Page 21 of Eclipse of the Pack

She watched and waited. And waited. And waited for a while longer.

Finally, Ivy’s gut twisted painfully as the mystery driver exited and headed for the diner. She forced herself to look away. Mentally preparing for the situation to escalate again.

She was not ready. She was tired. Mentally and physically exhausted and so, so hungry. She didn’t want another fight. She hadn’t wanted the situation earlier to escalate, and it had… She felt so powerless. So out of her depth.

Ivy kept her eyes closed and braced herself. The bell over the door rang. A signal that the driver and who knows who else had entered the diner. Ivy honed her hearing, focusing solely in on the slow and steadytick, tick, tickof the tacky cat-shaped clock on the far wall.

Seconds passed. Two seconds passed. Five. Fifteen. Twenty five. Twenty six. Twenty seven-

Ivy’s eyes shot open, her head jerking to the side. She had sensed the hand before she ever saw it. The woman paused,hand still outstretched to touch her shoulder. Jonathen was already halfway out of his seat when Ivy met the eyes of the driver.

Instantly, the painful knots in her empty stomach untied themselves. She felt the tension in her shoulders instantly go slack, and shot up faster than Jonathen had thought she could.

Ivy let out a loud noise that was more of a screech than a laugh of any kind. She leapt to her feet. She wrapped her arms tightly around the woman’s shoulders and tugged her down into a harsh, bone crushing hug.

The woman, Maria, laughed. Partly at Ivy, partly at the shocked and confused look on Jonathen’s face. Ivy pulled her down into the booth alongside her.

Ivy was on the verge of mania. She could not believe her eyes. Finally – finally – something didn’t have to end in violence and blood. Finally, she saw a familiar face. A friendly face. One that did not want their heads on a silver platter.

“Well hi there, stranger.” Maria chuckled, hugging Ivy back just as tightly. Maria Strowde had always been shorter in comparison to Ivy. She was one of Ivy’s best friends during her time in the agency. They told each other everything… Well. Almost everything.

“How did you find us?!” Ivy asked.

“I tracked the radio transmissions between the teams,” Maria stated as if it were obvious. She hugged her friend a little tighter to her side. “…You could have told me. I would have had your back. And – no. I don’t think you are a traitor, Ivy. I’m here to help.”

Jonathen and Ivy locked eyes for a moment. Maybe. Just maybe, this was the saving grace they needed.

26

JONATHEN

His jaw nearly hit the floor. Jonathen could not believe his eyes, let alone his ears. He felt the feeling of hope flicker to life in his chest once again. It might have been stupid. It might have been naive and reckless, but he allowed the small flame of hope to bloom in his chest.

He watched as Ivy hugged Maria a bit tighter before finally letting go – though, she stayed very close to her. Tucked in to her side as if she was unsure whether or not Maria would disappear. But Mariawasthere. She was there with them. She was going to help.

Finally, something had gone right.

Maria Strowde moved her bangs from her face. Her long black hair had its fair share of grey streaks, despite not looking much older than Ivy herself. It was clear that her time in the agency had worn her down. It had aged her, the way war ages people, too.

Her eyes flickered from Ivy to Jon in silent questioning, an eyebrow raising some. She didn’t voice her inquiry, but she did not have to. She opened her mouth to speak, but was cut off by Ivy.

“How do you know you weren’t followed?” She asked. Her tone was still bordering between manic and relieved.

“PEACE has bigger fish to fry than wondering where I am right now.” Maria reassured. She huffed, combing her fingers through her hair, moving her bangs out of her face once again. Jon noticed a ring on her left hand. A silver wedding band.

She dropped her voice to little above a whisper. Jonathen had to strain to hear her in the loud chaos of the diner.

“It’s been chaos.” Maria said as she glanced down at her wedding ring, fidgeting with it silently, a nervous habit of sorts. “Well. The word chaos doesn’t really do what’s been happening much justice.”

Jonathen and Ivy both nodded. They did not take their eyes off of her for a second. Not even when the waitress brough by their orders and took Maria’s.

“Oh- One coffee. Black. Three sugars, please.” She said, waving the young worker off.

“Everyone knows it. They have to. The warring between the factions is becoming far too obvious. Either they know, and aren’t doing anything about it. Or, they don’t know, and are just that stupid.”

“Either way, it’s not great for us.” Jonathen said finally. The gears in his head slowly began to turn with the information being fed to him. “I just wish we could tell… Someone. Anyone. Someone in power – someone who could-“

“Tell the government?” Maria interjected.

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