The Bite (Book 1)

Original Edition - Chapter 49: The Treehouse

Ethan.

I heard what sounded like a hurt animal. I walked towards it and through the door of the house. What I saw made my wolf raise her hackles, it felt dangerous in there.

It was torn to shreds. I wondered how the hell they even managed to fix it up after the wreckage. The walls had gashes in them from claws raking them, the floor boards had been torn up, the tree trunk itself had angry claw marks on them, and different things were clawed out–words.

I could see what used to be 'Eli's damn couch' clawed out and then on another wall 'Lucas is a not just a shit, but the shit' clawed out as well. I hard to look so hard to see what it was that I didn't even notice the whimpering.

It sounded like a hurt animal. I turned and felt my heart drop. Ethan.

I could see him clear as day curled up in a corner. I walked slowly to him, I wasn't sure if he could see me, I doubted he could, but I had to get closer to him. My wolf wanted me to get closer to him.

His eyes were bloodshot, he hadn't slept for days–or at all, and he had to have been crying non-stop. He looked hungry. He hadn't been eating. I looked around and there were bones of little rodents and vermin scattered about. He had eaten, but barely anything to keep a wolf his age satisfied.

I could see his beast behind his eyes, his was torn into pieces and violently snapping in the air. It pained Ethan. I could feel his pain so strongly that it almost made me yelp. It clawed its way around me and made my beast howl out in pain; it took my breath away.

I got closer to him, almost within an arm's length, and squatted down so I could see him. He had claw marks on his skin and gashes on his torso that hadn't healed.

Self inflicted. They had to be. Those were claw marks and I remembered that he had been the only one out here. There was no way those would be this angry unless they just happened.

Shit.

I felt tears beat at the back of my eyes. My wolf was whining. She wanted to lick them then nuzzle her mate, but it was only a vision. A damn painful vision.

But the pain and sight of them twisted in my stomach. I wanted to hold him and tell him it would be ok. I wanted to nuzzle his cheek and lick at his gashes at he let sharp sobs out of his lips. I wanted to wipe the tears away and take him away from this place that felt heavy with dark memories.

"They should have killed me," he mumbled to himself. I felt my heart twist sharply. His pain was so much. It made my wolf whine and whimper; it almost took the damn air out of my lungs.

He looked so out of it. Almost feral, I wanted to reach out and pull him into my arms. He looked like he was almost day dreaming; looking into a place that wasn't really here or there.

It was then that I saw his hand start to form into a claw, a damn sharp claw. I held my breath a little. I held it as he raised it to his neck and mumbled again, "It should have been me."

I panicked. I tried to reach out to him but my hand went right through his. His claw was pressing into his neck and my wolf was crying out to him. I didn't know what to do, I felt so hopeless in that moment.

Fear.

Fear choked me as I watched him press his claw a little more firmly into his neck. He pressed a little harder and my wolf was lashing out. I was trying to grab his hand but I couldn't; my hand just went through his like I was a damn ghost.

I felt his pain increase and it made me gasp out as tears started to pool in my eyes. Suddenly all our arguments seemed so small in that moment, all I could think about was having him safe in my arms in that moment. My wolf was lashing out and barking wildly at his beast but nothing I did worked.