(Jaxon)
By the third period the next day, I noticed that Bennett had skipped school again. I was beginning to get concerned now, and I wondered if maybe he had been suspended for the week, in trouble, grieving, or just being lazy.
My next class was English, and third period had just ended. On my way to my next class, there was a bit of a spring in my step because I get to see Asher. I walked into English and glanced around the room, but I didn't see him. Since this was the only class we had together, I hadn't seen him this morning before classes began, due to my laziness, I woke up late and got to school half an hour into the first period.
Part of me hoped that Asher would hurry the fuck up and get here before Mandy did. Sitting in my seat, I ignored everyone around me, spinning the pencil on the desk. As I got lost in my own world of spinning the pencil first on the desk, and then around my finger, I silently prayed that he would get here already.
Unfortunately, fate didn't have it so. My eyes glued to the pencil, a fierce tic started in my jaw when a feminine hand reached into my frame of sight and pulled the pencil from my grasp.
"Morning, handsome."
Stealing all emotion from my face, I glanced up to see Mandy smiling down at me. Her hair was curled today and left to fall around her shoulders. She wore a fitted top designed to look like a referee t-shirt, and ripped, tight-fitted black jeans, and heeled boots. Okay, so maybe today she didn't look as skanky as other days.
And had I been straight, and she had a nice personality, I might consider dating her. Unfortunately for her, even though I am bisexual, I would never go for her, even though I have been with a few girls who had a horrendous attitude. They weren't clingy, making the break-ups all the easier. Mandy however, if I ever went for her, she would be one of those possessive, psychotic bitches who thought they owned you just because you fucked.
I swear, it's so bad; all I have to do is smile at her and she thinks I'm in love with her. It happened once, in the beginning of sophomore year before we moved to Jasper Falls, and before the attack happened. Then, Bentley and I were together, out and proud, public affection and the whole package. We were happy, and known as the cutest couple in our school, because the students there, weren't homophobic. The real homophobes came from within Black Rock.
Then, because Bentley had kindly wished for me to tolerate his parents and sister for his sake, I happily did it even if it caused me actual physical pain. Anything to keep Bentley happy. She had approached me while Chester, Bennett and I were hanging out during lunch one day, and all I did was smile in greeting because I didn't trust my voice to either not say something rude, or sound rude.
The next day and the following week, rumours swept through the school about how Mandy and I were together. About how I was in love with her and had been cheating on Bentley the whole time. People at school were mad at me, Bentley was developing doubts about my feelings toward him, Bennett was threatening to end my life with his bare hands. Suffice it to say, when my parents and Hunter found out, they blew a fuse.
My mother was calling for Mandy's head on a silver platter; her parents' execution dates, while my father had to single-handedly hold back my mother from carrying out her threats, and he had to practically lock Hunter in the house so that he didn't kill Mandy. He settled the fire by demanding that the principal suspend Mandy for lying and creating a ruckus.
Snapping back to reality, my eyes watched her every move as she gave me a smile and plopped down into the seat next to me. For fuck's sake, Asher, where the fuck are you?
Mandy placed the pencil down back on my desk, but she scooted closer to me and gently took hold of my hands, a sincere expression on her face. Okay, what? I'm actually terrified right now, because I have no idea what the hell she might be coming with.
"So, I figured out why you're so grumpy these days." she said, laughing a little. "It's so stupid of me to forget. I'm so sorry, Jaxon. It makes perfect sense now. But I just want you to know, you don't have to get through this alone. This grief, and pain. You need to stop doing this to yourself and learn to lean on others a little. I just want you to know that you're not alone. I'm here for you." she said rubbing my back in a soothing manner, and truly, I almost bought it. I don't know whether she was being genuine or had an ulterior motive, but I learned a long time ago, not to trust anything she says.
"So why don't you try supporting your own brother a little?" a familiar voice suggested, and it was only then did I realize that the classroom had gone quiet to the point you could hear a pin drop. We glanced up to see Asher standing there, his head tilted, hand on hip while the other clutched his binder. "Bennett lost something too, you know." he pointed out.
Yesterday, we spoke more about my issue with Bennett because Asher wanted to know how we went from best friends to hating each other. I told him everything, even that which included his hate-hate relationship with his sister and parents.
My eyes were glued to him, and I realized why the classroom had gone quiet. His hair was different, and boy, did he look delectable. He no longer had dyed black hair with golden highlights. Instead, his hair was a warm, rich golden blonde styled messily with a few strands dipping into deep chocolate pools he called eyes. He wore a white Skillet band tee with the cover of the band's Awake album printed; skinny black jeans that hugged his legs just perfectly and pooled slightly around his ankles; a wallet chain ran from the front loops of the pants to the back; and black flip-flops that were a bit feminine.
But I ain't complaining. My jaw was in my lap, and my brain not working correctly at the moment. His style of fashion was so simplistic, and I don't even understand how he managed to look so fucking drop-dead, heart-stopping, head-turning gorgeous.
I beamed with pride, my cheeks flushing red when our gazes locked. I am one fucking lucky bastard. I must have done something right in my past life to be blessed this way. I mean, I score a jackpot of mate twice!
First Bentley- a fucking angel- and now Asher who was like a miracle and a god all in one.
"Bennett is more difficult to approach." Mandy explained, still with her sincere act. I didn't believe a word of it, and neither did Asher as he arched a brow. Okay, he was sexy before with dyed black hair and golden highlights. Now, there isn't a word to describe how he looks now with blonde hair. His sexiness just went through the roof.
"Then maybe you should try harder." he deadpanned. Mandy stiffened in anger. "And while you're at it, get your slutty ass out of my chair." he added, his expression turning irritated, and I swear, my pants fucking tightened. All around the classroom, students expressed their reactions in a chorus of 'Oh's!'
Mandy stood, moving away from me as she went right up to Asher. They were roughly the same height today because Mandy's boots gave her at least two inches. Asher met her glare unflinching, and if not, irritated.
"Excuse me? Do you know who you're talking to?"
What is she trying to do?
Asher arched a well-shaped brow, his lips drawn into a firm line. "A desperate skank trying too hard. And look, it worked. You throw a ball, and the bitch fetches." he said, and again, a chorus of 'Oh's' sounded as Asher walked around Mandy and plopped down into the chair next to me.
"Hey, that's my seat. I always sit next to Jaxon." Mandy scoffed, and from the tone of her voice, it seemed like she was insinuating something else. Asher rocked back, getting more comfortable.
"Yeah, when you're not skipping, or fucking some poor bastard from the basketball or football team, and you're trying to get into Jax's pants. I'll lay it down for you now. He ain't interested in your Venus Flytrap." Asher retorted, and this time I even joined in on the chorus. And I had a feeling that Asher wasn't talking about Mandy's lady parts. Her personality is literally like that of a Venus Flytrap.
Clearly angry, Mandy grabbed up her binder and left the classroom. Well, I guess she skipping or going to fuck some poor bastard.
"Are you alright? You're rather obscene today." I pointed out, turning to face him, my eyes eating up his appearance. Asher shrugged his shoulders.
"It was all fine and well, but then, I found Syl crying. Because of that, I'm really fucking pissed." he returned, peaking my curiosity. I scooted closer, willing to hear him vent about his morning, and my actions seemed to be amusing to him because he laughed softly. "It wasn't much. Brent and his cronies tussled Syl a little this morning, and then he found Mandy and Blake in the boy's bathroom. I think seeing them together was his breaking point because he came running down the halls, tears and all, and knocked into me. Dammit! I hate seeing him so upset."
It warmed my heart to know that Asher could care so much about this little freshman. But, I suppose that's the type of person he is. He cares too much even if he doesn't try to show it. As subtle as his words and actions might be, it's still enough to show how much he cares. And if he's open about it, you get his passion full throttle.
"Is he okay, now?" I asked. Usually, I won't care about someone who wasn't close to me. But Syl obviously meant a lot to Asher and I've actually grown to care about the little human. Sometimes I found myself looking for him during lunch, or around school grounds to ensure he wasn't being hassled by anyone.
Asher was silent for a moment, a fierce tic throbbing in his jaw, eyes glazed over with an intense anger, eyebrows and nose scrunched cutely in his rage. I had a feeling Asher was plotting something in his head, and I bet it had everything to do with getting revenge on Brent and his cronies.
"Yeah, he's okay. I told him I'd walk him to all his classes just to make sure they don't harass him. And I invited him to lunch." he informed me, meeting my gaze as though asking if it was alright. I didn't mind. So long as Syl was safe, Asher wouldn't throw a fit and cause a ruckus that would inevitably lead to the future Marcana heads, and myself getting involved and possibly ending up in the principal's office.
I could do without that drama today, because as it is, there would already be enough drama after school. I had no intention of telling Asher this because he would probably flip his shit. In time, I would tell him and hope he understands.
I gave him a small smile in return, letting him know that I was fine with his decision.
The teacher walked in a few moments later, apologizing for running late. And since he was late, he wasted no time in jumping straight into the lesson.
**
When lunch finally rolled around, I followed after Asher to the freshman wing of the school. I admit, I felt like a giant in front of these fourteen and fifteen year olds, all of them stuck in that awkward stage of trying to figure out how they should act and dress. It was so hilarious, especially when we passed by a group of freshman girls who immediately stopped what they were doing and tried to appear cool by flipping their hair and laughing loudly, obviously to catch my attention.
They did, and I couldn't help but laugh. These poor, flat-chested, attention-seeking hyenas.
Asher stalked through the hallway, his head high and not even sparing the other freshmen a single glance. Most of them stopped to watch us in curiosity obviously wanting to why two juniors were in the freshman wing of the school.
While walking through the hallway, a familiar mop of shaggy platinum blonde hair caught my eyes, and I tapped Asher's shoulder, motioning to where Syl stood at his locker. But then I realized that Syl wasn't standing at his locker alone. He was surrounded by a group of freshman boys, all slightly taller and bigger than him. Asher and I slowed down, taking a moment to assess the situation, thinking that maybe they were his friends.
But then, as we got closer and within hearing range thanks to our sensitive hearing as werewolves, we realized that they were most definitely not friends. They were bullies, ganging up on little Syl to insult and hassle him.
"Nobody likes you, you stupid little fag." one of them said, and the rest snickered when the one that spoke, shoved Syl back against the lockers. Syl's big brown eyes were filled with tears, on the verge of falling, his head lowered. His shoulders hunched and he clutched a black book to his chest, tightly. I wasn't sure if Syl was trying to protect himself or protect the book.
"Fag!" another sneered, flicking Syl's ear.
"Fairy!" a third boy snapped, shoving Syl's shoulder and the small boy stumbled, whimpering slightly.
"Nerd!"
"Freak!" their ring-leader sneered, ripping the book from Syl's grasp. Syl screamed out in panic, reaching for the book. He tried to snatch it back as the other boy opened the book.
It was a sketch book, from the looks of all the detailed drawings on each page. The little punk laughed, his friends laughing along with him as he grabbed up a few pages.
"Please, don't do that!" Syl cried out, his small frame trembling. The other boys made a sound of amusement, the ring-leader taunting Syl as he motioned his hands in way that suggested he were about to rip out the pages.
"Please!" Syl all but screamed, dashing forward and trying to take the book back. The ring-leader stepped back and Syl stumbled forward, but before he could fall, two of the boys roughly grabbed him and slammed him back against the lockers, Syl wincing from the impact.
"Oh, I'll give it back." the ring-leader said, making Syl meet his gaze through blurry brown eyes. The ring-leader smirked, "If you say loud enough for everyone that you're a stupid loser." Syl's bottom lip trembled. "Come on, Freak! Say it. I'm a stupid loser."
Syl's lips trembled again and he was about to say it.
Just then, Asher marched forward in a fit of anger, shoving a little freshman out of the way as he approached the group of punks. He was taller than the boys, too, so that gave him a slightly more frightening aura since he was already so pissed. Asher slammed his hand against the locker, making all the boys jump.
"So, you punks think you're tough?" Asher sneered, and the ring-leader stepped back at the lethal glare on Asher's face. However, he only bumped into me. He turned around, his eyes going wide when he saw me, and I resisted the urge to laugh. Guess he wasn't expecting a junior reaching over six feet to be standing behind him.
Syl looked terrified, while all the other punks looked shocked.
Tilting my head, I gave them a menacing grin. "Were you guys troubling Syl?" I asked, and the ring-leader shook his head vigorously.
"N-No! W-We're friends with him." the ring-leader countered, a stuttering mess. "Tell them, Syl!" he added, making said person glance up with fear-stricken brown orbs. I caught the menacing glare the little punk sent Syl, making the boy uncomfortable, but even without the glare, I didn't believe a single piece of shit these idiots were spewing.
Before Syl could say anything, I spoke up. "Really? Because it didn't look like that from where I'm standing. If anything, it looked like you punks were bullying him." I fired, and that shut them up. My gaze went to the book in the bully's hand. "Does that book belong to you?"
They shook their heads. "Well, then, maybe you should give it back. Don't you think?" They nodded, quickly giving the book back to Syl who cradled it like it was his most prized possession; tears streaming down his face. Motioning my head in the opposite direction, I glanced back to the coward bullies. "Get out of here."
When they didn't move, Asher slammed his fist against the locker, making the boys jump, including Syl. "Scram!" he shouted, and they quickly ran away, one of the boys squeaking in surprise. I watched them run off, shaking my head at how fucked up each generation was becoming. I knew my generation was already fucked up, but did they really start bullying so young?
What the fuck am I saying? Of course they would. In Black Rock, the bullying began the moment you're born, for the shallow reason of the colour of one's pelt. If your pelt was a lighter shade, you were immediately subjected to scrutiny and inevitable bullying.
It was ironic when I thought about it. Those same dominants who bully, when they grew up, were the same ones who fought and killed for possession of those same subs, going so far as to sabotage the mating bond. Like I did at one point, then got my ass handed to me by Jace's mate.
And I'm not ashamed of it either. If anything, it taught me just how much Sky loves his mate and would even go so far as to break rules and laws to defend what's his. Besides, I have something better.
Turning my gaze back to Asher, I saw him comforting the little human boy, who was sobbing in my mate's arms. The image warmed me. Asher, who was foul-mouthed, and quicker to use violence stood in the middle of the freshman hallway, comforting a sobbing human boy. And this is why I loved him. Asher cared more than he let on, and he was stronger than he let people believe.
And I'm not talking about physical strength. He'd taken someone who was broken, beyond saving, and consumed with darkness and hatred and saved him. And now, he was about to do the same for Syl, without question.
Asher and I escorted Syl to the boys' bathroom of the freshman wing. I stood back watching as my mate tended to the small human boy, helping him wash his face and clear away the stray water droplets and tears. Discarding the tissue he used, Asher gently cupped Syl's face in his hands and spoke encouraging words to him, constantly asking if he was alright and if Syl wanted, he would beat up those little freshman punks, while incriminating my name in the scheme.
It didn't matter. I'd follow Asher anywhere he wanted.
Syl shook his head vigorously, platinum blonde hair flying around like a small blonde puppy. "N-No!" he stuttered, face flushed scarlet. "I-It's okay. You don't have to f-fight them. Too much trouble." he said, timidly glancing up to Asher with big brown eyes.
Asher expelled a deep breath, shoulders slumping, and I arched a brow at him. Did he really want to cause chaos with a bunch of freshman punks whose balls haven't dropped yet? He shook his head, waving a hand as if dismissing the thought.
"Alright, come on. Let's go get some lunch." he said, gently taking hold of Syl's wrist and leading the way out. I quietly followed after them, getting my tray of lunch after they did. I had expected Asher to go sit with his friends, and take Syl with him, but instead, he came to sit with me, dragging little Syl with him.
Not long after, Sasha joined us, fawning and gushing over Syl. And then, Jace joined us, dragging along an unwilling Sky Daniels. I could feel the dude's glare burning through my head, and I knew I was the reason he didn't want to sit with us. It didn't bother me what he wanted, but after a quick glare and a threat of no sex for two weeks from Jace, Sky shut up and grumpily sat down.
Soon enough, the table was engulfed in a series of conversations, Sasha and Sky carrying on with their usual bickering. Jace, Asher and Syl were caught up in their own conversation, the small human smiling brightly as if the previous events had never happened.
Whipping out my phone, I scrolled through my contacts and clicked on Bennett's name, starting a chat with him using the school's free Wi-Fi connection.
'Why aren't you in school today?'
I waited for his reply, and a moment later, I saw him come online.
'I woke up late. Didn't feel like bustling, so I went back to sleep.'
Typical Bennett.
'So, you weren't suspended for the week?'
'Nope. By the way, do you have it?'
'Yes. Bennett, this better not happen again, or I swear, I will kill you. Not to mention, this is already dangerous what we're doing.'
He sent back an emoji rolling its eyes.
'Yeah, yeah. It won't happen again. I promise to go to rehab and try the therapy. I'll meet you by the school and we'll head over there.'
"Who you texting?" Sasha said suddenly, leaning over to see the screen of my phone. I quickly pressed it against my chest preventing her wandering gaze.
"No one." I replied, a little too gruff for my liking. It caught the attention of the rest of the table, as they turned to look at me with raised, questioning eyebrows. "It's nothing important." I tried, reassuring them. Sky and Asher didn't believe me as they stared at me longer while the rest of the table resumed eating and chatting.
Checking my phone again, I noticed Bennett had sent another message.
'Thanks for helping me out, Jaxon. I really appreciate it. Don't know what I would've done, to be honest.'
I sent a quick reply that read, 'Let's just focus on this afternoon, and I'll kill you later.'
His reply was two emojis; the first flipping me off, and the second, a pile of shit. I laughed at his response. Typical Bennett.
**
By the time classes were over, Bennett was already waiting for me by my car.
Stupid idiot!
If he was going to enter the school compound anyway, why not just attend school today?
I had informed Asher that there was something I needed to do this afternoon, so we couldn't hang out. This was stupid as it was reckless, but we couldn't risk Hunter finding out about this. If he did, he'd blow it way out of proportion. It's best if we just did this quietly and moved on.
Bennett rolled his eyes in annoyance when he caught my facial expression as I approached my car, which he was leaning on, a backpack slung over one shoulder. "What? Don't give me that look. You know I don't like school." he said.
Big, fat, liar.
Bennett loved school. His grades said as much, being pretty much A's and B's. So, I don't know what kind of bull-crap story he was coming with. I did, however, give him the benefit of the doubt since we haven't been on the best of terms. For all I know, Bennett's academic performance could have been severely impacted with the loss of Bentley and Chester, and then his history of violence, and drugs.
I arched an eyebrow. "Truly?" Bennett crossed his arms over his chest, pursing his lips knowing that I'd caught him red-handed in a lie. But then, his gaze shifted to somewhere over my shoulder and he quickly glanced down to his feet.
"Look, let's just get out of here and see about this thing." he suggested, and I didn't miss the urgency in his tone. Curious, I turned around to see who he had been looking at to have such a reaction. My eyes landed on the group of Marcana wolves, and they all seemed to be in their own world, chatting amongst themselves.
Except Carter Hayes; who was glaring directly at us. Or more specifically Bennett. He looked moments away from marching over here and ripping Bennett to shreds. Expelling a deep breath, I shook my head and fished my keys out of my pocket, unlocking the doors with the small remote attached to the key ring.
"Let's go before Hayes throws a hissy fit." I suggested, and Bennett didn't argue, literally running around to the front passenger's seat. Tossing my bag into the back seat, I revved up the engine as Bennett pulled a yellow envelope from his backpack.
"You got the rest?" he asked, and I nodded, reaching into my back pocket and pulling out the additional wad of cash. Handing it over, I watched from the corner of my eye as Bennett counted the bills. When he finished, he glanced back to me. "Where'd you get it from?" he asked.
"It doesn't matter." I replied, and he gave me sceptical look. "Don't give me that look! I didn't get it through illegal means, if that's what you're asking."
That seemed to placate him as he gathered all the bills and shoved them into the envelope and stuffed it into his backpack. "It's all there." he informed me, and I nodded, shifting the gear into drive and pulling out of the parking lot.
Too soon, we entered the slums of Jasper Falls, driving until we finally reached our destination. A back alley slum of a building, apartment buildings on either side of the narrow street. A group of men were milling about the alleyway, buff, dressed in leather and covered in ink. They looked like trouble with a menacing swagger and possessed an aura that said they wouldn't hesitate to snap us in half. Bennett appeared uneasy, taking a moment to compose himself as he expelled a deep breath, grabbing the bag up and giving me a nod.
I followed after him, keeping my mouth shut as Bennett did the talking. One of the men who was leaning against the red brick wall, a cigarette in his hand, pushed off to stand on his own feet while stomping the bud out as we approached. He raised a pierced eyebrow, glancing down his nose at Bennett who was barely a few inches shorter.
"We have something for Lukas." Bennett said, reaching into his backpack and pulling out the envelope. He handed it over, and the man, keeping Bennett's gaze, took the envelope and opened it to scan its contents. Another man came over, and they exchanged words before the second man disappeared inside the building to our left with the envelope.
"Wait here." the first man stated, and we did as told, knowing that we couldn't fuck around with these guys. The whole point was to avoid what happened yesterday. Bennett glanced over to me from the corner of his eye.
"Maybe we should make a run for it." he suggested, keeping his voice low. His suggestion confused me. I raised an eyebrow indicating that I wanted him to elaborate. "Jaxon, we fucked up yesterday. You knocked the boss down. These guys are going to kill us. Lukas don't take kindly to being humiliated."
Stuffing my hands into the pockets of my jacket, I shook my head. "No they won't. If they kill us, Black Rock will come after them. Besides," I gave him a cocky grin, "I don't take kindly to being humiliated, either."
Bennett stared at me owlishly, before scrunching up his nose and eyebrows. "Prideful turd!" he sneered, causing me to chuckle.
A moment later, the guy who had taken the envelope exited the building with Lukas following him.
"You got your money. Told you, I just needed a little more time." Bennett said as Lukas came to stand in front of us, a grim, menacing expression on his face as he tore his gaze away from him and then turned to look at me. I arched a brow.
"Holding a grudge?" I said. Even though that was probably the worst thing I could do in this situation, technically, it's my one deadly flaw. I couldn't help it that I liked pissing people off.
"How'd you come up with the money, kid?" Lukas said, giving me one last glare before averting his attention to Bennett, who raised an eyebrow.
"What's it matter? You got your money, I'm off the hook. Don't look for me anymore. I won't be back here." Bennett retorted, his expression neutral and voice determined. Strange. One year, and he chose now of all times to turn his life around.
But, I suppose I understood that, and the why behind it. It was similar to what he'd said to me back at the cemetery; that there's no point in grieving over something he never had. The same with what Kelly had said about him not caring about Black Rock. What was the point of turning his life around when there's no one in it who really cares about him? It was like I had said. His list of people he cared about consisted of three names. Two were gone, and then I just abandoned him.
"There's only one way out of this, kid. Once you get in, you can't get out." Lukas warned threateningly, and as if by some secret message, the other men stopped what they were doing and walked closer, walking around us and blocking off our escape route.
That was when I caught a familiar scent tangling in the air. It was unique to werewolves, and I know it didn't come from either Bennett or me since we'd masked our scents before coming here. Another precaution we had taken for multiple reasons.
Some of the men surrounding us already had their claws and canines out, indicating that they were werewolves and were about ready to rip us to shreds. It would explain why they didn't go down easily yesterday.
They were werewolves.
A rogue pack residing in Jasper Falls, one of the few we'd learned about after communicating with the other alphas and packs in the town.
"It's no hard feelings, kid." Lukas spoke up, drawing our attention to him as Bennett and I stepped closer to each other, our eyes pinned to the men surrounding us. "It's just a business deal gone sour and I can't have any loose ends."
Bennett snarled, an animalistic sound emanating from his throat, and I could tell that his claws and canines were elongated, and he was ready for the fight that was no doubt coming. They were going to kill us.
We wouldn't go down with a fight though. Even if we had to drag our bodies out of the alleyway, there was no way in hell we were going to die in the slums of Jasper Falls, no one other than these thugs knowing where we are.
"Make it quick." Lukas ordered, disappearing back into the building he'd emerged out of as the men came at us.
"Don't get killed." I warned Bennett, and he just laughed. I swear to the gods, he was fucking psychotic!
Just as the first guy was about to pounce, a still silence settling around us, there came a sound that froze us all, rooting our feet to the asphalt. A menacing growl emanating from somewhere behind us, causing everyone to turn to the sound.
"You fuckers brought back-up!" one of the men accused, shouting at us. Standing just past the doorway Lukas had disappeared through was a large black wolf; bigger than the average dominant male werewolf. It was even larger than Hunter or me in our wolf forms. Not a single strand of fur was another colour, sleek, shiny, midnight black from head to toe; powerful paws and a big built. The wolf snarled and growled, gray eyes staring down the men surrounding Bennett and me.
"That's not one of ours." I stated, glancing back to Bennett to find him staring at the wolf, fear-stricken, eyes wide. Did he recognize the wolf?
"Doesn't fucking matter!" another guy shouted, charging at Bennett who was standing immobile, eyes glued to the large creature, completely unaware of the man moving toward him with a knife at the ready.
"Bennett!" I shouted, grabbing his arm and pulling him behind me as I dodged the guy's reckless swing. Grabbing onto the man's shirt, I barrelled my knee straight into his midsection causing him to lose his footing for a moment. I took advantage of that, bringing his face down onto my knee.
"Fucking brat!" another man sneered, coming at me now that I'd taken down his friend who lay unconscious on the ground, the knife having fallen away from him. Just before the man could reach me, a bark sounded followed by a snarl and the man swivelled around. My gaze snapped to the commotion happening a few feet away from us, watching as the black wolf growled, and charged at the men, taking down two of them. The wolf was punched in the head, resulting in retaliation.
The man beneath the wolf screamed out when the wolf bit down on his wrist, crushing the bone with powerful jaws. Blood spurted, and the moment the other man screamed out as the wolf swiped it's clawed paw at his chest, Bennett let out of fearful, blood curling scream from behind me, collapsing the ground.
That was our cue to leave. I don't know who that werewolf is, but I tip my hat to it. With Lukas' men distracted trying to fend off this monster of a werewolf, I quickly turned my attention to Bennett who had his eyes shut, and his hands covering his ears. He was mumbling something under his breath, something that sounded a lot like 'This is a dream, it's not real, it's not actually here.'
That caught my curiosity and while I wanted to prod him about it, now was not the time. "Bennett! Get up! We have to get out of here!" I commanded, and when he didn't move, I resorted to pulling him to his feet. He looked shocked and terrified all in one, but I didn't stop as I opened the driver's side door and shoved him inside. Bennett crawled over the gear shift and shakily settled into his seat, while I wasted no time in revving up the engine.
Driving out of the alley way, I drove us out of the slums going past the speed limit. In less than a few minutes, we crossed back over into the familiar part of town, owned by the established packs of Jasper Falls. We were on a strip of road- on the left was the tree line of the woods, and the other was a large field that was fenced off- passing through Crescent Hill territory when Bennett suddenly screamed.
"Stop the car!" he shouted, slamming his hand into my shoulder as he clutched at his chest with his other hand. "I need to get out! Stop!" He was on the verge of tears now, and I swerved, pulling to the side of the road and slamming on the brakes. Bennett opened the door and stumbled out, making it onto the grass just before the fence, before he collapsed to his knees and started unloading his stomach.
I got out of the car, and approached him, making sure to not look at his upchuck. After a minute or two more of unloading his stomach, Bennett crawled away from the mess, tears streaming down his face as he collapsed into a sitting position. He held out his hands, watching them tremble vigorously before wrapping his arms around himself and rocking back and forth.
Okay, he was starting to scare the living daylights out of me.
"Bennett, talk to me. What's wrong?" I asked, watching him try to calm his breathing down, and after a few minutes, he finally did. His rapid, heavy breathing returned to normal, his tears ceased to fall but he was mumbling beneath his breath.
"It's actually here." he was saying, over and over, and over again. I crouched in front of him.
"What's here, Bennett? Talk to me." I said, approaching the situation the same way my therapist had done back when I was actually in need of those sessions. But I hadn't been to therapy since Asher waltzed into my life with a foul mouth and harsh words.
"The wolf...it's the same one." he replied.
"Tell about it." I offered. It was the same thing my therapist used to do. When I gave her an inch, she'd ask me the same question and before I knew it, I was spilling my guts. Telling her everything, all the details, the feelings, the fear, the people whose faces I would never see again, the lurking figures of evil, all faceless but yet somehow I knew exactly who they were.
"Calm down, Bennett; and tell me everything about why this wolf has you so spooked."
After a few moments, and few attempts at controlling his breathing, racing heartbeat and mind, he brought his knees to his chest, arms resting atop them.
"Since the cemetery, I got this feeling like I was being watched. Like I was being followed. Whatever it was, it stayed with me while I was at the cemetery. And when you showed up, it disappeared." he started, and gulped before continuing the story. "I've felt the presence everywhere I go for the last two days, and the same night of the anniversary, I saw the wolf for the first time." he added, meeting my gaze. Bennett was terrified, and it was a rare thing for him. "It was in Black Rock."
"And you didn't say anything?"
Bennett shook his head, running his fingers through his hair, hands still trembling. His voice came out shaky when next he spoke, and his mouth curled at the sides. There was nothing happy about it. Fear was suffocating him.
I knew how he felt; to be so petrified, you couldn't move or think properly. You became paralyzed with fear and your lips quirked up in an attempt to convince yourself it wasn't real and that maybe you could laugh it off. But the fear just sank its talons deeper.
"I didn't know what it was. I thought maybe I was just going crazy. You know, the drugs, fucked up sleep schedule, the nightmares...I thought that was it..." he trailed off, taking a shaky breath and closing his eyes as if trying to keep calm.
He thought he was going crazy. Again, I'd been there. Anything to forget that your life is a nightmare. Anything to forget the darkness, the cruelty and inhumanity you had witnessed. Convincing yourself you were insane was just one way of lying to yourself in hopes that maybe you could get through the day.
"Where did you see this wolf?"
The moment I asked this question, I felt a twinge of guilt when his eyes widened, terror striking his core, and his eyes glazed over with tears.
"M-My house..."
"What...Bennett, what was it doing at your house?" I asked, my breath catching when I realized just how bad this sounded. This strange wolf had trespassed into our territory and was outside Bennett's home.
And at night?
"It was just sitting by the tree line, watching my bedroom window." he said, and I couldn't help the creepy shiver that ran up my spine. I chose to ignore it, focusing on Bennett and hopefully trying to figure out the deal with this mystery wolf. "The night before, when I saw it, I thought maybe it was just one of the guys patrolling in wolf form. But the longer I looked at it, that feeling started coming back. It hit me that I didn't recognize the wolf, and it was just staring at me."
I was getting goose bumps now, the hair on my arms and the back of my neck was standing on edge.
"Was it in Black Rock last night?"
Bennett nodded, a stray tear finally falling as he hugged himself tighter.
"Only...it wasn't by the tree line. It was by the fence."
The fence that blocked off the Reid's backyard from the woods. There was at least a fifteen feet gap of grass just before the tree line that headed into the woods, which meant that this wolf didn't just trespass into Black Rock. It had no fear of getting caught if it could boldly cross that gap and sit out in the open for maybe hours.
Suddenly, Bennett stiffened, gasping as he scrambled to his feet. He started looking around all frantic, and I was on my feet as well, trying to ask him what's wrong. Instead, he kept pushing me away, eyes scanning the woods across the street and then the field.
"Bennett?"
"It's here! Jaxon, the wolf is here!" he stated frantically. I glanced around but didn't see anything. But I knew we weren't out here alone. I could feel the presence of something else, and whatever it was, it was watching us.
While it was creeping me out, I didn't have time to worry about me. I was too focused on trying to get Bennett to calm down and avoid going into shock or cardiac arrest.
"Okay, let's just get in the car and go home. Does that sound good?" I suggested, but Bennett didn't even give me a verbal response. Instead, he literally ran over to my car, threw the door open and climbed into the passenger's seat, quickly buckling himself in.
Glancing around the area once more, my gaze settled in on the woods across the street, focusing on a particular area just beyond the tree line. I couldn't see anything despite my twenty-twenty vision as a werewolf, but the intensity of the feeling of being watched had tripled. If it really is the wolf, it was just beyond the woods, looking directly at me.
"Jaxon!" Bennett screamed just then, bring my attention back to him. He was strapped into the seat, making wild gestures for me to get the fuck in the car and get us out of here.
I couldn't agree more.
I would try to come back to the stalker wolf issue some time soon. Right now, I needed to focus on getting Bennett to calm down.
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This chapter was +7000 words. I'm actually proud because I think this chapter is the longest in this book so far.
At first I didn't like the way it came out because I thought it was a bit all over the place, but then I realized that I'm perfectly fine with it. It could be improved though, in some places. But the main reason I wanted to do so much with this chapter is because I wanted to really get into the main characters, and I was playing with ideas on how to introduce new characters.
Some of the characters we've met, and have not yet met will play important roles throughout this series, and I really wanted you guys to at least get to know them a little. See how they are affected even if they aren't the main character of the book, for example Bennett and Jaxon.
Jaxon and Bennett are equally important to each other, and have been best friends their entire life. I really wanted to get into what their relationship is like, and to see how they would be affected if they decided to patch things up.
And in case you guys haven't noticed, this series is no longer a trilogy. With the introduction of a few main character, I've figured out an ending to this series. There will be four books in total, and while each book will star a different main character/couple, they are ultimately involved in the issues Jasper Falls will have to face.