Noelle stepped out of the car and walked to the edge of the Vista View ravine. She looked down the hundred or so feet to the first ledge that a person would hit if they fell. She looked past where they would bounce to the steep slope where a person (who had bounced) would hit. Then, they’d roll and roll, and their arms and legs would flail around like a rag doll’s would do. Then, after that, they'd settle right at the bottom where the river could be seen, from where Noelle stood.

“Not much chance of surviving a fall down there, is there?” She looked to Maria who gripped the yellow and black handrail and peered over the edge. Maria shook her head and stepped back. Her hand vanished into her jacket pocket, and she pulled out her cell phone. She saw the signal was weak but handed it to Noelle anyway.

“What’s that for?” Noelle asked.

“Declan told me to give you my phone when we arrived, he wants to speak to you,” she replied.

Noelle called Declan. It rung a few times, and he answered. “Noelle, hey. Call your parents and tell them we’ll be in the forest on Monday afternoon. Say we are rock climbing not far from Vista View,” she heard his voice say into her ear.

“Why is it a few days away?” she asked.

“The weekend would have too many people around, your dad would know that, and he wouldn’t spring his surprise attack on busy days,” Declan explained.

“Why didn’t you tell me before?” Noelle asked as she walked back to the edge of the ravine. As she listened to Declan, she thought her life had been like falling down there. She had fallen for Declan in a big way, and he was her ravine, and there was no escaping from his clutches. They were meant to be.

“Walls have ears, and I wanted to make sure only you would hear,” he replied. “And this was the best way I could think of doing it.”

Noelle turned back away from the barrier and saw she was all alone in that part of the parking lot. Maria was standing with the pack and giving them instructions. “I’ll call them now then,” she replied. “Speak to you in a while. Love you.” She hung up before Declan could have a chance to reply.

Geez, Noelle. You just told Declan you loved him. Oh Well! First time for everything.

Noelle started to dial her parent’s number as a text came through. She opened the message…

Declan: Love you too x

She finished dialing the number and waited for the phone to be answered. It was her dad. “Hello,” his gruff tone said.

“Hi Dad, it's Noelle.”

“Hey there. How are you doing? Your mom’s worried sick about you. Are you okay? I mean, you’re not hurt or anything, are you?” he asked. “I would ask if you’re coming home, but I know your answer.”

“I’ve made my choice Dad, and Declan’s a great guy. He’s looking after me so well. Now that rain has stopped he’s going to take me rock climbing on Monday afternoon. You know the place I think, that outcrop of rocks up from Vista View. Declan said it’s a great place to learn,” Noelle explained, in a voice that was entirely natural and would have convinced anyone.

“Monday afternoon, huh? Is there anyone else going?” Garrett asked.

Shit! Declan never mentioned the others. Yes or No? FUCK…

“You know dad, I think there is. Declan used to be into climbing before, and he wants a few from Clifton Towers to get out, too. You know like a social club sort of outing,” Noelle said, making it up on the spot.

“It sounds good, getting out there and making new friends. You just need to be careful, you know what can happen in the woods,” Garrett said, plainly.

Hmm… I think he’s taken the bait. He has never told me to be careful before. Ever!

“Dad, I’ve got to go. Love you dad and tell mom I’m fine and I love her,” Noelle said.

“We love you too.”

The call ended, and Noelle walked to give the phone back to Maria. Noelle pulled her to one side. “I don’t know if I’ve done the right thing,” she explained.

“Why do you say that?” Maria asked.

“Declan told me to tell mom and dad we are going into the woods on Monday to do some rock climbing,” she explained. Maria realized then, they were going to fight on Monday. “Declan never said if we were going to be alone, so I made up a story about the residents of the Towers having a social day out.”

“That’s good. I think Declan will be happy with that, as long as you didn’t give anything away.”

Noelle shook her head. Maria put her arm around Noelle's shoulder and led her to the pack that had started to thin. They were all making their way into the forest. Noelle saw a girl with black hair stare at her as she crossed the road. Noelle blinked, and the girl simply vanished.

Did I just have a dream?

Noelle removed her sweatshirt and tied the arms of it around her waist. Maria looked at her. “Are you ready for some wolf training?”

Noelle nodded and dug her feet into the damp ground that had been covered in pine needles. She could feel the springiness of the earth under her feet as she told Maria not to run too fast. Noelle waited as Maria’s shoulders widened and dark fur sprouted from her skin. Her head turned to the left and Noelle could see Maria’s muzzle lengthening, and then her mouth filled with large, razor-sharp teeth.

“Follow me,” Maria’s wolf form said as she ran through the undergrowth.

Noelle sprinted up the narrow path and watched as Maria’s tongue lolled from the side of her mouth like a cheeky smile. She turned her head and ran as hard as she could. The path started to go uphill as something darted in front of her. Noelle heard Kelvin's voice as he dashed behind her and circled her.

“Faster, faster,” he yelled. His dark gray fur was split by a wide patch of black. One of his hind legs faded into a pristine white.

Noelle sprinted and flipped him the middle finger as Kelvin ran off ahead. Noelle was alone bringing up the rear and paused for breath. She slowed to a walk and regained her breath as she listened to the pack up ahead as they howled and barked. Noelle heard the crack of a twig. She stopped. A large shadow fell on the ground before her. Her eyes widened as she turned. A black wolf with bright yellow eyes towered over her. The wolf walked as Noelle had seen a werewolf do in the movies. Half wolf and semi-human. She stepped backward and didn’t notice she was in the undergrowth, and she started to trip. Noelle’s hand flapped around her waist, looking for her knife. She'd sworn never to kill a wolf, but the look in this one’s eyes made her feel very vulnerable.

Noelle felt the tree behind her. She craned her neck. Where the hell is everyone?

The wolf loomed large above Noelle. “You don’t look like alpha-mate material now.”

Something inside Noelle snapped. She was a huntress and a damned good one. Why was she scared? Maybe this is what Declan means about me? “Bring it on then, bitch, let’s see what you’ve got!”

Noelle stood up from the tree and pulled at the sleeves of her sweatshirt, she wrapped it around her arm and took a huge swing at the black wolf. The wolf widened its jaw and bit into the sweatshirt. Noelle could feel the teeth, but it hadn’t hurt. She swung her fist as the wolf shook its head on her arm. Her knuckles cracked the wolf on the bone of the eye socket. The skin split and blood streamed through the black fur.

“You aren’t so fucking tough yourself, are you?” Noelle screamed as she hit the wolf with a flurry of jabs. The cut over the eye spread and Noelle's bare knuckles were covered in wolf blood.

The wolf let go of Noelle's arm. Blood had started to drip onto the forest floor as the cut slowly began to close. “I never wanted you in the pack. Declan should never have chosen a human for an alpha mate,” the wolf snarled as she lashed her claws against Noelle's cheek.

Blood flew from Noelle's split lip and poured from the claw marks on her cheek. They both turned to the direction of the pack as they heard Maria roar.

Maria’s wolf bounded through the undergrowth. Kelvin ran around the right flank. He vanished from view as Maria held the black wolf’s attention.

“Fuck this,” the black wolf snarled as she preyed on Noelle's distraction.

The jaws managed to lock onto Noelle's shoulder as Kelvin leaped from the bush and rammed into the ribcage of the wolf. The black wolf fell to her side as Noelle got flung into the undergrowth. Her hand pushed against her shoulder. She pulled her hand away. Maria changed back to her human form and knelt next to Noelle. Maria saw the rest of the pack stand in a semi-circle.

Maria looked up. “She’s gonna fucking die, do something,” she yelled. “Come on Noelle, stay with us. We need you.” Tears filled her eyes and dripped onto Noelle's t-shirt. Kelvin pushed his way through the pack. The black wolf had run away into the undergrowth.

“Kelvin, Noelle's gonna die if we don’t do something, what are we gonna do?” Maria said, through her tear-filled eyes and her pink lips that now quivered.

Kelvin flexed his shoulders and cracked the muscles in his neck. “Remember when Declan carried Dustin up the stairs?” he asked Maria. She nodded.

“I can’t carry her,” Maria replied.

“Yeah, but I can, even if it kills me. Declan isn’t too far away.”

Kelvin scooped Noelle up into his arms. He faced the direction of the rocks and ran. The wind rushed through his ears as the undergrowth lashed at his face. Maria followed, and the rest of the pack stood in awe.

Kelvin gripped onto Noelle's body tightly as her body paled. Blood poured from the wound on her shoulder. “Come on Noelle, it’s gonna be fine,” he mumbled as he ran.

Noelle's eyes opened. “Declan—Declan, where is my Declan?”

Noelle passed out, and the last thing she heard was Kelvin. “It’s okay, we are nearly home.”

* * *

“Aaaarrrggggh,” Noelle screamed as Declan sunk his teeth over the wound and tore a larger hole in her shoulder. His teeth pulled back and dripped with Noelle's blood. He watched, as did Maria, Kelvin, and Dustin as they eyed Noelle's body.

“Who did this?” Declan asked as he changed back to human form.

“I don’t know her name. D—something, it starts with D,” Maria replied.

“Debbie? Was that who it was? Was she a black wolf?”

“Yeah, a big black one with yellow eyes,” Kelvin remarked.

“I know her, she has always been unlikeable, and I think she was a Gabriel groupie, if you know what I mean.”

Declan looked at Maria, and at the streaks of tears that had made lines in the dust that covered her face. “She’s going to be fine,” Declan said, “sore as fuck, but you did good, kid. That’s a hell of a run uphill to here, what made you think to do that?”

Kelvin smiled. “I just thought of you with Dustin in your arms when you ran up the stairs, it seemed the only right thing to do.”

Declan put his arm on Kelvin's shoulders. “It was the right thing to do.” Declan scooped Noelle's unconscious body into his arms. He walked toward his car. Dustin had folded the seat forward. Maria climbed into the back and held Noelle's head as Declan leaned in and laid her onto the seat. “Dustin, can you make sure the pack gets back to the Towers?”

“Sure will,” he said as he walked to the pack members who had congregated at the tree line.

“What’s this place? I’ve never seen it before?” one of the pack asked Dustin.

“This is home, or it used to be.”

Declan started to drive up the track as Kelvin strapped himself in the passenger seat. He looked over at Noelle a couple of times to make sure he could still see her stomach rising and falling. Maria stroked Noelle's blood-matted hair from her face. The claw marks on her cheek had started to dry. The blood flaked and finally fell onto Maria’s bloodstained jeans.

“What a time for this to happen,” Declan said as he slapped the steering wheel in anger.

“Why’s that?” Kelvin asked.

Maria answered the question on Declan's behalf. “Because Noelle has given information to the hunters, we will be in the forest on Monday afternoon. Noelle has to be there, because her parents will be leading the assault. If they don’t see her, they will know something’s wrong.”

“I see,” said Kelvin, “she’ll be healed by then, right?”

“To be honest Kelvin, I don’t know. I’m going to have to watch her. I don’t know anyone who has been bitten twice. It’s new to me,” Declan explained. “I do know if I hadn’t have bitten her she would’ve just bled out, though. “You saved her life, but at the same time it could have killed her if that makes sense.”

“I'll tell you something. That bitch had a hell of a gash in her eye. Noelle must’ve given her a good dose of her own medicine before she bit her,” Kelvin said.

“More than likely. She’s a feisty little lady when she wants to be.”

Noelle coughed and opened one eye. “I heard that!”

“Listen to them, the children of the night. What music they make.”