Defining Factors

Chapter 2: Hi, My Name Is...

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Y'all sounded very excited for this new book, it's inspired me to give you the next chapter already.

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Warnings: A more brutal and lethal form of acupuncture with the intent to kill. So if you don't like needles...

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Kinloch practically gave up after that. Being shunned by his own kind, someone just like him, hit him harder than not being able to find one. He tried to go home, but they wouldn't accept him, saying, "He stunk of humans and something much worse." Whatever that was supposed to mean. So now Kinloch had nowhere to go, no one to turn to. At least before he met James, he had a purpose, find someone like himself, but he'd done that and got pushed away. Now he had nothing. Nothing driving him, nothing moving him forward, which is why he wandered about aimlessly and had been for several months, judging by the phases of the moon. He stayed away from cities, they were too mentally exhausting, instead preferring the sanctity offered by the close forest communities. He could let down his guard, drop his mental shields without worrying about having someone flood his consciousness and just relax.

Which is why he was even more surprised, because when he dropped them, his mind was flooded with intense pain and very imaginative swearing. Kinloch gasped out in alarm from the pain which he managed to suppress. The swearing in his head went silent, almost like a silent alert.

Someone's close. Smells like flowers and something sickly sweet, too faint for me to place. I don't know this pers- gah! Shit-

Whoever this person was, they were close and in lots of pain, it was weird they could smell Kinloch though. "Is someone there?" Kinloch called out, "I can help, but I need to know where you are."

No. Don't come any closer. You're too close. Stay away.

Kinloch looked around, his eyes falling on a battered and bloody body of a massive wolf, breathing raggedly, metal needles protruding from his hide, beautiful, intelligent green eyes stared at Kinloch. When the wolf shifted, the light caught on them and the green flashed gold. The wolf pulled back its lips in a snarl. Stay back.

Kinloch displayed his hands, showing he was no harm. "It's okay," he said gently, "I just want to help."

I don't need your help.

Kinloch furrowed his eyebrows. This wolf just responded to him, he understood, Kinloch couldn't read animal minds, they didn't speak the same way humans do, it was something entirely different that Kinloch had to master through study. "You're-you're not an ordinary wolf, are you?"

Yes, I'm perfectly normal, not leave me alone or I'll rip out your throat.

Kinloch inched closer and dropped down his knees a good distance away. "You can't rip out my throat in that condition. Just let me help. I can pull out those spikes and patch you up."

Fuck off flower boy. The wolf snarled again.

"Flower boy?" Kinloch huffed. "That was mean. Should I call you fleabag?"

I will claw your face off.

"Okay, but do it after I fix you up." Kinloch slowly moved closer, hands still visibly harmless, ignoring the thoughts that told him to stay back. Soon Kinloch was right next to the enormous wolf where he could run his hand over the fur. "Holy shit, what have you been doing to get covered in these? It looks like someone was trying to kill you, they're deep."

Someone was and she's a bitch.

Kinloch took not having his face bitten off as a good sign. "This is going to hurt, but I have to pull them out."