Born 01 - Born by Tara Brown Page B

everyone.
    "You have my friends here, don't you?" I ask stubbornly.
    The man with the smile frowns. "Who are your friends?"
    I watch his eyes when I talk, "A girl and a guy. They're brother and sister."
    His eyes narrow. "No one has come recently. Except you."
    He looks shifty. I point a finger at him. "Don’t lie to me. He's tall with dark hair and blue eyes. He has an injury on his leg. She is younger and about my size. She has dark hair and blue eyes, too. They look alike."
    He shakes his head. "Look, we don’t have anyone here. We don’t take prisoners."
    I look at the guns surrounding us and raise my eyebrows.
    He laughs. "You were spying on us and have a huge timber wolf as a pet."
    I don’t laugh. I want Jake and Anna.
    Meg gives me a look. "Why would he bring us here if they're not here?"
    I shrug. "The smell of food."
    The guy with the gun in my face points to Leo. "Keep him under control, and we can drop the weapons."
    I pat Leo on the head and scratch his ears. He shakes his head once. He still is agitated.
    The camp is like nothing I've ever seen. It reminds me of the band of merry men Robin Hood joins in the forest.
    I hear a noise I've never heard before. I turn my head when I see where it comes from. A small boy with white blond hair runs past me. He has his arms stretched out. He latches on to Leo, making me jump to his rescue, but Leo looks at me, lowering his body for the child.
    "Andy, no. Not the wolf. Oh my God, I'm so sorry." A dark-haired woman walks up to me. She looks older, maybe thirty. She's dressed in a long gathered skirt and a blouse. She's pretty in a simple way. She looks at Meg and smiles in a motherly way. "We need to get you cleaned up and get some food in that belly. You look like you must be starved." She looks at the man next to me. "Watch him for me while I get her taken care of?"
    The man nods and kneels next to the boy who is shrieking and hugging my huge wolf. Leo pants, contented.
    "His name is Leo. Be careful. Okay, Andy?" The man puts a hand out for Leo to sniff.
    Meg gives me a pleading look as she is dragged off. I want to reach for her but I don't. The woman with the brown hair has dark doe eyes that instantly make me comfortable.
    I look around and notice that there are fires everywhere. Small tents line the forest and lean-tos are staggered amongst them. I've never seen anything like it. Clothes hang from lines in the trees. The canopy provides the perfect shelter. I feel like I've entered a sacred site. Everyone is bustling about, as if on a mission.
    "This is like the Shire," I mutter.
    "You've read The Hobbit?" he almost sounds like he's whispering.
    My neck almost snaps as I look back at him. "Yes. Have you?"
    He nods and pats Leo once more.
    "Wolfie, wolfie, wolfie." The white-haired angel cries into Leo's dark fur. Leo looks done with the hug. He struggles to escape.
    "He's done," I warn.
    The man pulls him off, making the boy make an ungodly noise. "Nooooo, Will. I wanna hug the wolfie. I wanna wolfie. Miiiiine."
    I gasp, "Will?" The eyes and the smile. He looks almost exactly like they do. "Anna and Jake's brother Will?"
    His face drops. "Anna and Jake? My brother and sister?"
    I nod.
    His face grows savage. He lets go of the boy and grips my arms harshly. He shouts into my face. "Where are they?"
    I point. "I thought they were here."
    Leo doesn’t like the struggle going on. He leaps in between us and knocks Will to the ground.
    He has him by the scruff of his shirt and is making a noise I've never heard before.
    "Leo."
    He ignores me. I sit on the ground and make a whistle sound. He tugs once more on the shirt and backs away. He turns and saunters to me. He's overwhelmed. I am overwhelmed. He curls up in my lap. I stroke his ears. He trembles.
    Will stands up and walks to me. Leo growls and snarls in my lap. I look up at Will. "I wouldn’t move if I were you."
    His dark eyes play in the dim light of dusk. "They're alive?"
    I nod. "Last time I saw them."
    His