s e v e n t e e n
f u g i t i v e s
△△△△△

dedicated to slowdowndolans

THE MAN LYING beside Tia was non-other than what could be described as beautiful. With curling lips dark enough to stand out against the paleness of his skin, and high arched cheekbones, he had the beauty of something only brought to life in fairy tales. Even though his eyes were shut, Eretria knew the fluctuating cobalt irises like the back of her hand. They appeared as though someone had taken the sea and forced it into the confines of his stormy orbs. His lashes fluttered as he slept, the lines of his face stretched until his skin was no longer blemished. Tia had never seen him so calm, the rise and fall of his chest whispering air through his cracked-open mouth.

Of course, Tia didn't have a choice about sharing the bed with the werewolf. The other option was the floor, and she was pretty sure she had seen the ruby body of a cockroach the night before.

The woman blinked, her eyes sticking together in her endeavour. The moon scraped at the sky, nearing the end of its cycle once again. Rays refracted around the derelict room, bounding into the darkness and cracking it open. The room was small, with torn grey plaster, and composed of a single doubled, a table and two chairs where Tia and Connor spent most of their time sitting in silence, and a wardrobe that barely fit in Connor's discarded suit. A rug had been placed carelessly on the ground to cover up the rotting floorboards, but Tia could still smell the pungent odour of mouldy wood, and the meat rising from the kebab shop below.

The wolves hadn't been able to go back to Tia's old pack house, much to her dismay. It was the first place Jared would look – if he was sane enough. The whole city had its eyes open, and Tia and Connor were doing their best to stick to the shadows. For the past week, the rotting dwelling situated above the kebab shop on the Eastern side of Armour Heights had provided the perfect cover for the fugitives. Granted, it stank, was only just big enough for the two of them, and was crumbling from the inside out, but it was cheap, and was the last place in the world that Jared would look.

Keeping her head down had proved problematic for the she-wolf. She was used to having eyes on her, yet the silence was as equally disturbing as it was peaceful. In her time, she had tried her best to locate Colton, but all of the trails had gone cold. The whereabouts of her adoptive father remained a mystery, and Eretria was no closer to figuring out the person who had murdered her pack.

In fact, Tia suspected that her father had been the one to kill the pack, but none of the clues had yet to point towards him. After Jared's harsh words about the Alpha, Eretria knew the truth. The man wasn't her blood, and he didn't treat her as such. She was a possession, and although Jared was blinded by his own anguish, her adoptive father was the strongest Alpha she had ever come across. If she had not been under his so-called protection, she would've been petrified by the power he exerted. Otherwise known by his name, Jasper Westfield knew how to play with the wolves as though they were nothing more than pawns in a game of chess.

Sighing, Tia rose from the sheets and pressed her palms to her head. They came away covered with sweat, indicating yet another restless night she would have to endure.

Trying to distract her thoughts, the woman gazed back at Connor laid beside her. He was laid on his front, positioned as far away from Tia as humanely possible.

"Tia," Connor muttered into the duvet, stirring from his sleep as the clock snapped to ten thirty. "Where're you going?"

Eretria bit her lip. "Nowhere. I can't sleep."

Connor's eyes were sunken as he attempted to raise his sleep-deprived head. Since losing his pack – and spontaneously Alpha title – he had begun to wither away. Though he would never admit it, Tia could see the hollowed-out skeleton of who he used to be every time they made eye contact. He no longer had a purpose.

"Try and get some sleep," The male muttered. Brown locks fell into his eyes, slightly overgrown from neglect. His hand touched Tia's bare forearm, and she shivered as a spark ignited up her arm.

Eretria sighed heavily. Her body ached from lack of sleep, and her appearance didn't benefit from it, either. Her face was free from makeup, and bags under her eyes had formed in the shape of crescent moons.

"Fine-" Tia began, but jumped out of her skin as someone impatiently hammered on the door. The brunette flicked her head back to Connor, who was now sat bolt upright. Panic seeped through her body like a tsunami – and it was taking control. "Who the fuck is that?" She whispered.

Connor shook his head and reached for the knife on the floor beside his bed. Tia had already beaten him, withdrawing her weapon she had stolen from Jared's pack member back when she had broken Connor out. The blade was still crusted with blood from lack of use, and as Eretria shifted it towards the door, she caught a slither of her reflection. Immediately, the woman couldn't help but look away. All that she could see was the monster living and breathing inside her exoskeleton of skin.

"I don't know," Connor grumbled in a low tone.

"No shit, Sherlock."

Connor rolled his eyes – it was an action he had adopted from his companion. "You're the one who asked."

"And?" Tia gasped, closing her hand around the brass handle of the withered door. She wished that there was a gap in the wood like there was in the walls and floor, but the door had recently been replaced with a substantial painted blue slab of oak. "Doesn't mean you answer."

Tia bit her tongue nervously as she opened the door slowly. It creaked on its hinges, revealing a smart suit and pair of polished brogues.

The woman sighed in relief as the door cracked open further, the man stood behind it smiling sadistically as it swung on its hinges. Yet again, Eretria couldn't smell the man, or hear the missing beat of his deceased heart.

"Kebab?" Daniel asked, offering Eretria a package wrapped in tin foil. The woman shook her head profusely and pursed her pink lips. A million questions were threatening to surface, but they got stuck in her throat as she began coughing. "Shame," The vampire continued, letting the foil package drop on the floor with a thud. His leather shoe poked through the door, his face amused at Tia's shocked demeanour.

"How did you find us?" The woman enquired, sleep having retracted itself from her limbs within seconds. She was now wide awake, eyes wide open. Her body hummed with adrenaline forcing her knuckles to turn white around her knife. Daniel was someone who ebbed secrecy, but Tia didn't know if he was capable of keeping a secret. Nor did she believe that she could trust him, despite ticking her off about the fire at the Fang Pack – which in turn killed all but two of the twenty nine members.

Daniel's mouth remained in the shape of a frown. "People talk. To be honest, you did well. I wasn't expecting you to stay hidden for so long." Eretria had forgotten the unique sound of Daniel's British accent. It was a pleasant contrast to Connor's rich American voice.

The woman folded her arms across her chest in agitation. "Great. Thanks. Now leave us alone. We don't want your help."

"Eretria, if I found you, it means that Jared won't be far behind," the vampire explained. He dared to step further into the room, the wet floorboards protesting under his weight.

"What do you want then?" The woman remarked bitterly, and used her body to block Daniel from treading further into the small room.

"To make you an offer."

Connor stood up out of bed, pulling the sheets off his half-naked figure. Daniel raised a brow, but didn't ask any questions, especially when Tia appeared as though she was two seconds away from ripping his throat open with her claws.

"We can't trust him, Ti," Connor pulled at the female alpha's bare arm, sparks coiling through her muscles at the mere touch. As much as she wanted him to touch her to diminish the lust blinding her vision, Eretria nudged her shoulder from the man's grip.

Daniel squinted his eyes at the nickname.

"Yeah, but he's right," Tia muttered without the need to make eye contact with her counterpart. She had seen Connor's irises to know just how dangerous they were. "And I want to hear what he has to say."

Daniel pried open his lips, looking as elegant as ever in his endeavour. His movements were seamless, like that of a ghost – but then he was literally dead. "I need your help."

"No," Connor interrupted.

The vampire raised a pale hand that had wrinkled over centuries. "let me finish," Daniel glared with burning mocha eyes. "A number of my clan members are being held by one of the werewolf packs in retaliation to Jared siding with the vampires. One of them is Sofia." Tia didn't need to glance back to know the horrified expression on Connor's face. The couple had a history that ebbed back years. "I want you to help me break them out – I don't have enough men to do it on my own. In exchange, you can stay in my mansion under my protection, and aid you with your investigation.

"And," Daniel continued, sparking hope within Tia's broken heart. "I will give you Colton."

△△△△△

imagining daniel gillies with a kebab has actually made my day xD

hope you all enjoyed!! and what does everyone think about Daniel having colton as a hostage?? are you glad that he'll be back?

thank you for reading! lotte xx