Chapter 553: The Ones Who Came Running

Presently

Annabeth’s hands were slick with blood.

It coated her fingers, soaked into her palms, smeared across Tobias’s torn skin no matter how many times she tried to press it back, to hold it in, to force his body to keep what it was so desperately trying to lose.

"Stay with me," she snapped, her voice sharper than she intended, but she didn’t care.

One hand pressed hard against the wound at his side.

The other moved, brushing against his face, tapping lightly against his cheek.

"Hey. Stay awake."

Tobias didn’t respond immediately.

His breathing was shallow now. Uneven.

"Fuck..." she muttered under her breath.

Her hands pressed harder.

Felicia pushed Annabeth aside slightly, inspecting the wound properly.

It was spreading faster than she thought, and she wondered if perhaps it was because Tobias had exerted himself too much.

The problem was the fact that they did not have any resources to heal him. Before Felicia could say anything, another presence filled the air.

Annabeth’s body sharpened instantly. She turned along with the others who had now surrounded Tobias, her gaze on the black wolf that now made its way into their midst.

The wolf didn’t care that the other members had their weapons drawn; she just made her way to Tobias.

Annabeth’s grip tightened around the hilt of her sword instinctively, but something in the way the wolf moved—

Purposeful and focused—made her pause.

The wolf reached Tobias in seconds and stopped just in front of him. Her chest rose and fell sharply.

Tobias’s eyes opened wider now, his gaze on the wolf, and since the first time she had met him, he gave a real smile.

It was weak, but it was a smile nonetheless.

Annabeth frowned.

But before she could process that, another presence entered.

This one heavier and sharper.

A second wolf stepped into view. It had wheat-colored fur, and the sunlight made it even more striking. It was broad and strong.

It didn’t pause long.

Bones cracked and shifted, and a man stood directly where the wolf had been.

He had blonde hair, and his eyes were bright. He was tall too.

His gaze swept among the members of the pack once.

"Who the fuck are you people?" he asked, his voice low, edged with something dangerous.

He didn’t wait for anyone to answer. His eyes snapped to Tobias, and he closed the distance between them.

"What the fuck did you get yourself into?" he muttered as he dropped to a knee beside him.

Annabeth tensed.

"Don’t—"

But the man ignored her completely.

His hands moved quickly, assessing, checking the wound with a practiced ease that didn’t match the irritation in his voice.

"Fuck," he added under his breath.

The black wolf lifted her head slightly, her gaze shifting to him.

The man didn’t need to be told twice. He immediately slipped an arm beneath Tobias, the other bracing his back, and he lifted him.

Annabeth’s eyes widened.

"What are you doing?" she snapped, stepping forward immediately.

The man didn’t even look at her.

"I’m saving my brother," he said simply.

Annabeth froze.

Brother?

"What—who are you?" she demanded.

That got his attention.

His eyes flicked to her briefly.

"I’m not telling you anything," he said flatly, "until you tell me who the fuck you are, who these people are, and why my brother is on the verge of death in the midst of you all."

His grip on Tobias tightened slightly. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

"But right now," he added, his voice dropping, "he’s my priority."

Before Annabeth could argue further, the man placed Tobias on the black wolf.

The wolf didn’t hesitate, not even for a second. She adjusted her stance and immediately took off. Annabeth blinked in shock because she had never seen a wolf as fast as that.

Annabeth’s hands moved instantly; she drew her sword.

The blade flashed in the cold air as she held it directly to the man’s neck.

"What did you just do?" she demanded, her voice sharp.

The man stopped.

His gaze dropped to the sword.

Then back to her face.

And he sighed.

"Get that thing out of my face," he said, irritated.

Annabeth didn’t move.

"If you think you can hurt me with that," he continued, almost bored now, "you should probably learn how to hold it properly first."

Annabeth’s grip tightened.

Her eyes widened slightly at that. She had been told numerous times that the way she held a sword could hurt her. But hearing it from this man made it even more irritating.

But before she could respond, another presence approached. A third wolf.

This one moved slower. It was black like the other one that had taken Tobias. Immediately the wolf saw them, she shifted, and a dark-skinned woman stood in its place.

Braids fell over her shoulders, threaded with red and white feathers. Her eyes were silver in color. She tilted her head as her gaze moved around, unsettled on one spot.

"Who are you people?" she asked calmly. "And why did I just pass Sam running toward the pack with Tobias on her back? An injured Tobias at that. Who do I need to kill?"

Something in the woman’s tone told Annabeth she wasn’t playing.

The blonde man turned slightly toward the woman.

Then back to Annabeth.

"That’s what I want to know too," he said.

Annabeth let out a short breath.

"Maybe if you start by telling me who you guys are, then I’d explain everything," Annabeth said.

The woman tilted her head. "Are you certain you have that choice?" she asked calmly. "From what I observe, you are the one who needs to do some explaining, not us."

The tension was palpable. One wrong word or a mistake, and Annabeth knew her people would disappear in the blink of an eye. These people looked dangerous.

"Annabeth," Felicia called, and Annabeth turned to the woman.

"What if they are the ones we came to meet? Tobias’s pack?" Felicia asked.

Annabeth’s eyes widened. She had no idea why she didn’t even think of that. There was only one pack in the North after all. Perhaps the tension from everything had made her slow.

She bowed her head to the man. "I apologize for being short-sighted," she told him.

"I’m Annabeth. I’m currently the Alpha of the Silver Creek pack. Tobias helped rescue us but was hurt along the way," she said.

There was a pause at her words.

"Silver Creek?" the man asked. "I thought Benny was the Alpha. Where is he?"

Annabeth paused at his words. She took in a deep breath and then shook her head.

The man opened his mouth to speak when there was another presence.

Annabeth’s grip on her sword tightened immediately. She was filled with fear. The members of her pack tensed too, weapons lifting again.

"Calm down," the dark-skinned woman said to them.

But Annabeth couldn’t calm down. A massive wolf stepped into view. It had silver-black fur, its eyes were sharp and intelligent.

And on its forehead was a crescent-shaped mark.

Annabeth’s breath caught. Her sword lifted fully this time.

The wolf gave her a look, and then it shifted. Bones crackled, fur receded, and in its place stood a tall man with wavy brown hair. His hazel eyes fixed on her with a frown.