The Pain Thief

Chapter 15

STAY WITH ME

Jack had been laying in his bed on his back, flipping through a book without really reading it. He felt distracted for some reason, but he couldn't place his finger on it. 

Nothing had happened in the past week that was especially exciting. There were just low-level hazes scattered around that the two of them could easily defeat. What happened the night before was perplexing, but it didn't look like anything had happened, so he wrote it off as a failed attempt. 

He was dressed in his baggy blue jeans with a white tee and a gray sweatshirt, though he didn't think he'd be going anywhere. 

Zoe had gone home early that day to watch the house while Mr. Z went out. Jack just finished dinner with his family, feeling distracted. He sighed and put the book down on his stomach before checking his phone. No texts from Zoe, he thought sadly. 

He placed his hands over his eyes and felt himself beginning to drift off to sleep. 

Jack jumped awake at the sound of angry growling near his bed. He sat up to see Reyna glaring angrily at him. 

"What's up Reyna?" he asked conversationally. It wasn't odd for Zoe to send her wolves here and there sometimes. 

You weren't there! she yelled in a panic and absolute rage. She had never been so angry at him. The Young One needs us!

"What do you mean I wasn't there? What are you talking about?" Jack felt panic rise in his chest at Reyna's mention of Zoe. 

The Young One is fighting and she is hurt. She needs you to stay alive.

Jack felt his heart stop for a second as he just stared at Reyna. Zoe was... dying? But he hadn't even felt her use her power! 

When he didn't respond, Reyna rushed forward and placed both of her front paws on his bed, getting right up in his face. She roared loudly, then said, We must go!

Jack snapped out of it. His whole family had probably heard her roar, so he didn't have time to sit around anyway. 

He got up and threw some shoes on. "Wait outside!" he commanded as he ran out of the room and down the stairs. 

He was met by his family at the bottom, all four of them staring after him with worried looks. 

"What was that?" asked Sarah accusingly. Since the party, Sarah had been acting a little strange, being wary of Jack and Zoe. She seemed the same sometimes, but it was like she was watching them closer, which didn't bode well for either of them. 

"Uhhh um well that was, er, a ring-tone!" said Jack a little too excitedly. 

"A ring-tone?" said his dad disbelievingly. 

"Yeah," said Jack quickly. "I had my phone plugged into the speakers so it was a little loud. It was Zoe, do you think I could meet her?"

He knew he was talking too fast, but his worry was getting the better of him. All he could think about was Zoe lying dead in a street somewhere. 

"For what?" asked his mother in a motherly tone. 

"Um we forgot about a project. I might be there a little late, ok?" He smiled nervously, hoping they would just let him go. 

Every second his parents thought about it, he thought his heart would just stop beating. 

Finally his mom said, "Ok, but give us a call and let us know." Maybe she could tell something was wrong, because his excuse honestly wasn't that great.