QOTD: If you could spend a day with your favorite celebrity, which fast-food restaurant would you go to?

The clock hand barely moves, and the minutes feel like hours. Sarah paces back and forth, her wolf stirring within her.  

Primal instinct would have her panicking and running out of the door, desperate to find Jax. I couldn't understand in that way, but he was family and that was the only way I could understand the angst. I believed that if I started to panic that would only rub off on her.

"I can't stand it any longer, we have to do something," Sarah says, kneeling down to my side, her eyes frantically searching the room. I take a shaky breath in to calm my nerves.

"Okay, let's go."

"Where?"

"I don't know. Let's just look around town. I don't want to go to anyone from Red Claw so we're on our own, okay?" I said. Sarah's large eyes were filled with dread as I spoke. I clasped her hand in mine, giving it a light squeeze. She looked at me as her lips trembled in fear. She was so different than the girl I used to know. But we all were different, and I think it's impossible to revert to who we once were.

"Okay. Let's be quick, and smart. We must be smart about this." It looked as though she were talking to herself more than  me.

I nodded, and together we stood up and walked to the door. Walking out of this door seemed like a death sentence itself. Disobeying Baine sent a tremor down my spine and made the hairs on the back of my neck stand tall.

"Come on."

And together, we stepped outside and welcomed the fresh air. We hesitated, closing the door behind us. I looked down at my feet, readying myself to run, but a glimmer in Sarah's pants caught my eye.

She must've noticed, for she said, "For protection." I nodded, somewhat disturbed by whatever she had hidden. Violence.

I looked around for a second before dashing off to the side of the street and out of the complex. Sarah followed suit.

"Let's go to the store, that's where he was supposed to be," She said, catching up to me on the sidewalk. I nodded and we ran off in that direction. Jax had been gone awhile, and he was the only family I had left. Or was he? "You're adopted" Baine's words rang out in my head and I shook myself into reality. He was a beast, and I was silly to think of his words as the truth.

"Stop!" Sarah shouted as we entered the parking lot. I halted as she commanded and noticed there was a black van outside of the store, men wearing black talking to who seemed like the owner.

Sarah suddenly grabbed my arm and hauled us behind a small sports car. We kneeled down to the ground. "They're from Red Claw," Sarah whispered, pressing her cheek to the ground to see underneath the car. I lifted my nose in the air and took a whiff. She was right. 

"Do you think they're looking for Jax or for us?" I whispered, clutching my chest. My heart was pounding.

"My bet is on Jax," Sarah said, lifting herself up. She was probably right, seeing as he was supposed to be the Alpha of our pack.

"Where could he have gone?" she whimpered, clenching her fists in her lap. I could sense her despair from a mile away.

"I know where I would go," I say with thoughtfulness. Sarah raises her eyebrow before realization hits and it looks like she's just remembered all that has happened; all we've lost.

"Do you really think he made it all the way there? To home? It's at least a few hours away by car-"

"Yeah, but not by wolf and Jax is fast," I say, doing the math in my head. "It's possible."

"I think we need to go back there, Sarah." Her eyes harden. "No, no way. We won't make it, we're not as fast as he is, let alone this pack." What she means is that I'm not as fast. 

"Well-" but I silence myself the moment I hear someone approaching.

"Yeah those Royale kids are pretty slippery..." I cover my mouth with my hand as footsteps come nearer. I look at Sarah who is breathing hard but keeps her gaze on the night sky.

"Maybe if Alpha Baine told them they'd understand."

"Their pack is dead. Do you think any reason will suffice?" 

"Point taken. Alpha Baine would be so pissed if he knew Elijah sent us to find the brother." They laughed as my heart sank. "Anything pisses him off. I could breathe and he would tell me to run to the boundary of Canada and back," One of them said with a dry laugh.  

Then the two men walked away, leaving me and Sarah to let out the breath we didn't realize we'd been holding.  I looked at Sarah, who's eyes seemed lost in the distance.  

Elijah hasn't told Baine about Jax disappearing. I was relieved to know that Baine was unaware of this, but I couldn't help but be nervous. Why wouldn't Elijah say anything? He's Baine's second after all. Maybe we have an ally.

"They're leaving, and so should we," Sarah muttered, grabbing my arm. "Do you have a scent?" I asked. Sarah frowned and rubbed a hand through her hair in a frustrated manner.  "Barely. But I think you're right. Maybe we should go back home and see if he's been there. He has nowhere else to go." 

I nodded, studying her. She was right though, our pack was so small that there didn't seem to be a need for allies. We never made enemies, so there was no need to make alliances with others. We kept to ourselves. And look where that got us.

I followed Sarah around the back of the supermarket, careful to avoid any wondering eyes. We couldn't trust anyone in this town.  It was just the two of us right now, but I didn't mind. There was no one I'd rather be stuck with. I had always looked up to Sarah. She was brave, strong, and confident. Everything I had aspired to be. And now, as I watch her, I see those qualities fading. To see someone with such courage start to crumble makes my heart clench. 

As we delve deeper into the woods behind the store, Sarah froze. 

"Sarah? Sarah what's wrong?" I asked her. She didn't move, keeping her eyes on the shrubs and trees that surrounded us.

"We're not alone. Someone was patrolling," She said to me, slowly inching forward, careful as to make sure her feet were quiet on the ground. I held my breath, the air feeling stagnant. I took a deep sniff, and picked up the scent of someone from Red Claw. 

"Sarah-"

Before I could finish, a large grey wolf came flying through the bushes ahead of us, paws outstretched, eyes wide, and teeth bared with raw snarls that echoed off the trees. With quick thought, Sarah shifted in an instant, her pure white wolf tackled to the side. 

I froze, unsure of what to do with myself. The grey wolf snapped its jaws as the two tumbled and somersaulted in a chaotic frenzy. I then recognized this wolf as the one that had attacked her at my old home. At Halfmoon pack. My beautiful, destroyed home.

I shook my head, feeling like an idiot for reminiscing at a time like this. I ran towards the brawling wolves, noticing Sarah weaken considerably. She was on her back, with the other wolf clawing at her belly.

I closed my eyes, balled up my fists and then forced my bones to glide into new positions. It took a second longer than I'd hoped, and yet right as I had shifted I was knocked to my side with a heavy force atop of me. As my skull collided with the ground, I was flown over on all fours. 

I looked up to see the angry grey wolf snarling, head bowed low, ready to attack. The pink of their slimey gums were covered in red. It dripped down his muzzle, down to his furred chest. I let out a growl, preparing myself. 

Sarah was laying on her side, back to us.

He then took a step, coming to me, as I did. As if on cue, we both ran to one another as we both found a vital spot to attack. We hit one another harder than I anticipated, but I was determined. I sank my teeth in his shoulder, but he latched onto my scruff. I clamped my jaws harder as we fell to the side as did he. 

To prevent falling, we both let go of one another. I took another angry step towards this wolf, but Sarah tackled him to the ground. I took this opportunity to slam my paws on his neck as she did to his haunches.

I looked at her as she snarled, blood staining her pure white fur. She looked like a crazed monster, the way her eyes were as wide as saucers, her pupils dilated, the way saliva flew sporadically from her mouth. She wanted blood, and I didn't blame her. This pack was to blame for all we lost. We were broken, and this wolf would pay for our suffering.

The grey wolf struggled under us but our weight kept him down. She snapped her jaws at him again, fairly close to his face.

I nipped at her ear. We had more pressing matters, we had to get out of this spot in the forest. We weren't that deep into the woods, and we were just sitting ducks out here.

She ignored me, threatening the wolf with snarls and snaps.

I growled at her, loud enough to catch her attention. She gave me a side eye of anger, but I knew in that moment she understood. She switched her attention to the wolf, who had now submitted itself to us. Finally, he stopped fighting back, aware that his odds against two of us were slim.

She let out one last snarl, before raking her claws through his haunches, eliciting a painful howl. I flinched back, splaying my ears as he released such pitiful wails. She then hopped off him and bounded off. I snapped my jaws at the wounded Red Claw member before I too followed suit.

I caught up with Sarah, watching her dodge trees and hop over logs. I watched her leap extra high, her head erect and her movement efficient. I realized, she then wore the blood on her fur like a war paint, and it seemed like she paraded it as we ran through the forest. 

She sprung about, looking as though she were excited, as if she had life in her yet to be discovered. And as I watched her prance through the forest, I couldn't feel relieved. She seemed lost, or stuck even within herself. I wasn't going to think too much on it. She'd been through a lot, and I could't give her grief if this was how she coped. We were all different, surviving on our own.

And so we continued to run that night for what felt like hours. I was exhausted, but stopping or slowing down wasn't an option. Red Claw must have known we were missing by now. If our long absence from the apartment wasn't enough to tell them, it would be that hulking grey wolf that attacked us.

There was something about the run back to Half Moon that made me feel free. 

I was under the moon, running in my true form along side my childhood friend. The breeze licked our fur down to the skin, and it felt like it was the equivalent to sleeping in silk sheets. As my paws slammed against the ground, my claws swept up the leaves from underneath.  This was the only sliver of freedom we'd been granted since being stuck with Red Claw. Sad to think that this is what we consider freedom.

I then wondered, if this is how it felt to be a wolf only, with no human counterpart. They were lucky. I wish I could throw my human emotions out of the door, and lose myself to my wolf; let her take over my life in this form, and forget about the world around me and those in it. 

I had heard stories of those who preferred to live their lives as wolves, and only become their human selves when needed. They were like us, just opposite. Maybe that's what I needed. 

I noticed I was ahead of Sarah, and I stopped once I came to a creek. I trotted over to the stream, and dipped my nose in the water for a second. A white wolf appeared next to me, and lowered her head.  The blood had faded on her fur, to a pale light red color.

This was Half Moon Creek. It looked the same as before, and it made my heart lurch for the past. Sarah was also in her own world, eyes fixed on the running water.

"Ha-ha, you can't catch me!"  I taunted Jax, who sat in his swim trunks near the shallow end of the creek. He grinned and stuck his tongue out at me before throwing a rock that landed by my legs, cold water splashing up my thighs. I gasped at the sharp cold feeling. 

"Mom! Jax splashed me!" I howled with a pout. My mom laughed, sitting with her arms around her knees on the shore by the grass, a camera in her hand. She wore a green sundress that afternoon with brown flats that had been left abandoned a few feet away from her. 

"If you can dish it out, you can take my love. Royale children must understand this," she said, her words coated with wisdom.  I frowned and crossed my arms. Suddenly there was splashing behind me and I saw my dad's hairy legs fly past me.

"Or..." My dad suddenly scooped Mom into his arms, where she flailed and shouted to be let down. However her laughter was the only thing noticeable as Dad swung her about and held her into the creek. 

"Get her!" He screamed with a toothy grin, holding her still, while Jax and me  splashed water towards them, giggling at our mischief.

That was one of my favorite memories when I was little. Mother was wise and father was wild. It was a perfect match because they brought out the best in each other. 

Sarah nudged my scruff. I dipped my head, and together we crossed the shallow creek that held much more than just pebbles and water.

The creek symbolized our being near our clearing. As we walked closer and closer to our old village, I could pick up on the scent from before. It wasn't as pungent as I had thought it to be. I flicked my ears forward as we followed a pathway that looked like a bike trail into our old grounds. 

I paused, noticing that all we had to do next was go around this giant fallen tree, and there we would see home. Half Moon, and its slain members would be there. Sarah glanced at me, then the tree, before she walked around it and into the camp grounds.

I hesitated. I was't sure if I could do this. I tried to move forward but my paws felt rooted to the ground. A slight breeze picked up, urging me forward. My brown fur rustled a little in the still of the night. 

I dragged my front paw forward, and the others followed suit. I wasn't sure what I would see, or how I would feel when I entered the campgrounds, but it was too late to turn back.

QOTD: If you could spend a day with your favorite celebrity, which fast-food restaurant would you go to?