Chapter 100 ANGER MEETS FURY
AMBER’S POV
I froze the moment I saw him.
For half a second, my mind refused to accept it. Trent was not supposed to be here. He was not supposed to exist in this moment of my life. Yet there he stood, just beyond the edge of the clearing, shoulders tense, fists clenched, his chest rising too fast. His eyes locked on me first, and something sharp passed through his face before it twisted into pure anger.
Fear crawled up my spine.
“Amber?” Derek’s voice came softly beside me, already sensing the shift in my body. I didn’t answer. I couldn’t. My heart was beating so hard it felt like it would burst through my ribs.
Trent took a step forward and then another.
“Don’t,” I said without thinking, my voice coming out thin. I wasn’t sure who I was warning. Him, or myself.
He stopped, but only barely. His jaw tightened, his face turning red, like he was holding back something violent. He looked different and harder and even thinner this time around. Like anger had been feeding him for a long time.
“So this is where you ran to,” he said. His voice shook, not with fear, but with rage. “You didn’t just leave. You hid.”
Derek moved closer to me. “You need to calm down,” he said, firm but controlled. “This isn’t the place for…”
Trent laughed, short and ugly. “You don’t get to talk,” he snapped, eyes never leaving mine. “Not you.”
I finally found my voice. “Trent, please. This isn’t what you think.”
That only made it worse.
He looked at me like I had betrayed him in ways words couldn’t cover. “You always say that,” he said.
“You said that the night you disappeared. You said that every time I asked why you were pulling away.”
I shook my head. “I was trying to protect you.”
“From what?” he shouted. “From him?”
His finger jabbed in Derek’s direction. I felt Derek tense beside me, but he didn’t move.
“Trent, listen to me,” I said, stepping forward despite the fear twisting in my stomach. “There are things you don’t understand. Things I couldn’t explain then.”
“You could have tried,” he said, his breathing heavy. “Instead, you chose him.”
“That’s not true,” I said quickly. “I didn’t choose anyone. I was forced…”
“Enough!” he yelled, his voice echoing through the trees.
I flinched.
His eyes were wild now and unfocused. The anger had taken over completely. He wasn’t here to talk. He wasn’t here to understand and suddenly, I knew that nothing I said would matter.
Everything happened too fast as I watched as Trent lunged forward, not at me, but at Derek.
“Trent, stop!” I screamed.
Derek barely had time to react before Trent slammed into him, driving his shoulder into Derek’s chest. They hit the ground hard, leaves and dirt scattering beneath them. The sound knocked the air out of my lungs.
“Get away from her!” Trent roared as he swung again.
Derek blocked the punch, rolling to his feet in one smooth motion. “This isn’t about me,” he said sharply. “You’re angry, but attacking me won’t fix anything.”
Trent didn’t listen.
He came at Derek again, throwing wild punches fueled by rage and hurt. Derek defended himself, but I could see he was holding back. He wasn’t trying to hurt Trent. He was trying to stop him.
“Please!” I cried, tears burning my eyes. “Both of you, stop!”
Trent grabbed Derek by the collar and shoved him backward. “You took everything from me,” he snarled. “You don’t get to stand there like you’re better than me.”
Derek’s control finally cracked. He shoved Trent off him, hard enough that Trent stumbled. “I didn’t take her,” Derek said, his voice low and dangerous now.
“She chose her own path.”
That did it.
Trent let out a sound that was half scream, half laugh, and charged again. This time Derek fought back properly. The ground shook as they collided, fists flying, breath sharp and fast. I backed away, shaking, feeling useless.
I had never seen Derek like this. His face was set, focused, every movement precise. Trent, on the other hand, fought like a man with nothing left to lose.
“Amber!” Trent shouted between blows. “Tell him! Tell him what you promised me!”
I froze.
Derek hesitated for half a second, and Trent took advantage of it, landing a punch that snapped Derek’s head to the side. My heart dropped.
“No!” I screamed, running forward without thinking.
Derek caught himself before falling, wiping blood from his mouth. His eyes flicked to me, full of concern, even now.
“Stay back,” he warned.
But Trent was already moving again, blind with fury.
Something inside me broke.
“Stop!” I shouted, louder than I ever had before. “This ends now!”
Both of them froze.
I stood between them, trembling, tears streaming down my face. “Trent, I never lied to you to hurt you,” I said, my voice shaking.
“But this world is bigger and darker than you know. And if you keep going, someone is going to die.”
For a moment, I thought he might listen.
Then I saw it in his eyes, he wasn’t ready to let go. I could barely breathe as the silence stretched between us. Trent’s hands were shaking, his chest rising fast, his eyes locked on Derek like nothing else existed. Derek didn’t move, but his body stayed tense, ready. I stepped closer to Trent, my heart pounding.
“Look at me,” I said. “Please.”
For a second, his gaze flickered to my face. I saw pain there, raw and deep, and it scared me more than his anger.
“You should have trusted me,” he said quietly. “I would have followed you anywhere.”
“I know,” I whispered. “And that’s why I left.”
The words hit him hard. His jaw clenched, and the anger rushed back in full force. “You don’t get to decide what breaks me,” he snapped.
Before I could react, he shoved me aside. I stumbled, barely keeping my balance. Derek moved instantly, stepping between us. Trent swung again, faster, harder, and this time Derek didn’t hold back. They crashed together, hitting the ground with a dull thud.
I screamed his name, fear tearing through me. Whatever came next, I knew there was no turning back now. Everything felt broken, and I realized this fight would change all our lives
forever completely irreversibly.
WHEN RAGE COLLIDES