An Unlikely Pair (ManxMan) SAMPLE

Chapter 5: No Regrets

^ Stryker's Coyote ^

Stryker

His grey eyes met mine, but they were no longer the eyes I remembered. They once shone with happiness, but now were blank and emotionless. Like every joy he every experienced was washed away, leaving him a hollow shell of a man. Swirling in the depths of his grey eyes was but one emotion now; madness.

One that festers in the soul and rips you apart from the inside out. He no longer looked at me with love in his eyes, but murderous intent. "Don't make me do this." I pleaded, raising my gun. "Please, come back to me." I prayed that he could hear me, that somewhere deep within himself he would hear me.

His cold grey eyes changed to a deep blue, the color of his coyotes. Then, they changed to a deep crimson red. The man I once knew was gone forever, the little hope I had died in that moment. "No." I cried. This can't be happening. Not to him. Not to me. "Please." It can't be true.

But it was happening. The man I once loved had gone feral right before my eyes, and now there was only one thing that can be done.
He growled, sending a shiver of fear down my spine as he stalked towards me. My hands trembled, my heart hammering away in my chest as he closed the distance between us.

He rose his hand to strike, and that's when I found the strength to pull the trigger. The sound of the shot echoed off the cave walls and reverberated in my bones as he fell to the ground in a heap. Blood began to pool on the floor around him. I fell to my knees beside him, pressing my hands against the gaping hole in his chest in attempts to stop the bleeding.

The life slowly drained from his eyes. My shoulders shook as sobs racked my body and I began to cry, "I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry-"

I shot up with a gasp, clutching at my heart that pounded away in my chest. Only a dream, I told myself. No, not a dream. Dreams don't make your heart race with fear. Dreams don't leave you a shaking, sweaty mess to frightened to move. No, dream wasn't the right word. Nightmare. It was a nightmare, one that has plagued my sleep one too many times before.

Nine, seeming to sense my distress jumped onto the bed and curled up next to me, resting her head against my leg as if offering emotional support. I rubbed her ear gently with my thumb, letting her soft purring anchor me. Like every time I have this nightmare, or any nightmare for that matter I wake up with a sheen of sweat coating my skin.

I grabbed some clothes from my dresser and went into the ensuite bathroom to take a quick shower. After scrubbing myself clean and drying off I dressed in a pair of breifs, worn wrangler jeans, and a tight black t-shirt. Nine was stretched out across my bed, in a deep sleep. I shook my head, she's so damn lazy sometimes.

"Can you believe he actually shot his own mate?" I heard one of the pack woman whispering. Like that would help. I rolled my eyes, I just wanted to shout at them, we are all werecoyotes here we all have insane hearing abilities! "I know. I guess after killing Alpha Joseph, shooting his mate would be no big thing."

A growl rumbled low in my chest. Did she really think it was easy for me to kill him? No, it wasn't, but I had no choice. My whole body started to shake as the rage started to consume me, my coyote was fighting for control. I needed to get out of here fast.

I stalked out of my room and out of the cave. There was a trail that lead down but I was too pissed off to use it, instead I ran to the ledge and jumped, shifting mid-leap and landing on four legs. I was a ball of raw emotions, they were too strong for me to handle. So I just ran. I ran until I finally got a hold of myself, then slowed to a stop.

I shifted back, and fell on my ass. I feel so drained, like my very life force was sucked out of me. My past was something I always tried to bury away. I was never one to reminisce, mostly because there was nothing worth reminiscing. But that's beside the point, the past should stay in the past. Here and now is what's important.

But no matter how hard I try it seems that my past always seems to find a way to sneak up on me. It haunts me in my sleep, tormenting me with nightmare after nightmare. Then I wake up, and the past finds me again- this time through my pack. My packmembers always look at me in sympathy or worse; pity.

I didn't want their damn sympathy and I sure as hell didn't want them to pity me. I just wanted to move on with my life, but it seems that the past will never let me live a better future. "Mate can help you make a better future." Talen offered, making me snort. Yeah, right. Having a mate is what caused so much chaos and suffering in the first place, well that and the werewolves.

And my mate happens to be a werewolf so I highly doubt he would be any help. No, if anything he would only cause me more problems. I really should have killed him when I had the chance, but killing an Alpha would cause a war and I really didn't want to deal with another one of those already. "You know that's not the only reason."

"Shut up Talen, no one asked you."

The idea that I have any affection whatsoever for that damn mutt is preposterous. I'd sooner chew on broken glass. Getting up off the ground I brushed off the dirt before starting to walk, kicking the occasional pebble. I really hope he is smart and doesn't show his face around here again.

And if he does, he's stupid and suicidal. The scent of fresh rain and forest hit me like a metal baseball bat, making my steps falter. He was here. The stupid bloody bastard was here. With a huff I continued walking, I should have known he'd be back, after all he is a stubborn alpha that much I know.

I wondered why he came though. Did he want an apology for shooting him? Was he here to claim me against my will? Or maybe he thought I would fall to my knees before him begging and pleading for him to love me. That seemed like something that egotistic werewolf would do. I kept walking, his scent growing closer and closer until he was only a stone's throw away.

Moron. Did he really think I didn't know he was there. I didn't have the time or the energy to deal with him right now though, maybe he'll leave in a while once whatever curiousity he has, has been satisfied. He followed behind me, careful to stay hidden behind the bushes and such. My mind went to other places.

"I guess after killing Alpha Joseph, shooting his mate would be no big thing." I flinched slightly. She made it sound like I had no conscience, that I killed him without an ounce of remorse. Is this how the pack saw me? A heartless bastard who kills without regret? I had no choice dammit, he went feral and once you go feral there is nothing that can be done.

I stopped at the edge of the lake and sat down, staring into the water. The little trout chased each other happily, without a care in the world. Luckly fish. I pulled my knees up and crossed my arms over them. The moron was a little ways away, hiding amongst the bushes. I could feel his eyes on me, making me want to grit my teeth.

I wanted to do so many things to this werewolf, maybe one of them would get through his thick skull the fact that I want nothing to do with him. But right now I was so emotionally drained that I couldn't even find the strength to curse at him, so instead I asked, "What do you think you're doing here?"

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