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[Photo of Felix]
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"Lass die Liebe regieren" - Madsen
🎵 Weil du zuhörst und erzählst / Weil dein Herz laut schlägt / Und die Welt sich immer weiter dreht / Weil du fällst und immer wieder aufstehst 🎵
Well damn, I am officially lost.
Just mere minutes ago, Dominik and I had been making our way back to the rented bicycle to head back to the train station, when we'd gotten caught up in an onslaught of beach-hungry German tourists.
I tried to look around for the Polizei or someone who looked like they were an employee or whatever, thinking back to what I've been told in school regarding getting lost and stranger danger. What sucked the most was that the influx of tourists was so big that I could barely make out a single person or what they were wearing because they shoved their way past so frequently.
I've (innocently) gotten lost so many times in my life that I definitely considered myself pro. Therefore, the smartest thing to do in a situation like this is make my own way back over to the bicycle to wait for Dominik. I mean, he's bound to head there anyway since he has to return it eventually. It makes perfect sense!
Staying close to the railing of the pier so that I wouldn't be swallowed up in the mass of people, I made my way back to the beginning of the pier where it met with the sidewalk. The parking section for all of the bikes was to the right of the pier entrance, and my stomach dropped to the ground when I saw that it had been cleared. There were no bikes at all, including the white one that Dominik had rented.
Damn, the douche must've ditched me.
Feeling defeated, I sat down on one of the benches, dangling my feet and holding my seal plushie in my clutches. I kept whipping my head around, trying to see if I could catch the sight of anyone frowning or looking generally fed up with life, because that's gotta be Dominik!
I just couldn't believe that he would actually leave me here at the pier all by myself! And there I thought that we'd actually been having a fun day at the beach. Wow, what a dummy I'd been! For some reason, I could feel my eyes sting a little bit, probably because of the salty air from the sea.
The train station shouldn't be too far away; but when I looked over in the direction that I thought it was in, I couldn't see any indication of it. All of the buildings were built close together, preventing me from seeing down the streets and potentially gaining a view of the station or even a train. That, and Dominik had been the one to peddle us to the pier, hence he'd been the one to memorize the route. Truth be told, if I were to walk through the streets of Nordwestmecklenburg, all I'd be able to do would be to look for signs that read Bahnholf, because that's "Train Station" in German. It didn't take a superpowered genius to know that that'd only result in me getting even more lost.
Scheiße!
"Bist du verloren, Welpe?" a deep voice asked, jolting me out of my trance.
I craned my head over and nearly screamed in shock as I gazed up at the mysterious man from the train station— the one who'd made his way towards me while Dominik had been in the washroom!
The blood drained from my face and my fingers even began to tingle with nerves as I stared up at the man's yellow eyes. Sure I was sitting down, but damn! The guy was crazy tall! I bet he was even taller than Dominik, and based off of the thick stubble on his square jaw, I would assume that he was much older too.
And of course, because why not, the rest of the tourists near the pier seemed to be totally in their own world, paying zero attention to the strange older man talking to the young, but fashionable, little boy.
When I didn't respond, the man smiled warmly down at me, although his sharp teeth sent shivers down my spine. The dude seriously had vampire/werewolf fangs just like Dominik. This man must be his long lost cousin, for real! However, despite my panic over being lost and being approached by a total stranger in a foreign land, I couldn't help but marvel at how ruggedly handsome this man was, looking a lot like the cowboy men on the covers of those cheap romance books my grandma would read before she'd passed. Seriously, up close, I could tell that the man had muscles for days and that he must've lived in a gym. His shirt was practically painted on! His jaw was squared and looked like a model's, and it was covered in thick stubble that was a lot more manlier than Dominik's peach fuzz. If I wasn't so scared, I'd definitely admit that this dude wasn't ugly.
"Ich kann dich nach Hause bringen, wenn du willst?" the stranger asked me, holding out his large hand.
I have no clue what he'd just said.
"Es tut mir leid, ich spreche nicht sehr gut Deutsch," I admitted, my face turning red with the admission that my German wasn't very good.
"Oh, would you prefer English then, Pup?" he asked, his voice deep and smooth. There was a trace of an accent, yet it wasn't as thick, indicating that he probably spoke my native language regularly and most likely much more grammatically correct than me.
And, more importantly: Why did this guy call me "Pup"?
Lost for words, my head nodded on its own. Pathetically, under the gaze of the man's yellow eyes, I couldn't help but sink down further into Dominik's hoodie that I still wore. The smell of teen boy body spray virtually wafted off of it in waves, constantly reminding me of the jerk who'd ditched me (yeah, I'm kinda bitter).
And the man must've smelt it too, because the second his nostrils flared and he took in a deep breath, he looked ultimately disgusted. It passed quickly though, and the man's sneer morphed into a toothy grin as he kept his hand outstretched towards me invitingly.
"Are you lost?" he asked in his deep voice.
If I told this guy the truth, then I'd definitely come off as vulnerable. I may be overthinking the situation at hand, and maybe this guy was just a good samaritan, but I didn't want to end up on DW under some tragic headline.
I shook my head, scanning the pier behind the dude's broad shoulder for any sign of Dominik, but there was none— and that made me sad. I don't know why though. "I'm, uh, waiting for my friend," I lied, feeling my face get warmer. "He should be here in about five minutes."
His smile disappeared and his yellow eyes narrowed as they focused in on my lying face, scrutinizing. "Right," he huffed, clicking his tongue in thought. "Well, how about I wait here with you then?"
"Why?" I blurted, unable to wrap my head around why this randoms stranger would want to sit on the bench with me.
The corners of his mouth pulled upwards, his large canine teeth poking out over his lips. "I just want to make sure that my pup stays safe," he answered matter-of-factly. He sat down on the bench close to me. With him so near, I could smell his cologne, which reminded me the woods for some reason, it was so oaky and musky.
Dare I say, sitting next to him was kind of... nice? I don't know. I mean, it was cold in this little German town because of how close it was to the ocean. Dominik had been my own personal heater before he'd left, but now this man sat next to me, and I could feel the heat radiating off him and it warmed me up. I wanted to scoot closer to him, but I also didn't think it was a good idea. It was a very conflicting feeling I had in the pit of my stomach.
For the millionth time, I looked around for Dominik, irked when I couldn't spot him.
"I'm Felix, by the way," the man, Felix apparently, introduced himself, holding out a big hand again for me to take.
If Emilia were here, she'd say something snarky and funny, making me feel tons better. I really wish she was here, too! However, she's in Frankfurt, planning my untimely demise, therefore, I was left to my own devices. Unable to come up with anything witty or smart to say, I grabbed Felix's large hand with my tiny one, watching in awe as his paw was able to completely engulf mine with his handshake.
His skin was hot, and as soon as we touched, I could feel a little spark. It was similar to whenever I'd dragged my feet on the carpet and then poked my sister, but I could feel the whole sensation over my petite body. Weird.
Felix had to have felt it too, because his smile stretched even bigger as soon as I held his hand. He gave it a firm shake... but he didn't let go.
"Um," I stalled, trying to think up a fake name to give him. My brain raced a million kilometers an hour, desperately trying to think up some kind of identity that I could give this total stranger who seemed to have an interest in me. I mean, I get it, but stranger danger is real.
Felix leaned in slightly, and I swear it was because he was eager to learn my name.
"My, uh, my name's..." I trailed off, searching around the tiny town for an advertisement or billboard that I could snag a name from when I saw a small window poster for Pepsi Max. "My name is Max."
Damn it!
"Max," Felix repeated thoughtfully. "And, correct me if I'm wrong, but you're from... Canada?"
My jaw hung low and I wondered how this random stranger could possibility know where I'm from. "How...?" I murmured in awe, clutching my new seal plushie closer to me out of instinct.
Felix chuckled, giving my hand a light squeeze. "You pronounced 'About' like 'a-BOOT'."
Double damn it!
My tiny heart beat in my chest a little faster as I considered all of the facts right now: I was in Nordwestmecklenburg, which was a five hour journey from Dad's house without my phone. I'd been here with Dominik, but now I couldn't find him. And now, I was with some stranger named Felix.
I mean, I guess I could ask him how I could get to the train station. I failed to see the harm in that. After all, there were some tourists still out on the street, and if the man tried anything funny, I could scream. It made sense to me. Plus, what other option did I have?
"Felix," I began to ask, noting how the man's smile grew when I said his name, "do you know where the train station is?" All he had to do was point in its direction, and then I could just totally hop off the bench and leave him here while I go home. It was a foolproof plan!
Felix nodded, standing up off the bench. He kept my hand locked in his, pulling me up onto my feet alongside him. "Of course I do," he said, "this is my territory, after all. I can take you there, if you'd like?"
"Your territory?" I asked, confused.
A pink color formed on Felix's faces and he scratched at the back of his neck with his free hand. "I guess you could say that I am like the mayor here," he said.
Immediately, all of my apprehension around the guy vanished. It was like a Thanos snap, and all of my fears and worries about being with a stranger evaporated into thin air, floating away like dust in the wind. If Felix was the mayor of Nordwestmecklenburg, then he would have to be a good guy. Who's ever heard of a bad politician?
"Oh, okay," I said, feeling my own hopeful smile begin to form. "Yes, please, Sir."
Felix gave a little chuckle. "You can call me 'Felix'," he said, giving my hand another gentle squeeze. "And I'd be more than happy to escort you, Pup."
Again, there he was with the weird nickname. Not wanting to potentially offend my new guide who was graciously leading me to the train station so that I could go home, I didn't press that issue. All my mind kept relating it to was "Puppy", like the baby dog. That couldn't be it though, right? Maybe it was a German slang term; I guess I could ask Dad what it meant whenever I get back.
Felix began to lead me down the sidewalk, heading towards the main part of town, away from the pier. As we walked, he kept a strong hold onto my hand. It wasn't strong enough as to where it'd be painful, but it was forceful enough to indicate that I was supposed to stay by his side.
My poor, overworked brain felt as if it'd explode at any second now.
As Felix held my hand, all I could say was that it didn't feel one-hundred percent horrible. Granted, I wasn't experiencing some sort of over-the-moon sensation, I could honestly say that my panic and worry about being lost had lowered by a small fraction. In fact, it felt almost the same as it had when Dominik had kept his arm around me on the pier. It was innocently nice, and I hadn't been worried too much. Like, the pain of being left all alone was starting to melt away.
Odd.
Carefully, so as not to look weird, I glanced over at Felix through the side of my eye. As we walked, his kept his powerful chest puffed out with pride, and his head was held high. Unlike Dominik, a large smile was painted all over his face, and he seemed to be having the time of his life, not caring who saw.
The streetlights were starting to turn on as the sunlight began to fade. It wasn't dark, per se. However, the shadows were a lot larger than they had been, and the coldness from the wind was also combined with the dropping temperatures of the impending nighttime. Even though I'm from the Great North, I couldn't help but shiver as soon as a big gust of wind blew over us.
My older companion frowned when he saw me shake. "Maybe if you had a better coat on, you wouldn't be so cold," he almost spat, his upper lip curling over his sharp teeth. He cleared his throat as we continued down the street, gesturing at a shop. "Want to stop here real quick?"
I looked over at the large wooden sign that hung from the building that read Süßigkeitenladen.
I may not be fluent in German, I barely know Mom's native language of Spanish, and I do not speak perfectly correct English; however, I made sure to learn all of the German words/phrases that are the most important. For example:
1). Dachshund is Dackel.
2). I'm sorry is Es tut mir leid.
3). I love you is Ich liebe dich.
4). And Candy store is Süßigkeitenladen.
The sweet aroma of mouth-watering, sugary goodness wafted out from the tiny shop, and my stomach gurgled with want as I began to envision all of the tasty treats that were inside. No offense to my fellow Canadians, but German chocolate blows ours way out of the water; and I'll die on that hill! Therefore, my nine year old brain immediately forgot all of the drama that had occurred today, and instantly began to focus on nothing but chocolates of all kinds: milk chocolate, dark chocolate, after eight chocolate, chocolate-covered strawberries— all of it sounded perfect!
That being said, I was painfully aware of the fact that I didn't have a single euro in my pocket. "Um, no thank you," I frowned, but my stomach growled, totally ratting me out.
Felix just snorted, leading me inside the candy shop.
As soon as we walked in, a little bell chimed, and the worker looked up from the book she was reading. The second her yellow eyes landed on us, she straightened up, forcing a large smile onto her face.
"Willkommen Leitwolf, wie kann ich dir helfen?" she asked, her voice dripping with the upmost respect.
In response, Felix seemed to straighten his posture even more. "Ich möchte meinem Jungen Süßigkeiten kaufen," he told the worker, nodding down at me, his voice deep and commanding.
I have no clue what he'd just said, but his tone said that he was paying.
The worker turned her smile towards me. "Was kann ich ihnen geben?" she asked, her voice still full of respect. She must mainly work for tips.
I think she asked what I'd like, but I couldn't quite fully comprehend what she'd said. As I translated it in my head, Felix gave me gentle nudge with his elbow.
"Pick out what whatever you'd like, Pup," he told me, guiding me over closer to the display case that had a large array of delectable sweets for customers to gawk at and purchase. As he led me over, he let go of my hand to place both of his large hands onto my shoulders.
Behind the glass case was a large variety of mouthwatering treats that I wanted to try. The selfish kid in me wanted to ask for one of everything, but since this guy was going out of his way to help me out, I guess the polite thing to do would be to order something small and cheap. On the left side of the case were rows of cakes and baked treats. A majority of them had pastel-colored frosting and little pieces of fruit adorning them; and the way the lights in the case hit the juicy fruits made them sparkle, making them all the more tempting. In the middle were rows of fun little treats made out of fondant and colored white chocolate, each in the shape of a cute animal or pretty flower. However, my eyes gravitated towards the right where there were rows and rows of chocolate.
I love chocolate! I love it more than I love Mariah Carey, and that's saying a lot.
There were so many options that I didn't know how I could possibly just choose one. There were the classic German chocolates on the top row, which I know where all handcrafted with loving care, and which would melt deliciously in my mouth. On the second row were square cut pieces of fudge, with a top colored layer indicating what flavor it'd be: pink for raspberry/strawberry, green for after eight, orange for... well, orange. Lastly, the bottom row was sort of a miscellaneous row where they packed in as many different types of chocolate as possible. There was milk chocolate, dark chocolate, white chocolate, chocolate with nuts— the list goes on.
And I wanted to try every single one of them.
I could already hear Mom berating me if she were here, claiming that I shouldn't have any more sugar after eating ninety-five percent of the cotton candy that Dominik had bought for me. However, I swear I have a second stomach made especially for candy and sugary sweets. It's a gift, really.
"Which ones look good, Pup?" Felix asked, leaning down closer so that he could get a better look too. He was so close that I could feel his stubble scraping against my cheek as he spoke, leaving little tingles on my skin. "Choose whichever ones you'd like, and I'll get them for you."
Am I stupid kid for following a stranger around town and totally giving into his promises of free candy? Maybe, but my opponents probably haven't been blessed enough to have actually had legit German chocolate. Therefore, I didn't really see anything wrong with this predicament.
Felix flexed his fingers on my shoulders as he reiterated his words. "Whatever you want, I'll get it for you," he told me, his voice an urgent whisper.
I bit down on my lower lip, deep in thought, my eyes scanning the rows of chocolates once more. "Um," I mumbled before pointing to one of the pink coated fudge bars, "that one, bitte."
"Is that all?" Felix asked. "Remember, I can get you whatever your heart desires. Keep that in mind, Pup."
"Well, chocolate is my favorite, so..." I said, trying to see which one looked better than all the rest, which was an impossible task.
As I was silent in thought, Felix gave a throaty chuckle, straightening back up to talk to the worker. "Mein Junge bekommt von jeder Schokoladensorte eine," he told her.
"Jawohl," the worker said, grabbing a decent sized white box with the store's named written on it in fancy cursive letters. With a pair of tongs, she set to work, quickly grabbing one of each chocolate and placing it into the box with care.
Oh my goodness, no he did not.
My jaw dropped and I looked up at Felix with wide eyes. My voice got caught in my throat, my heart racing in my tiny chest as I tried to wrap my head around the fact that this tall man next to me potentially just did the best thing in the whole world. Holy crap, he might as well win the Nobel Peace Prize right now; no other act in the world will ever top this moment!
Felix noticed my surprised face, and he puffed his chest out with pride, his toothy smile reappearing on his handsome face. It was then that I noticed that he actually had dimples, but they were hard to see because they were hidden underneath his dark stubble.
Once the woman was finished packing all of the chocolatey options into the box (each treat separated by a thin layer of white tissue paper), she placed it atop the counter, and began to punch away at the register. "Bargeld oder Karte, Leitwolf?" she asked, her smile still wide on her face, and I could tell that it was a genuine one full of adoration and respect because it even touched her yellow eyes too.
I gasped so loudly when I saw the bright green numbers on the register: €108.
The side of Felix's mouth pulled upwards even more, turning his smile into a smirk as he pulled out his card. "It's nothing," he told me, punctuating it with a playful wink.
It's totally not a contest, but my immature brain immediately tried to add up all of the money that Dominik had dropped on us today. I hadn't been paying too much attention, but I am willing to bet that Felix just spent way more than he had in one fell swoop.
So if it was a contest, Felix would win. But it's not... yet, if it were, I'm just saying, Felix won. But yeah, not a contest. Definitely not.
And speaking of contests, I'm also just innocently throwing out there that a man's never bought Emilia a bunch of chocolates upon first meeting her. So yeah, again, it's not a contest. But if it were, I'd totally demolish her!
The white treasure box on the counter was about the size as the one that shoes came in. It would be manageable, but it was incredibly massive for candy. Thinking quickly, I shoved my new seal plushie that Dominik had gotten for me into my backpack so that my hands could be free for the chocolates.
After paying, Felix grabbed the box off the counter, turning to me. "Here you are, Pup," he smiled down at me, presenting me with the box.
I took the box in both hands, my eyes nearly popping out of my skull over its sheer size and weight. My mouth automatically began to drool with want, and I briefly considered just flipping open the lid and shoving my face inside.
"I— th-thank... wow, I— I really appreciate this... thank you so much," I blurted, unable to form a coherent sentence.
Just like Dominik, a pinkish color began to form on Felix's face as he blushed. However, unlike Dominik, Felix didn't turn away from me or try to force an angry frown on. Instead, the guy's large, goofy smile took over the lower half of his face and his eyes widened as they took in my utter glee.
"O-of course," he happily stuttered, clearing his throat. "I mean, whatever you want, I'll get it for you."
I mean, he did get me this chocolate. Speaking of, as we exited the store and Felix placed a large hand on my back, I opened up the box and snatched the first piece that caught my eye. It was a fudge square that had toasted walnuts and caramel drizzle on top of it. I took a large bite, unable to hold back the happy little moan that escaped from my lips over the heavenly treat.
The sun was almost gone now as soon as we got outside, but I could see the gleam from the streetlamp reflected off of Felix's sharp teeth as he grinned all proud like, looking like he'd won the lottery. The ocean breeze still blew over the town, sending shivers down my spine, so I huddled a little closer to Felix in an attempt to stay warm. In response, he moved his hand away from my back so that he could wrap his large arm around my shoulders.
I could see the movement from my peripherals, and damn, the dude was buff AF. Seriously, his enormous bicep curled out of his short sleeve with the movement, making me drool both from the chocolate and from the scenery. Wow, this must be how those celebs feel in Hollywood: walking down the street next to a total hunk. I've officially peaked.
At the end of the day, I don't why Dominik had decided to ditch me at the pier, but I think everything turned out alright. I mean, if he hadn't left, then I wouldn't have made such a fantastic friend in Felix, nor would I have this awesome box of candy! Plus, I wasn't sure why Felix was so keen on helping me out today, but I'm really thankful that he was here. A part of myself felt stupid for having been so nervous when I'd first seen him at the train station while Dominik had been in the washroom; but now, I can confidently say that Felix isn't a bad guy. My own smile was plastered onto my face, and as I licked my lips, I could taste some the bittersweet chocolatey residue.
That loneliness that I usually felt in general, and that had grown in size when Dominik left, seemed to be almost all gone with Felix. There was something comforting about the man, and I couldn't help but lean in closer to him as we walked. In response, he tightened his grip on me, and I could see his smile grow even bigger— but he didn't hide it, which made me smile in return.
I trusted Felix to lead the way to the train station, following him as he navigated through the darkening streets of Nordwestmecklenburg. Normally, I'd be terrified to be walking down the streets at nighttime, however, with this bodybuilder dude next to me, I felt perfectly safe. For real, his arms were so big that I'd be willing to bet one billion euro that he could knock a bad guy's head off with one swing!
As we walked down the street, Felix kept a secure arm around me while I happily ate another piece of chocolate.
The man looked up at the clear nighttime sky, admiring the stars and moon. "You know, Pup," he said, his deep voice sounding a little slow as he thought over his words, "the full moon is the day after tomorrow." He reached into his pocket with his free hand and then nodded towards me. "Oh, your backpack's open. Let me get that for you." He reached over and fiddled with my rabbit backpack, closing it shut so that my seal plushie and inhaler wouldn't fall out. How nice of him.
I wasn't one of those people who tracked the movement of the moon and stars. I mean, I knew I was a libra, but that's about as far into stars as I go. I looked up into the night sky too, trying to see if there was a constellation that I could trace, but there wasn't a single one that I recognized. Oh well. However, I was altered to something else, and my curiosity got the better of me.
"Why do you call me 'Pup'?" I asked, craning my head towards Felix.
Even though it was dark outside, I could still see how Felix's face darkened with blush. "Oh," he mumbled, scratching at the back of his neck nervously, "well, it's because I think you're cute like a little puppy."
Well, yeah I am, but I still wasn't expecting that answer. I mean, Dominik referred to me as "Hase", while Felix called me "Pup". Therefore, I guess guys just think I'm akin to cute animals. I'll take it.
That being said, my curiosity still got the best of me, and after swallowing down an after eight flavored piece of chocolate, I couldn't help but ask, "And why do people call you 'Leitwolf'? I've heard that word a lot lately, but I don't know what it means."
Felix stopped in his tracks, thereby forcing me to a halt as well. He looked down at me, his yellow eyes studying my cute and clear face. "You've heard that word a lot recently?" he asked me. "Where?"
I have no clue why he was having this sort of reaction. I hope it wasn't a bad word that I've repeated. Then again, there was no way people would insult Felix and Alaric to their faces, which are the only people I've heard called "Leitwolf". I'd thought it was some sort of respectful title, or whatever.
I shrugged my thin shoulders, which were still underneath Felix's large, warm arm. "I heard lots of people calling my dad's new boyfriend it," I explained.
If anything, that only made Felix's frown deepen. "Is this back in Canada?" he pressed, his voice sounding urgent. "And where do you live in Canada... it's not in Toronto, is it?"
Huh? I cocked my eyebrow up at him and closed the lid on the box of chocolates to give him my full, undivided attention. "No," I answered, shaking my head. "I live in Vancouver."
I swear Felix's broad shoulders fell with relief as he sighed. "Gott sei Dank," he breathed before flinching. "Um, it's just that Toronto is a well known vamp— oh, um, I mean, it's not a nice place to live. From what I've been told, at least." He turned his head away from me for a little bit. "I don't know the Alpha in Vancouver..."
Yeah, I'm lost. Mentally this time..
"Um," I mumbled, shuffling my feet. "I've heard 'Leitwolf' in Bedburg. That's where my dad lives, and people call his boyfriend it a lot."
Felix's mouth twitched until he let out a booming laugh. "Your father is Alaric Stubbe's mate?" he chuckled, looking rather amused. Instead of blush, his face was now red with hysterics as he laughed, finding this funny for some reason.
I assume that "Mate" is like "Buddy", or at least I've heard some of the Australian tourists use it that way. Dad and Alaric were way more than buddies, last time I checked.
"No, they're dating," I corrected him, but then I jerked back in shock, finally putting two and two together. "Wait, you know Alaric?"
Felix continued to walk again, keeping me close to his warm body so that I wouldn't freeze. "I am very familiar with him, Pup," Felix muttered, sneering for a moment before relaxing his face. "Let's just say he's not my biggest fan, and vice versa."
What's that mean?
My second question wasn't really answered. All I knew was that "Leitwolf" meant something— wow, how insight... That being said, it referred to both Alaric and Felix. Whenever I envisioned the both of them, side by side, all I could seem to connect was the fact that they're both tall and both buff. Other than that, I still had no idea what the elusive phrase translated into.
Before I could ask anything more, the echoed sounds of a pair of feet approaching sounded out. The limbs hit the pavement forcefully, and thanks to their frequency and speed, I could tell that whoever they belonged to was sprinting as fast as they possibly could; and due to the increasing volume, they were approaching us.
I looked over my shoulder behind me, seeing a large shadowy figure booking it towards me and Felix. It ran out from one of the dark alleyways, making its way towards us at a terrifying pace. The figure's face was covered in dark shadows, but as he grew closer, his ragged breathing echoed off the buildings in the nearly empty town.
The faint light from the streetlamps gleamed off the figure's sharp teeth, which looked long and dangerous, as if he could rip my throat out with one swift movement. A low rumble emanated from it, sending a shiver down my spine and making my knees buckle. My heart nearly exploded in my chest and I could feel my breathing become ragged as my nerves grew. My fingers tingled, and I couldn't help but lean in closer to Felix as the mysterious figure approached.
The exact second I scooted closer to my new friend, I could feel Felix's muscles tense up.
He pushed me behind him, stomping directly in between of me and the figure. Leaning over menacingly, I couldn't see his face from behind him, but I could see the way the nighttime darkness mixed with the faint lights in the town made his claws look creepily sharp.
"GRRRRR!" Felix legitimately growled, sounding like a cross between a very pissed off guard dog and a motorcycle. His guttural sound was so deep and threatening, like something out of a horror movie. I even considered running over to the figure to hide away from Felix, it was that scary.
The figure flinched, pausing; but then it unleashed it own growl. "GRRR!" it snarled, sounding just as pissed off, but not as menacing as Felix.
Um, d-do people usually growl? Is that a thing? I didn't think so.
"Max!" the shadowy figure shouted. "Get away from him!" Its voice was deep, yet there was still that youthful octave to it, and it sounded incredibly pissed off and perpetually annoyed.
"Dominik?!" I called out, beyond confused. I would've thought that he'd be on a train back to Bedburg by now. Why on earth was he back?
Felix stopped his scary growling... only to sniff at the air?
The figure, evidently Dominik, continued to run over to us. As he got closer, the streetlamps illuminated his angry face, his yellow eyes staring daggers at Felix for some unknown reason.
When I looked up at Felix, his squared jaw was clenched and he was glaring back at Dominik, the two of them having an intense staring contest (Dominik blinked first), and his fists were clenched tightly.
Dominik finally reached us, standing nearly chest to chest with Felix as they had their little bro down. Felix stood almost a head taller than Dominik, and he had a lot more muscle. As I'd wondered earlier, Felix's stubble was a lot thicker than Dominik's little wisps of hair, indicating in my mind that he was much more manly than him. Was it a low blow? Yes, but I was still annoyed that Dominik had ditched me at the pier! Regardless, I know that Dominik is only fourteen, and Felix is... I dunno, but he's clearly older. With that in mind, since Dominik is almost on par with the man, I would put money down that when he's an adult, Dominik will tower and outweigh, muscle-wise, every other guy he crosses.
But right now, Felix looks like two of him squished together.
Dominik had a sneer of pure disgust on his face as he glared at Felix, his upper lip curling over his fang-like teeth. "Geh von ihm weg!" he spat.
In response, Felix straightened his posture, illustrating how much larger he was than Dominik. He allowed his own snarl to fall, replacing it with a cocky grin and he looked down over his nose at the snarling teenager. "Er gehört mir, Kleiner," he smirked.
I had no clue what he'd just said, but he seemed to end his point by placing one of his hands on the small of my back.
Something snapped inside of Dominik, for real. His yellow eyes widened and he unleashed another one of his growls, baring his teeth menacingly at the older man. His hands began to shake, and the tremor traveled up his arms to the rest of his body, looking as if the teenager were trapped in some kind of personal earthquake as his body violently vibrated.
And then his hair began to thicken...?!
No, it had to be a trick of the nighttime darkness and the cheap, shoddy lights!
"Dominik," Felix hummed, clicking his tongue as he rubbed soothing circles on my back, "Das solltest du wirklich nicht vor ihm tun."
I really need to study up on my German, because for the billionth time today, someone said something that left me completely in the dark. It must've been really important, because as soon as Felix said it, Dominik stopped shaking. Anger and frustration was still written all over his face, and he glared at the other guy, as if lasers could shoot out of his hate-filled eyes.
"Das ist gut," Felix taunted, and it was crystal clear that he was getting under Dominik's skin since the teen's sneer grew with every word he uttered. "Du solltest wirklich lernen, deine—"
Dominik stomped forward, swinging out one of his powerful arms. His fist collided with Felix's nose, resulting in a loud smack that sent the taller man stumbling back until he fell flat on his ass onto the pavement.
I gasped so loud my throat hurt.
Felix was dazed for a brief second, blood slowly trickling out of his nose. His yellow eyes zeroed in on Dominik, whose own eyes were wide in shock, as if he couldn't believe he'd had the balls to sucker punch him. Felix's own upper lip began to curl upwards, and again, the lights were trippy here because I swore up and down that his fangs grew in size.
"F-Felix?" I asked, reaching out with a tentative hand, but after Dominik cleared his throat, I retracted it.
As he sat on the cold sidewalk, Felix flinched back and he furrowed his brow. He took one look in my direction, and he smirked for a second— wait, no he didn't. Well, at least I think not. It's hard to tell in the dark. Either way, he reached up with one hand to grab at his nose, groaning loudly in pain.
"Damn," he huffed, "Max, your friend here is a little violent, don't you think?"
"Ja?" Dominik spat, taking a threatening step forward. He pulled his clenched up fists behind his back, gnashing his teeth together in frustration when he noticed that I hadn't moved a single centimeter away from the beaten man.
Damn. Literally all I'd wanted to do this morning was to check out the museums at Frankfurt with my sister (and Sofia and Dominik would've been there too, I guess). Today was meant to be fun playing tourist and seeing sights, and spending Dad's money on useless souvenirs that I'd take back home to Canada, only to lose in a few months. But none of that happened! Instead, my dumb ass had gotten on the wrong train, resulting in me and Dominik spending awkward quality time together. I will admit that things did look up a little bit when we were at the pier, but then we'd gotten separated. That'd led to me meeting Felix, who had been a knight in shining armor by buying me the massive box of chocolates that I still kept safe in my clutches.
And then Dominik punched Felix!
I mean, sure, Felix needs to work on his initial greetings since he has absolutely no rizz whatsoever upon first meeting. But that's no reason to be punched dead in the face!
And what the hell, Dominik? I get that he must have some sort of pent up aggression, seeing as how he's always scowling and looking pissed off at the world twenty-four/seven. Maybe it's because I'm Canadian and we have the stereotype of being overly polite, but holy crap, I'd never just punch someone in the face for no reason!
Sure he was nice to me while we'd been at the pier, but the sheer fact that Dominik would lurk around in the shadows just to get the jump on my new friend was enough to make me see him in a weird kinda light. That, and he'd completely ditched me at the pier. I couldn't get over that!
"Are you okay?" I hesitantly asked Felix, who still sat sadly on the ground.
The man looked up at me, his yellow eyes wide like a puppy's, and it honestly pulled roughly at my heartstrings. If I had my phone, I'd call him an ambulance or something. Although, perhaps he wouldn't need one because it looked as if his nose had already stopped bleeding... and there weren't any bruises or even a red mark. Shoot, the dude must've been a scarily fast healer or something. Must be nice.
Not waiting for my new friend to answer, Dominik stomped over towards me, wrapping a large arm around my waist. He gave one tug that was gentle, yet firm enough to let me to let me know that the smarter thing to do would be to follow. I was torn between wanting to help Felix and going home (Dominik had our train tickets on him).
My face must've shown my inner turmoil because Felix promptly stood up, dusting off his pants once he was on his feet. "Don't worry, Max," he called out as we walked away. "I'll see you again, real soon. I promise..."
Dominik let out another growl, his body rumbling from the animalistic noise. His sharp teeth were bared, and his breathing was ragged, sounding rough and forced as the teen flared his nostrils.
His yellow eyes darted down towards me, his frown ever prominent on his furious face.
I averted my gaze, buttoning my lips.
Dominik led us the opposite way from which Felix and I had been heading, and I couldn't help but wonder if Nordwestmecklenburg had two train stations, and perhaps Felix was leading me towards a different one. Oh well.
The silence was so heavy as Dominik angrily stomped down the block, refusing to let an ounce of air between us. His breathing was still hard and ragged, his jaw clenched tightly. Every so often, he'd sharply inhale through his nose, and his sneer would grow, his arm around me tightening.
My hands kept the box of chocolates that Felix had gotten me close to my chest, and I briefly considered offering Dominik one as a peace offering. Although, at the same time, why should I be the one to make an offering?
He was the one who'd ditched me at the pier, and then he gets all butt hurt over the fact that Felix was being nice and escorting me to the train station. Seriously, what's this guy's damage?
We finally reached the train station, and there was one train on the platform that already had a line of people waiting to board it. I just hope that if we get on it, it's the right one.
Dominik paused, cocking his eyebrow down at me. "What's that?" he asked, gesturing towards the white box that I carried in my arms like it was my precious baby.
"A box," I stated, still a little unnerved around the battle ready guy.
The angsty teenager pursed his lips into a thin line. "I can see that," he huffed. "A box of what?"
"Chocolate," I answered, tightening my grip on it until my knuckles turned bleach white. If he wants one, he can have the one with coconut flakes since I'm not the biggest fan of coconuts.
With his free hand, Dominik pinched the skin above his nose. "Gott..." he mumbled. "And who gave you that?"
My personality got in the way, and I felt myself smile. "Your mom," I grinned.
Dominik didn't think I was funny. He just narrowed his eyes at me.
"Felix," I hurriedly corrected.
In a singular movement, Dominik reached over and snatched the box out of my hands with ease, and then tossed it into a nearby public trashcan.
"Hey!" I whined, trying to pull myself free so that I could make an attempt to retrieve it, but the older guy just yanked me closer to him.
He was much stronger than me, so I was helpless to do anything besides follow him over to one of the opened train sections. He handed the attendant our tickets, which were promptly scanned. Dominik relaxed his arm from around my waist, moving to snatch a tight kung-fu grip onto my wrist, dragging me up the stairs and through the tiny train until he spotted a vacant compartment that we could have all to ourselves.
I managed to free myself from his grip once we entered, plopping myself down onto the soft cushion. "What's your problem?" I spat, crossing my arms in front of myself.
This guy was acting all sorts of cray cray! Not only had he abandoned me at the pier, but then he'd gotten all mad at the fact that Felix as nice enough to help me. Oh, and worst of all was that the asshole had thrown away the box of chocolates that Felix had gotten for me!
What a bitch!
Dominik slammed the door shut and turned around to stare me down. "What?" he asked, his yellow eyes still narrowed angrily.
I tried my best to scowl back at him, but since I'm not some angsty jerk, I don't think it turned out too well. It probably just looked like I had a tummy ache instead. "Why'd you throw away my chocolates?" I asked, throwing my hands up in the air to better express my frustration.
Dominik rolled his eyes, sitting down across from me in the small compartment. His face was still irritated but there was some color returning to it as he began to turn red. "You accepted candy from a stranger," he pointed out.
Well, he does have a point there.
"Well, then why'd you leave me at the pier?" I countered, changing the subject.
The teen jerked back in his seat, staring at me wide eyed. "I'm not the one who left the pier!" he almost shouted, his voice raising. He leaned in closer to me. "You're the one who left me." The anger was evident on his face, but so was hurt. His mouth twitched as it struggled to stay into a thin line, wanting to frown so badly.
The PA sounded out in the background, and the train began to lurch forward, beginning our five hour journey back to Bedburg. Since it was the evening time, the lights flickered off, and only the faint glow from the light out in the aisle barely illuminated the tiny compartment. I could hardly make out Dominik's shadowy figure, yet his yellow eyes seemed to pop out noticeably, like he wore glow-in-the-dark contact lenses. If I wasn't so mad at him, I'd ask where he'd bought them.
"Yes, you did," I snorted, even pointing an accusing finger at him. "We got separated and when I went to the entrance, the bike was gone."
There was a sharp exhale. "I didn't ride the bike," Dominik grunted. "Some Arschloch tossed it into the ocean," he grumbled. "I had to fish it out to get my deposit back."
"Whatever, Dominik," I mumbled, turning to the side so that I could prop my feet up onto the seat. "Why would someone throw the bike over the pier? That makes no sense."
"I think I know who..."
"I mean, if you didn't want to hang out with me, you could've just said so," I griped. "I'd rather you be honest and just tell me to fuck off."
Seriously, I know that no self-respecting teenager would want to hang out with a little kid. I mean, Emilia was ditching me all the time. The stinging feeling of being all alone had covered me as I'd believed that Dominik, whom I'd began to consider a friend for a little bit, had left me earlier.
I mean, was it something I'd said? Something I'd done? I'd asked those same questions when Mom and Dad had gotten divorced and our family had broken up. I just... I just wished I knew what I'd done so that I could fix it or at least apologize.
It was quiet, the only sounds being the hum of the train's wheels on the tracks.
"Was?" Dominik finally asked, his voice sounding softer this time for some reason.
This is stupid. I didn't want to argue with some guy who I'd thought was my friend, only to have the horrible truth slap me in the face: That I'm all alone.
I didn't want to admit it, but it was getting harder and harder to ignore it as the days passed. Shoot, sometimes it felt as if I were falling into a deep pit, and nobody was there to help me because they were all too busy with their own lives to give a crap. Emilia is growing up and she's wanting to hang out with her friends more than me. It's understandable, I guess; I mean, I'm not really privy to all of the tea that she and her friends like to spill, but I can learn! Dad's with Alaric all the time now, so he's practically vanished from my life as he spends all of his days with his new man.
And Mom works a lot at her job as a cosmetic surgeon, and during her free time, she likes to spend a lot of time with her boyfriend, Kyle. But I don't like Kyle because he gets really scary when he drinks.
Anyways, Dad lives all the way in Germany and Mom lives all the way in Canada. With the distance and time differences combined, I barely get to see one when with I'm with the other, and I used to have both of them under the same roof not too long ago. Now I have to fly for hours just to see them, and I have to fly during my school breaks. What little friends I have at school, I don't get to hang out with them over the summer or winter breaks, because I go to see my dad during said breaks. That leaves a sort of unspoken wedge between me and them, because I'm not able to get involved in any summer fun and activities thanks to my visitation agreement.
It sucks.
I really don't know what to do or say to my broken family, but it really sucks. And I'm so tired of being alone, and I'm scared that I won't ever be able to shake away this horrible feeling.
And then I accidentally go to Nordwestmecklenburg, and start to have a fun time with Dominik. Then it all comes crashing down when he disappears from the pier. And then he chases away Felix, who was staring to make me feel happy.
And then it was ruined.
"Nothing," I mumbled, sniffling a little bit and wiping at my face. Ugh, I feel so dumb now. My throat was so dry that my words were all shaky and hard to pronounce.
"Hase?" Dominik's deep voice asked, and the seat he sat on groaned as he readjusted his posture. "What's wrong?"
Immediately, I forced myself to think about what my idol, Mariah Carey, would do in a situation like this. I love to watch her videos, and her biggest diva moments compilations are my faves online. The way she carries herself though turmoils and drama is fierce and so effortless. God, I want to be like her: beautiful, unbothered... happy. And not alone.
I forced a smile onto my face and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. My hair felt really soft, and I know for a fact that it's because of Emilia's conditioner that she told me not to use, that I use anyway. It smells like cherry blossoms.
"It's nothing," I repeated, my voice barely a whisper because of how sore my throat suddenly felt.
Dominik was silent. Every so often, he'd clear his throat as if he were about to say something, but he never did.
I took my rabbit backpack off and rested my head on it, desperate to get off this train and away from Dominik as soon as possible. I'd honestly began to think of him as a friend while out on the pier earlier today, but now... I don't know.
I really don't know how I feel about him, and that was sometimes worse than having a definite feeling.