Loving the enemy

Chapter 20

I lie on my back, staring up at the sky. It's dark, but the emptiness is comforting. I feel Shane's hand slide over mine, him interlocking our fingers. I want to shutup and just spend this moment with him, but something is nagging in the back of my mind.

"We need to kill him. Don't we." I say, mouth dry as I keep my eyes on the stars.

"There has to be something else. Another way." He says quietly.

"There's not though, we would have thought of it by now."

"We can't just kill him, Max. You love him."

"Wrong. I loved the Able I grew up with. The Able who would have nightmares about our parents, the Able who would hold me when I came home crying. He's not that kid anymore. His soul is different. I saw it." I roll onto my side, facing Shane. "I want my little brother back." I say, my voice cracking as I hold back tears. "Everything has changed and I'm loosing everyone I care about."

Shane turns his head to face my and raises his free hand to touch my cheek. "I love you. I always will. No matter what. Even when you stop loving me. Even when you move on. Even when the stars explode and we all burn. Even after everything that's happened. I still love you."

"How?" I say my voice weak.

"Because that's what love is."

Then I'm kissing him. I crawl on top of him and am slightly aware of his hands on my skin. Everything's dull and my face is still wet with tears. He suddenly pushes me off, and I'm left sitting beside him again with numb lips and shaking legs. "No. It's not right." He says darkly.

"But it's okay. I want it." He stands up.

"You want a distraction. You want to feel something. I'm not going to be your morning regret."

"I thought you loved me."

"I do. That's why I'm walking away." He takes a few steps before turning around and facing me. "Come see me tomorrow morning, we can talk about Able after you sleep. Also, Dan want's to talk to you."

And then he leaves me, hand to my mouth and tears streaming down my cheeks. My legs are shaking, but after a while I stand and start slowly moving back to camp.

●●●●●

Dan is in his tent, and when I go in he looks up from his table. "Max?"

"Yeah, it's me." He smiles.

"Good, I wanted to talk to you." He stands up and walks over to me, before I can react his arms are wrapped around me and we are hugging. He pulls away and he has a huge smile over his face. He reaches into his pocket,  pulling out a small bone carving the size of my fist.

"I made this for you, before the accident. I never had a chance to give it to you." He hands it to me and I look at it. There is a girl carved into the bone, she is wearing the skin of a wolf, the wolf head covering her own. Her arms are outstretched and her head is tilted upright, in one of her hands is a bow and arrow. She is howling. "Kinda grim, but I thought you'd like it." I run my fingers over the percise details and silent tears steam down my face.

"It's so beautiful, Dan. I love it."

"You saved me from myself that night. I've been wanting to give this to you ever since.  You had left before I could even thank you. So, thank you."

"I wasn't fast enough. I could have saved you."

"You did save me. My fate was sealed as soon as I left that campsite, but I would have killed myself if you weren't there. I would have given up." He reaches his hands up slowly feeling for my face. He takes my head in his hands and kisses my forehead. "I'm sorry for everything I've done."

"That doesn't matter now."

"You're right, it doesn't. You are one of us now. You run with our pack and you fight on our side. You are family." I look back down at the figure in my hand, my tears sliding off my nose and landing on her. "You howl with us now."