Clover

When we were just kids...

"Please! Please simply listen to me, Damian. You are required to listen "I begged him for the one hundredth time today while taking a hold of his wrist to persuade him not to abandon me in the backyard of the pack house by myself.

I was on the verge of crying, but I restrained myself since I'm not the kind of person who will sob for no reason other than the fact that life is challenging me right now.

My parents, Conor and Arleth, instilled in me the wisdom to never expose my vulnerability in front of other people. They gave me a loving environment to grow up in, but it was more of a "tough love."

Tough and a person who has never been one to back down from a fight. I fought just as hard as they did, just like them. After all, Damian's father, alpha Easton, was their alpha, and they were his current beta and gamma respectively.

I had been pleading with Damian to talk to me for the past half an hour, but every time I tried to communicate with him or reveal the secret that I had been keeping from him for the previous seven days, he either ignored me or told me to go away. I had been begging him to talk to me for the past thirty minutes.

"Nothing! And I mean it when I say that nothing you say or do at this point will sway my opinion, Clover! The past cannot be changed. Whatever it is that's going on between us needs to end "He let out a low growl as he clenched both of my arms in his fists and then shoved me off of him.

Although he didn't strike me anywhere, he did keep violently pushing or shoving me away as if I were the dirtiest thing he had ever seen in his life. He didn't actually hit me anywhere.

However, this time he pushed me with somewhat more force than usual, and as a result, I ended up falling to the ground with a thud; consequently, my natural inclination was to cover my stomach with a protective arm.

"There is absolutely no chance that I can sway your opinion. I'm only trying to convey some really vital information to you!" After getting back up, I protested with the person, but they pushed me down again.

When I think about it, he has never once hurt me physically or caused me emotional distress through his words ever since we were children.

But obviously that was not the case at all today. Today was an altogether different tale. It appeared as though he did not experience any difficulty in carrying out such actions toward me.

"Important? That we're friends, or something else entirely? I don't believe that's the case."

"Clover, I do not wish to be your companion in any way. Why are you unable to acknowledge the fact?" It jolted me to learn that this was what he believed of me after I heard him shout.

The thing is, we both admitted that we had a strong attraction to one other when we were much younger. This brings up an interesting point. It wasn't until I reached sixteen and he turned eighteen that things started becoming more physical between us, or should I say that things started getting more heated?

Since then, we have engaged in a significant amount of sexual activity together. You name it, we had both done it at some point, whether it was rough, plain vanilla, or experimenting with our own sexual fantasies. This happened practically every night as well.

But for me, it was more than just sexual encounters; it went beyond that. My reasons for allowing Damian to use me whenever he wanted extended beyond our sexual desire, and as a result, I couldn't just let him do this to me without letting him in on the secret.

We hardly ever spent time apart from one another. The fact that he was willing to throw everything away when he wasn't even convinced of his choice was difficult to comprehend given that we had grown up and participated in activities together.

"No! Listen to what I have to say. It is imperative that you pay attention to this, Damian "I pleaded with him once more as I positioned myself directly in front of him, trying to prevent him from moving any further away from their home.

"In a few short months, I will be leading the herd as its leader. You still don't seem to understand how vitally crucial that is for everyone, do you? I came to the conclusion that making this choice was the best course of action, "Damian growled before shoving me aside for the second time.

"But, how could you believe that she is your genuine mate since you said so yourself that you didn't feel the spark when the two of you met?" "But, how could you believe that she is your true mate?" I inquired, clearly expressing my desperation for him to give attention to what I needed to say.

He needed to know everything that had been going on, but he was just being too stubborn to give me all the time in the world to tell him everything that had happened.

He sneered at me as he pushed me away one more time and said, "I fucking lied because back then I didn't want to hurt your ego." Even back then, I didn't believe him, so I didn't give up on the relationship.

I grasped his arm once again, preparing to explain to him why I couldn't just let him walk out on me like that, but I was jerked by the hair so forcefully that it caused my head to snap back, I staggered backward, and then I fell forward and landed on my bottom.

Motherfucker!

As I worked to prevent Evander from killing someone or anybody, I silently muttered curses to myself. I had to bring her back down since she was getting too close to the surface too rapidly and I didn't want things to get out of hand.

Given the circumstances, my ruthless and overprotective inner wolf felt the need to be even more overprotective of me than she already was. She felt this need more strongly than she ever had before.

Regarding the fiery temper I sometimes display, I believe it was instilled in me by my parents.

"Get your dirty hands off my buddy, Clover!" the other man said. Nyra Witterfield scoffed at me as she persisted in pulling at my hair and acting as if she had the authority to do so.

"Sam, you need to get your fucking hands off of me before I rip them off!" I let out a low roar as I grabbed hold of her wrist and twisted it so hard that it was dangerously close to fracturing her bones.

She wailed in agony and eventually let go of her hold on me, which gave me the opportunity to stand up and move away from her.

Oh, sure, I was referring to the wicked woman who was presumably Damian's mate at the moment, although she had not been recognized as his mate or acknowledged to be his mate just yet.

This is due to the fact that she is not his true mate. You are!

As I let forth a furious snarl, Evander raised his voice in protest.

Especially when she touched me, I could feel rage and sadness building up inside of me. I could feel them seething. Evander had the intent to instantly dismember her, a task that was well within her capabilities given Nyra's lackluster level of martial arts ability.

The one thing she was very skilled at was spreading her legs for admirers who thought she was attractive. She wasn't a member of our pack either, but much like Damian, she was the offspring of the neighboring pack's alpha and luna.

When she went up to Damian and stroked her hand up and down his muscular chest to his washboard abs, I wanted to kill her right then and there. In particular, I wanted to kill her when she did that.

I was green with envy, and all I wanted to do was give those people a taste of their own medicine. On the other hand, despite how badly I wanted to, I was unable to, and more importantly, I should not have done so because it would just embarrass my parents.

Before slowly raising my pleading look toward Damian, I took a few deep breaths to quell the rage that was rising within me.

"Please call me Damian. I'll just need five minutes of your time, but you absolutely must listen to this. Alone, "I pleaded with him one more time, but all he did was firmly shake his head in response to each of my pleas.

Nyra saw that as a cue to act like a b*tch, and as a result, she drew even closer to me and stabbed her finger directly in the centre of my chest.

"He said he didn't want to talk to you, so get the fuck out of our faces, Clover!" "He said he didn't want to talk to you, so get the fuck out of our faces!" She stated it in a condescending manner, which Evander took offense to for some reason.

I gently mumbled to Nyra, "I told you not to touch me," as I was on the edge of losing control over Evander. "I told you not to touch me."

"Then you better stop harassing my partner!" She yelled at me before raising her hand, most likely intending to smack the s—- out of me, but I was much quicker than she was.

My hand went up in an instant to smack hers away, and at the same time, the other one of my hands swung at her with my claws extended, cutting her right across the cheek.

"Oh, my gosh!"

Nyra immediately let out a piercing scream at sensing what may have been a scorching sensation on her skin and upon noticing blood falling onto the ground.

"How the fucker do you dare!" Damian let out a roar as he sank his teeth into the back of my neck and began to choke me. He looked at you with a mixture of sadness and rage in his eyes.

I was able to not only see it, but also feel it. Therefore, rather than attempting to free myself and scratching at his arm to get him to let go of me, I merely glared at him until he finally released his grip on me.

In spite of the fact that he pushed me back, I did not cry even though I was left gasping for oxygen at the time. At least not when I was standing in front of them and watching them.

It was quite evident from his behaviors that he favored Nyra over both me and the kid that we were expecting to have together. This much was abundantly evident.

"Get the fuck out of here and don't come back. By tomorrow, you will be banished from these lands and there's nothing beta Conor and gamma Arleth can do about it," Damian hissed and so I was utterly shocked at how quickly he made that decision.

To be fair, he didn't know that I was carrying his child yet, but he wouldn't give me a minute and dared to put his hands on me like that and so I decided that he would never get the chance to get to know this child.

"Is it exactly what you had in mind?" I asked with so much disappointment in my voice.

"Absofuckinglutely," he confidently answered and so I lifted my chin up to let him know that he was heard loud and clear.

He wanted me out of his pack and he had every right to make that decision. After all, he was soon to become alpha, and therefore, his word held power over the entire pack.

And because there was finality in his tone, it meant he was serious.

I didn't wait for the next day. Why bother?

I simply packed my belongings while everyone was away and took my entire savings, which I should thank my parents for because it was a hefty amount.

And yes, we had those in order to keep the facade that we were humans too. And so, I left the Crescent Pack, pregnant with no idea what to do.

Damian

After another four years...

It was impossible for someone to go completely without a trace, but Clover managed to do it. Even her own parents were unable to locate her. She suddenly vanished one day and could not be found for several years after her disappearance.

To be precise, four years of your life have passed.

Murphy, the wolf that resides within me responded. Since I first put my hands on Clover, he had been giving me a hard time and making my life difficult.

What the actual fuck is the matter with you?

I inquired of him, but rather than providing the customary response, he merely declined to comment.

Since Clover departed, Murphy and I have had many disagreements and argued at every opportunity we've had. Thankfully, however, he has continued to work with me through land disputes, training, and fights; nonetheless, that is as far as our relationship has progressed.

However, this is only the tip of the iceberg in terms of the problem.

The primary problem was that Murphy wouldn't even let me mark Nyra or release our seeds so that we might make progeny while she had him inside of her. It was really embarrassing, but ever since then, things have continued to be like that.

I was able to bite her, but I never marked her, and we were able to have sex together, but that was the extent of our relationship. To put it another way, I could fuck her for hours, but Murphy wouldn't let me release my sperm inside of her no matter how hard I tried.

For the past four years, I've been dealing with it in this manner, and it's become increasingly frustrating — far too frustrating for someone who already has a lot on his shoulders.

As if that wasn't awful enough, Murphy wouldn't shut up about inviting Clover, and after a few years of becoming the leader of the pack, I finally gave in to his demands and agreed to bring Clover.

I wanted offspring, therefore if the presence of Clover was the only way that Murphy would permit me to fucking impregnate Nyra, then that was great with me. I needed offspring.

The way that things came to an end between Clover and I was messed up, but she didn't give me much of a choice in the matter. It was necessary for me to carry out these tasks, but I never intended for her to be expelled from the community in the first place.

How could I possibly? She meant more than just a satisfying sexual encounter. She was a childhood acquaintance of mine, and after a while I saw that I was becoming increasingly attracted to her.

On the other hand, she abruptly left that day, and despite my best efforts, I was unable to locate her for years. That was the case up until today, when my beta, Colter, unearthed a recent photo of her and pinpointed the spot where she was when it was taken.

"Hungary? She fucking lived her entire life in Hungary?" I let out a shout, obviously infuriated by the fact that not only was she able to flee the entirety of the state of Georgia, but she was also able to flee the entirety of the country.

It was a picture that my gamma, Easton, snapped with his phone when he was watching the news from around the world.

It just so happened that Richard was strolling behind the reporter at the time, waving at someone who couldn't be seen in the camera. Clover then ducked out of the way, and the rest, as they say, is history.

"Yep!" Colter said in a nonchalant manner as he popped the letter "P," and I had to exercise self-control in order to refrain from hitting him for acting like a haughty brat in front of me.

What else have you picked up from this experience? I inquired since it was obvious that I was completely captivated by the woman in the photo.

She appeared to have grown quite a little taller and had even more lean muscular mass than before. She was clearly femininely fit and even appealing despite the fact that she wasn't precisely big.

And for some reason, that infuriated me, or more accurately, she infuriated me.

She used to be skinnier and shorter, but she always had the demeanor of a man who was six feet five inches tall. And don't even get me started on her beautiful, wavy, red hair that seemed like it was swaying in the wind.

She had a stunning appearance that was distinct from others, but there was something else about her as well. Something that I was unable to identify simply by glancing at the photograph.

Clover...

Murphy mumbled with enthusiasm, and I just rolled my eyes at how enticing he sounded to me in my head.

Put an end to your swooning over her because she is not our partner!

"What are the chances of bringing her back into the pack lands and into the United States?" Barking came out of my mouth as I kept staring fiercely at her photograph.

"I'm sorry, but what is it that you want to do right now?" Colter inquired while seeming totally bewildered.

I yelled at him, "Bring her back," as my intense eyes turned to focus on him.

"Okay... why?"

"Why shouldn't they? She was still a member of the pack, and as a result, she had obligations to fulfill for the pack. It's possible that I'll need her for another crucial work as well "I responded while maintaining a blank expression and staring blankly at Colter.

"If you say so. With response to your inquiry, I do not believe there would be a difficulty in doing so. I believe that all that needs to be done is for us to have a conversation with the alpha who rules over the region." Colter provided a response.

Do you believe that he accepted her into their pack as one of their own members? I let out a growl because the thought of her being a member of another pack drove me absolutely bonkers and made me angry.

As I previously stated, I did not send her away. I just issued a threat to expel her, and as a result, technically speaking, she was still a member of my pack. However, if she hadn't gone in such a manner, I would have made her the beta position, just like her father was.

"That is something about which I am not completely certain, but it is feasible because, as you can see, she has not become a criminal and is most likely leading a happy life," the speaker said. After Colter's response, my fists were so tense that I was on the verge of pulling blood from them.

As soon as my eyes returned to the photo of Clover being candid, I issued the following command: "Then let's fucking talk to the alpha and get her the fuck back as in today."

As soon as I saw it, I had the want to fold it up into a ball, but I think that Murphy was the one who was preventing me from doing so.

I mean, there was no way that I could ignore the relationship that he had with Richard Moore. Even though I shared that connection with her, I never considered it as anything more than a simple friendship between us.

But did I love Nyra, and did I acknowledge that she was my soul mate? It's Possible... That You Have Delusions.

Murphy snorted as soon as the ideas were brought out into the open between me and my inner wolf, and because I didn't have the energy to dispute with him any longer, I just shoved him back into my subconscious where he had been hiding.

"Imagine for a moment that I was successful in my attempt to negotiate our entry into their territory. What would take place if it turned out that Clover was actually one of them now?" Colter inquired, and it took me some time to tear my eyes away from the disgusting snapshot that Clover had taken of herself.

"When we reach our destination, we'll proceed across the bridge. For the time being, determine who the alpha is and submit your findings to me within the day "Before turning my back on him, I issued a command.

Before leaving, he mumbled something under his breath that translated to "I don't like the sound of it."

I could understand his rage, considering that there was a possibility that we would end up at war with another pack due to Clover's actions, but I was in a hopeless situation.

When I was going to take another look at Clover's picture, I got the distinct impression that Nyra was close. As a result, I swiftly tucked the picture away below some papers in the drawer of my desk and kept it from view.

Nyra began by saying, "You don't need to pretend you know," as soon as she opened the door to my office. After that, she moved closer to my desk and continued her statement. "I heard everything that was said, and I guess all I wanted to know was why it was said."

I pretended that I didn't understand what she was talking about by cocking my head to the side and pretending as though I didn't know what she was talking about because it was conceivable that she was just attempting to act as though she knew everything in order to get me to reveal the information.

Due to the frequency with which events of this nature occurred, I was very familiar with this. Because Nyra was a con artist in that way, everyone, including myself, needed to exercise extreme caution around her.

"What do you mean?"

Nyra scoffed as she leaned her hips against the edge of my workstation and said, "Oh, please."

"No, do tell, Nyra. What exactly do you have knowledge of?" I confronted her while staring her in the eye and issuing a challenge. Another thing that we were unable to accomplish was sense what the other person was going through.

We were able to communicate with one another through mind-link, but that was the extent of the connection that could be established. All of these messes are a direct result of the fact that my inner wolf refused to accept her as my mate.

"I'm not dumb, Damian. You might be the alpha, but I'm the luna in this pack "She laughed as she began to move around the desk so that she could sit on my lap, and then she proceeded to do so.

Murphy hissed and growled, trying to fling Nyra off of me, but I held him down because he wanted to see that I picked Nyra as our mate. Eventually, Murphy relented and let go of Nyra. I did that four years ago, and therefore it was necessary for him to finally acknowledge this fact.

She kindly mentioned this as she touched my shirt as if there was a lint she was getting rid of while acting as if there was a lint she was getting rid of. "The rumor has it that you want to bring back Clover to the pack."

"It is not a fabrication. I will bring her back with me "I gave a resounding response.

"Ah, I see... If you go ahead and do that, you'll be sorry for the rest of your life that you made that choice "She gave me a sinister grin before coming in for a slow, sloppy kiss on the lips, and I came dangerously close to gagging on my own saliva.

I can't count how many times I've fucked Nyra, but not once has it been enough to satiate my craving. It was getting harder for me to enjoy fucking her or even kissing her since I felt like I should be doing it and our intimate interactions were becoming more of a chore for me.

It wasn't because she didn't have a good appearance. I didn't think that was the case, so my best opinion is that it was probably because of Murphy and his irrational preoccupation with locating Clover.

"Are you trying to intimidate me?" The moment she pulled away from the kiss, I scoffed in amazement and snorted.

"Not at all, my cherished alpha. This is not intended as a threat; rather, I am only stating a truth "She murmured something before slowly standing up, most likely to leave; nevertheless, I couldn't allow her have the last say at this point in time, could I?

Consequently, I quickly grasped her wrist and dragged her down till we were looking at each other eye to eye.

"Nyra, you must not believe that you are able to address me in that manner. You're getting lost in the conversation, "I giggled to myself as I shoved her out of the way before continuing.

I turned my back on her as I made my way towards the wide window that looked out over the garden.

I did not have the time in the world to play the role of the devoted husband or partner that she desired. I have never done so, and I never intend to.

More importantly, I was on the edge of losing control over Murphy, and thus Nyra had to get out of my face as quickly as possible before my inner wolf did something that couldn't be undone.

"Get the fuck out," I ordered in a hushed voice.

Clover

I heaved a breath as I desperately attempted to keep a low profile. It was hard for me to imagine that Colter and Easton were wandering about the neighborhood close to the flat where I reside.

To the best of my knowledge, the Crescent Pack had no dealings whatsoever with the packs that lived in Hungary, which is why I was taken aback when I saw them walking through the streets as if they were the rightful owners of the city.

What the heck are they trying to accomplish in this place?

While ducking and sprinting away from Evander's sight, I asked him a question.

Don't bother asking me about it because I've been right here with you the whole time.

Evander responded with sarcasm, and as much as I wanted to despise her, I had to admit that she was correct. Her assumption was just as plausible as mine.

I hadn't been living here as a she-wolf for the years that had passed. Despite the fact that I was everything but typical, I pretended to be a straightforward normal human being by working a standard nine to five job.

I was in such a desperate need to be able to shift right now so that I could get away from these people more quickly, but I couldn't do it because I was surrounded by them. As a result, picking that path wasn't the best choice.

Because humans were unaware of our existence or thought that we could only be found in stories and films, shifting would not only draw the notice of Colter and Easton, but it would also be a violation of the rules.

Even in Hungary, werewolves followed a set of norms, the most important of which was to avoid drawing attention to themselves at all costs.

Since I got away from the group, I made the decision to leave the nation so that Damian wouldn't be able to figure out where I was hiding.

When he told me that he wanted to exile me, something in me sparked, and that's when I pledged that he would never get the opportunity to get to know our kid, Lennox. I determined that he would never get the chance to get to know our baby.

It makes no difference to me if he lives or dies. Because Evander had been telling me that I was his genuine mate ever since I reached sixteen, he knew for a fact that I was his true mate. Evander had been telling me that I was his true mate ever since I turned sixteen.

That was also the reason why I gave him my virginity card, not that the fact that I was still a virgin made any difference. I mean, for crying out loud, I was a werewolf, which means that sex was an integral part of who I was both as a beast and as a being.

Both he and I shared a unique connection, and it wasn't just the connection that comes from having childhood buddies in common. It went far beyond than that.

However, he picked another woman as his mate and drove me out of the pack as a result. As soon as Lennox was born, I realized that it was my responsibility to safeguard him. It was not only necessary for me to defend him from Damian, but also most importantly against Nyra.

Because only the Moon Goddess knew what she would do to my kid if she ever found out, I had no choice but to take action in order to get them as far away as possible from where I resided.

To my good fortune, Lennox was still with Jude, the buddy in whom I place the most trust. Okay, he was more than a friend; in fact, he was my human fuck buddy next door, and because of this, I knew that my son would be kept out of harm's way.

"I truly apologize. Excuse me, "I hushed a couple that was walking by as I ducked in front of them and whispered something to them while they stared at me like I was a crazy woman, and they were probably right to think that about me.

Before I really started walking, I called Jude to let him know that I was going to be running behind schedule and I looked between the alleyways and the streets as I thought about where I should be heading to avoid them.

"Clover?" He responded while showing signs of yawning.

Listen, I'm in a bit of a jam, so if you wouldn't mind keeping an eye on Lennox for a little while longer for me, I'd really appreciate it.

"Not even close... That wouldn't be a problem at all, "Another yawn came out of his mouth.

"I am grateful."

He began his response with "No, probably," but I didn't wait for him to complete because I was obviously in a rush at the time. After that, I gave the area another look, and when I noticed that they were moving in the opposite direction, I quickly started running towards the direction of the park so that I could remain unseen.

I continued to run until I was totally out of sight with the purpose of hiding in the midst of the thickly wooded portion so that in the event that I needed to fight, I would be able to transform without worrying about being discovered by people.

Because I was responsible for Lennox's safety in whatever event, I had to make sure that I was always prepared for any scenario that could arise. But as soon as I arrived, there were already three werewolves there, and they fully blocked my route.

I had no doubt in my mind that these werewolves were members of the Crescent Pack at that very moment. There was no way to refute it because they had that unmistakable odor of a pack.

In case anyone was curious, each pack had a unique odor that distinguished them from those of other packs; however, this odor was not the same as the odor that a werewolf would associate with his or her mate.

It was a bouquet of aromas, much like various types of flowers, even though packs typically do not smell like flowers.

"Who are you, and what do you wish to accomplish?" I inquired as I moved back a few paces. I wasn't planning on escaping; all I needed was to adjust my stance in order to properly protect myself against my attacker.

When Colter suddenly answered from behind me, "The alpha requests for you to come back with us," I gave myself a mental kick in the rear for forgetting that the guys in front of me had alerted them the moment they stepped out of the trees. "The alpha requests for you to come back with us," Colter said.

I gradually shifted my focus to Colter, and as soon as I was fully facing him, the grin on his face grew even broader.

"Hi, Clover. Long time no see, "he mentioned it, and as I was listening, I had a fleeting mental image of the former Colter.

The younger Colter didn't give a damn about anything in the world. He was well aware that Damian was intending to appoint him as a trusted general or commanding chief, as humans referred to such positions.

Even though he didn't have to really battle for the position because it was going to be handed on to him by his gamma parents much like I would've been Damian's beta, he was the proudest he'd ever been of himself. Even though he didn't have to really fight for the job.

Luna, not beta.

Evander objected as I tightly closed my eyes in an effort to block myself from remembering the past. I did not attempt to dispute with her nor did I correct her.

I just wanted them gone as soon as possible, both from this location and the country, so that I wouldn't have to deal with them anymore.

But more importantly, I wanted to make sure that my son was hidden and out of harm's way.

I ventured a guess and pointed first at Colter, then at Easton, but neither of them responded to my question. "Let me guess, beta and gamma," I said.

Easton screamed, "Come with us, Clover," and that angered the living daylights out of me. "Come with us!"

But Easton? Colter was perfectly within his rights to direct my actions. When we were younger, we felt sorry for him and decided to be friends with him even though he was the type of child that no one wanted to hang out with. He was more of a loner than the other kids.

Regardless of whether or not he liked it, this did not alter the reality that he remained lower on our ranks than the rest of us.

I gave him a sneer and said, "Since I am no longer a member of your pack, you no longer have any authority over me," but all that did was make Colter laugh.

"Oh, shit! During all those years, you really believed that Damian had cast you out, didn't you?"

His laugh came from deep in his throat, and it was the most repulsive sound I had ever heard in my entire life. It caused me to clench my teeth in disgust.

Even if Nyra's laugh was the worst of the worst, Colter's laughter at me made me want to unleash Evander on him. Actually, Nyra's laugh was the worst of the worst.

Clover, as Easton put it to her, "you were not expelled." I didn't have to figure that out because it was quite evident that Damian hadn't disowned me as a pack member and that she still considered me to be a part of the pack.

"Yeah, so? I ditched the pack when I fled away, which means I established my own network of allies here. Therefore, I am a member of the White River pack, if nothing else "I gave a casual shrug, which prompted Colter and Easton to burst out laughing.

"No. With all due respect, you're going to have to come along with us whether you like it or not "Colter gave a blank expression.

"You're going to show up whether you like it or not, any way. It depends entirely on your decision, "Easton issued a warning.

I could have gotten away from them in a couple different ways, but swapping positions and immediately assaulting wouldn't have worked.

As a result, I acted as though I was participating in the activity. Nevertheless, whenever I came across a chance, I made it a point to seize it.

Never in a million years would I consider returning to Damian and his group!

"You made the right decision," commended Colter as he signaled to me with an outstretched arm that I should begin to go ahead of them. "Good choice."

I steadied myself by taking a deep breath and observing each of them in the strictest of confidence. It was necessary for me to be with the individuals who were the least capable of the group in order to ensure that we would fall behind.

It would be more difficult to assess the situation if I walked in front of them, so I needed to think quickly.

I said this to him as I had my arms crossed over my chest. "You lead the way, I don't know anything about where we're going," I said to him.

Colter gave Easton and the rest of us a grin and said, "As you wish." Then he started walking ahead of us, followed by the rest of us.