Page 38 of Red

Alex tosses him across my front porch steps like a rag doll. Dean crashes onto the hood of his truck, and the windshield shatters upon impact. Grunting and struggling to move, he appears completely knocked out of air.

“Did he hurt you?” Alex asks, but I continue to be mute. “Answer me! I need to know how painful this has to be for him.”

“No.”

Without mercy, he rapidly reaches Dean’s side, pulling him down. The look of menace on his wolf face gives me that sinking feeling in my stomach of what’s about to happen.

I almost beg him to stop, feeling sorry for the poor guy.

But Dean isn’t ready to give up the fight and takes out a fistful of some herb from his pocket to rub it against Alex’s chest. It must be burning him because some smoke rises from the spot as he hisses.

How did he know his weakness?

Why did he come prepared in a first place?

“Dean, stop! Please! Don’t harm him!” I cryout, but my feet refuse to walk.

Using the moment to his advantage, Dean already holds a knife and tries to stab him. Alex is faster, though. I hear a chilling sound of bones crushing, and Dean’s arm is twisted unnaturally as the blade slips from his hand.

I’m still paralyzed, but I manage to breathe out, “Alex, you don’t have to do this.”

Yet, I know in his mind it needs to be done, and there’s no reasoning with him.

It goes beyond me, beyond the testosterone even. It’s almost as if they are arch-enemies or something.

Regardless, they both ignore me, of course.

“You think it ends like this?” Dean taunts.

No response from Alex.

Zero hesitation, also.

I dissociate, shutting my eyes, feeling how tears stream down my face. I hear another quick snap and a heavy body slumping to the ground.

15.

Predator

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

Julia is still in shock, I believe.

Perhaps even completely petrified with fear. I wouldn’t know. Being around death as much as I have, it doesn’t move me anymore.

Had it ever, though?

It’s not the first time I’ve killed a human. Surely, not the last one, either.

I only wish she didn’t have to see it.

“Are you okay?” I know she isn’t but I need her to react in any way. “Use your words, Julia!”

She opens her watery eyes and finally looks at me, shaking her head.

As I slowly approach her, she stays in place without flinching. I take her in my arms, trying to soothe her with the closeness of my body.

“He’s dead, isn’t he?” she speaks at last, her voice weak and hoarse.

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