Gasoline • Martin.

15

Nate was grateful no one talked about with breakdown from the night before. Not that he gave the opportunity, given the fact that he hasn't left his room all day. He was busy mourning and preparing for the next battle they were going to have. It was inevitable.

Nate, currently, was loading his collection of guns and perfecting his aims with them. The next thing he did was collect the arrows from the floor and check that the arrowheads and the fletchings were alright.

He then picked up his bow, holding it tightly with his left hand, the one that was unharmed. Before he could do anything else, Allison barged into his room. "Did you know it was him?" Nate straightened up and turned around to face his sister.

"Him who?" Allison rolled her eyes at his incredulity. She was sure he also received a letter from their mother. He did, but he burned it as soon as it was handed without reading it; he already knew the truth.

"Derek. He was the one that bit mom and made her kill herself." Nate laughed and went to his drawer to put on a shirt. "I had my suspicions but thank you for confirming them."

"Why are you so calm about this?" Allison snapped. Nate kept his emotions at bay, not wanting to lash out on his sister about the absurd accusation. "If you haven't noticed, I was not calm yesterday. I broke my freaking wrist, Allison."

It was true, after his breakdown at the hospital, Nate felt immense pain in his right hand, so Chris had the doctors check him out. It sucked because it was his dominant hand, but with the amount of training he had he could shoot with his left hand and his hurt one; he was good.

"I did see. Why did you react that way?" Nate sighed deeply. This was the perfect time to actually tell her the truth, about everything. "Let me tell you a story, Allison. About two hunters." Nate rested his back against the drawer, Allison taking a seat on his bed, facing him.

"Nathaniel Argent and James Dimitri were best friends since the day the met ten years ago. They were inseparable that they became hunting partners. They did everything together. They were the dream team. An Argent and a Dimitri? It was the perfect match."

Nate never thought he would be telling Allison the story about him and his best friend. Scratch that, he never told he would be telling this story to anyone. It was so personal, and it hit close to home; he wanted it just for himself. But she needed to know.

"James and I became some of the best hunters of our generation, and he was the second fastest of completing the training test, just after me. James wasn't only my best friend, or my hunting team. He was my partner."

It was the first time he admitted that out loud. He always had a fear people would judge him for his sexuality, especially the hunters. Which is why they had to keep their relationship hidden, something that was hard for two teenagers. "We cared so much about each other and that's what made our bond even more profound. James came up with these series of symbols that only us would understand. I know you've seen my tattoos on my arms and chest; they represent those symbols."

He lifted his shirt to show her one that was on the lower part of his stomach area. He pointed at the intricate design and Allison stared at it with admiration. "This one is the one that represented us and the bond the best. We both had it in the same place, so it was even more superior. It was us."

Nate sighed, not ready to open up about what really happened between them. "Why are you telling me this? What does it have to do with anything?" Nate chuckled and stared back at her, a blank look on his face. "I'm going to answer the question you once asked me. Why do I hate the supernatural so much?"

Allison nodded, waiting for the reply since that night. The answer he gave her that night was bizarre and really out of the ordinary, so she have wanted to know the truth since then. But she didn't want to force him. She had an idea about the reason but the story he was telling her now changed it, and now she had no clue why it happened.

"James and I had this mission and I was to be the lookout until James told me it was secure to go in and I was sure we were okay outside. He went inside and I stayed out waiting. I heard a noise coming from inside, on the left side of the building. I knew I should've stayed were I was, but I couldn't let anything happen to him."

"I ran to where I first heard the noise and didn't find anything, so I went inside. James saw me and was surprised to see me there and was quick to come closer to me but before he could get far, someone came barreling though the front door and attacked James. I don't know how many there were, but there were a lot. We fought and then they took off, leaving me with James there."

Nate needed a minute to collect himself. This part always got to him. "He was bleeding out, with scratches everywhere. These werewolves didn't want to turn him, they wanted to kill him. And it was all my fault for not staying in my post."

He didn't know when it happened, but his eyes clouded with tears as a single droplet slid down his cheek. He was quick to wipe it away before taking a deep breath and collecting himself. "He died in my arms, after he asked me to finally put him out of his misery. I killed my best friend, my other half."

Allison was shocked. She saw it coming but it took her by surprise, nonetheless. The vulnerability coming from her brother was something she didn't know she was ever going to see. And she was sure this was new to him as it all came crashing down so fast and so sudden.

"I stabbed his dagger though his heart and saw him cry and take his last breath. He died in my arms." Nate could see the memory so clearly and he could feel the blood coating his hands once again. He could still see James' face as it lost all color, and he could still see the tear running down his face as Nate killed him.

"When the others came and saw me with James, things went south pretty quickly. But we all knew one thing, the supernatural were responsible for his death." Nate looked up and stared at Allison, observing her, and making sure she was taking all of what he was saying in. "They are ruthless, and they don't care about anyone, except themselves. And James and mom are the proof of that."

"Nous chassons ceux qui nous chassent," Nate said, reminding Allison of their code. "We hunt the ones that hunt us, never forget that Allison." Nate stood up ad went to his desk and took a seat. "They've been hunting us for a long time, sister, and just because you fell in love with an abomination doesn't mean his instincts change. Sooner or later that boy will hunt you down just like the rest of his kind."

Allison didn't want to believe anything he was saying. She trusted Scott and she loved him just as much as he loved her. he would never hurt her. never. "You're lying. Scott would never do that." Nate laughed. A cold and sinister laugh that sent a chill down Allison's spine.

"At the end of the day, Allison, he will. Don't come running to me when he does, because I warned you, since the beginning and I'm warning you now. Take it from me, that I'm being gentle with you. Run while you can."