Outliers

Thirty Four

"To find but one, just one other - another which recognises, grasps your uniqueness... another which makes less painful the question which surround your rarity, another which respects and exalts it...

then still, to kiss their mouth, to embrace the open mouth that is so capable of multiplying your darkness, your completeness... O, I say now,

that is love, true love..."

Segovia Amil

Sandra was the first to find us; along with a handful of enforcers that were still in their wolf forms, prowling forward and taking a closer look at the scene. Sandra was the only one to have shifted back into her human form, naked and unashamed as her wide eyes took everything in.

I pealed back from Nero's embrace, balance slightly askew as I did and my knees nearly buckled beneath me.

"Holy shit..." Sandra swore at the sight of us.

Benjamin Russo and David were dead on the ground. Javier unconscious. Daniel was dripping wet as he stood over Russo's body with one hand blood-stained. The three of us: Nero, Riley and I were looking as if we had just fought our way through a natural disaster. And my bloodied knife was still clutched in my right hand.

I briefly wondered if I'd ever be able to get all of this mud off of me or if was now a permanent addition on my body. And the blood... Somehow it felt heavier against my skin, and I found my eyes falling back towards David's body.

I had killed someone.

The realisation hit strikingly hard. So quickly had I gone from barely beginning my training to killing another wolf.

I didn't know what I had expected to feel; but as it stood I felt nothing, just a numbness where I knew I should feel something.

Sandra stalked over to Russo's body. She cast Daniel a wary glance, and kicked at Russo's shoulder with the tip of her bare foot, as if to check if he were really dead. But it was clear as day that his heart was no longer beating, even my half-human hearing could confirm it. That, and the sight of his throat brutally cut and the amount of blood that coated him was more than enough confirmation.

Daniel stood stiff, and hadn't move at all, I realised, since he had killed Russo. Instead the large male was still staring at Riley - at his young Alpha, who in turn had not stopped staring at Russo's lifeless face. Daniel hadn't even reacted to Sandra so close to him, face pinched in concern as if he expected Riley to fall apart at any second.

"Gods Sandra," Adriel exclaimed, appearing through the trees as he tugged on a pair of shorts, only one other enforcer accompanying him. "Put some damn clothes on."

"Embrace the wild," Sandra tutted, spreading her arms out and gesturing at the trees around us, providing everyone with an eyeful of her chest - not that anyone even batted an eyelid at the nudity despite Adriel's teasing. "We're wolves not humans. No need for modesty."

"Where are the others?" I asked, clearing my throat, watching Adriel crouch down beside Javier - no doubt checking he wasn't about to come too at any moment. He didn't bother to check on David. I shifted on my feet, brushing up against Nero who still stood so close to me. I felt his hand brush my own before he grasped it and offered me a comforting squeeze.

How was he feeling now? In this aftermath of death? What were Daniel and Riley thinking, as still as two stone statues, barely a reaction from either of them?