Chapter 23 - Brandon
I picked everyone whom I was sure was ready to handle a hybrid. I had Kaleb stay behind as a watch in case anything went wrong in town. Jade stood ready, almost eager, as she waited.
“You sure about this?” Kaleb asked, looking directly at Jade while he asked it. “I know she is useful and has a power, but this is the real deal. Anything can happen out there.”
As scared as I was of taking her, I knew she would be able to handle herself. Jade was changing and growing as an individual, and she wanted to prove that to everyone else.
I hooked the radio onto my pants and nodded. “And the hybrid that came into town was the real deal, too, and she handled it.”
Kaleb frowned. “You know what I mean, Brandon. In town, there were tons of other people. It’s just you eight out there this time. And we don’t know how many you are going against out there. It could be one, or it could be ten.”
“I’m aware of that,” I said, knowing he had a point and that he was just scared for Jade. But I also knew if we wanted to win this, Jade was going to be a huge piece of the puzzle.
“I respect your concern, but you know I don’t agree to anything unless I see fit. I didn’t just agree because she asked. I agreed because she has a point. She has a power that we have hardly seen, but we know it’s strong. Leaving her here would be a waste.”
Kaleb stared at Jade for another moment before he sighed. He knew he wouldn’t be able to change what was going to happen, so he might as well hop on board. He tilted my head.“So you’re telling me you don’t feel nervous at all having her out there? You’re not scared of what could happen.”
“I didn’t say that. I said it would be a waste to leave her. That doesn’t mean I’m not scared that she’s going with us. It terrifies me, but I’m pushing that away because I know she’s ready.”
“I understand you’re going out on a mission, and anything can happen, but if my sister doesn’t come back, I’m blaming you for whatever happens.”
“Noted.” I patted him on the shoulder. “Watch the pack while I’m gone and let me know if anything happens here.”
We ended up leaving ten minutes later. We each had a small pack to wear as we made our way into the woods. I explained that anything could happen and everyone needed to stay vigilant.
Jade remained near me at all times, her steps keeping up with mine. We moved quietly and quickly. The further we walked, the more nervous I grew. Jade walked with purpose and confidence, but I couldn’t help but feel a sense of worry. We never knew what was coming, and I’d seen enough to know what the hybrids were capable of.
The group was quiet as they moved. They walked in pairs, staying within eye range as we moved. No one really spoke, and the only noise around us was the sound of footsteps and twigs. The wind had died down, not even rustling the trees.
“You’re quiet,” Jade whispered softly, bumping her elbow against my side. “What’s wrong?”
I looked at her for a moment before pulling my gaze back to the woods. I listened for any snap that wasn’t us, any signthat something was coming, but it was quiet. There was no extra noise, no footprints to say one was near us.
“I wished you had stayed back,” I admitted. “I just fear that something is going to jump out and I’ll lose you.”
She frowned, and I watched pain flicker in her eyes. “Brandon…”
“I know you’re able to protect yourself. And I trust you when you say that you can, but that doesn’t take the fear away. You haven’t seen how deadly they can be. How quick and violent they will be. I know you saw what it did to Nick, but… that’s nothing compared to what I’ve seen.”
I thought of all the murder scenes and the blood stains that, no matter how much you scrubbed, would never come out. I thought of the victims and how ripped apart their bodies were. Some people were never identified because their faces were so severely mutilated. I remember seeing so many families of the victims who cried. No amount of begging was going to bring them back.
Those images would remain engraved in my head until I died. I never wanted Jade to see something like that, to know just how terrible it could be.
Jade walked closer, her gaze softening. “I know you’re scared, but I promise if I couldn’t handle it, I’d tell you. I’m just as prepared as everyone else is, and I’m thankful you agreed to let me come..”
I wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close. “I will always believe in you, Jade. I know you have great potential. But that doesn’t mean I want you to have to use it.” She leaned into me for a moment before she broke herself free and continued to walk a few steps ahead of me.
Every few hours, we stopped to rest. I watched Jade, making sure she wasn’t growing too tired. If she was, she wasn’t letting on. She remained perky, her eyes always searching around like the rest of us.
“How far have we walked?” Asher asked as he pulled his boat off, fixing his sock. Everyone looked tired and seemed to be getting on edge. We had walked for hours, and we’d come across nothing, which surprised me.
“Eight miles,” I said after pulling my map up. “We are about two miles into the other pack, so everyone needs to remember we might run into hostility since we aren’t on our land anymore.”
“Why didn’t you just call the other pack’s Alpha and ask if they knew anything?” Chuck, another member we brought, asked. He was a little heavier set, but I’d see how big he was in his wolf form, and he would be powerful against a hybrid.
I had tried, but I never got an answer. I wasn’t sure if it was because their Alpha didn’t want to take my call or if there was something else at play. But I wasn’t going to sit on my hands and wait to find out. I figured if we ran into someone, we would handle it.
“Didn’t take my call,” I said with a shrug.
