“Here.”

I twisted away from the window, seeing something horrid in Aiden’s hands. I hiccupped a breath, looking to the beaded cross necklace. I glanced up at Aiden as I gently took it from his hands, “How’d you get this?”

He shrugged, coming closer and sitting down next to me and hugged his knees. “I was interrogating the pipsqueak and went into his bag, clearly, he was all over the police department. He stole some tape too when you were attacking cops in the street.” He turned to the window, seeing his bright blue eyes stare out at the rainy outside. I gulped, staring down at the necklace in my hands.

“I’m guessing he watched it.” I blinked, seeing some of the beads were worn down from Dr. Nolind always rubbing them when in deep thought. My lips twitched a frail smile while listening to Aiden exhale.

“No but I remember that night.”

My eyes flicked up in time to catch the lightning. The guy in the fog. “It was you.” I whispered, meeting his calm stare. He blinked then turned back to the window. “You called the cops on me.”

“I didn’t but I might have an idea who did…” He raised a brow. I already knew the answer he was going to say: Raiders. I growled and turned back to the window, the lightning flashed brighter as the thunder rolled. Aiden suddenly getting plowed, making me flinch. Seeing him flop forward, seeing his brother hugging him from his back; trembling.

“Aiden, there’s is too much thunder and lightning going on!” He muttered. Aiden snarled and pushed himself up with his hands, throwing his head back.

“Let. Go of me!” He shouted, seeing Alex grip tighter. Aiden suddenly grabbed him by his jacket and pulled over his head, making the kid yelp when he flopped on his back. Aiden panted as he growled and glared down at his brother. He suddenly pointed at him, jabbing Alex in the chest. “Don’t. Fucking. Hug. Me… Again.” He glared, watching his shoulder hunch up. Alex’s head pulled into his hoodie like a turtle, only seeing his eyes and up nodding. Rolling over and scurrying over to me as Aiden chewed on his lip and glared outside, I gulped and stared at Aiden as he seemed to fall into his own little world. Alex now sitting on my left and huffed, he yipped and jumped at me when the thunder crackled; hugging me around my waist.

I growled but quickly swallowed it back down, clearly, Alex was a momma’s boy.

“Oh god.” Aiden sounded breathless, both of us looking to see him stare at the window as he got to his feet in seconds. “They found us.”

I didn’t even get to one knee before glass shattered, knocking me over and rolling. Alex surprisingly yelled over it and was heard, flopping on my back and seeing a guy in all black stepping towards him. I got to my hands and knees when something hit in my ribs, knocking me to my side. A sharp yelp escaped me, seeing one of them was near me. I jumped into a crouch mode, hissing out-loud. The lightning kept distracting me, acting like a slower version of a strobe light. Watching the guy’s hand raise up, hearing the crackling up close as the electricity ran like veins around his glove. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up, glancing past him to Alex, the guy had his foot on his tiny chest as he yelled for Aiden.

Where was Aiden?

Fire came out of nowhere from the corner of my eye, looking and seeing two men in black flew out from the hallway with the flames. I gasped, feeling a tingle brush past my ear. Completely forgetting about my guy, pulling away before he swung again, ducking and whirling around and looked for something but there were just papers. Damn Papers everywhere. Suddenly spotting a floor lamp, picking it and swinging with all my force. The guy with not trouble caught it with both hands, feeling electricity surge through me. Screaming, every nerve twitched as my blood boiled with anger. Everything flashed before my eyes: Home, Dr. Nolinds smiling, girl in the jungle, a city in flames, blood, people scream. Letting go and shaking my head and hands harshly, I clamped my eyes shut as skin soon got swallowed by my sheik fur. Slamming down on all fours, I shook my head and snarled at the guy as he took step back and started to charge up his glove. Alex suddenly screamed, seeing the guy was holding him and was about to jump out the window.

“Alex!” Aiden yelled, ducking a fist. The guy got his fist stuck in the wall, grunted and jerked it out and elbowed Aiden in the ribs. Aiden growled and threw a punch right in the guy’s head. Flames remarkably exploded from his fist, seeing tiny flames go everywhere. I inhaled a breath, running around the guy as he swung his glove at me. Running towards Alex and the guy, Alex noticed and reached out towards me then.

“Valerie!”

I snarled and leaped as the guy did out.

 If I knew we were 30 stories up… I would hesitate from jumping….

The cold air and wind washed over me, squinting from the wind and lightning. Falling closer and closer to them, feeling him brush my cheek as I snapped my teeth into the guy’s head. Alex grabbed a handful of fur on my shoulder, feeling him bury his face in my shoulder as we were still flying. Letting go of the guy, a building coming at us with remarkable speed, turning my head away. If I wasn’t so terrified and confident instead, I’d be willing to look down at the all the tiny lights and dots of people walking along the sidewalks. Wandering if any of them noticed us in the air like angels of God. Glass shattering rang in my ear, crashing through something hard then again. And again…and again. Slamming hard into the wall, I groaned deep and slumped to the ground, not wanting to move. My eyes kept closed, my lip twitched; fighting to hold my growl back but it came out in a snort. That’s the first and last time I’ll jump from building to building.

“Were okay!” Alex yelled, forcing my eyes open to slits. Seeing him where we first fell, running over to me. Seeing we were in an office full of desk, they were all over. I heard Aiden yell something, his voice echoing. I didn’t understand it but Alex must of since he pulled at my shoulder fur to get up.

“We got to meet Aiden at the docks. Come on, Valerie! Get up!”

“You didn’t take most of the impact.” I growled, getting up and cracking my back and stretching. I growled when I felt him climb on top of me. “What the hell are you doing?”

“It’d be quicker, now come on.” He kicked my hip, grunting. My lip twitched but I moved, trotting out the door and stormed down the stairs. We were coming back into realization since people were coming into view and the stairs went from concrete to marble. Clicking down to the lobby, hearing people screaming and scattering at the sight of us. Jumping over a couple off of the steps and landed on the main floor, slipping a bit. Sliding to a stop when red and blue lights flashed just outside, jerking my head up and baring my teeth. “We can’t stop, Valerie.” Alex chimed, suddenly yelling. “Raider!” I turned my head to the side, seeing three came down from the stairs where we came. I stomped my leg and turned back to the flashing lights, lowering my head and glaring as they started to get out of their cars. Seeing dogs were with them. Blood. There was blood. I sniffed the ground, sniffing in the air now. “Valerie, come on!” I growled from the tiny heel kicking me, jolting into a moving toward the glass door. Alex yelled and buried his face back into my neck, turning my head away once more as we ran through the door. Feeling the cold air and rain around me again, shaking my head and leaping over a car. Honking and screams filled my ears as I stopped in the middle of the road and looked around, panting heavily.

“Where’s Aiden?” I panted, looking around for the pretty boy

“Run!”

“What?” I jolted into trotting, looking back at him. Now noticing people were running and screaming away from us but they weren’t looking at us, they were looking horridly behind us. Stopping and turning around, seeing a sky scraper was in flames and was slowly falling over. My heart dropped to my stomach. “I did not sign up for this!” I growled, throwing my head around and bolting. Jumping up on a car, leaping from roof to roof. I slipped ever now and then on the cold metal, loosing balance and slipping off the hoodie slammed into a truck’s end. Yelping and jumping around it, panting with a burning throat. My heart pounded against my ribs as the shadow slowly swallowed us, looking over my right shoulder then my left. The skyscraper groaned as it rained flames on the ground, seeing its base hit ground.

            The ground shook violently, nearly loosing balance as I pushed myself harder and turned left when Alex pulled on the left side of my neck. Swerving around a bus when it nearly hit us, passing a tour full of people flashing cameras at us. Seeing a miles of cargo boxes empty next to the side of water, padding toward it. Leaping over the fence, both of  us grunting when we landed. It felt like Alex lost balance for a couple of seconds but he quickly shifted back into his spot, looking around the empty shipping yards as the smoke started to blow over here. I panted, slowing to a walk as I glanced around. I was soaking wet, cold with a warm spot where Alex was sitting (which felt awkward), and getting aggravated. I huffed in big breaths ignoring the pain that was growing, glancing around more as Alex called for Aiden.

“You’re a little faster than me.” I stopped and stomped my paw, glancing up and seeing him standing on top of a blue one with his hands on his knees; breathing heavy. His head fell as he sighed and stood up, “I was scouting a couple of hours ago and maybe we can jack a ship or something.” He nodded, disappearing as he walked to the other side. I groaned and lowered my head, waiting for him as he came over and was fixing his gloves. “Do you mind?”

I huffed and shook my head, looking away. “Your brother’s already on, why not?”

He snorted, listening to them argue of who get front. In the end, Aiden got bitch on me, climbing behind him. Walking slowly along the gravel, leaving my head hanging low as I panted.  

“Has anyone ever told you fur is quite soft?” Aiden asked lightly.

I closed my eyes for a second, gently shaking my throbbing head “You two are the first to touch meand live.” I murmured, walking out toward the docks.

“Well, I feel special.” Alex giggled, hugging my neck.

“You’re such a baby.” Aiden huffed. “There.”

I followed his pointing finger to a flashy little yacht, walking towards it. I “parked” beside a cargo box, when Aiden got off, I sat down which left Alex sliding off and yipping. Aiden hushed him as he walked onto the yacht and went below, both of us waiting for the coast to be clear. When he came back up, he threw the thumbs up. Alex ran past me as I stood up and turned around to the city, seeing smoke erupt from her not far from us.

This was once home but now it was nothing but a cold bed I’d never fall into again.