Book I: Near Death Experience (18+) ✔️

9.

As we headed back to the village, I felt my heart racing in my chest. I was still in shock from the encounter and my body was aching from the impact of the beast. I could see the concern in Knox's and Xander's eyes as they looked at me, and I was thankful for their support. The forest was filled with the sounds of animals and the wind rustling through the trees, but I was too focused on the events that had just transpired. I had finally seen the beast, and that thing was gigantic. Finn was right, the size of a grizzly bear in a wolf's body. I have never seen or even heard of anything like this,...it was indescribable. Almost insane in a sense. As we reached the village, I could feel my body relax as my adrenaline dissipated. I was relieved to be back in a familiar place and away from my home. 

However, that peaceful feeling disappeared when I heard an angry cry of my name, "Adelaide!"

Knox, Xander and I turned around to see Daniel. He was storming towards us with a violent look in his eye, fist tightened against his side. My eyes were filled with confusion as I asked gently, "Oh, Daniel? What's the matter?"

"What are you doing with them?", he asked me as if the two men behind me didn't exist at that moment. However, Daniel's voice seemed to tick off the men as Knox stepped toward him saying darkly, "Excuse me?"

I stepped in quickly between the two men and with a worried tone said, "They're helping me with a few things." The last thing I needed was them fighting as we were all on the same team here. Weren't we?

Daniel looked at me with disgust before hissing out, "You could've asked me, not these doobers." His words seemed to bounce off Xander and Knox as they both laughed at him, gazing down at his shorter figure before Xander muttered quietly with a smirk, "I think you need to back off mate."

"You'd chose them over me Addy?", Daniel's voice was coated in jealousy as he hissed out his question, his eyes darting back and forth between the two men and me. He seemed to be holding in his anger, his fists tightening as he spoke.

My voice faltered as the question threw me off, "I...They offered to help. Who I am to throw away valuable hands?"

Daniel was about to reach out for me, but before he could, Xander stepped in between us, blocking his way. Daniel's eyes were blazing with anger, but he held his ground and refused to back down. Xander's arms were crossed in front of him in a protective stance as if daring Daniel to come closer. His voice was low and menacing as he said with a dark smile, "Ah, ah, ah. Don't touch her."

I saw Knox step beside Xander, blocking me fully from Daniel as he said with a dark chuckle, "Run along, boy."

Daniel began to mumble under his breath as he pushed past Knox and Xander, heading towards Franky's Tavern. His face was red and he was breathing heavily, his fists clenched tightly at his sides. He was obviously angry but seemed to be trying to contain his emotions. Despite his apparent rage, he kept walking towards the tavern, his shoulders tense and his jaw clenched.

"Well that was something," I muttered looking at the men with a raised brow. All this 'alpha male' shite was pissing me off however I had to admit it was very attractive seeing them stand up for me.

"Cheeky bastard," Xander laughed out while Knox still watched Daniel walk away in the distance before asking, "You call that thing a friend?"

"Was. We were friends before, but something got in the way of that. Don't mind him, he's harmless," I explained to them before walking towards the tavern hiking up my gun on my shoulder. For some reason, I didn't want to tell them that Daniel had feelings for me, which pushed me away from our friendship. I had only seen Daniel as a friend, there were no feelings for him that had ever transpired. So in the end when I began to notice, I stepped away from our companionship. I could hear Knox hum while they shared a few looks making me sigh.