Barely Breathing

Chapter 24: My nightmare has found me.

(Third person pov)

The transformation was beginning again, but Xyrus was fighting it all to stop the process. The beastly nature of his wolf should not unfold tonight, he thought, not in front of his Willow when his wolf's target is the same girl he had loved through the years.

Willow scooted away, witnessing again an internal battle between a wolf and a man. He was in deep pain. Fur visible on his arms yet he was still on his human form. He looked at her. His red eyes were full of agony meeting her moss green pair. As if he was telling him to turn away and not see him like this.

Her mouth gawked open and she was frozen to the spot in shock, only now realizing that he has the eyes of blood. His wolf does. Fragments of every clue fell into place like a puzzle.

The mark...the Blood Moon Pack…red fur wolf…with red eyes. All text © NôvelD(r)a'ma.Org.

She had read about it in books. An ancient blood wolf, born with red blood eyes. It is a curse.

There must be a reason why Xyrus does not always shift into his wolf. He is quite famous and feared even among alphas for his unmatched strength and cunning ways. He never loses a battle with anyone, proof of it was at the mate hunt. His beast is a nightmare that if released fully will bring chaos and destruction.

She now realized why he did not shift at the Mate Hunt. Xyrus likes her but his wolf doesn't. Sky is a beast that does not favor anyone.

Though Sky saved her at the challenge with Ehren Xyrus still has control over him then. Its eyes back then were a sea-blue like Xyrus human form, but not today. Getting your wolf’s true eyes means the human spirit loses control over the wolf’s soul. Like what happens to some Rogues.

Xyrus never feared anyone nor anything since he was a child. And yet, for the first time in his life, his heart skipped a beat at the sight of fear from her eyes. He felt his own fear torn his heart to pieces at the thought of Willow scared of who really, he is.

"Willow..." He said struggling, still clutching the ground of snow surrounding him. He coughed blood and tried to reach one hand towards her.

Her gaze turned to his outstretched hand where two claws popped out already and fur covering his arms. She scooted farther away.

He saw it and his heart shattered into million pieces. The fear in her eyes was killing him. Yet enough to give him more strength to control his wolf. With a loud cry, he tried again to overthrow his wolf. Fur slowly disappearing, claws and canines retracting, blood oozed at the traces of failed transformation.

But the physical pain he felt replaced into something more unbearing when he didn't saw her where she was moments ago.

Like what do people say, the ache in the body is nothing compares to the ache in the heart.

She had left him... There in the cold... On his own.

***

(Willow’s pov)

‘Sky doesn't want me.’ For some unknown reasons I couldn't decipher, an ache in my heart wouldn't go away, making my breathing rigid almost shallow. Like I was hit a thousand times straight through my heart.

The transformation was happening again, an internal battle renewed what was supposed to end a while ago. Xyrus was struggling to stay in his human form, to keep his beast away from me.

My thoughts were to run far away from him. But seeing him suffering made me rethink if I can leave the alpha like this. Especially after his kindness moments ago.

"Willow..." He called out struggling, still clutching the ground of snow surrounding him. He coughed blood and tried to reach one hand towards me. Two claws already popped out his outstretched hand and fur covers his arms.

His agony reached into me. I can feel his pain visible from his eyes which shattered my heart more. Why do I feel this way?

I want to... hold him near me... No... It can't be. I cannot. But... how could this happen? Fear consumed me realizing what he means to me and what I feel for him. I scooted farther away, unsure of what to do.

His fear crawled onto the irises of his eyes like a mirror of his soul. What would he fear about? I looked away almost with regret, the weight of the truth was too much and I can't take it anymore.

I shifted into my wolf, run like the coward I am, far from him. I left him, there in the cold on his own.

I ran and ran farther away, but the more distance created, the more the ache in my heart intensified. It felt like there was a red thread that ties me to him, the more I pulled away, the more I'm hurting. Tears rolled down my wolf eyes.

Reaching my destination, I slowed down and walked slowly near the lake. I let myself be lost in thoughts as I dipped one paw on the lake, loving its coldness. Yet the turmoil I am in continued to haunt me, unforgiving and painful.

My solitude was short-lived in a snap of a twig, alerting my senses. An intruder. Violet perked her ear, listening carefully. I smelled him right before he spoke. My blood went cold.

"Toy doll."

My nightmare has found me.