Warning - Violence
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I woke up to a muscle cramp, this tells me its time to properly stretch out my limbs, and seeing as I am currently surrounded by a lush forest, I manage to persuade Adam to take me on a run. Hence how I found myself hiding in the high branches of a tree as Adam – the fully transformed version- snuffles around below me. I had a feeling he knew where I am though, but for the sake of our game he's playing along.
I smirk, spotting an opening.
I leapt from my perch, letting my unbound hair whip behind me in my bent-knee decent, throat letting loose a small war cry. Just before I made contact with Adams back he swung round and caught me midair clawed hands clinching my hips as he spun in a wide circle, not stopping until I admitted dizzy defeat.
I squealed at the feel of a wet tongue lapping down the side of my cheek, then laughed, pushed his great head away and rubbed behind one fuzzy ear.
"Alright, change back now." I chuckled when he pulled in close and rubbed his chin on the top of my head before stilling. Close eyed, I winced at the sound and feeling of his bones and muscles reshaping only looking up again when I heard his relieved sigh. Adams arms tightened and he snuggled in, pushing his nose into my neck; breathing relaxed. Seemingly content.
"Do you want some pants? It's pretty cold out."
"Mmm," He stood back and stretched his arms up, making the muscles beneath his skin draw and flex, but I was looking at his face, I swear "If you would be so kind." Adam gave me a sideways, lazy, smile.
Turning away, I took the rucksack from my back and shuffled through the contents until I came across some black shorts and a grey top; handing them from behind my back, Adam took them with a laugh. Wolves never got the whole body embarrassment thing, living half their lives in fur and the other half in some state of nudity.
As if the wind shifted direction, the trees stopped moving and fell silent, a wary atmosphere brewed cold air that made the baby hairs on the back of my neck stand; I turned to my left, staring into the distance like something was there.
Adam came to my side, eyes black, looking at the same point that had attracted my attention.
"Can fight?" his guttural voice asked, finally looking to me, I nodded. "Run fast, stay close."
He was off like a bolt, so fast that it took my brain a stutter to realise he had already left, finally catching up I too took off in a sprint. Eventually matching Adam's relentless, yet obviously slowed, pace my eyes took on tunnel vision, only seeing the path ahead of me as if my feet already knew where to lead me. I didn't see Adam continuously looking over his shoulder as he checked I was still behind him.
Adam's arm winded me into an emergency stop when he barred it in front of me and then curled around me, his body shielding me from the view in the tree clearing in front of us. I felt his chest expand with deep inhales as he scented the area. "Too late-"
A frantic, shifted awareness made me shove Adams arm away and thrust myself forward, running the last few yards allowing me to see the gorish sight.
I'd seen- hell killed- wolves before, but seeing the two mutilated wolves lay to one side of the crimson splattered area, one curled tightly into the side of another, I felt heart tearing agony rip into my being. Especially when their names suddenly sprang to the front of my mind. I walked over in broken steps, kneeling close enough to run my hand through the thick, aged grey coat of the larger wolf.
Fred and Martha- the kind doctor and his mate.
"Sad with pack, later." Adam placed a hand sprawled over his chest, face grimaced in a way that I knew he too felt the pain. It was like a red hot blade had been thrust into my soul, leaving a gapping burned hole. "Stay." He bent and pushed his nose into my cheek, softly nuzzling. He pulled away, abruptly his face changed. Moulding into something anyone else would have deemed sinister, but I willed it, encouraged the acts its spoke of "I avenge." He pointed to the far side.
I met his coal eyes and nodded. He was gone. I didn't feel an ounce of remorse.
I soothed my hands through both wolves fur, ignoring the growing puddle of blood pooling around them, quietly mourning the loss of their kind souls, despite not being able to truly get to know them.
Maybe if I had ran faster to get here, we could have saved them; after all I could run faster, especially if I let Adam--
From behind.
I intercepted the attack, rising from my crouch and pivoting to meet my assailant with practiced ease, fluidity born from learned deftness of my surroundings. Previous emotion lay forgotten at my feet.
We exchanged a short series of rapid blows and retaliating defence before we locked arms and twisted with our combined momentum. I tucked in and pushed my knee upwards but only connected with the hard bone of his hip as he shifted to deflect my move. He turned in a way that put him behind me, arms anchored around my neck in a choke hold. "Hello Lydia." He blew into my ear, breathlessly laughing. Familiarity fell over me like an icy wave.
I kicked my heel back into his shin, bent double and used his own weight to send him over me to the floor; making sure to send a swift kick to his temple before jumping back a few feet, graciously allowing him to explain himself.
"What are you doing here Harry?" I raised my fists to my chin and bounced lightly on my toes in preparation for our next bout. I'd met this guy more times than I'd like to admit, he was around third in the rankings - a special agent like myself. We didn't get on. For reasons. Where the hell was Adam?
Harry got up, pulling off the black face mask to reveal his heavily scarred face. He spat out a mouthful of blood, whipping his square chin with the back of his hand before mirroring my stance.
"You know, I respected you – once upon a time. You can handle yourself. You're strong." He grinned with bloodied teeth, pointed finger bouncing with every syllable. He eyed me before starting to make a slow circle. I copied his movement, ignoring the snide slur to his voice. "So, Lydia, what made you turn on Edwick?"
One eyebrow raised, I scrutinized him queerly "I didn't."
"You sure? Come on I'm curious! Cause Edwick thinks so; was sure as hell convinced enough to get the Pres to send out a team to bring your ass in." His sarcastic tone was enough to make me glower at him. "I wouldn't care normally, my rank went up when you deserted us, but now we've found you on wolf territory- just like Edwick said... ahh Lydia, you're stirring up a war here." His face betrayed his voice, he didn't look concerned at the mention of war, he looked excited.
Whatever Harry was spouting, it hummed of Sindel and Edwick trying to cover up their tracks. That's one way to get rid of me I suppose, however I did feel slightly disappointed that there wasn't more scandal- at least be creative.
I paused, foot connecting with a something solid. Fred's corpse laid to rest by my shoe.
I felt myself withdraw. That out of body feeling that makes your eyes dilate and contract as internally you try to find your feet. And yet, outside, you stand tight jawed and feet firmly set. I saw my mother's auburn hair bound in a thick braid swinging behind her as she twirled around the kitchen with my father, both with fat grins on their faces as fathers thrumming laugh chortled around the room. But then it changed, atmosphere chilling as mother looked down at me with sunken eyes, blank stared as she held fathers shirt limply in her fingertips.
"Harry." I said slowly, swallowing my dry mouth, "Did you do this?" patiently I waited, connecting our eyes languidly over the distance.
He snorted, "Yeah, old and easy. Cute when they tried to-"
Harry didn't know what was on him until I had him pinned to a tree, four ribs and a nose broken. I'd counted the cracks.
My fingers bit into his cheek, nails cutting through the pliant flesh hard enough to make it weep blood. I twisted his neck in an unnatural angle, making sure he could see my fallen allies behind us.
I came in real close, a breathes whisper from his ear; "You see them? That man was a doctor. Fred to me, not you. Probably done more good in his life than both of us combined." I kept my voice soft and turned his head a little farther, he groaned but stopped struggling in my hold, "And her, that's Martha. They were mates. They had children and grandchildren..." I made sure to tilt my head just so I could meet his eyes, "But now their children and grandchildren don't have them.
"Harry. That makes me very, very sad." With a pop resembling that of wood burning, Harry fell lax against the tree.
Someone placed a hand on my shoulder, it didn't even startle me.
"I twisted too far." I met Adams eyes, pouting at my miscalculation. I nudged the slumped, lifeless body making it flop to the floor, I sighed feeling genuinely ill-humoured. "Shame."
"Come back to me."
Suddenly, I felt a recognisable lucid film lift from my conscious as I was drawn back into myself. "Come back..." Enveloped in firm warmth, tightly held with feet planted firmly on solid ground as vertigo briefly swept through me. I raised my head and then my formally passive hand to brush Adams cheek, a frown set his face in hard lines as he leaned into my touch.
"I'm back. I'm here again."
Behind Adam I caught sight of a gaggle of people, a small group from the pack, their eyes all lay frozen on the dilapidated body of who once may have been considered an ally of mine. Not by my own choice, but still. I pushed my face into Adams shoulder, wincing at my lack of control.
My actions intensified my hesitancy towards Adam, and yet simultaneously strengthened the ever longing willingness in my soul to be by his side. This deficient charge of my own emotions, the crazed haze that pushes me, it would eventually lead to my downfall and I was sure it would be the ruin to those around me, as it had been before.
AN: LMAO does this chapter even make sense to you guys? I've been trying to write it out for ages now and, for now, I think this'll do.
Seriously tho- if this chapter doesn't make sense tell me and I will rewrite it, because I know what makes sense to me may only do so because its all coming out of what I personally envision and I really want to write a satisfying book for my readers. So please don't be shy!
Anyways, remember to leave a vote and thanks for reading! hope you enjoyed it and will stay in tune for the next chapter <3
Lots of Love, Joules xxx