I watched as colors seeped through my vision, my eyes shining. It was like we were running through fantasy. His hand holding mine, running away together in a coloured forest…. As my living dream was interrupted by a bullet. I watched as the bullet pierced into his flesh, his strong façade turned into an expression of panic. I heard a scream and I knew it must have been me. I reached out for Castor, as we lost touch when he fell to the ground, everything was back to black and white. I kneeled next to him, too shocked to allow the tears to come. Becca screamed at me as bullets whizzed past my head. I looked up, my eyes blazing.

A.S.H began to run over, in a military formation, heavily armed.

“We have to go! Come ON, Kallisto!” Becca glared at me, grabbing my arm, lugging me away.

“C-castor…” My vision was back to black and white, deprived of the color, my mind whirred, like a disease come back from hold.

“Jax and Arsh are on it, COME ON!” I could see black tears trickling down Becca’s pale white face, to contrast with my vision.

An ordering voice commanded me to walk, and I did. Jax was quite the Alpha. My vision was clearing, my mind becoming less hazy. I saw Arsh lug Castor on the forest floor, Ava running ahead, Becca taking my hand, Jax commanding at the back. I held my head in my hands, a headache pounding in my brain, feeling as if it’d split in two.

“There’s a safe haven 2 miles away, I know how to get there. Becca, Ava, Kallisto and I will move there first. Castor can’t move much, so Arsh, you’re a medic, patch Castor up then make the journey to the safe haven. For now, we need to find something, anything, for you to work in.”

Arsh nodded curtly, as Jax’s eyes scanned the area until they fell upon an overhanging ledge above a river.

“Perfect. You’ll stay hidden from A.S.H and be able to cleanse the wound.”

Castor let out a cry of pain as Arsh moved him closer to the ledge.

I turned to Jax, my headache subsiding. “Jax. Please. Please let me stay with Arsh and Castor.”

“There’ll be a lesser chance of them being caught if it’s just the 2 of them, Kallisto. I’m sorry, but we have to move.” Jax’s tone was firm, oblivious to the tears penting up in me.

“Jax just LOOK at him! Arsh has 2 choices, take the bullet out and let him die of blood loss, or keep it in and keep him alive for 2 hours, at most! Arsh knows his stuff, but he needs time. Who’s gonna protect Arsh and Castor while he’s patching him up?”

“Becca.”

I stared at Jax.

“Be-”

Jax glared at me firmly, his jaw set. “Look, Becca knows her way to the safe haven, you don’t. You just got here, it’s now my duty to protect you until you can protect yourself.That’s how the pack works. I can’t leave you here, you won’t survive. We have to go. Now. They’re getting closer!”

I had no choice, compelled to follow Jax and proceed with the plan that he had set clear. We were running deeper into the forest, and I couldn’t help but keep looking back at them, soon swept away from my blurred vision. Holding back my tears, I picked up speed, I never ran as fast as I did.

“One more mile.”

I was feeling lethargic from the run, I couldn’t slow my speed down, A.S.H was close to grasping a hold of us. They all pointed their rifles at the 3 of us. Ava was lagging behind, but if we had slowed our pace down, A.S.H would be able to capture us all.

“Ava...”

I had barely finished my sentence and A.S.H had already surrounded Ava. I was still running, as I saw tears welling up in her eyes. They hadn’t seen us. I pulled Jax to a side as we watched A.S.H train their weapons on Ava.

“Find a hiding spot quick”

I pulled him as we made a sharp turn to the right. We were hiding behind a cluster of trees. Jax had tried to take a look at Ava, but I pulled him back.