AllFreeNovel
Share Us
It would be a powerful punch to the gut. And I’d lose the friendship I valued so dearly. I looked down at the grass beneath our feet.
“As for being open with each other, that’s more important than ever," Dad said. "Our reality is what it is, Brian. It can't be ignored. We never know what the next hour will bring, but during times of war, the possibility for tragedy is much higher."
I looked up, finding wisdom and truth in his words. He wasn't wrong. Now that dying was a possibility for everyone in this realm, there was always a haunting chance that I, or someone I loved, could be next. But I didn't want to think that way about my parents, Rehema or Natalie.
They were the people I cared about the most.
"I know," I said softly, my eyes closed. "I just don't want to imagine losing any of you. I just can't. And she was almost killed once already."
My eyes opened, and Mom looked away, hiding her sadness. When Natalie and the others had first discovered there were gods on Ash’s side, a god named Alius, who was corrupted by chaos, had come close to killing Rehema.
When I’d heard that she’d been rushed back home to be treated by her mother, I thought I'd lose my mind. And so now, I didn’t allow that possibility to cross my mind. Thinking of life without her had been too much.
I frowned.
I had experienced heartbreak, though it had been brief. But my entire world had fallen apart in those seconds after being told Rehema was battling for her life.
When I’d finally been able to see her, I’d intended to confess my feelings. But when I saw her, I realized she was already struggling with far too much. And I couldn't lay yet another heavy weight on her shoulders.
“Do you know why you don’t know what Rehema’s feeling?” my mom asked. “Because you haven’t asked her. It’s as simple as that.”
"Easier said than done," I said under my breath.
A gentle breeze blew my father's hair across his face, and he turned his laser focus on me. "You two have a beautiful friendship. Sure, confessing feelings that aren't reciprocated will hurt, but what if you feel the same way? If you do, you’re both wasting time—time you could be together. I wish I’d had the courage to do that.”
Although he’d fallen for Mom the first time he saw her, he hadn’t confessed his feelings for a while. He'd been torn by his attraction to a wolf—one who was an alpha born, as well as a rare female firstborn. And, of course, my mom was also a descendant of the white wolves.
Their union had been practically illegal back then. But he couldn't fight his feelings, and neither could she.
But even though they hadn't shared their feelings with each other, they’d both been very aware of the attraction between them. Rehema and I, on the other hand, had shared countless loving moments but there’d been nothing that indicated more. Except….
There had been a brief moment at her mother's castle, when I’d come to see her after her ordeal. It had just been a glance, an awkward silence, and it had been quick. But we'd never looked at each other that way before.
Maybe there was something there…
"I want you to know, Brian,” his mom said, “that if I've ever given you the impression that I don't trust you to have control, I'm sorry," Mom apologized.
I felt horrible that she felt the need to. I wasn't resentful of her concern. But sometimes, I felt like a broken toy that needed constant attention.
“It’s okay,” I told her.
"I love you more than anything. And no matter what happens—girlfriend or no girlfriend—" she laughed. "Your happiness is all I care about."
A scream cut through our conversation, and my parents and I sprang to our feet. Several wolves ran out of their houses to see what was happening, and a she-wolf, eyes black and wide with panic, ran out of the forest towards us.
“Run!” she screamed. “Run!”
A centaur, half-man/half-horse, barreled through the trees and was advancing on the she-wolf. His eyes were red.
That was all we needed to see. My mother howled, and chills chased across my skin as her warning echoed for miles through the woods. A gust of wind touched my face, and my father vanished.
When the centaur tipped back on his hind legs to trample the she-wolf who’d fallen to the ground, his head was suddenly severed. It fell to the ground, and the body soon followed, with a heavy, sickening thud.
My father stood beside the body, his claws elongated and drenched in blood. His eyes started turning red and on cue, so did mine. But unlike the infected, only our pupils turned red.
I could smell them. There were more infected in the woods, and Mom started shifting.
“No!” I yelled at her as white fur burst from beneath her skin. “Take the pack and go! Dad and I will hold them back!”
