14 Chapter 13

Eclipse and I walked through the forest until we reached the furthest treeline. He shifted up and helped me build the camp and then I healed the wounds he had from the mech wolf.

"Thanks," Eclipse said with a smile as he pulled a blanket up to cover his arms.

"You're welcome," I responded as I lit the fire with my power.

It was silent for a few minutes.

"Carla?"

"Yeah Eclipse?"

"You're strong, you know you don't have to prove that right?"

"Sometimes people forget," I sighed, "I'm quiet and pretty peaceful most of the time, people see it as a weakness."

"Did Ryder forget? Or did Ryder know you'd take the bait?"

"You're smart for a wolf."

"I've always been smart, you've even told me that before."

"Ryder knew exactly what I would do and say and he used it along with an alliance with Henry to suck me into the future," I explained, "The whole reason we're stuck here is because I agreed to that fight without thinking and without listening to my friends."

"Who were telling you not to," Eclipse added.

"Yeah," I sighed and looked into the fire, "I'm a buttnugget you don't have to tell me twice."

"You can be a buttnugget sometimes, everyone has their moments. You just have to listen to the council before you go fighting people without powers."

"Who was the girl who saved me? Did you get a good look at her?" I asked.

Eclipse shrugged, "I'd never seen her before."

"Oh," I sighed. I wish he knew her, I wanted to know her.

I leaned against Eclipse and pulled my red sweatshirt over my arms. I was weird leaning against him in human form but I felt like I might freeze to death if I didn't.

The question dawned on me.

"Why are you wearing clothes?" I asked.

It took a few seconds and a weird look from Eclipse for me to realize what I just asked.

"I meant why did you have clothes on after you shifted," I laughed at my own stupidity.

Eclipse tensed up which caused me to stop leaning on him. I shot him a concerned look and he sighed.

"What is it Eclipse?" I asked.

"Nothing," Eclipse sighed once more, "I was just really hoping you wouldn't ask."

My head started spinning.

"Umm."

Eclipse stood up and started to walk away.

"Where are you going?" I called out into the darkness.

Eclipse came walking back.

"Carla I can't tell you," Eclipse said without making eye contact.

"You're going to tell me Eclipse, you know everything about me, I deserve the same in return," I demanded. I was worried and I knew he could tell.

He crouched next to me and looked me in the eyes, something he never does.

I looked away. I focused on how his arms and shoulders were so tense. How his body was in the position where it would take seconds for him to kill me if he wished. How he was clutching the ground with one of his fists so tight that the ground was being torn up.

I met his eye contact with a hard gaze. He didnt scare me. I wasn't sure if he was trying to make me scared or not. Either way it wasn't working.

I took a deep breath. The silence was eerie as he just looked at me, more than likely trying to read my emotions. I lightly touched his shoulder and took the powers from him, I didn't like this version of him and I wanted him to be my dog again. I wasn't okay with him being human anymore. He immediately went back to being a wolf. And suddenly I was somehow slightly scared of the snarling wolf in front of me.

He shifted to a human, on his own.

"What the-" I started in absolute confusion as I tried to scoot away from him. His eyebrows dipped down in the middle as he looked at me with absolute betrayal.

"What are you?" I asked as I scooted away still. He started crawling towards me.

He sat down and tucked his head between his knees. The same way I do when I'm breaking down.

"Hey," I cooed at him as I pretty much launched myself to his side. I wanted to comfort him, "It's alright."

"I just didn't want you to be scared of me or creeped out by me," He said into his knees. His face was out of my view.

"Why would I be creeped out?"

He shrugged, "because I curled up with you when you were sad."

"Why would that creep me out?"

"Because I've been able to shift this whole time."

My mind went blank. I was kinda disgusted at the fact that he kept that a secret for so long. I didn't show it though, I merely gave him a concerned smile and touched his shoulder.

He looked up at me with tear stained eyes.

"I'm not scared of you. Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

His face softened slightly as he put his head back down. I was the tense one now. I was violently trying not to blow up, I saw how hurt he was, and how ashamed he was for not telling me in the first place.

I started gently brushing my thumb on his shoulder to help comfort him.

"Eclipse-"

"I know you probably hate me right now, it's just nobody has ever paid any attention to me," Eclipse explained.

"Well I would've paid attention to you if you had shifted as well."

"No you wouldn't have." Eclipse sat up and straightened out one of his legs towards the fire and leaned his head back against the tree.

I grabbed his shoulder to catch his attention.

"Listen," I pretty much growled, "I would have one hundred percent still paid attention to you. You would've had a room in the house instead of being locked outside."

Eclipse shrugged, his facial expression was blank, as well as all his muscles were contracted. He was extremely tense.

"I just wish you would've told me," I half whispered.

We sat in an awkward silence for quite a few minutes. I cleared my running thoughts and just paid attention to the crackling fire infront of me. The way the flames blew in the slight breeze, the difference of the colors the further you got towards the ground. I smiled at the fire. Something so dangerous, yet something keeping me alive. I looked over at Eclipse. What an odd mixture.