Late bloomer

Forty three

Louis' pov

You can smell the damp in the air. It's cold, my skin prickling as we close in on the border. I keep my hearing sharp, sensing the wild around us among the soft footsteps trailing behind.

Dad walks ahead, leading the group, until he looks behind him. Making eye contact he nods, I nod in response, whistling low as a signal.

My group splits from the rest as we walk along the trees that make up the border to the right. My father takes the left.

I think of Harry, what has happened, and how he's been hurt over and over again. How his very nature has been blocked by this alpha and his followers. How I felt when that raven haired alpha had his hands on Harry... when he told me about what they did to him in that hospital.

This is for him. This is for us.

Reaching the last tree line before the pack house, we're silent.

Then we're running into a fight.

***
Harry's pov

"Any news?" Lottie asks, walking into the kitchen.

I look up from my plate, where I've been pushing my scrambled eggs around for at least the last half hour. I rub my eyes, shaking my head. "No."

I've been up since 5am, when Louis, Mark and the rest of the fighters of the pack left. I watched them disappear into the forest, and I've been praying and begging to the goddess since then.

"It'll be ok, H." Lottie says, sitting across the table and taking my hand. I give it a squeeze before letting go and sitting back.

"I'm just nervous for them, you know? I mean, I know this isn't exactly... right. Attacking a pack. But, I want... revenge? Does that make me a bad person? To take possibly innocent lives just because of what has happened to me?" I let out my worries, swallowing down the lump forming in my throat.

"No. No it doesn't make you a bad person. That pack, that alpha, his wrong. He's a evil man, and those who helped him... what they've done is so so wrong. Their the bad people." Lottie responds, and I can hear her own anger coming through.

"I just can't help but feel bad. And Zayn... even after everything that has happened, I don't want him to suffer-"

"Zayn? The alpha that took you? Did you know him?" Lottie asks, and I pause for a moment, realising what I've said.

"Yeah... he was in my dad's pack. We grew up together." I look down, trying not to give into the questioning gaze she sends me. I really try not to look up.

But when I do, a look flashes over Lottie's face.

"Harry..."

"Don't. Please."

"Did you... were you and Zayn..."

I bite my lower lip, feeling tears sting. I nod.

"I love your brother. I really do, more than I've ever loved anyone ever before. He's my whole life. But I loved Zayn before him."

"But- what? What happened? He's was in your pack? Now he's with them? How?" Lottie whispers in disbelief.

"I've always been promised to Louis, but when I was fourteen... Zayn and I had always been close growing up and it just kinda happened. I fell for him, and i didn't mean too and I knew it was wrong... but he felt the same." I pause, debating if I should tell her everything. My family and Niall are the only ones that know the true reason why Zayn was kicked out of the pack... but I need to tell someone. I can't keep it in any longer. I know I need to tell Louis, but talking to Lottie can be like... practice?
"We were gonna run away. Mate and run to london were we could hide in his cousin's pack. But, the day we're gonna leave, his cousin sent a message saying not to come. One of the girls in the pack had spotted us in the forest one day, and she'd told her father, who told my father. He stopped me, beat Zayn to a pulp and kicked him out of the pack before we could leave."

"Harry... I'm so sorry." Lottie says, sympathetic.

"Don't be. We weren't meant to be together. Louis' my mate, he was always supposed to be, I know that now. It would have ended in disaster. It just... hurt you know?" I smile, thinking of Louis and everything about him. "I love Louis."

"I know you do. You two are perfect. I can't wait to meet my mate, you two give me hope." Lottie confesses, making me smile.

"One day, you'll meet them and everything will just like click."

"I know, I'm just sick of waiting."

"Your only sixteen!" I laugh.

"And you and my brother had been engaged since you were toddlers!"

"Ok ok fair."