For How Long

Chapter Three

My eyes widened as our gazes met, and I froze, my hand on the kitchen door handle. My brother, always the formal one, raised an eyebrow, asking as to what was going on.

I didn't reply to him keeping my head down thinking he might leave me alone, maybe he won't care, but he didn't.

My brother's eyes bore into mine, his expression a mix of curiosity and accusation. "What's going on ? You're coming home late at night, sneaking in through the kitchen door... Why, ?"

I shrugged, trying to downplay the situation. "Nothing's up. I just... lost track of time, that's all."

"Lost track of time huh doing what? He asked somewhat angry? Why is he angry, I was the one who walked so long in this dreadful chill night, so why is he angry.

I felt a surge of defensiveness, but tried to keep my cool. " I was just studying for my exams and lost track of time. I'm trying to keep my grades up, you know that."

My brother's expression softened slightly, but he still looked concerned. "Okay, fine. But what about your car? Why didn't you call me or Mom and Dad for a ride?" You had Seungcheol and Jeonghan too, they could have given you a ride.

I hesitated, unsure of how to explain the situation without revealing the truth about Seungcheol and Jeonghan. "I...I just didn't want to bother anyone, okay?besides Jeonghan and Seungcheol left school after second period, And my car broke down , I'll get the car fixed tomorrow."

"Ask the ride from someone who actually took our car or someone who left us to walk on our own this late at night" My wolf snickered

My brother looked like he wanted to press the issue further, but he seemed to decide against it. "Alright, just be more careful next time, okay?"

I nodded, feeling a mix of relief and guilt. I knew I hadn't told my brother the whole truth, but I just couldn't bring myself to reveal the painful reality of my situation.

I nodded, feeling a mix of relief and guilt. "I will, thanks for understanding."

My brother nodded and turned to head back to his room. "Get some rest, Joshua. You look exhausted."

I watched him go, feeling a pang of gratitude towards my brother. He might not always understand me, but he cared about me in his own way.

I took a deep breath and headed to my own room, feeling the weight of the day's events bearing down on me.

As I changed into comfortable clothes and climbed into bed, I couldn't help but wonder what tomorrow would bring. Would Seungcheol and Jeonghan will leave me alone, or would they continue to torment me?

I closed my eyes, trying to push the thoughts away, but they lingered, haunting me like a ghost.

I fell into a restless sleep, my mind racing with the thought of that uneventful day the day it all happened.

I was back in the pack's gathering hall, surrounded by the people I had grown up with. I was 11 and it was the day of the annual pack celebration. I had been so excited, looking forward to spending the day with my friends and family.

But as I stood there, smiling and laughing suddenly everything changed , in the next scene I was standing on a cliff , blood everywhere, I looked down and there was blood in the flowing river and a pair of dead eyes looking back at me with a grin , it's face was all dark only it's dead eyes and white grinning teeth was visible it was if the face was coming out of the water. And then it started to scream, a very bloody ears piercing scream.

I fell to the ground on my knees my hand covering my ears, it was ringing from that scream, my head started to pain and I fell unconscious on that muddy ground looking at my bloody hands.

I woke up with a start, my heart racing and my sheets drenched in sweat. It was just a dream, I told myself, trying to calm down. But the memory still lingered, a painful reminder of the day that everything had changed.

I couldn't sleep after that, I don't want to; on days like these it was a usual routine once every week I would get a dreadful nightmare which will keep me awake for a week , sometimes I would wake up screaming, though no one ever heard it, sometimes I would wake up breathless or sometimes... I couldn't wake up.

"Joshua do you wanna go for a run?" My wolf asked somewhat skeptical

"Sure let's go"

It was only 4 o'clock , still dark outside best time to roam around without being caught or acknowledged. Ares came into control and changed into wolf. My wolf was a big one not very big but still a big one he has blue eyes and white plus gold mix fur which radiates a golden aura.

[Ares is the wolf name, if you all forgot]

He jumped out of the window and landed smoothly on the ground, he started running fast jumping above the walls and gates, we went into the forest behind the packhouse, which is used as training ground. He enjoyed running around in the vast forest while I was watching from the sub consciousness, after a while  I again drifted off to sleep, trusting my wolf to be back in the room before anyone wakes up.
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Or so I thought
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But my big baddie wolf got caught in the traps led in the forest. Until Mr. Kim in the morning came for usual routine check and free us.

What a morning I would say. Let's see how the day would go. I'm already tired

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[A/N : little sneak into the past , can you all guess what would have happened, I'm sure you all can]
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