I looked up at him, what was I doing here? I was wasting my time. I heard a rustle and turned around. Koi jumped down from his throne and stood beside me so I took a generous step to the side as I heard him sigh. I saw the slightest bit of movement so I tried to focus on what it was, it took me a split second to realise that it was Carlos. In the same moment I realised I had to tear Koi's attention away, but unfortunately it was too late.
"Ah the boy, or shall I call you a beast?"
I elbowed him in the gut and as a surprise the pain actually seemed to exist. He looked at where I hit him dumbfounded before sighing dramatically.
"Only you can hurt me love, it's going to make this so much more entertaining, anyways back to the bea- boy."
I turned to him and gave him a deadpan look.
"Leave him alone, Carlos?"
I saw his head appear from behind a tree curiously. It was fascinating watching his behaviour, it's become accustomed to that of a wild animal. I held out my hand, out of the corner of my eye I could see Koi gawking at me. Carlos slowly stepped out from the forest, he was covered in more blood than before and I remember what Koi said in the dream, he would roam this world forever as a monster and feed on the innocent. There was still some Carlos in there and I wasn't going to break his heart by cowering from him. He stopped short about 50 meters away from me, he seemed to recognise Koi and as a fair reaction he started to take fast steps backwards.
"No no no it's ok Carlos, come here, I won't let him hurt you."
I started taking small steps towards him and he stopped to look at me instead. He was taking in my appearance. I pushed the 'monster' down and stood still, he relaxed slightly, he was still visibly scared. I held out my hand again and this time there was no hesitation, he grabbed my hand and pulled me towards him, throwing his arms around me whilst making something along the lines of a happy noise. In response I wrapped my arms around and let him bend down to pick me up. He spun me around and I giggled as I looked him in the eyes and cupped his face.
"Are you ok? No one has tried to hurt you have they?"
He shook his head, I was shocked, he could still understand me! This means I can talk to him, maybe I can use some sort of psychological bullshit to help him through this.
"Can you understand me?"
He nodded happily, he was still there, and there was more of him than I originally thought.
"How? How can you sit there in his arms like that? After what I've done to him?" Koi asked incredulously, as well as openly admitting that he was the one who did this to him, I already made a brief guess that this was him, I mean come on, he has these powers. I looked at him and scowled.
"Unlike you, jackass, I don't view the world through a fearful mindset, unless the creature in front of me has tried to willingly cause pain to me, I'm willing to give them a chance, on that note, tell me how to turn him back or I'm going to surgically remove your ballsack."
He looked taken aback and then narrowed his eyes questioningly at me.
"He threw you at a wall."
"Like I said, willingly, he had no control over that because of YOU, he's a so-called monster because of YOU, this is YOUR fault Koi."
He started walking towards us, making angry strides in our direction, Carlos took fast steps back and growled threateningly.
"Listen to him! He's dangerous, but you're sitting there and coddling him like a baby who woke up from a nightmare."
I looked at him and screwed up my nose, I'd say this is nightmare material.
"I would call this a nightmare, you don't know what's happening psychologically inside of Carlos, and besides, I enjoy the thrill of putting myself in a dangerous situation, no guts no glory."
He stopped and then smiled dangerously, almost like a challenge. He crossed his huge arms over his chest.
"I know what's going on Charlotte, I did this to him, he won't remember this when- if he's cured from this, his primal instincts have somewhat taken over, with the addition of a monster forcing him to act upon fear and create chaos, he's still there but when his instincts take over there's only a sliver of hope that someone can escape from what he could and will do."
"Because of you, my goddess, are you listening to yourself?" I tap Carlos gently on the chest and he lets me down gently, I walk over to Koi, livid.
"You're calling him a monster when you did this to him because of what? You were afraid of losing me? Bullshit! You lost me long before you did this, I'm embarrassed to call you my mate and honestly appalled to call you a man! You did this, and I'm sure it has to somehow include your biology since you were the only person capable of this, there's a monster inside you too and this is just a greedy representation of how much of a coward you are. You call him out on hurting the innocent when he was innocent to begin with! You're disgusting, and a low life piece of shit that only wants to benefit himself, go dig a hole and die in it you pig."
That felt so good, but my pride was soon replaced with fear when he balled his fists and stood over me.
"You can call me all the names you want but in the end this will benefit the werewolf community our kind w-"
"Our kind?! You're barely our kind enough to make that declaration! What benefit? Are you going to build an army of monsters to fight? Rip innocent people from the lives they barely lived enough?"
"Not everyone is innocent Charlotte."
"But Carlos was! He didn't do anything wrong."
"He was a pawn in my way, so I got rid of his inconvenience."
"He was only trying to protect me and our pack, you have no reasonable explanation for why you did this."
"I don't need one, and I certainly don't need it from someone throwing a tantrum, I know things about power you can barely guess at, this is what was needed, I gave him a chance and he denied it."
"You were barely fair! Unlike you he is a good person, he was willing to throw away his freedom to protect me and I'm more than happy to do the same, you've found me, now leave him out of this."
He leaned down and looked me in the eyes like he was telling a child they couldn't have chocolate.
"You're getting yourself involved in things that can put you in more danger than what is ideal, your friend is a monster, what part of that don't you understand."
"None of it because you're wrong, there is still a lovable and trustworthy person in there and you know it, admit it, you were threatened by how close he was and you still are, your threatened by the fact that even as a monster Carlos will always have my trust and faith and you quite possibly never will."
I watched as anger blazed in his eyes, but there was also sadness, he blinked and stood, before picking me up and cradling me, he looked at Carlos and motioned for him to follow. He walked for about thirty minutes before coming up to a beautiful waterfall, he set me down and looked at Carlos who went rigid with fear.
"You don't understand Charlotte, I adore the connection between the two of you, I designed the injection so it would still be there, I wasn't going to take someone away from you that has cared for you your entire life, well at least not completely."
He waved his hand and a shadow in the shape of a humanoid figure appeared, he curled his finger and the shadow took the form of a young girl, but her eyes were black and she was completely inanimate, she didn't even breathe.
"You see, Carlos is his name right?" I nodded.
"Well Carlos won't hurt you, the monster is formed to resent even the thought of feeding on you, but any other form of life apart from your usual wild animals is prey to him."
He looked at Carlos and his body unstiffened, he looked around and once his eyes found the girl he looked animalistic, he bared his teeth and shot forward. I was about to close my eyes until I saw the girl dissipate into the air. Carlos looked confused.
"This boy is important to you, he is yours."
"No he's not, he has a mate, and you've taken him away from her."
"No I haven't, the monster was designed to be impervious to the thought of hurting a mate if he had one, if he were to see her, his reaction but be pure lust, she'd only be in danger of a rather rough night, he is yours as a friend, but I couldn't keep him in a form that resented me."
"He still does, he's terrified of you."
"I'll take fear over hate any day, I will show him that he can trust me."
"I don't want him to be a monster, I don't care how you've 'designed him' I want my best friend back, resentful as ever."
He frowned, as if the response should've been obvious by now.
"I'm sorry, I can't do that, but I can explain why. Why am I doing all this, everything?"
"You're telling the story bro, don't ask me."
"Don't call me bro ever again."
"I'll call you whatever I want prude, you can't make me do shit."
He held up his hand and I felt my body stumble, failing to keep up with itself.
"I'll have you find that I can do just about anything to you."
I grunted when I regained composure, he no longer had that warm smile, his game playing smile, he was wearing a face full of no emotions, but my face was breaking into tears. I waked over to Carlos and hugged him, I looked up expectantly, asking to be picked up and held. Carlos did as I asked but disappointedly carried me over to where Koi was.
"I thought you were supposed to be impervious to any harmful thoughts or actions."
"He's acting upon your needs, you need me, as much as I imagine you hate it, it's true, you need me and I need you, I'm not as bad as you think, just let me explain everything please."
"Fine, but if this isn't up to part I'll have a threesome with Carlos and his mate just to spite you."
Carlos placed me in his arms and I immediately relaxed, I could fall asleep here. Shut up Charlie.
"Now, let's start from the beginning."