Chapter 23

Chapter 23

-Pax-

The only thing I could concentrate on was the sound which vibrated through my entire body. It was far more than a discomfort which you would usually get when there's a slight high-pitched noise. I didn't know the science behind the pain, but I had learnt that the more sudden it is, the more pain I experience.

I couldn't hear what the others were saying, I felt a complete fool. I was behaving like a child who had been stung by a wasp. The pain wasn't going away, the memories of my childhood when I felt a similar way was piercing my mind. The feeling of dread and regret was heavy in my stomach.

Fabric met the back of my hands. It was bouncy and smooth. It was gentle at first but then the pressure increased. My hands slipped away from my ears, not knowing what was happening. Something was put on my head, hugging my ears.

I didn't know I was crying until a warm hand wiped the tears away. I couldn't tell who it was, a fact which irritated me. My hands reached for whatever was covering my ears. Plastic met my fingers, causing me to flinch in surprise. Two round things were either side of my head, the plastic thinning and meeting on the top of my head.

"I'm not sure putting something on is a good idea," a muffled voice said. "It could cause more pain."

I opened my eyes to red and white dots dancing in darkness. My shoulders relaxed and I leant to the right, where I remembered Farley to be sitting.

"That seems much better," Farley said. His voice vibrated through his arm. "That's what happened at the park. Maybe he followed us here?"

I couldn't hear a lot of what was being said. Every time I tried to focus on someone's' words, the ringing came back to my ears.

"They'd come straight here if they knew he was here though." Clementine must be sitting to my left, on the arm of the settee. "As long as he's out of view."

"The windows open," Farley observed. "He knows what I look like, he'd know Pax was here if he saw me."

"If he saw you, he'd be knocking on the door," Lana said. As though fate had heard her, a loud banging came from the passage.

"Thank you, Lana," Rowan said sarcastically.

My arm was grabbed, and I was pulled to my feet. "Keep your head down," Farley told me.

I practically had to quickly slide up the stairs. The thing on my head slipped a few times, but they were easy to adjust.

I fell into Farley and Rowan's room, lying on my back with a heavy sigh. Farley's hand was still grasping mine, the clamminess told me that we were both nervous.

"-Pax?" His voice was still faint. "Sit up please."

I did as he asked, lying down was a little disorientating without being able to hear what was going on. The vibrations of the door and people walking around travelled through my back.

The plastic which covered my ears was lifted. The chilly air made me flinch, it hadn't felt as cold before. My fingers twitched from where they were on my knee, instinctively wanting to cover them again. The sound of the whistle was still echoing in my head. I wasn't sure if the whistle was still being blown, but it was still aggravating.

Now that my ears were no longer covered, deep voices travelled up the stairs. Kian's was instantly recognisable; Caspian's and Rosary's took me a little longer to distinguish. It was rare I heard Rosary speak, save for what I overheard.

"We're looking for someone," Kian said. "His name's Pax. He ran away yesterday; intelligence suggests he may be around this neighbourhood."

I didn't know what intelligence they had, but the way he spoke made a shiver go down my spine. I jerked my head to the side as something cold and wet made contact with my ear.

"Hold still." Farley chuckled and the coldness met my ear again. "I gotta clean it up."

"I could do that," I told him. "Really, it's okay." I reached to take the cloth out of his hands, but he slapped my hand away.

"If I do it, you can get back to snooping." He continued doing it anyway. I saw his point; it would be quicker if he did it.

It was painful and cold, but it ended quickly. He was barely touching my ear with the cloth.

"Farley? He's a part of my pack, yes." I held Farley's wrist to stop him, I needed to hear this. "He likes to go for a walk in the woods. But I don't tell him about other territories."

"And why is that?" Rosary asked. I gritted my teeth. Rosary was a sweet person when you talked to her, but she was only ever used for interrogations.

"Because if he stumbles across one, it's purely accidental," Caspian informed with a sharp tone. "Such as this situation."

"That's dangerous, Caspian." My hands curled into fists as Kian continued to talk. "Then how can we tell if you're lying? You could just be plotting against us all."

"I don't believe that all of the werewolf packs in England think everyone's out to get them," Caspian said. "After all, how did you know he was a werewolf?"

Kian and Rosary were silent for a moment. "It was a very good guess."

"You know, you really shouldn't make assumptions about people." I huffed at Clementine's words.

"And you shouldn't act like you have authority," Kian told Clementine.

I was still on the floor. I had creeped away from Farley as the conversation went on. I had my back to the wall, I just about fit in the corner between the wall and door frame. Farley's hand was playing with my fingers, I didn't know why, but it was very distracting.

"Please watch your tone," Caspian requested. "It's starting to become hostile."

"Hostile? You're the one who has something of mine," Kian argued. "Give them back, or I will get violent."

"Threatening a pack means that there's no consequences if you're attacked." That was news to me. "We don't have what you're looking for, so I suggest you leave."

"I don't believe you," Kian said.

"Kian, we should go. If we find out he's here, we have more than enough excuses to attack," Rosary advised.

"You should watch your back, Caspian. We will be."

The door slammed shut, the vibration shook the house. "That was terrifying," I told Farley. "Your entire pack has been threatened."

Lana and Brin had to leave; they waited a few minutes to ensure their safety first. They left with warm hugs and made me promise to look after myself. I was still shaking, so all I could do was nod. Farley had a much sterner talk, and I suppose a much stronger hug. According to Rowan, his face was as white as a sheet when Lana let go.

The atmosphere was still heavy. Clementine had been left seething by the front door long after Kian had left. Iris and Rowan had remained in the living room with Lana and Brin, listening into the convo just as I had. The only person who I was unsure about hearing the conversation was Farley.

"What are we going to do?" Iris asked, sitting in the direction of where Farley's parents were half an hour ago. "They've said they're not afraid to fight."

Caspian sighed. "I don't know, I don't think that it would lead to a fight." He sat down in one of the lone chairs that was pressed against the wall. "They won't fight us. I don't think that they have enough members."

I shook my head. "He trains non-stop. I'm sure that he's got something planned," I informed. "I don't know if he talks to other alphas, but he does talk about fighting a lot."

"Talking about fighting and doing it are two different things," Clementine announced with a huff. She sat beside Caspian; she had been silent this entire conversation. "He's all bark and no bite."

"I don't want that to be confirmed," Rowan said. "Should we ask for advice?"

"No," Caspian replied immediately. "If we ask for help, then we're announcing that we have a black wolf in our pack."

My fingers started to tingle at the fact he said I was in his pack. I wasn't, I would probably be considered packless at the moment. There was nothing official to say I was in the pack; I didn't even know if that was a thing.

"Wouldn't the Quartvear pack help? Or the Pikewich pack?" Rowan asked.

I shook my head again. "I recognise Pikewich pack, Kian likes Alora."

A pin falling to the ground could've been heard in the silence. "That makes more sense," Clementine said softly. "Alora passed away a few years ago. She was one of the best fighters in her pack, nobody knows how it happened."

My jaw dropped open. "I didn't know that, but it would explain a lot."

"I didn't know that either," Farley said. "I know that Alora was a brilliant fighter, she has a great reputation for it. Who would be able to beat her?"

"An outcast?" Iris suggested. "Someone who isn't well-known?"

"What would an outsider want with that pack? It may be full of strong fighters, but it would be a lot of work," Caspian questioned.

Being an alpha was a role that was open to interpretation. Kian was a strict leader, forcing most of his pack to train for countless hours, until they were battered and bruised. They learnt their lessons quickly in order to avoid it. I didn't know Caspian's method too well, but this did feel much more like a community,

"Maybe someone underestimated the task?" Rowan asked before yawning.

"Tired already?" Clementine asked with a teasing voice. "It's barely turned two."

"It's not my fault," Rowan whined. "The settee wasn't too comfortable."

"You seemed to be deep in sleep when we woke you up this morning," Farley joked. Something touched the back of my neck., causing the hairs to stand on end. Farley's voice got louder. "Very pea-ceful."

"You did not just pun at me," Rowan said. "He used a pun on me."

I didn't know what he was talking about, but I snickered as the joke clicked in my mind.

"Now he's got Pax on his side, this is utter rudeness. You're not supposed to be the rude one," Rowan exclaimed. "Pax, you were supposed to be on my side."

"There's no sides," Farley said.

"There is, you just don't know it."

"And that's any and all serious conversation out of the window until these two eat," iris groaned. "So, what's happening tonight?"

"Pax, Farley. You two seem close," Clementine trailed off. "Would you two mind sharing a bed?"

My eyes widened and my cheeks turned pink. I hadn't shared a bed with anyone, apart from Alder when he was scared or lonely, this would be incredibly different. The only people I know who shared a bed was Cedar and Rosary, and they got too busy doing something that I couldn't even dream about.

"I don't mind," Farley replied. "How about you Pax? The bed's the same size as Rowan's."

I resisted the urge to tell him that I knew that. I nodded my head. "I don't think I mind."

"I get my bed tonight!" Rowan cheered.

Hehe I'm sure Clementine will get some stick for that later ,eh?

THANK YOU FOR READING

Question of the chapter :D

Do you guys like/use headphones?

I used to wear them all the time but now it's extremely rare-I don't think I wore them at all last year. I think that I was making myself disorientated with wearing them too much :D