Orphic (#1 in the Hajar series)

twenty-four

chapter twenty four - midnight conversations

FARAH WATCHED WITH wide eyes and a pulsating beat of her heart as the wolf lept for her jugular. It was as if she was watching it in slow motion- the yellow snarl of teeth coated in thick saliva, glinting under the full moon. The wolf's eyes were dark and feral as it aimed its unhinged jaws, the structure of the animal's body seemingly much larger than how it previously seemed, now that it appeared in mid-air.

And then, like someone pressed the 'play' button on the situation, a black distortion of midnight blurred her eyes, and the gray wolf was tackled to the ground. The shades of fur attacked each other, the black wolf undeniably larger in size, more distinct with familiarity, and more dominant. Snarls and snaps of teeth were heard before she saw the much larger black sink its teeth into the throat of the gray. The gray whined and howled as the jagged bones of Israfil's black wolf clamped against the artery, swinging its opponent from side to side with a particular aggression and pent-up anger while he shook the gray wolf like a ragdoll.

And then, the gray shade of fur fell limp, crimson tainting the pelt.

Slowly, the black wolf, lowered its head to drop the body and then turned its head towards Farah.

She gasped through the horror, tremors shaking her body from head to toe, tears clouding from watching the fight. Silver eyes peered through the darkness, matching the moon that hung high in the inky heavens above, small milky dots that represented stars in the sky.

"Are you okay?" Farah snapped her head towards the sound of the female voice, watching the face of a short, dark-haired, green-eyed young woman that could've been no older than Farah's age. Stood next to her was a tall, brunet man, as intimidating as an Alpha, with a scowl on his admittedly handsome face.

Farah opened her mouth, looked at the young woman, back at the peering wolf, then back at the young woman. She closed it only to open it again, unable to form words at what had just happened.

Why weren't the woman and the man passing out from seeing the exchange? Did they not realize that wolf was Israfil, and he had just killed another wolf that was about to kill her? Were they not curious as to why two wolves were in the middle of nowhere, in Nevada, and why they had just fought each other to the death over her life?

Farah felt crazy. She didn't know what to say, and for some reason, her eyes flickered over the mangled, bloody body of the dead gray animal. Nausea pooled in her stomach, her hands still trembling and her throat parched from lack of water, she turned her face and felt bile climbing up her throat. And then, in one quick movement, she dry heaved on the pavement, the sight of the dead animal engrained in her mind. Tears intensified from the throw-up, she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and peered through glassy eyes.

"What the fuck?" Was all she could say. "I- you, did you just see that?" She weakly spluttered.

"You throwing up? Unfortunately. Wasn't a pleasant sight," The man said with a condescending sarcastic tone.