Lycans Of The Woods

Chapter 24

Hi everyone! This chapter is long, over 3700 words. I hope you all enjoy it. 💕

My fingers trailed along what was left of the bars before the window sill, feeling it's rough broken edges and the grains of dust that remained on my fingertips until I wiped them away with a cloth. The windows were open, and wind floated through smoothly, grazing my face and tickling my neck as I peered outside.

My eyes followed the movement of Alec, who had recently returned with his half-sister. The young boy jogged to a man who stood nearby, and I watched as they embraced.

Lilith paused to watch from a distance, arms folded across her chest and back facing me. She only turned at the appearance of her Alpha and several other warriors. Hannes stopped to speak to her, whilst the warriors went on their way, walking to their homes or wherever they intended to go.

My fingers wrapped around the delicate cloth I'd used to clean them, twisting and turning it as I watched the two lycans standing in the middle of the pack, and my mind drifted to Hannes' mother.

Did her personality mirror her son's? Did she loathe me for killing her sister?

I glanced at Hannes when I heard his murmuring deep voice come to a stop, and saw the way his broad shoulders stiffened under the uniform he wore, the uniform which held that eerily familiar symbol.

Lilith took a few steps away from Hannes when I looked at her, and after a small inclination of her head in my general direction, she walked away, back straight and steps careful and slow.

My eyes turned to Hannes once again, who steadily watched me; even from the distance, I could see the way his gaze darkened as he looked up at me from where I stood by the window.

The corner of his lips lifted in a humourless smile, the fingers of his right hand curling into a fist and I exhaled softly when he began walking to the house.

He soon was no longer in my line of vision and I heard the front door below open and close, and then the sounds of Hannes speaking to Jeremiah. I drew away from the windows, paused, and then leaned forward once more, this time grasping the handles of them and closing it in, a soft whoosh following the sound of the windows clicking shut.

My eyes skirted over the snowflakes that had drifted inside onto the floor and had begun to swiftly melt away.

Continuing to twist the cloth, I settled onto the bed, eyes taking in the view of the evening sky. The time in which I had to meet with the Elders was nearing, and my mind arose many different scenarios that could occur as I spoke to them.

Would I receive harsh spitting words from them? Would they believe my reasonings for killing Anabelle? Would they find me killing Anabelle to be even appropriate?

Willow opened the bedroom door, and I stood jerkily, surprised. Her eyes ran over me, and she moved to the closet, opening it roughly. I watched as she roamed through the clothes hung, until she pulled out a heavy, thick dark blue coat and pushed it into my arms.

"That should do." Willow muttered, watching as I simply held it in my hands. "The Ragged Cave usually becomes cold around this time, and you will need the warmth."

"The Ragged Cave?" I questioned, running my fingers against the soft coat, before carefully pulling it on. My body shuddered at how comfortably it wrapped around my upper body.

"The Elders will be speaking with Hannes and yourself in there," Willow explained. "It's an area nearby, and both of you should reach it in only two minutes or so."

I watched as she moved to a desk, her heeled boots clicking despite there being carpet on the floor and she pulled open a drawer, revealing many pairs of gloves.