HIIIIII - MEET XAVIER SERRANO AS TRENT!!!  Finding school age looking boys that could also be an alpha was hard but here we are!! AND I LOVE HIM! (add that little bit of stubble maaaaybe) 

So this was all meant to be one chapter but it's like 6,000 words so I've split it into two so expect the other upload soon! Also, I apologise for the rollercoaster of emotions you're going to experience over the next couple chapters hahaaaa x 

I LOVE U- please don't kill me x X 

CHAPTER 58

Trent was going to kill Cam.

It's the only thought that keeps running through my head as I stand, completely frozen and lost, watching the scene unfold, listening to Cam's grunts of pain as he's forced to stand up. Alarmed, I look down to the trail that leads to the house, not knowing how to feel when I see that no one is there. 

It would be difficult to explain what was going on but another human might have stopped him from losing full control.

"There has to be something we can do," I whisper, not really knowing if I'm talking to anyone but myself, "There has to be."

Trent's body seems to grow as he steps up to Cam, his bare shoulders widening and head tilting as he assesses the person before him, his teeth glinting as he grins. This wasn't the gentle boy who had made me pumpkin pie and slept at my door to make sure I didn't have nightmares, he was unrecognisable.

"R-o-g-u-e."

The word is dragged out, like a lion stretching in the sun, testing its legs before hunting. 

"Do you have zero respect for the law or did you just want to die today?"

My shallow breaths catch as I try to not shake with fear, watching the way the creatures head rolls around slowly, taking its time with its show at a relaxed pace. Cam's neck strains upwards as they force his chin forward, his eyes determined to not shrink away despite how disadvantaged he was.

"Fuck. You."

The head stops moving and snaps upright, a growl so deep that as it emits from his body, it feels as though it shakes the ground beneath us.

Don't just stand there, do something.

Scarlette grabs my arm, pulling me back as I automatically go to stop the arm that flies out and wraps around Cam's throat, cutting off any more words.

"Death it seems would be your choice, then."

Do something, Elle.

I look to the two boys on either side of Cam for help but their heads are turned away from me, eyes downcast as they cringe back from the raw power oozing out of their Alpha. Lee seems to be too afraid to look up while Cole... Cole seems to be fighting with himself internally.

But no one was going to do anything.

I look to the girl holding me, her arms delicate but with an unyielding strength that comes from a place of protection. 

"You told me Trent would never hurt me," I bargain, frantic to find some chance at stopping this, "You said he could never-"

 "Trent couldn't Elle," she cries, "But his wolf doesn't think things through. It wouldn't even realise until it was too late."

Scarlette's words are apologetic and resigned, as though she's seen this before and already knows how it's going to end. 

Because it has happened before.

"I'm glad we're beside the water."

A sinister chuckle and then, "I'd hate to spill tainted blood on my land where it couldn't be washed away."

"Trent," I gulp, watching how his body doesn't even react to my voice, "Trent."

"It's no use," Scarlette insists, trying to hold on, desperate for me to understand her words, "His wolf won't listen to anyone. Not even Trent."

A deep horror seeps into my core as I see the fear behind her eyes, the truth. 

When she'd mentioned how he used to act before I met him.

How the younger boys cowered at the thought of him being angry.

His struggle to gain control that day with Carter.

The look in his eyes when he told me that he has nightmares.

This was the part of himself that Trent was afraid of.

Because it had already hurt someone that he cared about.

"Alpha."

The word passes my lips softly, like a woman calling across a bedroom to her lover in the early hours of a warm morning, inviting them back to bed with a curl of her finger and an open blanket.

His hand twitches.

He heard me.

I slide my arm out of Scarlette's grasp, taking advatnage of her shocked reaction and the loosening of her hand while ignoring her hushed warnings and pleads for me to stay beside her. I cautiously step forward, breathing deeply to try and knock the shake out of my voice. 

Ignoring the panicked expressions of everyone around me.

"It's me," I say softly, my dry tongue heavy in my mouth as I take another step, my bare feet curling in the sand, "I'm unharmed and right here."

His shoulders tense as I lift my fingers, hovering them over his bicep, terrified that one wrong move could set him off. That flicker of recognition was enough for me to know that he wasn't completely gone, but I still didn't know his wolf or what his response would be.

"Your Luna."

A gasp leaves my lips as he grabs my hand from the air, stopping it from touching him as I meant to, his eyes still unmoving from Cam. His tongue clicks.

"I know who you are. You're the only thing we've thought about all day, " he replies simply, as if talking about the weather, "Do you know how maddening it is - trying to think straight and piece together the facts while every minute he's just worried about you and your safety?"

A look of alarm passes over Cole's face as his voice rises, his eyes narrowing at my arm but I shake my head subtly, warning him to not move. Despite how it looked, I didn't feel in danger.

He wasn't hurting me.

"That's Trent," I laugh gently, "Always worried about me, even when I'm perfectly fine."

His eyes narrow and lips pull back in a quiet snarl, his gaze hardening with my words.

"But you weren't fine," His fingers flex, "He threatened you."

The sound of Cam's breath being cut off again is chilling and I watch as his feet scrape along the sand, toes reaching for ground that's just out of reach.

I need to get through to him.

With a gentle touch, I pull back my arm that he's holding, guiding his tanned hand into my own as I try to tug him around to face me, ignoring the way that every one of my nerves is itching for me to flee. 

I wasn't running away from him, not again.

"I'm fine," I repeat, no louder than a hush as I step into his body, leaving only a small bit of space between us. Everyone tenses, senses alert to the new potential harm that I've just put myself into.

"Elle, don't-"

The look I give Cam is enough to shut him up instantly but his voice still makes Trent's lip curl and my panic rises.

I needed his attention.

Quickly, I place his hand onto my waist, pushing through the goosebumps that erupt all over me at the single touch of his skin on somewhere unfamiliar. His hand shakes for a moment, fingers splaying out as if testing the water of a hot bath - scared to fully submerge. 

"Feel me," I rasp, watching the twitch of his brow as I trail his hand across my stomach, "I'm right here."

The coil in my core curls at the sensation, my body highly aware that I'm in nothing but a bikini as I coerce his hand around to my back, wrapping myself in it. As I slide into the crook of his arm, my fingers glide upwards, following the veins in his wrist through to his elbow before slowly tracing the bones across his collar bone. 

It's the first time I've ever felt him like this. The first time I've ever had my body so purposefully pressed against him, the first time his fingertips have ever graced a place usually covered by clothing. It's not exactly how I'd imagined my first time being so exposed to him but that's why I knew that it might be able to drag him out of the depths of his own hellish mind. That the sparks that are rushing in my bloodstream might wake him up when he feels them, that it might coax him out of the shadows.  

It's almost torturous; being this close to him yet knowing that he's so far away. Lost in his own mind and self-inflicted turmoil.

As my palm turns upwards and begins to curl around his jaw, his head snaps to me. With eyes of fire, he drops Cam's choking body and engulfs me in his arms. Pulling me flush against him as his grip on me tightens. I don't dare to breathe as he burrows his face into my neck, his lips and hot breath brushing against it roughly.

From the corner of my eye, I see Scarlette motion for me to stay still, her expression one of concentration as she tries to move closer. There's a brush of sand as her feet hit something and Trent's body stiffens in response.

I remain still - I couldn't panic him. 

I hold my hand out to her, stopping her advance as I feel his nose trail along my neck, inhaling deeply.

'You help' - that's what he had told me before, maybe it still meant something even now.

"I know you're trying to protect me," I whisper, my eyes fluttering closed as I try to focus on keeping my body calm and mind collected, "But I can't let you do something that Trent is going to hate himself for afterwards."

There's a grumble from his throat, not quite a growl but a sound of dark amusement that seems almost more threatening than anything that's happened yet, as if resigned to the darkness. 

"He already hates himself - he hates me."

I knew it.

Lost in our conversation and his inner thoughts, the pressure of Trent's head lifts from my neck, his arms loosening slightly as he straightens up at a snails pace, voice barely above a whisper.

"He tries to keep me back, to stop me from being heard, " It whispers, like an abandoned child, "He pretends that I am not a part of him, that every one of my thoughts and feelings isn't his. Like if he tries hard enough, he can forget that I exist."

His eyes meet mine, pulling me into their deep sadness like a pot of treacle, suffocating me with the pain that's embedded in them. The sparkling, golden colour completely void, as if it too was drowning. 

His wolf was in anguish.

"I embarrass him," he admits, thoughts glazing over, his eyes brooding "He's ashamed of who he becomes when I take over. He hides me from you because he's scared of what you'll think of him. Of me. Of what we can do. He blames me for..."

The memory itself seems too painful for even his wolf to think about as it rapidly blinks away the thought, refusing to dive into that particular confession. In response, his jaw grits.

"As if the anger that I feel isn't his own. As if I will give up on the feeling that burns in my soul every day and every night. Like refusing to acknowledge it will just let it slip away."

He swallows. 

"But it won't."

My heart breaks at the terrified look that I see flash across his features before it's back to the hardened glare, the mask of strength and power hiding what was truly happening in his head. His hold on me begins to retract and I quickly grab onto him, my fingers holding his neck in place and stopping him from turning.

"You're angry," I breathe, "And you have every right to be."

The look of surprise on his features is enough for me to know that he's listening; that despite his anger and nature, Trent's wolf was still Trent.

And that meant that he could hear me.

"But I can't let you hurt Cam." My voice is as shaky as my hand that slowly trails down his arm with a featherlight touch.

"Trent promised me that I would never suffer," I explain, gently pressing my forehead to his as I reach down, my finger curling around his outstretched hand.

"So, you know that I could never forgive him for hurting my best friend."

It's like I'm watching a plug being pulled from a sink full of water. 

The darkness in his eyes melts into the pupil, sinking away to reveal the familiar soft glow that I've come to adore - it wasn't quite there yet but it glimmered; a coat of paint brushed over that's too thin to hide. The anger and tension in his muscles drains away until his brows furrow together and his chest begins to rise like he's catching a breath after breaking the surface of the water. 

"You can let him go."

The relief I feel as I hear his baritone voice is immediate, my lungs dusting away the cobwebs after being held unmoving for so long. 

I see the looks of confusion and awe between the boys beside us as they hesitantly drop the arms of their captive, stepping away from him instantly. Cam yanks his limbs to freedom, rolling his shoulders with tightly gritted teeth as he inches closer, muttering something to himself. 

I don't dare let my eyes leave Trent's as I clear my throat, holding his gaze and attention in fear of it spiralling again. My loud heartbeat alerting me that yes- that did really just happen.

"Cam," he looks to me, waiting. "You need to leave."

It's not exactly what I intended to come out of my mouth, but as I say it I know it's the only thing that I can. Just because I had managed to reign in murderous tendencies of the wolf didn't mean that they weren't still there - Cameron needed to leave before he snapped. 

With a resigned sigh, I think he's going to listen and leave, but he does the opposite.

"Elle-"

I feel the wind on my face and the sound of a fist flying before Cam is even able to touch me with his outstretched hand.

It's only when he hits the ground that I register that Trent has punched him square in the face. 

"Do not touch her."

Cam's body is crumpled below him, his no doubt aching cheek cupped in his hand as he lies face down in the sand, his laboured breath the only sound. 

Scarlette and the boys move closer, their instinct to defend their Alpha coming naturally as they surround the pair, standing in the perfect attack position. 

I, along with everyone else, wait for Trent to pounce. 

That's why, when he turns to me and takes my hand in his, his feet moving him in the direction of the car and not to the body before him, I'm too shocked for words and just let him lead me. 

His feet pad along the sand and he passes Scarlette without so much as a glance, ignoring her bewildered expression that follows us.

Had that actually worked? 

Were we about to walk away from this with a punch being the only outcome? 

Disaster averted? 

Could I talk his wolf down enough to actually disappear?

"You don't deserve her."

I'd never experienced someone thrusting their hand down my throat and grabbing my heart before, but if I had-

It would definitely feel like what I was experiencing right now. 

The crushing feeling of hopelessness that makes your bones ache and your chest contract, the shock as the victorious feeling that you celebrated too early is wrenched from your grasp, all thoughts of peace scattering like your breath.

Looking back at Cam, I watch him push himself to his knees, spitting in Trent's direction. 

The sand turns red where it lands and as he wipes his hand across his mouth, I see his skin change colour too. 

No.

"You don't deserve her and you know it," he taunts, a venom in his voice that I've never heard before as he steps towards us.

 "That's why you hate yourself," he continues, his eyes like knives in Trent's back as he climbs to his feet.

Trent's grip around me hand tightens, almost painfully.

"That's why you haven't completed the mating bond - because you're still hoping that there's a chance for her to escape you."

I gasp and pull myself out of Trent's hold; my automatic response to the feeling of pain throbbing through my fingers. I hadn't meant to do it but I was so fixated on Cam's words that I didn't even realise his clenched fist was getting uncomfortable until it was too late.

Trent doesn't want me to be with him?

His face turns to me with horror-filled eyes as he looks down at my cradled hand, the distress on his face like a beacon for his emotions and for the first time in a while, I see a glint of pure gold in his iris.

"Elle," he whispers and I almost faint at the sound of my name passing his lips, "What-"

He gently takes my hand in his, turning it over and scanning it, searching for the pain he's caused me as he struggles to hold onto his thoughts. I can only watch with pure happiness as I see the flickers of the sweet boy returning to the person in front of me.

When his eyes narrow in on something, it's as if all the blood has gone from his body, his complexion turning a sickly pale colour as he steps away, breaking the lul in my thoughts.

"D-Did I do that?"

I'm confused at first. Completely aware of the fact that he had only been holding my hand and that he hadn't really hurt me much - my body had just reacted to the nip of pain instinctively. 

So, when I follow his gaze and see the crescent moon intendations on my forearm, the skin around them red and furious, a nauseating feeling washes over me.

"I did that, didn't I?" 

His body begins to fold in on itself, shuddering with the effects of his guilt as he moves back from me, already the blame so overwhelming that he needs to flee. His worst fears being confirmed right before his eyes.

"No," I shake my head and reach for him, desperate to stop the tortured look on his face.

"Trent you didn't-"

"I've hurt you," he whispers, eyes closed and twitching, as he recoils from my touch, "I hurt you."

"Trent, no," I try, begging for him to look at me, "You didn't."

"I can't control myself. Not now, not ever. He's right, I-"

"Alpha, that wasn't you."

Lee's shout stops everyone from talking, from breathing in fact. The weight of them evident in the way that the air suddenly feels clammy and the slap of water against the sand sounds so far away.

"What?"

The word is hoarse in Trent's throat like it's painful for him to speak.

Or painful to believe that it could be true. 

"Those marks aren't from you grabbing me," I confirm, my eyes drifting over to the ginger hair that's blowing in the wind. The figures locked in place, regret so visible that my heart lurches as my mouth opens, the truth choking me.

"They're from Cam."