the eclipse [sequel] ☾ l.s.

fourteen - look what you've done to me

"She doesn't want you, Harry."

Louis was looking at him like he had absolutely lost his mind, like he had hit his head too hard when they both fell. The rest of the pack was still circled around them, barely giving them ten feet of space. Harry's cheeks heated at the realization that all of the soldiers were listening in, and although he didn't see Louis's father himself, he knew that anything they said would reach the Head Alpha's ears in no time. Even with Zayn and Liam standing over Louis's shoulder like bodyguards, their privacy was nonexistent.

"She wants power. Did you not hear anything she said?" The alpha was fuming, his blue eyes alight with growing rage. "She acts like family is some sort of mutually-beneficial agreement, not something special. Not a real bond."

"Louis," Harry responded, keeping his voice low. He made eye contact with Liam over Louis's shoulder, and the other alpha immediately looked away. "Can we not talk about this right now? I-I just want to go back to the house, I-I --"

"No, we're absolutely going to talk about this right now. You think she actually wants to be with you? Wants to be your family?"

Harry swallowed hard, casting his gaze sideways to avoid his alpha's harsh glare. "I don't know, Louis. I don't know what I think."

Louis didn't just look confused anymore -- he looked angry. "She doesn't understand family. Not like we do," he snapped. "She doesn't understand how special that bond is -- and that's why she thinks she can just waltz in here and announce that you two are family and that's that! It's why she thinks you're obligated to go with her without even knowing her. She doesn't understand how special that trust is."

Harry's voice was soft but steady. "When has family ever been special to us?"

Louis inhaled sharply. Guilt washed over him immediately -- like Harry's father had hit him in the face, had left invisible scars down his back, deep enough to nick his heart. He frowned. His hand suddenly felt out of place on Harry's cheek, awkward and unwieldy.

"Come on." He took both of Harry's hands, finally pulling the omega to his feet. "You're right, love. Let's get back into town, then we can --"

"No, we're talking about it now. Tell me. When has family ever been special?" Harry's green eyes had gone dark, intensely focused on his alpha's face. "To my father? To your father?"

"It's not about them, Harry --"

"It's always about them! Everything comes back to them, I-I can't fucking take it anymore!" He tore his hands out of Louis's, shouldering his way past Liam as he stalked back toward town.

As he watched him leave, all Louis could think about was the miracle that Harry was going the right way. His mate had always had an awful sense of direction. One of Louis's many uses.

Once he snapped back to his senses, he jogged a few steps, reaching out to grab Harry's arm and stop him from storming off. "Haz, come on --"

He yanked his arm out of Louis's grasp. "Don't touch me."

And Louis let him go.

Harry walked back to town with a bitter taste in his mouth and an invisible storm cloud over his head. All in the same day, he had reconciled with Louis, ruined a reunion with his mother, and un-reconciled with Louis. If his father wasn't out of town (conveniently, he realized now), Harry probably would have headed straight there and given the older alpha a piece of his mind; instead, his every thought was consumed with Louis. He knew that he had hurt his mate -- he could feel it -- but he forced himself to keep walking. He headed straight for the infirmary.