Devil I know

Claire

I watched Connor walk closer to Tyler, each step slow and heavy on the gravel. Blood dripped from his knuckles and stained the torn edge of his shirt. His shoulders stayed loose but his eyes stayed locked on Tyler like nothing else existed.

Tyler pulled back fast, his boots scraping as he put space between them. His hands came up in front of his chest, palms out.

“Get away from me,” Tyler said, voice hoarse from the choking. “Stay the fuck back, man. I’m warning you.”

Connor didn’t answer. He kept moving forward, one steady step after another. Tyler’s back hit the side of one of the SUVs. He glanced left and right like he was looking for a way out, but the bodies on the ground blocked any easy path. His breathing turned quick and shallow. He shifted his weight like he was about to bolt but Connor moved the second Tyler tried to run. One hand shot out, grabbed Tyler by the front of his jacket, and yanked him back hard.

Tyler’s feet left the ground for a split second before Connor drove his fist straight into his face. The punch landed with a thick sound and Tyler’s head snapped back and he crashed down onto the gravel, arms flailing. He landed on his side, coughing, one hand pressed to his nose where blood already poured between his fingers.

I blinked hard, staring at the scene in front of me. My best friend had just turned into someone I didn’t recognize. He stood over Tyler with blood on his hands and that same calm look on his face. It didn’t feel real.

Just then, his words from earlier slid back into my head, clear as if he was saying it again right then. [“If my mercy runs out, there wouldn’t even be ashes of him left to bury.”]

Wait. No way. He was definitely going to kill Tyler.

The thought hit me like ice water as I watched Connor raised his fist again, already moving toward Tyler who was now sprawled on the ground, blinking up at the sky like he was about to black out from that one punch.

I didn’t think. I just moved, rushing forward, gravel crunching under my sneakers, and planted myself right between them, using my body to block Connor’s fist that was about to hit Tyler again.

He stopped mid-motion, fist still raised as his eyes dropped on me. One brow arched, then both pulled together into a deep frown. The air around him felt heavier suddenly, like it was pressing down on my chest.

“What are you doing?” he asked. His voice stayed low and even, but there was an edge to it that wasn’t there before.

I felt it then. The aura rolling off him in waves. It pressed against something inside me, something that used to stir when I got angry or scared. My wolf felt strangely silent now, no, more like—suppressed. I had never felt power this strong before. It made my knees want to shake, but I locked them and stayed right where I was.

“Move out of the way, Claire,” he said.

I stood my ground. My fists clenched at my sides until my nails bit into my palms. I forced myself to meet his hard gaze even though every instinct screamed at me to back down.

“So what if I don’t move? Are you going to hit me?”

He blinked once. For a second the stern look cracked and something surprised flashed across his face. Then the hardness returned, colder than before.

“He’s nothing to you now, is he?” Connor said it so casually it landed like a punch of its own. “I should just kill him off and he wouldn’t bother you again.”

My heart started thumping hard against my ribs. Was this the real Connor the whole time? The guy who never hurt a fly, who made me laugh on the worst days? Or had I been wrong about my best friend all these time? Why did killing someone sound like nothing more than a chore to him?

Chills crawled straight up my spine and settled at the back of my neck.

“So you’re what now?” I asked, voice coming out tighter than I wanted. “A murderer? I never knew this part of you existed. How many men have you killed that killing someone now feels like a piece of work for you?”

The questions left my mouth before I could stop them. I regretted them the second they were out. Connor’s jaw tightened, a muscle jumping there. His eyes stayed on mine but something shifted behind them, like I had just crossed a line I didn’t know was there.

Tyler noticed the change too. He pushed himself up slowly, still holding his bleeding nose, and moved right behind me.

His voice came out shaky but he tried to sound smooth, using the moment like the snake he was.

“Claire, thank God you’re finally seeing who he really is. He’s not good enough for you. You can’t be with someone like him. He’s a killer who doesn’t have a single conscience. Who in the world kills eight men with fully armed silver bullets and still stands there like it’s nothing? This is the time to make your choice, Claire. Come back with me. We can fix this. Your father will understand if you just—”

I got fed up fast. His voice kept going, rambling like he still thought he had any say over me. I spun around on my heel, my palm already swinging towards his face—SLAP!!

My palm cracked loud and sharp across his cheek. His head jerked to the side and his eyes went wide with pure shock. The sound echoed off the cars and the bodies on the ground.

I didn’t wait for him to recover. I kept my voice firm even though my hand stung. “So what does that make you? A saint? I should make a choice to come back with a man who’s been fucking my father? Do you hear yourself, Tyler? I would rather follow the devil I know than the angel I don’t.”