Red String {EDITING}

If Only He Hadn't Worn Gloves

"Rylan!" His mother's voice echoed up the stairs. "RYLAN!"

"Coming." The fourteen-year-old scowled, slicking back his inky black hair in his bedroom mirror.

"Don't forget your gloves!"

Rylan grabbed his black leather gloves from the sideboard, pulling them on alongside his deep red coat, ensuring his sash was tied tightly around his waist before he sprinted down into the hallway.

"Come on, Ry-bear." A hand pinched his cheek. "We can't be late."

"It's just a bunch of orphans..."

His mother prodded her nose. "And that's precisely why you're not ready to take over your father's job yet." She sighed. "They're the future generation, just like you."

"Why are we even going there?"

"There have been rumours, regarding a boy with Alpha Eyes." She stared down at her son. "Your father and some of the other Alphas are going to investigate."

"Another future Alpha?" Rylan blinked, counting the number of other kids with the Eyes they'd already found on his fingers. "The last one?"

"Exactly." A hand ruffled his hair as his father appeared beside him. "This is the last chance those Rogues have to get a hold of a future Alpha." He turned to his mate – Rylan's mother. "Carol, you'll be in the second car. Finar's travelling with you."

"Aww." She pouted. "I wanted to travel with you, Honey."

He planted a kiss on her forehead. "I need to discuss some things in private with the lads."

"Like what?" One blonde brow arched. "Leopold..."

"Don't worry, Hun."

"Ick." Rylan turned away, not bothering to watch as his parents kissed once again.

"You'll be doing that with your mate once you find her." His father ruffled his hair for a second time.

"Dad!" He scowled. "You're messing my hair up!"

"Want to look good for the ladies, do we?" Leopold grinned, nudging his son.

"Don't tease him, Leo." Carol glared witheringly at him. "Come on, dear. Let's get you to the car. You can fix your hair in there." She said, pulling her son along by the arm. "Especially seeing as your father doesn't want to travel with us..."

"How cruel, Leo..." A black-haired guy wandered to his side. "You won't even travel with your mate..."

"Where's Zen?"

"Right here." The white-haired guy said, appearing next to the Alpha King out of thin air. "You two ready to go?"

"Yeah."

***

"Oy!" A foot prodded the sleeping boy wearing the red coat. "Rylan, get up! We're here!"

"Blythe..." Rylan scowled.

"Your mother and father are already inside, so unless you want me to carry you inside, then get up." Arms folded across an undone purple coat. "Rylan! Get your lazy arse out of the car right this instant!"

"I'm coming." The boy grumbled, sluggishly prying himself from the car. "Keep your hair on, mother."

One eyebrow twitched. "Rylan." Blue eyes bore into the boy's slightly paler ones. "Call me mother again, and I will ensure you live to regret that decision. Immensely."

"Chill." He muttered, stomping towards the orphanage. "I'm out of the car, aren't I?"

"Come on." His hand closed around the boy's arm, dragging him through the double doors and into the drab little hallway. "Your father's waiting for you. You're supposed to introduce yourself to a few of the orphans."

"If I have to."

"Stop being a spoiled brat, Ry." Blythe sighed, leading him into the kitchen.

"Rylan!" His mother waved him over. "Come and meet some of the kids."

"Where are the other two children?" Leo glanced around the room, counting the number of children yet again. "As far as I'm aware, your orphanage looks after eighteen children..."

"One of them came down with a fever a few days ago, and the other one is taking care of them. Those two are inseparable." The matron said, pointing towards the stairs. "They're upstairs."

"Finar. Blythe." The Alpha King glanced over at the pair of them. "Go and see them."

"Oh." The matron held out a tray of food. "If you're going up, would you be able to take this up? The poor dear hasn't eaten anything all day..."

"Of course." The brunette with his hair tied back in a ponytail nodded, passing the tray over to Blythe before the pair of them hurried upstairs.

"Why do I have to carry it, Finar?!" Blythe scowled, glaring at the brunette as he stuck out his tongue.

"Are you going up too, Rylan?" Leopold glanced over at his son, having spied him following the two.

"I've got nothing better to do." He shrugged. "Plus, it'll be less crowded up there."

"Rylan." His mother hissed. "Be polite!"

"OK, mum." He said, wandering upstairs, blinking as he spotted the four people in the corridor up ahead.

"She shouldn't be out of bed." Finar folded his arms, glaring at the small blonde twelve-year-old.

"She needed to go to the toilet." A faint blush appeared on the boy's face. "I didn't want her to make a mess on her bed."

"Well we need to get her back to bed." Finar said, ushering the two into their room. "She's not well enough to be on her feet."

"I think I gathered that." The twelve-year-old muttered, sitting the small girl next to him on the bottom bunk, wrapping the blue blanket around her shoulders.

"What are you doing here, Ry?" Blythe turned, having finally realised who had followed them into the small bedroom.

"I came to say hello to the two kids up here." He shrugged, striding over to the blonde boy, offering a hand. "I'm Rylan. Alpha Prince Rylan."

Red eyes met his pale blue ones as the blonde shook his hand. "Thorn."

"And who's this?" Rylan offered out his hand to the smaller girl.

A smile lit up her flustered face, as she slipped a small hand into his gloved one. "Lyra." The small seven-year-old redhead said. "My name's Lyra."

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ILLENIS HERE

And so the plot thickens...

Well, you'll find out what caused this whole chapter at the start of the next one, which will hopefully be a bit longer than this one, since this one hasn't hit the 1000 word mark, much to my disappointment.

Hopefully you should've figured out the reasons behind the chapter title, but if not, I'll give you a hint.

In my books, werewolves don't have to be eighteen to find their mates.

They can be found at any time.

Oh well.

There's always a next time.

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