A Howl In The Night ✔ » l.s

5

In the silence of the room, the sharp sound of his father's slap echoed. Louis pressed his lips to keep his mouth shut as his father leered at him.

"You disobeyed me." Benedict said lowly, voice dangerous.

"Your son was dying in the markets—"

Another slap sounded and echoed through the room. Benedict leaned over his table so that his face were mere inches away from Louis'.

"If he cannot defend himself from a single beast, then I would gladly not call him my son." He sneered.

And this was the hardest thing Louis had ever had to do. His entire body was tingling, every part of him was begging him to fight back, to hit this man and hurt him for what he'd done to Harry and how he treated Harry. But he shouldn't, because Benedict is a powerful man and would always find ways to come right back at you. He had to remind himself that Harry was still in this mansion, and if Louis so much as spoke up against him, Benedict would kick him out and he wouldn't be able to see the boy.

So, no matter how much his palms were bleeding from how tight his hands were fisted, he kept his mouth shut. He kept his fists underneath the table. He kept his sword in its sheath.

"Get out of my face!" Benedict yelled, shoving several books and picture frames off his table and sending it all to the ground.

Louis looked him in the eyes with all the anger he felt before standing up and stiffly walking out of the room, slamming the door shut as he did so.

The mansion was no longer vacant like it had always been for months. Troopers and Commanders alike strolled past him across the halls, meetings taking place in several rooms. Since Benedict was the Head Commander, he wanted his people close enough to him so that he could discuss the situation and address the numerous problems and threats the city was facing, which is why the mansion now served as some sort of Headquarters.

Louis unclenched his fists as he walked, feeling the sting of the crescent-shaped scars on his palms. He saw Liam from a distance, completely dressed and armed. He was talking to one of the Commanders, looking glum.

"Liam? Can I speak to you?" Louis interrupted.

Liam quietly apologized to the Commander—Stephen, Louis recognized—before walking away, Louis falling into a step beside him.

"Do you have an assignment?" Louis asked.

"I'm joining the search parties. Our list of missing persons just got longer, especially after the incident in the markets yesterday. Aren McCarter, though, Aaron's twin is still on top of our list. He's been gone for days." Liam said, sounding as exhausted as he looked.

"Zayn and Niall?" Louis said, avoiding a Trooper who nearly toppled him over.

"Niall still needs to recover form his injuries, he's with Harry. Zayn's probably at the weapons room, I'm not sure he's been given an assignment." Liam supplied.

They stopped at the mansion's main doors as Liam typed on his phone. He then looked up at Louis with a sympathetic smile.

"Benedict was that bad?" Liam asked.

"The only thing he got out of what happened yesterday was that we walked out of the meeting without his permission, and that Harry apparently couldn't fend for himself. Even Jaron, that fucking giant was knocked out! Harry wasn't prepared, all he had was a goddamn dagger." Louis' voice wavered in anger.

Liam put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "You know him, Louis. That's just how he is."

Louis pressed his lips together. A part of him wanted to argue with Liam and tell him that they shouldn't let Benedict's acts and words slip just because 'that's how he is'. It wasn't fair. It never was.