Chapter 78


    The iming by Cooper (Jara & Mason)


    Jara


    When I left Mason at the cliffs, I thought he’d catch me quickly. When he didn’t, I was surprised, but


    also on alert. Just because I don’t see him doesn’t mean that he isn’t up to something.


    It takes me awhile, but I finally find a tree that will hold my weight but few, if any, of the males left in the


    iming. I climb high, knowing that Mason won’t be able to smell me when he finds me. I know he will,


    he won’t sleep tonight if he doesn’t find me.


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    However, because the tree is smaller, in general, than the others that I’ve been sleeping in, I can only


    go so high before the branches be too small to hold even my weight.


    I get asfortable as I can, using several branches that are bunched together to squish myself into.


    Between all of them, I feel safe that my little spot here will hold.


    I’ve nearly fallen asleep when I hear the rustling of the underbrush beneath me. Then I hear a limb


    snapping and the growling of frustration.


    I lean over and see that Mason has found me. I’m really surprised that it took him this long. As I watch,


    he jumps up again, only to break the limb and fall back to the ground. Then he’s up and climbing the


    tree next to me. When he leaps over to my tree, I feel it sway with his weight.


    Shit! I didn’t n for him to get to me up here. There’s nowhere for me to go.


    As I watch him, he falls to the ground, only when hends, he’s in wolf form and man is he pissed off.


    He begins scratching at the tree like he did the other night. Then he leaps up, trying to catch my scent.


    His howl of frustration brings several wolves to see what themotion is about. When he begins


    killing them without any warning, I know he’s back in the haze.


    For the rest of the night, I watch him. He continues to alternate between trying to get up the tree and


    scratching the tree as if he’s trying to bring it down. In between he’s attacking wolves who either try to


    attack him or are just in the vicinity.


    When he finally settles down, it’s the middle of the night. I’m exhausted and cramped but unwilling to


    move. Masonys down at the bottom of the tree, guarding me again.


    It isn’t long before he’s up, trying to get to me again. He’s whining and growling, then he scratches at


    the tree before jumping up and finally giving up andying back down.


    This goes on for hours. I’m exhausted by the time the sun starts to rise, but my adrenaline is pumping.


    This is it, I’m at the end. Only a couple of hours left.


    I look down and see that Mason is sleeping again. I carefully unfold myself from this tree limb bed,


    hearing my joints crack and creak as I stretch them after not moving for so long.


    When I’m finally standing, I look down again. Still sleeping. Good. As quietly as I


    can, I begin to make my way down the tree, careful not to slip and send debris tumbling onto Mason. If


    he wakes up now, there’s no chance I’ll make it out of here unimed.


    When I’ve gotten as low as I can in the tree, the limbs having been broken off my Mason’s attempt to


    climb to me, I leap to the tree next to me. This is the tree that Mason climbedst night. The limbs on


    this tree are muchrger and sturdier. I stay at this height where it feels safe, but also low enough that I


    can start making my way through the trees to the entrance.


    As I’m moving through the trees, I begin to hear more shuffling and growling below me. The ranked


    wolves are aware enough to know that this is thest morning, theirst chance to catch me and they


    are beginning to cluster near the entrance.


    I slow my steps, making sure that I’m as quiet as I can possibly be. I don’t want to alert anyone that I’m


    up here. At this point, they’d probably pull the trees down to get to me. When I get as close as I can, I


    look out to the entrance of the iming territory, my freedom. So close, but still so far.


    Someone, probably Elder Jason, has ced a clock at the entrance. It’s 7:30am. I have 30 minutes


    and the sprint of my life to make it out of here.


    I settle in, taking in my surroundings and the wolves that have congregated near here. They are all


    keeping their distance from each other, but right now, they are so busy trying to catch my scent that


    they aren’t fighting each other.


    I’m pretty sure I see Alpha Luke, Beta Elijah possibly, and several warriors from Seth’s pack that I


    know. There are some others, one definitely is an Alpha based on his size and others that arerge


    enough to be ranked members or just veryrge warriors.


    There are probably 30-40 wolves waiting for me, all searching, all whining and growling in frustration at


    not being able to find my scent. The breeze is in my favor and I’m downwind from them.


    I just need it to stay this way for 15 more minutes, based on the clock. I send a silent thank you to Elder


    Jason for giving me the time so I don’t rush it. If I tried to leave the iming territory before the end of


    the im, the males would be within their rights to chase me down until someone caught and imed


    me. This way, I will have Elder Jason, Seth, and the guards to make sure that I’m not imed.


    Ten more minutes. I look around, not seeing Mason. Is he still asleep? Does he not realize that I’ve


    moved and I’m closer to the entrance?


    Five more minutes and I begin to climb lower in the tree. I keep looking around at the ground beneath


    me. The wolves are all moving around near me, but there are none right here at this tree.


    I carefully slide down to thest limb on this tree. Three minutes.


    I watch as time seems to stand still.


    Two minutes.


    My heart rate increases. The wolves nearby begin howling their frustration that I’m about to outsmart


    them for this im. As the sound reaches a crescendo, the clock ticks to 7:59AM.


    One minute.


    I leap to the ground, running frill out. A second after my feet hit, the howl of the hunt goes up. I see


    Seth at the edge of the iming territory, Elder Jason standing right beside him. Luke, my guard is


    there, his gun drawn. None of them are looking at me, they are all looking at the wolves chasing me.


    I run as fast as my legs will carry me. I can hear the sounds of several wolves closing in on me. I’m


    close, so close!


    Just as I feel breath on my back, I turn, looking over my shoulder seeing two wolves right behind me,


    both of them Alphas.


    Because my head is turned, I don’t see the one that hits me from the side, knocking me off my feet. I’m


    flying through the air, when I feel human arms wrap around me.


    No, no, no! He shifted. He’s got me. I have a moment to wish I’d just let Mason im me before I


    scream.


    “Noooooooooo!”


    I feel the canines sink into my neck and a momentter, the darkness takes me.