"Hunter." Another cry comes from the hall as I walk up the stairs to Lou's room. "Hey Lou." I poke my head in and smile at Lou, who is sitting up and reaching for a tissue. "Here you go." I hand her the box and sit down on her bed.

"Where...Hunter?" she asks.

"He's getting us some food. He'll be up in a few minutes though. Why don't you get some sleep?"

She shakes her head and grabs my hand with her very small one. "Can you tell me a story?"

"Only if you promise to lay down." She nods and lays down. I pull the blanket over her as she coughs into it. "Okay then, lets see." I think of a story in my head before I start as she grins at me. She sure does not seem sick.

"Once upon a time, deep in a forest, there lived a very little girl. She lived with her brother and mom and dad. And every night the little girls mom would tell her a story, and every night her father would tell her why she had to wear a special Cloak. The reason she had to wear the cloak is because there were some very bad people in the woods too, and this cloak protected her from these people. And one day the little girl ran off into the woods to play wither her animal friends, but she forgot the cloak.

And as she was walking through the woods to her friends she heard a noise, and another and another. Soon she was met by a woman in green and black, with a pointy hat and long nose. She was a witch, the little girl looked up at the witch and smiled. The witch asked her, 'what are you doing little girl, it can be dangerous out here without your family' the little girl said, 'I'm on my way to my friends, would you like to come?' The witch was taken back by the little girls offer and was very upset. She yelled and casts spells on the grass making it grow and grow and grow, but the little girl was not scared, for she had four flowers, and the witch loved flowers. The little girl walked up to the witch and held out a flower, the witch was happy and accepted the little girls offer. For the little girl showed kindness.

As the little girl and witch walked through the forest, they soon were met by a goblin. The goblin asked the girl and witch 'what are you two doing, walking through my woods?' the witch replied 'we are going to see some friends.' But the goblin was angry about this and started to stomp and yell. He was very mad, and the witch was scared, but the little girl was not. For the little girl had three flower, and goblins love flowers. The little girl gave a flower to the goblin and he stopped his stomping. Soon the little girl, the witch, and the goblin were on their way to the little girls friends.

But then again they were stopped by a very big, giant. The giant asked 'what are you doing in my forest!' 'we are on our way to the little girls friends.' The goblin said. 'would you like to come?' the witch offered. The Giant was offended by the offer and soon was yelling and pulling up the weeds. The Goblin went and hid in the trees and the witch hid under a bush. But the little girl was not fazed, for she still had two flowers. She handed a flower to the giant and he stopped pulling up roots and he stopped his yelling. For the little girl had shown kindness. Soon all four of them were on their way to meet the little girls friends.

As the four reached the clearing where the friends meet, all of the animals were there. As soon as the witch, goblin and giant walked in with the little girl, all of the little girls friends ran away in terror, for they were tought that these people were bad. BUt so was the little girl, her parents were scared of her new friends too. AS all her other friends ran away the others felt sad now. The little girl saw this and smiled at them, she said 'well, now we can play.' And soon the little girl was best friends, because she was always kind to those who weren't given kindness."

As I finish my story Lou stares at me with a smile on her face. "Then what?" She asks. "Well, I guess everyone grew up very happy and eventually everyone like the witch, goblin and giant due to the little girl."

"Whoa, that was a good story."

"Thanks. But I believe you need to lay down now. I'll go check on the food."

"Okay." She cuddles into her pillows and falls asleep instantly. Getting up to the door I notice that the door was open the whole time. Hunter was standing outside the door, his head is down and he's in his own space.

"Did you...um...hear all that?" I ask closing the door so Lou can sleep.

"Yeah, your good at story telling."

"It was just something off the top of my head."

"Well Lou is hard to impress, and you impressed her." He laughs out. "Oh, um..thanks."

We stand opposite of each other and just sit there. "So, my mom wants to meet you. She's weird but it's a Luna thing I guess."

"Sure. If she wants to, I mean I am staying here right now. I think she would want to know who you're keeping here locked up in that tower of a room of yours too." I say sarcastically as Hunter smiles at me. I smile back as we both crack out a laugh.

"You know, Lou really likes you."

"She's such a good kid."

"Yeah, you say that now. If you stick around, you'll find out that she can be the devil."

I look down as he says if you stick around. Like I can actually stay. "Yeah. Maybe." I say to ease him about everything. "So Lou is asleep. i can stick around and watch her if you have anything to do." I offer to Hunter as we just sit there doing nothing.

"I don't think I have anyt-"

"Hunter!" A girl comes rushing up the stairs but stops at the last step. I look at her funny at first and remember that only Alphas family is aloud on the third floor. "We need you, there's a fight, a rouge is on our land. It got closer to the house!" The girl rushes out as Hunter stands up.

"Stay put Tristan." He tells me in a stern voice as he runs down the stairs. I get up and watch him from a window as he shifts in mid air and runs around the house. I run to Lou's room as I hear a cry from her. Sitting on her bed I pick her up in my arms as she cuddles into me.

"What's wrong Lou?"

"I had a nightmare."

"Oh. Well it's okay, I'm here now." She holds onto me like how I held onto Hunter the other night. I rock her and wipe her tears away. Rubbing her back and rocking her I hear barking and growls along with a few screams. I cover Lou's ears because she jumped into me as Hunter and another wolf fight outside. I really hope it's Hunter not getting hurt. I rock Lou until she falls asleep again and I lay her down sitting on her bed as thoughts fill my head.

I look out a window, hoping to see something going on but everything is out of reach. I hear a few howls and see people start to flood back to some feilds. Their dragging a huge wolf with them into the woods. I Cover my mouth in horror as a blood trail follows it and how they are treating it.

That's still a person. That was someone. And people are cheering? Because something died? Tears stream down my face, but I can't tare my eyes away from the sight. Soon a pair of arms turn me around and I'm pulled into someones chest.

"Hey, whats wrong?"

"That..that wolf."

"Was a rouge entering on our territory. I told you what happens Tristan."

I cry as Hunter holds me again, "it's really fine Tristan."

"No it's- it's n-not." I whisper out, "I-I didn't grow up with this. I don't know how you do it. How can you kill another person because they came onto your land."

"It's...complicated Tristan. Everyone has there own story and it's hard to tell why. Rouges don't care, they only want to hurt everyone. I'm sorry." His arms snake to my waist and he just holds me tight against his chest. My arms wrap around his waist and my head rests on his chest. I don't know why but this feels normal, like this is right. I listen to Hunters heart beat as tears dry on my chest. Just standing there we both just stayed silent.

"come with me." Hunter says out of the blue. He takes my hand up even more stairs to an attick, going up to the roof. He leads me to a flat spot and we sit there as the sunsets and people come in with their kids and finish work I asume.

"I'm sorry you feel that way about that wolf." Hunter says.

"I just...Don't understand it. I don't see it the way you do."

"I know. And thats okay." He sighs and stares off into the woods.

"You can stay here you know. Everyone would be okay with it."

"I can't do that." I say after a few minutes.

"Yes you can. You'd be safe here."

"No. I wouldn't."

"Yes you would. You need to stay here. You don't have anywhere else to go Tristan."

"I'll figure something out."

"No. You know you wont and your dad will find you." Hunter says starting to get angry.

"No he wont, if anything he'll find me here and he'll hurt everyone here to get me. He wants to have me dead because I ran, and because someone knows. I know him, he doesn't give a shit about me Hunter." I say trying to be positive. And that's hard.

"He wont do that. I promise. I will make sure he never lays a hand on you again." I look up and Hunter is heaving.

"Why do you want me to stay? I forgave you, it's not like you could hang out with me at school, and you only care about me now. But what happens when the pack doesn't like me or when something does happen to someone? What then."

"You wont understand right now."

"I highly doubt that. WHy are you so bent on me staying here?"

Before I know it Hunter brings my face to his and his lips are crashing on mine.

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😂