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"It is not the strongest of the species that survive,
nor the most intelligent,
but the one most responsive to change."
-Charles Darwin

The busses dropped us off at the town square. Streets that were littered with guards now lay vacant, the void a reminder that our lives are expendable once more. The soft yellows and saffrons paint the sky in ombre as a cool breeze filters through my grey shirt.

I shakily place one leg in front of the other, the numbness that washed over me still persistent in slowing any movement I attempt to make. The silence hangs heavy in the afternoon air, the silver of safety any of us once felt had been seized along with our mated friends.

More people file out of transportation and continue moving to their homes, some human families there to greet them with love and pain. My head turns lethargically when I hear the screaming cries of a woman.

Her worn, mocha skin clutching desperately to a younger man who holds her tightly while she drops to the floor wailing. Tears escape his distant eyes while the messenger drifts away, head hung low.

The mother's cries don't cease, her pain evident with every gasp between a sob, face constricted in pure anguish. Her child. Her baby.

She will never be able to hold them the same again, the person who she woke up to this morning died the minute they were claimed. They will be forever tarnished by the monster who latches onto them, the experiences, good or bad, will shape them to be different.

I reach a wall and slide down it, my energy running to thin to allow me to walk. People who pass me with their families shoot sympathetic looks my way, knowing who Noah was to me. Noah.

My heart clenches in my chest. I should've done more. The thoughts of guilt course through my veins as my self worth slowly deteriorates.

He will be different.

I need to get up. I need to be strong. Sitting and sulking won't help him, it won't help anyone.

The blond, curly locks of Carter capture my attention through the dwindling crowd as his head moves from side to side in search of me, I presume. Though when he begins to run in the opposite direction of me, I doubt my presumptions.

A tall, tanned islander girl with hazelnut skin and slick black hair jumps into his hold, her legs wrapping around him as she grips tightly onto his shirt.

Her eyes squeezed tight in pain as she fights back against the tears, burying her face into the crook of his neck.

Guess today has been full of surprises.

Deciding to leave them alone to their reunion, making a mental note to question Carter later, I turn to make my way home, the cries and screams of the broken mother ringing in my mind even as I trek outside of hearing distance.

The forest sounds so peaceful in comparison to my thoughts, its greenery calming me as I stroll upon the rich soil, my brown boots leaving their imprints behind.

My small wooden house comes into view, nerves taking control of my fragile mind.

As I ascend the stairs onto the porch, the noises of people hastily conversing inside break the silence of my walk. Confusion stops my hand from opening the door as it hovers above the handle, a collection of shoes piled below me. People don't usually come to visit in groups, the wolves become suspicious of illegal activity when we spend prolonged time together.

I push the door open fully, the sight before me confirming the wolves theory of us grouping.

The living room held a group of nearly twenty people, standing and sitting around in a clustered heap, their attention solely on me and my interruption. Oliver stands up so fast that I'm surprised I didn't get whiplash. His arms engulfed me in mere seconds, my satchel dropping onto the floor as I find comfort in his warmth, clutching onto him as I unravel.

My tears stain his grey shirt and he pulls away from me only to crash his lips down onto mine, my face fitting in his hands perfectly as he rests his forehead onto mine.

"Wha-, what are all these people doing here Ollie," I gulp, my shaky hands resting over the top of his. His hands move from my cheek, taking my hand with him as he turns to the group of silent onlookers who sit with looks of sympathy on their face.

"Welcome to the Resistance Mae."

****

Soon after Oliver revealed the newly formed alliance between the humans in our district, they left. They had a plan to escape the pack.

A plan to get as many of us out as possible before we met similar fates to those who were taken today. Apparently, not all of the United States was overridden by wolves.

There are rumours of an underground community of humans, living scattered in deserted areas with enough ammunition to fight off the wolves who preyed on them.

At first, I didn't believe what they were saying, the notion of an escape from this place had been too good to be true. But the persistence and devotion to a cause that had seemingly been in the workings for longer than I knew swayed my mind somewhat.

Oliver sat across from me on the make-shift coffee table, his elbows resting on his knees, hands underneath his chin as his eyes tried to decode my emotions. Tried to decipher my attitude towards all of this.

"How long have you known?" The words flow out of my mouth in a whisper as I shoot him a sceptical look.

"About a year now. I didn't want to involve you until I knew for sure how legitimate it all was."

A year. He knew about this all for a year and didn't think to inform me, his wife.

"And when exactly were you planning on involving me hmm? Oliver, I am fully capable of handling myself without you being there to monitor all that I do. I understand that you felt it was necessary but it wasn't, I am not okay with being left in the dark especially when it is about subjects that affect me directly."

He nods his head, the guilt evident on his face. My stern look was enough to stop him from trying to defend himself. Oliver was in the special ops of the military when this all broke out, his need to protect information that could potentially harm people if given to the wrongly distributed most likely blinded the trust he had for his wife. Me.

"I'm sorry." He sincerely spoke, eye contact not wavering once.

"Where are Carter and Noah? Surely they would be back by now." His quizzical voice sent pain rushing through my body as my expression dropped into hurt.

"Carter seemed a little, preoccupied when we got off the transportation. He should come back soon though, in an hour maybe." My eyes flitted around nervously as I took a deep breath, biting my lip as I braced myself for his response. He nodded, obviously happy at the news of his brother's safety.

"And Noah?" His hopeful voice matched the look his pleading eyes gave me as my stomach dropped. I slowly began to shake my head, his face crumpling as tears fell onto my shirt from my puffy red eyes.

His tough facade cracks and he lets out a mangled sob, his hands running through his dark hair. I sit at his side in an instant, placing a comforting hand on his back as I rub circles, tears streaming down both of our faces.

"Maybe- Maybe there is some way we can get him out I mean if- if we plan it well enough-" I cut off his broken rambling, the desperation on his face causing me to visibly wince. I haven't seen Oliver cry like this in years, he is always the strongest one of us all.

"He was taken by the Beta family Ollie, there is no way we can get him back now. He is a smart kid he'll take care of himself."

He gets up abruptly and kicks the sofa, his body trembling with rage.

"They can't just keep doing this Maeve! Noah. Our Noah."

I lift myself and wrap my arms around his torso, securing my grip tightly as his large frame hunches over me for support. He began to cry with substantial force, his rage transforming into depression instantaneously.

We didn't let go of each other the entire night. No one. Not wolf nor man could tear us apart as we seek comfort in the warmth that we offered each other. Noah was gone and it was only a matter of time until we became too weak to survive, too old or sick or frail.

We decided that night that kids would never be an option, my homemade contraception now permanent. Children meant protection once we grew old, and although we hadn't directly discussed the idea of a family before, I knew it was something we both wanted.

If things weren't like this then we probably would have had kids, seeing them grow and develop into kind human beings. Oliver would have made a great dad, I just know it.

I had the image of him playing with them in the yard, teaching them lessons, loving them, pictured so perfectly in my mind that knowing I will never see it is torture.

I never knew who my parents were. They died when I was an infant and I never got to experience my early life with people who whole-heartedly cared for my wellbeing like a parent does their child. I wanted so badly to nurture a child of my own into this world.

To give them what I never had and to do so with Oliver by me every second of the way.

But I cannot protect my child in a world like this. I refuse to be that woman in the square screaming in agony as a beast takes my baby from me. I won't.

I get up early the next morning as usual. Changing into my clothes as I look at Oliver sleeping. I don't have the heart to interrupt his peace, I don't want him to have to wake up and realise his misery once again. I slowly move into the kitchen, dragging myself sluggishly against the wooden floor, the emotionally draining day weighing down on me heavily.

Carters presence shocks me slightly as he leans over the pot of boiling oats, his mind in a trance.

"Hey, I didn't realise you'd be up so early," I comment quietly, his blond hair swaying on his head as he turns to face me. His eyes look semi-swollen and sunken in, indicating his sleep deprivation.

"Yeah, I just-" He stops himself short before looking down at the ground, a painful expression forming on his face.

"I couldn't sleep." He mumbled. I nodded and decided to leave the topic of Noah alone, for now, the sensitivity in his voice convincing me that he didn't want to talk about it.

Which is fair enough, we all loved Noah and I think although there is a void in our hearts that cannot be filled without his charming presence, we understand that to survive we need to keep moving forward.

"You didn't get home until late last night," I comment, noticing the slight blush that formed on his face as he turned to stir the oats in the pot, clearing his throat.

"Um yeah, I was just... thinking you know? Taking some time away from it all." His vague answer had me even more suspicious as I hummed in response, moving to get out bowls. He let out a small breath, clearly thinking I wasn't aware of his newly found love.

"Thinking about a particular girl? Perhaps the one I saw you give a very friendly welcome to in the town square yesterday?"

His back tensed and I knew I had caught him red-handed, his hand moving to scratch his neck nervously.

"You saw that?"

I nod my head in response humming out a short mhm as I start to prepare my medical kit. I can understand his reluctance however, bringing someone else into our lives had not been something we did lightly.

Keeping to ourselves was yet another way to survive, selfishly protecting our livelihoods over others in a primitive manner only degraded us more. But sometimes you have to make hard decisions.

"Things are changing Carter. This shit world we have grown accustomed to is about to get a whole lot worse and I am fully accepting of your new, whatever she is, as long as you can trust her with all our lives.

Noah was taken because we let our guard down because we started to become content with the small changes in our lives made by the wolves. We have to be alert, be strategic. So do you trust her?"

My eyes held sincerity as I spoke every word with integrity. I trust Carter's judgement but with everything discussed last night, things aren't going to stay the same for much longer.

"I love her Maeve."

Those four words convinced me beyond doubt. Noah may never get to find his true love but if Carter has that privilege then I wouldn't even think to ruin it. Looks like we have a new addition to the family.

I inform Carter that he needs to be home straight after his shift, bringing along his girlfriend Alani. He and Oliver are both due to arrive home in approximately an hour, giving me enough time to prepare medicines that need to set in jars.

The sky has already been painted a dark shade of blue, it's stars twinkling above flawlessly.

That's the one thing that was good about the takeover. Wolves prefer to live amongst nature and away from the pollution that we pumped into our atmosphere.

Some cities remain functional, housing the larger packs and capitals across the nation but most industrial areas that weren't claimed were destroyed and turned into plantations.

The lack of air pollution in these parts means that the night sky is full of glistening stars. Some nights Oliver and I would lay outside on the forest ground, spotting different astronomical signs and talking about the different gods that ruled the realms until sunrise.

His father taught him about the stars when he grew up and he, in turn, taught me. It was under those stars that he gave me the necklace that hangs around my neck, a trinket that was overlooked by many in the markets but caught his eye in an instant. Inside, a photo of us from before, smiling stupidly in the warm sun.

I will forever cherish the small, insignificant trinket for the rest of my life because even though the silver was worn and the patterns shielded by a layer of rust, it was a reminder of my happiness.

I finish packing my medicines away as the front door opens, Oliver walking through first followed by Carter and then the tall islander who stood meekly behind them all, her nervousness evident as she shifted slightly on her feet.

"You must be Alani, I'm Maeve." I pull her stunned form into a hug as she hesitantly returns the embrace, stuttering slightly before responding.

"H- hey, it's nice to finally meet you. Carter has told me so many wonderful things about you," She smiles softly and her beauty shines even brighter, she looked slightly frail, the lack of nutrition showing on her bones in some areas.

Oliver wraps an arm around me, pulling me into his side. "We better get going now, we don't want to keep the others waiting too long. The quicker we can settle everything the less attention we draw." His voice was all business, cutting our pleasantries short and we all nodded before heading out into the cool night.

We venture through the houses on the outskirts of town in stealth, the curfew placed on humans had passed ten minutes ago. I hold Ollie's hand tightly as we slink through the back alleyways between houses, following his lead as he directs the three of us towards our final destination.

We approach a small house, similar to ours in size and knock on the door four times. The door opening to reveal the face of a middle-aged man from last night, his skin rough and worn from hard labour as he shakes Oliver's free hand and motions towards us with his head, a sceptical look passing over his face.

"They're with me, John." Oliver's tone is threatening and serious, his intimidation working as the door opens wider and a similar setting to yesterday night is displayed in the living room. My eyes land on Eva who loiters in the back of the room, her presence subtle yet known. Our eyes meet briefly and she nods in my direction I'll have to talk to her about Mary Lou before the end of the night.

A Middle-Aged woman with dark skin and braided hair wrapped into a bun stands up in the middle of the room and our attention is drawn to her.

"I'd like to start by welcoming our new members. Some of the people in this room are reluctant towards expanding our cause but I can assure you that the higher our numbers, the higher our chances."

Her comments cause certain people to lower their heads in shame briefly. I'm guessing this girl is a big shot around here and so far it makes sense, to defeat a pack we have to form our own.

"I'm sure we all aware that we cannot hesitate to act any longer. They are taking our children. Eleven people this year, how many next? Will it be your child? Your sister, brother, mother?"

The collective mumble of no passes through the room, Oliver subconsciously gripping my hand tighter.

"The claiming will not stop so neither can we. We have plans in motion to relocate us to a place beyond the packs, out near the Eastern states. We have created maps that will be given to each of you, the separate departures should take place within a few weeks, each with different routes that lead to our meeting point"

No doubt Oliver had a large part in organising that. As he has been working in special operations for the army since we met, his understanding of survival is better than most people in this room.

The claiming. So it has a name now, albeit a fitting one yet still, it managed to solidify the severity and cause shivers to travel down my spine. This is really happening.

A young man distributed maps to different people, including me and the meeting soon came to a close.

"Oliver. You don't mind if I talk to you for a minute" The leader asked and I nodded my head to Oliver, permitting him to leave.

"Yeah no problem, I won't be too long Mae,"

He sends me a small smile before turning to follow Jean and have a conversation. In amidst the people leaving I spot Eva and walk up to her.

"Eva."

Her expression is grim and we both know that this changes things for Mary Lou drastically.

"We can still help her Maeve."

I find that hard to believe, and I can tell from the way her expression becomes more drastic that she knew I would.

"I can get Mary and I both out tomorrow night. I have a plan Mae, and I know it will work."

Something stirred in my stomach, I'm not sure whether it was my body telling me to decline or urging me to help out the young girl.

"Eva I honestly don't know. How can you be so sure that it will work out?"

My uneasiness only grew as she pondered her answer, trying to articulate the most persuasive argument she could.

"There is no chance of us getting caught Maeve, you've been to the claiming and you're not mated. We will be in disguise and nobody will notice us, they are all too preoccupied with taming the human mates and catering for pack guests. This is the best time to do it."

She had a point, I'm not mated. I'm not a hero, I don't think I ever really have been one. I try to help others where I can and sometimes that does involve putting my life on the line. It's not a matter of what happens if I do this. It's a matter of what happens if I don't.

Another human dies because of this world, another child. I take a gulp and nod my head, lifting my gaze to meet her directly.

"I'll come by in the afternoon tomorrow, be ready. Thank you, in a few weeks we will be free of this place, hold onto that."

Eva stiffens as an arm is draped over my shoulders, Oliver looking between us with concern at the serious atmosphere.

"Thank you again Maeve, I will see you later. Oliver." She acknowledges his presence with a mere nod and stalks out of the room hastily.

Oliver looks down at me with furrowed brows and opens his mouth to question me but I manage to cut him off.

"Is it time to head off now? I'm getting quite tired," I fake a yawn and lean into him and he chuckles before we begin to walk towards the door.

Now all that's left to do is convince Oliver that my new mission is worthwhile in less than twelve hours.

Something tells me that won't go down smoothly.

AUTHORS NOTE

Shoutout to @the-romantic69 @hannah4nah @Epy_Noreen afragmentoftruth for commenting so much! I am so grateful for you guys :)

Hey guys! I am so sorry for the late update, I haven't got a clear update schedule as of yet but I am aiming to release two chapters a week

Please please comment and vote and reach out to me with any feedback! I appreciate every single one of you so much :)

For hints on upcoming chapters follow my Instagram @theauthorsoasis !!!

Lots and lots of love,

Khalesi x

EDITED