Where There's a Wolf There's a Way [1]

Ten

***Thank you to everyone who wished me luck on finals! This one is for you!!***

Sang POV

I woke up feeling warm and very comfortable. I shift but feel something holding me down. My eyes fly open but immediately I relax taking in the sleeping figure beside me. Silas is still breathing deeply with his arm around me. I don't know why but for some reason I feel so comfortable, I don't want to move.

I feel a slight shift in the air and immediately recognize the scent. I turn my head slightly to look at the door. I can just make out Kota's head peaking over Silas's body. He scans us and then, noticing me looking, tiptoes into the room.

"Are you hungry?" he whispers. I think about it just as my stomach growls. I pout not wanting to leave the warmth that I am currently cocooned in. Kota smiles slightly looking at me. "Come on sleeping beauty, Silas needs to get up as well."

I reluctantly shimmy my way out of Silas's hold, and follow Kota out the door and towards the kitchen. I speed up as I get closer smelling the familiar scent. I hear Kota chuckle as I burst into the kitchen, my eyes going straight to the stack of pancakes on the counter.

"Morning, Sang!" Luke greets cheerfully as he flips two more on the black thing next to the stove.

Good morn-.

"LUCIAN! You better not just be cooking crap for breakfast!" I'm interrupted by North shouting. I can hear his footsteps quickly approaching so I jump into action grabbing a plate and filling it with pancakes before scurrying into the dining room. Hopefully, he'll be too busy in the kitchen to find me in here.

I enter and immediately freeze as I take in the bodies already at the table. Owen and Sean both freeze as well glancing up at me. I quickly recover hearing North enter the kitchen and move around the table sitting across from Sean. Maybe he will help block me from North's view. I start to eat as fast as I can. No one will take my pancakes away.

"Slow down, Pookie!" Sean exclaims. I slow down but keep a watchful eye on the door.

"No one will steal your pancakes from you, Miss Sang," Owen states. I meet his eyes and see the promise there. I smiled slightly before digging in at a reasonable pace. If Owen was on my side, then I had nothing to worry about.

After breakfast everyone seemed to split up, some left the house while others were preoccupied with certain tasks. I wondered around looking for something to do. It was rare that they ever left me on my own. I turn the corner into the hall only to bump into a hard body. Warm hands grab my arms steadying me on my feet.

"Woah, you okay Sang?" Kota asks his eyes staring me down. I nod smiling up at him. "What are you doing?" I shrug.

"Bored?" I nod. "You want to come with me? I have to check some stuff on my computer but you can hang out if you want?" I nod happily and follow him to his room. He sits down at the table and starts working. Victor tried to explain computers to me but I still don't really understand them. Instead I survey the rest of his room. A certain structure in the corner catches my eye.

I walk up to curious. Something about the things on it seem familiar. I hear Kota get up and can feel him come up behind me.

"Do you know what these are?" he asks grabbing one. He sits down on his bed motioning to me. I take a seat beside him staring at the object.

I don't know. Familiar.

"It's a book. People write them about different things, stories, facts, and other people read them for enjoyment." Everything he says sounds so familiar.

Oh I love to read... The saying flashes through my mind and I say it without thinking.

"Where did you hear that?" Kota asks excitedly. I shrug and rub my head a little at a slight pain. I can't remember where I heard it. I just know it.

"Do you want to try reading?" he asks opening the object. I nod shifting closer. For some reason the thought of 'reading' this book is making me very excited. His arm brushes my body as he turns the pages. My heart starts to beat a little faster but I ignore it.

"This is Nancy Drew and The Hidden Staircase. I got these books for my sister but she didn't care for them much. I don't like throwing them out so I held on to them. I think you may like them," he starts. He shows me the page. I stare at it trying to make sense of the black markings. They look familiar but I just can't figure them out.

"I'll help you out for the first part okay?" Kota starts reading the words crafting a story right before my very eyes. The more he reads the more I'm inserted into the world of Nancy Drew. I study the markings as he continues and suddenly they make sense. Flashes of sitting next to a window holding a worn book flash through my head.

"Sang are you okay?" Kota asks me. I shake my head and look back down at the page. I read the rest of his sentence before looking back up to meet his eyes. They're shining with something that I can't decipher. "You remember how to read?" I nod.

I remember reading by a window. I remember really liking it.

"I love to read as well. Some of the others do as well, some more than others." I stare down at the book in his hands longingly.

"Do you want to borrow it?" he asks me offering me the book. I look down at it, then up to his face, then back down and up again. I nod launching myself at him. I hug him tight.

Yes! Thank you, Kota!

"No problem, Ten. Feel free to borrow any of them whenever you want," he states squeezing me back but his voice sounds a little weird.

Ten? I ask pulling back. He stares at me with such intensity I want to look away but can't.

"I thought it was fitting," he states moving a loose strand of my hair behind my ear. "With the nine of us, it always felt like something was missing. I think that something was you. You are our perfect Ten." I smile wide at him and huge him tightly again.

It was always me. Just me. I like it here with all of . I try to explain. He hugs me back pressing his face into my hair.

"You never have to be alone again. You will always be welcome here, Ten." He pulls away and I notice his face is colored more than before. I hope he is okay. "Want me to continue reading?" I nod snuggling closer. His breath stops for a second before slowly starting back. I lean my head on his shoulder as he continues to read the story. He weaves the world of the story around us as we investigate with Nancy Drew and I can't help but thinking that there is no other place I would rather be.

***The picture at the top is kind of what I picture the mark on Silas from the last chapter to look like just to give you guys something to reference. Again, I'm sorry it's kind of short, I don't want to draw out a scene unnecessarily. As always vote, comment, tell me what you think. Happy Reading!!