The next five days passed by in a blur. Too engrossed with playing catch up for my classes, I hadn't gotten a chance to speak to Hannah, and Ainsley was busy with whatever she had going on. I'd gotten over my unease of the forest, and decided to spend last night and this night in a cave. Coop wouldn't be happy, but he wouldn't know.
He had left two nights ago through a red portal, and hadn't been back since. I asked him where he was going, and all he'd said was that his father requested him for a business trip between the realms. I didn't see a reason to push the subject further, and said my goodbye.
I wanted to investigate the cliff before I ventured to the cave to sleep, and I regretted it. From a distance away, I could see two figures on the Cliff's edge, and one of them looked angry. I tried to get as close as possible without being seen. My ears perked, and ready to catch what they say.
"Brandon, listen, I need you to understand. It wasn't like we can control it!"
The hairs on my neck stood up, and I sucked in a sharp breath. Brandon had Ray backed against the edge, and he looked terrified. My heart thundered against my ribs. He was really going to kill his best friend over a girl. This was past the point of love, this was obsession. I had to do something about it. Lydia and Ray could have gone about their...affair differently, but that didn't mean either should die.
"I don't care, Ray! She was everything to me. There is no one else-"
"You have a mate, Brandon! A literal fated mate. She's out there somewhere!" Ray argued, pushing back against Brandon.
"No! I don't want anyone else! I don't need anyone else!" Brandon hollered, his voice echoing off the cliff.
When he took a step toward him, I yelled out, "Stop!"
Both men looked at me, Brandon glaring, and Ray relieved. I sucked in a deep breath, and ran the rest of the way to them.
"What the fuck do you want? Get out of here!" Brandon shouted at me, and his eyes shifted gold.
Shit. I had to come up with something, and quick. He was going to shift, his emotions were out of control.
"Hannah!" I shouted, it was the first thing that came to mind, but it worked.
His confusion settled him, and his eyes flickered back to their normal color. I cleared my throat, and masked my fear.
"She wanted to talk to you about something. She told me earlier. Said she couldn't say what it was about, and I forgot about it until I heard your voice." I lied through my teeth, hoping it would save my ass.
"The fuck? And you thought interrupting a fight to tell me this was fucking smart?" He growled, his anger rising back up.
I held my hands up, and backed away a few steps to give him space. I didn't want him exploding, and having him focus his attention on me would help Ray edge away from the cliff. My eyes flickered to Ray's. They begged him to follow my lead.
"All I know is that I remembered her telling me before I went on this damn walk. She said it was important, and she's literally looking for you right now. I don't really care about your fight." I kept my voice nonchalant, and backed up another step.
Brandon followed my movements, his focus completely on me now. Golden eyes of hatred burned my soul, and anger emerged
"Just get the fuck out of here before-" Ray cut him off by tackling him to the ground.
They struggled against one another, and I watched in horror. Bones started to crack, and tufts of fur spurted from both of their bodies. They sprung apart from one another, and two huge wolves emerged from thin air. Ray's wolf was bigger, and had a reddish auburn tint, Brandon's a dull grey.
Large canine teeth snapped in the air as each wolf tried to bite one another. Their growls rumbled the earth, and they launched at one another again, this time they made contact. Crimson began to mist in the air, and my stomach knotted. Whines and whimpers mixed with growls, and my hands instinctively rose.
The ground beneath shook harder, and large spikes of dirt emerged, separating the wolves. I willed my energy to move the earth higher, creating a thick barrier. The fighting had ceased, both wolves attention on me now.
"Are you really willing to kill your best friend over a girl, Brandon?! Is that what you want?" I yelled as the wind picked up.
Brandon's grey wolf growled, and hurled towards me. I threw my hands up to defend my face, when I heard a loud snarl from behind. Brandon's wolf stopped instantly, and fear took over its features.
Slowly, I turned my head around, and was met with a large, black wolf. Its teeth level with my eyes. I swallowed a lump of fear, and attempted to step to the side of it. A low rumble escaped its chest, and I heard both wolves whimper a few feet back.
I looked behind me to see the injured wolves stomping off in different directions, and breathed a sigh of relief. A gust of wind tugged at my hair, and when I turned back around the black wolf was gone.
"What. The. Fuck." I whispered, dropping to my knees.
If Brandon was willing to kill his best friend, goddess only knows what he would do to Coop. My heart raced, and I struggled to find my breath. After almost being torn to shreds by a wolf, my first thought was of Coop. I didn't know which I feared more.