Bite Down

Bite Down 14

Chapter 14

The woods are crawling with wolves and it's making me uncomfortable. I've never seen so many wolves. They aren't werewolves and they are way smaller than the wolf that I can become but still...it's scary.

I get back to the dorm rooms. It's the only place that I can think to go. It's better than hiding out in a cave at least. I feel good being back to myself a little bit. I shower and get some new clothes. This werewolf thing has assassinated with my wardrobe between the all the torn clothing and Walid's house burning down with a suitcase of my clothes. Luckily I had some stuff left over at the dorms.

I open the dorm room door and I'm shocked to see Evan standing there!

He scares the fuck out of me.

“Evan!”

He's looking at me shaking his head. He is standing at the window of the common room area. He has bags underneath his eyes. He's looking outside.

“Do you see them?” Evan asks at that moment, “Do you see them too?”

Evan looks sick. It looks like he hasn't slept for days. Ever since India was killed he just became a different person. I'm a little worried about him.

“Do I see what Evan?”

“The wolves.”

I can't believe Evan is here. The school is closed for a few more days. It's winter break after all. All the students are really gone. The only people on campus are a staff members really. Evan is looking at me with this through the windows. I know for sure the wolves haven't come to the actual school...not yet at least.

“Evan you ok?” I reply

“Are you saying you don't see them?” Evan asks me, “Are you telling me you didn't hear them in the woods. The howls. You don't hear that? Something is going on.”

Evan is suspicious and he has every right to be. Walid has called all of these wolves out. Evan has every right to be afraid. Walid wants to run the humans out of town. He wants to run Qadir out of town. He has declared war and he's building up his army.

I look over at Evan.

“Maybe you should go home for a while. You know? Take some time off.”

“Why do you know something?”

Evan's eyes turn to me. They glare at me hard. I wonder if he's suspicious of me too. I mean how could he not be? I spend so much time with Walid. Maybe he thinks Walid is holding me prisoner or something. Hell for a while he was probably right about that. Still. Evan is a human. Him knowing about werewolves wouldn't bring any good to anyone.

So I stand there. I put on the funniest smile I can fake.

“Evan. You need help,” I lie to him, “You need to take a break. India is dead. I miss her too. But you have to get over this. I mean there's wolves around. Big deal. It's wolf country.”

There is a knock on the door at that moment.

Evan looks at me. I look back at Evan.

We both go for the door but I manage to open it first. When I open the door I am shocked to see Mayorga standing there. What the fuck is wrong with this guy? It's broad daylight and Walid could be anywhere. Mayorga definitely seems to give no fucks about the way he moves. He must think he's invisible. Mayorga and Evan exchange looks. Evan is squinting at him with the same suspicious look he gives me. Mayorga isn't paying attention though.

“Walid isn't anywhere close is he?” Mayorga asks me.

Evan looks over him. Little does Evan know the person he's obsessed with finding is standing right in front of him. The person who killed India. Sure it was self defense. Sure it had to do with the “Wolf” territory wars or what not, but this is his girlfriend's killer. Right here.

“You looking for Walid too...” Evan asks.

I didn't know Evan was looking for Walid. What the fuck did he think he'd accomplish. Mayorga looks over at Evan with a strange look.

“Evan do you mind?” I ask.

“He looks afraid. Do you see the look in his eyes?” Evan is saying, “You know too. Don't you? You know what Walid is. Don't you?”

Evan is asking Mayorga these questions so aggressively. I'm annoyed. I can't help but to go outside with Mayorga and shut the door behind me.

I walk with Mayorga to the side of the house.

As soon as we are away from Evan, Mayorga shakes his head, “That human knows about Walid?”

I hesitate.

“He suspects...”

“Do you see now?” Mayorga asks, “Do you see how dangerous Walid is? If that human knows about Walid who else knows about him? Walid is out of control.”

“Well your boyfriend did BURN down his ancestral home!” I scream at Mayorga.

I don't mean to scream at him. He's actually a nice guy and I remember him being just as upset with Qadir when he lit that fire as I was. That doesn't save from the fact that Qadir lit that house on fire. Qadir lost it.

“Well YOUR boyfriend has wolves in the woods and is ready to do something stupid as FUCK,” Mayorga says almost immediately.

I shake my head at that moment. This is getting out of control.

This is all getting out of control.

I shake my head, “Walid isn't going to give in.”

Mayorga shakes his head, “Neither is Qadir.”

“Do you think Qadir really gives two fucks about keeping the wolf secret like you and Timus?” I ask at that moment, “Qadir is just as power hungry as Walid. He's just as bad.”

“He's your brother...” Mayorga reminds me as if I had forgotten.

I shake my head. My brother was always a hot head but since his fake death he's been so much worse. He wants revenge. That is his motive. That is clear as day. I can't make any excuses for him any longer. I can't sit here and fucking.

“This is stupid.”

“And none-the-less by calling the wolves Walid has forced our hands.”

“How?”

“The wolves are roaming the forest. They are forcing us out of hiding. There is no where left to hide.”

I shake my head.

“Walid wants to challenge Qadir.”

“Qadir accepts. Name the place.”

I shake my head another time. All this bravado. Everyone trying to show their strengths. Mayorga is the same person that told me that true power is not having to show it.

I continue to shake my head at that moment, “There has to be another way.”

Mayorga shakes his head, “There isn't. Qadir has to stop Walid. If he doesn't, Walid is going to try to run the humans out of Vanderbilt. It won't be good. I promise you.”

Mayorga really believes that Qadir is better than Walid. Maybe he just really thinks Walid is just so bad. I don't know. I don't think Qadir would be any better.

It would be like jumping from one problem to the next.

“The burnt down wolf house. At the top of the mountain...”

“When?”

“Tonight, I guess...” I tell Mayorga.

Mayorga looks at me and nods.

“Nasir. You should leave. Leave Vanderbilt before tonight. Don't look back. Regardless of what happens tonight you'll be hurt.”

He's right. Mayorga is beyond right and I'm scared by it.

“Get the fuck out.”

Walid walks into the dorm being typical Walid. He is talking to Evan. He doesn't realize Evan is probably onto him. Knowing Walid he doesn't care. Evan isn't stupid enough to stick around though. Walid isn't alone. He has Fang next to him. Naomi and Amina are never too far either. I can hear them talking outside of the cabin.

Evan looks over at me and then walks out of the house.

Walid is in the fridge, “When we clear the humans out of here...we to have to burn down all these fucking cabins. They smell like humans. Disgusting...”

He pulls out a piece of meat. It's raw. He does his usual thing. Laying it on the stove just so it can get warm a little bit and then biting into the rare meat. After he takes a few bites he passes the plate over to Fang so that he can eat some as well.

I watch the two brothers for a while in the common room. I'm hesitating to tell them what Mayorga and I talk about. I'm tired of trying to convince them to do otherwise.

“What's wrong with you?” Fang asks.

He has a look of worry in his eyes. He's always been a little more sensitive. Hell Walid is far from sensitive. He doesn't notice my pose. He isn't paying attention to my body language. When Walid notices Fang paying attention then he LITERALLY steps in the middle of us to block our eye contact.

“Don't worry about him,” Walid replies to Fang aggressively and then turns to me as though claiming the worry for himself, “He's right. Right. Nasir. Are you ok?”

I would have laughed if my mood wasn't shitty. It's just like Walid.

“Qadir accepts your challenge.”

“When?”

“Tonight at the burnt ruins of your mansion.”

A smile spreads across Walid's face. His plan worked. By having all those wolves come comb the woods it scared Qadir out of hiding. I'm sure Walid hasn't sent the wolves away either. He has them on standby. Qadir is only Walid's first problem. The humans are his second.

“Finally,” Walid says.

He flexes his muscles at that moment. He cracks his head and jabs at the air a few times as though he's Floyd Mayweather or something. He's boxing the air...ready and hype for it. Walid is standing there actually excited about this. I can't fucking take it.

“I'm sorry,” Fang tells me.

Walid looks over at him confused, “Why the hell are you apologizing to him?”

“Look at him. You're about to kill his brother and you're celebrating,” Fang tells Walid.

Walid looks over at me.

It didn't even occur to him that I would be upset by this fight. It didn't even occur to him that shit wasn't right.

“This is what wolves do,” Walid shakes his head, “In the wild you get challenged for your Alpha position. It's just---it's what we do. You understand right?”

He looks at me. Walid is attempting to be sensitive. He's attempting to help me make sense of this. I'm trying to let him but it's still hard. All of this shit is hard.

“This fucking sucks,” Fang acknowledges.

“Leave,” Walid orders him.

Fang looks at me. He shakes his head. I watch as Fang leaves the room and I feel bad for him. I feel bad because I'm stuck in this situation that I can't control.

When Fang leaves, I can barely look at Walid. His stare is strong and intimidating. He is staring me down with that same powerful demeanor that I love and fear.

Walid shakes his head, “You said you were ok...”

“I'm good.”

“I have to do this,” Walid states at that moment, “I'm an alpha male. You don't understand...”

I nod, “Right because I'm fem....no where near an alpha male.”

He shakes his head.

“When I do it. I'll make it clean.”

That's all Walid says and he says it as though I should thank him for it. He says it as though I should be happy that if he has to kill my brother he won't make it a messy death. What if Qadir was the winner though? How would Qadir choose to kill Walid.

I shake my head.

“You don't have to do it.”

Walid shakes his head, “That's the thing. I do. When a wolf challenges an Alpha...he has to accept. He has to fight. There is no saying no.”

My heart races as Walid walks away. He's not going to comfort me today. I know that's the most I'm going to get from him. He's not going to pet me and entertain me like Fang would. He's not going to cater to my feelings. Walid is going to do what Walid wants to do. That's it.

The night is coming. There is a knock on the door.

I walk over to open it to see Fang standing there. He has on a fur coat. That's not it though. He has a second fur coat. He hands it to me.

“It's long...slips off quick,” Fang says, “You can go naked underneath if you have to change fast and the humans won't know the difference.”

I look at the coat. Long hairs. It's a white fur coat. It reminds me of the white wolf.

“Thank you,” I tell Fang.

“Thank Walid. He bought it for you,” Fang says, “It's tradition. Fur coats and werewolves. That's our thing I guess.”

“I'm a little tired of werewolf tradition,” I tell Fang.

“Well then Merry Christmas...”

I shake my head. Fuck. It is Christmas. I completely forgot. I wasn't paying attention. I guess you forget things when your lover and your brother are about to have a fight to the death.

“Tell him I said thanks...”

He shakes his head, “Well there's something else. Walid sent me to come get you for the challenge. They are already there. He wanted me to escort you there. But you know. Maybe you shouldn't go...”

Fang is sweet. He's thinking about me. It's something that I'll never have.

He's right too. I should leave. I should leave Vanderbilt right now. This night is going to end in tragedy and I know it. My heart is racing at that moment. I can feel it. I can feel something bad is about to happen but right now.

I should leave.

But I don't.

“I'll come.”

Fang shakes his head. I can tell he doesn't want me there. He has this look of worry in his eyes. I get naked and put on nothing but the fur and some shoes.

The fur is warm and coat my entire body. I wrap up in it completely and begin walking with Fang. He looks back at me as we get into his car at that moment.

As we drive he continuously looks over at me.

“I can turn it around any time, you know that don't you?” Fang asks.

I smile at him.

“How are you related to Walid?” I ask.

“What do you mean?”

“You actually seem to give a fuck about people's feelings.”

Fang is pacing at the steering wheel. He's driving.

“Not many people. Just the ones I care about...”

“Like Amina.”

Fang looks over at me at that moment, “I was tied to Amina. She isn't my first choice in a mate. I mean, nothing against her or anything.”

I shake my head, “You could have fooled me.”

Fang turns. He smiles. His teeth are gleaming white. It's a rare thing to see him smile. He's always so goddam serious to the point that I thought he really didn't have a sense of humor. He seems amused now though. I've never actually seen him smile so wide. When he smiles I kind of see the confident cocky smile that Walid always has.

“You jealous?” he asks.

I shake my head and shrug, “Passion? Pft. Who wants that? I get to picked up and thrown over your brother's shoulder when he's horny.”

I can't hold back my sarcasm.

Fang is smiling at me, “Walid doesn't know how...lucky he is...”

I shrug, “You think?”

“Yeah. Most def. You are one of those diamond in the rough kind of guys. I spent a long time hating you thinking you were some intruder trying to work your way up the pack without really having to do the work.”

I shake my head. I had no idea he thought that was what I was trying to do with my relationship with Walid. Little did he know his brother was willful as hell. It was his brother who chose to have me around for as long as I was. No one turned down Walid.

Fang looks over at me at that moment. His eyes are almost mesmerized.

“Fang you're looking at me funny.”

“Walid would kill me if he knew.”

“He does know,” I tell Fang.

“What?”

“I overheard you guys last night.”

Fang shakes his head at that moment, “Walid cares about you more than you think. He won't admit it. That's never been his thing. You know. To admit something like that. No. He won't admit it. But I've seen him. Obsessing over you. He's cares about you way more than you think...”

“That's good to know...”

“And so do I.”

At that moment things get awkward. I stare at the road and realize that Fang is staring at me. He's right about one thing. Walid would kill him if he saw how Fang was looking at me right now but even at this moment. In the heat of all this, I feel something different.

“Fang...”

He must tell by the tone of my voice what I'm thinking because he stops me all of a sudden.

“It's ok. I know. You love Walid. Even if he throws you over his shoulder all the time,” Fang nods at that moment and turns to the road.

I feel bad. I know I feel bad. It would be so easy to love someone like Fang. I saw how he with Amina. All my life I wanted something like that. But I'm torn. My heart is torn to shreds and I don't know what to do.

“If I'd met you first. If me and you were...closer before I got closer to Walid,” I explain, “Things would have been different. Maybe things could have turned out a different way.”

Fang shakes his head.

“But things are never a different way,” Fang acknowledges, “You've been in the pack long enough. It's either Walid's way or no way.”

Fang and I don't speak for the rest of the drive up the mountain. It's beyond awkward. I'm happy that we had the conversation though. It gives me something else to think of besides the fight that I'm about to go see.

By the time we get to the mountain I can tell the real wolves conjugated in this area. They stand around waiting and watching.

When we park the wolves are littered everywhere. They part ways as Fang and I approach. It's almost like they realize that we are bigger wolves and perhaps a lot more powerful than they are.

As we walk though I see Naomi and Amina. Fang gives me a hard stare but then turns and goes to stand next to Amina.

Naomi looks over at me, “You showed up. You're more of man than I thought. More of a wolf than I thought.”

I don't respond to her. I don't want to be here. I don't take pride in the fact that I'm able to show up for this pointless show of violence.

We turn at that moment to see Walid. He's sitting in the snow. He's surrounded by wolves. They've made a circle around him. Walid is completely naked. His strong powerful body doesn't even shiver slightly in the snow. He's comfortable in it.

It's snowing. The air is cold. The cold snow covers Walid but he still doesn't move to shake it off. He just sits in the snow completely still.

“What's happening?” I ask.

Walid doesn't respond.

“He's preparing...” Amina explains.

I look over at him. My heart is racing. He looks so...beautiful in his strength. This is Walid in his most pure form. This is him being who he is most comfortable being. He's a warrior now. He's ready to fight for his position. And today he's ready to kill for his position.

“Look...” Fang notices.

He's looking past the regular wolves that have come around everywhere. There is a car pulling up at that moment.

Fang, Amina and Naomi don't hesitate. Within seconds they turn into wolves. They must know who is pulling up. Their fur coats drop to the floor. They are baring their teeth after a car pulls up. It's a truck. The truck pulls up.

The truck parks where an open field meets a thick patch of woods next to what used to be the mansion. The thick woods would be a great place to hide or run away. I don't think anyone is going to be running away though.

Mayorga jumps out of the car first. Before he hits the snow...he is the black wolf. Then I see Timus. He changes to the wolf soon too. He's still injured and to be honest I'm shocked that he has the balls to show up after Walid's warning. I wonder what Walid would do to Timus and Mayorga if he defeated Qadir. It seems like they are putting everything into the idea of Qadir winning.

Finally Qadir is there.

He remains human.

At this point only Qadir, Walid and I are human. Timus and Mayorga surround Qadir. Fang, Amina and Naomi seem to confront them.

At this moment I'm scared that this may end up being a blood bath. The other wolves seem to realize how much bigger the werewolves are. They hang back watching and just observing.

It's Naomi who starts to growl at Qadir.

“Enough,” Walid tells her.

Walid is looking at Qadir. Qadir looks back at him. The tension there is something that blows my fucking mind. You can cut it with a knife.

Qadir looks over at Walid, “I've come to challenge you. One on one. No one else will be involved.”

“I accept your challenge,” Walid laughs, “Are you sure no one else wants to get involved though? Not Mayorga. I'll take the both of you on.”

“I don't need help dealing with you,” Qadir says.

Qadir is big. He's huge. He is taking off his clothes now. He's taking them off one at a time. It isn't long until he is standing there as naked as the day he is born. Qadir is big. He's muscular and tall. He's the only one that is as muscular and built as Walid is. This is going to be a battle. This is going to be the fight of titans and I'm sure of it.

“Cocky. Should we begin?”

“Anytime you're ready,” Qadir says.

Walid then turns to look at me, “Do you have any last words that you want to say to your brother Nasir?”

He's confident. Him giving me the right to say something is probably his way of being sentimental. So I turn and I look at Qadir and Walid.

I'm shaking as I speak.

The words leave my mouth before I even think about what I'm saying.

“This isn't just between the two of you. If there's going to be a fight there is going to be a three way fight,” I say, “I challenge you as well Walid. I challenge you for Alpha.”

Qadir and Walid look at me like I have lost my mind. Maybe I have.

I know this is the only way that I can stop this. I'll have to beat both Qadir and Walid. I'll have to become Alpha. I'll have to make sure that both of them survive. If I was Alpha I could choose to have both of them in my pack. I could choose to save them both.

All the wolves turn to me.

Qadir is the one who speaks. He laughs, “You're joking.”

“I'm serious. Dead serious,” I say before turning to Walid, “You said that if a wolf challenges you that you have to accept. Well I'm challenging you Walid. I'm challenging you both.”

At that moment I turn into my wolf. My black and white wolf.

And I walk forward ready to confront two Goliaths.

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