Hybrid

THIRTY-SEVEN

⫷ JAMES ⫸

The rouges' blood taint my skin, covering my hands completely. I watch as each drop falls to the uneven forest floor, creating a pool of the thick liquid. I can hear the blood splashing into it, over and over. All I can do is watch.

I don't remember killing him. All I can remember is trying to get information out of him. What he told me... it caused me to lose control. I blacked out and I mutilated him.

The twisted corps lays motionless at my feet. Deep gashes tear through the clothing, into the flesh. The skin is frayed outward from the constant slashing of my now extended claws. His arms are angled awkwardly, as well as his limp legs. His neck is craned, broken.

Tremors run down my body. It takes me several moments to turn away from him, leaving the other critters of the forest to finish his dead body. Instead of revelling in the anger, I focus on the sound of my shoes digging into the fallen leaves.

Summer has left, replaced with the promise of winter. An array of colours fills my vision, ranging from the brightest of oranges to striking red. Although Fall's atmosphere is usually soothing, the dark clouds hanging in the sky forbid anything to be so. The foreboding feeling in the air prickles my skin.

The moment replays in my mind on endless repeat. She left. I let her. I knew that if I stopped her and Victor murdered her mother, she would never forget me. Thinking of it now, I wish I stopped her anyway. I could live with her hating me, as long as she was alive.

As long as she was still her.

My hands ball into fists, causing my claws to dig into my palm. I welcome the sting, even as drops of my own blood begin rolling out of me. Maybe I deserve it.

'No luck on this end,' Brea texts. She's bothered, I can tell, by Finn's betrayal. They weren't the best of friends, but they did work together.

'Let's get back to the cars. This was a waste of time.' I send back with a grimace.

Around me is nothing but trees and bush. The gentle breeze in the air gives notice to the emptiness of any creature. Then, there's a shift in the air. I stop in my tracks to perk my ears. Each turn I make, I can't pinpoint where the intruder comes from.

The wind grows stronger, pushing the loose strands of my hair. Another gust collides with my front, hard enough for me to stumble back a few steps.

"This is the last time I help you," a familiar voice speaks from behind. Turning around, I see Dominic. His eyes are narrowed at me, more so in curiosity. "For Aria's sake."

I stand my ground. The anger flairs again as I notice the resemblance that Dominic has of Victor. They both have the same bland eyes, void of any feasible emotion. I don't speak. I wait for him to grant me even the smallest amounts of hope.

"I can tell you where they are. I cannot help you more after that. My father knows what I've been doing. He's after me."

My jaw clenches. "So now both of your parents want you dead?"

He laughs, a sound humorless and dark. "I suppose so." Raising an arm, Dominic begins rubbing his jaw, his dark eyes never leaving mine. "I'm leaving after this. Tell Aria..." He pauses, shaking his head. "Never mind. Their base is inside of Mount Vincent, West of your old pack."

I nod, and I'm about to leave until his voice stops me again.

"James, remember this one thing; if they have red eyes, you have to kill them. It doesn't matter who they were to you. No wolf can ever come back from losing their humanity." When I turn around, he's already gone.