Souls' Collision | ✔

T E A R

~ Chapter Twenty One ~

Red was the last one to leave the Daltons.

He slid down the trash, barely avoiding sharp edges and spikes, before hopping to meet the awaiting Liz and Chris. He nodded, calming his mate's worried eyes.

"The town's that way. Follow me," Chris ordered. He seemed eager to put some distance between them but before taking off hissed, "And be quiet. We're not safe yet."

Liz and Red watched him run ahead, keeping a brisk pace. They fell after even though their steps were everything but slow. Everyone stayed tense until they made it to the treeline. Once the brush swallowed them they visibly relaxed.

Red joined Liz's side while trying to also keep an eye on his brother and any possible Daltons still on their tails.

"Do you trust him?" he whispered.

Liz kept quiet for a while. Then nodded. "Yes. I think so. He's a good guy -- at least honest."

"And the arrangement you two have in place?"

"Right." She cleared her throat. "Well, it's actually an arrangement between the two of you."

"I haven't promised anything."

"I have... For you, I mean. The only way he agreed to help me was if you could grant him protection from some pretty bad dudes."

Red glared at his brother's receeding back. "After what he's done to you? Is he mad?"

"I knew a few things about that too," she interjected. "He got hired to kidnap me that night at the parking lot but decided against it. I'm not sure by who but... he might've saved my life."

"If he's telling the truth."

"He is. I mean, he hasn't lied about anything else."

Liz's trainer broke through the moss and got lodged between a few roots. She cursed as she pulled up a foot covered in mud. "How come this only happens to me?"

"I'm used to traveling in the woods. Here." He offered the sleeve of his shirt but she quickly waved it off, not missing the blood splatter still in the fabric.

They quickly continued.

As Red looked at his brother, their prior conversation returned to mind. He glanced at Liz. "What are your future plans?"

"What?"

"Your plans for the future... What do you see yourself doing?"

Liz gave him an odd look. "Given I survive the next 24 hours of my life... I'm not sure. I always pictured myself in an apartment with a nice view, just me and a couple of dogs."

"Dogs?"

She shrugged. "Well, yeah. I'm not big on the idea of having children, dogs seem like a good substitute."

Red couldn't believe his ears. He frowned at the passing trees, not really finding his words. "You don't wish to have cubs?"

"God no," she laughed. Then noticed his look and caught on. "Oh, c'mon. Red, what did you think I was gonna say? That I want to spend the rest of my days in a deep dark forest?"

"Forgive me," he said severely. "I wasn't aware that the thought was so ridiculous."

Liz felt like an ass after that. But not so much as to be able to change her mind. She knew she was doing the right thing even if it felt like her heart was torn out her chest.

She couldn't take it anymore after a few minutes of pressing silence and muttered, "I'm gonna check on Chris. See how he's doing."

Not waiting for a response she rushed to the other wolf's side. He was walking incredibly fast and seemed to grumble on something when she joined him.

"Finally realized that you're human, did he?"

"Oh shut up, Chris."

"My name's not Chris."

She raised a curious eyebrow, thankfuk for the distraction. "Really?"

"It never has been. I've been using a lot of different ones to escape my oaf of a brother but now that he's granting me protection..." He drew a harsh breath. "I deserve a name. It's my birth right."

Liz struggled to keep his pace but he didn't slow down -- either he didn't notice or didn't care. "What is your name then?" she asked.

"It's..." He threw her a look, seemed to be doubting his decision a little. But as she didn't do anything he took to speak. "It's Reva. It means tear in the ancient northern languages. Like a tear in fabric... or a tear in someone's existence." His voice darkened, became bitter. He kicked a patch of grass. "My parents must have despised me from my very birth."

"That can't be true."

"Do you know my brother's name?"

"Red."

"No. The one he had before being known as a bloodthirsty alpha. The one our mother granted him."

Liz shook her head, earning a cold laugh from Reva.

"His name is Stark. It means to be strong. Our mother named him Stark, and me Reva."

She looked back at Red. "Stark..."

"Our paths were already created long before we had a choice, it seems. I'm chaos and your mate... your mate is the saving grace that shunned me into a deep dark corner."

"Reva, I don't—"

"I know. I don't want your condolences anyway." He looked to the tree tops. "It's just the nature of things. Nothing to do about it."

Reva nearly fell over as Liz angrily pushed him.

He soon found his balance and spun towards her only to meet an expression so angry it caught him off-guard. In her eyes were unshed tears and her hands had curled to fists at her side.

"Shut up," she growled, a yarn of frustration and sadness. "Just shut up, okay? I'm so tired of you acting like you're the worst person to ever live."

"Liz--"

"No. I've seen what you're capable of, your inventions are amazing, okay? Who says you were a tear in your parents' existence and not a tear in, I don't know, the usual order of the wolves?"

His eyes widened, his guard dropped for the first time in a long time.

"Didn't think of that, did you?" Liz lowered her voice. "Who's to say your parents didn't know you were destined for great things." She turned to Red. "Both of you. Someone strong and someone with a mind thinking outside the box. I've known you for a week and even I can see it."

"See what?"

Her expression softened, saddened. "That if you two weren't so obsessed with hating eachother, you'd be unstoppable."

The two brothers locked eyes for a second but then just as quickly averted their gazes. Years of bitterness and rivalry settled between them, pushed the two apart.

Forever gone were the two young pups relying on only eachother to make it through the day.

Reva was the first to leave. He quickly resumed his stone facade and found his position at the front. Liz tried to catch Red's eye but he stubbornly kept it down, waiting for her to move.

Liz sighed, took a few steps back and then began walking. And whilst Red kept close by she could sense this was a turning point and whether good or bad, things weren't going to be the same.

Putting out another chapter in an hour or so. Sorry for any spelling errors I was eager to get this out. Don't forget to comment & vote!!