Everything Restored

Chapter Six

Chapter Six

Eric

I was nervous as hell knowing what was to come, but I pushed it down as much as possible. It was a mutual feeling for the others in the pack as well, their discomfort noticeable as we sat at the dining table for breakfast.

Evan barely stayed long enough to finish his plate before he got up to leave. Despite no one voicing the reason for the packs recent unease aloud, it was obvious where it stemmed from. I felt the effects too, barely. It was easy to suppress it when you didn't even want to get out of bed in the morning, and when the only person effecting me was Nathan. Not Lila.

The alpha male of the pack wasn't even the one at fault, but it still put him in a mood that somehow rubbed off on me too. I managed to ignore it as much as possible, keeping my eyes off of him while I ate.

To prepare for the day ahead, I had a suit hanging up in the closet that I hadn't worn in years. The only time I put it on was when Seojoon finished his college courses and all of us went to his graduation. Otherwise I had no reason to use it.

We brought our clothes with us in a suitcase, deciding it was best to put them on once we got there. Seojoon seemed more restless than I felt, but he hid it well behind his smile. Even when he faked it, it looked good on him. I mentally scorned him for that.

"When you get there, make sure to tell us." Nathan said while we walked us out the door.

Seojoon replied teasingly, but there was an edge to his voice. "And when we leave the ball, we'll contact you and make sure you know we're alive. Got it."

He hugged each member tightly before heading over to one of the parked cars. The others didn't expect me to hug them like Seojoon had; I wasn't fond of physical touch. It made me uneasy, probably because I lacked it growing up. During the rare occurrences when I actually did hug someone I liked, I genuinely enjoyed it. Otherwise it makes me uncomfortable, and the others understood that.

Instead I turned to them and waved. "Make sure Evan doesn't knock anyone out, or up while we're gone."

"Oh shut up!" The beta laughed.

The sound of his laughter comforted me, and when I turned to head towards the car, I smiled.

~

Orion was at the doors waiting for us when we arrived. Our Sponsor was a bit slower than usual, his face more gaunt as we made our way down the long corridor towards the throne room.

We didn't have to ask why, considering how much blood he lost yesterday, but he spoke to us regardless. "Bastards. Why did there have to be two of you? Each forearm..."

I glanced at his arms and saw a pale line where the two long cuts were placed. "Why aren't the scars healed?" I wondered.

Without realizing it, I ran my fingers over my own while he answered. "Because I sponsored you, the scars will show the link between us. Once it's over, they'll heal completely, until then I have to live with these."

That's too fucking bad. I gritted my teeth, wishing it were just that easy. "Tough luck." I said instead.

Seojoon glanced at me in warning, so I kept my mouth shut and continued towards the large doors. When we got inside, The Matriarch stood on the dais, but our encounter didn't last long. She ushered us wordlessly towards the other side of the room. A door I've never stepped through opened for us, and I felt uneasy from the unknown behind it.

"The living chambers." Orion whispered to us as if reading my thoughts. "Where we'll prepare."

It took minutes to go from one end of the corridor to the other. Along the way, dozens of doors rested on both sides, reminding me of a hotel rather than a home.
Orion stopped at the end of the hall and pressed the only button that rested there. Seconds later, a lift stopped in front of us, the doors opening to invite us into the dimly lit space. The three of us barely fit inside comfortably, having to stand shoulder to shoulder in order for the doors to close. It took more self-control than I'd like to admit to hold my breath and not look at either of the men beside me.