With Titan, Ayla, and now Phoenix deciding to leave the meeting, it was time to decide what was going to come next.
Ayla was sure Titan had something up his sleeve after pulling her and Phoenix out the way he had, but she wasn't sure what.
He had to, right?
Now that Alexander had found his mother and brother, everything should have been great.
This was what all the orphans hoped for growing up.
The problem with that was that they now believe the old stories about the cursed wolf that would unite all the lost wolves.
Ayla was now in more danger than when she got to that wretched pack.
How could she have ever imagined that other wolves finding their family would turn out so horribly wrong for her?
All she wanted to do was rescue Julius and show the girls the Moonlight Shifters pack.
Maybe help Stella find her family.
Now, she wishes she had just snuck to the pack quietly by herself to find Julius and gotten him out without anyone being the wiser.
She could have avoided all this mess if she had just done it her way.
No witches, no blow-up with Alexander, no waiting to see what happens with the girls or Alexander before they were able to flee.
Now she would have to wait for everyone to decide what they wanted to do before she could do anything.
With her having no scent, she was able to get to Julius and keep him hidden, no problem.
It was everyone else making this trip impossible.
One good thing that seems to have happened was that Titan kept a level head and got her out of the mess she found herself in.
He sensed the danger that was coming and knew it was time to go.
As they walked into the door of their makeshift pack house, Stella and Rhae were sitting at the table, a look of pure exhaustion on their faces.
Stella popped her head up with a look of curiosity as she saw them.
"What's wrong with you three? Something is clearly up. Phoenix, what did you do know?"
Phoenix looked offended that she would automatically assume it was him who had caused a problem, but smug at the same time that it was Ayla who was at fault.
"Love, it wasn't me this time. Really! You have to believe me."
At that point, he was approaching her and grabbing her hands into his to kiss them.
"This time, it was all Ayla. Well, sort of. It's her fault, but not her fault if you know what I mean."
Stella smacked his shoulder, "How can you blame Ayla for anything without giving me context. She wouldn't put us all in danger. All she ever does is look out for us. Except when she goes off and tries to handle things on her own. OHHHH..."
Stella was looking at Ayla now, then at Julius and back to Ayla.
"Did they find out what you did. You know...the thing..."
Ayla shook her head, "NO. It's not that, but it is something to do with me. Just know that I need to get out of here," she whispered, "Me, him, and whoever wants to go with us have to leave asap."
Stella looked at Rhae, then to the rest of the group.
They hadn't actually decided what they wanted to do yet.
The two of them were still getting a feel for what the pack had to offer, and they weren't done looking around and seeing what the members were like.
There were far too many answers they were looking for.
From the way Ayla was behaving, they got the feeling that maybe it wasn't what they thought it would be like before they arrived.
"Are they not the kind of wolves we thought they were?" Rhae asked.
Ayla looked to Titan because she didn't know how to answer, but he nodded his head in reassurance.
"That isn't for us to decide. You have to make that decision for yourself. Their interaction with me is going to be different than any kind of behavior they will ever have with you. It's hard to explain here. Both of you have to decide if you want to stay and join them now, or come with us, but we are leaving."
Ayla hated to sound so abrupt, but they were running short on time, and she knew it.
The room fell silent for a moment while Stella and Rhae were more than likely having a private conversation like they usually did.
Not wanting to rush them, but needing an answer, Ayla softly interrupted them.
"It's time, ladies. We have what we came for. It's time for you to decide."
That's when Rhae noticed it for the first time, "Where is Alexander?"
Titan stepped forward, "He found his family."
No further details, and no explanation.
"Is he not coming with us then?" Stella asked, "He is a part of our group and Julius's best friend, his brother."
Julius looked at Ayla and Titus with the same question looming on his face.
"We don't know how to ask him without making it obvious that we are fleeing. If one of you can figure that out, maybe when we are safe, then we can do it then."
Just then, all of their heads turned as the front door opened.
Ayla felt like all the air had escaped from her chest and refused to re-enter it.
They were there for her, she knew it.
It didn't take long for them to decide to take her prisoner, the prized, cursed wolf.
As quickly as it opened, a head emerged from behind it, "Hey guys," came Alexander's voice, as he closed it behind him.
Ayla felt like she was going to faint from relief, but fear at the same time.
"Why have you come back so quickly?" she asked.
Alexander was confused.
"They decided that I could come see how the girls' day went and spend time with you guys while they set up for a celebratory dinner. The Luna wants to show me off to the whole pack tonight and thank you for finding me. She asked me to invite you specifically!"
That was how the Luna planned to get Ayla back in her grasp and trap her.
This was it, though, the way she was going to make her escape, and with everyone else.
"Well, Stella, Rhae, how did your day go?" she asked, looking at them with desperation.
Stella looked at her and rolled her eyes, "Just talk to him. He will help you. You know he will."
Alexander had a confused look come across his face, "Did I walk in on a meeting that you all were holding without me?"
Ayla dropped her head, not wanting to hurt him as she began to explain.
"It wasn't a meeting. I just didn't know how you would feel now that you found your family. You looked so happy sitting with them and talking. There is a problem, though. Julius and I aren't safe here. We need to disappear quickly. I asked the girls if they wanted to stay or leave with us. I figured you wouldn't be able to get away or want to. I'm sorry."
Alexander looked at her in a way she had never seen before.
It was a mix of devotion, sadness, and true betrayal.
"You were going to just leave and not tell me. Not even give me a choice to go with you. What happened to the promise you made to never leave me again?"
Ayla could feel the weight of her choices heavy on her chest.
"Things are so different now, Alex. You know they are. Do you think you are even able to entertain the idea of leaving your family after just finding them? They are having a party in your honor shortly. What kind of a person would ask you to leave that?"
As hard as it was to hear that she was going to leave without saying goodbye, deep down, he understood.
It's what Ayla did.
When she was in danger, she did what she had to do.
If there was a way to protect those she cared about in the process, she did it.
Saying bye to him would put her and Alexander in a tricky place.
"I know why you chose what you did. Maybe there is a way I can help. What if I can voluntarily stay behind and be your inside man? You know, help you out and be a distraction so you can leave?"
Ayla gave a sad smile, "You would do that for me, after everything that has happened?"
"I would do that for all of you, because of everything that has happened. You're special, Ayla, just like they said. They just don't realize how special you are. I hope they never do either. You all will need all the help you can get, too, so why not let me do that? Stella and Rhae need to decide if they are going with me or you, quickly. Either way, they will be in good hands."
As he finished speaking, Ayla walked over and wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him one last kiss goodbye.
She didn't care that Titan was in the room, or if it made him angry.
Alexander was doing something that he didn't have to do for all of them.
That earned him one last kiss goodbye from her.
She didn't want to see his reaction, though, so she refused to look at him as she addressed Alexander for what might be the last time.
"Thank you. You gave me my first safe place to land in Scarlet Crest. With you, it was the first time I was able to stop running, if only for a short time. I will always have a place in my heart for you."
"I will always love you, Ayla. Now that Julius and I have found our family, let's see if you can find yours."
Stella waited for them to finish before she stepped up with her and Rhae's decisions.
"We have decided. If you three can go your separate ways, then Rhae and I can too. As hard as it will be, I will stay here with you, Alexander, and Rhae will head home with the others."
Rhae nearly let the tears fall that had formed in her eyes as she hugged her best friend with a death grip.
Her voice was on the edge of breaking as she attempted to hold it together while saying goodbye to her best friend and chosen sister.
"I will come back and visit you. When I do, I want to hear all about both of your families and the adventures you've been on."
Now that they had all decided who was going where, it was time for them to get moving.
The whole town was heading toward the pack house to gather for a major announcement.
With that, it meant that the area around them would be essentially barren.
If they were leaving, they had to do it then, because they wouldn't have a better opportunity than that moment.
Alexander and Stella decided to go out the front door to talk with the two guards stationed outside to distract them while the others made their way out the back.
They knew it wouldn't be easy, even with the current excitement in the territory, but they were ready.
Slowly opening the back door, Titan poked his head out to make sure the coast was clear.
When he saw that there were no wolves present, they bolted, one after another, running from building to building, until they were on the edge of the town.
The only thing left to do was make a run from the last house to the woods.
Before they could do that, they had to wait for the guards to move.
Orion wasn't a fool.
Just because they were hosting a major festival didn't mean he would pull his guards from the border.
Titan had to decide quickly what to do.
They were all sitting there, hiding in the shadows of the last house, with no real plan on how to get to the woods.
Rhae started smiling, a knowing smile that said she knew something the others didn't know.
It was unusual for her to just start smiling for no reason, but she squeezed Raphael's hand, and he knew something was about to happen.
Stella was going to help them out in a big way.
Raphael nodded at Rhae, and he knew too that they would have their moment soon.
Like a chain reaction, each wolf told the next to sit tight and wait.
Something would happen shortly, and then they would be able to get to the woods and run until they couldn't run any further.
The lot of them would have to keep running, that they knew, but they needed to be ready for whatever was coming.
Ayla was supposed to be heading to the celebration, and any minute now, it would be clear she was missing.