Chapter 172: Trying
Chapter 172: Trying
Ruelle’s POV
Thorne had given me a once over that lasted approximately ten seconds before turning back around and swiping his claws over the wolf’s neck, sending splashes of deep green blood spilling out of him. Some of it ends on my dress and hands, but I am way too out of it to care.
Carlos and a few other guards come running out of the woods after, their brows meeting their hairlines as they take in the scene in front of them.
“So much for bringing him in for questioning.” Carlos remarks, coming to squat next to the dead wolf while sending Thorne a scolding look.
Thorne barely acknowledges his words, because he steps away from the dead wolf and trudges over to me, taking my wrist gently between his teeth and pulling me towards the woods. I let him pull me, following after his large fluffy wolf.
The voices of the guards and Carlos as they tend to Morra slowly fade out as we go deeper into the woods. And finally, we get to a small clearing that has a broken tree stump in the middle. And atop that stump rests what looks to be clothes and a staff.
Still reeling from the shock of earlier, I watch silently as Thorne shifts back to his human and adorns himself with the clothes on the stump. I look around, wondering how he got clothes here but then not so far away, I see other clothes laying on the floor and conclude that this is probably where the guards stopped.
“You never listen, do you?” Thorne’s hoarse voice causes me to snap my head back to him, but my words hook in my throat. “Do you have a death wish?”
“Of course not!”. The words come out much sharper than I intended, and I recoil from my own tone. I am getting annoyed and I have no idea why. Clearly, I am the one who was caught trying to sneak away so I should be contrite and remorseful. But all I feel is anger and annoyance. I dare say, that I feel wronged. It offends me to no end that I was caught.
I really can’t do anything of my own accord then.
“Then why?” Thorne walks over to stand in front of me. He stares down his nose at me and I can tell he is furious. But at this point, so am I. I hold his gaze, staring through my lashes at his fuming face. “Why do you keep putting yourself in situations where you could easily get the life sucked out of you?”
“That was not my motive for sneaking out. And what matter? I would have died from boredom and loneliness in that house anyway.” I cross my arms over my chest, getting even more defensive.
Thorne sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. He looks away briefly before bringing his scathing gaze back to me. “You sent guards to monitor the brawl”.
Correction, A guard. But how in the world did he know that? I knew that guard wasn’t sneaky enough. I look around, at anywhere but his face. He notices my lack of words and sees it as an invitation to continue.
“And now what are you doing? Heading to the North to speak to your Daddy dearest because a simple word from you is going to put an end to an intense inter coastal brawl!” I am taken aback by the venom in his words, my head rears back and jaw slacks. I am clenching and unclenching my fists beside me as I get in his face again.
“You don’t get to disrespect my efforts like that, Thorne! At least I tried to do something!—”
“And I have told you times without number that your… efforts are only going to get you killed!” He roars in my face, my eyes shutting from the impact. My nostrils flare as I try to contain the rage surging through me. By the time I open my eyes again, Thorne’s face is only inches away from mine. He has leaned closer. “All I have ever asked of you Ruelle, is one thing”. He holds up his forefinger between our faces. “And that is that you do absolutely fucking nothing”.
My chest rises and falls with heavy breaths as I try to distract myself from the urge to scream and thrash like a rabid dog. But Thorne’s getting on my nerves doesn’t mean to achieve the same goal as he adds,
“And even that, you don’t do well at. I worry terribly!” He is not even done with his sentence when my fists suddenly come up and push against his solid chest. The impact sends me back by two steps without even a slight budge from him. It angers me more and I turn away from him, stomping my feet as I head in the opposite direction.
“Where do you think you are going?” I hear Thorne’s footsteps behind me and increase my pace. He does too.
“Away from you! You make me sick!” I call back and hear his groan from behind me. My eyes are full to the brim with tears and it annoys me as they start to spill over. I detest the fact that I cry so much these days. There is literally no break for me.
I step on broken twig and almost loose my balance, but I catch myself in time. A grunt comes from behind me, followed by a low,
“Do not go any further. You will hurt yourself.” His voice is an order, booming from behind me as his footsteps get closer. But I bunch up my dress and break into a light jog, gaining more ground that quickly disappears with just the widening of his strides.
“Do not tell me what to do! I don’t listen, remember?” I send a look behind me, holding his gaze as I say, “I am of no use to you so leave me alone!” My voice echoes through the trees.
I feel it before he comes close, the anger radiating off of him. Thorne almost catches up with me, his finger grazing my dress, but as I burst into a sprint, I am able to get away from his touch. He growls and follows me, his heavy footsteps resounding in my chest, matching the rhythm of my thumping heart. The anger in my chest is slowly being replaced with a brewing feeling of fear.
Thorne’s heavy footsteps echo in my chest as I jump over ridges and stumps, holding my dress up. I hear his voice calling from behind me. “Ruelle you would hurt yourself and I swear to God if you do…!”
I don’t acknowledge his words, but simply run faster. I’m slowly getting out of breath and the route is getting rougher, as though I am climbing up a hill. But I am too angry to care or to stop.
In a split second of looking behind me, I loose my footing and immediately find myself airborne. The breath is snuffed from my lungs as I fly over the stump I tripped on, landing violently against the ground on my back.