The Wolf ✔

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Books are humanity in print.
-Barbara Tuchman

Groaning when my house finally comes into sight, since I walked it's pitch black. Normally, that would be a good thing but sitting on the back porch I can see Mom, Link and, to my dismay, Celeste.

Dad is no doubt with Asher -but that also means Xander is here and I have missed him so fucking much.

"Baby wolf!" My Mom gasps when she see's me emerge from the dark woods like a creepy vampiric stalker. "You know not to go through the woods at night! You could get hurt or, or kidnapped or something."

"You know what they say, third time's the charm." I joke, avoiding eye contact with everyone at this so I don't see their reaction to the terrible joke.

Yeah, that's why.

"That's not funny Eliza." Link says seriously.

"It's a little funny." I mutter, quickly changing the subject. "I'm going to bed, please don't wake me up I don't quite feel like being conscious right now. And everyone, save for Mom, who does is going to pay for it."

Taking my sour Imma-kill-you mood with humor and understanding my mom simply says, "Well, I feel loved." while warm grey eyes watch me.

I nod at her, telling her 'I'm sorry,' and 'I love you' in ASL before disappearing from her sight.

Not even 3 steps inside and I bounce into a chest, the owner of said chest is who I can instantly tell is Dad.

I have no idea why my Dad doesn't catch me until cold hands latch onto my waist.

Since I'm in my wearing running clothes which consist of black leggings and a tank top, large fingers are able to spread against the bare skin on my stomach.

Ice cold -Asher.

My Dad lifts me up and drops me over the golden boy's shoulder in a single swift movement.

I gasp, clutching onto the back of his shirt, the giant teenager is just as surprised as I am and stumbles back while holding my thigh and the side of my hip before stopping against the hallway wall, which my hands transfer onto to stop me from face planting onto the hard surface.

A startled shout comes from both me and the nice guy when my Dad Asher's collar and drags him the first few steps from the entry way into the bathroom between that and the kitchen.

Even when my Dad is manhandling him Asher never once loosened his hold, never dropped me, never gave himself even the chance to.

"Dad, I swear to fucking God-"

He cuts my growl off by giving Asher one more final shove and locking the door from the outside.

Shocked and slightly scared the hands on me only tighten.

"Elle, there's hard lemonade on the counter for you and there's regular lemonade for the kid. You're not coming out until you have talked it out. Come to a, hmm, agreement let's call it." My Dad's smirking voice comes out overly smug through the air. "Now chop, chop. If you don't finish his by the time I'm asleep then you're not getting out until your mother wakes up and lets you out in the morning. One of you text me. And just a little heads up, nobody can hear you."

"I can break the door down if you really want out." I muter to Asher, who has taken to anxiously pacing.

After settling into the bathtub comfortably, I cracked open a hard lemonade and tried not to freak out about the awkward silence and tense atmosphere.

I don't think we've ever had a silence quite like this before.

"No, no," Asher stammers. "It's okay."