Between 2 Kings

14 - White Wolf

"PAX-!" I screamed sitting up. I felt around the bed and looked around the room frantically but it wasn't the room I expected. It took me just a moment to realise I was in my own room and I found that it seems harder to breathe and felt like crying.

I stood from the bed and pulled on Liam's button down shirt, I grabbed my book as I left my room and made my way down the hall to the elevator that led up to the suite.

Everything was stripped now, the beds uncovered and no linen in sight.

I sat curled in the corner of the couch and opened my book to read in the scant predawn light.

On the next page a section of a poem that read 'I offered you what was left of me' was highlighted. The only thing in the entire book so far. I flicked through the next few pages for anything else highlighted and found nothing.

I know it had to come from one of the kings but couldnt figure which one. Liam had more books, so that made the most sense to me.

I finished the book as the sun peered out from behind the tree tops. I lay on my side and pulled my knees as close as I could to my chest because no matter how much I told them to leave, my chest still felt like it couldn't possibly open up to get anywhere near enough oxygen to my lungs and it hurt. I trembled realising they didn't even try to stay, this was real, true panic. It gripped me and constricted as sleep claimed the day.

--

A knock on the door woke me abruptly I was still curled up on the couch, Cole strode in confidently and smiled at me.

"Hey little wolf" he chuckled.

I yawned stretching "I was huge" I spoke through the yawn.

"Not next to me," he laughed "you're tiny"

"How late is it?" I asked frowning "is there any point going to school?"

"We can just slip in with the lunch crowd if we leave now" he smiled holding the door open for me. We took the elevator down and Cole went to speak to Cyrus about a change of clothes. I dug through my pile of clothes and pulled out a white t-shirt and denim overalls pulling them on and running out of my door, down the stairs and to the front door where Cole stood waiting for me in a white t-shirt and basketball shorts.

"Run little one" he called laughing and I froze, the anxiety gripping my chest "Hey, you ok?" He reached a hand out to me and I shrugged him away.

"Someone else used to call me that" I frowned again.

"Well come on!" He laughed "let's go!" He shooed me out the door, into his car and took off for school before I'd even properly buckled in. "Are we like friends yet?" He asked, "like, can we sit together and eat together yet?" He chuckled.

"I don't know. Um, I'm not used to having friends." I frowned at him "it's just easier to take care of myself"

He let loose a deep thunderous laugh "Good, I'll take care of you as well".

I sighed and crossed my arms as we pulled into the carpark "you do seem to have a knack for that. It's a little odd how much you watch me" I murmurrsd.

"You're easy to watch" he stated climbing out if the car. "Come on we have eng-"

"And, how do you know what I have every lesson?" I sighed exasperatedly.

Again, he laughed at me, "it's a small school, we had the same science and you seem smart. Sorry I assumed". We walked into school and sure enough took the same hallways and I stomped slightly ahead of him.

"Ok! So, you're right" I laughed trying to feign being annoyed. We continued to Mr Wilson's English class and sat in the last 2 desks as the bell rang.

"Miss Porter!" Mr Wilson called "borderline late. Tell us what you've read in the last week" he challenged.

"On Love by Chuck Bukowski" I stated taking out my pen and notebook.

"And what have you learned" he asked pointedly.

"Other people suck" I muttered "and they're complex... but in ways worth it." I sighed.

"About poetry Lux" he rolled his eyes at me and moved to write on the board.

"I stand by what she said" Cole sighed "that is related to poetry, it's all about the human condition"

"Good observation" Wilson complimented him, and then dove into a monologue about our final assessment being to pick a gap in a literary work and fill it, giving us flexibility in genre, context, style etc.

I proceeded to slip on my headphones and play whatever was next on my play list.

After way too long I noticed everyone standing to leave and followed suit shortly before a hand locked on my wrist and I looked up to see Cole smiling at me and indicating that I take my headphones out. I removed them and smiled back bashfully.

"You always like that in English?" He asked as we rounded the corner into the hall.

I laughed humourless "I don't like English, it's a subject I just don- it's too subjective. Like I love book but I disagree with Wilson about a lot of books" we weaved our way through the school, me following his lead as we walked towards science.

"Wiley!" He hugged his friend and Alissa smiled quietly at me as we all made our way into the same bench we shared last time.

"You smell different" Wiley frowned "she smells different".

"I shifted" I stated plainly and Alissa squealed.

"You're going to be able to find your mate" she squealed.

"She's not 18" Cole interjected "maybe not".

Wiley and Alissa frowned."if she's not 18..." Wiley started.

"She's alpha to her father's old pack" Cole answered."happens sometimes. They have another alpha though"

We finished up science with me mostly staring out the window and Alissa and Wiley both asked to go to the mall with us. I stamped my feet, I was torn between being hungry for gelato and not wanting the 30 minute drive. I threw my bag roughly into the bed of Coles truck and climbed in with a begrudging nod.

It was the first time I think I'd ever gotten to be a normal teenager. It was kind of an out of body experience for me. We ate, walked, window shopped for things we didn't need then I was dropped home and alone again.

My room felt so foreign and absent and... just not right. I picked up my blanket and made my way up to the suite only to find that beds had been made and rooms refreshed as normal. It was comforting and I climbed into Paxtons bed snugging deep into the sheets.

It didn't smell like him, either of them and it made me feel uncomfortably hollow.