𝐓𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐅𝐚𝐭𝐞 ⸙

2.75༊*·˚

At dinner, Zayn asked his parents about what had happened with Thea.

"She still hates me, doesn't she?" Zayn grumbled, frowning at his roast potatoes.

"Well, yes. Even after all you've been through, she still tried to tell us about how much you dampened her mental health over the past two years. She wanted an apology from you, and that was where my anger took over," Xavier said, smiling at Solana who watched him with stars in her eyes.

"Thea tried to claim that my death affected her the most."

"And Solana was in the room when she said that?" Liam asked, astounded.

"Yes. That tipped me over the edge. They left soon after." Xavier tilted his head at Liam. "Did you talk more with Harry?"

"No. They left too. I think Harry was hurting."

"Good," Zayn muttered. He knew he would never feel anything other than hatred for Harry. Maybe one day they could be in the same room without Zayn thinking of ways to harass him, but that day wouldn't come soon.

The next morning, Zayn and Liam ventured outside the grounds of the Packhouse. Liam felt giddy as he waited for the gate to slide open. The outer metal was dented and scratched. Liam wondered what was going on in the town, but every time he asked, Zayn got quiet and annoyed and mumbled something about wanting to set it all alight.

Stepping beyond the gate was nothing short of liberating. After all they had gone through, they finally had nothing to worry about. All neighbouring Packhouse's were allies. Rogue wolves were taken to the recovery Packhouse. More were found each day.

"Do you think a law will be passed about not having Rogue wolves?" Liam asked, wandering happily though the frozen mud.

"Yes. After what Mira and Jaiden did, I think it's safer for us all." Zayn ran a hand along a large wet dock leaf. "It's just not possible for anyone to live as a Rogue. They end up starved by the end of the year and humans always report seeing wolves. They disrupt everyone's peace."

"What will Leo do?"

"I promised him freedom, he can do anything he wants."

"What if he wants to join the pack?"

Zayn and Liam looked at each other. "I'll let him. Without his help.."

Zayn didn't want to think about how different that day would've been. He put an arm around Liam as they walked, further and further into the woods, venturing far from the Packhouse without a care in the world.

Zayn stopped a few times to listen and to sniff the air. "There's a deer half a mile from here."

"Which direction?" Liam asked.

Zayn pointed west. They slowed their walk and tiptoed across the hard ground, passing tree after tree until Liam was disorientated. Thick forests alI looked the same to him after a while.

Suddenly, Zayn tugged on his shoulders and they crouched.

Liam peeked through the bushes and at the deer with its head down, drinking peacefully from a large puddle. Zayn sniffed the air, barely blinking.

His mouth watered a little. If he were in his wolf form, he might have chased the deer and carried it home as a prize, if Liam wasn't with him.

They watched the deer for a while until it sensed Zayn and bounced through the trees. "I want to be my wolf."

"Okay." Liam beamed and continued walking, leaving Zayn behind to shift. The sound of his bones cracking always made him cringe. He focused on a twisted old tree until a black and brown wolf appeared silently by his side. Zayn's pulsing red eyes stalked the woodland floor.