The Beast's Possession

**Aife pov**

Jonathan didn't let go of my hand as he tried to pull me forward, completely ignoring my reluctance. At one point, I realized I won't be able to stop him unless I do something. So, like the adult I was, I dug my heels in and refused to walk towards the trouble.

Jonathan finally noticed my resistance and stopped too. Slowly, he spun around to face me and scanned the surroundings. "What is it?" He asked without looking at me.

I arched an eyebrow and chuckled. "What is it? Jonathan, I don't want to get anywhere near any danger, especially this. Right now, the most important thing in my life is the little bean I'm growing in my body, there's no way I'm risking the baby for anything. Especially someone, whoever the hell it really is, exiting some hidden tunnels. I can't do that, it's too much risk."

He looked amused, not worried, which honestly surprised me. How he didn't think this was a bad idea was beyond me.

Of all the scenarios running through my head, him, waving me off, was the last one, but that was exactly what happened.

"Don't worry about anything, Aife. You see, just like I previously mentioned, those tunnels are meant to be used in emergencies, but more specifically - to escape the danger, not step into it. Whoever is getting out is just as much of an outcast as we are now. Those creatures around us will protect them too. These lands are a sanctuary, not a torture chamber."

Now that he put it in like that, this mess made sense. At least kind of. The same as we, those people sought a shelter so I supposed Jonathan was justified in wanting to help after all.

Dropping all cautionless, I offered him one, sharp nod. "Okay, but if anything goes wrong, you're the one responsible. I expect you to protect us."

Jonathan grinned and instantly agreed. "I wouldn't have it any other way. Besides, it seems the creatures in these woods are very fond of you, it seems like the cake you offered was of their liking too." He added a chuckle to make the situation a little easier on us.

"Okay, let's stop talking and start moving then. I want to go back home and have a nap as soon as possible. I'm stupidly tired," I grumbled as I walked past Jonathan, brushing our shoulders in the process.

He walked next to me and laughed at my sudden change of heart. Here and there he pointed his finger in different directions to tell me about where the rest of the exits to those tunnels were located, but as we kept walking, I soon realized Jonathan knew this place better than I first assumed.

This wasn't someone, just sharing their knowledge about the things he had learned. Jonathan acted like a man, who had spent years inside those tunnels, escaping demons of his own.

And perhaps he was, but then again, I had no right to question him about his past. If the day came when he wanted to share his life story, he knew I was here to listen to him, but until then, I would rather give him time. "Almost there. This exit hasn't been used in a very long time, which makes me wonder what might have happened back in the territories," Jonathan whispered as his hand found mine and squeezed it.

I side-glanced at him and frowned. "The territories? I thought we were driving for hours, didn't we? How does that make any sense? Are we that close to home?"

Jonathan shook his head, eyes still trained on something in the distance. "No, we're very far away and you're right, we did drive for hours. However, there's a reason why people use those tunnels to escape - time doesn't work the same down there. And neither does distance. It's the tunnels that decide for you, no way of using your free will. Where the tunnels send you, that's where you go."

"Okay, this might sound silly, but I must ask," I started, quickly licking my lips and looking around. "If those mysterious tunnels choose for you, does that mean they can send you right back home too? I mean, let's say you try to escape your pack, wander the underground for a bit and when you find an exit, boom, you end up right where you started. Also does every pack have those doors to tunnels or are they rare?"

There were about another million questions swirling through my mind, but I focused on the most important ones not to confuse Jonathan.

My new friend took a while to answer, but eventually, he managed to find the perfect words to explain everything to me. "Every pack has at least one, it depends on how many the tunnels themselves feel are needed. To put it simply, those tunnels are living organisms just chilling down there, waiting to serve. The concept is a little hard to explain, but since they have a mind of their own, yes, they can actually send you back home. Those in dire need are directed away from any danger and hidden away, but those who don't need tunnels are sent back."

Jonathan stopped talking and froze in his step. As he turned to me, he squeezed my hand again and added, "think of it like this - imagine an angry teenager who didn't get the newest phone, cried wolf and ran away from home because they didn't get their way. Sometimes, adults are the same. And adults like that sneak into those tunnels. Unless it's really necessary, you won't get anywhere."

I thought along with his words and realized his words had so much sense now. It was true that many people overreacted and hell, I had done the same thing for more than a few things, so if there was a system to avoid abusing this safety measure - amazing.

"Now, let's stop talking and start walking, just like you said. The door has closed, it would be nice if we would get to whoever is there before they leave for good. Most people run as soon as they get out, they don't stick around for a pleasant chat."

Again, Jonathan's words were more than understandable. If I were running away from something, I too wouldn't stick around for long anywhere.

As he led me closer to the said exit, I couldn't get rid of this weird, yet exciting feeling building in the pit of my stomach. At first, I couldn't understand what it was, but when I heard my name being called in that familiar voice, I nearly dropped in happiness.

"Kala!" I screamed, released Jonathan's hand and ran towards my friend's voice.