Under the Devil's Claws

Chapter 9

LAYLA:

I wait for him to probably laugh it off and tell me he was kidding but he does nothing even after a minute has passed.

Well, I couldn’t wait anymore. “What do you mean by nothing? Didn’t you just say that you met with him?” I ask, a little pissed at him for trying to mess around with me if that is what he is trying to do.

“Yes, I did meet with him,” he says, sounding like he is not confusing me in this situation.

“Then what did you discuss with him?”

“I already told you: Nothing.”

“Are you playing with me now, Caleb?” I demand to know as I narrow my eyes at him.

“And why would I? Look, we had nothing to discuss. He told me he didn’t want to hear about what he demanded to know from me but would want to get it from you instead. If you know what I mean,”

I feel a knot tighten in my stomach immediately. It is not from anything else other than disgust fueled with annoyance.

“And you agreed to it?” I ask Caleb with a disgusted look appearing on my face.

“Did I have a choice? It’s not like it was something I needed to talk him out of doing. Besides, it would be a good avenue to change your impression of him because I know you still believe he is arrogant. Although I know nothing about him because he has not been around since we got to this pack, I do know that he might not be what you term him to be.”

I scoff. “Only you would know that,” I say, looking away from him.

But the statement got me thinking. Why would he want to hear me explain myself personally to him? What for? He could have just gotten the information from Caleb because I’m totally unwilling to even try to stand him for even a second.

Little does he know that I have begun a personal task now to ensure I avoid him at any cost. It will be hard to get done knowing that this is his father’s territory but I’m certain I can survive. The reason for doing it would be worth it.

*****

DEREK:

“Hey, Derek,”

As I walk down the passageway, I hear a voice call my name. But I didn’t need anyone to tell me who it was because I already have an idea. And before I could even respond, I was already stressed out.

“What do you want, Rafael?” I demand to know as I respond. I could already feel him walking close by to me and perhaps that annoyed me more because the first experience with him walking side-by-side was nothing pleasant for me. One that I would certainly not want to go through again if given the privilege.

“I was looking for you,” he says. “Where are you heading to?”

That... That right there is why I do not want to walk with him. The bugging questions that never did sit well with me are what I am trying to avoid at the moment. Seems the dude never understands the ultimate concept of walking in solitude for me.

“My father’s? Is there a problem?”

“Not at all. Let me walk with you to the place. I’m sure you don’t mind.”

Well, I do if you care to know. I wish I could scream the words out loud for him to know how much I didn’t want his company but I would have to keep it to myself.

Instead, I choose another approach to ensure that my message is passed across to him that I do not want to be disturbed by him in any way.

“I don’t mind, only if you do away with any sort of conversation with me. I’m not ready to hold any with you so please respect my decision.”

“So even if it’s a tiny little bit, I gotta avoid bringing it up to you?” he asks.

“Even what you just brought up now is part of it. Can’t you just do away with talking? Like it truly pisses me off when I’m walking and then I’m being talked to.”

“Got it,” he states and I can only hope that he has listened. Because if he tries to do what I do not want him to do again, I will be sure to hit him square in the face. Only if I can bring myself to do it because he sure deserves it if it comes to that.

The walk was peaceful and I am glad he decided to give me the respect I deserve. Guess he does listen when he needs to but I have not changed my mind about the fact that he is a great talker. I will still have to ensure that I avoid him as much as I would.

When I get in front of a supposed entryway into a chamber, I can see two guards standing there, each carrying an assault weapon. They are the guards stationed in front of my father’s chamber.

What I do first is to ask them if my father was free for a conversation and they nodded in the positive before making way for me to get into the chamber.

I notice something as I am about to get in. Rafael is still with me and it makes me turn to look at him to know what he is about to do.

“Are you not leaving?” I ask him, wondering why he is still here.

“I will be waiting here for you,” he says, smiling at me. One I do not even want to have a look at because it was rather vexing.

“Why would you wait here for me? I never asked you to,”

“Take it as a voluntary service.”

I cannot help but give him a brief stare before I then turn around to head into the chamber. Whatever he wishes to do, he could do. It was not supposed to be my problem after all.

Once I get into the chamber, I have to first look around at the interior which seems to always catch my attention since my arrival back here.

Before I left for training few years back, the interior was not designed with mostly bronze structures and the like. It had mostly simple designs that came with embroidery and symbols but that has changed now. And I like the new look better. I think my father decided to maintain the old vibes because he tends to discuss with me about such then.

I see him lying on a sofa. He looks dog-tired. I figure he might have gone through a lot of intense activity for him to look like that. Wonder what he did that got him like that.

“Father,” I announce my presence, hoping it was not bad timing that I was here when he decided to probably take a nap.

He was staring up to the ceiling initially but then shifts his attention to me the moment he hears me speak.

“What are you doing here, son?” he asks as he puts his leg down from the sofa before completely adjusting his sitting position so he would be looking directly at me.

I grab a seat on the sofa opposite where he is seated so I could maintain focus on him. When I do sit, I could see his full feature and see how tired he really is.

“Were you doing something before I came in?” I have to ask because I was now more curious than worried for him.

“I was,” he says. “Just a little bit of training for my old body,”

“You might need to slow that down a bit, you know. I know you want to keep yourself healthy and all that but don’t do too much of it. It could affect you in a lot of ways that I would not like to mention because I know you will not like the sound of it knowing how much you love your body,”

He flashes me a brief smile. “So what are you here for? I’m sure you came to see me for something,”

“I sure did,” I say, already preparing how to bring about what I came here for to him. I waste no time in relaying it to him. “Today, a girl and her friend got attacked by wolves that were not of this pack. This means our pack was easily infiltrated by nonmembers which is questionable. Has that ever happened before?”

Father looks surprised. I never thought he would be but he is. I guess word hasn’t reached him about the attack that took place on the girl I saved which is why he is acting this way. But I thought he would have been informed already knowing how information tends to fly across easily.

“Never, son,” he says, his surprise made evident in his tone. “Do you know who the girl and her friend are?”

“Not entirely,” I admit. “I found out they are not actual members of this pack. Something about them coming here to seek refuge which you willingly bestowed to them,”

“Of course I did.”

“I will like to know why.”