Chapter 46: Chapter 19

Kade

Kade

Please wake up

My eyes, with much effort, opened to see Abble’s bruised and beaten face. Her left eye was entirely swollen shut, while her right was about halfway there. The cut on her cheek bled, but the rain diluted its colour to a faded orange as it flowed down her skin.

What was… going on… My memory was… scattered.

My body felt so heavy that it reminded me of when I first awoke after the nightstalker incident. Even the sensation of thirst was here.

Abble squeezed her hand inches from my lips, dripping blood into my mouth.

She tasted amazing… Cain’s blood was delicious, but Abble’s… sweetness was euphoric. Every drop falling on my tongue sent a shockwave of warmth through my body. The hair on my arm rose, and my skin tingled. No food or anything in my life had come close to the satisfaction she brought.

My hand crept toward my chest, and my fingers traced the gash. The sword was no longer inside me, but its presence lingered like a terrible memory.

As the boat rocked and the ocean sprayed over us, Abble grabbed my shirt and dragged me across the deck toward the officer's quarters. “I have… to get you… inside.” She slipped, falling to her ass.

She wasn’t doing well.

A severed hand clutching metal knuckles landed next to us.

“I think Mister giant is done for the day,” Alexander said, putting his hat back on as lightning struck near the boat. “We could have avoided this all.”

Wrecky…

I tried to look around for him, but I had no strength. I couldn’t even move my eyes very far.

After grabbing Abble’s wet hair and jerking her to her knees, Alexander landed several unnecessary punches.

I mustered the energy to grab Alexander’s ankles, but he kicked my hand away with his leather boot.

“Now, now. There has been a little too much resistance. Someone gotta pay,” Alexander said before sinking his yellow teeth into his wrist.

“Stop,” I shouted with what dwindling energy I had. “Don’t you dare touch her!”

Alexander smirked as blue blood leaked from his bite. “I wonder what Nicholas will say when his daughter is a Tide member.”

He shoved his wrist to Abble’s lips, forcing her mouth open with his other hand. She resisted, but some blood no doubt got into her mouth.

My nails dug into the deck wood as I growled at Alexander. “I said let go of her.”

Alexander picked Abble off the ground by her throat, holding her in the air as she hammered at his arm weakly. “I’d snap your neck, but it would take longer for you to wake up. Also, I enjoy watching the life slowly leave one’s eyes.” Alexander squeezed his thin, skeleton fingers harder.

After baring my teeth at Alexander, a roar escaped my mouth that was nowhere near as powerful as the one I let go of after getting stabbed. But the rage was clear. I knew my threats were hollow, but that didn’t stop me from wanting to tear his head off.

How was I roaring like this? It felt natural even though I had never done it before today.

Alexander’s head tilted. “So how did a Lycan become a—”

A blur of black yanked Alexander’s foot from underneath him.

Letting Abble go on the way down, he slammed face-first into the ground.

Abble rolled to her side, gasping for breath like a fish out of water.

Alexander flipped over to his back, and a massive black paw smashed into his chest, collapsing it like rotten fruit.

Jordan’s jaw wrapped around his head before she yanked his skull from his shoulder with no effort. This let off a loud snapping wet noise that was audible even with the storm rumbling in the background.

This occurred so fast that I don’t think Alexander understood what was happening.

Wow… I wish I had more energy to be excited about getting to level four, but I was tired in the absolute sense. I barely felt anything when I saw my level rise.

Jordan chewed on the skull for a few seconds before dropping the mush next to Abble.

No way.

Abble came to her knee, still labouring to breathe as Jordan and she stared at each other. I wasn’t sure why Jordan was doing this, but it seemed she was contemplating something.

The rain drenched Jordan’s ebony fur, displaying her ridiculously muscle-bound frame as the hair pressed against her body. I had never seen such a powerful-looking animal before. A single swipe of her paw would take a chunk out of any man.

Jordan broke the stare, looking over at the undead that were now ignoring Wrecky’s crew and hopping off the ship into the ocean. Their eagerness to exit the boat made them fall over each other and drop their weapons.

They really did just say screw it after Alexander was killed.

Wrecky men cheered and yelled as they helped the undead off the deck, pushing and kicking them overboard.

My eyes glanced at Abble, who seemed disconnected from reality. I would say it was an overwhelming shock, but something was off.

“Abble, Abble!” I yelled, and she finally looked over. “Where is Wrecky?”

With her swollen face, Abble scanned the area. “I don’t know… but… I need to get you inside,” she said as her words became incredibly monotone.

“Abble…”

She grabbed the collar of my shirt, dragging me towards the quarters. “Yes… Kade?” she laboured between the words.

“I’m sorry.”

Abble said nothing as we approached the officer’s quarters. She yanked the door open by its brass handle and pulled me in as I saw the men gathering around Jordan with their swords up.

Jordan remained calm, looking at their aggression unphased.

I understand why they would be hostile towards a giant black wolf on their boat in the middle of the ocean. However, I don’t know if I would be so eager to kill the thing that saved you.

Or the gruesome execution of someone as strong as Alexander. What chance did they stand?

I guess they could’ve been busy fighting the undead and not seen it happen, but still.

It was a struggle, but she got me to her room at the end of the T-hallway.

As Abble opened the door, Jordan pushed her to the side with her snout, stepping over my body before dragging me in by my arm.

This wolf could pull handles open because the hallway door definitely shut behind us when we entered.

Abble slammed the door shut from the outside, and I heard the lock turn.

Immediately, Jordan began pushing the black wood dresser towards the entrance with her head. She sat in front of the furniture, and her red eyes stayed focused on me, not moving.

“You could’ve shown up earlier,” I said, still lying on the wooden floor.

Jordan huffed, lying down and folding her paws—this animal definitely understood what I was saying.

I was going to be in this spot for a while. Getting the strength to sit up was not in the foreseeable future. Even my soul felt penetrated by this weakness.

There was no doubt that the crew was planning to murder me now. Even Jordan knew what was coming, pushing a barricade in front of the door. I had clarified that I was a monster on that deck. This wouldn’t slide, no matter how much Wrecky pleaded my case.

I hope Abble and Wrecky are okay. Losing a hand was serious… I hope that's all he lost.

“Thanks… I mean that. I owe you for saving Abble,” I said, coughing after.

Jordan tilted her head before getting up and walking over to me.

“I don’t understand why you’re following me, but I am glad you got on this boat.”

Jordan stood there for a moment before licking my face.

I was half expecting to get eaten, but instead, my nose painfully snapped back into place like the bone knew where to set. Her licking moved down to my chest before tearing my shirt open with her knife-shaped teeth.

As Jordan’s tongue pressed on the line through my chest, I could feel it pulling shut.

Her licks healed me? That was strange.

An odd sensation emanated from the injury, like an itch that reminded me of the time I fell into some poison oak. It only took a few minutes to heal, but damn, was it uncomfortable, bordering on torture. The urge to scratch would have been impossible to stop if I wasn’t exhausted.

And, like my nose, snapping my knee back into place was excruciating. But I was glad everything knew where to go because my nose was smashed, and my knee was shattered.

Jordan flopped down next to me, putting her head on my chest. The display of affection by this animal was nice, but her damn head was heavy as shit.

My eyes drifted to my hand, which had become thin and sunken as if the skin had just been pulled over the bone at my fingertips.

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Laying here for over three hours, I watched it creep from my fingertips to my wrist. My fingers’ skin was now turning black at an alarming rate.

This was because I didn’t consume blood.

Maybe I would just deteriorate into a corpse if I didn’t eat. There was no way of getting around this. I would need to consume blood. I was foolish to hope that wasn’t the case.

There was a sluggishness to everything. My thoughts were long and drawn out. The creaking of the boat was muffled. Every so often, my eyes drifted shut, only to be jerked back open by the fear of what awaited on the other side of the door.

By the time the ship escaped the storm, the sun had almost set, casting an orange glow into the room.

The warm sun crept over me through Abble’s window, and for once, I welcomed its embrace. My body was so stiff and cold.

Dust motes floated in the sunlight above as I lay motionless on the floor, feeling better but not nearly enough to sit up.

I was here a lot longer than three hours…

The door was knocked on, and my dull senses snapped back to life.

I heard the door hit the dresser a few times. “Kade, let me in. The men are busy helping Wrecky.”

Jordan didn’t move at the words I knew she understood.

“Please let her in,” I mumbled.

Jordan just lay there for a few seconds before picking her head off my chest with a grumble and walking over, pressing her head against the dresser. She pushed it over just enough so the door could be opened.

Abble came in and immediately slid the dress back in front of the door.

When Abble spun around, she stared at the wolf with acknowledgement this time, inching towards me. I know Abble feared being attacked, but I don’t think Jordan was even the slightest bit threatened by her.

It was as if I experienced Jordan’s emotions like they were mine… odd.

Abble kneeled down next to me. Her eyes glanced at both my hands, becoming increasingly sunken. “Kade—things have gone to shit. They’re dead set on killing you and the wolf. Wrecky is not conscious right now, and that dumb ass, Anthony, is getting everyone worked up over nothing.”

“What are you going to do?”

Abble paused. “I need you not to be encapsulated. Which means I need you to drink my blood.”

“Is there a dead crew member? I’d rather—”

“They tossed them all off, afraid they’d turn into demons”—Abble put her hand on my shoulder—“I trust you, and I can’t let you die. I need you around, friend. This is our only opinion.”

Abble pulled her switchblade out, snapping it open before running it across her poor, injured palm. Blood pooled and flowed over her hand, dropping onto the floor.

Jordan walked over, staring at her from a few feet away.

I had no choice, did I? Telling myself not to see her have food would be impossible after this. I feared once I got a taste, I wouldn’t be able to handle myself anymore. Spending time with Abble was enjoyable now, but it might be torture afterwards.

My head turned to Jordan. “Please stop me if I can’t.”

She stared at me intensely with those piercing red eyes, and I sensed there was an unspoken agreement as a calmness rushed over me about the situation.

Abble swallowed what appeared to be jitters. She had talked with confidence, but she was nervous about this. It would be stupid not to be.

She sheepishly put her palm to my lips.

At first, I licked her hand apprehensively, but that soon turned into sucking as blood pooled in my mouth. Warmth filled my whole body, and my mind raced as if my earlier thoughts had to catch up.

It wasn’t long before I could sit up, and my fingers feverishly grabbed at Abble’s forearm, trying to pull her closer. She tried taking her arm away, but I held it still, letting off a slight growl. I couldn’t think of anything but drinking more. My nails dug into her skin, and I saw myself drawing blood, but I couldn’t get my mouth to let go.

I wanted all of her inside me, and the urge to chew on her hand was becoming strong.

“Okay, Kade”—Abble put her palm on my forehead, trying to push me away—“Kade, stop,” she said with a shaky tone.

There was no stopping. I was in control of my mind, but my body was driven by its desire. My consciousness took a secondary place in my actions. This is what I had worried about. Watching myself kill someone and being unable to do anything about it.

Teeth wrapped around my neck, pressing into my skin before giving a slight tug. A low humming growl came from Jordan’s mouth that sent a stinging jolt through my body, and my actions slowly became my own again.

It still wasn’t easy, but my mouth pulled away, and my hand released her.

Abble abruptly stood up to escape, only to fall to her knees, catching herself before her face crashed into the floor. She glanced back at me like I was a monster, making me feel awful.

When she saw my distressed expression, she quickly removed the look of fear from her face. “Oh, wow, I got dizzy there,” Abble said, crawling over to some extra breast wraps sitting on the floor next to the bed.

She wrapped the cloth around her hand tight before leaning on the side of the bed, letting out a breath of exhaustion.

Abble didn’t have the energy to give me blood. I shouldn’t have agreed to this. She was beaten and had lost enough blood fighting with Alexander.

Jordan kept her teeth around my neck, which was wise because I wasn’t about to let Abble walk away. Abble trying to run only made me want to attack her more. The control I had right now was limited. If Jordan were not here, Abble would be dead.

I got my frenzied mind under control, and Jordan released me.

Slowly, I rose, walking to the other side of the room as my body yearned to be near Abble. It wasn’t entirely out of hunger. Part of me just wanted to touch her and squeeze her. I craved the contact of her skin… and at the same time, that evoked a violent impulse inside me—sort of like how Abble felt when she looked at something cute. But rather than crushing, I want to devour.

Abble glanced over at me, panting. “Are you okay?” she asked as if I was upset about something.

Why did she ask that, like she'd done something wrong?

Abble stumbled to her feet and walked towards me. “I am not scared of you, if that’s the issue. Please don’t be mad,” she said with a sort of unnecessary desperation.

I raised my hand, which now had long nails again. Abble stopped a few feet away as I put my forearm over my face, trying to block her from my view. This was the only thing I could do, considering my eyes would not look away.

“Abble, I’m not mad at you, but please don’t come near me. I am far from in control.”

I heard Abble toss her jacket off and sit on the window seat near me. “Let’s talk until you’re in control. So the wolf.”

“What do you want to know?” I said, keeping my back to Abble but dropping my forearm.

Abble gave the question some thought. “Everything, really.”

I let out a long, drawn-out sigh as my urges calmed down a bit. “Her name in the system is Jordan, and she has been following me since the crystal.”

“Is she a demon?”

“I don’t know what she is.”

We both sat silently for at least ten minutes before I became comfortable enough to turn around.

Abble appearance made my mouth salivate, but I wouldn’t attack her… for now.

She stared forward. “I guess we are stuck in here for a while.” Abble folded her hands and rested her forearms on her knees before leaning forward. “I got too cocky, and everyone got hurt because of it. Some died. I had too much confidence, and… now I feel ridiculous for having such inflated self-worth.”

I shook my head. “This wasn’t your fault.”

“It was.”

“Abble—”

“Kade”—Abble eyes glared at me—“I fucked up bad. I shouldn’t have been so aggressive. Wrecky might’ve been able to talk him off the ship. This is why father didn’t give me the boat. I would kill everyone with my blind anger.”

I said nothing for a moment before taking a seat on the dark maroon cushions in front of the window, keeping my distance from Abble. While staring at the barricaded door, my gaze lingered there for a while.

Fidgeting with my fingers, I finally looked over at Abble. “If anyone caused this, it was me. My presence on this boat led to Neal turning into a demon. The tide might never have followed this ship if Cain hadn’t shown up. Everything that has taken place is on me.”

Jordan lay down facing the door, swishing her tail every so often.

Abble remained silent before getting up and walking over to the mirror. She put her hands to her nose, and I heard a crack along with a low yelp.

Abble turned to me as tears came down her cheeks. “That fucking hurt. My skin is liable to be scarred”—she touched the swelling on her eye—“My face was the only thing making up for my shit personality.”

“That’s not true.”

Abble walked past me. “True, nothing makes up for it.”

My eyes followed her across the room. “That is not what I meant, Abble.”

Abble stopped at the cask in the corner of her room. “Let’s get cleaned up. I need to rest for a bit before things get more complicated. Even if it’s only a few hours.”

I stood up. “You think they’re gonna barge in?”

“I am not sure, but they know the wolf is in here, and that might stop them.” Abble tossed her shirt off, displaying the blood-soaked bindings.

Abble touched her side with the deep cut. Blood trickled down her abdomen into her leather pants. Her shoulder wasn’t much better off as a thick slice of flesh dangled from it. Abble was in rough shape.

“Are you going to be okay?”

Abble turned around. “You said you could sew?”

“Yeah, a little. My sister tried to show me.”

Abble points to the gash on her side. “Then let’s get to sewing.”

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