In the Eyes of the Wolf

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

-Pax-

The sound of crickets brought a sense of comfort and relaxation. It was the sound that I associated with peace as it meant most of my social interaction was over for the day. Cedar left my side as soon as we entered the front door, going over to Rosary. I knew it was her from the sound of kissing, a sound which irritated me for several reasons.

"How was patrol?" Kian's voice came from the top of the stairs. I shrugged. I didn't quite know how it went, was it normal to bump into people? "Reporting back is part of the job." I stopped on my quest for sanctuary and turned to his voice.

"I don't know how it went. I walked the trail and nothing unusual happened." As far as I was aware, I wasn't telling any lies. I hadn't paid attention to anybody else reporting back on patrols, I didn't really understand the point of them. Nobody knew about our pack, apparently. We were small and mostly went unbothered. Bumping into humans was apparently normal too, according to Farley. It could've been a normal day.

Kian hummed. "Alright, off to your room. I don't want to see you until tomorrow."

I nodded and left. I hope I can sneak down at some point.

My plans didn't quite work, as I fell asleep quickly. The next thing I knew, I was hearing birds. My cheek was pressed against my pillow, and my nose ached. I groaned and pushed myself up. That was an awkward position to fall asleep in. I stood and walked towards my drawers, stepping on fabric by accident. I bent down to pick up the item of clothing on the floor, recognising it as my T-shirt. It had somehow wrapped itself around my foot. I shouldn't have forgotten that it was there.

There was no noise coming from downstairs yet. The birds had been waking up earlier and earlier with the sun, giving me more of a struggle when it came to figuring out the time.

I tiptoed down the stairs in the hope that my assumption was right. I didn't pass anyone in the hallway, nor was there anyone in the kitchen. The fruit bowl - a large wicker basket which had lost its handles - was full of bananas, oranges, and apples. I opted for the latter and leant against the cupboards. The apple tasted fresh and sweet, the juice filled my mouth, making me wonder if this counted as both food and drink.

"Good morning, Pacs!" The loud voice made me jump. The name made a smile come to my lips. I tilted my head down, in the direction of the voice. Reaching out my free hand, I felt a head of soft hair find my palm.

"Good morning, Alder," I replied to the six-year-old. "You're up early."

He nodded his head at me and hummed in confirmation. "Cedar said he'd play if I get up early." I shook my head at him and pushed myself off the counter. Cedar was taking advantage of Alder's naivety; he wasn't one to get up until at least 10 AM. I turned to the cupboards and started to get out a bowl, a spoon, and some cereal. "I can do that now," he said and touched the box.

I gently pushed his hand away and shook my head. "I know, but I hear you're a bit greedy," I teased him lightly as I put some cereal into the bowl and then poured in the milk. I moved it towards him with the spoon. I'd made cereal several times before, only failing when I was unable to concentrate. That incident meant Rosary had to go and buy another carton of milk, as the previous one had been spilt on the floor.

"I'm not greedy. Thank you." The noise of the spoon hitting against the plastic bowl wasn't as irritating as it could've been. At least I was able to tell he was eating it. I sat in front of him in a matching wooden chair. There were a few splinters in the back but there wasn't anything I could do about that. "What're you doing today?" Alder asked around a mouthful of cereal.