Witch of the Wild Woods

Chapter 17 - Wishful Thinking

Chapter 17 - Wishful Thinking

This was the third strike. Brad had regularly interrupted the handful of genuine moments of intimacy in the two days Lane had been at this camp. It was a grating personality trait. As Lane led the charge up the slopped trail back to the councilors' cabins, he could only imagine how his behavior could have escalated to cause Nina to panic.

"They just burst in," Nina panted out.

"Who?" Franki asked, keeping pace with the pixie girl.

"All of 'em. They just burst into the room, shouting, hollering, leering at us," Nina was wide eyed, shaking, and manic. Couldn't be helped. Moments before bridging an intimate connection with someone so new, toxic personalities flooded over Aiden and Nina.

With the setting sun on their backs, Lane bounded up the five steps to the deck. His eyes were locked on Brad squaring off against Aiden. Without a moment's hesitation, Lane's momentum carried him into the muscular blonde buzz-cut boy. Instinct took over. His reflexes snapped into place. Years of training, practice, beaten into Lane's muscles, all reacted faster than his conscious mind.

First hit: Lane's open palm connected under Brad's jaw and gripped it tight.

Second: right foot planted behind Brad's non-dominate ankle.

Third: Lane's left hand took hold of Vegas' right wrist, swinging it across his chest and up into the air.

Last: The continued momentum drove Brad into the deck. Hard.

From the spectators in various states of undress, a wounded Aiden, and the three councilors trailing after Lane the whole impact looked like a blur of motion. One moment, Brad was about to slug Aiden. In an instant, Brad lay face up on the deck, groaning.

Lane stood back up to his full height and took a step back far from Brad's reach; "I think I've had my fair share of bullying, Brad. When you've caught your breath, let's go take a walk and pay Jude a visit. Or, we can sort this out like men."

"Or," Brad coughed out, the spittle of blood dripping out from his mouth, "You can suck a fat dick, Roswell."

Lane shifted back into a fighting stance as he caught Brandon sliding upon his peripheral. Hands up and ready to defend himself, Brandon immediately backed up; "What the hell, man?!" He said in shock. "You really are a space case, Roswell. We were just playing around. No need to go all psycho killer on, Vegas."

Nina interjected, "Lane's the psycho? How about barging in on Aiden and me!?"

Cole and Brandon helped Brad up to his feet, "Us?" Brad scoffed, wiping the blood from his chin, "We were being neighborly, social, wanting to connect with our fellow councilors. We were concerned that despite our team-building efforts, you two were hiding away from the rest of the group."

Aiden was breathing heavily; a black eye already visible, "Not everyone is as sexually open as you. Some of us prefer our privacy. The closed door should have been a hint."

"First, as your lead councilor, it's my job to show concern for my fellow councilors. Especially those who choose not to participate with the rest of the group; the lost, the anti-social, the lonely. Second, if I'd known you liked sucking dick, I'd offer you something with a bit more girth a lot sooner--"

Aiden rushed in with a haymaker, but it was Lane who held him back. Despite his skill and training, the larger man's sheer musculature nearly knocked Lane out cold. Staggering to catch his balance, Aiden helped Lane back on his feet.

"You heard what he said?! You heard him-- I can't--" Aiden cried out.

"I know!" Lane assured him, holding his jaw, "I know. But, he's baiting you into a conflict. Your honor, Nina's honor will hold. Don't take the bait."