Chapter Ten

I feel like I'm watching this from outside my body.

I feel like I'm floating above the ground.

I'm standing on the sidelines, waiting for the fight to be over.

I tell myself not to worry about Parker.

I tell myself he can win this, but the truth is I don't know that that's true.

The two wolves finally stop fighting.

They stand facing each other for a moment.

"I have to admit, you've got more fight in you than I expected," Lance says.

"I was born to do this," Parker says.

"Yeah, I'm sure your mother thought that when she named you."

"What are you talking about?" Parker asks.

"I'm talking about your real name. Your real name isn't Parker. It's Xavier. Xavier Fuller."

"That's not true," Parker says.

"Oh, but it is. You might've fooled your friends, but you didn't fool me. I always knew you weren't really one of us. That's why you could never be the true alpha. Even if your father was the alpha, you weren't his son."

"And yet, here I am, beating you."

"You didn't beat me," Lance says. "I let you win."

"Why would you do that?" Parker asks.

"Because I wanted you to know who you were before I killed you," Lance says with a twisted grin. "I'm going to do that now."

With a burst of speed, he lunges at Parker, but Parker is ready for him.

He sidesteps Lance's attack, and then he pins him down with a paw on each side of his head.

He's  on top of Lance, and he's full of rage.

He's going to kill him.

I can feel it.

Parker can feel it, too.

I know he wants Lance dead, but I don't think he wants to be the one to kill him. Even after everything he's done.

Just for a moment, Parker eases up. It's just a moment, but it's enough. Because Lance doesn't want to die.

He is fighting back with all of his might.

He is trying to get away, trying to get out of his grip.

And because Parker lets up, he does.

Because Parker lets up, Lance is still alive.

Lance leaps up and snaps at Parker, but Parker dodges his attempt.

He slashes Lance with his claws.

He tries to bite him, but Lance doesn't let him.

The two wolves are back in the fight, and it's just as intense as before.

I look at Lance and Parker.

I see the determination on Parker's face, and the desperation on Lance's.

They are both trying to win, but only one of them can.

It's more than a battle.

It's a feud.

And I know that there's no way out.

The only way to win is to kill the other wolf.

And I know that's what they're going to do.

Lance is stronger, and eventually, he overpowers Parker.

He knocks him to the ground and stands over Parker and ...

"Parker!" I scream, but I don't know if he can hear me. I don't even know if he's conscious at this point.

Lance is going to kill him.

I can feel it.

And it's going to be my fault because I brought Parker into this.

It's my fault because I thought I could get away--because I thought I knew what I was doing.

But I didn't.

Lance looks at me and sees the fear in my eyes.

He feeds off of it, and I want nothing more in this moment than to kill him.

Suddenly, I feel brave enough to intervene.

Suddenly, I feel brave enough to try and stop him.

I jump onto Lance's back.

I pull on his fur, and I scratch his flesh.

I bite him as hard as I can.

But Lance is stronger.

He shakes me off his back.

And then he turns on me.

He lunges towards me, and I try to move out of the way, but I can't.

I don't have time.

There isn't enough time.

He's too fast.

He grabs me with his teeth, and he locks his jaws around my neck.

I try to break free, but I can't.

He's too strong.

I can't do anything but wait for him to kill me.

And I know he will.

I can feel the blood flowing from my neck, and suddenly I start to feel cold all over.

The panic subsides. I don't have the energy to feel afraid anymore.

My vision starts to blur, and just as I think I'm about to pass out, I hear Parker stir beside me.

He leaps to his feet, and he comes to my aid.

He launches himself at Lance, and as he tears at Lance's flesh, he screams, "Rachel, run!"

I cannot run. I am too weak. Too wounded.

But I stumble as far as I can as fast as I can.

And then, a howl from Parker stops me in my tracks.

I turn around just in time to see it-- the moment Parker takes his last breath.

He falls to the ground with a sickening thud.

I can already see the wound on his back.

I can already see the blood.

And then the fight is over, and Lance is standing on top of the dead body of my friend a huge grin on his face.

I want to run back there, to kill him with my bare hands, but I can't. I am too tired. Too weak.

"This is all my fault," I whisper.

"This is all my fault," I say, a little louder.

"This is all my fault," I scream, as tears fall from my eyes.

But no one answers.

Because it is my fault, and there's nothing I can do to change that.

Nothing I can do to help Parker.

Nothing I can do to make this right.