Fight By My Side

"Wyn-" Vic started softly. I shut him up quickly and pointed to the door.

"Out." I commanded. They turned around, unlocked the doorand marched outside. I followed them and closed the door. Jack and Vic finally got the courage to look me in the eyes.

"Do you honestly think that what you pulled was okay?" I asked with a hushed rage. The sun dove behind the clouds again, patiently waiting out my furious temper.

"No." Jack answered softly. I may have been six years younger than Barakat and eleven years younger than the Fuentes brother, but they knew I was the one in charge. They came to the Sanctuary knowing that and had always respected the chain of command.

"Both of you should know better. BOTH OF YOU!" I growled to them. Vic and Jack backed off a few paces, lowering their head.

"Wyn, we didn't mean to." Vic tried to soothe. I glared at him, taking a step forward. He shied away. I was SO ticked off. Austin was trying to cope with loosing his mother to a Rogue Shifter, of all things! He was so gracious to not call the Guardians for a suspicion on what we were, putting his trust in us after what happened, and Vic and Jack treat him horribly. Not to mention, his best friend has just LEFT him in the dark with no contact. It's like he's lost two close people in two weeks.

"DIDN'T MEAN TO?! Victor, he thinks he knows what we are and he says he's not calling the Guardians.I don't care if you don't like him, just keep your opinions to yourself. As long as you stay under this roof, you will not treat a guest, no matter a Usual or a Shifter, like that EVER AGAIN." I snarled. Jack backed off until both boys were on the edge of the porch. Vic looked me in the eyes and nodded. Both pale faces looked back to the ground uncomfortably.

"Wyn, what set you off?" Jack asked innocently. Vic punched clueless Jack on the shoulder.

Oh boy, wrong question to ask.

Blue eyes ablaze, I curled my hands with the feeling that I wanted to Shift growing upon me. I almost felt them turn into claws, but had to focus on being human. My brain was racked up. What was wrong? What was wrong? My lip curled back into another snarl.

"That boy inside just lost his mother to a ROGUE SHIFTER! His mother was torn to pieces by the Rogue, and now his best friend has completely dropped contact with him and his dad is now just a hollow shell! AUSTIN IS FEELING ALONE AND HELPLESS AND ALL YOU CAN DO IS CALL HIM WORTHLESS!" I screamed to them. The anger, the rage, the pity for the boy who showed up at my doorstep everyday was being forced out upon Jack and Vic. I couldn't stop it. They had no right to call a priceless boy worthless, they had no right to lock him out when he just wanted some company! I don't care if he was a Usual or if he was with the Gift, no one treats someone who's been through it all like a piece of trash.

I knew what it felt like to be completely alone. The whole reason I opened the Shadow's Sanctuary was so that no one felt like that ever again. This is something I wouldn't tolerate.

Jack and Vic had pure fear written on their face. The pair realized what they had just done, but didn't want to say anything else to enrage the beast that they had unleashed. I took a few steps towards them and saw their faces flinch. I didn't want them around here when Austin was around for right now.

"Wynter, we didn't know." Jack offered his apology. I didn't want it, it was meant for Austin. What I had to do, to teach them a lesson about what they did, it tore my heart in half.

"Get out of here and think about how we treat people. I don't want to see you around here for another hour and a half." My voice was a tad sharper than I meant to and I saw it when their face fell, but I acted stoic the entire time. I meant business.

I always hated doing this and it tore me in half. This happened only once before, and the Sanctuary had a cloud looming over it the rest of the day. Being kicked out, even for a short amount of time, was the worst punishment reserved for when I was truly ticked off. I hated the sad faces. I hated the feeling of sadness. I hated what they did that made me mad at them.

But sometimes, it was used to prove a point. Today was the day.

Wordlessly, Vic and Jack walked off the porch. At the end of the path, Jack turned around to plead forgiveness, but before he even opened his mouth, I had my own response.

"Get out!" I yelled. Jack and Vic ran down the hill and out of sight. I was so angry. These were the guys that supported me when this happened in my life, yet they hated Austin! I honestly do not care if they didn't like the guy. I just cared that they didn't treat him like worthless junk.

I sat for a moment, making sure they didn't come back around. After two minutes, I opened the screen door and pushed open the wooden door to enter the abandoned house that served as our hideout. It was dead silent. Mike stood in the hallway with the cat clutched in his arms. It let out a disheveled meow at the sight. I sighed and stroked behind its ears.

"I heard." He mumbled. The fight had gone out of me. Mike didn't join in. He was the good kid of the group and had actually told Jack to let him in. The other two just served as the example to Mike.

"I know." I whispered. Austin was waiting and we needed to get his pet back to him. The ginger cat grumbled unhappily as I gave a quick inspection to his cast.

"They shouldn't have said that. It was stupid and wrong." Mike muttered. I smiled a slight bit, but even my forced grin couldn't help anything. Their faces were burned into my memory. The way the looked so hurt as they understood the depth of the situation.

"Let's get Ashton back to Austin." I tried to cheer us up. Mike's soft footsteps seemed to scream in the dead silent house as we found Austin sitting back on the chair. His expression of happiness returned as Mike set the cat on his lap. Ashton looked just as pleased to see his owner.

I couldn't stop thinking about Ashton, and I wondered if Austin knew. Did he know that his cat was actually a Shifter? I couldn't bring it up now. Maybe when it Shifted back, I could tell him. Or maybe he already knew!

I had to hang onto the maybe.

Mike grabbed three glasses of water. Austin gladly accepted one and sipped it in contentment. Mike and I hung out in the kitchen, listening to Austin coo to Ashton. It was amazing to see him have his spark reignited.

"How long are they gone?" Mike asked me. I swallowed the guilt of sending my two older brothers off.

"An hour and a half." I said through the guilt. Mike read my eyes and then stared out the window. The sun had poked out of its hiding spot. Neither boy was to be seen muddling out in the fields.

"I can tell you regret sending them away." Mike consoled. I nodded, not saying a word to acknowledge it out loud. Austin might hear.

"I think what you did was right. Vic and Jack never could read people like you and I could." Mike laughed lightly. It was true. Mike and I could read how people were feeling just by the look they had, how they walked and stood. Vic and Jack were somewhat less observant.

"Really?" I asked. Mike finished his water and dried the glass. His long arms took mine as I finished it. He dried both glasses and put them in the cabinet.

"Oh of course. I mean, Vic and Jack aren't good at telling when a stranger is upset, but it was quiet obvious that Austin had something going on with him." Mike shrugged. I stared out the window at the clouds that rolled across the sky.

"Am I really that obvious when I'm upset?" I asked. Mike chuckled and nodded vigorously.

"A little, actually. Well, that and we've known you for a long time so we know everything you do what you are upset." Mike smiled. It was a real smile that held no hard feelings.

"Oh yeah, like what?" I questioned. We were both leaning against the counter.

"Your entire body goes ridged, you shake when you're really upset, and you tend to bite your lip a little." Mike commented. Austin came up behind us in our conversation, holding out his cat to Mike who took him in his arms. Ashton let out a small protest. I scratched under his chin to calm him. He closed his golden eyes and purred.

"I should be going, but thanks for letting me see him." Austin spoke softly.

"Oh anytime! Look, I'm sorry about Jack and Vic. They can be a little...insensitive sometimes and they were just trying to protective over Wynter." Mike apologized for the two banished men. Austin waved it away, but in the back of his eyes, I could see it still stung.

"Oh, it's fine." He smiled. Taking his arm, I led him out before any more damage could be done. Mike bid him farewell and went back. Austin and I stepped out onto the porch and started our usual walk back to the pavement. It was a long, silent, heavy walk, but we made it to the road.

"Thank you for letting me see my Ashton." Austin hugged me tightly. I hugged him back.

"Well, we was feeling better. Austin, anytime you need to come over, feel free to." I told him firmly. Aus smiled to me and turned off. I watched him go down the pavement before walking back. But my feet wouldn't be slowed. As soon as I was out of sight of the scattered houses, I took off at a sprint and Shifted into a wolf.

I just needed to run and get my anger out. I sprinted hard and fast with my head low to the ground and paws flying. Any left over fury was a half mile behind me. Passing by the rock pile, I spotted two forms out of the corner of my eye. I still didn't want to see them again. They had a half hour left.

I slowed down to take a good look at them as they froze upon the hill, watching me. I stood up on the largest rock, glaring at them. I could see the house in the distance, just a quarter mile or so over the hills. Vic looked at me sadly once again.

I couldn't waste my time with them, so I took off and sprinted the rest of the way back to the house. My thoughts of fury were far behind, but as I turned at a sound behind me, they suddenly resurfaced.

A mountain lion and a tiger had followed me home. They were both crouched low to the ground. Being in the wolf form only increased my rage. The wild instincts made every emotion feel bigger than it was.

This spark of anger was an inferno.

I snapped at them. They still had time and didn't have to be back. I didn't want to see them back this early. Vic lowered his eyes, trying to show he was sorry. If he was truly sorry, he wouldn't thought before he spoke. I barked madly at them, interchanging with loud growls and snarls. Ears flattened and tail stiff, I leaped forward. The rage blinded me to nothing but punishment for what they said to a boy they knew I cared about.

Jack backed off a little, but Vic held his ground. Was he seriously trying to challenge me at this point?! Vic looked ashamed, but didn't back down. I warned him again, telling him to just turn around and take a walk, but he must've ignored the warning. The tiger stayed still, tail twitching with bright eyes sad.

Before I could rationally think, I leaped at him, taking his neck in my jaws. Crashing into him, I pushed him back. Mike leaped out of the door, but I barked at him to stay back. Vic backed off a little but I leaped at him again without thinking. I snarled and bit at his leg again. He rolled me off and turned around, going to Jack's side. Blood ran down the side of his neck. I hadn't done much to his thick skin that would heal quickly, but it might need a bandage when he shifts back.

Mike pulled me back. I wriggled out of his grasp and changed back to my human form. A mountain lion and a tiger looked back at me.

"You've got a half hour! Get out of here!" I thundered before turning inside and going back. Mike followed me in. All I heard was two animals turning around and leaving.

Mike followed me as I headed downstairs. I sat silently at the bar while he handed me a drink of water and put my head in my hands.

"Don't you think that was a little harsh?" He asked me kindly. I nodded, thinking back to my actions.

"Yeah, I know. It was wolf impulse. I need to work on that." I grumbled. Mike refilled my water as I downed it.

"You just need to nap. It was a long day." Mike offered. I thanked him and headed back to my bed. My last thoughts were of Vic and his hurt face as I growled at him and told him to get away.

Notes

Sorry for the long chapter guys! I just couldn't stop writing!!

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