The Wolf and the Natural ✔️

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WARNING— unedited.

KATE
We were inside the house, sitting at the bar. Leif And Dalia were on one side of me, and Becker was on the other.

He was hunched over the counter, a cup of coffee in front of him. He had his hands on it but he didn't drink it.

It was eleven thirty, and yet nobody had said anything. We all knew what he meant. Konrad was coming. It wasn't a topic we specifically wanted to talk about.

Leif had mind-linked Electra and told her the situation. Her and Timothy were still with Arlis, watching him. They said that he was wilder now, since he was "closer" to me.

Dalia stood up and pushed her chair in. "If we're done here for the moment, I'm going to go get pay back." She popped her knuckles. "Travis and Maddie deserve it."

Leif grabbed her hand. "Dal."

She glared at him. "Don't do that. Don't try to make me feel bad. What they did to us was foul, disgusting, sinful. I'm repulsed, do you understand that!" She yelled.

Leif sighed and rubbed his temples. "I know, trust me."

Dalia whined and bit down on her thumb. "I'm sick, Leif. I— you doubted Maddie. I never doubted Travis. I was so desperate for a love like Arlis's that... that... I know I didn't lose a mate but a part of me feels like it." She shook her head at Leif. "I can't be full with you if I'm not over him. Give me a chance to fix myself before you try to do it for me." She left through the front door, disappearing into the night like the day's last light.

Leif huffed out a breath and took Becker's coffee from him, downing it. "I thought it would be easier. Once she realized she wasn't meant for him." He groaned and then walked up the stairs, probably going to the guest bedroom.

It was silence for ten more minutes. Each tick on the clock felt like an hour had passed, but it was only a minute.

I looked at the silent Becker. Something was different about him. I couldn't exactly put my finger on it, but something major had changed. He seemed more... dull.

"Becker... what did Konrad do to you?" I asked.

He looked up from the spot where his empty coffee mug was. His eyes were sunken in, and he looked much older. His eyes watered and a single tear slipped away. "He took everything from me."

I tilted my head. "What do you mean?"

"Arlis, who's rogue now. He took my will away, made me murder for him. I murdered good people, mom." He leaned into my chest. I was startled at first and then I put my hands in his hair, holding his head like a baby. "He killed Everly. He killed me. He stripped all my magic. I'm useless. I failed Constance and my dad and my little cousins. I've failed... so much. He's right, I'm weak."

I shook my head. "No he's not right. Would you believe a man if he told you the sky was neon green? Not everything people say is true."

A sentence that was only glossed over, was the fact that Everly was dead. I wanted to talk to him about it, but I had a feeling that was the last thing he wanted to talk about.

"That's different. There's proof against that. There is no proof that I'm strong." He began crying full on, now. He wiped his eyes with his hand. "I just— he has a lead on us this time."

I didn't know what to say or how to say anything. "Beck.... please relax and know that you're not weak. You're not whoever other people say you are. You are who you let yourself be."