Provoked

Chapter 2

Harry you baka! asshole!

Harry has an announcement for the pack that he's been secretive about all morning even towards Louis. The Alpha awoke an hour before his mate and retired to his study immediately, immersing himself in whatever chose to occupy his focus so entirely. Louis brought him breakfast without a word and rushed to exit the room so that he might not be kicked out.

The pack awaits Harry's word, but none say anything to Louis when the Omega emerges from the packhouse for his daily duties. Suspense is always poorly handled in their community and while Louis also knows nothing of what Harry has to say, he savours the anticipation in each wolf's eyes when they approach him. He and Niall send off the hunters for fresh meat while volunteers prepare a pack lunch; the little ones are difficult to monitor when they're in a large group and running about in absurd abandonment.

Louis happens by Daniel in the woods when he's taking a walk and just about manages to break into a sprint before the other Alpha grabs him in a tight squeeze. Daniel leaves his wolf form to embrace their pack Omega enthusiastically, laughing when Louis resists him with just as much playfulness. They walk back to the clearing outside the packhouse together before Niall drags Louis away as the sun begins to set. Harry's called everyone into the gathering room in the packhouse to finally hear what the Alpha has to say.

Fitting three hundred wolves into one room proved to be a challenge over the years so on a whim, Harry tore down three adjacent walls to have the space expanded. Louis remembers waking at four in the morning to the cruel heaviness of drywall crashing to the floor under Harry's incessant swinging. He found himself under a blanket that Harry draped over him to shield the Omega from spraying debris; his skin was flushed bright red and sweat had made every crevice clammy. Harry had brought Louis down to the living room while he worked and the Omega slept, offering no explanation when the boy woke up.

Unlike Niall, Louis had a pre-designated spot to occupy in any meeting of the pack and he had to leave his friend to join Harry on the stout platform at the head of the room. His Alpha was standing with his back to everyone in the room, leaning over the blazing mantelpiece with an arm pressed to the cold porcelain. The flames of a vengeful fire were reflected in Harry's eyes as they grew darker, more haunted.

He sensed Louis coming when the Omega entered the room and straightened his back, raised his head in reception of his mate. Louis has long since grown accustomed to what the pack felt as a whole when the leading pair were in the same room – a natural phenomenon that ran thrills through any lower pack member. Wolves in a pack belonging to such a powerful Alpha as Harry were all affected by being in the presence of their strongest mated pair; it was never anything more than a series of warm chills down to every last inch of skin. When it first happened, Louis was shocked and mildly ashamed until Harry soothed his nerves. It was nothing meant to humiliate an Omega, merely resonate the unity of a pack.

Louis steps up onto the platform with practiced grace and strolls up to Harry's side as soundlessly as possible. He watches the Alpha's gaze flicker from the flames to him and back upon being caught. "They're waiting for you."

Harry takes a deep breath and nods stiffly. "I am aware."

Feeling characteristically awkward, Louis lets Harry relish in his pointless silence for a moment or two. He glances at the expectant eyes all narrowed on them and turns back to find an upturned palm awaiting him. Louis looks at Harry in alarm.

"Take my hand, little Omega." Harry breathed, pushing off the wall and ceasing Louis' wrist in the curl of his fingers. He chuckles, curt and sinister, into Louis' ear when he turns them around. "Don't worry. I won't let the big, scary wolf from the forest hurt you."