Beast In Me (Watty Awards)

Chapter 12- Enemy or Love?

I feel numb. Issac came in and told me to go to bed and when I didn't get up he came and took my hand and sat next to me. He put my head on his lap and stroked me hair. I think he was trying to talk to me but when learning things about yourself that change you and turn your world upside down, it tends to shut you down. I don't know how long I laid there staring at the empty fireplace but by the time I started to get feeling back into my body I heard Issac breathing deeply behind me, asleep, and I saw Brandon on the other couch and he was looking at me.

"You ok?" he asks, with a worried but calm look.

"I don't know," I said, slowly sitting up so I don't wake Issac. "I'm just really cold and kind of tired."

I looked at Issac. His head was laying on the back of the couch with his mouth slightly opened. His curly, dark, hair is tossed over his eyes. He looked peaceful. I'd hate to be the one to wake him from his dreams.

"You should eat something." Brandon said.

"Uhh, no I feel pretty ok right now-," I started.

"You've been in shock for the past 6 hours," he interrupted. "Please just eat for me?" He was already headed towards the kitchen.

I hurried and got up. Quietly, so I didn't wake Issac. I walked out the door and went to grab Brandon's elbow but before I could wrap my fingers around the inner crease of his arm, he grabbed my hand and pushed my body up against the wall next to the living room doorway, with my wrists pinned together above my head. He slammed his body onto mine with a hard force, pinning me to the wall. He looked at me with this dangerous, wild, look. We stared at each other like that for what seemed to be an eternity but literally only a minute. 

"I'm sorry," He said. Not moving an inch.

"It's ok. I shouldn't have surprised you liked that." I whispered, breathlessly.

My mind started wondering. Thinking about how I've been crushing on this guy for years and years and thought he never noticed me and how many time I've imagined us in this very position so many time. I was so happy when he asked me out on the date and it was so beautiful and we almost kissed until...

"Hey, get off of me!" I yelled. "And you can stay at least arms length away from me until you explain to me why you gave me to Darcy!"

He backed up quickly, out of surprise, and put hit hands on my shoulders. "Shhh!" Brandon said, looking worriedly toward sleeping Issac.

"No, I'll scream and ask him to make you tell me why the hell you'd give me to Lord Bestia- Darcy- whatever that guys name is!" I yelled, shaking his arms off me.

"Shh! Shh! Ok come on I'll tell you in the kitchen. And I'm not afraid of Issac, just so you know. But for some reason, when it comes to you, he gets crazy strong and out for blood." He says shaking his head, walking towards the kitchen. 

"Well, he's my best friend. Of course, we are protective of each other. And if I was as strong as Issac I'd beat you up myself." I said matter-of-fact like.

"Well, missy, you aren't as strong as Issac. Technically, you're much stronger." He took a seat at the cheap table. I sat across from him.

"What do you mean?" The thought of me being stronger than Issac, it's ridiculous.

"They'll explain that to you later. Now would like me to explain?" He looked uncomfortable or irritated.

"Yes," I answered, coldly.

"All right... Well, I, uh, well-" He stuttered.

"Today would be great." I muttered, rudely.

"Well, I'm trying!" He replied, officially upset and fluster. "Lord Bestia he has powers beyond any of ours. The Hunters and Dog-Lycanthrope alike. He has Ancient Power. He's been around much longer. He's almost as powerful as Zaraida, and almost as old. And that's pretty old," he said the last part as a stage whisper, which made me, reluctantly, smile. "Hunters like us," He sid us as in Brandon and I are both Hunters. "are very good at putting a shield around our thoughts. But Lord Bestia has so much power that the shields that we have set up, don't phase him in the slightest way. Now I remember asking you out but the rest of it is such a fuzzy memory that I can't even make it out. I remember asking you out and then the next thing I remember is standing on the beach alone with the dinner table set up." He said in a rush. As if it was all locked up inside him for the longest time and he now feels relieved to get it off his chest.

I sat there silently. I don't know whether or not it's safe to believe that story. He must see the doubt on my face because he then says "Do you think Issac would have let me stay or be anywhere near you if it weren't the truth? Or your mother?"

"She's not my mother, in case you didn't hear." I turned my head so that he couldn't see the tears swelling up in my eyes, threating to overflow in a non-stop down pour of my anger, grief and betrayal.

"Yeah, I heard." He said. He takes a deep breath and lets it out in a big sigh. "All right. Don't, like, try to yell at me because I'm trying to give you advice. I know that you don't believe I'm able to understand but, well, I was adopted and I didn't know about it until about a year or so ago." He looks down at his folded hands, on the table. "I know it doesnt seem like the same thing, and the situation is different but... The way I see it, Aila, a mother is not defined by who gave birth to you. A mother is the person who read you books at night when you were little. It's when you had a nightmare and when you crawled into their bed at night and they held you all night and made you feel safe. The one person you could talk to when you came home from a bad day, the one who would make you dinner and help with homework. Who took so many pictures throughout your childhood that it makes you want to throw up." He smiled a small smile, I joined him.

 "The woman who raised you and was there for you is your mother. Well, your mom, she did what she thought was best for you. And I know right now you want someone to defend you and be on your side. But you also need someone to keep you straight and to tell you when you're wrong.

"I want to be the guy who you know that will give it to you straight. And as much as you'll want to run to Issac and have him hold you and tell you you're right and want it to be true, but thats not what you need. You need someone like me." He looked deep into my eyes. He reached foward and grabbed my hand and pulled my chair around the table so I sat next to him.

"I want to make everything right and I want to be here for you to tell you the things you need to hear but to also comfort you."He says

He put our hands over his heart. He leaned forward and my heart started to pound. He stopped an inch or two away from my face.

"Forgive your mom. She loves you. And Issac is awake. Go talk to him. He was freaking earlier." He gave a half smile. A sad, distant, smile. He got up and walked outside through the kitchen door.

I sat there, unitl Issac walked through the arch way into the kitchen. He was ruffling his own hair and rubbing his eyes. "Hey. Have you been awake this whole time?" He say, between and a stretch that would make a lion proud.

"Yeah." I said simply, getting up and hugging him.

"Well then we can talk about it tomorrow. Go to bed, Eyly."

"Kay,  Izzy."