Fallen (BoyxBoy)

Chapter 32 - Painted Red

*****

"I'll take a different entrance and drop you off, then I'll check if Hilliel's okay." It took much less time to get back into the city than it had when heading to the beach as Kendrick had sped most of the way heading back.

"No, you don't have to. It sounded like an emergency. You should head straight there, I can go home on my own if it's necessary." Kendrick glanced over at me, his concerned face softening with a small smile for a moment. "What?"

He seemed surprised by my question, as though he had not even realised that he had given me the glance. He just shook his head, turning as we reached the forest. The doctor had sounded so distraught on the phone that Kendrick didn't even try to ask him what happened and just asked for his location before we headed on the way. He was at the East entrance, which concerned Kendrick because it was the same entrance he had sent the wolf that had tried to attack us at the beach to. He figured Hilliel's call had something to do with the wolf.

The scene we drove into didn't seem real. The place was lit up by lamps that surrounded the entrance gates. It looked like paint had been splashed across the small security offices that took up each side of the gate. The boom gate was down, Hilliel's car parked outside and smeared in the same red liquid that covered the offices' walls. The car and windows of the security office had clear signs of struggling as the blood seemed to have been further smudged by handprints dragged across the surfaces.

"Shit –" Kendrick was out of the car as soon as it had stopped. I hesitated for a second, afraid of what I would see if I followed him as most of the scene was now blocked by Hilliel's car. I climbed out slowly when Kendrick moved around the car and immediately regretted it as the strong stench of blood hit me. I could only imagine how much worse it smelled to Kendrick.

My feet felt planted for a moment before my mind regained control of my movements after a couple of seconds of shock. The regret only became worse as I stepped around Hilliel's car and felt bile rise into my throat, an uncomfortable wave of imagined pain running through my body as my eyes landed on what looked like an arm on the grass. Nothing attacked to it, just a human arm seemingly ripped off at the shoulder.

The darkness was almost a relief, I knew the scene would only be worse in the daylight.

"Talian, stay there, someone's still here." Kendrick's voice drew my attention to him. He seemed cautious as he stepped into one of the security offices. I took his instruction, afraid of what I would see and sure that he thought whoever it was might be dangerous. I couldn't see anyone, he must have heard them.

"Hilliel!" He sounded relieved and shocked.

"Kendrick, I-I- I tried to h-" Hilliel's already choked voice was drowned by a sob.

"What happened?"

"I-I got back – They were de-dead. It was... I tried to help, I was too l-late."

"You got him?"

"H-he was distracted – I thought he would try to kill me too if I didn't get him first. I-I didn't mean to – I just –"

"Hey, hey. It's okay. You did the right thing, you don't know what he would have done."

"I-I really didn't mean to hurt –"

"Hilliel, it's okay. It looks like you had no choice," Kendrick's voice was much gentler than usual, it was hard to imagine that he could sound so soft.

I swallowed slowly putting the pieces together. From what Hilliel said, it seemed like someone had attacked the guards, and when Hilliel arrived at the pack, he had to kill the man to survive. Was it the person we had a run-in with at the beach...?