Chapter 24- The Departure
I'm feeling a lot better now and I realized I wasn't updating and I wanted this story to be done so I can start a new story for the summer. I might not update too much because it's close to exam season and I'm exhausted with all this homework and projects.
Thanks for all the reviews you guys and Faliara: yes, it was the other way around, Sam just wants to get under Fang's skin which turned out to be a bad idea.
I'll take all your thoughts into consideration especially the ones about hurting Sam because I wrote him as an asshole and he's really really annoying. So Sam might get abused by multiple people.
Just a question, if you go back to previous chapters involving the Felhor Caverns, what do you guys think the red dots are. I noticed that nobody commented on that.
Anways, enjoy.
Fang
Sam groaned a little, leaning back and chuckling a little bit at me. He shook his head, feeling his eye.
"If that's how you want it, Fangie-boy," he says.
I saw his stance change a second before he threw his punch and I dodged to the right elbowing his ribs and pushing him back to the wall. I heard a sickening crack as his head met the brick. His eyes unfocused for just a second before rubbing his head. There was a fierceness blazing in his blue eyes when he looked back at me. He readied his stance.
Max
"Everybody up," I snarled, crushing the paper in my right fist. How dare he lie to me? That's why the law inforcement was questioning us. Sam was a criminal and we trusted him. He made Iggy and Gazzy criminals too! He said I wouldn't regret letting him take them out but I do. Ugh! I let Iggy and Gazzy commit a crime! I'm a horrible leader.
But that thought was quickly replaced by anger towards Sam because my brain is geared to blame others for mistakes. I groaned in my head. We're staying with a drug dealer and a thief and possibly a con-artist! See these human words I learned within these three days? Yeah, congratulations to me.
Now to the task at hand: Wake everybody up.
They all turned around to face away from me, pulling up the covers around their ears. What is up with everybody doing the exact same thing all the time? I felt like kicking the person nearest to me but that was Angel and I didn't feel like hurting her.
I shook Gazzy and Angel's shoulders hard waking them. "Hey, you guys, get up!" I almost snarl with anger, "Mom! Everyone, we're leaving! Now!"
They groggily get up and I pace, flustered. Who does that? I didn't know what a bank was but Sam could've told me that taking from it was a bad thing. Oh right, he couldn't have because he's a liar!
"We can't stay here," I explain when they finally get up and I start throwing everything in a pile in the middle of the living room/ bedroom for Mom to put in our bags, "Apparently, Sam is a known criminal and Iggy and Gazzy robbed a bank because Sam said it was okay."
Iggy and Gazzy flush whether in embarrassment or anger, I'm not sure. Maybe it was both. I wasn't mad at them, I'm just mad at him.
Fang stormed out of the room and saw us up. He froze looking at us packing up. I studied his face. His lip was split and there was a bruise blooming on his cheek. Otherwise, he didn't look too bad. Then he gave me a stony smile and moved past me without a word, helping them pack.
Sam followed Fang out and he looked worse for wear. His nose looked broken and his mouth was slightly bloody, he shook out his wrist and massaged it. I think that was broken too.
"We're leaving," I spit at him.
He looks pained, "Max, please, I can explain."
"Explain what?" I shoot him my most murderous glare, "Explain that you robbed a bank and had Iggy and Gazzy help. Explain why you lied to me?"
"I didn't lie to you, Max!" Sam exclaimed, his eyes indignant, "You just didn't ask about it."
I stop halfway to the door to look at him incredulously. Did he seriously just say that? I didn't ask about it? It's my fault that he robbed a bank?
I cross the distance between us and slapped him as hard as I could. His head flew sideways and his hand came up to touch his cheek which was already turning red. He looks at me weakly, "Max, I'm sorry."
"Oh, you're sorry?" I ask, my eyebrows furrowing into an expression of innocence and sympathy, "I take the slap back then." Then I punched him as hard as I could in the jaw.
"Come on," I say gruffly to the rest of the pack, stomping out. I felt Fang's impressed gaze on me the whole time.
Fang
I didn't think she was actually going to hit him but I was glad she did. I don't think I roughed him up enough. Honestly, what was he thinking?
JJ had left us with an address to find the rest of the shifters if we ever needed anything. It took about two hours walking up and down the sleepless streets of Manhattan before we realized we passed the place four times before actually walking in.
JJ's boyfriend or boy-toy was pretty rich so he lived in a loft on the 23rd floor of some building. JJ was allegedly only dating him for his money. He was an accountant or something like that and ten years older than her. I feel his pain, being prince has its perks.
Max rung the door bell tiredly, she barely said two words to any of us after we left and when Angel asked her if she was okay, she just gave a rigid smile. She shook out her tangled blonde hair with one hand and I realized that it wasn't that messy before she went out with Sam.
I tensed thinking about what they must've done. What's a club anyways? I'm pretty sure that her hair couldn't have gotten that messy from dancing. Back in the castle during balls or evening parties, women's hair could stay until three in the morning. Now I really wanted to go back and hurt him some more.
Why was I so jealous anyways? I told her I liked her and she didn't say anything but stared at me.
Max rang the bell impatiently.
"Max, let me," I suggest, moving up to the front and knocking on the door as hard as I could. I'm proud to say there was a dent left into the door. This place was a lot fancier compared to Sam's flat. The door was white and had a gold plate with the number 2302.
"Who is that?" JJ appeared at the door in a white robe, her red hair was messy, kind of like Max's and it wasn't hard to guess what's been keeping her.
Then she smiled and threw her arms around me, "Oh, Fang, it's so nice to see you!"
I peeled her arms off of my neck, "Nice to see you too. Where is everyone?"
She blew her hair out of her eyes, "Oh they left yesterday. They were getting pissy about something. Whatever, Harry was getting annoyed with them here anyways."
As if on cue her boyfriend shouted, "Jeanine, who is that?"
"Oh, my friend...Fa...nessa. Fanessa!" she shouted back.
"Jeanine?"I raise an eyebrow.
She laughs, "Yeah, he thinks I'm a proper lady."
"So where did they go?" Max asks frustratedly.
"Central park, I think. They could've just stayed here but whatever. You'd think they're wild animals or something."
"Yeah, yeah, thanks," Max turns around dismissively, her hand around my wrist as she pulls us out of the apartment.
"Bye!" JJ called after us.
Max
I slipped into my hawk form. It felt so good to shift again. The night air fluttering my feathers felt like heaven. It was going to be easier looking for the rest of the pack this way. Plus it took the frustration out of me with Sam and JJ. Who does JJ think she is, hugging Fang like that? I shake my head slightly, gliding across central park. The park looked big compared to the rest of the steely city but it was small compared to the forests back home. I called out a little, hoping Ratchet would hear me or something.
I'd left the rest of them by the road so I could bring Kate, Ratchet, Holden and Star back with me to them.
Luckily, they did after I scanned the entire park. They were in the middle by the bridge where we came from.
"Hey, Max!" Ratchet yelled, waving to me.
"Oh thank god," I sighed, shifting back into human form, landing from the sky in front of them. I've been looking all over.