The Outsiders

The Outsiders: Chapter Sixteen

Soum Menjivar

Through the whirling wind, I searched for Khristopher.

            It had only been hours since he had flown away, yet the sheer pain he inflicted made even time slower. Each minute dragged into each other, blurring my perception of time and reality. Stinging my chest, I wasn't strong enough to withstand the ache of his speedy departure. The strain in the mate bond had taken a toll on me. The moment he flew off, a searing pain flooded my limbs. When he was too far for me to see his frail silhouette, I laid limp on the floor. Nothing in the world held me up. Gravity only pushed me further into the dirt before Sonia came to my aid.

I couldn't lose Khristopher. He was the only being, the only person, the only thing that made sense in my life. I wanted to understand every aspect of him and his thoughts, but every chance I got to understand, he ran. To who-knows-where, Khristopher ran, and I was willing to risk it all to find my mate.

Even as we flew, hundreds of miles away from Eiden Grove, I was determined to have him in my arms. We were destined for each other, even if he couldn't quite understand how deep our bond went. Even me — an Alpha with the gene — couldn't fathom how deep our bond went, so how could Khristopher understand? He was a different species, but nothing could stop me from showing him how much I cared. No matter the pain or the hurt, the only thing that mattered as Toasheh carried me through the clouds was Khristopher.

Sonia, Toasheh, and I had a good idea where he could be. Before Khristopher and I met, he was in the infirmary. Though the sheer thought of him hurt brought a larger ache to my chest, It made sense for him to come to a pack of Werewolves when he had just been attacked by a wolf, and not only a regular wolf: a stolen wolf. It was strange to think of such a thing, but everything began to align. Not only was Khristopher going to Caldwick, but he was going where his deductions brought him: Vertime.

Though I knew he was probably dead, I would love to kill his uncle for hurting him. I wouldn't let anyone get away with hurting Khristopher, not even myself.

Narrowing in on the land of the Rogues, the air around us began to grow metallic. Like rusted iron and stinky flowers, the scent brought a striking memory. Vague visions and stifled sounds of cries and wolves hollered in my mind. Cold, desolate: the world my mind conjured was nothing like anything I had ever seen, yet I had seen it before. Claws, blood, cried: the scenes that played in my mind made me dizzy. It was the pack, the Jaiocm Pack, being attacked. Shivering, I pulled myself from my thoughts, focusing on the forest below.

As I searched through the fogged grey and clouds and bellowing pines, my heart stopped. Like the world around me grew bleaker, the green of the trees lost its vibrancy, and the little blue that was left in the sky disappeared. There was a certain pain, one different than the pain of being apart from Khristopher. Clenching the throbbing of my chest, I couldn't help but cry at the pain. So immense, so acute: the pain in my heart was unlike anything I had felt before.

"Khristopher!"

Even as I cried his name, the pain stung the tip of my tongue. Something happened to him, and I wasn't there to protect him. How could I have thought I needed to protect myself from Khristopher? He was scared, he is scared. Nothing about him was malicious; nothing about him intentionally tried to hurt me. I wasn't there when he needed me; now he was gone. The hurt nestled itself deep in my chest, enveloping my soul in mournful darkness.