CLARA’S LIES

**Point of View: Lila**

My name is Lila, and my heart is racing. The group is shouting, and the fire is brilliant. With a voice as icy as ice, Ethan just told me to go. Pointing at me, the scarred guy accuses me of betraying my country. Clara's eyes are cruel and she's grinning. Sarah is gripping my arm tightly when I hear someone mutter, "Run, Lila, now!" in my ear. Sarah isn't there. It sounds like the wind. I'm not sure why, but I pay attention.

I break free of Sarah and take off running. I swerve between tents as my feet reach the ground. Loud, irate screams from the pack pursue me. Even when I hear Ethan yell my name, I continue. I'm afraid he will fall for Clara's falsehoods. The moon illuminates my path across the gloomy jungle. Tree branches scratch my arms as I rush past them. Even though my breath hurts, I continue.

With my chest heaving, I shelter behind a large rock. The shouting lessens. Shadows move in the camp as I peek out. Clara is being told where I ran by the scarred man. My stomach turns. They are pursuing me. I clench my fists, but I want to cry. I must have courage.

I stay low and crawl deeper into the trees. The ground is soft with leaves, and the trees are tall. Ethan comes to mind. Why did he not defend me? He is my friend. Our love is meant to last a lifetime. But as if he didn't care, he turned his head aside. My eyes sting from tears, but I quickly wipe them away. I can't allow Clara to prevail.

I hear leaves crunching underfoot. I hold my breath and duck behind a tree. Sarah is here. Her expression is worried as she looks around. "Lila," she murmurs. "Where are you?"

With my heart pounding, I go. I whisper, "Here, Sarah."

She rushes over to give me a strong embrace. "I was really afraid. Ethan did that, but why?

I give a headshake. "Clara told a lie. He believed her when she stated, "I am a traitor."

Sarah scowls. "That is incorrect. You are loved by Ethan. Perhaps he is perplexed.

I'm not sure anymore. "Clara has a sinister scheme. She told me she wanted me to go.

Sarah opens her eyes wide. "We must inform someone. Elder Mary, perhaps. She is pleasant.

I'm afraid, yet I nod. The other elders pay attention to Clara, but Elder Mary is gentle. This time, I hear heavier footsteps. I'm pulled down behind a bush by Sarah. The scarred man sniffs the air as he passes. Like us, he is a werewolf, and he is pursuing me. Sarah gives my trembling hands a squeeze.

She murmurs, "He's gone." "Let's go."

We remain silent as we make our way through the woodland. Now when the moon is up, everything is silver. The whisper I heard comes to mind. Was it authentic? I was saved by it. We locate a tiny cavern and take refuge there. Despite the cold, it seems secure. Sarah wraps her arm around me as she sits close.

"We'll fix this, Lilia," she promises. "You're not betraying anyone."

My heart aches too much for me to trust her. "Ethan did not defend me," I murmured, my voice cracking. "He allowed them to insult me."

Sarah gives me a closer hug. "He is mistaken. We will reveal the truth to everyone.

I don't know how, but I nod. Clara is intelligent, and the elders support her. The man with the scars comes to mind. Who is he? He's assisting Clara, but why? I attempt to think while closing my eyes. Even though the cave is silent, I can hear an owl hooting outside. I jumped at it.

Sarah says, "Lila, take a little nap." "I'll observe."

Despite my inability to fall asleep, I recline against the cave wall. Ethan's face keeps turning away from mine. I remember how much fun we had laughing and racing through the forest. I'm his forever, he used to declare while holding my hand. Now that he's with Clara, I'm hiding like a puppy in fear.

When morning arrives, the cave is cold. Sarah is awake and watching. "We must have a strategy," she says. "We can't remain here indefinitely."

I give a nod. "I'm looking for evidence that Clara is lying. Then perhaps Ethan will pay attention.

Sarah grinned. That's my Lila. Let's return, but we'll be cunning.

We make our slow way out of the cave. Even though the forest is silent, I can sense eyes on me. We approach the camp and hide behind trees. I observe Clara conversing with Elder John by the fire. She is grinning as if nothing is wrong. Ethan is also present, with his head lowered. I'm angry, yet my heart hurts.

I whisper, "Let's listen," to Sarah.

We hide among bushes and creep closer. Clara speaks loudly. She claims that Ethan is the best alpha. However, we must be secure. Lila was conversing with outlaws.

I clench my fists. That is untrue! Elder John gives a nod. "Traitors are not acceptable. You made the proper decision, Ethan.

Nothing is spoken by Ethan. He doesn't protest, but he appears dejected. Sarah stops me from yelling as I want to run outside.

"Hold on," she murmurs. "We require evidence."

With burning eyes, I nod. Clara is seen making her way to a tent. They have a hushed conversation as the scarred man emerges. Clara hands him something sparkling, but I can't hear. It appears to be a knife. My stomach turns around. Do they intend to cause harm to anyone?

Sarah draws me away. "We must adhere to them," she states.

We follow, keeping a safe distance to avoid detection. They proceed to the camp's outskirts, where there are many trees. Clara pauses and surveys the area. I'm afraid she'll see us, so I hold my breath. The scarred man pulls back leaves while kneeling. A box is buried in the ground. I notice papers inside as he opens it.

"What is that?" Sarah murmurs.

I give a headshake. With a solemn expression, Clara picks up a piece of paper and reads it. She claims that this demonstrates Lila's involvement with rogues. "Tonight, show it to the elders."

The man with the scar nods. "Then?"

Clara gives a mean smile. "Then Lila is permanently gone."

My heart stops. They are fabricating evidence to incite hatred toward me. I reach for the papers, but Sarah stops me. "No," she responds. "We'll pick them up later."

While my head is whirling, we steal back into the trees. Ethan is allowing Clara to lie to everyone. I feel like my insides are exploding. Sarah locates a hollow log where we can hide. We fit, although it's tight. My hand is in hers.

She responds, "We'll get those papers." "We'll prove to everyone that Clara is the bad guy."

I'm afraid, yet I nod. What if we are unable to? What happens if Ethan doesn't trust me? Now that the sun has risen, the camp is silent. In the distance, I hear wolves roaring. I get chills from that. Sarah stares out with courage on her face.

She says, "We'll wait until nightfall." "Then we'll enter covertly."

I agree, yet I'm feeling sad. I wonder if Ethan misses me when I think about him. The whisper that told me to run comes to mind. Did the moon cause it? It's brilliant in the sky when I gaze up. There are no answers.

We sneak back to camp as night falls. The majority of the wolves are asleep, and the fire is low. The box was in Clara's tent, which we approached covertly. As we approach, my hands tremble. Sarah gestures toward the floor. Beneath the foliage, the box remains.

A twig cracks behind us as I reach for it. The scarred man is there as I turn, his knife gleaming in the moonlight. Growling, he says, "Got you.”