What They Need

Chapter 4

Marissa yawned as she walked up the staircase of The Phalanx, a book in one hand and a mug of hot chamomile tea in the other. It was still early, maybe around 7 pm, but all she wanted to do was curl up in her blankets and read her book while sipping her tea. It was somewhat chilly out, so that was her go to plan. She should really tell Doreen that she won't be able to go downstairs for dinner later.

Just as she was turning the corner at the top of the stairs, she nearly bumped into David, who was in the middle yawning.

"Hey," he yawned again and pointed to the mug in her hand, his nose already sniffing the scent visibly, "is there any chamomile left?" The necromancer nodded before going back to walking. However, just as she took three steps forward, they both heard a crash from one of the rooms and an anguished cry reverberated throughout the walls of the house. "AHH!" David groaned, covering his ears with his hands and squeezing his eyes tightly, the noise causing him pain thanks to his sensitive hearing.

"What the hell?" Marissa hissed, visibly wincing and it was amazing how she didn't drop her things from the abruptness of the sound. "Was that Gen?" The pair shared a look before walking down the hall and towards the room where the ruckus had come from. They heard hurried footsteps and shouts coming up from the stairs behind them.

"Gen," David called out as they reached the slightly opened bedroom door that Gen and Julian shared together, "are you oka – WOAH." He stopped in his tracks when he pushed the door open.

The once neat and luxurious room that the two werewolves shared together had now looked like a tornado had swept past it. The wallpaper was torn into shreds by claw marks, shards of glass scattered the floor, a dresser was turned over, a lamp was broken in the corner as if it was thrown, everything was a mess.

"Gen?" Marissa muttered when her eyes drifted from the mess that decorated the large bedroom to the woman sitting on the messy queen sized bed. She was sitting down with her legs curled towards her, her arms hugging them and her head faced down on her knees. Her shoulders were shaking and faint sobs could be heard from her.

"Oh my God, Gen," David exclaimed and pushed the door fully open, waltzing into the bedroom and making his way towards her, "what the hell happened here?" Marissa stood by the doorway awkwardly. She didn't know Gen well enough to console her for whatever she was currently going through like David. She just sighed and watched them from the doorway.

"Julian's not here," Gen's voice was muffled from her cries, "something's happened to him, I can feel it."

"Gen..." David muttered sadly as he sat on the edge of the bed, one reassuring hand placed on her shoulder. He knew that despite her outer behavior, she cared about Julian just as much as he did for her, if not more. David knew that whenever he'd look at them; they weren't just mates, their bond was created by true love. He barely even registered the current time as he glanced at the clock. It was past 7 pm already? "Maybe he's just downstairs or something?" He suggested but Gen just lifted her head from her arms and shook her head. He saw her pink, tear strained face and quickly wiped her tears away with his thumbs.

Before they fled from Trish and the Hunters, they were a part of the same pack. Gen was that mother figure/older sister who helped take care of him when his parents were killed by a group of humans after being accidentally discovered in a village somewhere north. Julian, on the other hand, was like his father figure/older brother who would teach him mischievous things that would annoy Gen to no end.

"No," Gen whispered and clutched her heart, "Julian's in pain, I feel it." She scoffed. "That idiot, what made him think it was okay to miss curfew?"

At the doorway, Doreen, Erick, Jazmine, and Israel gathered behind Marissa, curious and sympathetic expressions on their faces.

"What's happening?" Israel asked curiously as he tried to squeeze in between Melarni and Lisa to peer into the room. His eyes widened when he saw what the bedroom looked like. "What happened here?"