Ch.2

I was waiting in the school parking lot at 6:30 in the morning, three days before school for the bus that will take us to the city Albion, Cedar was being her usual self and forcing me to front as she slept. 

I was so lost in thought that when Luca tapped me on the shoulder I jumped.

He chuckled. "You ready, Cedar?" 

I looked down and started picking at the hem of my shirt. "I'm... uh... actually Reika. Cedar's sleeping right now."

He took a step back in surprise but smiled at me, "Typical of Cedar, sleeping the day away."

"You can't sleep the day away if the sun's not even up." I retorted.

He shrugged "That's true."

Just then Seth Carson came up. " What's howling?" 

"Wolves," Luca responded without missing a beat.

"Hey Seth," I greeted.

"So you've come out to play Reeks."

"Not like I had a choice."

He raised his eyebrow. "How so?"

"Cedar's still sleeping."

"Ah." 

Just then, the bus rolled up, ending the conversation. I grabbed my bags and got on to the bus, heading towards the very back. Luca followed and took the seat opposite of us. Seth sat in the middle near a quiet girl named London. Eric Prince, one of Cedars friends, sat near us a few seats down. The two chaperones took the front seats and we were off. A few minutes passed before Luca spoke again, 

"So... I haven't seen you in awhile. Usually Cedar's in control."

I stopped rifling through my bag to look at him. "Look Luca, even when Cedar is in control, I can hear everything that's said."

His cheeks tinted pink. "Oh."

"Yeah, and even if I couldn't, Cedar would've told me, so don't pretend like we can have what you and Cedar have."

"So when that hunter attacked you didn't kill him?"

I scoffed, "No! Of course not. Cedar, Hunter and I came up with that lie so we would get the minimum punishment."

His eyes narrowed, "So what's the real story?"

I fell back against the seat and looked up at the roof of the bus, "Well it started as a dare… "

"Truth or dare Conner," Cedar giggled.

"Dare!" He shouted,

She gave a spine-chilling grin, the setting sun casting shadows around her eyes, "I dare you to go near the human town with me."

"We can't! We'll get in a lot of trouble!"

She grinned, "Not if they don't find out."

He chewed on his lower lip before sighing, "You're insane."

"Quite possibly." She agreed.

Later that night under the cloak of darkness they slipped out of Conners bedroom window heading towards the human town called Springfield. They got about half way when they stumbled upon a campsite. 

Conner motioned for them to skirt around the edges and continue on but Cedar was curious so she crept toward the edge of the camp, her stomach just brushing the ground. She found a salmonberry bush where she wouldn't be seen but where she had a clear view. Seeing no other choice Conner laid down beside her. They waited for quite some time, the early morning sun warming their backs when the tents door was opened and out came a man In his late forties. 

He yawned, stretching out the stiffness of his joints before reaching back into the tent and pulled out a gun. Conner gave a low whine, his ears flattened against his skull and his tail stilled. Cedar turned her head towards him and snarled, basically telling him to shut up. Unfortunately the guy heard and quickly aimed his gun towards them.

Conner gave Cedar a quick nip to the neck telling her that it was time to go. She complied and they quickly tried to leave, their bodies low to the ground but a shot was fired, grazing Cedar's shoulder, she growled in pain but kept going. 

Behind them they could hear the guy running, so Cedar looked around and saw a large Willow tree by a small river. She turned into a human, racing towards it, Conner right on her heels. Just as they reached the base of the tree, another shot was fired this time. getting Conner in the stomach, 

"Conner!" She yelled as she caught him so he wouldn't fall, she lowered him to the ground, his head resting in her lap and quickly took off her sweater to try and stop the bleeding, only for him to grab her arm.

"Cedar, It's my time. 

Tears streamed down her face, "No it can't be! I won't let it be!"  

That's when the hunter came into the clearing and he aimed his gun at Cedar

"Who the hell are you?"

"Go to hell!" She spat at him, her eyes going gold for a minute which would've looked intimidating if not for the tears running down her face,

"Watch it mutt, I'm the one with the gun."

Conner felt her tense up and tightened his grip on her arm, "Don't." He whispered before a coughing fit wracked his body. Cedar's hands hovered over him unsure of what to do. When it was over he leaned to the side spitting out a glob of blood.

She turned towards the hunter, eyes ablaze with hatred, "Do you see what you have done, and yet you still call us the monsters!" 

He took a step back, guilt evident in his hazel eyes before it was replaced with a blank expression, "I wasn't the one spying!" 

I could feel her anger rising like a feral beast so I quickly spoke. He's baiting you, Cedar, you can't give him the animal instead give him-

She cut me off, Give him what? Compassion, forgiveness. She gave a humorless laugh, no, he doesn't deserve my humanity not when Conner is lying there dying slowly and painfully because of his damned healing and I can't even comfort him because if I do I'm afraid he will shoot.

But if you attack then you're giving him the satisfaction of you being a monster. I replied,

Unfortunately my words had the opposite effect,

Cedar snarled "I rather be a monster than a dog."

She looked down at Conner who had slipped unconscious, she pressed a light kiss on his forehead before standing and faced the Hunter who had been cautiously watching her, 

Her voice was strangely calm and sounded distant,  "Last chance to leave." 

"Or what?" He spoke with a confidence he didn't have if his trembling arms and dilated pupils were anything to go by.

Cedar gave a feral grin, "I was hoping you would say that."

Realizing what was going to happen I tried to front but Cedar has always been stronger than me since she was born fronting, so she easily forced me back and basically locked me away. All at the same she leapt forward. Mid leap she turned into a wolf and attacked him.

The poor guy didn't even have enough time to fire his gun before she teared him to pieces.

"It was the first time I was ever truly afraid of her." I finished shuddering as I remembered the animalistic feeling Cedar gave off,

Luca just sat there, staring off into the distance not saying a word for a while.

"So why did you take the blame?" He finally asked,

"If they knew the truth…" I started but cut myself off, since I felt Cedar waking.

Luca looked at me questioning me, I just shook my head and unpaused my music,

I thought we agreed not to tell anyone except Hunter. Cedar growled as a greeting,

I was just answering his questions. I replied unbothered by her mood,

Let me front. Was all she said in reply,

No, you can ride in the back for a while.

She sighed, Fine, but at least change the music.

The driver picks the music and shotgun shuts her cake hole.

Her mood instantly changed, I didn't know you paid attention to supernatural! 

How could I not. I retorted, mentally rolling my eyes, 

With that I brought out my book called Court of the Rouge by Wynne Wright.