Brian stumbled a few steps back from the shove but regained his stance with a plant of his foot in the grass. I switched my backpack to my other shoulder before walking off. However, he came back. He grabbed my backpack this time, yanking me to a halt. "What the fuck was that for?"
The strap of my bag gave way and it crashed to the ground, carrying our gaze along with it.
Great! First my girl, and now my bag. He was now a dead man.
My fist was already swinging before he looked up. It landed against his cheek, knocking him off his feet. "Don't you fucking touch what's mine!"
He held the sore spot. His eyes bulged at the unexpected attack. I went for him again, and he shot to his feet. Instead of charging at me like I wanted him to, he cast a glance behind him and dashed into the forest.
Fucking coward. Why had I expected better?
'Maybe because he's an innocent bystander.'
I shook my head, shaking the obtrusive voice away. A small group near the stands was looking in my direction.
'Well, he's a wise man. He didn't want to attract the crowd. At least one of you has a level head.'
Cursing under my breath, I took off after Brian. My nose trailed his scent. My eyes marking the yellow glow of the trees he touched. I crouched to pick up a broken twig he must have stepped on. Tilting my forehead to the sky, another whiff of air was vacuumed in my nostrils. My ears scanned for any sound which belonged to him.
"What the hell is up with you, Kyle?"
I cocked my head to the side, trying to locate the whereabouts of his voice. "You touched what was mine," I deadpanned.
Silence and then, "I didn't mean to tear your bag strap. I'll get you a new bag." Sincerity coated his apology.
The diplomat as usual. He often found clever ways to evade a fight. It wasn't going to work this time.
"It's not about the fucking bag!"
"No? Then what is it about?" Curiosity dripped from his inquiry. "You know me, Kyle. I would never intentionally offend you in any way. You're my best friend, man. My alpha."
I paused for a slight second at the declaration.
'That's right, Kyleon,' the sinister mental voice returned. 'He doesn't know why you're upset because you never told him. Funny how you're ready to crucify your friend, one of your loyal disciples for a despicable witch.'
Fuck!
Brian was a loyal friend. Decades of our friendship had taught me that. He followed my rules and found crafty ways to stay true to me without alerting the vampires.
I ran my fingers through my hair.
'That's right. Another witch now has you wrapped around her little finger. Should it take another deception for you to learn? Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me—'
I shook my head. "Shut the fuck up!"
Another dose of anger erupted, bubbling through my pores. Images of the couple from last night flashed to mind. Then it came: his sharp intake of breath. My head tilted in the direction of the sound. Brian jumped from four branches above me.
Fuck! How had I missed it?
I stepped back in time for him to land in front of me. His fist came swinging, but it sailed past when I shifted a little to the left. Preoccupied with his attack, he never noticed my fist. It connected with his cheek, sent him falling back. He crashed into the tree he had jumped from. The bark cried out at the impact, leaning from its injury.
Steps took me to Brian. I grabbed his neck, pulling him off the ground before throwing him across the forest. He crashed into several more trees before he fell to the ground. By the time he dropped, I was on him. The front of his shirt was bundled in one fist, punches being administered with the other.
Brian managed to guard his face with his hand back and jabbed in a punch when I held up. I staggered backward. The tree behind me cushioned my fall. He ran again, holding his bloody face. I straightened and launched for him, but collided with something else. We rolled several times before stopping at a broken tree trunk.
Sharp teeth and a loud growl came from the beast on top of me. Front paws crushed my chest. I swung my right arm, knocking the beast across his face. It fell off me with a roll and whimpered. I flicked to my feet while he shot to his fours. Its head tilted to the shy and a howl followed.
I spotted Brian and tried to sidestep the animal, but he was clever. He moved in front of Brian, guarding him. Sharp teeth and growling was thrown in my direction. Blue eyes shone with anger, and its black fur raised.
"You don't want to fight me, Colin."
He stepped closer and I took a step back. We circled each other.
"So, I'm guessing you're still upset with me. You had it coming. Your comments were way harsher than mine."
His growl grew louder.
I grabbed a broken branch, the size and weight of a spear. Colin watched me with intensity, ready to prance. Our dance got worn out. He pranced but I dodged him and threw the spear behind him. It whistled through the air but stopped short of Brian's chest. I was not given a chance to see what happened before I was on the ground again. A sharp pain rippled through my back at the fierce impact. I didn't have time to nurse the injury but had to be back on my feet.
Colin came at me, and I kicked him. Another wolf latched onto my left arm. The sharp pain shook my nerves. For a slight second my arm felt numb. I punched the creature across the head with my fist. Its teeth dug deeper into my flesh. Blood leaked from the corners of its mouth.
The pain was enough to bring tears to my eyes. Teeth gritted, I went in for a final power punch. Its head knocked sideways. Its teeth dragged into my skin, creating something similar to a trench before the animal fell to the ground. Blood gushed in the long wound then dripped to the earth.
The animal got back on all fours. It paid no attention to the blood blinding his right eye.
Colin came up behind me.
Ah, and then there were two.
They circled me while I stayed alert in the middle. "Good to know where your loyalty lays, Josh." Brown eyes never left mine. "I defended you not two seconds ago. While he," a finger was pointed at Colin, "was the one who said shit about your mate."
My words fell on deaf ears. Neither animal heeded my words. Growls grew louder as they closed in on me.
Fucking hell!
"Why are you taking Brian's side?" I argued in frustration.
They came closer.
'Some leader you are,' grumbled Wolfie, the mental voice. 'Can't even manage your own men.'
Shut up! Yes, I could.
I grabbed the nearest broken branch. Its width and length resembled a baseball bat, but its end was padded with leaves. "Fine, I'm done talking. You want a fight. I'll give you a fucking war."