Wolf at Heart

Chapter Thirty Five: To Think

He was a whirling cloud of fury, looking all the more like a dark angel. His hands sent Dakota flying into the wall and with each blow, a blow landed.

"Don't. You. Ever. Touch. Her. Again!"

Ash looked more furious that I'd ever seen him, even more than when the Predators attacked. His face was distorted in anger and I nearly flinched back.

Who was this person? Who was Ash?

I stood frozen, then snapped out of my stupor and raced over. "Ash stop!"

As much as I hated Dakota at the moment, I hated this kind of bloodshed more.

Abruptly, he stood, facing the wall. I could practically see the anger rolling off of him in waves, but he did as I said.

I just hoped that by the time I was done, he'd be calmer.

With that thought, I twitched my fingers and a puddle of sink water floated over. I was shaking so badly that a few drops fell, but I managed to heal the blossoming bruises on Dakota's prone form. He'd have a splitting headache tomorrow, but no serious injuries.

None that Ash had caused anyway.

Turning, I grabbed Ash's hand and studied his knuckles, ignoring his intense gaze. Healing the tiny cuts was a simple fix. I didn't know about his state of mind, though. It seemed that every time I thought I'd figured him out, a new side of him came out.

This was a side of him that I hadn't wanted to see.

Propping Dakota up so he'd be more comfortable, I decided to let him sleep here. I wasn't going to drag him back to Sora, that was for sure.

WIthout another glance and Ash, I walked out, tossing an irritated order over my shoulder. "Outside. Now."

To my annoyance, he overtook me easily, gesturing for me to follow. "I have a better idea."

Huffing, I trailed after him up two flights of stairs and zig-zagging through the hallways before arriving at a glass door. Ash pushed it open and I found myself standing on a balcony.

Though the view was breathtaking, I wasted no time in snapping at Ash. "What were you thinking?"

Back to his calm and reserved demeanor, Ash had a guarded look on his face. "You looked like you needed some...help. He wasn't going to let you leave, you know that right?"

"I had it under control," I insisted, but Ash scoffed.

"Of course you did. He slammed you into the wall. Obviously, that was all according to plan. Why didn't I see that before?" His voice dripped with sarcasm.

I looked at him suspiciously. "What's up with you? You're not like you usually are."

An even more wary expression replaced Ash's previous look and he shifted his weight onto his other foot. "Nothing."

Glaring at him, I lashed out. "Don't you 'nothing' me, too! I've gotten enough of that word for a lifetime, thanks to..." I faltered and quickly hurried on. "Thanks to a certain someone...nevermind, I'm going to my room."

But if I had heard the pause in my voice, then Ash certainly had, too.

His anger disappeared and Ash took a step forward, curiosity flickering across his sharp features. "Who was it? And what did they say?"

Masking my hurt with a pained smile, I shook my head. I turned once more to retreat to my room, but Ash grabbed my wrist.

Unpleasant memories of today surfaced once more and I flinched unconsciously. Ash let go, and I shied away from his gaze, ducking under the doorway. I wrapped my arms around myself and quaked with pent up frustration.

Hearing the swish of feathers, I looked back and saw Ash in his semi-form, his wings extended. I held my breath as he leaped over the guard rail. There was a gentle gust of wind and a raven flew up and away.

I watched him go regretfully for a moment, then continued to my room.

A quick check of the bathroom showed that Dakota was gone. Sora must've found him.

Even after hearing his crushing admission, my thoughts kept returning to him.

He doesn't care about you.

He thinks you're a fool.

He hates you.

Slamming the door shut, I wiped furious tears away with the back of my hand. He wasn't worth my tears.

Deciding to practice using my magic, I walked over to the washroom.

Then I remembered that Dakota was still in the mansion.

I think I'll practice outside.

Without consciously having a destination in mind, I let my feet wander and ended up in front of the very pond where Sora and I had first met.

Settling down on a flat stone, I breathed in deeply. Imagining that my mind was still like the water, I took another breath, exhaling slowly.

Calling the water to me, I kept a rhythm in my head and swayed slightly to the beat.

Everything he'd said and done with me was a lie. All that we'd done together was fake. No doubt the interaction with the others was just an act too.

Shaping the water into a stream, I waved my hands and moved the jet in a circular motion around the pond.

To think that I had to work with him was bad enough. To think that Sora was going to wrap him around her finger was even worse. I'd seen the looks they'd exchanged and Sora had even gotten Dakota drunk to do who knows what.

I brought the pond water back into a clear, spinning orb that hovered just above the surface. Closing my eyes again, I sent the orb swirling like a top, fine-tuning my control.

Feeling tears leak out from my tightly shut eyes, I let the water sink back into the pond without a ripple.

To think that I had been falling for him.

(Side Note: Hey guys, I just wanted to say that if you guys have any more drawing requests of any characters in various situations, I'm open! Man, I really haven't drawn one of my characters in a while. Either way, I'll be doing requests every now and then.)