Beauty of the Beast

#8

Recap:

Blue slowly prowled closer, Balthazar stiffened further and further with each step she took in their direction. When she stood about ten feet away from them, she lifted her lip, flashing her fangs before letting out a low warning growl. Immediately after which she turned and leaped into a tree standing a good twenty feet away. Once within the leafy expanses of the forest, she was undetectable within moments.

Turning to Sadie, Balthazar pasted a sheepish smile on his face, "I know I rushed into things without thinking." He scratched the back of his neck nervously. "What exactly did she say to you?"

Chapter 8:

"One more step, and you lose the foot." The female drawled.

Her eyes had remained closed; to all intents and purposes she had appeared asleep, her limbs arranged in a nonchalance that Balthazar found himself envying. She lay on her favorite branch on a tree a few metres from the edge of a steep cliff, facing the cloudy sky above. He knew it was a futile prospect to even consider sneaking up on a shifter of her skill-level, but like a fool he's gone ahead and tried anyway. 

"Come now, we must behave rationally." Balthazar tried to extend an olive branch to the definitely testy female.

"I don't know if you pretentious types have changed the definition of 'Rational' in the near past. But it used to mean being a damned reasonable person." Swinging her legs lazily, Blue turned her head toward him. Her gaze stormy, she pinned him place with the intensity of  her eyes. 

"Not attacking helpless females at the slightest provocation, would be considered rational."

"Touche." She hummed. "I did not mean to come on so strong. Shifter females are much different in comparison to humans, I forgot how fragile they are."

"You've had contact with humans before?" Balthazar was surprised.

"Don't we have your human and her skittish tendencies to discuss?" She sighed, deliberately hedging around his question.

"I know what you think of me. And that is perfectly apt for you to do so, but hear me out." Balthazar tried.

Lazily waving her hand at him, she turned to face him.

"I shouldn't have attacked you." He sighed.

"I do not care that we fought. It happens." She looked up to the stormy sky. "What bothers me is the lack of concrete facts you gathered before you attacked."

"Blue, the thought of Sadie getting hurt took over, it was not within my control." Balthazar pleaded, he knew where this was headed, and frantically tried to save the sinking shipwreck that was their friendship.

"Understandable." She nodded agreeably.

Letting out a sigh of relief, he slumped against the nearest tree, they were making good progress at restoring their friendship. "You scared me there for a moment."

"Your lack of trust in me is appalling." She suddenly spoke. "Yes, I spoke to her. But you didn't know that, you didn't even bother to collect the facts."

He yearned to turn the clock back, he knew what Blue had done was wrong, but he hadn't bothered to gather evidence either. And from what Sadie had told him, Blue had done nothing but warn Sadie not to hurt him. In an unnecessarily forceful manner, but warned her just the same.

"I know Blue, but what you did was wrong. I couldn't let that go." He hated that he had even reached this point in his life. He knew nothing would ever be the same, it was time for Balthazar to choose between his oldest and most loyal friend, and the female who had captured his heart and mind.