Stars | Cato Hadley

Chapter Seventeen

Wren Eldrid was thrown over Roman's shoulder as he carried her in the direction of his camp.

"Is all of this really necessary, Roman?" the girl asked.

"Yes," Roman said as he let out a breath of exhaustion. Wren scoffed. "I don't think it was."

"And why not?"

"Because I was perfectly fine where I was." Roman rolled his eyes. "Cato would've gotten you killed in an instant. Now, climb." He said as he sat her onto her feet. Wren was taken aback. "Huh?"

She looked up and saw Katniss Everdeen strapped to the other tree with the other little girl from Eleven. Roman's hand on her waist caused her to jump and smack it away.

"Climb." He whispered harshly.

"What? Are you crazy?" Roman shook his head.

"Climb up the tree or else," he threatened. "Or else what?" she pushed. "I kill Cato." His District partner huffed in annoyance and fear but climbed the tree. As she was climbing she felt his eyes on her, more specifically her rear end.

"Stop staring at my ass," she snapped at the blond boy. He chuckled. "It's a nice view."

...

She woke up and nearly fell out of the tree she was strapped to. Her eyes darted around her and she saw him. The asshole that forced her up the tree, Roman Winters.

He sat in another tree with a smirk on his face.

Katniss and Rue were still asleep in the tree beside hers. Moments later the two began to stir and sit up. Rue rubbed her sleepy eyes as she yawned. Wren began to wrack her brain of how many days she had been in the arena. Five? Six? Ten? She couldn't tell.

By the time her attention went back to the two girls she noticed they weren't in the tree. Her gaze shifted downward and realized while she had spaced out they climbed down the tree. Wren unlatched the strap holding her to the limb and she slowly climbed down.

"We don't have all day Wren. Hurry it up." Roman said fifteen feet below her. Katniss shot him a look as Rue giggled at the situation.

"Don't fucking tell me to hurry it. You trying climbing down a tree at the speed of a fucking cheetah." Wren snapped at him. "Cato please come save me," she mumbled to herself.

Branch by branch Wren made her way down the tree. When her feet hit the ground she laid flat and began to hug it. "Ground, sweet ground." Roman rolled his eyes and hoisted her up to her feet. Her hazel eyes glared at him with anger and disgust. He only ignored her and turned his attention to his two allies.

"What's the plan?"

"We blow up the Careers' food," Rue said. The so-called plan was new to Wren.

"Rue and I will start fires to lure them away from their supplies and Katniss, you, and Wren will blow them up," Roman said.

The tanned girl from Ten was confused as to how they would blow them up. She didn't want to partake in the plan. A cannon sounded and caused her to jump. Her mind flooded with the possibility that Cato could be dead and she wouldn't know it. Roman saw her face and smirked. He hoped it was the boy from Two.

"I'm not helping you," Wren spat. Roman let out a long sigh. "Yes, you are Wren." The brunette shook her head and the boy glared at her. The glare alone was enough to make her shut up and look at her feet. "Good," he muttered.

Before they set off to start their plan the four ate parts of the bird Katniss had caught the day before. Wren ate in silence and drank her water staring at Roman with hate in her eyes.