Past Love

Hope is Not The Goal Part two

                    "I'm not going anywhere....I promised always and forever, remember?" she recounted as her lips curved into a soft smile.

                    Back at Salvatore's Boarding School, Rafael walks down an empty hallway and turns to go up some stairs when suddenly Jed appears, blocking his route. "Foster kid. I've been looking for you," he said, his voice holding an undertone of superiority. Rafael tries to turn around, but other werewolves block his path.

                    He looks at Jed, "I really need to get to class. Can't we catch up later?" Rafael asked. Jed folds his arms, making it clear that Rafael isn't going anywhere without his permission. Rafael sighed, "Look, uh, Jed, right? I don't want any problems," he explained. Jed slowly steps down until he's right in front of Rafael.

                  "Neither do we. We just want to initiate you into the pack," Jed says, looking down at him, but the tone in his voice makes it very clear. Either Rafael obeyed, or there would be problems. His old self would have just swung at Jed by now, but he honestly liked the school, and if he got into a fight, he might not see Stefan again.

                    "...Fine," Rafael said.

                    Jed smirks, "Okay. The process is simple. You triggered your werewolf curse this month, which means you killed somebody recently. Maybe on purpose, maybe not. All you have to do is tell us the story. That's our rite of passage," he explained as if such a horrible experience was easy to talk about with strangers.

                   Rafael becomes uneasy at the information, "Yeah, I'm not really a pack kinda guy," he divulged. Jed's Eyes narrowed at the answer as the muscles along their jaw clenched.

                    "You still don't get it, do you? You don't have a choice. You can submit or you can bleed and then submit. It's your call," he spat. Their voice was stern, and they had no vestige of sympathy in its hardness. Rafael looks down as if thinking, then tries to lunge past Jed, but he grabs him, causing the two teens to struggle at first. Jed gets a few hits in when the other two werewolves move forward to aid their alpha. Before they can, someone from behind slams their heads together, causing them to collapse. The sound of his lackey's groans caused Jed to halt, allowing Rafael to escape his grip and run off. Jed was about to chase after him, but a deep, ominous growl caused him to grow unnaturally still. At first, his body didn't want to listen to his command, but he managed to slowly turn towards the sound, revealing Stefan standing over the two teen werewolves. The Lycans glowing bright red eyes blazed murderously as his lips pulled back to expose clenched wolf-like canines. The tiny hairs across Jed's body stood on end as a primitive warning of danger. Stefan moves forward until he is standing right next to Jed, like just two students passing each other.

                    "Back off, or you will find out the difference between a real alpha and a fraud," he growled with the authority of someone who was not to be crossed. Stefan's very presence radiated a menacing aura, causing Jed's pulse to throb in his ears, and the relentless thought of worst-case scenarios filled his mind.

                    Seconds later, clouds began to darken as the wind blew heavily against the trees of the forest. The old mill stood like a forgotten relic, its wooden beams sagging under the weight of time. The air smelled of damp wood and decay. Rafael storms through its doorway as his face contorted into a mask of rage, brows furrowed, lips curled into a snarl. His breaths growled in his throat as Raf's eyes glowed bright yellow with the intensity of a savage fire. Rain pelted the roof, a symphony of fury that matched the turmoil within him. His rage surged, and he kicked an old crate, splintering it into shards. The sound echoed, swallowed by the vast emptiness. Raf's breaths came in ragged bursts as he picked up a rusted wrench, its weight comforting in his hand. The image of Jed filled his mind, igniting another burst of rage, causing him to hurl the wrench at a window, and the glass shattered. The storm invaded, rain and wind whipping through the broken window as the rain intensified, drumming on the roof, urging Rafael to release more of the tempest within. His chest tightened, and he screamed, a primal sound that merged with the wind. The old mill absorbed his fury. He overturned a wooden table, its legs snapping like brittle bones. The storm raged outside, mirroring the chaos within. Thunder boomed, and lightning illuminated the mill's hollow interior. Raf turned and swung at a wooden beam, the impact jarring his bones. The wood cracked, and splinters flew like sparks. He continued to pummel the beam as blood dripped to the floor below, staining it. But then, a presence behind him—a warmth that cut through the rage. Strong arms encircled Rafael's waist, pulling him back from the abyss. "Enough," Stefan whispered, his voice firm yet gentle. Raf's eyes dissolve to a beautiful ebony color, looking broken and spent as both boys sink to the floor. Anger melts into years of grief as sobs shake his body while Stefan holds him, grounding Rafael in reality. The destruction around them faded into insignificance. Stefan's touch was like a lifeline in a sea of rage and sorrow.