CHAPTER 004

Flames dance all around Kieran.

The forest is burning, the trees are cracking all around him, smoke rises high in thick, choking waves and ashes fall like a snow rain.

The air is hot, everywhere is hot and heavy and Kieran stands in the middle of that chaos, shirtless, panting and heart racing. He wants to run but he can't, it's like there's something rooting him where he stands.

What baffles him more is what's in front of him.

Across from him, Seth stands barefoot in the fire, untouched by the heat around him. His skin is pale, almost like it's glowing like the moonlight, his silver hair floats like it's one with the flames and his crimson eyes are calm, too calm as they look directly at him, as if they are the ones pinning Kieran in place.

"You will bow to me," Seth’s voice comes barely above a whisper and the words echo, low and strange, not human and suddenly, the fire around him roars louder, almost swallowing the sound.

Kieran finally manages to take a step back, his heart hammering underneath his chest, almost about to rip out.

"I said…" Seth tilts his head and his lips curls into a sinister smile. "You will bow."

No. Kieran wants to say but the words stay in his throat as if they are struck. And as if his whole body is controlled by strings, Kieran’s knees give out and he drops to his knees, bowing.

Kieran wakes up with a startle. He shot up on his bed, finding himself in his room, not surrounded by flames and those crimson eyes.

His chest rises and falls fast, like he's just run miles. He looks around his room, feeling the dream still clinging to his skin like the damn smoke and sweats.

"Shit…" he whispers, running a hand through his golden locks. What the fuck is going on? Why Seth? Again!

His hands fall on the bed and he clenches the sheet, a swell of anger surging through him.

That damn bastard. How dare he invalid Kieran's dreams, acting like he's something when he clearly isn't. Just a wolf-less bastard his father picked the damn woods. How dare he make Kieran's skin claws?

“Fucking bastard! I'm going to make you pay!” He growls, his green eyes glaring and burning in rage.

~

The next day at school comes quickly for Kieran. He's in the school basketball court, his feet bouncing impatiently as he waits, his jaw clenched and his eyes hard and every second that drags by, he feels like punching something or clawing someone's throat out.

After what feels like eternity, Jasper, Damon and Aaron finally enter the court dragging Seth by both hands. He hauls him roughly and Seth doesn't struggle against their hold, he never does.

Kieran immediately climbs down the benches and soon, he's standing in front of Seth, eyes staying low as always and a hoodie over his head that Kieran in anger yanks down and grips his face, forcing his head up and their eyes meet.

“What's with you and always looking at the floor huh? Did you fucking lose something down there? Look up when I'm talking to you,”

Seth doesn't respond, but his crimson eyes stay locked on Kieran’s green ones, dead and blank.

Kieran clicks his tongue in annoyance and roughly lets go. “On your knees,”

“Is there something wrong, Kieran? You seem to be getting angry a lot lately?” Aaron tilts his head as he observes.

“When you finally shift in a month time, you will fucking understand,” Kieran grits through his teeth and looks at Seth again. “I said on your fucking knees asshole or you're deaf as you're mute?” he reaches out and roughly grabs his hood. “Get down on your knees and clean my shoes, they are filthy,”

His friends laughs while Seth stares blankly, then he looks at the floor and slowly kneels without saying a word. Without hesitation, his fingers reach for Kieran's shoes and brushes the invisible dirt off with his sleeves.

Kieran smirks. He roughly grabs Seth's silver hair, yanking his hair and leaning down to his face, their breaths almost fanning against each other.

“Who's bowing now, asshole?” he hisses with venom.

Seth blinks and doesn't look away.

“Does he even talk? I've never heard him speak before,” Jaspers wonders out loud.

Kieran sneers. “You don’t talk, you don’t look, you don’t breathe unless someone tells you to,” his grip on his hair tightens, almost as if he's about to rip them off his skull. “You’ve always been nothing, and that’s all you’ll ever be. Stay invisible as you've always did and don't come in front of me or I'm gonna torture you till you turn fucking rogue!”

“Enough!” a familiar voice suddenly roars and Kieran hiss. Why the heck is he everywhere!

Kieran lifts his head and watches as Sage matches over, his green eyes blazing. “What the hell are you doing, Kieran?”

He reaches in front of them and forcefully rips Kieran’s hand off Seth's hair, shoving him on the chest.

“It’s none of your business. What the heck are you doing in school? Why the heck are you everywhere?!”

“Your business becomes my business when you act like a brute in public,” Sage bares his teeth threateningly before turning to Seth, helping him rise to his feet. “Are you okay?”

“He's not bleeding, is he?” Kieran rolls his eyes.

“Shut up, Kieran!”

Seth nods faintly and wears his hoodie over his head.

“I’m sorry,” Sage says, his voice softer now. “He isn't normally like this. He’s just…irritable. The full moon is in a day and he's going to shift soon, it’s messing with his head.”

“I’m right here, Sage,” Kieran mutters.

“Yeah, and I shouldn’t have to be making excuses for you,” He snaps. Then she turns back to Seth with a smile. “Anyway, for Kieran’s birthday, you should come, even if it’s just for the food, you can take some home.”

Kieran snorts. “No, he shouldn’t.”

Sage gave him a look. “You don’t decide everything.”

Kieran narrows his eyes, then points a finger at Seth. “You’re not coming, if I see you there, you will be my first kill,” He turns and walks off, his friends following closely behind.

Sage sighs. “I’m sorry about him, the moon is really getting to his head and as an alpha, he gets it worse than all is us, I'm sure you understand,”

Seth doesn't understand, he doesn't have a wolf so the moon didn't affect him during the time he was supposed to shift but he gives a nod that Sage smiles at.

“Do you hate him?” he asks softly, after a moment. “For how he treats you?”

Seth shoves his hands into the pocket of his sweater, then his lips twitch into a barely invisible smile. “I don't. It's rather endearing,”

Sage’s mouth falls wide in shock but before he can begin to ask what he means, Seth is already walking towards the exit.

Endearing? Who on earth calls their bully endearing?