From The Ashes.

Chapter 21

I have no idea what woke me up. My eyes easily adjusted to the darkness as I looked around my empty room. After some discussion, Zak and I had decided that Cody should continue sleeping with him instead of abruptly changing his sleeping arrangements. I got the feeling Zak still wanted to gain his trust somehow. So, when I heard the familiar click of the door beside mine, I couldn't help but slip out of bed and stick my head around the corner. At the last second I saw a silhouette make it's way down the staircase but it was too dark for me to work out who it was.

"Hey." I jumped, swearing under my breath as I spun to find Zak smiling at me. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. It seems our little man has run off somewhere." I frowned and looked at where I'd seen the figure.

"That was Cody?" Zak nodded and we looked at each other. WIthout saying a word we both hurried after the boy, making sure to stay as silent as possible. I was glad Zak was there as the amount of times I tried to walk into something in the dark was phenomenal.

"Is he going to the kitchen?" Zak asked as we reached the ground floor. I shrugged as the boy disappeared into the darkness of the dining hall.

"Probably, he didn't eat much today." He frowned as he guided the both of us towards where Cody had disappeared.

"I noticed that at dinner. You were trying to him to eat but he just sat there clinging to you." I nodded as we found the door to the kitchen.

"Dot thinks it's because it's so crowded. Cody is hyper vigilant so he feels vulnerable among so many people." Zak made a noise of agreement.

"I'll have to work out how to help with that." Zak pushed open the door and we were met with the dull light of a lamp that Cody must have lit to be able to see. The monkey himself was standing on top of a counter, shoving biscuits into his mouth like a monster was on his tail. He froze midbite when he spotted Zak and I so that he resembled a squirrel caught in a pair of headlights. I couldn't help it. I burst into laughter.

"Monkey, that's hardly a balanced meal!" Cody looked at us before shoving the rest of his biscuit into his mouth, shoving the container back in it's place and scrambling off the counter. Zak chuckled and shook his head.

"Come on, little man, if you were hungry all you had to do was ask." The man walked up to the lamp and turned it's brightness up so we could see more clearly but as soon as he moved towards the red brick oven built into the wall, he stopped and looked at me. "I don't know how to cook." He announced and I laughed as Cody walked over to take my hand.

"Then we have a problem because no matter how much I tried, I retained the ability to burn water." Zak chuckled as he shoved his hands into his pockets. 

"With all the classes I had to take to learn how to be an Alpha the last thing I wanted to do was take cooking lessons." Zak and I looked at each other as we tried to work out what to do when another voice made all of us jump.

"Well, maybe if you had you wouldn't be in my kitchen at four in the morning." Polly stood by the door, her arms crossed over her chest as she glared at us. if it wasn't for the fact there was no heat in her gaze, I would have thought we were in trouble.

"Sorry Polly, Cody decided he wanted a late night snack." Zak said, smiling. The brown haired woman raised her eyebrow at the boy who was hiding behind my legs.

"I thought it was you who was behind the disappearing biscuits." Polly grinned and stepped into the kitchen, heading towards a basin that seemed to be filled with water. Zak looked at her, apparently taken back by the statement.

"Why didn't you report that someone was stealing food?" The woman scrubbed her hands on the basin, a small smile on her face.

"I told you, I thought it was him. You don't think I don't notice when a member of the pack, official or not, isn't eating? If our biscuit thief was a hungry child, I wasn't going to get him in trouble." Polly dried her hands on the towel hanging beside the basin and smiled at Zak who looked a little surprised at her confession. Polly put her hands on her hips and surveyed us. "If you guys don't mind helping me get ready for breakfast this morning, I'll have no problem cooking something for the boy to eat." My spirits leaped at the idea as I headed to the basin to wash my hands in the freezing water.