Drowning.

RUNNING WAS FLORENCE’S RELEASE, it relaxed her nerves, released her stress. It was the only thing in this world that still calmed her, without fail. Running freed her when nothing else could.

Ever since her mother’s night off, running was all she ever did now. She’d run to school, run to classes, run back home, run everywhere. She even joined her school’s Cross Country team. It gave her relief and she wouldn’t be alone. She would be safe, away from him. Safe surrounded by her classmates, safe in the public eye.

He couldn’t get her now.

And even though, deep down in her subconscious, she knew he might still be able to get her, find her and pull her into the darkness with him, her mind ignored it – it reeled in the thought of safety after all this time. It would do anything to keep the veil of protection up, shielding her eyes from the truth; she was never safe. Not anymore.

Florence plugged in her earphones, a tranquil symphony bleeding into her eardrums. She stretched out her limbs, cracking a few bones as she bended forward and back. She examined her surroundings, noticing some of her teammates chatting among themselves, oblivious to their surroundings.

Florence’s gaze stopped on a figure bent over, tying his shoes. His eyes lifted, meeting hers and he waved, giving her a soft smile. Her cheeks burned as she swiftly moved her eyes straightforward, her heart beating at a rapid pace.

Isaac Lahey.

He was there that night, the night her mother was home, the night the monster found her again. He was there to stop him. She didn’t know whether to thank him or stay away.

What if he was worse than the demon?

But what if he’s better?

The whistle blew and Florence took off, letting her endorphins take hold. She ignored the butterflies and just ran, leaving her problems behind her.



ISAAC WATCHED HER as she broke their stare, seeing the redness in her cheeks as she took her stance to run. He smirked, hoping the blush was in good spirits and not because she was scared of him. He couldn’t let her be scared of him.

He wouldn’t be able to be okay if she winced or shuddered at his presence, not at all. He didn’t want her to fear him, no it was quite the opposite, and he wanted her to find safety in him. He wanted her feel like he could protect her from the world, no that she needed protection from him.

But he knew he had to wait, slowly but surely, she’d see that. She was just traumatized by some kind of experience, something terrible enough to completely ruin her trust in anyone. It took time to get that trust back, a great deal of time.

But he would be patient, he would wait for her.

He would always wait for her.

Isaac looked up, noticing the two figures surrounding him. The rough identical build told Isaac that it was the twins, the alphas that killed his savior, murdered her in cold blood. They smirked at him, their eyes falling on Florence’s figure before they fell right back to Isaac’s.

The whistle blew and the twins ran after her, keeping normal pace. Isaac was off his feet and ready to follow when Scott stopped him, saying his name.

“It’s them,” he said and shrugged Scott’s hand off his shoulder, running after the alpha twins. “They’re trying to get me angry – it’s working.”

Isaac was already too far-gone to hear Scott scream his name again. He pushed through the people, his teammates, using his super speed to fall right behind them. He lost them around the corner, slowing his tracks to search around him. His heart raced, frightening thoughts running through his head faster than he was running previously.

What if they caught her?

What if they killed her?

He growled, screaming out her name, searching for her through the nestled trees. “FLORENCE!”

Just as the last syllable passed through his lips, he was pushed to the ground, tumbling down small hill. The twins were on him in a minute, securing him down with hands on his arms, neck and shoulders. He couldn’t move, but he didn’t care.

He growled again as they continued sputtering off threats about his bones. His only thoughts were threats to them.

I swear if you touch her, he thought, I will rip your insides out.

Before anything could be done, Scott came in, punching the one to Isaac’s left down to the ground. In a matter of seconds, fangs were out and claws were ready to rip. Isaac took his stance, ready to pounce on Aiden, ready to dig his claws in.

A scream rang out through the trees, shaking Isaac to his very core. He knew that scream, he’s heard it before.

Florence.

As Isaac ran to her, Aiden whispered something to him, taunting him with words.

“He’s found your weakness Isaac and he’s going to exploit it.”

Florence was there, on her knees with her hands to her ears, sobbing uncontrollably. She was rocking back and forth, as if it would some how calm her down. That maybe, just maybe it would make the blood soaked dead boy disappear from in front of her.

It didn’t.

She had stopped by the tree, catching her breath as she leaned against it. It was then she noticed the cold, wetness her fingers had rested on. And then she saw it, the red liquid dripping down her had.

And then she broke down.

Isaac wanted to comfort her, hold her in his arms and shield her from the world, but when he tried to touch her, she just ran away. Isaac tried to go after her, but Allison stopped him, telling him that she’d go after her.

“She needs someone like her,” she said, “someone like me.”

Isaac’s eyes fell on the twins and he squinted.

They did it; they had to have done it. And he was going to get them back.