The Essence of Nature

8- Sadness and anger

Everything seems to be brighter, happier on Sundays. Jeriard had left me alone in the house so that he can "take care of some business." I really didn't want to know what kind of business a wolf had to take care of. There was a knock at the door, not an ordinary knock more like a desperate banging so I hurried off the couch and answered the door. What came to greet me on the other side was very unpleasant.

A small boy with light brown hair was standing outside of the door, leaning an arm against the frame to keep himself from falling. He held his bleeding stomach with his singed and bleeding arm. His clothes were in shreds and his eyes were tightly closed, I guess in an attempt to keep himself from collapsing from the pain he must be feeling. As I had predicted he lost consciousness, but before he could hit the ground, I caught him. He wasn't too heavy due to his small size. I carried him to the shower so I could rinse off his wounds.

I carefully placed him on the floor of the shower and looked at the boy's grey eyes that were now slightly open; they looked rather familiar. As I reached for the shower knob, a hand roughly gripped my arm before I was able to turn it. Another hand grabbed my shoulder and spun me around. I was now face to face with Jeriard his green eyes now dark appeared ominous. "Don't touch that!" he spat.

He released my arm and shoved me to the side as if I was a rag doll. That wasn't very nice. What's wrong with him? He leaves like an angel and comes back as a devil, what's up with that? I punched Jeriard's shoulder with all my strength, which made him flinch. He quickly glared at me and growled. "You hurt me!" I yelled in his face.

"Deal with it," he retorted.

"What's wrong with you? You left this morning in a good mood and now you're a cranky crab," I said with a pout.

Jeriard's face changed from pure rage to sorrow. A tear ran down his cheek and dripped off of his chin, but it never touched the ground. I had caught the tear and it was still in the form of a droplet. "I'm sorry. I can't always control myself. I'm a wolf my nature is to protect those I care about that are most near to danger so that they won't get hurt, and I'm trying to make sure you and him are not going to get hurt," he apologized, glancing at the injured boy.

"It's perfectly fine." I examined the tear that rested in tact upon my palm. Jeriard lifted my chin with a finger so I could look at him.

"Help him, please," he pointed at the small boy, "He's my friend."

I quickly crawled my way to the small boy and examined his wounds more closely. There were three thick claw marks across his stomach and severe fire burns across his arms. I don't know what I was supposed do to help him. A hand comforted my shoulder and I felt helpless for having no way to help Jeriard's friend. My eyes were now brimmed with tears, it felt like I was wearing lenses made of water and my sight was slightly magnified.

Suddenly, the shower-head had water calmly streaming out. I looked at the shower knob, but no one had touched it. The water cleaned off the blood then began miraculously repairing the boy's flesh wounds. I sat there gazing at the water in awe. How is it possible? The boy coughed and air rushed through his body. He was saved. I turned to look at Jeriard whose mouth was hanging open. "Where can I get me one of those?" the boy asked, regarding me with a smile.

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We now sat in the living room, Jeriard sat on the couch and I sat beside him while Raphael, the small boy, sat upon the wooden floor. "Man, Jerry, I've missed you a lot," Raphael stated, swaying back in forth.

Jeriard laughed and looked down at his linked hands before answering, "I have missed you, too."

Raphael glanced from me to Jeriard then back to me and gazed at me with satisfaction. "Is this her? The girl that's going to save us?" he asked.

Jeriard leaned towards Raphael, his face serious. "Yes, but if you dare ever try to hurt, touch, or rudely speak to her, I will personally hunt you down," Jeriard murmured menacingly.

I was taken aback on how deadly Jeriard can sound and how strongly he speaks to other people. What I still don't understand is how Raphael and Jeriard actually know one another. Raphael sighed breaking my thoughts, "Are you ever coming back?" Raphael looked at Jeriard with a wanting gaze.

"Go back where?" I spoke up. Jeriard took my hand in his, his hands felt warm and safe.

"To the pack," Raphael answered. I turned my head to Jeriard. How could he just leave his pack? Oh, yeah, because I'm somehow so special, but it still isn't nice to leave.

"I'm not going back, Raphy. I have to care for Rose. We can see each other at school at least," Jeriard sneered.

"You leave the pack with no goodbye and you believe I can still be friends with you, do you know what it's like now without you? The pack has gone wild, fighting amongst each other, and Ray almost killed a five year old pup. Jeriard you need to return, you're the Alpha, after all," Raphael desperately tried to get his friend to listen, to understand, but Jeriard's stubborn attitude was winning.

Not unless I had something to say about it. I yanked my hand away from Jeriard's and violently stood from the couch. I had enough with his annoying moodiness. I pointed an accusing finger at Jeriard's face and yelled, "Stop being so insensitive! You may be a wolf, but hell that I care!!! You had a pack and you were the Alpha!!! That means you have to guide them!!! If you don't go back to being Alpha for Raphael, then go back and lead for me!!!" Tears stung at my eyes. "Become Alpha again or else I promise to disappear and never return to help you in this ludicrous war against werewolves, which I will enlighten you right now, you can not win without me!!!" I finished my speech by breathing heavly. All eyes were on me. Raphael's grey orbs looked at me with sympathy as Jeriard's green emeralds contained anger that was about to erupt any second.

Before anyone could respond or anything could happen, I collapsed. All my sight vanished. My body went limp.