Aspen County

It's odd to spend the Full Moon alone with Louve again after so many years of it being us and the Pack, whether they always stuck around for the full night or not. It almost feels awkward and wrong to not see everyone else, especially with the amount that our Pack has lost in the past few months. It's only been two, both of whom were replaced with Nyx and Nox, but I just feel like everyone should be here.

I know that something's wrong when I find myself almost wishing Ryder was around.

It's not that I want him here personally; I just wish he was here to take Louve's mind off of Monique and her obvious depression and loneliness. I glance at her as wander the expansive forest side by side. The weight of our loneliness and isolation leaves neither of us in the mood to comfort the other.

I eventually give up trying to allow the Full Moon to cheer me up, and I just throw myself against the trunk of a tree, allowing the snow to soak into my fur as I close my eyes and curl up. I open one eye as I hear Louve do the same nearby, but she's mostly hidden in the shadows of the trees. All I can see clearly of her is her bright green eyes staring accusingly at me.

And then I notice something about Louve. While our fur used to always have the same pattern—shocking burgundy with white paws, tail tips, and snouts—she now has an additional bit of color. From the tip of her left ear to the base of her neck is a long streak of black fur that's unmistakable under the bright light of the Full Moon.

I lower my head and heave a sigh. It's going to be a long three days.
* * * * *
When we get back to the hut in the morning, Louve is still acting cold towards me, and I'm getting tired of it. As she makes her way to her room, I grab her arm, holding her back.

"What?" she demands, her eyes and tone strict.

I'm slightly taken aback. "What's going on with you?"

"It's not what's going on with her. It's what's going on with you. What are you two somehow hiding from me, Lovett?"

I sigh and let go of her, rubbing my eyes. “We are hiding nothing from you, Monique. Why don't you just relax? I don't know how we can hide anything from you when you're always in her head."

"I'm in her head most of the time. Except for when I'm not, but you two wouldn't know about when I'm not here, would you?”

She offers me a piercing glare which I return with an exhausted gaze. “Why don't you just leave her alone?” My voice almost sounds pleading, and my exhaustion and resignation are obvious in the half-hearted attempt to get Monique to release Louve.

She goes on the defensive, glaring at me. “Why don't you just go jump off of a cliff?”

“If it'll get me away from you, I might consider it.”

She glares at me, raising an eyebrow. “I wouldn't be so snippy if I were you Lovett. When I want something, I always get it in the end. You're resistance, while adorable, is completely pointless. What you and your sister are doing will be made clear to me in the end, and when it does, if I don't like it, you will both pay. Just keep that in mind.”

“Great, thanks for the tip. Now if you don't mind—well, even if you do—I would like to have my sister back.”

“Don't try being clever, Lovett—it doesn't suit you. I'd enjoy hiding whatever you are while you can. You're fun isn’t going to last long.”

“Noted.”

She huffs and closes her eyes. When they spring open again, it's obvious that it's Louve in her head again based on the fear that I see there. I hold my arms out to her, and she steps into my embrace, needing to be comforted after spending who knows how much time being tormented by that wicked voice.

“Lovett, I need her out of my head. What am I going to do?”

“Shush,” I whisper soothingly, smoothing her hair. “We’ll think of something. Don't let her get to your head. Just get some sleep. We'll talk more later on, okay?”

She nods and steps out of my arms, walking to her room and closing the door softly behind her.
* * * * *
After Louve falls asleep for a nap, I lie down, calling my mind to hers. When she appears, terror is clear on her face. "Lovett, she knows," she whispers, trembling.

I protectively wrap my arm around her shoulders and walk her to the steps to the Elder's chairs so that we can sit down. "Louve, she doesn't know. That's why she keeps asking. She's desperate. She's afraid. She has no idea what we have planned."

"But how does she know that we're hiding something?"

"She doesn't know that we're hiding something. The fact that she keeps asking proves as much. She's just worried because of the fact that we came here looking for a way to get rid of her and are doing nothing now. She's questioning not only herself, but also the both of us. We can't give her any reason to do that. We can beat her Louve, and we can keep this a secret from her. It's possible. We've done it for this long. We just have two more weeks. We can do this."

She sighs and stares at her hands. "I really hope we can, Lovett. I really do." We sit there in silence for a few minutes before she chuckles lightly. "You know, in a way, Ryder's constant attempts at conversation might actually be helping," she says bitterly in answer to my inquisitive gaze.

"How so?"

"He keeps on saying that we'll find a way to get rid of her together when he finds me. She probably thinks that if you and I would've found a cure, I'd have already told him to get him off my back. In a way, being away from him might be good."

I shake my head. "What are you going to do if he winds up being true to his word and somehow finds us?"

She shrugs. "I have no idea. I guess we'll just have to wait and see."