𝐓𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐅𝐚𝐭𝐞 ⸙

1.52𓆩ᥫ᭡𓆪

Liam had been asleep for an hour before Baela phoned to say they were outside. He didn't wake up from the ringing, or Zayn's short and blunt conversation to say that he would greet them at the gate.

Zayn looked down to his sleeping mate. Liam's head rested on Zayn's bare chest, with hands curled up against himself. The duvet was pulled to Liam's ears, and he felt warm against Zayn, who was very hot under the duvet, not used to sleeping bundled up. Liam had shivered right up until he fell asleep. Zayn had to keep Liam warm, even if it meant that he was uncomfortable himself.

Zayn was reluctant to move. He had to wake Liam to tell him to lock the door behind him. As Zayn opted to slide out from underneath him, Liam softly murmured something in sleep and tried to coil around Zayn's arm.

I can't leave him. He'll freak if he wakes up and I'm not there. Zayn still snuck from the bed and watched Liam curl himself in the thin duvet. He'll get cold soon. I'll have to hurry.

Zayn tiptoed to the door, unlocked it as quietly as he could, and looked left and right down the corridor. The lights were dull and made the ends of the corridors eerily dark. Zayn crossed to the opposite door and banged hard with his fist, not caring if he woke Harry.

As he thought about what to say, Zayn concluded that he had to be the one to greet his pack, not Louis, not Junes, and not Junes' snotty Beta. Ethdellin Pack had promptly come to his side when he needed them. The least Zayn could do was act like their Alpha and make sure they were all okay.

Louis quickly opened the door with a finger over his mouth. "What is it?" he whispered.

"Mum and my pack are at the gate. I can't leave Liam by himself, and I don't want to wake him. Can you sit with him while I bring in my pack?"

Louis took one look at her mate, sleeping soundly on the bed, and nodded, knowing Liam was more vulnerable because Zayn's mate was a target.

"Will you wake Junes?" she asked, stepping into the corridor and shutting the door behind her.

"I'll tell a guard to find his Beta wolf. He won't be happy with this, but I couldn't leave them at your place." Zayn handed her the phone.

"Find out what's going on over there, and why the fuck your parents left her guests and my pack to fend for themselves."

"I will." Lou's eyes darkened. "I'm not pleased with my parents. I hope you know that."

Zayn nodded once and watched Lou enter his(the room Ziam are staying in) room and sit quietly at the desk. Zayn took one last glance at Liam before setting off down the corridor.

The walk to the gate felt long. Zayn was desperate to get back to Liam, yet relieved to see his mother, Baela, Niall, and forty members of his pack standing on the other side of the gate to greet him. The guards opened the gate when Zayn demanded it in his Alpha voice and red
pulsing eyes.

His mother greeted him with a tight hug and strong pats on the back.

"Don't worry," she said quietly into his ear. "We'll get our home back."

"We will." Zayn remained emotionless, despite him feeling rather panicked on the inside. "You know Junes better than me. Are we safe here?"

Solana examined the cuts on Zayn's face. "We will be if your pack keeps watch all night."

What his mother meant was Junes could be unpredictable. He was usually an ally when it suited him, but Zayn's father had built a good and trustworthy relationship with the Sea Claw Pack. Junes was big on trust.