As soon as Waverly entered her room, she threw her bag on the ground and sat at the couch cross-legged; the box of jewels still on the coffee table. She leaned forward and reached for the box, holding it in her lap. Even after having it in her room for almost a week, she still couldn't grasp the delicate detailing of the carvings on the exterior. Becoming more entrenched in the history of Trinity Mountains and the Crimson Shadow's, Waverly began to wonder about the story behind the box and how many hands it had passed through before reaching her own. She glided her hands across the surface, appreciating both the artistry and memories that must've been attached to it, and then she opened the lid. Still inside were the jewels and gold that Sawyer had left for her. Although the box had remained in Waverly's room all of this time, she had not opened nor seen the contents since the day they were brought to her. She picked up the ruby necklace that was on the top of the pile, placing the
The shadowed man appeared. His figure the same shade of grey as before. He called to Waverly, but she remained unable to move; her feet stuck to the ground below. Then it began to rain and as the droplets hit the ground, green smoke formed around him, encapsulating him. When it dissipated, he was gone. Waverly awoke the next morning in her new bedroom, seeing the fairy-like canopy over her head, cascading down the bed frame. She stretched and rolled out of bed, heading first towards the dresser. Literally overnight, Sawyer had her items brought up from the basement and now added to the décor were her paint set, furniture, her sketchpad and the box full of jewels, which sat on the vanity. Freedom. The word kept ringing through her mind and she couldn't believe it. She felt that as soon as she placed her hand on the doorknob, it would be locked once again and that the room would fade, and she'd be back in the basement. But when she turned the door handle, it clicked open. Waverly s
"Get. Out.""Sawyer, I—" Sawyer's eyes narrowed and his body was tense. "Freedom does not mean you can enter any room you please." "I didn't mean—""I don't care what you meant!" he yelled; his voice booming off of the walls. "Do you think just because I let you out of the basement, you can just go wherever?!"Sawyer's eyes were staring directly at her, their colours protruding more than they ever had. His body was tight, the veins popping out from his arms. Waverly's body shrunk inwards, and she lost all ability to move. "I—" His fists let go and his face relaxed once he witnessed the terror in Waverly's eyes. He placed his head into his hand. "Look...just go." Waverly's mind reverted into itself and she felt as if she was having an out of body experience. She had never experienced anger like this. What was he hiding that could cause him to become this way? She felt so close to the real truth, it was almost tangible, and as usual she was being pulled back into oblivion. I
As they sat still, for the first time in a while, Waverly felt at utter peace. Her body was undisturbed and her mind was completely clear of any questions or thoughts. She could hear her own heartbeat moving through her ears as Sawyer remained quiet. Every so often, she thought she heard him sniffle. Just then, a commotion could be heard from downstairs. Waverly and Sawyer both lifted their heads while footsteps made their way up quickly up the staircase, becoming louder the closer they got to the landing. Once they stopped, Christopher appeared and he made his way to them. "Sawyer, we need you downstairs," Christopher said. Sawyer looked at him, his grief-ridden expression now full of concern. "What's wrong?" Christopher ran a hand through his hair. "They've sent more sacrifices." Waverly froze. More sacrifices? The Sacrifice was annual and every pack understood those conditions. Why would they send Sawyer more when she had only been sent two weeks prior? She turned to
Rather than returning to her room, Waverly made her way down the basement staircase through the familiar hallways. She passed each room before landing on the final room, which consisted of a wooden door frame and a stained-glass middle. She turned the doorknob, which opened immediately, and walked inside. As soon as she entered, she saw the window where she used to spend her days in isolation. When she looked down, she noticed four circular indents in the carpet where the chair used to sit. All of the additional furniture that once filled the room was gone and the only items remaining were the old wardrobe and the table. Waverly sat on the bed and took off her shoes using her heels. She tucked herself under the covers, her conversation with Sawyer still playing in her head. She couldn't process how disdainful he was being. As a sacrifice herself, Waverly understood the fear and horror that comes along with being chosen to meet the Crimson Wolf and although she knew the truth behind t
After her conversation with Sawyer, Waverly left the grand room and made her way to up the entry staircase to her bedroom. Once she reached the landing, she heard a door downstairs shut and then jumbled voices, one of which sounded like Christopher. She paused and listened closely, unable to fully make out what was being said. As she started to make her way back down the steps, she could hear the voices coming closer to her through the kitchen. Waverly quickly climbed back up the stairs and hid around the corner of the hallway near the banisters."You can't be serious," Christopher's voice echoed through the halls. "Giving up the sacrifices is giving up your chance to break the curse!" Sawyer must have broken the news to him once he returned. "It's either me, or the lives of those women," she heard Sawyer reply. Their voices were coming closer. "Then it's the lives of the women! Sawyer, you have to break this," Christopher pleaded as they entered the entryway from the dining r
As the next day began, Waverly hopped out of bed and changed her outfit, making her way out of the room to the entry. She grabbed her coat, which now hung proudly in the closet beside all of the other resident's outerwear and tossed on her runners. While she was tying up the last lace, Sawyer walked out from the living room looking at the tablet in his hand. He caught Waverly's figure out of the corner of his eye, bent down fixing her shoes. "Where are you headed?" Waverly jolted up, startled at the sudden voice coming from in front of her. She threw a hand to her heart and saw Sawyer chuckling. "Oh God," she mumbled. "Make some noise next time."Sawyer coughed. "There." Waverly stood up and grabbed her bag off the hook. "Gee, thanks." "So, where are you going?"Waverly slung her bag over her shoulder, stopping short of the door. "I was thinking about heading into town to sight see." "Hmmm," Sawyer said while he swiped once on the tablet. "Well, have fun." He started
"Holy cr*p," Darren cried. "What the heck are you doin' here?" he said as him and Sawyer met halfway around the bar and embraced. Sawyer patted him on the back during their hug and pulled back, keeping his hands on Darren's forearms. "Well, someone convinced me to get out of the house for once." He gestured towards Waverly, who gave Darren a small wave. "I knew I'd be seein' you again," Darren said, wagging his finger in the air at her. "How'd you do it?" Waverly snickered. "It took a lot of convincing, but I told him how much the Crimson Shadows need him and thought a trip into town might drive the point home." Sawyer assessed her. "You tricked me." Waverly smirked and shrugged her shoulders. Darren turned back to Sawyer, his face thoughtful. "She's right though, Sawyer. Things haven't been the same without ya. We're together, united by our loyalty to you, but we need our Alpha. A pack—" "Is only as strong as their Alpha, I know," Sawyer said, completing his sentence for