Shadowed

Chapter 51

I rushed to pull back James’s bed sheets before Kale lowered James down. James was still out cold and was looking a little green, his forehead all damp and sweaty. Tired heavy dark circles were appearing beneath his closed eye lids. I pulled the covers half way up over James. Kale stood next to me his arms crossed over his chest as he looked down upon his drunken friend.

“He’ll sleep it off.” He said.

“The drunkness maybe. But the whole ‘Adam’ thing we’ve got going on here. Uh uh.” I said shaking my head. “Now would you mind telling me that was all about?”

“Just leave it Kaela.” Said Kale who turned and began walking out of the room.

“Hey! You knew he was out there, and you most certainly knew about that scrap of fabric and...and.. EVERYTHING!” I growled stomping after him.

“James is drunk.  Never believe anything a druken man says. Let alone a drunken fricken shifter.”

Almost forgetting to shut James’s door behind me I marched after Kale and made a grab for him.

My hand gripped his large wrist and tugged stopping him in his tracks. “What bullshit Kale. Spill the beans and spill em quick buddy, before I go and look elsewhere for answers.”

I looked towards the living room to show my intentions and a low growl grumbled up Kale’s chest.

“Damn you Kaela.” He growled tugging me down the hall leaving the entrance to the living room behind us. I hissed pulled at his tight grip as I stumbled after him. We hesitated outside his room before thinking better of it and pulling me into my own instead. Once we were in he shut the door. Kale turned round and glared at me with his large frame blocking the door from view. “What happened out there was really none of your business.”

A small surge of guilt flickered through me. But with further thought , I banished it. “I didn’t know who was out there, you wouldn’t tell me.....”

“And I told you to leave him.”

“You didn’t give me a reason though did you? It could have been anyone. And what the hell was he doing out there anyway and as drunk as a sailor, nearly conked out and with a bloody piece of fabric?!!??!” I said raising a finger.

Kale took two heavy strides towards me.

“Did I have to give you a reason? Could you not have just listened to me and left the poor guy alone?”He growled down at me.

“And leave him alone, in misery. In the torment, and distress he was in because of that bloody piece of fabric?!”  I snapped my voice rising. “... no pun intended..” I muttered.

“You seem to want to be alone when you’re in a state of ‘torment’ and ‘distress’.” He said in a mocking tone and glaring at me accusingly.

I snarled at him. “Don’t you DARE change this round.” I hissed taking an angry step forward toward him. “He is one of your....good friends...”

A mental image of Kale smashing James into the living room wall had instantly come to mind. Well okay.... you do have your up and downs...but your still friends!  

“A good friend! And you left him to his drunken state all the way out there in the forest by himself. He could have done something stupid!”

Kale fell silent for a few seconds and I felt a small smug smile glide onto my face I was about to question him again but his sharp remark beat me to it. “He would have been fine. He just needed some time to himself.”  There was now barely a centimetre between us, and Kale was glaring down at me. I could feel the heat radiating off his body. Narrowing my eyes at him I stared him down my neck craned upward in at a rather uncomfortable angle. Kale met my stare and breathed down at me his stubborn chin jutting out slightly.