Eli stared silently into the tree line. His waist down was engulfed in water as he attempted to wash off the blood. With shaky hands, he slowly rubbed in circular motions across his shoulders, occasionally splashing more water onto himself.
Hanging from a low nearby branch his pants were drying, already completely rinsed of blood along with a cotton hand-woven towel. He silently sank lower into the water, up to his neck and held his breath.
His chest burned where the claw wounds were, and despite how angry he was with Liam... how scared he had been. He also missed him. With each breath he took, it was as if someone was gripping his heart and squeezing, making him ache in such a physical way he wanted to cry.
"Eli..." A voice called from the river bank, a soft and comforting woman's voice.
As Eli turned and looked at her, he sighed softly. A young woman in her early 30s was watching him. She slowly sat down on the edge of the river bank and swept her hair to one side, flipping it over her right shoulder.
"I'm so glad you survived... And I'm sorry that you had to see that happen to Jacob..." She groomed her hair slowly, though he could only see her outline from the camp's fire. The camp was a good distance from the river so the light was fairly dim.
It had taken Eli all evening before he finally snapped out of his shock, telling everyone that Jacob had died by a wolf attack. His friends didn't seem to care, but Jacob's father was heartbroken. Eli had remained by the fire, mourning with the others until night hit. That's when his mother finally convinced him to wash off in the river.
"I'm..." Eli swallowed, the lump in his throat that had formed made it painful. "I'm okay, Mother..." He whispered at a tone she could barely hear.
His mother stared for another moment before pulling her fur covered knees to her chest, which was wrapped in wool. "If you say so... Eliott..." She stood slowly, glancing at him for a moment before heading back for the camp.
He slowly stood, the water line falling at his hips, before leaning back and running his fingers through his hair. His weight shifted and he sank back under the water, fully submerging himself this time to rinse his face.
As Eli rose again he slicked back his hair, running his fingers past his horns and letting the water drip down his face slowly. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't forget the hurt look on Liam's face as he ran away.
His eyes slowly opened as a chilly breeze swept through the forest, sending goosebumps down his arms and back. He wrapped his arms around himself and let out a whimper, his vision going blurry as tears began to form in his eyes. "Liam, you idiot."
Soft sobs left his mouth "Why do I miss you? After what you've done..." He gulped breaths of air between gut clenching sobs, his throat burning and raw.
"What are you doing right now?" He sank back into the water and shook his head slowly "Do you feel sorry? Why do you make me feel this way..." Eli had never experienced heartbreak before... but he was almost positive this is what it felt like.
Tears rolled down his freckled cheeks. He felt so cold inside. Yet, at the same time, everything felt like it was burning. The feeling of his heart clenching on itself grew worse, and he began to fear he was dying.
The sound of water splashing slightly on the other bank caught his attention and he quickly stopped crying, rising out of the water so it was back at his hips. "Hello? Who's there?!"
Whatever it was shushed him and for a moment Eli was going to call for help, until he saw Liam's silhouette become illuminated by the faint light. The lower half of his long hair was drenched and his ears were pressed against his head like a sad puppy, but he was here, and that was what mattered.
Eli immediately moved to Liam, clinging to his torso while soft sobs left his lips. Liam was startled, he hadn't expected a reaction like that, but he gladly held Eli's shivering body.
"I'm so sorry..." Liam whispered against Eli's wet hair, where he had buried his nose. "I heard you screaming... then he was undressing you and I just... My body started reacting on its own..."
His hand traced down the center of Eli's chest where he gently fingered the wound, causing Eli to wince under his breath. He instantly stopped and looked away "I hurt you... and I don't think I can ever forgive myself for that."
Eli's eyebrows furrowed and he pressed his forehead into Liam's chest. "I'm sorry for hitting you..." He whispered, "But I'll forgive you for the chest wound if you forgive yourself." He pressed his wet palm to Liam's cheek and pulled him into a cold, drenched kiss.
Despite being freezing, Eli felt warmth coat his body. Liam clung to him, pulling him closer into his body heat, kissing him as if Eli was his only source of air. It felt very desperate, but neither of them cared. Even after a fight, neither of them could bear to be apart.
Comments (5)
See all