Red & Silver

Chapter 23: Two Broken Hearts

"What's wrong, Silver?" I repeated, my voice laced with alarm. Silver's face had twisted into an expression of horror I'd never seen before. He practically jumped out of the bed, hastily pulling on his underwear as if trying to escape from some unseen threat.

"Your father... I..." he mumbled, hyperventilating and clutching at his hair. His eyes shimmered with unshed tears. "I know him... Shit."

My heart raced as fear gripped me. What could have possibly prompted such a reaction? Shakily, I stood up from the bed, slipping on my panties and a t-shirt, trying to ignore the cold dread creeping through me. "Silver, please, calm down. You're scaring me," I said, trying to sound soothing, but my voice was barely a whisper.

"What do you mean you know him?" I asked hesitantly, my stomach churning with unease. A coldness spread from my fingertips to my heart, making it feel like it was encased in ice. I reached out towards Silver, wanting to place a hand on his back and offer him comfort, but he flinched away from me.

"Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!" he yelled, stumbling over to a corner of the room and banging his head against the wall. It was like watching someone else in his body.

"Silver, please, tell me what's going on," I pleaded, feeling helpless as I watched him unravel before my eyes.

Tears streamed down my face as I tried to comprehend what was happening. This wasn't normal, and it scared me. Why was Silver like this? What did it have to do with Dad?

Silver let out an awful scream before collapsing to his knees, sobbing uncontrollably, his back to me. My heart ached for him, but I couldn't just stand there doing nothing. I approached his trembling body and forced him to turn around and look at me.

His yellow eyes were vacant, his expression completely unhinged. "I... I killed him," he choked out, finally looking at me.

A chill ran down my spine, and I stumbled backward, removing my hands from his shoulders. "Wh-what?" I stammered, my voice barely audible.

"I... I didn't know..." Silver continued, rising to his feet, his face a portrait of pure anguish. I stood up as well, taking another step back from him, trying to put some distance between us.

"What do you mean...? Who did you kill?" I mumbled, my throat dry with fear and disbelief.

Silver reached out, attempting to cup my face, but I backed away even further. He seemed so broken, so vulnerable, that for a moment, I almost wanted to embrace him, comfort him, but I just couldn't. Not until I knew the truth.

"It was self-defense, Red! I'm so sorry," he said through his tears. "I... I was young, and he attacked me first... He was a Black Hood, and I was scared... I'm sorry."

My heart pounded in my chest as the truth settled in, like an anchor pulling me down. "You... You killed my father..." I whispered, shaking my head, unable to accept the horrifying reality.

As the realization washed over me, my breaths came in ragged gasps. The man I loved, the werewolf I came to admire, had killed my father.

"No... Tell me it's not true..." I choked out, tears streaming down my face. My legs felt weak, and I was grateful for the wall behind me, supporting my back.

My world crumbled around me, and all I wanted to do was scream, cry, and rage against the injustice of it all.

Silver's eyes were filled with anguish as he dug his claws into his chest, drawing blood that dripped down his muscular torso. "Red, please," he begged, desperation etched into his every feature, a hand reaching out to me.

"Shut up!" I shouted, fury bubbling up inside me. "Don't touch me!"

I couldn't stand it anymore. The anger, the grief, the shock—everything threatened to consume me whole. "Do you know how much we suffered... How much I miss him?" I sobbed, feeling a volatile mix of sadness and rage.