Page 74 of Dawn of the Pack

It’s quiet for a long time, and I’m beginning to wonder if I just imagined the flurry of activity earlier. Or maybe someone got injured, and they needed extra hands carrying them, but it wasn’t the big emergency like it sounded through the door.

I roll over on my bed, determined to get a little more shut eye before I get up and work on spells again.

And that’s when my door creaks open.

Instantly on alert, I sit and squint toward the shadow in the wedge of fluorescent light pouring through the doorway. The lights in my room remain off.

“Leaf, come on we’ve got to go!” A horrifyingly familiar voice hisses.

Azalea.

I’m instantly on my feet and heading for the bathroom. I can’t let her get that leash on me.

“We don’t have time to tinkle, cousin,” she snarls, chasing me. “We’ve got to get out of here!”

I dive through the doorway, but she wedges a foot in before I can slam it shut.

“I’m not here to hurt you, moron,” she grunts, pushing back against the door. “Will you just calm down? We don’t have time for this shit.”

Counting to three, I close my eyes and flick on the bathroom light, hoping the brightness will temporarily confuse her so I can push past.

No such luck. She’s like a solid wall, and even though I slam into her with as much force as I can muster, she doesn’t budge.

“OW, dammit Leaf, chill the fuck out!”

I open my eyes to glare, and that’s when I actually get a good look at her.

She’s been beat to hell. One eye is as black as her furry coat and swollen shut, and the other is barely half open. Purple and green bruises line her jaw and disappear under the collar of her torn shirt, and dried blood runs from a deep gash on her forehead down the side of her face.

Her appearance pulls me up short, and she grins sarcastically at me despite a swollen split lip. “Aren’t I pretty? Unfortunately, I don’t have any of those magical wolf healing powers, so what they do to me sticks around for a while. I might almost envy you that, freak.”

When she takes in my confused expression, she sighs heavily and tips her head back. I’m certain an eye roll would accompany the gesture if she could do one.

“Look, I tried to help your princess rescue you and I got caught, alright? Grannie made me. It’s not like I did it out of the kindness of my heart. But after spending a couple days here under the excellent care of that asshole, I’m not exactly inclined to hang around any longer, contract or not. There’s something going on and he’s called all the minions outside, so I’m making my move, and thought I’d get you out of here, too.”

My eyes narrow and I try to figure out what the catch is. There’s no way she’s just here to help me out.

As if reading my doubt, she groans in frustration. “Fine, I figured taking you with me would be a hell of a parting ‘fuck you’ to Nielsen, alright? It’s no skin off my back if you stay, but I’m getting out of here and you’d better not say I didn’t offer. You coming or not?”

I consider how this could be another trick of Nielsen’s, but I honestly can’t make it work. Why would he send her here, black and blue, to fake a rescue attempt? For what purpose?

“Any day now, cousin. I have no idea how long they’ll be gone, but I guarantee it won’t be all night.”

Deciding, I raise my hand and point repeatedly at the collar around my neck.

“Yeah, I’ll get it off you, but not right now. We have to get out of here before they come back. And then I’ll get it off, scout’s honor.”

I fix her with my best dubious look and cross my arms.

“Motherf-… Leaf, you realize we’re on a clock here, right? If we don’t leave before they come back, we’re both stuck here. I dunno about you, but I don’t think they have a slumber party planned for later.”

In response, I just lean back against the sink and glare at her.

“Argh! Fine, we’ll take the collar off before we leave. But we have to go back to the cell where I put it on, okay? That’s where they put my stuff, and I need the floor space for a pentagram to undo it. Yes, I need a pentagram to undo it. Don’t look at me like that. You know some spells are easier to do than undo.”

I consider for a few moments; I don’t trust Azalea any further than I can throw her. But her current state seems to add some credence to her story, and she’s here offering to get me out. The outside hallway has been silent despite the door being open this entire time, which also reinforces what she’s telling me.

Finally, I release a heavy breath and throw my hands up, then gesture for her to move.

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