Strangers of Love

Chapter 23

Mason's POV

When we arrived to the sacred falls, their scents were so clear and so pungent. The rogues were in sight, but Charlie wasn't. My heart raced as we all presented ourselves to the rogues, Matthew really shouldn't be around them considering he can barely protect himself. He only came because we didn't know how to get here from the house. 

As the battle against them continued, I noticed that more and more were coming from the woodwork, what kind of 'pack' is this? 

"Charlotte!" Mathew's voice screamed around me. Finishing off the rogue I had in my grip, I turned to see what he was screaming about. There lay Charlotte on the ground in fear as a rogue stood over her snarling. She had anger and shock in her eyes while her body showed the fear. Matthew threw something towards Charlotte, and before I knew it she had done the unthinkable in her case- she ended its life. 

Her heart beat was insanely high and I could smell her fear. That means the one person who shouldn't be here, can too. Greyson got caught up at the compound with rogues, this was an attack. This attack wasn't related to the fight Greyson and Charlotte had, the nasty f***ers got lucky.

"Matthew-" Franky's voice seemed gentle, almost too gentle with him. I watched as Matthew approached his sister. He was injured, we all were, but he shouldn't be walking right now considering the blow he took. He embraced Charlotte, calming her down significantly. I really do wish I had a relationship like that with someone, even my own family. It sort of hurt to see Charlotte so scared and so upset. She seemed like she didn't want to let go of Matthew when he made her. 

"Charlotte." I could smell him as he was approaching, he had stood back and allowed Charlotte to have a moment or two with her brother. He had watched with sadness and gratitude. When she heard his voice, her heart raced again. He was talking to her, attempting to reassure her she was safe with him. After the events today, I'd understand her hesitancy to try- oh, okay. She attacked him in a hug, they both needed it. 

Greyson was bruised and banged up from the attack prior, but he still let her hold him as tight as she needed. To think, the bully and the victim getting along, kind of bulls*** if you ask me. We all mistreated her and she trusts us. This isn't a fairytale, this isn't a story, this is peoples lives here. Normal people don't do what she does, normal people don't forgive entirely no matter how much they want or say. 

A crew stayed and more people were showing up to survey the scene and collect the bodies. The rest of us made our way back through the woods, towards her house. Franky took point and was in front of her, Greyson to the left, Matthew to the right, and me in the back. We all watched her act somewhat childlike as we walked. She was in her own bubble as we went, probably trying to keep herself busy with something so she could block out what just happened. I watched Greyson and Matthew both react to her as we went, it was somewhat nice to see everyone in a calm state - all because of one person. 

Greyson so badly wanted her to be his, but she wouldn't allow it. It was eating him up inside, and he could do nothing to change the result he got every time from her. His eyes had a new emotion of longing for her, his entire attitude was different around her. He's grown significantly, yes, but he's a good different. We all stopped when Franky stopped abruptly. Charlie was a dope and ran into him on accident, causing him to chuckle as he surveyed the area. Something was wrong, he doesn't just hold still. She peered up at him on confusion before turning to us and looking around. We watched Franky's body movements and language to gauge what he was doing.