Taint, Time and Tangents✔️

≑ Chapter Twenty-Four

 x   U N E D I T E D  x 

Cover on the Multimedia made by: Girlwiththemessyhair   

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 C H A P T E R    T W E N T Y - F O U R

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CALLIE

Sounds of breaking twigs, minute explosions, admixed voices, laughter, and hoots penetrated towards my ears- with each passing minute, they were starting to become just a little drop of water falling into a large whirlpool of confusion behind my head. With them, even the smell of roasting fish, feel of the biting wind and the vision of a red orange embers playing under a moonless night were not entertained by my mind because I was too absorbed of what happened earlier.

Where did I meet his father?

That was the question repeating in my mind over and over again, trying to rack quite hard my almost-to-the-point-of-being-useless brain just to come up with a question.

Wasn't Zeke the only one left on his family right now? If it is, then he must be pertaining to someone I met before the night of his birthday.     

From the very few humans- werewolves, perhaps- who among them was Zeke's father, the one he always have spoken so dearly and highly? I couldn't remember someone closely resembling---

"Carter."

My musings were cut off when I heard that high-pitched voice accompanied with giggling and hushed voices. I pulled my gaze from the large bonfire before us and looked behind.

Three girls were huddled, one of them holding a plate filled with chips and nuts. She was squirming on her feet, eyes fixed on the ground, as she extended her arms.

"Uhm, h-here's something for you t-to eat," she said, her voice shaking with nervousness and embarrassment. I could see her other friends discreetly pushing her towards where we sat, towards Eight, er, Carter specifically.

"Great, thanks!" he said, reaching for the plate, but not before throwing a curt smile which I swear made one of them squeal and wobble on her knees.

Okay, what was that?

He removed the almost empty bowl of marshmallows on his lap and placed it on a space on his left, next to the other dirtied plates which once upon a time had so many food. Now that I think of it, we've been sitting in a cramped log, just eating for more than hour. And all Eight has to do was accept all the food from the girls, smile, wave and eat. It seemed he had captured as usual all the girl's hearts overnight. Every female in the crowd was obviously swooning at this moment.

So this was what Five had been bitter with from the beginning - how Eight had never made an effort just to be liked by everyone.

"Carter." I muttered, brushing off a tiny burnt leaf that landed on his hair. I was a bit surprise on how soft those bluish blonde strands feel under my fingers.   

He stuffed a handful of nuts on his mouth before smirking at me- making him looked like an odd species of a puffer fish. "Sounds cool, right?"

I looked up and met his eyes. His face was so close to mine, I watched how the reflection of the embers danced playfully on his brown eyes.

Something in his gaze made me lower my eyes and stared again at the dazzling bonfire before us. I could still feel his eyes on me- burning through my soul. Eight has been watching me the entire night. It was as if he was waiting for the right moment to say something to me- the moment I would let my walls down and actually listen to his words. He knew that I'd only nod my head to everything he'd say but none of them would really stick in my mind.