Steel: The Transformation

Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Cleo POV

I pulled my bike out of the driveway, pushing the pedals down using all the strength in my leg muscles as I was standing with my hands on the handle watching the houses on the street pass me by. I pushed my body to cycle faster, picking up speed before sitting down on the saddle. I found it hard to wrap my head around what had happened yesterday, that a Hunter had attacked Alec. I had done something in return, done something that I never thought I would do. The memory of the Hunter laying on the ground flashed through me, I involuntarily shivered in the warm morning air. I tried hard to push those thoughts from my mind. I had other things to think about.

I pulled the bike into the campus parking lot, leaning it against a streetlight and quickly locking the chain around it. I pulled at the strap of my bag, pushing it higher up on my shoulder and scanned the surroundings. I couldn't see Jackson or anyone else from his pack. Maybe that was just as well. The thought of what he had said last night instantly sparked my anger. In the mist of emotion, the thought of the Hunter came back to me again. How could Jackson be so narrow-minded? Why doesn't he just talk to me about it? Clearly, there were other dangers in the woods...

I had made it all the way to lunch without seeing Jackson. I sat down at one of the tables in the calmer corner of the courtyard. I pulled out my lunch box from the handbag and started to unwrap a sandwich. As I was just about to bite into it, I could sense him. He was walking towards me, walking over from the other corner of the courtyard. He sat down and I kept my eyes locked on my sandwich, staring down into the table. A quick kiss on my cheek and his hand, tucking a few strands of hair behind my ear.

"Hi," his smile was warm and friendly. How could he even act like everything was fine?

"Hi," my reply came out slightly stiffer than what I had expected.

"So what's going on with you?"

"Not much, just trying to prepare for the report I need to hand in for European History," I controlled my voice but my mind was in free fall. Fragments of what had happened in the last twenty-four hours flashed behind my eyes. I needed him to admit to thinking that Alec was a threat to his pack.

"So what's going on with you?"

He shrugged his shoulders, "Not much, practice last night was good."

It infuriated me even more that he would lie like that.

I took a deep breath and placed my hand on top of his, looking into his eyes, "I know that there has been a lot of changes lately."

He nodded and smiled cheerily back at me.

"If something concerns or worries you," I squeezed his hand, "I want you to tell me about it."

My eyes were searching his face for any hint of admission. He looked back at me, his cheery disposition unchanged.

"I can't think of anything right now," he smiled back at me steadily through his lie.

"Are you sure?" my tone had gone harsh again.

"Yes, I am," he dragged out the words and smiled again.

"Well, I have to rush now," I grabbed my things and got up from the table.

Just as I was about to walk away, he grabbed my hand and pulled me close. His lips met mine in a kiss, I kissed him back with everything inside me. He smiled and let me go. I turned and walked away, knowing that I could no longer trust him. If he was not willing to talk to me about what worried him than what was I supposed to do?

~*~

I was pulling on my running clothes, I could hear Alec move around with more ease downstairs. It felt good to know that he was healing. Still not well, but a lot better. I smiled weakly at this silver lining. I hadn't enjoyed telling him about what I had heard at the pack meeting, but I knew he had a right to know. His reaction had surprised me, I had expected him to be more angry and less understanding. I pulled on the dark hoodie and walked down the stairs to the living room again. Alec was sitting on the couch, I let my fingers play at the edge of his bandage.

"So you'll be healed soon?"

He nodded and moved his fingers to touch mine, "You know that you don't have to do this."

I shook my head at him, "No, I do have to do this. Jackson should have trusted me and told me what he was worried about. He didn't."

I walked into the kitchen and out through the back door before he could say anything else. Just as I closed the door behind me I felt a jolt pass through my body.

"Be careful," his voice bounced around in my head.

I smiled slightly at the connection before I took a deep breath and let it pass. My eyes switched to their Steel colour, as I jogged through my garden and into the forest. Even though it was already dark outside, every little detail of the woods were clear to me. I felt the strength from shifting and the sensations of my heightened senses pumped through my body. I quickly scaled a tree, perching on a branch and listening to the surroundings. I could hear the sounds of forest, a couple of deer's far away trotting through a clearing, squirrels running up and down tree trunks and then in the distance the almost soundless flap of an owl's wings in flight. I listened again and I heard footsteps, more quiet than a normal human but still evoking plenty of sounds for me to pick up on. I swung myself into another tree, high above the ground I jumped from branch to branch swiftly moving closer to where I had heard their foot steps. As I moved towards them, I realized that I would have to fight them. I didn't want to hurt them but I had to, if they were going to mindlessly follow Jackson's order and hurt someone that hadn't done anything against them.

I spotted Tim and Wyhatt, they were standing close to the tree that I was now perched in. I shook my head silently, I can't believe that they didn't even hear me coming. Maybe the biggest threat to the wolves were the wolves themselves? I dropped out of the tree, standing only a few steps away from them, cloaked in the darkness. It still stunned me that I could be this close to them and that they still had no idea that I was here.

Tim was furthest away from me, so I moved closer to Wyhatt who was standing with his back against me. I took a small shallow breath and let my instincts take over. Just like when the Hunter had attacked Alec and me in the woods, I allowed my instincts to flow freely through my body. My arm snaked around Wyhatt's throat. He made a small choking sound before he fell to the ground.

The thud of his body hitting the soil finally made Tim notice that something was going on. He spun around, his eyes told me that he hadn't been expecting me. He started running towards me and before I knew what had happened, my fist had connected with his jaw. In the moment of impact, my foot swept across his, forcing him to loose his balance and land on the ground, winded. Wyhatt was still unconscious behind me and Tim was struggling to breathe in front of me.

"Take this as a warning. I don't want us to be like this. But if you attack Alec again..." Tim was struggling to breathe still, trying to cough out some reply but I shook my head.

"No. Just listen. We don't want any issues with the wolves. But if you continue like this... Let's just say that this was an easy fight."

I saw Tim's eyes widen in recognition, understanding that for me this was an easy win. I turned on my heels and disappeared back into the darkness.

Author's Note: I know this was a very dramatic chapter :) What do you think of Cleo's decisions - do you think she made the right choice or do you think she should have confronted Jackson during lunch?

Thank you so much for reading. Your comments and votes are what keep me going. So please vote and please tell me what you think in the comments <3

Also - Happy Valentines Day :) I know this was not the most romanic of chapters...

Song: Baby Queens - Had My Heart

What do you think of this song? I love it :) It's got a good, strong sense to it in terms of the music but the lyrics are conflicting - as they are very sad and vulnerable  Kind of like Cleo right now - she's staying strong on the outside, but on the inside she's truly hurt.