People Like Us (bxb)

-Nathan’s POV-

Flashback (trigger warning alert)

I wrapped my arms around my leg and huddled into the furthest corner I could go. Lightning flashed across the dark sky and thunder roared. I flinched at the sound of footsteps drawing ever so near. The footsteps were light, but I knew better than to trust whatever my ears tell me.

The man looked kind, wearing an innocent smile. He spoke but I wasn’t listening. His voice, deep but with a hidden sense of danger etched in it. I didn’t focus on his word, but rather the sound of rain and thunder that stormed on outside. It was the only way I feel that I can ignore all the faults and problems that they find in me.

The man bent down and lifted my face gently. His eyes swirled with darkness and a sense of madness behind the blue. His stare sent shivers down my spine, and I involuntarily pulled back. This time, with a genuine smile on his face, he said:

“I’ll be back.”

I should have listened.

A day has passed since that man came into my cell. My pack hasn’t hit me since that encounter. Hell, they haven’t even looked my way since, and they even provided some decent food for me to eat. Against my better judgement, I had let my guard down. It was the first time, in a long time, that I had not been treated poorly. With better food, my body started healing faster, better. The wounds and bruises from yesterday had already disappeared. It was like a miracle.

Only, it was more like feeding a pig well before you slaughter it.

Evening came around and my dinner was delivered to my cell, Kelvin waited for me to finish eating so that he could collect the tray back. I quickly wolfed down the dinner, because who knows if they’ll be taking it away from me?

“Oh wow, such appetite,” Kelvin commented with a smirk and a weird look in his eyes. “I hope you will be able to keep that up tonight.” Tonight? What is going to happen tonight? I opened my mouth to ask, but before I could even say anything, the answer came.

“Is he ready?” The man from yesterday walked down to my cell. When he saw me, he licked his lips… in anticipation?

“Yes Elder.” Kelvin gave a respectful bow, but the smirk didn’t leave his face. Elder? I flinched and quickly bowed, as I was taught. The Elder walked closer and closer to me, each step had me quivering in fear from all the power and aura that was radiating off him. He grabbed me by the collar of my shirt and in one swift movement, heaved me over his shoulder.

He carried me out of my cell and for a moment, I stupidly thought that I was finally free. I’ve heard stories where Elders swoops in to save poor pack members, to save the pack from destruction. Stories where all the Elders are described as peace-loving and have a strong sense of justice.

But life was not a story that everyone can enjoy.

I didn’t dare to ask any question, much less make any movement as I was brought into a small cabin. The cabin was what people would consider cozy. Only having a bedroom, a kitchen, a living room, and a yard that was the forest. The elder brought me into the bedroom and threw me onto the bed. He stripped off his clothes and licked his lips. Step by step, stalking towards me with a purpose in his step that no one would think an Elder would have.

Things that happened afterward was anything but cozy.

I stumbled a step backward and clutched a hand against the pounding in my head as the memories from the past caused a momentary lapse in my judgement. I removed the barrier and brought forth my strongest skill. A circular blade of wind emerged from my hand, spinning like the day I used it on the demon wolf back at school. I squeezed my hand shut and compressed the blade of wind. A high-pitched noise screamed forth from the compressed ball of wind. Alex whined in pain from the noise and tried his best to cover and drown out the sound.

I hurled the compressed blade of wind at the Elder who had been tormenting me for more than 5 years of my life, with all my strength. Anything in the path of the compressed wind was instantly shredded as it flew towards my target. A devious smile etched its way onto my face. I burst out laughing maniacally. That was it. I was going to finally get rid of my past.

Ray, although distracted by the sudden change in behaviour, quickly dashed in front of me and Alex and erected a streamlined reflective barrier just before the ball collided with Elder John. An instantaneous burst of energy destroyed the surroundings. Everything in sight was shredded into dust. No trees within a kilometer of the impact had survived, no weed was spared from the destruction. Ray collapsed panting, having exhausted all of his energy in the reflective barrier.

My laughter died into hiccups and fear crept into my heart. What had I done? I surveyed the area and I can’t believe anything I see. I did all this. Overcome with the need for revenge and forgot about the people that I want to protect? If Ray hadn’t been fast enough, if he wasn’t skilled enough. I would have killed both him and Alex. I peered to where Alex was and I saw that his ears were bleeding slightly. I scrambled my way to him and held him in my arms. Having regained my memories, I knew what I can do. I called forth my latent powers and worked on his ears. My power surged inconsistently, having not been used for almost 5 years but it did the work. A painful stab made itself known on my left thigh but I ignored it. That pain was worth healing my own mate.

“Interesting, the little boy from so long ago had so much power.” Elder John mused. My jaw dropped open in shock at the perfectly undamaged man in front of me. That’s not possible. I had used everything in that one shot! “Well, if you wanted me to strip you didn’t have to go through all that effort. Thanks to that, my arm is starting to flake away.”

Sure enough, he held up a pitch-black arm that looks like it had been badly charred and little flakes were chipped away, drifting into the wind.

“How.” I voiced out. I readied myself. This man is not normal. He reminds me of Luke and Kelvin earlier, but something was off. His smirked and his eyes turned black, pupils glowing red. A demon wolf. But that didn’t seem right.

“That’s right. I’m not a normal one. You can call me the original I suppose.” He said with an amused look on his face. A crack suddenly appeared on his face and Elder John let out a sigh. “I suppose my time here is up. Well, little boy, see you soon. Depes.”

A disappeared in a flash, faster than my eyes could catch. A few seconds later, Kalen came crashing from the sky and ran towards Ray.

“What happened!” She demanded, glaring fiercely at me.

“It was my fault,” I mumbled. It really is. “I let him get away.”

Kalen ran her hand through her hair in frustration but said nothing.

“Let us go back, we can talk further once we are done,” Dad said, following behind Kalen and heaved the unconscious Alex over his shoulder. He stretched out a hand to me and gave me a smile. “Come on.”