time, too. A failed venture would have meant a waste of three people’s time, and Edmund wasn’t prepared to see that happen.
The trail led them to a tall warehouse, its metal exterior blank other than the dust and dirt coating it. There was no sign of anyone nearby, nor could Edmund hear anything. He hadn’t quite figured out how to hone his hearing yet; the distant groaning of cars and polite chit-chat streets away was entirely unhelpful.
“In here,” Edmund signalled as the trio approached a metal door. A padlock was fastened around the handle, and despite its own accumulation of rust, a tug on the lock made no difference.
“Can’t you break it?” Leah queried.
“Shouldn’t be that hard for a werewolf,” Jonah gently tugged on the padlock, and it snapped cleanly off, much to his own surprise.
“How…?” Leah trailed off, unsure of what to say. Edmund’s eyes widened. He had seen how fast Jonah moved to rescue him outside the school. There was something more going on, and Edmund wasn’t sure Jonah even knew what it was.
“Wait,” Edmund held his index finger up to ensure silence. He did his best to focus his hearing. There was a wailing sound unpleasantly scratching at his eardrums. An unpleasant, pained noise, and one that wasn’t there before.
“What?” Leah impatiently queried.
“Can you hear it?” Edmund directly asked Jonah. Leah clearly couldn’t hear it, but there was a chance Jonah could.
“It sounds like howling,” Jonah identified, confirming Edmund’s suspicions, “Wolves howling.”
“Werewolves,” Edmund added, “Loads of them.”
“Ashton,” Leah worried, “He might be in danger.”
“Then let’s be careful,” Edmund warned. He wasn’t going to give up after coming so far, but endangering their lives wasn’t an option either.
Cautiously, Edmund led the way inside, nervously pulling the rusty door open, deliberately ensuring it didn’t creak to announce their arrival. The inside of the warehouse was just as derelict as the outside, if not more so, with dust sheets abandoned across the dirty floor.
The pained cries of werewolves slammed against Edmund’s ears even louder. They were close – they had to be – but the warehouse was vast, with abandoned shelving units rising most of the way to the tall ceiling. How deep it went, Edmund couldn’t tell, with little light making it inside. It was like a maze, and walking straight in felt like a trap
“Stay there,” a whispered voice commanded from the shadows as two adults approached. A young woman led the way, her perfectly curled auburn hair gently adorning the top of her chest, while a tall, lanky man followed behind, with short, curly, unruly hair in contrast with his stylish red chequered shirt laying unbuttoned over his plain white t-shirt.
“Yasmin? Josh?” Jonah recognised them both, so Edmund assumed they were more friends of Dylan’s. Just how big was this pack? “Why are you here?”
“Same reason as you, I guess,” Yasmin replied gravely, “Ashton.”
“But if you’re here,” Jonah panicked, “Then someone’s about to die.”
Edmund’s eyes widened. There were too many variables on this mission, far more than he had realised. The world he’d found himself in was dangerous, and with each passing second, he realised he’d barely scratched its surface.
Edmund’s confidence slipped. He couldn’t disguise it any longer.
He was scared.
Once his place of clarity and calm, Jono couldn’t help picking up on the tense atmosphere in the treehouse. Freddie could identify Jonah’s scent anywhere, and he was confident it led to the treehouse, but it was otherwise empty. Stress levels were, understandably, rising, and Jono didn’t need to be a werewolf anymore to be able to sense it.
In his panic, Freddie had reminded Jono of something he’d tried to brush aside. The scratch he gave Jonah on the bridge made no sense, but everything had felt normal since. Everything had felt human since. Jono couldn’t easily forget what being a werewolf felt like, from the overwhelming senses to the animalistic instinct embedded inside him. None of that was there anymore.
Nevertheless, Jono understood Freddie’s frustration. Jono would protect Lily with his life. Their sibling bond was unbreakable, and even living on opposite sides of the Atlantic Ocean couldn’t diminish their connection. While Jono never meant to harm Jonah, he fully understood why Freddie was so protective.
“Where does the scent lead from here?” Jono queried, sharing an exasperated glance with Dylan.
“I don’t know, it’s all sort of muddled,” Freddie stressed, “He wasn’t alone up here.”
“Edmund, I guess,” Dylan added.
“And a third. A scent I recognise. I think it’s Leah,” Freddie identified.
“She wasn’t with them at the school,” Jono recalled, “So Jonah must have contacted her somehow. Try his phone again.”
Freddie tapped away at his phone screen before holding it out in his hand, speaker turned on.
“Listen,” Dylan held a finger out to ask for silence.
“I can hear it,” Freddie confirmed after a few seconds, a little hope brightening his face again, “A phone vibrating. His phone.”
“Call it again,” Jono ordered as the voicemail sounded. He began looking around the garden, using his bird’s eye view to their advantage, “It should light up.” Sure enough, wedged inside a bush was the unmistakable flashing glow of a phone screen, “There!”
Freddie led the way back down the treehouse to collect the phone, scooping it up immediately. Jono slid his hand into the bush to see if he could feel anything else, any other clue that could help them find Jonah and Edmund.
“Ouch!” Jono winced, feeling a sharp twig poking into his arm.
“Let me do that,” Dylan sweetly offered, but there was no need. Jono, despite the slow trickle of blood from the dainty cut on his arm, had retrieved another phone from the muddy ground.
“Leah’s, I assume,” Jono realised, “Edmund didn’t have a phone.”
“Where the hell are they?” Freddie’s hope faded again. Jono felt downbeat – he hated seeing his friend like that – but he had to remain positive.
“Let’s check the house, there may be a clue there. We can still find him,” Dylan assured.
“Okay. We’re not giving up,” Freddie reassured himself, leading the way back to the car.
“Hey,” Jono hung back, keeping his voice low so only Dylan could hear, “Could I borrow your jacket please?”
“Sure,” Dylan unzipped his favourite burgundy hoodie, “Are you cold?”
“Not really, but the cut on my arm. I can’t let Freddie see it, not right now. Not after earlier,” Jono tried explaining, but he felt unsettled himself.
“Why not?” Dylan queried, “Show me, Jon.”
“Because it’s already healed,” Jono’s voice quivered as he held his arm out. A trail of blood was visible, but it came from nothing. Something was up, but it had to wait. The last thing Freddie needed was more tension.
Sammi felt useless. Whilst she knew most of the pack were out looking for Jonah, sitting still at Dylan and Jono’s house still felt unproductive. Perhaps Jonah would bring Edmund there for help? That was what Sammi had to keep reminding herself of; if Jonah needed support, she would be there for him.
“Come here,” Lily suggested, briefly turning her attention away from the array of cameras spanning the entirety of Crystalshaw on her computer screen. Sammi heaved herself upwards from Josh’s swivelling desk chair – always a novelty, unleashing Sammi’s inner child – towards Lily’s desk opposite. Lily took Sammi’s hand and laid it gently on her bump. Incredibly, Sammi felt a strong bump coming from inside. Smiling, she met eyes with Lily, whose eyes were filled with love.
“Woah,” Sammi’s heart was overflowing. Another bump followed, “Must be due any day now.”
“Due date is two weeks away,” Lily smiled, “You’re going to be an auntie.”
“Won’t I be first cousin once removed or something like that?” Sammi pondered.
“Yeah, but aunt sounds better. You’ll all be aunts and uncles as far as I’m concerned,” Lily chuckled, “Besides, Freddie actually will be an uncle, so you’re an aunt that way.”
“Damn, who knew the Chadwick family tree was getting so complicated,” Sammi laughed.
“Check there,” Ed pointed at Jeremy’s screen across the office, examining a different set of cameras, “I didn’t know they had cameras on that street.”
“Freddie found every camera he could,” Jeremy replied. Sammi couldn’t help her attention drifting to what they were doing, occasionally glancing back to look at Lily’s computer. Between them, they were examining every camera across town. Somewhere, Jonah was bound to be spotted; Sammi had to keep reassuring herself.
“I’m not sure this is even legal,” Ed chuckled, “I’ll pretend I didn’t see anything.”
“Maybe we shouldn’t pretend,” Jeremy’s tone shifted to something more severe as he pointed to the screen, “Look.”
Sammi leapt up to have a glance of her own at the camera footage. It showed the front entrance of an old warehouse at the back of town with three tiny figures outside its entrance. Sammi squinted, and while she could barely make any features out, one thing was blatant: Jonah’s golden blonde mop of hair was identifiable anywhere.
“Zoom in,” Ed asked, Jeremy immediately scrolling the image closer.
“That’s them,” Sammi confirmed, “Let’s go get them.”
“Hold fire, the others are already in town, they’ll get there quicker. Call Dylan,” Jeremy reasoned. As impatient as she felt, Sammi didn’t need to be asked twice, sliding her phone out of her pocket. All that mattered was that Jonah was alive. Now he just needed to be brought home safely.
Frantically sprinting to the warehouse entrance, Dylan’s worry had evolved into determination. The call from Sammi had lit a fire inside him, a fire that tapped into Dylan’s primary driving force for doing the job he did. He’d encountered many young supernaturals like Edmund before, and giving up on them was not an option.
This time, though, one of the supernaturals in danger was Jonah, and that came with an extra level of pressure. He already saw Jonah as part of the pack – and more importantly, part of the family – so Dylan couldn’t help feeling a responsibility to keep Jonah safe. He was the alpha, so it was his job.
Freddie reached the open warehouse door first and ran inside, but Dylan paused, waiting for Jono to catch up after parking the car.
“Hey,” Dylan noticed as Jono ground to a halt beside him, “That’s Yasmin’s car.” He pointed to the cutesy blue car parked almost out of sight around the corner of the vast, dilapidated building.
“Neither her nor Josh have texted to say they’ve found Jonah,” Jono panted as he double checked his phone, “Maybe they only just arrived?”
“Maybe,” Dylan pondered, “Or maybe she’s in trouble.” He paused, zoning in on a noise from inside that was tickling his ear, “Can you hear that?”
“No, what is it?” Jono questioned.
“Wolves howling,” Dylan described, “I don’t recognise any of them, but it’s coming from inside.”
“And they’re all inside,” Jono worried, “Freddie ran straight in. Come on, they could be in danger.”
“Wait, there’s something else. A flat humming sound behind the howling,” Dylan focused closer, paying his ears the closest attention he could.
Out of nowhere, a scream detonated, piercing Dylan’s ears with a distinct tinge of fear. Dylan and Jono met eyes. He had heard it too, so it must have been close. Neither of them needed time to confer about what to do; they rushed inside, Dylan letting his ears guide the way in the absence of much interior lighting.
The warehouse was arranged in long rows of tall, dominating shelving units, rising close to the excessively high ceiling. It was impossible to see beyond the row they were on, even with Dylan’s wolf eyes and their piercing red glow to benefit him. He weaved in an out of each row, with Jono pacing behind, but Dylan was growing agitated. The sound of heartbeats was growing closer, but not fast enough when the howling was also becoming louder with each row he passed through.
“Wait a second,” Dylan halted, “This isn’t working. Stay here for a moment.” With an approving nod from Jono, Dylan took a deep breath and crouched his legs slightly. The wolf was in charge for the time being. With every bit of force he could summon, Dylan thrusted himself upwards, leaping ferociously to catch the railing next to the second shelf from the top.
Another easy leap landed Dylan on top of the unit, giving him the best possible view. The combination of the dim natural light sliding into the warehouse and his wolf eyes gave Dylan just enough stimulus to spot what he needed. A few aisles along, a couple of heads were just about noticeable through the empty units.
“Aisle twelve,” Dylan called down to Jono before leaping onto the shelving unit in front, then again, and again. One final catapult downwards brought Dylan behind Freddie, Josh, Yasmin and Edmund, who barely flinched as Dylan’s feet slammed against the solid ground.
Peering ahead, Dylan’s stomach dropped. Jonah and Leah were crouched down beside a battered and blood-soaked body lying flat on the floor. Its face, whilst covered in bruises and cuts, was depressingly familiar.
“What happened?” Dylan questioned softly as Jono arrived, gasping as soon as he noticed the tragic scene in front.
“We found him like this,” Yasmin replied regretfully, “I saw him. I had a vision.”
Dylan approached the body, the bizarrely tranquil image of Ashton’s motionless face bringing tears to his eyes. Jonah and Leah were inconsolable either side of him, both of their faces painted red with grief, despair and anger.
“I’m sorry,” Dylan muttered, unable to conjure up anything that may actually make them feel better.
“Who did this?” Leah shouted furiously.
Dylan couldn’t help noticing the continuing racket of the howling wolves. It was closer than ever, as if they were right beside them, but Dylan couldn’t see anyone or anything else, nor could he hear any other heartbeats.
In the corner of Dylan’s eye, he spotted a cardboard box, considerably less dusty than any other remnants left abandoned on the shelves. Reaching his hand inside, Dylan’s anger rose. He lifted the only item out, his worst suspicion confirmed. In his hand was a small wireless speaker. With one clench, Dylan took his fury out on the speaker and crushed it into tiny pieces. Sure enough, the howling ceased.
“Something’s playing with us,” Dylan commented, the fire inside him simmering hotter than ever, “And they’re not going to get away with it.”
Freddie was overwhelmed. He couldn’t make sense of anything. How could he even try? His brain worked faster than an Olympic sprinter at the best of times, so any attempt to focus during intense situations were hopeless. Freddie only grew more and more frustrated. His ADHD was like his inner wolf; both could be controlled, but under certain circumstances, it became too much.
Rationalising the situation, Freddie did his best to remember he’d always suspected this was a possibility. He was sceptical of the scratch from Jono the entire time. When he used to be a werewolf, Jono was an alpha, and though turning by scratch was rare, Freddie knew enough to know it was possible.
Yet, this line of thought didn’t change a thing. Jonah was missing, and he had become something else. Something supernatural. Werewolf or not, Freddie was terrified. It was his worst case scenario, and he felt helpless.
All Freddie was sure of was his one overwhelming emotion: anger. He was angry at Jonah for acting so recklessly, angry at the situation, and angry at Jono for downplaying his part in it. Freddie knew there was a problem, but anger clouded his vindication.
“Freddie,” Dylan called out as Freddie stormed down the corridor. Freddie was in no mood to talk. All he could think about was his brother. Jonah was all that mattered.
“Freddie, stop, let’s think about this,” Jono repeated.
“Why? Why should I? It was you who did this, Jono. You scratched him, and now he’s…” Freddie yelled, as if steam was furiously pouring from his ears, “He’s something different, and it’s your fault.”
“I swear, I didn’t mean to,” Jono panicked. He looked sullen, but that meant little to Freddie in that moment.
“I don’t care,” Freddie couldn’t hold his emotions back any longer, “He’s out there, and he can’t control himself, and none of us know where he is. That’s before we consider that it happened right in front of a load of cops. He’s screwed.”
“Freddie, take a breath,” Dylan urged.
“I can’t,” Freddie’s anger was boiling over. His breath was fast and tight. He couldn’t slow it down. Everything was happening too quickly. His brain couldn’t process anything.
“Sit down,” Dylan commanded as Jono grabbed a chair from the newsroom office. Freddie panicked. He could barely breathe. He couldn’t stop and wait, Jonah was still in danger, but he could hardly move.
“Freddie, you’re having a panic attack,” Jono identified. Freddie was in denial. He’d never had a panic attack before. It couldn’t be.
“Look at me,” Jono said firmly, “Look right in my eyes. That’s it. Don’t look anywhere else. Focus on the colour. All of the details. Can you see?”
“Yes,” Freddie muttered between gasping for breath. He examined the intricate details of Jono’s eyes. A soft, warm hazel. The tiny lines around the iris, and the plain darkness of the pupil in the centre.
Freddie’s breathing slowed. His heart began to calm down. The furious pace of his thoughts reduced to a more manageable level. He could think clearly again.
“Thanks,” Freddie raised a slight smile to Jono.
“Any time,” Jono nodded, offering Freddie a helping hand up, which he gracefully accepted.
“Come on, let’s talk on the way. We can find Jonah together,” Dylan suggested. Freddie didn’t know how to react, but after all he’d thrown at Jono, he’d received an important reminder of just why they became friends in the first place.
Any hopes of pulling a day off to chill at home had been scuppered rapidly, and Josh couldn’t help feeling a little disappointed. Realistically he knew it wouldn’t happen; Yasmin was a workaholic, and Josh was invested in his job too, especially when slacking would fall back into Dylan, who didn’t deserve the stress of picking up the slack. That didn’t stop Josh craving an extra day at home with the woman he loved, though. A duvet day and a boxset to binge was all he desired.
A drive around town to look for Edmund had, at Dylan’s request, become an urgent search mission for Jonah. Quite what had happened, Josh didn’t know, but he was enjoying the one-on-one time he was able to spend with Yasmin in the process.
There was an underrated quality to a long drive with someone you feel close to, particularly when the playlist was, in Josh’s own opinion, an intricately crafted masterpiece.
“What playlist is this?” Yasmin queried, taking a left turn back towards the centre of town, it was their third lap of Crystalshaw that day, and Josh was beginning to feel defeated.
“One I made the other night. A mix of songs we both like,” Josh proudly explained.
“Wow, you really are a romantic at heart,” Yasmin blushed. Josh’s heart fluttered. Yasmin had the most magical effect on Josh. An effect nobody else had ever had on him.
“You’re only just figuring this out? How long have you known me?” Josh playfully replied.
“Oh, I’m not surprised. I’m very observant,” Yasmin shrugged with a smirk on her face, turning the wheel to the right.
“Um, Yasmin,” Josh tentatively observed, “Have you noticed where we are?”
“Err,” Yasmin paused, looking around the backstreet they’d just turned into, “This road leads into town, doesn’t it?”
“No,” Josh responded, “We’re going the opposite direction.”
“Oh,” Yasmin appeared startled, but it was clear that they both knew what was happening. When Yasmin’s subconscious was taking them somewhere, that was where they had to go.
Scanning the CCTV cameras across town, Jeremy was ensuring he didn’t miss a single detail. Any tiny movement could have been Jonah, or Edmund, or some sort of clue as to where they were.
The pressure felt higher given Jonah’s involvement, too. He was practically family, and a part of the pack, so Jeremy knew he couldn’t afford to miss anything. He was doing this for Sammi, Freddie, Lily and George just as much as Jonah himself. They’d all been in some pretty treacherous scenarios, and it was only through each other that they’d survived. Jonah needed that same assistance.
“I feel useless sat here,” Lily sighed, standing up to pace across the office, “I should be out there helping.”
“He might come here, we need to be here just in case,” Jeremy reminded, “And don’t forget, you can’t heal quickly right now.”
“I know, but this is Jonah. He’s like a son to me,” Lily shrugged.
“Then he might need you if he turns up here. You give warmer hugs than me,” Jeremy smiled, hoping to solve Lily’s panic even just a little. He knew more than anyone that there were no instant fixes to such intense emotions.
“You just want a hug now, don’t you?” Lily found a small grin.
“I definitely do,” another voice came from the door. Jeremy’s heart broke; he knew Sammi’s voice anywhere, but he wasn’t used to it sounding so sad.
“Come on, Chadwick group hug,” Lily invited them both over for what was one of the warmest, cosiest hugs Jeremy had ever felt. Gently, he brushed his hand up and down Sammi’s back. If there were anyone Jeremy could read without them saying a word, it was his twin sister.
“Freddie’s with Dylan and Jono. I wasn’t sure where to go. I’m sorry,” Sammi wept as the hug broke.
“Don’t apologise,” Jeremy considered without a second thought, “He’ll be okay. He’s a smart kid.”
“I know, but he’s just that. He’s a kid,” Sammi reminded.
“And we were in this world as kids, too,” Jeremy mentioned.
“It was your whole life,” Sammi realised, “I guess we grew up quickly. We didn’t have anyone older to stop us.”
“Would they have been able to stop us?” Lily chuckled.
“Not a chance,” Sammi smiled, “How are you both staying calm? I feel so stressed.”
“I’m an excellent actress,” Lily playfully replied, “I’m just as worried as you, but I trust Dylan and Jono, and the rest of the pack.”
“You and Freddie included,” Jeremy added, keen to reassure Sammi. The pack dynamics had undoubtedly shifted since Chadwick-Drummond opened, but to Jeremy’s eyes, nothing had fundamentally changed. The pack was still together, and as long as they remembered that, their bond could never be broken.
“Excuse me,” a knock came from the door as Ed poked his head round, “Dylan said you guys would be here.”
“Come in,” Lily invited, springing into her usual bubbly hostess persona, “How can we help?”
“Have you found him?” Sammi anxiously interrogated.
“Not yet, but I’ve got every available deputy looking. We’re leaving no stone unturned, but my deputies don’t quite know what they’re looking for. I was hoping you could tell me everything you know. It could be the key to finding him,” Ed requested.
“Everything about Edmund?” Jeremy checked.
“And Jonah,” Ed specified. Jeremy glanced at Sammi, whose worry painted a blatant picture on her face. Jeremy was determined to get to the bottom of the mystery, but this one was hitting much closer to home.
Edmund’s patience had worn thin. It was already threadbare to begin with, but time was being wasted, and he had little time to spare as it was. Whatever was chasing him couldn’t have been far behind. He was a sitting duck in Crystalshaw.
Yet, Edmund knew he could leave at any time. Jonah had roped him into some silly plan to track down a kid he’d never met, and Edmund knew it was a waste of his time. He could have ditched them at any moment, so why hadn’t he?
What Edmund knew deep down was that Jonah was a good person. He was loyal and kind-hearted, and it was blatant from the tiny amount of time they had known each other. Edmund knew better than to get attached, but for some reason, he felt compelled to help Jonah. All he needed to do was make sure Jonah didn’t get attached either.
The scent on Jonah’s friend’s hoodie had taken them all the way across town. Edmund was used to hiding in the shadows, but keeping two others out of view as well was a challenge. The police on their trail would have slowed everything down, and Edmund couldn’t risk not being able to escape.
“Are you sure it’s back here?” Leah glanced around, bewildered by the derelict buildings tainting the backroads.
“Have you ever tracked a scent before?” Edmund hit out, covering up the fact that he had next-to-no experience of his own. All he knew was that his sense of smell was far stronger than it once was, and that had to be of some benefit, and he had to hope that the scent he’d latched onto was the correct one.
“We trust you,” Jonah soothed, keen to keep the peace. Jonah’s optimism was clear to see, and it shone as clearly as Dylan’s did the day before.
“Do we?” Leah indiscreetly whispered before Jonah gave her an unsubtle nudge, “Ouch! Okay, we do, whatever you say.”
“You don’t need to trust me forever, just for now. Trust is earned, and if you remember, it’s me who’s doing you the favour,” Edmund spoke calmly and clearly.
“We know, and I appreciate it,” Jonah sincerely assured. His puppy dog eyes were difficult to resist, much to Edmund’s frustration.
Edmund resumed focusing on his sense of smell. So many different scents filtered through his nose, but Edmund knew which one to follow, and it was only growing stronger. That had to be a sign of success. Edmund valued his time, and by extension, other people’s time, too. A failed venture would have meant a waste of three people’s time, and Edmund wasn’t prepared to see that happen.
The trail led them to a tall warehouse, its metal exterior blank other than the dust and dirt coating it. There was no sign of anyone nearby, nor could Edmund hear anything. He hadn’t quite figured out how to hone his hearing yet; the distant groaning of cars and polite chit-chat streets away was entirely unhelpful.
“In here,” Edmund signalled as the trio approached a metal door. A padlock was fastened around the handle, and despite its own accumulation of rust, a tug on the lock made no difference.
“Can’t you break it?” Leah queried.
“Shouldn’t be that hard for a werewolf,” Jonah gently tugged on the padlock, and it snapped cleanly off, much to his own surprise.
“How…?” Leah trailed off, unsure of what to say. Edmund’s eyes widened. He had seen how fast Jonah moved to rescue him outside the school. There was something more going on, and Edmund wasn’t sure Jonah even knew what it was.
“Wait,” Edmund held his index finger up to ensure silence. He did his best to focus his hearing. There was a wailing sound unpleasantly scratching at his eardrums. An unpleasant, pained noise, and one that wasn’t there before.
“What?” Leah impatiently queried.
“Can you hear it?” Edmund directly asked Jonah. Leah clearly couldn’t hear it, but there was a chance Jonah could.
“It sounds like howling,” Jonah identified, confirming Edmund’s suspicions, “Wolves howling.”
“Werewolves,” Edmund added, “Loads of them.”
“Ashton,” Leah worried, “He might be in danger.”
“Then let’s be careful,” Edmund warned. He wasn’t going to give up after coming so far, but endangering their lives wasn’t an option either.
Cautiously, Edmund led the way inside, nervously pulling the rusty door open, deliberately ensuring it didn’t creak to announce their arrival. The inside of the warehouse was just as derelict as the outside, if not more so, with dust sheets abandoned across the dirty floor.
The pained cries of werewolves slammed against Edmund’s ears even louder. They were close – they had to be – but the warehouse was vast, with abandoned shelving units rising most of the way to the tall ceiling. How deep it went, Edmund couldn’t tell, with little light making it inside. It was like a maze, and walking straight in felt like a trap
“Stay there,” a whispered voice commanded from the shadows as two adults approached. A young woman led the way, her perfectly curled auburn hair gently adorning the top of her chest, while a tall, lanky man followed behind, with short, curly, unruly hair in contrast with his stylish red chequered shirt laying unbuttoned over his plain white t-shirt.
“Yasmin? Josh?” Jonah recognised them both, so Edmund assumed they were more friends of Dylan’s. Just how big was this pack? “Why are you here?”
“Same reason as you, I guess,” Yasmin replied gravely, “Ashton.”
“But if you’re here,” Jonah panicked, “Then someone’s about to die.”
Edmund’s eyes widened. There were too many variables on this mission, far more than he had realised. The world he’d found himself in was dangerous, and with each passing second, he realised he’d barely scratched its surface.
Edmund’s confidence slipped. He couldn’t disguise it any longer.
He was scared.
Once his place of clarity and calm, Jono couldn’t help picking up on the tense atmosphere in the treehouse. Freddie could identify Jonah’s scent anywhere, and he was confident it led to the treehouse, but it was otherwise empty. Stress levels were, understandably, rising, and Jono didn’t need to be a werewolf anymore to be able to sense it.
In his panic, Freddie had reminded Jono of something he’d tried to brush aside. The scratch he gave Jonah on the bridge made no sense, but everything had felt normal since. Everything had felt human since. Jono couldn’t easily forget what being a werewolf felt like, from the overwhelming senses to the animalistic instinct embedded inside him. None of that was there anymore.
Nevertheless, Jono understood Freddie’s frustration. Jono would protect Lily with his life. Their sibling bond was unbreakable, and even living on opposite sides of the Atlantic Ocean couldn’t diminish their connection. While Jono never meant to harm Jonah, he fully understood why Freddie was so protective.
“Where does the scent lead from here?” Jono queried, sharing an exasperated glance with Dylan.
“I don’t know, it’s all sort of muddled,” Freddie stressed, “He wasn’t alone up here.”
“Edmund, I guess,” Dylan added.
“And a third. A scent I recognise. I think it’s Leah,” Freddie identified.
“She wasn’t with them at the school,” Jono recalled, “So Jonah must have contacted her somehow. Try his phone again.”
Freddie tapped away at his phone screen before holding it out in his hand, speaker turned on.
“Listen,” Dylan held a finger out to ask for silence.
“I can hear it,” Freddie confirmed after a few seconds, a little hope brightening his face again, “A phone vibrating. His phone.”
“Call it again,” Jono ordered as the voicemail sounded. He began looking around the garden, using his bird’s eye view to their advantage, “It should light up.” Sure enough, wedged inside a bush was the unmistakable flashing glow of a phone screen, “There!”
Freddie led the way back down the treehouse to collect the phone, scooping it up immediately. Jono slid his hand into the bush to see if he could feel anything else, any other clue that could help them find Jonah and Edmund.
“Ouch!” Jono winced, feeling a sharp twig poking into his arm.
“Let me do that,” Dylan sweetly offered, but there was no need. Jono, despite the slow trickle of blood from the dainty cut on his arm, had retrieved another phone from the muddy ground.
“Leah’s, I assume,” Jono realised, “Edmund didn’t have a phone.”
“Where the hell are they?” Freddie’s hope faded again. Jono felt downbeat – he hated seeing his friend like that – but he had to remain positive.
“Let’s check the house, there may be a clue there. We can still find him,” Dylan assured.
“Okay. We’re not giving up,” Freddie reassured himself, leading the way back to the car.
“Hey,” Jono hung back, keeping his voice low so only Dylan could hear, “Could I borrow your jacket please?”
“Sure,” Dylan unzipped his favourite burgundy hoodie, “Are you cold?”
“Not really, but the cut on my arm. I can’t let Freddie see it, not right now. Not after earlier,” Jono tried explaining, but he felt unsettled himself.
“Why not?” Dylan queried, “Show me, Jon.”
“Because it’s already healed,” Jono’s voice quivered as he held his arm out. A trail of blood was visible, but it came from nothing. Something was up, but it had to wait. The last thing Freddie needed was more tension.
Sammi felt useless. Whilst she knew most of the pack were out looking for Jonah, sitting still at Dylan and Jono’s house still felt unproductive. Perhaps Jonah would bring Edmund there for help? That was what Sammi had to keep reminding herself of; if Jonah needed support, she would be there for him.
“Come here,” Lily suggested, briefly turning her attention away from the array of cameras spanning the entirety of Crystalshaw on her computer screen. Sammi heaved herself upwards from Josh’s swivelling desk chair – always a novelty, unleashing Sammi’s inner child – towards Lily’s desk opposite. Lily took Sammi’s hand and laid it gently on her bump. Incredibly, Sammi felt a strong bump coming from inside. Smiling, she met eyes with Lily, whose eyes were filled with love.
“Woah,” Sammi’s heart was overflowing. Another bump followed, “Must be due any day now.”
“Due date is two weeks away,” Lily smiled, “You’re going to be an auntie.”
“Won’t I be first cousin once removed or something like that?” Sammi pondered.
“Yeah, but aunt sounds better. You’ll all be aunts and uncles as far as I’m concerned,” Lily chuckled, “Besides, Freddie actually will be an uncle, so you’re an aunt that way.”
“Damn, who knew the Chadwick family tree was getting so complicated,” Sammi laughed.
“Check there,” Ed pointed at Jeremy’s screen across the office, examining a different set of cameras, “I didn’t know they had cameras on that street.”
“Freddie found every camera he could,” Jeremy replied. Sammi couldn’t help her attention drifting to what they were doing, occasionally glancing back to look at Lily’s computer. Between them, they were examining every camera across town. Somewhere, Jonah was bound to be spotted; Sammi had to keep reassuring herself.
“I’m not sure this is even legal,” Ed chuckled, “I’ll pretend I didn’t see anything.”
“Maybe we shouldn’t pretend,” Jeremy’s tone shifted to something more severe as he pointed to the screen, “Look.”
Sammi leapt up to have a glance of her own at the camera footage. It showed the front entrance of an old warehouse at the back of town with three tiny figures outside its entrance. Sammi squinted, and while she could barely make any features out, one thing was blatant: Jonah’s golden blonde mop of hair was identifiable anywhere.
“Zoom in,” Ed asked, Jeremy immediately scrolling the image closer.
“That’s them,” Sammi confirmed, “Let’s go get them.”
“Hold fire, the others are already in town, they’ll get there quicker. Call Dylan,” Jeremy reasoned. As impatient as she felt, Sammi didn’t need to be asked twice, sliding her phone out of her pocket. All that mattered was that Jonah was alive. Now he just needed to be brought home safely.
Frantically sprinting to the warehouse entrance, Dylan’s worry had evolved into determination. The call from Sammi had lit a fire inside him, a fire that tapped into Dylan’s primary driving force for doing the job he did. He’d encountered many young supernaturals like Edmund before, and giving up on them was not an option.
This time, though, one of the supernaturals in danger was Jonah, and that came with an extra level of pressure. He already saw Jonah as part of the pack – and more importantly, part of the family – so Dylan couldn’t help feeling a responsibility to keep Jonah safe. He was the alpha, so it was his job.
Freddie reached the open warehouse door first and ran inside, but Dylan paused, waiting for Jono to catch up after parking the car.
“Hey,” Dylan noticed as Jono ground to a halt beside him, “That’s Yasmin’s car.” He pointed to the cutesy blue car parked almost out of sight around the corner of the vast, dilapidated building.
“Neither her nor Josh have texted to say they’ve found Jonah,” Jono panted as he double checked his phone, “Maybe they only just arrived?”
“Maybe,” Dylan pondered, “Or maybe she’s in trouble.” He paused, zoning in on a noise from inside that was tickling his ear, “Can you hear that?”
“No, what is it?” Jono questioned.
“Wolves howling,” Dylan described, “I don’t recognise any of them, but it’s coming from inside.”
“And they’re all inside,” Jono worried, “Freddie ran straight in. Come on, they could be in danger.”
“Wait, there’s something else. A flat humming sound behind the howling,” Dylan focused closer, paying his ears the closest attention he could.
Out of nowhere, a scream detonated, piercing Dylan’s ears with a distinct tinge of fear. Dylan and Jono met eyes. He had heard it too, so it must have been close. Neither of them needed time to confer about what to do; they rushed inside, Dylan letting his ears guide the way in the absence of much interior lighting.
The warehouse was arranged in long rows of tall, dominating shelving units, rising close to the excessively high ceiling. It was impossible to see beyond the row they were on, even with Dylan’s wolf eyes and their piercing red glow to benefit him. He weaved in an out of each row, with Jono pacing behind, but Dylan was growing agitated. The sound of heartbeats was growing closer, but not fast enough when the howling was also becoming louder with each row he passed through.
“Wait a second,” Dylan halted, “This isn’t working. Stay here for a moment.” With an approving nod from Jono, Dylan took a deep breath and crouched his legs slightly. The wolf was in charge for the time being. With every bit of force he could summon, Dylan thrusted himself upwards, leaping ferociously to catch the railing next to the second shelf from the top.
Another easy leap landed Dylan on top of the unit, giving him the best possible view. The combination of the dim natural light sliding into the warehouse and his wolf eyes gave Dylan just enough stimulus to spot what he needed. A few aisles along, a couple of heads were just about noticeable through the empty units.
“Aisle twelve,” Dylan called down to Jono before leaping onto the shelving unit in front, then again, and again. One final catapult downwards brought Dylan behind Freddie, Josh, Yasmin and Edmund, who barely flinched as Dylan’s feet slammed against the solid ground.
Peering ahead, Dylan’s stomach dropped. Jonah and Leah were crouched down beside a battered and blood-soaked body lying flat on the floor. Its face, whilst covered in bruises and cuts, was depressingly familiar.
“What happened?” Dylan questioned softly as Jono arrived, gasping as soon as he noticed the tragic scene in front.
“We found him like this,” Yasmin replied regretfully, “I saw him. I had a vision.”
Dylan approached the body, the bizarrely tranquil image of Ashton’s motionless face bringing tears to his eyes. Jonah and Leah were inconsolable either side of him, both of their faces painted red with grief, despair and anger.
“I’m sorry,” Dylan muttered, unable to conjure up anything that may actually make them feel better.
“Who did this?” Leah shouted furiously.
Dylan couldn’t help noticing the continuing racket of the howling wolves. It was closer than ever, as if they were right beside them, but Dylan couldn’t see anyone or anything else, nor could he hear any other heartbeats.
In the corner of Dylan’s eye, he spotted a cardboard box, considerably less dusty than any other remnants left abandoned on the shelves. Reaching his hand inside, Dylan’s anger rose. He lifted the only item out, his worst suspicion confirmed. In his hand was a small wireless speaker. With one clench, Dylan took his fury out on the speaker and crushed it into tiny pieces. Sure enough, the howling ceased.
“Something’s playing with us,” Dylan commented, the fire inside him simmering hotter than ever, “And they’re not going to get away with it.”
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Previous: "Edmund"
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Next: to be released
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