They arrived at a location just as the sun painted the sky in brilliant shades of orange and purple. Sarah found herself drawn to this particular spot; it had a breathtaking field of wildflowers stretching as far as the eye could see, their delicate petals swaying gently in the evening breeze. Ever the observant one, Danny mentioned spotting telltale signs of small animals - tracks in the soft earth and rustling in the underbrush. They planned to set up traps in the nearby river, where the water flowed crystal clear over smooth stones and in the dense woods surrounding their camp. Sarah silently prayed they would catch something substantial; the monotony of fish for every meal had become almost unbearable. Unfortunately, that's all their traps had yielded in recent weeks, leaving them with limited options for sustenance. While the men ventured out to set the traps, she assisted Katelynn in establishing their camp, trying to create some semblance of comfort in their temporary home.
Her sister's sharp eyes didn't miss a detail, and she quickly pointed out Jared's absence from the group of men heading out to set traps. He sat there, seemingly lost in his world, his vacant gaze fixed on the darkening sky above. The sight made Sarah's heart ache with worry and uncertainty.
Concern washing over her, she called out his name softly, inquiring about his well-being. His response was a curt "fine," lacking real emotion or engagement. Her sister's eye-roll spoke volumes about her thoughts on the matter, but she chose to remain silent. When Sarah asked about starting the fire, his sharp "NO" cut through the air like a knife, startlingly. Pushing down her rising anxiety, she took it upon herself to build a fire, knowing their children needed warmth as the mountain air grew increasingly crisp. Despite being in the height of summer, the nights in these mountains could be surprisingly cold, seeping into your bones if you weren't prepared.
Katelynn's whispered request for a private conversation once the children were asleep didn't surprise Sarah. She knew precisely what weighed on her sister's mind; Katelynn had been trying to broach the subject since they left their previous location. The truth was becoming impossible to ignore, though Sarah desperately wanted to. Jared's declining participation in group activities had become a pattern everyone noticed. Her brothers and Danny had recently discussed it in hushed tones by the river, unaware she was within earshot, their words carrying clearly across the water.
She had been making excuses for him, telling herself he was merely exhausted and that this wasn't his element. His urban upbringing had left him ill-prepared for this lifestyle—his idea of outdoor activity had involved pristine golf courses and country club pools, not surviving in the wilderness. Their only previous camping experience with her family had been catastrophic, with him complaining throughout the expedition. His contempt for their current situation was evident in his bitter remarks about "living like homeless people."
The revelation of their werewolf nature had driven an even deeper wedge between them. His immediate reaction was to blame her, accusing her of somehow infecting him with this condition. His three-day silent treatment - a familiar punishment he wielded whenever displeased - had been particularly devastating. Even after news reports confirmed it was a genetic mutation they'd been born with, he never offered an apology, dismissively asking how he was supposed to have known about the genetic component, as if that justified his cruel accusations.
The inevitable confrontation loomed before Sarah like a dark cloud. She knew she needed to address his behavior before her brothers took matters into their own hands. Their dislike for him would only intensify if left unchecked, and she desperately wanted to avoid group conflict. The thought of confrontation made her stomach churn - she had always struggled to handle tension, notably when men raised their voices. Jared had learned to exploit this weakness, deliberately elevating his voice during disagreements, knowing it would silence her and effectively end any discussion. Looking back, she realized this was his tactical approach to avoiding addressing their problems, leaving issues unresolved and festering beneath the surface of their relationship.
Her brother Tyler returned to camp as she started the fire, his tall frame casting long shadows in the fading daylight. His protective instincts immediately kicked in when he saw her tending to the flames, and he shot a questioning look at Jared before asking why she was the one starting the fire. She grasped his arm with trembling fingers, explaining in a hushed voice that she wanted to warm the children up as the mountain air grew increasingly bitter. Tyler's response was a skeptical "hmm" as his eyes locked with Jared's in an unspoken challenge that made the tension in the camp palpable.
Desperate to escape the mounting tension, Sarah excused herself to prepare the sleeping arrangements. The practical task of setting up a tarp became her sanctuary – a necessary shield against the morning dew that invariably left everything uncomfortably damp. She loathed waking up to wet sleeping bags and clothes clinging to her skin. As she passed by Jarred, his commanding voice sliced through the air: "I need my clothes washed." The audacity of his demand stung, notably since he had explicitly declined her offer of laundry just yesterday. Before she could respond, Tyler's enraged voice thundered across the camp, ordering Jarred to handle his laundry.
Instinctively, Sarah retreated several steps, her heart pounding as she recognized the warning signs of an imminent confrontation. Jarred's face twisted with fury as he shouted at Tyler to mind his business, his words reverberating through the trees. Tyler, his patience exhausted, unleashed years of accumulated frustration about Jarred's treatment of his sister. Sarah stood paralyzed, her voice trapped, as childhood memories of similar confrontations threatened to overwhelm her. The tension broke only with Ryker's arrival and Katelynn's desperate attempt to restore order, her voice piercing through the chaos as she demanded an explanation. Tyler's threat to punch Jarred sent him fleeing into the woods, leaving Sarah alone again to manage the camp setup.
Katelynn, her perpetual source of comfort, immediately rushed to her side. Her gentle touch and soft inquiry about Sarah's well-being brought tears to her eyes. She understood the deep-rooted trauma that made confrontations so challenging for Sarah, significantly when men raised their voices. Despite being only 21, her life had been marked by experiences that had left permanent scars, experiences that Katelynn had shared and helped her through.
The memories of their troubled past surged forward – their father, a violent drunk whose thunderous voice still haunted her nightmares. Her siblings had formed a protective barrier around her, but they couldn't block out the sounds of his rage or their mother's screams. The tragic night when alcohol finally claimed both their parents – their mother's life in a devastating car crash and their father's freedom as he was sentenced to prison – had altered everything. The bitter irony of their genetic inheritance wasn't lost on Sarah; they still didn't know which parent had passed down the werewolf gene. A dark thought crossed her mind: if their father had shifted while in prison, the government's zero-tolerance policy toward incarcerated werewolves would have already sealed his fate.
After completing the camp set up, Sarah announced her need for a walk to clear her thoughts and regain composure. The protective friend, Katelynn, warned her against venturing too far into the wilderness. Sarah assured her with a promise to remain nearby, explaining that she was merely heading to the water's edge to refill her container. The cool mountain breeze caressed her skin as she followed the familiar trail.
As she neared the water, she noticed Jarred's figure seated on a large, weathered rock, his attention fixed on the rippling surface below. Her heart heavy with the burden of recent events, she quietly settled beside him, aware that the earlier confrontation with her brother had likely wounded his ego and pride. Mustering her courage, she gently inquired about his well-being, hoping to mend the growing divide between them.
His response came swift and harsh, his words slicing through the evening air like broken glass. "What do you think?" he snapped, his voice laced with venom. "You've made me look like a complete fool, and then your brother attacks me like some wild animal. If you had just done what was expected and washed my clothes without me having to ask, none of this would have happened."
Bewilderment and pain washed over Sarah as she recalled their previous conversation. "I specifically asked you yesterday if you needed any clothes washed," she reminded him softly, "and you said no." His response was another cutting retort, insisting that she should have taken the initiative regardless of his answer. The familiar pattern of his emotional manipulation emerged as he launched into a tirade about how he couldn't comprehend why he had to "put up with her."
His grievances spilled forth like a poisonous torrent – her perceived failure to meet his needs, her unwillingness to engage in physical intimacy before marriage, and her alleged prudishness. His voice escalated as he ranted about frustration, seemingly forgetting their relationship was barely a year old. The memory of his marriage proposal, made just before they discovered their illness, remained tainted by her sister's observation that it might have been motivated solely by his desire for physical intimacy.
The night of their engagement lingered as a painful memory – his immediate request for intimacy, her gentle refusal, and his subsequent outburst of anger. His words from that night echoed in her mind as he had shouted about proving his Love while accusing her of deliberately making him miserable. Any attempt to explain her need for commitment had been met with dismissal and accusations of making excuses.
She sat beside him in resigned silence, her emotional defenses automatically shutting down as always in these situations. Experience had taught her that any attempt at reasoning would only result in a barrage of insults and degrading comments, followed by his trademark two-day silent treatment. The isolation of those quiet periods always cut deep, leaving her feeling abandoned and alone. However, she tried to convince herself it was preferable to verbal abuse and name-calling.
As she gathered the strength to stand and retreat from this toxic situation, Ryker's voice thundered through the clearing. "Are you fucking kidding me?" The words froze her in place, her heart dropping at this new complication. Jarred's anger from the earlier confrontation with Tyler was still palpable, and now another brother had entered the fray.
Ryker advanced toward them, his fists clenched in barely contained rage, his protective instincts fully engaged. "You dare talk to my sister that way," he growled, roughly pushing Sarah behind him as he confronted Jarred face-to-face. Tears streamed down her cheeks as panic seized her chest, the situation spiraling rapidly out of control.
Through her tears, she pleaded with Ryker not to fight, knowing full well the damage he could inflict if he chose to strike. Jarred, his ego seemingly larger than his sense of self-preservation, shouted at Ryker to mind his own business and stay out of their relationship. The tension reached its breaking point, and only Danny's timely arrival prevented the situation from erupting into violence.
Jarred stormed off, his angry curses echoing through the darkening campsite, each word laced with bitterness and rage. Ryker turned to Danny and Sarah, his voice deliberately loud enough to carry across the clearing to Jarred's retreating form. He declared that he was at his breaking point and seriously considering leaving Jarred behind. The threat in his voice was unmistakable.
Her legs trembled beneath her as she made her way back to camp, tears streaming unchecked down her face, her entire body wracked with uncontrollable sobs. Danny's steady presence beside her was the only thing keeping her upright. When they finally reached Katelynn and Aliza, her remaining strength deserted her, and she crumpled to the ground, her grief pouring out in heart-wrenching waves.
Aliza and Katelynn immediately enveloped her in their comforting embrace. At the same time, Ryker pulled Tyler and Chris aside, recounting the horrible scene by the water. Tyler's voice, filled with disgust and concern, kept repeating, "I don't like him, and we should leave him behind." His words only intensified her tears, not because they were wrong but because they were painfully correct. Jarred's cruelty and horrible words cut deep into her soul, yet her heart stubbornly clung to love for him. The contradiction tore her apart – how could she love someone who mistreated her?
The memories of his occasional tenderness, those rare moments when he made her feel cherished and valued, conflicted with the harsh reality of his sudden cruel shifts. His manipulative words resonated in her thoughts: declarations of Love contingent upon her flawless conduct and absolute submission. She had desperately attempted to reshape herself into his perfect vision. Still, the relentless demand for perfection left her drained and consistently falling short. Katelynn's sage advice cut through her confusion – genuine Love, she emphasized, had no prerequisites.
Eventually, emotional fatigue overwhelmed her, and she struggled to stand, expressing her need to rest. Her eyes felt swollen and heavy, while an intense headache throbbed through her head. Beth, displaying her maternal nature, stepped forward with welcoming arms. She escorted her to the camp with tender care, placing a cool, damp cloth on her forehead to alleviate the pain.
As Beth held her hand, her soft words carried the weight of experience and sincere worry: "Though I'm not your mother, I care for you deeply, and watching you suffer this way pains me. Danny, Eric, and I have observed silently, but we cannot ignore his mistreatment of you." When she weakly defended her Love for Jarred, Beth's smile reflected both understanding and wisdom.
Drawing from her thirty-five years of marriage, Beth offered her insight: "Love should bring joy and foster growth, never causing pain. True partners lift each other up, bringing out their finest qualities." When asked if Eric had ever spoken to her the way Jarred did, Beth's hearty laugh and quick response about Eric valuing his manhood too much to attempt such behavior brought a faint smile to her tear-stained face.
Beth urged her to rest with a final maternal embrace, promising that tomorrow would bring better things. Her words, though simple, carried the promise of hope – hope that she desperately needed in that moment of darkness and uncertainty.