The Plague of Darkness by Gracie Cochran (best self help books to read txt) 📖

smiling as I say it.

 

He smiles back. The Alpha nods and I grab West’s hands. He squeezes my hand.

 

Derek rolls his eyes and walks out. Me and West walk out after him.

 

Derek turns to look at me. “So I’m guessing you guys are going to go bathe in luxury while waiting for them to decide whether they want to save your brother? Your trusting complete strangers! What happens if they decide not to? Decide they want to work with Satan instead? Anne. Are you even thinking?”

 

I let go of West hand. “Yes I am thinking Derek! I’m thinking I have to at least try something to save my brother. Did you think of a plan for the month I was in a coma?”

 

He glares at me. “How could I when all I got from your boyfriend was him blaming himself? When I couldn’t get your opinion? Or the fact that I might have actually been worried the whole time you were in a coma? Not everything is about you Anne!”

 

I jab my finger into his chest. “You think I make everything about me? I don’t. You think that I don’t know the risk of trusting people I have never met? I do. But unlike you I’m willing to risk it if it gives me the chance to save my brother. If I had it my way I wouldn’t be here! I would have taken his place! I would have killed myself if it meant my brother would be safe. He’s the only person I have left that I care about. I’m here not for me. I learned that in my coma. It’s not about me. I’m here to save people. You could think before you open that hole you call a mouth.”

 

He shoves me. “Ever since I met you, you have been nothing but trouble. Life was so much less complicated without you in it. All my life so far has been about saving your ass because YOU don’t think. You jump in without testing the water. Maybe all of this is happening because you exist. Maybe if you did die the world would be better off.” He turns and starts to walk away.

 

West starts to walk toward him but I put a hand to his chest. “Go home. I’ll be right behind you.” I say.

 

He gives me a look of conflict. I glare at him. “Now. I’m not in the mood for you to be over caring right now.” He sighs and I can tell he doesn’t want to leave me. He spreads his wings and takes off.

 

Once he’s out of view I start running not able to hide the pain any more. It may have come from Derek but it still felt like a knife slicing me. I change into my cougar and continue to run. The smell of freshly cut meat hits my nose exciting my cougar but confusing me.  I follow the smell cautiously.

 

I find a neatly cut piece of meat. Cut and skinned to cleanly to be animal. I look around and listen carefully. I feel eyes on me somewhere. I sniff the air and smell a human it’s faint as if they scent is being covered by something. I catch sight of something in the bushes and my ears flatten. I let out a growl. There’s no movement so I go closer slowly. That’s when I hear a heart beating rapidly. I extend my claws.

 

I hear slight movement in the bushes and A guy comes up from the bushes with a tranq gun pointed at me. I look at the gun and crouch. The guy smiles. “Bet you would be worth a lot alive.”

 

His finger moves to the trigger and I know I have only seconds to stop him. I lunge and he pulls the trigger. I don’t have enough time to doge and a dart sinks into my skin. In my head I’m cursing. I land on top of him and knock the gun from his hands. I feel myself starting to get drowsy. What Derek said came into my head. “Maybe the world would be better off if you didn’t exist.”

 

Maybe he’s right. I get off the man feeling the tranq kicking in. My legs collapse and I don’t fight it. My cougar whimpers trying to encourage me to fight. I close my eyes and let darkness once again take control of me.

Chapter 5

Derek’s POV

 

I kick a tree in frustration. Why can’t Anne just stop and think for a second? She is so uuggh.

 

I sigh and and flop down on the ground leaning against the tree. The smell of a fresh kill hitting my nose. Stupid hunters. They have to choose this forest to hunt. I close my eyes and try to come myself down.  I take deep breaths and finally relax when I hear a growl a little ways away. I open my eyes and look around. I don’t see anything and shrug.

 

Another growl comes and I turn my head in the direction of the noise. The sound of a gunshot rings in my ears. Curious to what the hunter had caught I walk toward the sound. The smell of meat gets stronger and I know I’m going in the right direction. I see a man get up and a big clump of fur next to him. I see the look of triumph in his eyes. The color of the fur is familiar.

 

Wait. That’s cougar fur. I watch the clump of fur move up and down and realise he just used a tranq dart. I step out and look at cougar. The scent comes off as familiar. The man catches sight of me and he picks up his gun. I put my hands up. “I’m not here to take your prize I heard a gunshot and was curious.”

 

He throws the gun over his shoulder. “Well she’s a big one. If you help me drag her to my truck I’ll pay ya.”

 

She? My mind drifts to Anne but I shake my head. She wouldn’t have come after me. She’s probably with her boyfriend enjoying herself. I can’t help but question myself. “Ok I’ll help.” I go toward the big ball of fur and stop when I notice a very familiar bow and arrow on the ground. I curse in my head.  

 

I use my speed and get behind the guy. I hit him hard on top of the head easily knocking him out. I go to Anne and try to wake her up.

 

“Anne.” I shake her. I hear her even breathing. I shake her again and she slowly starts to stir. I watch her eyes slowly start to open. She sees me and her eyes close again. She turns back to human form her eyes still come. “Come here to say I told you so? Gloat?” she asks defeat in her voice.

 

I flinch realising that I had gone to far. I open my mouth to speak but she covers it with her hand. “I’ll find another way to die. Don’t worry. The world will be rid of me.” She says then gets up she sways slightly and I put my hands up to steady her. She starts walking away before I even have the chance.

 

I follow her. “Anne. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean that. I was just angry. People say things when there angry.”

 

She stops and turns to me. “People tend to let out how they truly feel when they are angry. That was the truth. I have been causing nothing but problems. I am a magnet for trouble. Destroy the magnet and the trouble will go away.” I see in her eyes that she’s given up. For some reason it makes me angry.

 

“So your just going to give up just like that? After everything you’ve been put through everything you have accomplished?” I ask.

 

She lets out an emotionless laugh. “Accomplished? I have accomplished getting my father killed and my brother taken away. I have accomplished being stupid and getting myself kidnapped more than 3 times. I have accomplished almost hurting my mate.” She turns away.

 

I grab her and push her up against a tree facing me. “You can’t give up when things get rough Anne. You can’t give up because someone told you too.”

 

She glares at me. “And why not?” She pushes me away. I push her back against the tree.

 

“Because you wouldn’t just be hurting yourself. Think about your brother. West.” I say she shoves me again and I hear the ripping sound of her wings. I wait for her to start glowing but she doesn’t.

 

“They would be better off with me gone.” She says her eyes tinged silver.

 

I look to her wings and star at them in horrified shock. They are no longer a brilliant white. They’ve turned a muky grey. Like a rain cloud right before it pours. She sees the expression on my face. “What?”

 

I can’t speak so I just point. She looks at her wings and I hear her breath catch in her throat. She moves them around and closer inspect them. “H-h how?”

 

“Your letting the darkness win. Anne you’ve got to fight it.” I say stepping toward her.

 

She looks at me tears in her eyes. “But I can’t.” her voice comes out as a whisper.

 

My eyes soften. “Yes you can. All you have to do is not give up. I haven’t given up on you.” I move her wings and move closer to her.

 

“You said the world would be better off if I was dead.” a tear slips from her eyes.

 

“I never meant it. The world would be boring without you here. There hasn’t been this much excitement for a while.” I say smiling.

 

Her wings brighten to a very light grey then go almost black. “Your just saying that because you feel bad for hurting my feelings. I don’t want anymore lies. I want the truth.” She backs up, “And the truth is the ones I let close to me always pay the price. It’s better if I leave so no one else can get hurt.”

 

Her hair turns black and her eyes glow silver. We both hear wing beats and turn our attention to the sound. I see West looking around and he catches sight of us. His eyes look at Anne but I know he doesn’t recognise her. She backs up. “West, I’m leaving. I can’t keep hurting the people I love.”

 

He gasps and takes a step back. “Anne? What happened?” he turns to me and glares, “What the hell did you do?”

 

She sighs. “West it’s not his fault. He just helped me realise that you and my brother are better off without me.”

 

He turns to her angrily. “What happened to saving him? You want him to just sit there?”

 

She glares. “Of course not. I want my brother safe more than anything. You don’t understand. I’ve got to go. I need some time to think.” She walks away. Her almost black wings twitching.

 

“Anne. Don’t give up.” West pleads.

 

She keeps walking away not looking back.