Chapter 15: One Last Kiss

"There are nights when the wolves are silent and only the moon howls." ~George Carlin

Titus

2 days ago...

The anger boiling inside of me is palpitating. I can feel it making my ears grow hot, and my jaw begins to hurt a little as I ground my teeth together inside of my mouth. Needless to say, I am pissed.

I spot Kyle leaning against the metal lockers, scrolling aimlessly through his phone, not noticing me until I am right in front of him. Out of the corner of my eye I see Emerson staring at the pair of us wide-eyed, but I don't care.

Kyle smiles when he sees me, a smile that lights up his entire face, but it falls when he sees the enmity in my eyes. "Why have you been snooping around my apartment building?" I say through clenched teeth, jabbing a finger into his chest, hard.

He winces noticeably but does not back away. "I wanted to see you and you weren't returning any of my calls. When the landlady told me you were out I asked if I could leave a message with your parents but she said you live alone. Why do you live alone?"

I feel my heart pounding against my chest, and all I see is red. I take a deep breath, reconsidering bashing his skull in with my fists. "That." One breath. "Is." Another breath. "None." Deep breath in. "Of." Deep breath out. "Your business." I finish, and try hard to keep my voice from shaking with anger. "What makes you think you have the right to come anywhere near my home? I don't bring toys to my home. You and I have only ever fucked here or at yours, so are you delusional or just plain stupid?"

Kyle's phone is still in the air, but he seems to have forgotten about it as he turns to me looking taken aback. "Honey, I don't know why you are acting like I've done something wrong. I was just looking for you because I-I missed you. We haven't been hanging out as much lately." He said, tracing a finger along the slope of my jaw. I take his wrist, not gently, and yank his finger from my face. Whenever I get with people I make it clear that the thing between us is nothing more than a fling, but that doesn't stop people from declaring their undying love for me, even when I tell them from the start that it will never happen.

"I am not your honey. Okay? You mean nothing to me. So destroy any fantasies you have of us being together. It will never happen."

His face seems to crumble at this. "But what about all those times we kissed? I thought—

I cut him off. "Kyle, you are nothing more than a good fuck. I told you right from the beginning what you were in for. I don't do relationships, I'm too busy for them. This was only supposed to be a bit of fun for the both of us."

"But I got you that business deal with my dad. You are going to make thousands of dollars because of me. You owe me this." He says, his sadness slowly morphing to frustration.

Irritation swells inside me once more. "I don't owe you anything. I've paid off any supposed debt I may have owed you through our time together. I'm sure Kyle Jr. would agree." I smirk, and look down at his crotch, before making eye contact with him once more.

He pinks, and finally drops the arm with his phone in the air by his side. "So you just used me?"

I scoff. "Let's be honest, we used each other."

"Yeah, I know, but I-I think I'm in love with you." He said meekly, looking up at me with eyes full of longing. I shake my head in annoyance. There it is.

"Well that sucks for you. I don't do relationships, and I especially don't do love. Besides don't you have a girlfriend?" I quirk an eyebrow.

"Yes, but I don't love Zoey."

"Then why are you with her?"

"Because my dad wants me to be, says her dad's some powerful ally or something. I'm not even attracted to her, I'm gay." He says desperately.

"Well then break up with her and date some guy you do like." What am I now? Yoda?

"And have everyone think I'm some fag? No thank you." The dam breaks. I shove him into the lockers, and watch as the breath leaves his lungs as I crush my weight into him. His eyes bulge and he looks scared. I give him one last push before backing away.

"Never say that again." I snarl.

He is visibly shaking in fear, and he looks like he may pee his pants. I pat him on the cheek twice, and he flinches. I smile to myself, one full of malice, before turning and walking away.

***

Present day...

Emerson

I knock on the door of River's apartment; so quietly, because part of me doesn't want him to answer. He's going to break up with me. I'm sure of it. My heart clenches at the thought, and the backs of my eyelids start burning. I wonder if I should still tell him I love him. Maybe that will make him keep me. Even if it's out of pity.

I can't do this.

I begin to turn around ready to sprint to my car and cry my eyes out, before I hear the click of a mechanism. I freeze, my back to the door.

"Em?" River says, peeking his head out of the doorway. Em. Em. That one nickname had the power to make me melt. Is this the last time I will ever hear it?

I wince slightly, and turn my body to face him, keeping my eyes trained on the floor. I don't say anything. Neither does he. Long moments go by and both of us don't speak. River is usually not as vocal as I am. He only opens up to people he is close with. I think it's because of all the thoughts swarming in his pretty head. I am used to doing most of the talking. And I'm used to the silence. Sometimes we'll just lay in bed together for hours, wrapped up in one another, without saying a thing. But that silence is comfortable. It's light. Not like this. Not cold. So full of uncertainty.

I finally look up at him. The wall lamp right next to his door is dull, yet it does a great job of illuminating his face. His grey eyes are somber and...scared? Yes, that is definitely fear. I wonder what is troubling him. My trepidation is immediately replaced with concern for River.

"River." I say, my voice trembling a bit. The word feels weird leaving my lips, but I don't know if I should call him my tiger. Is he even mine anymore?

He doesn't say anything as he makes two long strides towards me, before he wraps his arms around my middle, hugging me tightly. I open my mouth in shock, before my instincts kick in, and I hold him close to me.

"I'm so sorry, Em. I-I just snap, I don't know why. I don't even know myself anymore. I never meant to hurt you, you have to believe me, I care about you too much. I don't-I don't know what's wrong with me." He sounds absolutely broken and it makes my heart ache. Physically ache. Almost as if I can feel his pain.

I pull back a bit to look at his face. Tears are streaming down his cheeks. River never cries. He gets sad at times, and things affect him deeply, but he's never cried. At least, never in front of me. Something must be really wrong.

"Tiger, what's wrong?" I ask. I cup his face in my hands, urging him to look me in the eyes. He does. A million emotions swarm through his cloudy grey irises that don't seem as bright today.

"I-I have to tell you something." He says, through a hiccup. I freeze once more. This is it. He's going to break up with me. I open my mouth to make up some excuse, trying to delay the inevitable, but before I can get the words out of my mouth, River kisses me.

He kisses me. He kisses me. And he kisses me. So, I kiss him back. This is unlike our usual sweet and savory kisses, this one is more urgent and hungry and has a certain finality to it. One last kiss shared among lovers, as they held each other, neither realizing that it may be the last time they would ever touch again.

I lean into him, and tears are still streaming down his cheeks, making his lips salty. I shiver with the taste. I want to wipe every tear off his face, make his hurt go away. He clings to me like I am his life force, and I cling to him too afraid of whatever comes after this to let go. I begin to think back to the moment I first met River. In that dark alleyway while I was walking the streets at night, so lost in thought after the fight I had with my parents. He showed up out of nowhere, startling the living daylights out of me. And yet he seemed to glimmer, even in the vast shadows, and I knew then. I just knew. Call it love at first sight. But that seems inadequate. It was so much more. It still is.

All of a sudden, I feel this tugging sensation, as if all my limbs are being stretched taut. River detaches his lips from mine, taking away that feeling of warmth and serene calm with him, but he is still clutching my shoulders. He looks around confused as our surrounding begin to warp and go in and out of focus, being pulled like my body. I keep my eyes on him as he continues to look around, trying to memorize every inch of his face. The world around us could be falling apart, and I still wouldn't be able to keep my eyes away from River.

The stretch begins to hurt and I refuse the urge to bend over in pain, instead choosing to tighten my hold around River. The next thing I know, we are in that same alley. One second, we were standing in front of River's apartment, the next moment we are standing in the exact same place we first met. River's eyes go wide as he jumps away from me.

"How did we get here? What's going on?" He asks frantically, looking at our surroundings in horror. He looks back at me, and his eyes almost bulge out of his skull, tear marks still staining his brown skin. "Y-Your eyes are gold." He says, pointing to my face, before backing away.

I pull out my phone, and go to the camera. I look at my eyes, and he's right, they are the same shimmery gold that Blake told me they were that night. I haven't been able to get them to change color since. Wait, the spirit said our eye color would change when he turned or when we used our power. Did I just--? Am I the reason we are here? Did I bring us here? I blink once into the camera and see my eyes return to their usual bluish-green. It was me, I think. I just...teleported. I would be relishing in my newfound power, if it wasn't for the fear swimming in River's eyes.

I reach a hand out towards him, but he takes a few steps back, shying away from my touch. My heart drops. "Emerson." He says without the usual tone of endearment. "Who--What are you?" The words that leave his mouth sting and feel like a slap in the face.

"I've been keeping something from you River. You know how much I hate secrets, it's been eating me up inside. I want to be honest with you. I'm sorry it's taken me such a long time to say it. It's unfair, especially since you're always so honest with me." River doesn't say anything, but another tear slips down his cheek and his gaze falters.

I tell him everything. From what happened between Blake and I in the hallway that one fateful morning, to everything the spirit told us yesterday at the cemetery. I divulge every detail, not leaving out even the tiniest bit, releasing the array of secrets that has been keeping me all pent up inside these last few days. When I finally finish, River has this blank look on his face of disbelief.

"Emerson..."

"You don't believe me." I cut him off.

He looks down at his feet and says nothing. I know the only way to make him believe is if I transform into a wolf. But I haven't been able to since that night the courts burned down. Wait, that's it. All the times I have tried to transform, I focused only on the way the transformation felt; the breaking of bones, the stretching of skin...when I should have been focusing on what prompted me to transform in the first place.

The flames.

I close my eyes, and force myself to immerse myself in the very scene that has been the subject of my nightmares lately. I imagine I am back there on the courts. I feel the heat surrounding me, making the blood in my veins feel like molten lava. I remember the way the flames bowed to me, and how that felt.

Like I was their commander.

I feel the change come over me. This time around it hurts less. It's the same routine. The same growth of hair, the same bending of my spine, until I find myself on all fours looking up at River. I know I must have successfully transformed since I'm usually the taller one out of the both of us. River's eyes open wide with shock, and for a moment he's just staring at me.

I try to speak to him but realize I cannot in my wolf form. I wonder....

I try to mind-link with him. It's worth a shot, even though I have never tried it on anyone besides members of the pack before. I take a few steps towards him, but he still backs away, eyes not leaving my wolf form once. "Now do you believe me?" I can tell by his startled yelp that he heard me loud and clear.

"I-I need some time to process this." And with that, he turns on his heels, and sprints away. I whimper and hang my head low.

What have I done?

***

Ro

It's not often that I take a walk to clear my head. Usually I'll party until my limbs hurt. Drink and drink until I can't remember my own name. Can't remember what's hurt me in the first place. The alcohol numbs the blistering pain until it's nothing more than a dull ache. But sadly, Elena is out trying to pine over Kyle, and I don't have enough money to buy the good stuff that she has, so I've resorted to walking. It always helps people in the movies. But I don't see how. Besides, I'm in no mood to be around people right now. Normally I thrive off people's energy; after the talk with the spirit I now know why. But now I want nothing more than to be alone. So I let my feet lead me, almost like they have a mind of their own. I think back to all the spirit revealed yesterday.

I wonder if my real dad ever truly got over his guilt.

I cannot imagine succumbing the people I love most in the world to the cruelest fate. The spirit said that all the other wolves forgave him, and never thought of him as anything less than family. But did he ever forgive himself?

The barrier that he created made it so that none of the original wolves could come down to the Earth. He did it because he wanted to protect mankind. Maybe what Blake said is true and that he really created the barrier to protect us from them. I wonder what he's doing right now. Is he thinking about whether I am alive? Does he care? Would he hate the way I turned out? Would he despise the person I've become?

I finally stop walking and bring my head up to look at the church across the street. I haven't been there in years ever since my parents threw me out of the house. I wonder if they miss me. If they still despise the person I've become. If they even love me anymore. And if they don't, what does that leave me with?

If no one cares for you, do you even exist? Are you even living?

I walk up to the brick building. It's Sunday, so I know the service must still be going on. I peek through one of the windows, and see my mother and father sitting on a pew in the front of the church, with some of their friends sitting with them. I look at my mom, with her brown, curly hair, same as mine, with those bright green eyes. Her expression is one of blatant mesmerization as she soaks up everything the minister is saying. My father on the other hand wears a hard expression and his lips are set into a hard line. His brown eyes, like mine, lack any shimmer or trace of joy. For a moment his expression falters, and then he turns around and stares at the window.

Right at me.

I don't get to see his reaction because I startle and start running down the street away from the church. I run, and run, and soon tears start streaming down my face like a storm. I choke on my sobs as I rush to my apartment.

I wonder if he was as happy to see me go as the last time.

***

Lana

For the first time ever, and rather unexpectedly, I ask everyone to meet in an empty classroom during our free period. I arrive last, which is also surprising since I am always punctual, but to tell the truth I was regretting setting up the meeting in the first place. Over the last couple of hours I have come to terms with what this could all really mean. One word repeating in my mind like a heartbeat.

Mate. Mate. Soulmate.

Could it really be true? That I'll finally find an intellectual like me who is my match? Someone who will love me for me and not think I am some robot incapable of feeling all human emotion? A person who...

Titus snaps his fingers in front of my face, breaking me out of my trance. He rolls his eyes, then steps away from me crossing his arms in front of his chest. "Are you done daydreaming, Wang? Or would you like one of us to fetch you a pillow to sleep on?" He says not kindly, mouth twisted into a frown.

I turn to Ronnie expecting her to reply with some funny retort, but she looks miles away. Her face is a bit pale, and her mouth is stretched into a thin line. She looks on the brink of tears. Before I can ponder as to why that is, Blake speaks up.

"Why did you call us here Lana?"

She is standing next to Emerson who also looks on the brink of tears. What did I miss? A funeral? Her face screams impatience but the furrow of her brows as she looks at Emerson clues me in that she is just worried about him. She looks like she wants to say something to him, but not in front of everyone. She settles for wrapping her arms around his middle, and leaning her head on his arm, which seems to comfort him a little but not much. Their friendship is also one that baffles me. They seem awfully close. I wonder what the story is behind that. I can tell that something terrible is going on with Emerson and Ronnie which makes my reason for calling the meeting seem miniscule at best.

"Well I was hoping we could read the Lunar Compendium." I am referring to the book the spirit gave us yesterday that I have been dying to get my hands on since she introduced it.

Everyone looks around at each other, before returning their eyes to me. Zoey asks, "Right now?"

"Well it does not have to be right now. After school, perhaps?" I answer.

"Not at my house though." I add. "My little sister's nanny will be there and she likes to report everything I do to my parents."

Zoey nods, "Yeah my mom will probably try and snoop as well. Plus, Blake's dad is the principal so her house is out."

Blake looks like she wants to make a snarky reply for Zoey answering for her. But one look at Emerson makes her keep her mouth closed. I look at Mason and he timidly shakes his head no.

"My hou—apartment will not work either." Ronnie mumbles quietly. I look at Emerson and he also shakes his head. Wow, I guess my home life is not the only one that sucks. I want to inquire more, but I know none of us are close like that. Everyone, including me, turn their heads to Titus simultaneously. He raises an unimpressed eyebrow, and releases a huff.

"Seriously?" He looks around at all of us in annoyance and disbelief, the face you make when something does not go your way, but you expected it regardless.

"Fine. We can read it at my apartment. But under no circumstances are any of you allowed to trash my place, and if I find any of you looking through my stuff, I will personally see to your demise." No one flinches at that, since we are used to the harsh words that come out of his mouth by now. I bet his place is like some drug dealer's den that probably reeks of smoke. The very thought makes me want to hurl at what I may encounter later on in the day. Maybe this really was a bad idea.

He continues after looking towards the door to make sure we are not being overheard, "My address is--"

"Wait!" Zoey stops him, tapping on her phone. "Send it to the group chat."

He rolls his eyes, and releases an exasperated sigh. "What group chat?" All of our phones release a tone at the same time. "The one I just created." Zoey answers, sounding pleased.

We all check our phones. Zoey has titled the group chat, "Wolves of Creation 2.0" with a various assortment of pink emojis. I smile to myself, before quickly assuming my normal expression. I've never been in a group chat before...

Titus asks, "What's with all the pink emojis? Scratch that, I couldn't care less." And with that he walks out of the room. The second the door slams shut, we all get a notification. Titus's address.

"We'll come with the book." Blake says, before walking with Emerson out of the room. Emerson doesn't even wave goodbye. He is usually so talkative and interested about this stuff. I thought he would at least back me up. I wonder what is up with him. Everyone else eventually files out of the room, leaving me all alone.

What will we find out tonight?

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Thank you for reading this chapter, I hope you enjoyed it! Do you think Emerson and River will be able to resolve their problems, or is this the end for them? What do you think the story is behind Ronnie and her parents? Stay tuned! Please remember like, comment, and share! Stay golden:)

~Fallen Rose🥀