Silence
A peaceful stillness settled across the planes of the mountains. Every single breath was heard, every innocent crack of nature under one's feet, a dead giveaway.
The unsuspecting prey walked slowly, alerting everyone to its location. In the blink of an eye, an arrow was released from its bow, its sharp edge cutting through the denseness of air and the thickness of flesh.
The thud echoed through the woods, and the voices of the young men mixed with the wails of the creature. They sang their praises, for their prince had caught a great prize.
Theo's head poked out from behind the bushes, his lush hair covering his chocolate-colored eyes. He gleamed in victory at the sight before him.
"And that's how you do it, boys," he yelled out.
The hunters of the pack gathered around him and cheered when suddenly a smell wafted past his nose. It was unlike anything he had ever encountered.
Instantly, the presence within him surfaced. All his senses went hyper-alert as he tried to locate the direction from which it came.
"What is that?" Finn sounded out. He lifted his head to the trees and inhaled deeply. As soon as the smell registered, his eyes immediately turned to a shade of anger, his face grim.
"Intruder!" Finn shouted.
All thoughts of hunting were dispersed from their minds as the group shifted quickly to their fur counterparts. They left ripped clothing and howls in their wake as their paws dug through the damp mountain grounds.
The men raced towards the source of the scent, ready to destroy whatever creature threatened the security of their home. The pack skidded to a stop as they came upon the edge of the border. The end of the lake marked the invisible line between.
Theo shifted first, his body returning to its previous form, leaving him to deal with the harsh elements of their surroundings. He didn't mind as he was born into one of the strongest bloodlines to have ever been forged. The power within him would always provide what he needed to withstand the conditions of his environment.
The men were busy searching the area when a small splash was heard. Everyone's necks snapped in the direction of the sound and what they saw shocked them.
What seemed to be a tiny human was lying at the shore of the lake. Her head was barely above the water level as she lay amidst it almost lifelessly. They couldn't believe their eyes.
"Go!" Theo yelled out.
All of their bodies switched into protection mode, and everyone started sprinting towards her unconscious body.
"Is she alive?" Finn shouted as the rest of the group crowded her, but Theo made a point of staying in the back of the crowd.
'She smells different,' he thought to himself.
From where he was standing, Theo could only catch a glimpse of her face. However, that alone stunned him. Even though unconscious, she was the picture of beauty.
He was busy admiring her when Finn suddenly spoke up.
"She's not waking up."
Theo's heart began to race as he watched Finn try unsuccessfully to wake her.
"Theo! We need to get her to the healers! She needs help."
A sense of dread overcame Theo's body as he was snapped back to reality. He rushed forward towards her, pushing bodies out of his way.
Theo got down on his knees and hovered over her. He tried once more where Finn had failed, and just when he was about to give up, her eyes shot open.
Immediately a sense of terror took over her body and she started swinging. Her hand landed square in Theo's face, causing him to hiss.
"Get away from me!" she screamed out, wiping her wet hair from her face.
The boys all took a step back from her as she shuffled on the ground, moving backwards and away from them.
No one could blame her, though. Who wouldn't be terrified to suddenly awake in a strange place surrounded by half-naked men?
"Who are you?" she demanded.
Her body was trembling from the cold and obvious exhaustion. Her limbs were sore like every bone in her body had gone through a traumatic event unknown to itself.
Everyone else had taken a step back and given the frightened girl space. However, one tall figure dared to be different, defiant even. Theo observed her a little closer, taking another step forward in her direction.
"I said stay back!" she almost growled.
"Are you okay? Who are you?"
His voice was so soft, so calm. She would never have guessed the tone to come from such a serious-looking person.
Her blue eyes connected with his brown ones as she stared at him lightly, her mouth opening to answer the question. Slowly her lips closed and quivered as no words were formed.
"I said, who are you?" Theo repeated himself, and only a small, unidentifiable sound escaped her lips as the realization suddenly dawned on her.
She now saw that she was sitting on the ground, actually mulling over the question of who she was. Her mind started running wild, but no answers were granted.
"No no no no no," she started muttering to herself, hyperventilation setting in.
She had no idea who she was. No name was in her head that she identified with, and she definitely had no recollection of how she had come to arrive in this place.
Theo realized that her current state of mind left her vulnerable, even more so than she was before. With one swift command, he exerted his power, ordering them to apprehend her. They had to be careful and quick so that she wouldn't get hurt or be able to gain the opportunity to run away.
Two of the boys walked forward and restrained the girl as softly as possible.
"Get your hands off me!" She screamed.
They bounded her arms together before lifting her off the ground while she thrashed around violently. Her screams rang out for miles, but they were futile. She was already in the hands of the Shadow Pack and there was no way they were letting her go now without answers.
***
The group arrived back at the camp, and almost everyone in the pack had their eyes set on them. All the pack members tried to get a glimpse of the wriggling fireball that was held in their arms. Yet, no one could believe the sight, or better yet, the smell. They were stunned that a human had broken through the barriers of their home and made it to the other side alive.
"We're taking her back to Crater! Follow close behind!"
Theo barked out orders, instructing the members of his pack on how to deal with their newfound problem as he led the way to the cells.
"Someone has to be watching her at all times to make sure she doesn't try to pull anything, so organize a watch system. Anyone else that's free, go find some clothes that aren't soaked for her to change into."
"Yes, Sir." They answered before walking away.
They entered through the door of the cells and with a nod of his head, Theo instructed them to put her down. She was placed gently on the cold brick of the cell floor but that didn't prevent the wince she produced at the feeling of yet another cold surface.
Freedom, though, was much more important, and she recoiled from their hands as soon as they let her down. She hopped to her feet quickly and made a run for it, punching the guard in the face before pushing her way through the door.
At the last second, the guard grabbed her arms tightly, a little too tight for Theo's liking.
"Stop."
Everyone stood still at the authority that rang throughout the room. Even though she wasn't certain whether he was addressing her or not, she stopped and stared into his eyes with anger.
"You're only gonna get yourself hurt doing that."
"I'm not going to be your prisoner."
"Let her go," he spoke out, and the guards released her arms.
Theo tossed a blanket to her before he gently pushed her back into the cells. He closed the cell door and at that moment, he could see how she felt about him. Her stance was rigid, and her face plastered with anger.
She walked away from the door, breaking eye contact, and found comfort in the farthest corner of the cell.
"What are you going to do to me?" her voice cracked as she spoke, and her eyes filled with water when the words left her lips.
"I…" Theo hesitated, "I have no idea."
Defeated, her body slid down into the corner, a small sob escaping. She was cold and captured with no idea of how she got there.
Theo sighed before he slipped away into the shadow of the corner. He headed through the cell doors before she uttered another word, effectively ending their brief conversation. He exited the cells and immediately pulled Finn aside.
"Hey, did she smell kind of different to you?"
The question seemed unfounded as Finn wrinkled his brow in confusion.
"Of course, Theo, she's human."
Theo sighed, uncertain of all the questions racing through his head. He had no answers and no ideas of how to fix this breach of their territory.
"What are we going to do with her anyway?" Finn asked, and Theo completely ignored the question, along with the painful pounding now present in his head.
"I have to find my father."