Page 26 of Eclipse of the Pack

So, Ivy slipped into the woods before shifting. Being in her wolf form felt a lot better than before. Most of the pain had gone away, and her body no longer felt so heavy. She was able to really enjoy being in her wolf shape.

Ivy ran deeper into the woods and spent time tracking prey, not to hunt, but to give into her more animalistic instincts. Being a sleeper agent for all those years, she was forced to hide a huge part of herself. Even though she was on the run and fearing for her life, it had been a long time since Ivy had felt so free.

She made her way to higher ground and looked up at the full moon. LA rarely gave her a view as unobstructed at the one she had in that moment.

As she looked up at the moon, she was tempted to vanish into the woods like Galen and Rafe. It would be a lot easier than going up against some of the strongest forces in America. It often struck how insane what she and Jon were doing.

Should we run away? We could escape all of… this.

Ivy knew should we be happy with Jon, but she wasn’t sure if she’d be able to live herself if they gave up. They were up against terrible odds, but that had to get to Griffen. If they told Griffen what was happening, he would be able to figure out how to stop the impending doom.

Ivy looked back up at the moon with a newfound resolve. She was determined to set things, and she knew what she had to do.

Ivy started back towards the campsite to Jon, her strength restored.

32

JONATHEN

Jon woke up a few hours later. He was feeling a lot better after getting some sleep. He hadn’t realized how much he needed to rest until he had shut his eyes. All the stress of the past couple days caught up to him, and he had crashed.

Ivy had returned by the time he opened his eyes. She sat a few feet away from him, looking out into the trees. She looked over at him as he began to stir.

“Ready to switch?” Jon stood up and stretched. His muscles were a little stiff from having slept on the forest floor, but nothing he couldn’t handle. Ivy stood up too and shook her head.

“We should keep moving.” Jon cocked his head to the side, confused.

“You don’t want to rest?” Ivy shook her head.

“I don’t feel tired, and it isn’t safe for us to stay in one spot for too long.”

“Where are we headed. Should we look for other packs. I was thinking maybe Galen… and the others are out here.” Even with all the danger surrounding Jon, he still thought about his best friend. He had now way of knowing if Galen was alive or deadthough something inside of him told him that Galen was still out there. His friend was a fighter.

“They could be,” Ivy answered. She looked away from Jon and into the forest. The woods were vast and easy to hide in. She knew there was a pack hidden far away from humanity deep in the woods. It would be a tough journey, but it was probably their safest option.

But Ivy had other plans.

“My mission is to get to Griffen and,” Ivy’s face dropped when she paused for a second. Her voice got icy as she finished her sentence. “And to kill Malcolm.”

Ivy’s anger and determination was easy to see. It was present in her entire being.

But she also knew that this washermission. She had already dragged Jon deeper than she ever wanted to. This didn’t have to be his fight.

“You don’t have to come with me.” Jon didn’t answer immediately. He wasn’t sure why Ivy was bringing that up at that point. They had been through so much together, and he wasn’t about to turn back.

“I’m going with you.” Jon’s voice held just as much determination as Ivy’s. Ivy’s face softened hearing Jon’s words.

“Are you sure?”

“I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.” Ivy took a deep breath before rushing over to Jon and enveloping him in a tight hug. He wrapped his arms around her, and they held one another for a few moments. Jon kissed Ivy on the forehead before they broke their embrace.

“Let’s head back towards the freeway.” Jon nodded. Ivy led the way as the two of them walked back towards danger. The walk back towards society was a quiet one, but it wasn’t awkward. There was still a lot unsaid between Jon and Ivy, butthey were in it for the long haul, and that was enough for the time being.

33

IVY

Ivy and Jon continued to head towards the freeway. Jon’s kind words had breathed some life back into her, but they were unable to keep her mood from souring again. The lack of conversation meant Ivy retreated to her thoughts.

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