Chapter 27: The Mission.

HELENA. I woke up to the sound of screaming in the house. My eyes were wide and alert, and I dashed out of my bedroom into the living room. Veronica was sitting in her wheelchair, gazing intently at something on the front door. I shifted my gaze. Aaron. 'Can you calm down? It's just me." He said, walking into the room. He was still in his wolf form, so I understood why Vee had screamed. 'Aaron." I called softly. He turned to me, his bright green eyes piercing into my heart. 'Where did you go last night?" I asked. He exhaled, walking into the kitchen without saying a word. I followed him. 'You can't keep doing that. Imagine how worried sick we got." 'We?" He snorted. 'We both know there's no ‘we'." He chugged down two glasses of water at once. Then he faced me, his expression turning soft. He reached for my face, but I flinched back at the claws. He moved back, grabbing a pair of pants from one of the cupboards. Why did he have pants in the kitchen? He slowly morphed back into his human form, putting on the pants. Oh, that's why he usually goes into the kitchen first. 'I was worried sick, Aaron. I was." I said, looking away from his gaze. I hated that I was. I shouldn't be, but I was. Last night, I stayed up till 12am, just to catch his silhouette somewhere, anywhere. A part of me feared he had gone back to his home, again. But he said he wouldn't. He promised. I even asked Luna, but she told me not to worry too much. She probably had a good reason for not telling me anyways. I fell asleep, optimistic about today. I was happy when I saw him at the front door, werewolf or not. 'I'm sorry Helena." His voice sounded in my ears. He placed his hands on the kitchen counter, lost in his own thoughts. I walked over, patting his shoulder. I noticed a faint pink scar. Hm. 'I don't have a problem with you leaving the house, just tell us what happens." I replied, walking off. 'Wait." He called. 'Hm?" 'How about I make Mac and Cheese to apologize properly?" He asked, remorse evident in his eyes. I giggled softly and nodded, 'Go on." and he smiled back, turning to the stove. I waltzed back to the living room, where Luna sat and Veronica was using her phone. I walked over to where Luna sat and whispered,"You know what happened, right?" She nodded slowly. 'Yep. You wouldn't understand it at all, so I didn't bother. You wanna hear it now?" She replied, not looking away from the TV. 'Maybe, I don't know." I stuttered. The werewolf way is different from ours, and I don't know if I was ready to comprehend things that were beyond me. Luna nodded, focusing back on the TV. Strange, this woman was. I hugged Vee from behind the chair, and she said,"Done with your prince charming?" 'Oh come on. He's not my prince charming." I frowned. Yes, I liked Aaron but we weren't a thing. Sheesh. 'Tell that to your eyes whenever you look at him. They scream, ‘my knight in shining armor', like give us a break." She snarled. 'Why are you so grumpy?" I asked, my voice filled with amusement. She turned, glared at me and huffed. 'He scared me. He should at least give someone a heads up before showing up like he's gonna eat me." She said softly, and my heart squeezed. She is such a baby. 'Hey, don't look at me like that." This girl was insufferable. 'Is that why you screamed like a baby?" I nudged at her. 'You know Luna is one too. If it wasn't Aaron, she'd be there to protect you." 'And stray werewolves wouldn't just knock on a human's front door." Luna cut in, walking towards us. 'Something is off about this place by the way. And Helena, we need to talk." She cast me a glance before strutting to the guest room, her tail swinging in its elegance. 'Don't be scared, okay? We're all here. You need to get ready. Your first therapy session starts today." I held her palms, squeezing softly. She nodded, and I found myself walking to Luna's room. Something told me she wanted to talk about the scroll, and it wouldn't be all fun and games. I knocked three times, and a small word of approval allowed me to open the door. She sat cross legged on the bed, meditating. She signaled for me to hold on, and I waited until she finished and sat on the edge, motioning for me to sit too. 'Helena, as you know I only returned here with Aaron for one reason." She got straight to the point, and I got even more scared. I nodded. 'And time is running out for me." She produced a small paper, seemingly out of nothing. She opened it up and gave it to me. It was a map of Henley. 'That's where the scroll is said to be. We need to move fast. I know I'm not the only one in search of it." She pointed at a marked point, towards the North. I knew that place….. CALEB. I sped past cars on the road, earning a barrage of insults and curses in different languages. I didn't care, I had other things to worry about. Why was Kelly in town? I was filled with apprehension as I headed to his hotel. He requested that we meet immediately, and I only thought it best to oblige. Kelly was my father's older brother. We feared him, mostly because of the huge scar beside his eye. He looked like a man that could kill, and kill he did. I never questioned his authority, and neither did my mom or any other member of the family. Rumors had it that he was the one who even killed father. That was one reason I respected him. The clouds had gathered, a sure sign of a storm. The weather became gloomy, shadows dancing haphazardly on the road. People scurried off the sidewalks, shielding themselves from the drizzle that had already started. There was a traffic jam up ahead, and I thought it best to turn on some music while waiting. It was 'Strangers By Kenya Grace." The radio presenter announced as the song started. There was a lot of traffic, and I glanced at my watch. Kelly didn't like lateness. I still had thirty minutes to spare, so I diverted. This route might be longer, but it never had traffic. As the song played, my mind wandered to the look on Helena's face, when I visited her in Henley last week. Horror, disbelief, anger, disgust. These emotions were perfectly displayed on her features. She was still as beautiful as ever. The emotions all vanished when that…."man" came to her rescue. He was strong, stronger than me. I probably wouldn't have stood a chance against him. He didn't seem normal. I knew they weren't dating, but seeing them together pierced something in my chest. My resolve to get her back strengthened. I wasn't gonna let her go just like that. I returned to Hulvey to take care of a few projects, but I'd return to Henley soon. This wasn't over. I swerved on a path, my tires finding it hard to grip the asphalt. The car swung out of my control for a second, before I turned it back onto the road. I parked, walking towards the spot. Someone spilled engine oil on the road. There was a car maintenance store just across. They probably had a spill. It was careless. I beckoned the shop owner to come and check it out. They should put up a sign, warning other drivers until they can clean it up. Sheesh. He apologized, promising to get rid of it. Better. I continued my drive to Uncle Kelly's house, trepidation taking over my senses. I turned towards the street leading to his home, the place being eerily silent as always. Only the faint humming of my engine could be heard. I turned towards the gate, two men stopping my car. They walked towards my windshield, guns at the ready. I recognized one of them. Cousin Lucas. He locked gazes with me, his eyes devoid of emotion, before he told the other guy to open the gate. His house was still as I remembered, standing on four pillars, with contrasting colors of black and gray. The grasses were sparse, and there was a huge water fountain in the center. Uncle Kelly was never a fan of plants. The aura emanating the house was powerful enough to send any man to his knees. I got down and walked in, not wasting any more time. 'Caleb. It's been a while." His deep, harsh voice echoed the moment I stepped in. I bowed, 'Uncle Kelly, to what do I owe this prestigious invitation?" I heard his footsteps, precise, strong, and loud. He always carried a cane. Sometimes he used it on me, Kyle and Brielle when necessary. I kept my head bowed, awaiting his next word. 'Well, I have a mission for you." He spoke, standing directly in front of me. 'Get up, boy."