Anxiety pounds through my blood like the beating of a steel drum, heartbeats threaded with fear. The initial excitement from doing the unknown has faded into cold-blooded terror. For some reason, it feels as if I am racing to meet my death rather than escaping from it.
“Hey,” Ray notices my nervousness, and smiles. “Why did the werewolves cross the road?”
“I don’t know. You tell me,” I respond, rather irritated. This is not the time for jokes.
“To get to the other side.” He winks, and after one strained moment, I laugh genially. He is smiling as if he just told me the joke of the year, and I can’t help but humor the handsome werewolf.
The laughter seems to loosen up my insides, to make me feel more relaxed and at ease. I don’t honestly know what to think of Ray anymore. At the very beginning, he was mean and rude, but as time goes on, he seems to be much more pleasant. Even now, in the face of danger, he tries to cheer me up, noticing my frightened demeanor. He has done many bad things, but for some reason, a small part of me believes him to be a genuinely good guy. Maybe even one I can honestly call my friend.
If only he could get along with Xavier.
Suddenly a break occurs, the line parting for a split second. This is the moment.
There is a sudden whoosh of air, and everything around me blurs into a mix of colors, splashing like paints on a canvas. My mind grows dizzy, my head frequently thrust back by the violent wind. All I can hear, over and over again, is Xavier’s voice. He is whispering in my ear, the words too soft to make out.
Suddenly there is a blow, knocking the breath out of me. I feel myself flying, as if I have suddenly grown wings. My head hurts terribly, the beats of my heart overcoming me. I am thinking of nothing. I am nothing.
Until a pair of strong arms encircle me, holding me close to a warm body. With it comes peace, settling over me like a thick blanket. After a few seconds, my eyes gradually open, trying to focus on the brightness around me.
“Xavier?” I ask softly, as the blurry face before me sharpens.
“I’m right here,” he comforts me, holding me close. I sit up in his arms, looking around. The first thing I notice is that we are on the other side of the road.
The second thing I notice is Ray, sprawled out in the muddy grass.
“Ray!” I yell, trying to jump out of Xavier’s arms. However, a strong pang of pain graces my left side when I try to move, torturing me with its restraining whip. “Whats wrong with me, Xavier?” I ask after the spear of fire retreats from my body.
“You both were hit,” he says, anger flooding his body, “that giant truck over there suddenly had the will to have a sudden burst of speed. When it hit you and Ray, it was abruptly stopped and around five cars crashed into it. Ray let go of you, trying to throw you away from the danger, and I caught you just a few seconds ago. I think your side may be bruised.”
I look at the wreck on the road, marveling at the trouble it has caused. The cars are sprawled across the lane, right behind a massive truck. Police cars are heading up to the action, their lights flashing.
“And all because of us,” I sigh, bringing about another wave of pain. He frowns, staring at the truck.
“No, it was that truck’s fault,” he says firmly, “if it had kept at its normal speed, none of us would have been hit. I hate to say it, but we are lucky that you are converted, because a blow like that normally would have killed a human.”
“Is Ray okay?” I question fearfully.
“I think he has passed out,” Xavier responds, distraught at the edge of his voice. We both watch as Danae examines him.
“He was hit from this side.” She rolls up his shirt, pointing at the mass of blood and bruises. “He seems to be healing very quickly though. I would say that it will be completely stitched up in a couple of hours, and the only thing left will be the bruises. I’m surprised that he still made his way over here even after he was hit.”
“So he will be alright?” Xavier asks fervently. I can sense that he cares deeply for his brother, maybe more than he lets anyone know. They seem to share a deep bond that not even hate can break.
“Yes,” Danae finalizes, “but we may have to carry him to the car dealership. And look at him! He is covered in mud!”
“We can fix that later,” Xavier says assuredly, then gestures to my form. “What about her?”
Danae scampers over to us, looking at my left side. “She’s fine. Just some heavy bruises.”
Xavier tries to put me down, looking at me worriedly. “Can you walk?” he asks me. I wobble on the first step, but with his help, I walk in a small circle.
“Its good,” I say finally, “I can walk. I just cannot twist my body.”
“Ok,” Xavier smiles, “thats good. I’ll carry Ray then.” He hoists Ray onto his back without complaint or even strain. The car dealership is only a couple hundred feet away, and for a minute, it symbolizes deliverance for me. Deliverance from the burning pain I have whenever I twist my torso.
“What kind of dealership is this?” I inquire to distract myself.
“Pommel,” Xavier immediately answers, “a very expensive type of car.”
“Do we have enough money for something like that?”
He winks at me, saying nothing. We walk in silence to the front of the dealership. I am struck by the dazzling cars surrounding it, all shown in their utmost glory. It feels like I have walked into a sea of brilliance, drowning into the blinding opulence of each car.
“Wow,” I say softly, surveying the vehicles with wonder. Xavier ignores me, walking to the front door with Ray on his back. A man in a suit opens the door for us, his black hair slicked to his forehead.
“Good morning,” he says in rich, elegant tone, although his eyes widen when he sees Ray. “Does he need to be taken to the emergency room?” the man asks frightfully.
Xavier shakes his head, and the man gets an eyeful of his beautiful blue hair, sparkling as he moves his head. “He just passed out a little earlier and fell in the mud by accident.”
“Oh,” he says in a surprised tone, probably confused by the way Xavier says “passed out” so lightly.
“Which of these cars are the fastest? You have so many of them, beautiful too…” he asks, his words pouring like honey from his lips. I can feel the man instantly falling under his spell, and he smiles.
“Yes, they are beautiful,” he agrees, “some of the best cars in the entire world are here.” He leads the way to a certain car, gleaming and slender. It is shiny silver, and only has two car doors. “This is the Pommel Fly 3000. It rides so smooth that it makes the rider feel like they are actually flying.”
I stare at the tiny car with disbelief. Does the man really think we can fit in that thing?
“And this one.” He gestures to the car beside it. This one is a deep bronze, ripping with power and beauty. “This is the Pommel Ginger, one of our premium vehicles.”
Xavier stares at the Pommel Ginger, examining it closely. There is not much room in this one either, and it is a convertible. It almost grabs too much attention, clearly not for someone that wants to be conspicuous.
“But what is your fastest car?” he finally asks, his voice tinged with annoyance. “These cannot be your best.” It is almost like he is not satisfied with the gorgeous cars before him, as if he is seen much better. The Pommel representative stares at Xavier for a minute, then smiles.
“You are right, sir. These magnificent beauties are not our best. Come with me.” He walks towards the middle of the giant dealership, smiling. We follow him, Xavier with an expression of dubiousness.
“Here, ladies and gentlemen, is our masterpiece.” He gestures to a ruby red car that doesn’t seem to scream “I’m rich” or “I’m beautiful”. It is just a plain, attractive four-door vehicle which stuns me with its simplicity.
“This car is the Pommel Fire, the first of its series. We make it so fast, so powerful, that the body can only be this simple without lowering both of those two factors. It is so tough it can run through a brick wall, and is completely waterproof. It may not be our best looking car, but it is certainly our best performing one-”
“I’ll pay you double the price,” Xavier interrupts, “right now, if you will let me drive it out of here right away. We are in a hurry.”
“Double?!” he says in alarm, “but sir, this car is worth-”
Xavier hands him a debit card. “Now. Hurry.” He seems to be annoyed with the man, and his surprised demeanor. The man takes one more surprised glance at Xavier, then backs off into an office. We wait for a minute, then he returns to us and looks at Xavier with new eyes. With shaking fingers, he gives the card back to Xavier.
“Sir, are you a celebrity?” he asks, peering at Xavier closely.
“None of your business,” Xavier answers sharply, then opens the car door. He places Ray in the backseat, then slides in the front. Quickly we follow suit, noticing Xavier’s urgent behavior.
When the car begins moving, I glance back at the mans face, still gaping.
“Well, that was fast.” I laugh, watching Xavier gradually loosen as he drives, a smile growing on his features. I can tell that he greatly enjoyed intimidating that guy.
I examine the innards of this expensive car, The car is very luxurious on the inside, the seats made with some absolutely amazing material that I can almost sink into. A large touchscreen stretches between Xavier and I, 3D animations dancing across it. For a little while, I amuse myself with that, fiddling with the virtual buttons.
Then I remember how hungry I am and I grab my food and start eating a slice of my lemon pie.
When we enter the highway, the car growls with power, accelerating quickly. For one quick moment, it feels like I am riding in a rocket instead of a car. Xavier grips the wheel tightly, the smile getting broader on his handsome features. I laugh once more at his expression, and he turns to look at me. Electricity and passion instantly crackle between us, and for a few seconds, we can not pull away. I feel myself drowning in his green eyes, losing thought of anything else.
Then he shakes his head and turns to face the road, the smile melting off of his features. I quickly look to the window, red blossoming to my cheeks.
And then I see the gigantic truck that is still sprawled across its lane, surrounded by two police cars. An officer is talking to the truck driver, a large, heavy-set man wearing ragtag jeans and a t-shirt.
I catch a glance of red as we zoom past them, my own eyes growing wide.
That man… has the eyes of h*ell.
Shifters just seem to have it out for me. They must be simply unsatisfied with the fact that, while they did seriously wreck my life, they haven’t managed to take it just yet.
I decide to inform Xavier, in case this Shifter appearance has more importance than it seems. “Xavier-”
“Ray’s waking up!” Danae says excitedly, staring at the hump beside her. I twist in my seat to look, watching the mud-splattered Ray rear his head. His hair is sticking in every direction, dirt smeared on his cheeks.
“W-what happened?” he stutters slightly. He puts his hand to his face and wipes off some mud, opening his startling, emerald eyes.
“We got the car,” Xavier updates Ray emotionlessly, keeping his eyes on the road. A small frown soon graces his lips. He takes a quick look at me, then urgently snaps his eyes back to the wheel.
“I see.” Ray examines his surroundings. “Why did I pass out?”
“Because you were hit by one?!” I exclaim, twisting to stare at his tanned features with a jesting look.
“Oh… really?” Ray asks absentmindedly, “must have been a pretty big car.” He lifts up his shirt, looking at the bruises and almost-healed scabs trailing along his body. I can’t help but notice once more how defined his muscles are, with a six pack that looks like it belongs on a body builder.
“It was a truck.”
“That makes sense. No wonder the breath was knocked out of me. If it was a regular car then I wouldn’t have passed out like an idi0t.”
Stupid werewolves. They always have to be the best at everything.
“You know,” I interlude, “most people DIE when they are hit by a car.”
“That’s true,” Ray nods his head thoughtfully, “humans are much weaker than the werewolves. But they do have a very good thing about them.”
“Which is what?”
“They are constrained by the goddess of Time. They have purpose in their life. The blessing of Growth graces their morphing bodies,” Ray shrugs, “to me that is worth more than all the money in the world. Werewolves, on the other hand, are frozen forever until the moment when they shatter.”
The atmosphere falls, and silence reigns. Should I tell Xavier about the red eyes, or will I just stir up trouble? Now that I think about it, did that man really have red eyes in the first place, or did I just imagine it?
I look at Xavier once more, open my mouth, and shut it.
Exhaustion creeps in, chilling me to the bone. The seats are so soft and comfortable that it just begs for decent use. After a few minutes, sleep overcomes me like a tidal wave, and I surrender all to the dark night that steals away thought and reason.
**************
TO BE CONTINUED
Always check this site to read wonderful stories, you will like them all. Please, tell your friends who like reading about this site. We shall be posting lovely stories on this site everyday.
Thingscouplesdo