Whipping Girl

Chapter 11: Spilling Over

I move fast enough for the stale air to whip by me loud and violent. Probably would terrify any creature nearby if they didn't know I was the source. I didn't care. Everything should stay away from me right now. I just wanted to bury my palms into the dirt and rip any and all life from it. I bet my aura flashed all kinds of colors right now. That too I didn't care about. 

I just ran faster and faster. Not stopping until the tightness in my chest became overwhelmed with the strong desire to expand just enough to ache with each breath. It was then that I slowed down. Coming to a halt at some trees, still in the territory. 

I'd been running in circles. 

They say your mate is not necessarily who you want, but what you need. Whether good or bad. I'd say this was worse. Only he could have turned such an impossible opportunity into this backhanded curse. 

I look up at the night sky. Standing tall, but slowly wavering. Tilting just enough to rest against one of these weak trees. The night here was so dark and cold. Nothing like the muted violet warmth of Devaleon. Not even close in liveliness. For the realm of Chaos the time of sleep was awfully lonely. You'd think there would at least be a little destruction. 

"Hello"

I spoke to soon. 

I can feel his breath behind me. It smelled like burning wood but stung like hot stone. The dragon wolf. How dare he even come back? I spin around. Tilting my head slight as I prepare to shoot him a glare. Yet with how close he is I can feel it. 

The unsettling sensation of absolute surety. The kind of surety only a man ready to obliterate could project. 

My voice cracks, "Wha- the hell?"

We stare eye to eye, but the amber color of his is unrelentingly always there. His scar glows a neon black while his pupils have a more maroon color to them than before. His aura glows with an emotion I've never seen before as blue flames flicker off his raised palms. Both hands waving as he smiles at me. In this darkness his sun loved complexion takes on a colder look. Dangerous. I dare say even more so than Xiang. 

I brush the thought away and step back. 

He steps back too, but then extends out a flame encased hand. Immediately I shove my own hands behind my back. Hiding them. 

Everything in me begs to turn away and run, but I won't back down. This creature is nothing more than an intruder. He hasn't earned this creeping fear. 

So I stare at him harder, raising my chin in challenge. Yet my fingers tap against my will. 

Surprisingly, he whispers. 

"Come with me and you'll be free." 

I shake my head no. 

"I'm not the Alpha Dragonwolf. That's what you really want, right?"

He sighs. 

"Alpha, before. You, now." 

I step back more. The stale air has taken a chill turn. His smell permeates the blowing wind. Wafting against my face, causing my lip to quiver. 

"Plain old me?" I joke.

"Yes." He answers far too seriously. 

Annoyed, I blurt out, "I have a mate."

He keeps that flaming hand sticking out, the other he raises up toward the moon. Finally his gaze shifts away and up. No longer on me. His response is dry and cold.

"I'll let him live." 

My body shakes. Illogical fear I hadn't felt in a long time consumes me. Like before, when I was weaker. I hide it.

Snapping, "Now I wished I'd let him kill you."

He suddenly growls. I growl back, pushing back the cold terror and redirecting my anger at him. 

"I don't understand why you're showing interest in me!"

He drops his hands, shoving them in his pockets. The flames disappear. He saunters my way. The distance I created now a mere memory. No longer is he my height, but taller.  His wings are in full display as he has partially shifted. Creating an even more abyss like shadow around us. The scar across his eye bleeds suddenly as if it were fresh, but the blood is maroon like his pupils. 

"The same reason you saved me." Is all he says.

I bring my hands toward my chest then cross my arms. 

Quickly I quip, "I didn't have a reason."

"You did." He states.

I scoff, "Or not."

He cracks a smile once more, "Your destiny is not your choice."

As his words echo against my ears I feel stinging on my arms. I look down just long enough to see that same maroon blood covering my wrists. My heart hikes into my throat and my breath gets caught in between. 

I run into him, slamming him to the side. Moving past him as fast as I can. Shaking the blood off my wrists as they heal. Quickly getting very far away from him. He doesn't even try to follow my pace. Instead I hear the loud beat of slow flapping strong wings. I look back as I continue to run but he's already out of sight. 

I turn my gaze back in front of me and straight for the house. 

Xiang is sitting in front of the door. Sleeping.

Relief floods over me. My anger is long gone.

The cold now bringing me warmth.

Hey guys! Thank you for reading up to this point. I hope you are enjoying the story. Please feel free to leave comments on what you think! I'll keep posting whenever I can. :D