Fie Wright's P. O. V

"You did what?!" My mother practically screeches as soon as I set foot into the door. The sigh that escapes me doesn't go unnoticed by my mother as my father stands behind me, hands placed into his trousers pockets with his robe thrown over his shoulder.

"Mum, relax." I say as I raise my hands in surrender, clearly that's the wrong thing to say as she freaks out even more. Going off into a fit frenzy while my dad rushes passed me and over to calm his mate down. I try my best to hold back an eye roll since I know I'd be skinned alive if they caught me showing them 'attitude.' I seriously should have moved out and into the pack house when I had the chance. Now I'm a twenty one year old being scolded for doing something that I'm actually quite proud of.

"Relax Amelia. She'll be well protected. I had the same reaction at first but I'm proud she's doing this." My father says firmly as he pulls my mother into a hug. She eyes me over my dad's shoulder as she grumbles into him before letting him go and placing her hands on her hips, "I guess it is for the best. Oh, come here." She coos as I'm pulled into a hug, my face smothered with a disgruntled expression from her constant mood swings.

"Okay, okay. As much as I love your hugs, I'm absolutely starving and my stomachs going to eat itself if I don't get anything into it." She immediately stops fretting over me as she tugs me and my father into the kitchen, already presenting us with a set table and piping hot food. My eyes connect with that of my father's, the both of us weary at the sight of cooked food.

"You cooked?" He states the obvious to which my mother nods with a beaming smile on her face as she ushers us both further into the kitchen with her hands. Seating ourselves to our usual places, I bite my lip as I pick my fork up, waiting for my dad to dig in first just so that I can see if it's edible or not. Instead I'm greeted with my father's own stare as he inclines his head towards my plate while his own goes untouched.

He's throwing me under the bus instead.

Smiling hesitantly at my awaiting mother, I clasp my fork as I shift nervously in my seat while shovelling a bit of food onto it. Taking a quick bite, I chew hurriedly until I realised that it tastes quite alright. Maybe lacking a bit of salt but completely edible. Upon my satisfied expression, my dad beams and digs into his own food as my mother analyses us through narrowed eyes.

"You're acting like I'd feed you poison." She harrumphs, not catching my father and I gazing intently at one another with pointed looks. Luckily for us, however, otherwise she'd probably nag at us all day. Our dinner goes by quickly and smoothly as I spend every waking second with them as much as possible till the clock strikes a reasonable hour to sleep. My nerves slightly fried as I complete my routine that I try to maintain every night before bed. Sliding into my comfy covers doesn't do much but at least it relaxes me as I stretch my body out leisurely, already dreading the early hour I'll have to wake up at to set foot on my journey.

It only seems like mere seconds pass as my eyes snap open from a caressing hand on my cheek, through bleary eyes I catch sight of my mother and father sitting around my bed. Eyes full of sorrow yet pride for the excursion I'm about to embark on. Groaning, I sit up in bed as they scoot further to the side. My eyes glance to the clock and I already want to fall back asleep and tell someone else to go instead as the number four haunts me even outside of sleep.

I'm barely able to even sit up and smile at my parents before a hot mug of steaming tea is deposited into my hands as my mother coos at me through words I don't even understand in my sleep deprived state.

"I've made you breakfast. So take a quick shower and I hope you've packed a bag." My father says as he pats me on the knee, not even bothering to heed my noises of complaints at not wanting to eat food but I guess it'll be wiser if I do eat food because I'm sure we won't be having many snack breaks on the trip.

Sighing, I smile at my mum as she sidles into bed besides me and covers herself with my quilt as we sit in bed together and talk about aimless things till my tea is finished and I have to shower.

"I'll pack your bag for you." She announces just as I'm about to step into the bathroom. I grin in reply since she already knows that I haven't sorted out a bag yet and would probably forget the most important things since I barely have my head screwed on straight without her. It's sad but it is what it is. Just in case, however, I make sure that my mentally prepared checklist is checked off as I rummage through the things mum's packed my bag with. Seemingly satisfied, I shove my toothbrush in there too along with some toothpaste though I doubt I'll be able to find a feasible bathroom in the middle of the woods somewhere.

Who knows? I might get lucky.

Grabbing my back, I bundle down the stairs after changing into some appropriate attire with combat boots on my feet replacing my usual fluffy socks that I will dearly miss. Both my parents await my presence as I scarf down my breakfast, not finding my usual sickness to be there which flies out the window as soon as the Alpha steps into the room.

"Tyrell." I say immediately as I stand up, pushing my empty plate to the side as the man rolls his eyes at me.

"Formal like always." He matters as he pulls me into a half hug, one arm wrapped around my shoulders before he abruptly let's go of me and wanders over to my mother and father as he hugs them too, letting his guard down since he's in the presence of family and not in front of the prying eyes of the pack.

"I just wanted to wish you good luck. I'll be escorting you out as far as possible." He says with a genuine smile on his face as his eyes gleam with a shine that's been missing for a long time now. "There's honestly no need." I press but he merely shrugs it off as we all make our way outside and over to the pack house where I'll meet the rest of them.

"Of course there is. I couldn't make it with you myself but I'll try my best to come with you as far as I possibly can." We all know it won't be long till his wolf forcefully makes him turn back towards his mate, the pull towards his soulmate strong as it is without her being faced by life threatening measures.

The small gathering of wolves in front of the pack greets us as my eyes wander around and I take note of the people here. It consists of the other two pack advisors along with a, surprisingly, still chatty Ezra, his mother, and a few pack warriors who stand to attention as soon as their Alpha enters their view.

"I guess we should be heading out now." Marcus speaks up as he clasps his son on the shoulders while his mother pulls him into one last hug. Ezra doesn't seem to enjoy his mother's display of affection too much but nonetheless wraps his arms around her. My mother apparently takes it as a cue as she too hugs me like her life depends on it, my father joining the brief hug as he kisses me on the head. Thankfully there are no tears since we know it's going to be a clean quick trip. Even if it's not, it's one that should be held in a greater light than that of a sad departure.

The Alpha speaks a few words and with another round of a few quick goodbyes, our small gathering becomes even smaller as we cut off from the group and traverse deeper into the forest surrounding the pack. The Alpha too stops just as we're about to cross our packs line of territory, the entire way there looking painful as he'd bunch up his muscles from the force of turning tail and heading back to his mate.

"Thank you once again. I'm indebted to you." He says to our group now consisting of Marcus, Ezra and two pack warriors. We all nod our heads, Marcus sharing a few whispered words with the Alpha as he finally turns to me.

"I hope to see you back Fie."

"I wouldn't give up an opportunity like this. You know me." I put off jokingly to which the Alpha smirks in return even though I know it's halfhearted. We both nod at each other and give one another one last final hug before we part ways with him and trek deeper into the forest. We've barely been walking for a few hours as Ezra's grumbling grows even more persistent.

"I hope they have WiFi when we get there. Do you think they have WiFi? They better have WiFi." I roll my eyes heavenwards as my pace matches the blabbering fools while his father, Marcus, merely ignores him like the rest of the members of our little group do as well.

"How long till we can shift?" I ask to which Marcus halts for a few seconds, taking in his surroundings and thinking for a few seconds as he resumes his long strides once more.

"I'd give it another hour. We'll be passing along into unmarked territory so we can shift then." He announces to which I nod gratefully. The warriors don't seem to care but I can tell it's just for show as even their shoulders loosen up from their fence and always on alert stance. Alpha Tyrell made sure to get clearance from the surrounding packs as we trek through them, just in case they think we're invaders or spies of some sort and decide to attack. Sadly, we aren't allowed to change into our wolves just in case we do get attacked by surprise by unbeknownst pack members. It's quicker to diffuse the situation by talking rather than growling and waggling behinds in each other's faces.

One good thing about us shifters not acquiring from the wolves and that's smelling each others backsides to tell if they're friends or foe. I think we could all do with less of that.

I know almost immediately that we've crossed all inhabited pack boarders as a once tense feeling in my chest loosens up. The only connected tugging leading back to my very own pack. A plethora of different smells invade my senses, different from the usual tensions and pleasures of pack life. The aroma's here of untouched foliage and the absence of man. Clean and unpolluted.

"Find places to shift but be on lookout. We have to remain as vigilant as possible from here on out. We only stop at nightfall. Then it is up to you if you want to stay in wolf form or not." Marcus announces and before he even blinks his next blink, Ezra's running in the direction of some trees for covering to shift into his wolf. The man looks after his hyper active son with a weary smile on his face before motioning to us to do the same.

The warriors change on the spot, used to being in tricky situations with no means or time of having to find places to change before jumping right into battle. Marcus and I on the other hand, go off in different directions to change into our wolves.

The process is clean and as easy as breathing as I shed my clothes and stuff them in into my bag. Zipping it up, I drop it to the ground as I myself lower my body till my hands touch soil as my eyes close. The fixing and rejoining of bones feels second nature to me as my nails elongate into claws and my hands into paws. My mouth and nose fusing together to form a snout as the rest of me sprouts out more hair till it's taken the soft and velvety feel of fur. Opening my eyes, I'm greeted with streaks of different colours all over my fur. I can already picture myself in my minds eye; my fur an almost blackish brown at the top before it dissolves and lightens into warmer tones of brown with a few grey streaks here and there.

Picking up my bag in my mouth, I already groan at the thought of me having to handle it once I'm in human form. The thought of my bag being covered in even my own drooling saliva not all that pleasant to me. Trotting out of the covering of trees and leaves, I'm greeted with the sight of everyone else ready and waiting for me. With a muffled bark, we all head into the direction of where I'm assuming our destination lies. Marcus at the front with a warrior flanking him while Ezra and I reside in the middle and the other warrior guarding our backs.

I wish I could say our run was fleeting but it was anything but that. The run at first was vigorous and the blood pumping through my veins helped against the crisp cold as we covered land faster than we ever would in our human forms. However, as the sun started to migrate lower, my human body wanted to make a swift comeback. My conscious mind not still used to being in wolf form for so long.

Some say it's an acquired taste.

A mixture between a bark and a growl reaches my ears as I ease down to a slow jog before stopping completely, the rest also following each other while I swivel my large head around to gaze at Marcus who had spoken, for lack of - better word.

He does know he could just actually speak right? Ezra's voice filters in my head as he pushes my head with his snout, my own teeth bare at him in a half threatening manner while his brown wolf merely huffs with its tail wagging.

Even his wolf is an overgrown puppy.

He's your father. I input back to which I get no reply as we trail off in opposite directions, wanting to shift back. I re emerge to find a fire burning as Marcus leans against a tree while Ezra swats at some insects in the air that try to land on his body. The warriors, as expected, remain in their wolf forms as they walk the parameter of the small clearing, on the look out for anything that even breathes in our direction.

"They're taking their job a little too serious, aren't they?" Ezra speaks causing one of the bulkier looking wolves to turn his gaze in his direction and let out a derisive snort. Ezra raises his hands in a surrendering motion before dropping them back down, settling against his log.

"How exactly are we going to get to the realm. I know next to nothing about it." I ponder aloud as I place my head on my backpack and lay down for comfort. Well as much comfort as the forest floor can give me.

Marcus sighs as the fire spits its remnants at us, the warm light cascading down on all our faces and creating eery shapes with the rest. The shadows dancing to their own music as they twist and jump about on the backdrop of the rest of us.

"There's not much that anything can say about it if I'm being honest. Only a few people come and go to the realm and it's incredibly rare to do so. It's sort of an in between world." He muses much like I did as Ezra leans forward in interest. This even peaks my attention as the whole topic of the realm would be taboo to most. No one would ever really talk about the place. It seemed that since many didn't or hadn't seen it, it wasn't thought of.

Out of sight, out of mind like they say.

"What do you mean by in between?" Ezra questions, his face as serious as I've ever seen it before with only full curiosity blazing in his eyes.

"Well there are creatures of all kinds residing there. There are different realms as you all know but in the realm of Tenebris, it's as if they all come together. It's quite known for being sort of stuck in the past." My eyebrows raise at the words, head swimming with information while Ezra whistles.

"So definitely no WiFi then." He mutters to himself while I let out a snort of laughter.

"Nothing of the sort. Much technology doesn't work there. It's odd. Think of taverns and highway men and all that stuff. You'll understand when you get there." Marcus says dismissively while Ezra and I share a glance.

"Highway men?" I ask with a certain oddness to my tone, "By men, I hope you're using the term for anatomy and not humans." My last word comes out in a shudder as Marcus laughs.

"Human's indeed. They're not all that bad." He tries to soothe as I blanch while Ezra doesn't look too satisfied himself.

From my limited knowledge regarding the different realms. All I know is that there are around two of them. One realm is the one which we reside in i.e. the realm of werewolves, vampires and humans even though since we're so secluded I've never met any of those beings. Especially humans.

"How are we going to get through to the other realm? If so few manage to get passed it. How are we?" I ask pointedly to Marcus who smirks at me but merely taps his finger to his nose.

"You'll see about that, don't you worry love." He says while I give him a timid smile, wondering what on Earth I've pulled myself into.

———————-

AN: Hope you all liked that chapter! I'm unsure how you'll all react to the realms lol. I don't want it to be too much but it'll be explained later on.

Question: Worst movie you've ever watched?

Please remember to:

Vote Comment & Share