Fang-Kissed

Chapter 13

I made it to lunch time without a fuss or too much drama. I had spent most of the morning washing my bag and hanging it up on a tree to dry, and then I didn't leave this small creek I found on my own.

It wasn't too far from the lake or the camp so I stayed here, until Kami eventually popped out and joined me in the dirt.

I was just sitting there looking at the trees across the creek. And the... the cuts in them.

"What are those marks?" I ask, looking at the oldest trees with massive gashes scarred into their trunks.

"Wolves used to be crazy vicious once upon a time," Kami explains, "They were so scary, they kept to their packs and their animal instincts were all that mattered. Fortitude brought them closer to their intellect, rather than their brute strength."

"Wolves caused those gashes in those trees? Their fangs or claws must have been massive," I feel frightened at the thought.

"We'll never really know, will we," Kami shrugs, "So, Clary, I wanted to tell you something, Toni and I are returning to Fortitude today."

"Oh."

"Yeah, we have to... do stuff," Kami nods slowly.

"Okay, we'll just go back early," I shrug.

Kami coughs awkwardly, "No, n-no, you're not coming back, Clary. You're staying out here with Raphael."

"Um, no I'm not –"

"Oh, come on, it's a dare," Kami uses her monotone and it takes me awhile to understand if she's being serious or joking.

"...a dare to do what exactly?" I whisper, narrowing my eyes.

"You're no fun, Clary," Kami looks me in the eye, "Toni's idea, by the way. He thinks you and Raph should hang out alone."

"Why would I want to hang out alone with him?" I ask, "He's very strange, Kami, he's not a normal guy. He gave me good morning kisses and I'm all confused inside now – like it didn't feel fun. It felt way too good. You know what I mean? Like it affected me."

I finally admit it and it feels good to tell Kami. I need her advice.

Kami nods slowly, "You're probably just horny –"

"I meant inside here," I grab her hand and I put it over my shoulder, near my heart, "You get me now?"

Kami takes her hand back and looks a little disturbed, "Clary," her voice changes, she sounds worried, "Raphael is not the type of wolf you can feel about like that. He won't mate with anyone. No matter what. It's not in his nature. Be careful."

"But the way it felt," I try to explain, my fingers touching my lips, "Like, I can't describe how it was so right. Plus, he did it. I didn't ask him to!"

Kami looks away and contemplates what I've said. After a short while she asks, "What do you want from him, Clary?"

I blink, confused by the question as she stands up and walks away, shrugging at me as she goes.

Soon I am on my lonesome but I don't want to just sit here on my ass in the dirt and leaves any longer.

I get up and trudge away.

I move into the forest and abruptly slow when I hear a noise.

There's a lot of shade up ahead and I can see movement.

Raphael's shoulders, he's jumping from left to right foot, talking to someone...

"You know it's not what I meant," I hear and see him when I scoot a little closer and peer down the slope toward the patch they both stand in. Raze has just scolded Raphael again.