Howls of the Lost | Now Published!

Chapter 24

Chapter 24

Nearly two months passed without any word from Xander.

We were able to have the service for those we had lost without any interference. We were also able to give the pack and their families time to truly mourn their loved ones. In the down time, we spent time training, and the three packs seamlessly meshed the longer we all spent time together. The spring air was quickly starting to warm as summer settled over the town. Logan and I had spent the majority of our time together, but every once in a while, I would hang out with Rikki, Ashlyn, Brooke, and Corie. My sister had efficiently inserted herself into our group, and she fit in just fine. Jake had taken up every minute of my time that the others hadn't, so being alone was out of the question.

Which was why I was sneaking out of Logan and I's bedroom at six in the morning.

Logan was sound asleep, his chest rising and falling evenly as I slipped into a pair of jean shorts. Taking a deep breath, I eased the door open and stepped out into the hall. Once the door was shut, I released the air from my lungs and moved down the hall towards the front door.

For the first time since I had been there, I looked at the pictures that lined the walls. A smile crossed my face as I saw the picture of Logan and Dalton as kids, hugging each other. It was one of the cutest things I had ever seen. Back then, the boys might as well have been twins. Shaking my head, I continued to study the photos that gave me an insight into Logan's past. After a while I started to notice that there were pictures missing. From far away, it wasn't as noticeable, but up close you could clearly see the blank spaces where a frame had once hung. A rustling sound in one of the rooms caused me to speed up my pace and make a break for the door, but I didn't make it.

"Tori?" a voice called. Raising an eyebrow, I turned to face Dalton where he stood rubbing his eyes. His shaggy hair was curled over his forehead and his sapphire eyes were red from sleep.

"What're you doing up, kid?" I asked, halting with my hand on the doorknob.

"I'm not the one sneaking out of the house before the sun even comes up," he retorted, awareness finally settling over his features. "So, shouldn't I be asking you that question?" His eyes narrowed at me as he took a few steps forward.

Sighing, I held up my hands in a form of surrender. "You caught me, but I swear I'm not running away," I assured him when I saw the flash of apprehension in his eyes. "It's just, I'm an independent person and I haven't been able to get a lot of alone time in recently," I explained, sheepishly rubbing the back of my neck.

"Logan can be a little smothering," he muttered, walking into the living room.

My curiosity peaked and I followed him. "What do you mean?"

He stopped in his tracks before turning around to face me. He bit his lip as if debating whether or not to tell me. "Let's just say, Logan is extremely overprotective of the people he cares about anymore . . ." he trailed off, his eyes gaining a faraway look to them. I could see that he didn't feel comfortable talking about it, so I reached forward and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Its fine, Dalton," I said. "You don't have to talk about it."

"Thanks, Tori," he said. "Now you might want to get going. Logan usually wakes up around dawn."

Cursing under my breath, I thanked him and turned for the door. "If he freaks out too much," I started, sticking my head back into the living room. "Tell him I'll be back around dusk," I instructed.

"Yes ma'am!" he said, saluting me and sounding so much like his brother I cringed.

Stepping outside, I took in a deep breath of the fresh air. All I needed to do was decide where I wanted to go. Glancing to my right, the forest looked foreboding at this time, but I made my way towards it anyway. No matter how dark and mysterious the place could be, the woods were my home. They were where I had lived for the past seven years, and I felt safer in the security of the trees than in any house.