The Wolf Of The Moon & Sun

The Disappearance (79)

ETHAN POV
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He didn't come back for two nights. Two long nights.

I trained out in the woods and part of me searched for him a little bit, telling myself I was just going for a walk, but I knew I was looking for him.

Lonni and Leo weren't concerned, not even the slightest. I didn't understand how they could be so calm about his absence.

"He visits at night," Noah explained as I looked over to him with confused eyebrows, "he meets with them to talk about the war and then he leaves." He took a seat next to me.

"You've seen him?" I asked as I sat up straight. He nodded as he took a bite of his sandwich.

"Yeah," he responded with a mouth full, "Only once though. He has to come home today so you don't need to worry."

Almost on cue, he entered the house. He looked like a complete mess. I hadn't seen him, not until now. He had been making sure of it. He looked messy, more scars on his body than once before. The biggest one was on his arm, though I'm sure it'd heal eventually.

He walked in through the door, splattered blood painted his arms and face as if he had just came in right after taking someone's life, maybe he had.

My stomach twisted in a way it hadn't in a while. Anxiety. The kind I hadn't felt for so long, the kind that had made me feel so small and weak.

I looked away from him even though his eyes never even glanced at me. I picked at my fingers, something I hadn't done in a while. He didn't speak, and I realized how much I missed his voice. I wanted to rip off my fingers as I thought about how angry he was with me.

I had called him unlovable, but it had been me who was unlovable. I'm always so mean and angry, and I can't even do a simple thing by myself without causing trouble for everyone.

I felt like I had just come full circle. All their words of doubt and criticism grew to be reality.

"We are sending out troops to cover the entire territory. There will be no fighting, only grabbing information and then reporting it back," Leo ordered. Alpha Nommi and Jorge were outside, telling their troops the same thing.

"Considering our powers, we will be split into small groups. Irene and Ares will be patrolling further out into the territory, Noah and Ryan will be watching the west sides of the territory," Lonni listed and dread washed over me as I knew who she was going to say next, "Alec and Ethan will take the middle area of the territory. Leo and I take the east."

I glanced up to Alec, but he didn't even look in my direction. It felt slightly harder to breathe.

"And if they attack us?" Ares asked.

"Run. Alpha Nommi has given strict instructions to have no contact whatsoever with the enemy. If they follow you back to the village, then you are given permission to fight," Lonni said and that made many of us shift uncomfortably.

It was unnatural for us to simply run, especially if it was an easy battle, but we couldn't disregard Alpha Nommi's orders, it was her territory we were on after all.

"These damn pacifists," Noah grumbled, shaking his head, and Leo let out a huff of agreement.

We were sent out in our pairs before Alpha Nommi and Jorge sent off any of the troops.

I followed Alec, keeping my distance. He had washed off the blood, but I didn't feel any relief. I tried to do as he did, keeping my eyes up ahead and watching carefully.