12 | dreaming

❝Overthinking kills your happiness.❞

a l i x

The room satiated with the people necessary - Nick, Tay, etc - for whatever Nate wanted to discuss about, he centered the room with us all surrounding him. His voice filled the room to the brink, leaving the excessive talking behind. "So, you're all curious about how Alix had blood on her clothes."

"Clearly." Aron's voice followed Nate's.

Nate went on as if Aron didn't say a thing. "We came into a little trouble on the abandoned road that was made for us."

"What?" Tay asked as if she didn't hear what he said. "You mean the road the mayor had made for us?"

"The mayor?" I whispered to Aron, expecting a response.

"The mayor basically knows about our existence. He cooperates with the pack and keeps our existence to his knowledge only. I'm not sure you know, but he's also apart of the Council."

I've came across those words while I read the books from the library. The werewolf council that keep the werewolves under control along with rules written that we must abide by and responsible for taking notes of activities done in the packs. If anything goes wrong within a pack, they are one of those who handle them.

" - the one that the mayor did make. I'm not sure how that person came across the road without any trouble through the guarding troops. I ought to have a talk with them," Nate stated with the same boring expression on his face.

"Did anything particular happen, Nate?" Nick asked as concerned laced with his voice.

"Huh, he did say his purpose was to get Lowell. Apparently, he was given orders by someone else without even knowing who's orders he was following."

"Following orders from an unknown party without knowing the risks?" Nick focused his glance in another direction, obviously telling us he was thinking of something.

"I don't think he needed to worry about the risks if he'd come back alive after someone killed him." Nate's words left everyone startled with worry and surprisement. Their eyes widened at him with questions leaving their mouths endlessly.

"What do you mean he came back to life?" Jase asked a question we all wanted an answer for.

"Do all idiots ask that?" Nate said, making me feel a twinge of embarrassment since I asked the same question.

"Again with the irrelevant statements." Jase rolled his eyes.

"Hmph, maybe for once you'll find your brain and actually use it." Nate's comment made Jase genuinely annoyed as it was visible.

"H-he came back t-to life?" Rena stuttered, twirling her hair. "Did you, um, kill him properly?"

"Kill him properly?" Nate repeated. "Are you an idiot too?"

"W-well, maybe you didn't do it right?" Rena shrugged. The atmosphere couldn't help but to change because of her behavior.

"Shut up." He patted her head like a dog. "Like you could do anything about it. He had no pulse."

"Maybe it was a special ability...?" Rena suggested again. This time, it caused everyone to look at her again as if she said something wrong.

"You dumbass," Aron hissed, forming a fist with his hand and knocked it against Rena's head. She pouted her lips and rubbed her head in pain.

I was unsure of what was happening. Special abilities? Coming back to life after you're killed?

"What do you mean by 'special abilities?'" I questioned.

"Oh, it's nothing Alix." Tay laughed, flicking her wrists. "It's just an old legend."

"I'll just find a book in the library I guess," I shrugged, showing that I wanted an explanation.

"I guess.." Nate said, shrugging with absolutely no interest.

"Oh come on guys!" I groaned. "Can someone at least tell me?"

Nick smiled at me and took a seat, gesturing me to sit as well. "Alright. Let's have a history lesson. Shall we?"

Nate rolled his eyes, Aron scoffed and Jase laughed of what was a clearly fake one. Tay wiggled her eyebrows and Rena giggled.

"You do know about the great war that happened, right?" Nick asked. I nodded in response. "It's said that the gods granted some werewolves special abilities who stood out during the war. Those who were given these special abilities were worthy and of great use during the war made us win against the humans. But one man's strength stuck out like a sore thumb. The gods thought to themselves that they should give him all the powers given to each person. The human's loss was inevitable. He was a one man army."

"Um, question. If the gods, granted power to some, do you suppose there are still some who have these special abilities?" I asked, furrowing my eyebrows.

"Well, the council went as far back. Those who had these powers were considered as nobles by society and the council. There were ten of them, hence giving the name of the 'Ten Clans'. The man given ten abilities was considered a god, so the council feared him greatly. This caused another war. I only know of one person who holds one of the special ability."

"Are you talking about that female alpha?" Aron questioned with Rena tugging at his shirt.

"What do you mean that female alpha?" Tay slapped him on the back which the room echoed with. "Don't be disrespectful."

"Hm, Evina?" Nate's smooth voice inputted. "That woman.. I wonder how she's not dead yet."

"You're just jealous of her ability to compel people!" Rena stuck her tongue out at Nate.

"Put that thing away, and no, I'm not." Rena immediately obeyed Nate and casted her childish behavior aside.

"But how did the Ten Clans come about? It was one man..."

"I don't know. That's a mystery. It's an old legend after all." Nick sighed. "What I still don't get is how this person came back to life." Nick raked his fingers through his hair. "It's not one of the ten special abilities. Is it a substance? Device?"

"You shouldn't stress yourself out." Tay patted his shoulders, telling us she was worried.

"We can talk about this tomorrow, get some sleep everyone." Nate dismissed us all to go to our rooms.

After I took a shower and got dressed in my pajamas, I fell asleep soon after and knew a dream was about to come.

I was in a hallway with my grasp around a woman that I've seen in a memory. The one with blood spread on her lips. The warmth wrapped around her hand tangled with mine, giving me a sense of comfort.

"Sara told me that your son will be someone dear to our daughter." A man that seemed close to my the woman spoke.

"Hm," another man said. "It makes sense.. and could be possible."

I held my her hand and sucked my thumb with the other whilst glancing up at her. She and the man close to her were talking to two grown ups with a boy in between them.

"You remember my little girl, right?" The woman who's hand I held asked the other lady.

The lady smiled, crouching down to my height. "Do you remember me?"

I shook my head. "Of course you wouldn't. You were just a little baby."

"Well," the man who stood beside me exhaled. "Take care of her until we come back."

They kneeled down and patted my head, giving kisses on my cheek on both sides in sync. "Mama, Papa, are you leaving me?"

"Don't worry," she squeezed me tightly. "It's just a few days."

She let go of my hand and stepped infront of the boy. "Take care of my baby," my mother bent over so she could talk towards his face. "Okay?"

"Whatever." The little boy averted his gaze. He resembled someone I knew. Was it.. Nate?

We parted ways as I watched them walk away, to wherever they wished to wander off to. I didn't want them to leave me but that me being selfish.

"Nate," his mother said. "Why don't you bring Alix to your room?"

"Whatever," Nate said, turning around and gesturing me to follow him.

Although I wasn't sure if I wanted to even enter his room, I entered in it with following by him. I glanced around and saw a window as you enter the room, accompanied by plain white curtains. His room was painted blue, with a mahogany bookshelf against the wall that was interrupted by a door.

He sat down at a desk after he had picked out a book from the bookshelf. I sat down on the floor then took out a coloring book and crayons since I was very bored. It was snowing outside and I wanted to play out in the snow but I knew all too well I'd get sick.

"D-do you want to color with me?" I asked Nate.

"I rather read," he replied, still having his face down in the book.

My eyes shot open and I was panting rapidly. H-how? That couldn't be just a dream. It had to be a lost memory. And my parents were there.. with Nate and his. I glanced at the clock on the drawer and it displayed seven o'clock. After doing my morning routine - brushing my teeth, bathing, getting dressed - I headed out my room to get control of the thoughts going havoc in my brain.

Why was Nate there? I knew him when I was younger? Does he know? Why hasn't he told me anything? Did he know my parents? Is he hiding something from me?

I simply need to get these thoughts out of my head and avoid Nate for the rest of the day until I've figured it out. But that would be hard since we live in the same house. Plus, I could've sworn I heard him call my name a second ago.

"Lowell." Oh god, I thought. "What are you doing?"

I walked speedily down the halls. Can't talk to him for now - that thought played over like a broken record.

His figure suddenly appearead in front of mine. No, no, no.

"Are you mad at me?" Nate asked, stopping me by placing both hands on the wall as he pressed me against the wall.

"No..." I said, faced down. Avoid eye contact as much as possible Alix.

"Why are you looking down when I talk to you?" He questioned and then using his hand to position my head up. "I'm right here."

He blinked and took his hands off the wall, turning his attention to down the hall. "Oh, you came out your room."

I couldnt help but to look down the direction where his eyes were set and saw a girl wearing a nightgown with a messy hairstyle. She looked at both of us with a glum expression and didn't respond to Nate. With that done, she turned back to the door through she entered and slammed it.

"Did I do something?" I asked confusingly.

"No, you didn't," Nate assured.

"Oh," I said with a sigh of relief. "I thought I did."

"She just hasn't come out of her room since you came," Nate stated like it was nothing.

"I did something then!" I thought back. What could've I possibly do to cause this? I haven't seen her around here since I came nor have I talked to her.

"It isn't your fault, it's hers," Nate repeated as said before.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Don't know and I couldn't care less." He shrugged.

"Of course you wouldn't." I sighed. "But don't you think you should do something about it?"

"Doesn't make sense I do."

"Ah, okay," I nodded and just gave up since I didn't have the ability to do anything about it.

"So, is there a reason why you're not looking at me?" My head started spinning. Not yet, not yet. "Do I disgust you?"

"N-no." I laughed nervously. "I'm just feeling dizzy."

"Dizzy?" Nate asked. "You should go back to bed then."

"Nah, it's fine, I can - hey!" I was immediately scooped up in his arms. "I'm dizzy! Not dying!"

"I might as well do it since you're a hardheaded, stubborn brat." He inhaled deeply and exhaled. "You wouldn't go if I told you too anyway."

"You're right," I admitted it to his perspective of me. "But nuh uh, keep this up and I might think that you actually care."

"Hm, we both don't want that," he replied, entering my bedroom.

He slowly placed me down on the bed, covering me up with the blanket. "Don't get out of bed until you feel better. I'll send Tay to stay with you if you want."

There might be something about Nate we don't know. Maybe behind his stoic mask he actually cared the most. Like what Tay said which was the first thing she told me about him.