the eclipse [sequel] ☾ l.s.

eleven - the witch

"Hey! Hey, hold on a minute!"

Louis strided after Harry's father. The crowd parted in front of him, taken aback by his anger and his presence alike. The man had already made it halfway down the street, and Louis broke into a jog, hurrying to catch him before he disappeared into his house -- Harry's old house.

The older alpha turned, his lips pursed when he realized who was calling after him. "Louis," he greeted coldly. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"It's never a pleasure when it comes to you," Louis replied. Maybe his manners had fallen a bit shorter during his time in the woods. "I don't expect you to welcome Harry with open arms, but I'm not okay with you ignoring him. He deserves better than that."

"He's already gotten more than he deserves," the dark-haired man spat. Anger contorted his face, his deep wrinkles suddenly more defined. "I gave him a bed to sleep in and a roof over his head. I protected him from people who would have killed him. I did my part."

"You're his father! He needed that and so much more from you, and instead --" He cut himself off. An uneasy feeling zipped through his chest, tight and unfamiliar. The ground beneath their feet seemed to shake, and he rushed out, "Wait. Something's not right. Something's --"

An explosion shook the entire street, a series of screams rumbling toward them from the back gates. Louis crouched down instinctively, lifting his arms to protect his ears from the piercing echoes and shield his head from any debris.

"A raid," Harry's father cursed. He grabbed Louis's arm, tugging him to his feet and toward the gates -- even further from the town center. "We need to get to the gates! Come on!"

Louis shrugged him off, shoving the older man back. His blue eyes blazed with fury, his jaw set as he growled, "I'm not going anywhere with you!"

The alpha's eyes nearly bugged out of his head. "Louis, this is what we brought you here for --"

"I don't give a fuck what you brought us here for! My omega -- your son -- is alone in that house without anyone looking out for him!"

"Louis, your pack --"

"You look after your pack," Louis spat. "You look after your family. I'll look after mine."

Without another glance at Harry's father, he turned on his heel and ran back in the direction he came, following the same path that Harry had taken minutes before. He didn't get more than five steps before he slammed straight into Zayn, cursing furiously as they tumbled to the ground in a tangle of limbs. "Jesus fuck!" he exclaimed, scrambling to his feet, tripping on the uneven road.

Zayn's eyes were wild. He grasped desperately at Louis's arm, stumbling as he tugged the alpha down the street. "Louis, we have to go. Come on, we have to run."

Louis didn't question the beta, breaking into a run. It only took him a split second to realize that they were sprinting toward his house, and he panted, "What happened? What's wrong?"

"The house -- your house," Zayn responded, his tone clipped and sharp-edged with regret. "Your house is on fire."

Louis's heart leapt into his throat. "Harry . . ?"

Zayn hesitated, then offered vaguely, "Liam and Niall are there. I assume they're working on it."

The fear that coursed through Louis's veins nearly crippled him; it nearly sent him plummeting to the rough road beneath his feet. His knees wobbled. His lungs tightened. His heart grew and grew until it took up the whole of him, stretching to reach even the darkest corners of his weary mind.