I let my arm fall to on my side and scoff at the giddy-looking Alex. It takes all my self-control to not just smash his smug face in.
"Best not waste them, yeah?" I say after he just stands there gazing at me weirdly.
He shakes himself, coming out of his thoughts. "Yeah, of course." He rakes his hand through his golden locks casually.
Alex glances around for a moment, then curses and scrambles towards Ray. "We're going to the work room." He says in a whisper.
"No way in hell!" Ray shouts, angrier than common reason would allow. He throws a glare at me, which I return with a grin full of fangs.
"You know, I don't need to give you any time at all. How 'bout I just fucking leave?" I snap after Ray gives me a mocking finger.
"No, please, I'm sorry. Don't mind Ray, he's just mad because that v-neck makes him look queer." Alex says through a grin, trying to hold back his laughter.
Ray frowns, his eyes darting momentarily to his clothes. A smile tugs at my face and I fight to tame it.
What Alex said seems to kick in as Ray glares at him, but says nothing more, his face wearing a confused look. Alex snickers uncontrollably, he tries to control his fit but fails. I chuckle at the sight, his laughter sticking to me. It reminds me of how we used to talk, how he was always clowning around. I loved his sense of humor, his laughter had been one of my favorite things about him.
I quickly shake myself out of my thoughts, plastering on an impatient face. Alex must notice, as he quickly composes himself. He looks down at his side, then at me.
'You've got a wicked arm, Av. Even without the wolf." He chuckles. Rays digs in his bag, then hands Alex something.
"Here, Dex. It'll counter the effects of the silver. Give you abilities equivalent to your little buddy over there." He says. Alex nods at him gratefully, injecting himself with the syringe.
I frown. A vaccine for silver? They truly are strange. What else does Alex have up his sleeve? What's he hiding? It makes me wonder what else they're capable of, what other mysteries are out there and how clueless I must be. What was he hiding back when we were together, when things were different?
"Follow me." He says, turning to leave the room.
I hesitate for a moment. It very well could be a trap. With Ray around, there's no doubt someone'll do something stupid. I just have to stay alert. As much as I hate to admit it, I want to hear what Alex has to say.
I follow him out of the room, glaring at Ray as I pass and remaining wary of the woman.
The hall is filled with old looking portraits and the ceiling is quite high. Alex's warm scent fills my nose. For a moment, I can feel his arms around me. His sweet scent comforts me and I yearn to hold him.
I stop in my tracks, shaking my head. What the fuck? I guess I really am a goddamn animal. I growl at myself.
Ray bumps into me. "What in the hell are you doing, keep walking!" He nudges me.
"Don't touch me, asshole. And don't tell me what to do." I snarl, then continue down the hall at a slow pace. Ray snorts.
Alex stops at brown, bulky door and turns the knob. He holds it open, gesturing for me to enter. I stare at him with distrust, staying put. His shoulders drop and he walks in with a quiet sigh.
I hesitate. Ray follows him, grunting in disgust at me as he passes. I peer in the doorway, scanning the room for any potential hazards. It's a large room, centered with a long, polished table and about a dozen office chairs. It's like a meeting room in a business. Like they're some sort of organization. What do they do here?
There's probably more of them.
I take a deep breath, dissecting the scents that linger all around. Those peculiar scents, the ones I've been haunted with for as long I can remember, cling strongly to the trio. I close my eyes, absorbing every ounce of information the room offers.
A dozen scents. Hollow walls.
My skin prickles with unease. Alex walks to the table nonchalantly, offering me the end chair. Slowly, I walk over and sit in it without taking my eyes off him. He grabs the seat closest to mine, giving me a friendly look. I stare at him through narrowed eyes.
Ray sits on the opposite side of Alex, and Holly takes a seat next to Ray. I rake my gaze across each of them, waiting for someone to break the silence. Alex speaks first.
"So, look, I know I have alot of explaining to do." He begins, eyes glued on mine. "I just want to apologize first. What I did was unforgivable, and you didn't deserve it--"
"Earlier, you mentioned rules." I cut him off. "You said I had to follow some rules, for my own good. What were you talking about?"
Alex looks down, shifting uncomfortably. Ray grinds his teeth, giving Alex a warning look. "Uh, yeah, the rules." He chuckles. "Just some rules to make sure you don't hurt anyone or anything like that. Like a moral compass type thing." He swallows.
Does he think I'm stupid? They're obviously hiding something. He's trying to belittle it. They know by now that I won't agree to their stupid rules, so they're not gonna reveal them. I nod, pretending to understand. Alex quickly changes the subject.
"Avery, how come you never told me you were a shifter?" He asks genuinely, almost as if we were still together.
I blink, quickly looking away. I open my mouth but stay silent, unsure of how to respond. He knows he caused my curse. He obviously doesn't know the extent of it. I can't tell him though. If they knew how evil it is, what would they do? But Alex has witnessed it, he's witnessed the darkness of my curse.
"I'll ask the fucking questions, all right? I don't have to explain myself to you." I snap.
Alex winces, but quickly mutters an apology. Ray glares at me darkly.
"Okay. Well, I'm a shifter too." Alex concurs. "But obviously we're not totally alike. I was chosen, by a divine being, to wield the power of the wolf, to witness the world through the eyes of two creatures." He hold up two fingers.
Divine being.
"Only a few people were aware of this, my guardians and family. They brought me here, to the safest place they knew. And then I met you." He smiles.
I'm resting my chin on my hand, listening intently while still remaining wary of him.
He licks his lips. "They didn't like it. They wanted me to be with the person they chose for me. They didn't think you were good enough. They forced me away, they took everything, those bastards--" He takes a deep breath, face full of resentment. "And so I left them. I came back here and Ray and Holly took me in. I've been hiding. But it's really only a matter of time before they find me." Alex sighs.
I take in his words. So Alex never left me. He would've stayed. He wanted to stay. He wanted to stay with me. My gut twists. I can't fall for his trickery. Words are just words, he could be lying. I gulp.
"I didn't mean to hurt you Av, I hate myself for the pain I caused you. I'm sorry."
I stare down at my lap, feeling tears sting my eyes. I can't shed a tear, not in front of them. I take a deep breath, swallowing my emotions.
"Don't be a coward! Don't let his words turn you to mush! You're weak! You always have been!"
The voice in my head snarls at me and I growl, feeling my blood churn. Sudden anger seizes me, burning my insides.
Words! His stupid fucking words! I've had enough of them!
I stand up abruptly, fists balled. My canines are at their sharpest, ready to tear flesh.
"I've heard enough." I hiss.
"But, Avery, I'm not done."
"I'm done listening to you!" I retort.
He thinks he can just say a few words and everything will be okay? No! He deserves to feel the pain I felt. He deserves to be damned.
Alex frowns, looking confused. He gets up. "I'm sorry! I hoped you'd understand. How can I make it up to you?" He pleads.
"I hope you understand that I want you to stay the fuck out of my life. You should never have come back here. You're just a fucking rat. A manipulative, lying rat." I spit, getting up in his face.
Alex looks taken aback, eyes full of shock.
"I'm sorry, Avery, but I can't do that."
"Do what?" I challenge.
"Stay out of your life."
"You don't have a choice. It's either that or I rip your fucking throat out." I snarl.
"Hey, blondie, you better calm down. Watch yourself." Ray warns.
I bare my teeth. Ray always has to open his big mouth. He's not going to deter me. He's gonna eat his condescending words.
I shoot a glare at him. "Or what?"
"Or what? I'll fucking show you what, little bitch." Ray grabs his knife.
"Ray!" Alex shouts.
I snarl. The wolf presses on me. My vision becomes grainy and my blood boils. My breathing becomes harsh as I fight to contain the wolf. As angry as I am, it is not my intention to shift now and mutilate them. Besides, what if they take the wolf away again?
"Avery, please. Don't let the anger control you." Alex pleads, inching towards me.
I sense my nails turning into sharp claws and I dig them into the table, shouting in half-barks and growls. "I should kill you!" I yell, my voiced laced with the coarseness of the wolf's. I'm so much stronger than him. I can just kill him. That's the strong thing to do. I can't have any weaknesses.
Then my mind flashes back to the things Alex said. He doesn't even know how much I'm cursed. He didn't leave me. Not purposely. The fuzziness starts to clear.
Am I a slave to my anger?
No, of course not. That's absurd.
I look up to meet a pair of captivating green eyes. They're shiny and full of emotion, and in them sits my reflection. I struggle to find a reason to be angry, an excuse for my outburst, but come up with nothing. Maybe it's not so absurd.
I let out a heavy sigh and slump back down on the chair, disappointed in myself. Disappointed that I lost my focus and clarity, I left myself vulnerable.
The room is silent. I can't bring myself to look up. Their gazes burn into me and I shift uncomfortably in the seat. "Sorry." I mumble, almost to myself.
Alex nods with understanding, while Ray wears a much more scornful look.
"I need to protect you." Alex says while staring at me intensely.
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A/N
Three cheers for the first new chapter in a while. It's short, I know. I was gonna add more but I just couldn't wait to post it. Just so you know, I've got about 5 chapters that haven't been published so things should be getting done this month. ( Yay, it's Christmas month!)
Don't forget to vote and/or drop a beautiful comment.
Much love,
Mothy