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.the natural born.

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25: error, error, error

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Something seemed to click in Wolf’s mind. He glanced over his shoulder, on edge all of the sudden.

“What’s wrong, Wolf?” I asked, making sure he heard the fake concern in my voice. “You seem almost as if you’re expecting something.”

He looked back at me.

“You’re stupid,” I said, sweetly. “You don’t just reveal your plan before it’s in action.”

His amber eyes weren’t predatory anymore, for once. Instead, he looked like the prey. Because, well. . . he was.

Lynx appeared between the fish statues. When he saw who I was with, he understood. He immediately went behind one of the statues, using it to conceal himself. Wolf took a step away from me; he knew something wasn’t right. He paused, then turned and began to walk away.

“Where are you going?” I asked, a tinge of hate and venom latching onto my tone.

He glanced over his shoulder at me. “I don’t know why you suddenly got all confident,” he tossed at me, “but I’m not gonna wait and find out what fucked up shit you have planned.”

“You already know what’s going to happen!” I called after him.

He stopped walking, pausing a little ways away from the fish statues. Anticipation bit at me as he halted. “You’re going to kill me, aren’t you?”

Lynx stepped out of hiding, dragging the tips of his fingers against the head of the fish statue with a marauding smile. Wolf heard his footsteps and turned to face him.

“Lynx,” he said, and whether the strangeness in his voice was from fear or anger, I wasn’t sure, “you fucking killed them.”

Lynx lifted an eyebrow, his smile never fading. “Yeah,” he admitted, “and now I’m gonna kill you.”

I hesitated. Why would Wolf confront him? Wouldn’t he play dumb—like he didn’t know Lynx was a murderer? Now that Lynx knew for sure that Wolf knew—of course he’d kill him!

Lynx flicked out a pocket knife; he had been smart enough to bring a knife, and to put gloves on; he had probably sensed my tone. He cocked his head playfully. “I’m assuming you know you’re gonna die.”

Wolf’s eyes flashed; a streak of amber. He jumped at Lynx, his fist nearly colliding with Lynx’s face, but Lynx, unlike me, had been expecting it. He ducked and took Wolf down by the stomach, ramming him harshly and succeeding in winding him by the time Wolf landed on his back on the sand. Lynx held Wolf’s elbows down with his knees and didn’t even flinch when he drove the knife down, towards Wolf’s face or neck; I wasn’t sure where he was aiming.

Instinct made Wolf bring his arms up in front of his face to protect himself. The knife sunk into his lower arm, but it slid out instead of in, creating a large gash. Blood flicked out onto the sand. Unfazed, Wolf bucked his hips and Lynx jolted forward, giving Wolf enough power to flip him over.

“Grab a rock!” Lynx suddenly shouted, and I knew he was talking to me. Wolf, however, decided to take his advice and began to look around. I took off towards the far end of the beach, where the foliage was; where I told Lynx about my resolution.

I kneeled and picked up a fairly decent-sized rock, then froze. I recognized the spectral grace of the shadows that danced along the grass. The leaves of the trees bustled in a distracting manner, but I wasn’t to be thrown.

“You want to what?” he urged.

I forced it out as quickly as I could, “Be like you.”

I straightened, tightening my hold on the rock, and shook my head. I could hear Wolf and Lynx as they continued their struggle. I had to get back there, quick. I turned and ran back the length of the beach; Wolf and Lynx were currently locked in a dominance competition, both trying to pin the other down. They were rolling, covered in sand.

Wolf got on top and cracked Lynx in the jaw.

Without having time to stop myself, I ran forward and slammed the rock into the side of Wolf’s head. He was thrown off Lynx from the impact. The rock fell from my hands, because suddenly, I couldn’t get a grip on it. My hands were sweating, and the blood that stained the rock scared me.

Lynx got up. He was relatively unscathed, aside from the bruise he would receive from that last punch I had witnessed. He kicked Wolf over onto his back, then dived down, both hands on the pocket knife. I nearly screamed from shock when the knife tore into Wolf’s throat. Lynx was frozen for a moment, refusing to let go of the knife that had killed Wolf, refusing to move away from the body. Blood bubbled out around the knife; he stood up, releasing the weapon, and he glanced at me. He forced a smile.

I forced a smile right back.

“Hold on,” I said, kneeling next to the body. “Reach in his pocket.” He had the gloves on, not me. He slowly kneeled beside me and did as I asked without questioning me. He pulled out a tape recorder and smirked a bit.

“I thought so,” he said, glancing at me. “I didn’t expect you to think the same.”

I met his gaze.

“Not that you wouldn’t catch that, it’s just—”

I smiled to let him know he hadn’t insulted me. “I just noticed how he had gotten you to admit everything out loud, is all, and how he had confronted me.”

We stood up in silence. We gazed down at the body.

“Last kill,” he whispered to me, then reached up and ruffled my hair. Luckily, he didn’t have any blood on his gloved hands, which kind of surprised me. The handle of the blade was clean, though, so it made sense.

“Last kill,” I confirmed. I moved into him and hugged him to me. He kissed the top of my head. He then stepped away and kneeled by Wolf’s body. He abruptly pulled the knife out, shuddering momentarily. He straightened and looked at me.

“Let’s clean up.”

---

I curled up next to Lynx, nervous, but at the same time, satisfied. There was a chance we could have missed something, overlooked evidence, there was always a chance, but I hoped we hadn’t, because, if we hadn’t. . . if we would have gotten away with this last kill, we would be finished for good. Lynx had already smashed the tape and had tossed it over the balcony.

I rolled on top of Lynx and grinned down at him. His hands found my hips. We were currently laying in his bed. It was morning, now. The police were probably notified about a dead body on the beach by now. I sunk my fingernails into his chest unconsciously. Anxiety was getting to me.

“We’ll be fine,” he reassured me. I buried my nose in the crook of his neck and adjusted myself on him. I was so unbelievably comfortable. And I was happy, because everything was over, and because every morning from here on out, I could wake up next to Lynx, roll on top of him, and cuddle.

But then we heard the front door fly open and a harsh shout: “Police!”

I sat up, alarmed. Lynx, did, also, and I felt his grip on my hips tighten.

“Fuck, no,” he hissed through his teeth. Lynx’s mother from downstairs started yelling at them, but I could tell by their pounding footsteps ascending the stairs, that they were ignoring her.

“No,” he repeated, staring at his door. It was suddenly flung open, slamming back against the wall with a sickening sound. I clung to Lynx. They started speaking, the police, in their harsh voices, but I couldn’t comprehend what they were saying. The rest of the moment was a blur. I remembered them grabbing me, pulling me off Lynx, handcuffing me. They hadn’t touched Lynx. He just stared at them and at me, shocked, as they pushed me down onto the floor and barked in my ear.

---

I felt only half-alive. The girl I shared my jail cell with was weird. She was freakishly, disgustingly skinny, and had long, straggly blonde hair that reminded me of straw.

“They shave my head tomorrow,” she told me in a raspy voice. She must have noticed me eyeing it down.

“Ah,” I nodded a little.

“What are you in for, little girl?” she asked me, taking a seat on the lower bunk. I was sitting on the bench the cell offered.

“I’m leaving, soon,” I said.

“Getting out?” she paused to laugh. “Honey, you’re not getting out. All the newcomers think they’re gonna get off. Even the innocent stay here, though. It’s how the system works.”

The system.

I merely smiled. “No, I mean. . . I’m leaving this jailhouse. I’m moving. . . to a bigger one.” I lifted my gaze onto the ceiling. Spider webs shook from an invisible wind.

“You that bad?” she asked.

I stood up and walked over to the bars. I slipped my fingers around the cold iron. “This prison is too small for a psycho-murderer,” I said, coolly.

“Psycho-murderer, huh?”

I glanced at her. “You’ve heard about them, I’m sure. Even if you’ve been stuck in here.”

“I’ve only been here for a week,” she said. “Hence, my hair hasn’t been shaved.”

I looked at her hair again. “They shave your hair here?”

“Lice.”

I smirked a little.

“So, little psycho-murderer. . . who’d you kill?”

“Too many to remember.”

She laughed, a hoarse, gasping sound. “Oh, please.”

“What are you in for?” I asked.

“Arson.” She clicked her tongue. “I wish I could set this damned place on fire. I’ve only been here for a week, and I hate it.”

I shrugged.

“You, though,” she hesitated, “you’re going to a bigger place? A worse place? I feel sorry for you.”

I grinned at her. “It’s not so bad.”

“You say that now, honey.”

I shrugged. “I think I deserve it.” I turned around and leaned back against the bars. “But, yeah. I don’t regret it.”

“Killin’ anyone, you mean?”

“Yeah,” I tossed off. I crossed my arms over my chest. “I just regret getting caught, I guess. But then again, I always knew I’d get caught.”

“You always get caught.”

I smirked. “Someone does.”

She glanced at me.

I shrugged. “I was just careless. They found my hair on the murder weapon.” When Lynx had ruffled my hair, he had touched the weapon right after. It hadn’t been intentional, on his part; he hadn’t meant to frame me. . . but we had messed up, during that one last murder. Some of my hair must have gotten pulled out when he had ruffled my hair.

It was easy for Mr. Slice to pin the murders on me, too, now. And I supposed he’d have no problem with that, to protect his son. If he knew I wanted to take the blame, then he’d let me. Guilt would still eat him, but guilt had been eating him all his life.

“It was supposed to be the last,” I said, softly. “We were supposed to be done. . .”

She blinked. “We?”

I laughed. “No. Me.” I shook my head. “I was supposed to be done.”

She stood up. “You’re protecting someone?”

“No,” I said, defensive all of the sudden.

“Don’t worry, honey, I won’t tell.”

I grimaced. I could still remember Lynx’s shock when I had been taken away. It was shock for so many different reasons, but I knew one of the main reasons, was that all his hard work, all his pride in what a successful killer he was. . . it all went to me. I was now that feared killer that everyone knew about. Not him. He wasn’t even important in that sense anymore.

Well. . . at least I fulfilled my New Year’s resolution. In a sense.

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fin

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A/N: hehe, I loved how half my reviewers were all, “DIE LYNX & REESE” & the other half were, “DIE WOLF” haha. I love it.

speeecial thanks to those who stuck with me throughout the entire story! -squish-

new stories?! Edge 8 on this account & The Parting Exchange on bleedingair. both humor (& of course evil at the same time), cept tpe has more angst-ness & e8 is like.. funnier. woo.

& a final & gratitude..ial.. thank-you!

XxXPorcelainFluxXxX, pinkrose0724, Shadow Haven, RedBerries, rockpaperscissors, alaskan airlines, shinayay, Sweet Sarcasm, ., personyoudontknow, diamondewdrops, ajkwerj, Liquify, r.l, Perfect Bliss, toxic-noodle725, Alenor, PearlinTheMist, seraphim-rush, fragrance, webbywebster, Syrith Oruniah, S. Kila Laase, Harlequin Girl, twistedFAerieTALes, Liviania, Kiyura, questionable, KatLilly86, suicide-girl, sketchingaCYNiC, broken mug, CallMeCute, ..., emerald, Starlilly, RedSox4L1f3, holly333, Punk Rawk Gurl, Ohtobeyou, loserific peace101, DESTINYHUNTER, rosiedreamer, scenicmoods, Otabee Mox, katieee, Sailor Loon, LeenaAmara, asdfasdf, hippos-anoonymus.

- Shadow Haven: “so if we want him to feel guilty,make him f u then die dramatically!” LOL! hahaa, that’s funny.

- rockpaperscissors: -heart-

- diamondewdrops: lynx previously explained the natural born thing.. in chapter 22, haha. you must’a forgot.

- twistedFAerieTALes: hm.. you’ve been with me from the beginning, haven’t you? not the beginning of this story—I mean, since the first version of the contract. wow. & you’re still reviewing. I appreciate that so much. thanks!

- Kiyura: awh, I’m glad you like reese & all her evil faults. I love her too. haha. & nah, I’ve got more stories up.. one on this account called ‘edge 8' & one on my bleeding air account called ‘the parting exchange’. woot.

- sketchingaCYNiC: heh, whooops. meant chapter 23.. sorry about that!

- Starlilly: haha, wow, that does describe lynx. & yeah, that is a freaky percentage. lock your doors.

- Ohtobeyou: you want your favorite character to die? that’s different! haha. but thank-you sweetstuff! you really touched me.. haha.