Chapter 7: Horizon

[Ocean]

Quickly, I was peeled away from Quillian’s strong grip. I was too terrified to protest or even squeak. All I saw was Arzhel throwing a hard punch at Quillian at a speed faster than the wind. The rouge man did not even dodge or move to avoid the blow, instead allowing the first to land on his jaw.

The collision made him stagger backwards, but he kept his footing. It doesn’t seem to faze him, it’s like he had anticipated it.

“What were you thinking, Quillian?!” Arzhel bawled at him, but he didn’t respond. Instead, he wiped the blood from his chin and looked at Arzhel with a cold expression.

“Why would you hit Ocean like that?!” Arzhel is breathing heavily, and the way his back heaved in a strained crescendo tells me he didn’t want to punch Quillian. That all he wanted to do was shake some sense into him.

My cheek is stinging, my body is trembling, and my mind is tangled up in trying to process everything. Knowing Aria and the rest of the people in the village can transform into a massive wolf is one thing, almost being kissed by death is another, and being hit by Quillian had almost caused me to lose my sanity for a moment. I don’t know if this day could get any worse.

Aria limps over to me, sobbing as she wraps her arms around my shoulders.

“I’m sorry, Ocean. I’m terribly sorry.” Her eyes were red from crying and her voice coarse. I know she’s part of the reason why we’re here but it wasn’t her fault. I hug her back, careful not to hurt her broken side.

“Hush now. You didn’t want this to happen.” I said, with a little success of consoling her. Even I myself was absolutely terrified of the incident. I can’t imagine how much more a young girl can take from witnessing such a horrific event. It could be traumatic.

I steel myself, I need to look strong for her, that everything is fine, so Aria doesn’t blame herself, even if it’s terrorizing me on the inside.

“I know you despise humans because of what they did to your father but Ocean didn’t do it!” Our attention was drawn back to the two. Quillian’ face hardened at the mere mention of his father. I’ve only seen Seraphina, his mother, does that mean his father is dead?

Has he been murdered by humans? Is that why he hates me so much?

“You don’t have to bring it up, Arzhel. I know exactly what they did.” He said in a deadly voice, that caused the hair on my arms to stand up.

“She didn’t hurt anyone!” Arzhel countered, unaffected by Quillian’ voice.

His stare is unrelenting, that no one could ever change his mind.

I don’t know what’s got into him but all of a sudden, he barks in laughter. Not in a humorous manner, but with a laugh that could send the demons scurrying back to their liars. He’s laughing but his eyes are dead.

He’s frightening to look at. Someone had made him like this. A monster.

Then his laughter died in an instant, his face back of being emotionless.

“That didn’t make her any better. Until this damn thing was written across my face. That perspective of mine remains unchanged.” I know he’s referring to the large scar on his face. A human must have caused that.

He leaps into the air and transforms into a humongous midnight black wolf. Much larger than the others I’ve seen so far. A massive scar runs just above the wolf’s eyes all the way down to his jaw, similar to his scar in human form. His bright green eyes landed on Aria, the girl let out a small whimper, and she hesitantly let go of my embrace before padding her way to the enormous wolf, like he’s compelling her to do it.

The wolf bent into his front paws so that Aria could climb into his back. He casted me one long look with much hatred in his eyes as Aria settled on his back before sprinting into the tree line.

I heard Arzhel sigh loudly when they’re out of sight, and he turned around, locking his gaze on my face. No one dared to speak, and my eyes remained fixed on the greenery where Quillian and Aria had gone. I let out a shaky breath as my knees lost its strength making them collapse on the ground.

Reality crashing down on me like a hailstorm, yelling at me that I don’t belong in this place. Quillian will never accept me into his pack, no matter what I do. I sobbed, my hands cupping my face as my body shook, crying loudly. Careless to anyone around.

Why does fate have to be so cruel to me? Even my memories, the only thing that I can call my own, were taken away from me.

“Hey Ocean, please don’t cry. He’ll never hurt you again. I promise.” A pair of strong arms encircle me. I can’t rely on his words, knowing Quillian, he can always find a way to hurt me. Physically or not.

“Where will I go now?” I croak between my sob. I have nowhere to go. I don’t think I’ll be able to return to the village after what Quillian did or if I do, there’s no way he’ll let me go around without terrorizing me or breathing down my neck in every move that I make.

“Of course, home. You have me, Ocean. You have Aria and Seraphina. We will not let you down.” Yes, I do have them, but they are not the one who gets to decide if I can stay or not.

“Quillian has made it clear that he doesn’t want me in his pack.”

“I know, but I don’t care. He’ll have to kill me first. I’ll fight fangs and claws with him just to make you stay.” He swore, wiping my tears away with his thumb. I know it’s impossible for him to do that, but Arzhel saying that together with presence somehow comforted me a little bit. A superficial comfort that no one knows how long it will last.

“Please don’t let these tears ruin your beautiful face.”

I force a smile in response. I know he didn’t mean it that way. In this state, how can he think I’m beautiful? A blasted lips, bruised cheeks and big bump adorning my forehead is actually ridiculous to look at. He’s only saying it to lighten up my feelings.

Arzhel was always able to make any situation better after a horrendous incident. I don’t know why, but there’s something sparking up inside me when he smiles, not with the same intensity I had felt with Quillian but in a different way. It still mystifies why and how it happened.

When Arzhel looked at me with his glinting blue eyes. It’s kind of like my heart expands ready to burst.

We stayed there for a while, bathing in each other’s silence. The sun begins its descent to the horizon, the sky is painted with orange, pink and purple hues. Its reflection dances across the water’s sparkling surface.

It’s breathtaking. It takes me out of reality for a brief moment.

“You want a ride back home?” Arzhel is the first one to break the silence. Home. He said it comfortably like it was the most normal thing to say to an outsider.

My thought brought back to his question. I didn’t get it at first, but he helped me get up and he stepped backwards.

It had fully taken away from my mind that he’s stark naked the entire time. And I only had it realize until now. He gives me a playful smile before transforming into a massive silver wolf. He’s big but not big enough compared to Quillian.

I recognized this wolf; it was the one who leaped from the boulder while I was hanging from the skinny man’s arm.

He saved me, again.

I know I should be afraid. This wolf could gobble me down or rip me in pieces, but the beauty it held is quite mesmerizing and deep within me knows that it won’t hurt me.

He moves gently closer to me, and my hand instinctively raises to reach his muzzle. Unlike the scary wolves earlier, his fur is the softest thing I’ve ever touched. The waning sunlight casted him an ethereal glow.

He’s beautiful in both his human and wolf form.

A giggle broke out of me as he snorted in front of my face, then he lowered his head, bending to a height that allowed me to easily climb on his back.

I grab a handful of his gleaming fur and hoist myself up, swaying my feet on both sides of him. He stood up on all four and lurched into the woods.

I look back to the cliff, and from the distance I can still see three lumps lying on the ground. Solid evidence that this horrific day is undeniably real.

That I wasn’t having a nightmare.

That I had yet to see another day in my life.