"How did that many Beta wolves worm their way into packs without us noticing?" Baela asked, watching Zayn pace back and forth in front of the door.
Wolves had to time their exits and entrances around Zayn, not daring to get in his way.
"This has been going on for years. They've had time to settle and earn our trust," Zayn muttered, trying to think about the pack, but constantly thinking about Liam instead.
"Did I do the right thing?" Zayn stopped pacing and stared at Baela with his cold hard eyes.
"The right thing?"
"Should Liam be with me?"
Baela tried to show only calmness, but she was worried about Niall and Liam. "I think you would have regretted taking him to the heart of the fighting."
"Where do you think Ni will take him?"
"Somewhere where they can hide. Niall will keep him warm in his wolf form. I don't think anyone would expect you to let him out of your sight, so I think they'll be okay. I don't think anyone will be searching for them." Baela said.
Zayn's palms were sweaty. If anything happened to Liam, Zayn would spiral and blame everything on himself. Zayn wasn't sure how his mother had pulled through her grief. Zayn wouldn't be able to live without his Liam.
"I hope not. They won't get far with Ni's injury."
Baela rested against the back of an armchair and fiddled with the silver ring on her thumb.
"I'm just shocked that so many Beta's are traitors. How did the South find so many rogue Beta wolves?"
"I'm not shocked," Zayn muttered, staring up at the clock on the wall for the third time in two minutes.
"Jaiden lived with us for years, and he was the Southern Beta's mate. Yeah, he was a twat, but he risked his life for my dad many times. If that didn't prove his loyalty, then I don't know what would."
"I suppose this will unite the North. Everyone has been betrayed by the same pack."
"I suppose it will." Zayn and Baela looked at each other with the same solemn faces.
******
Liam gripped Niall's wolf form as tightly as he could, but Niall had a harsh limp, threatening to dislodge Liam from his back with every step.
Liam couldn't look back to see if wolves were still chasing them. His head was tightly pressed into Niall's neck. Niall ran and ran, struggling up hills and through thick snow, but he didn't give up, even after he jumped over a fallen tree trunk and landed awkwardly. Liam fell from his back then, but Niall licked Liam's cheek as an apology and encouraged him to climb onto his back again.
They ran for almost an hour until Niall was sure that nobody was following them. He slowed down, so Liam could sit up on his back. Niall emerged from the trees and stayed close to the edge of the woods. Liam soon climbed from him, and Niall transformed from his grey wolf, to his
human form.
He winced from the pain in his arm. Changing back moved his bones. The pain was almost unbearable, but Niall simply gritted his teeth until the pain simmered.
"I-Is your arm hurting worse now?" Liam asked with arms around himself. He stared all around them, then stepped into the sun, which wasn't hot, but enough to make his skin feel a little less frozen.
"It's okay." Niall looked around too. "I didn't know where to run. We should keep moving. Walk along this bit, so we don't leave tracks." Niall pointed to where the grass met the raised path. There was a little gap where no snow had fallen.
They walked along the cliff side for a while until the path curved back into the woods.
"This path leads to another Packhouse." Niall paused. "They're allies, but with the Beta situation, I'm not sure this is a good idea."
"I'm okay to keep running on foot." Liam was worried that Niall was too sore to travel in wolf form.
Niall was worried that they'd run into the enemy. If they were safely in another Packhouse, they could at least phone Zayn, so he knew where to look when the fight was over.
"Wait." Niall whispered. "Wolves scents are getting stronger. Let's go."
They turned abruptly back to the cliffs and decided to jog together to keep Liam warm. Not having a destination was difficult. Niall didn't know when too far was too far. He didnt want to exhaust Liam, but they couldn't rest.
The further they ran the more impressed Niall was of Liam's fitness. Often, Niall found himself running a little faster just to keep up with him. The only other person Niall had known who could sprint so fast for so long was Zayn.
After miles and miles of running through the woods, they soon approached a town that Liam recognised. It was a little beach town that he had visited a few times with his aunt and uncle, though the trips were never fun because his cousins were always pushing their luck, and they had to leave early.
As Liam got older, they stopped taking him. Liam was often left behind when his aunt and uncle went on holiday, and those times were some of the loneliest times of his life.
They crouched by the edge of the trees, looking down the street leading to a collection of ice cream shops and surfing shops. West beaches had good surf. Liam wondered if anyone was crazy enough to surf in freezing temperatures. He knew he'd see a few brave people bobbing above the waves if he looked.
"You partly smell like me now," Niall whispered, looking around. "Southern wolves will know your scent, but I can try my best to mask it." Niall took his blazer off and handed it to Liam.
Niall was lanky, but tall, so the blazer was long on Liam. Still, the extra fabric helped keep in some warmth. They moved to a bench under the trees and sat for a while. Almost fifteen minutes went by and they didn't see a single soul.
"It's hard not having a plan," Niall said. "And you're Zayn's mate. If anything happens to you, I'll get it right in the neck."
"I'm sure nothing will happen to me." Liam awkwardly shifted on the bench when Niall looked at him.
Niall studied Liam for a moment, looking down on him with his pointed nose. His red hair was vibrant against the snow.
"I'm sorry for the night you broke in. I should have worked harder to stop Jaiden from hurting you. After what happened with Zayn's dad, we're less forgiving to humans who try to see what goes on behind our walls. I know there are rumours among humans about our Packhouse. You guys call it the institute."
"My uncle was, uh, pretty big on making conspiracy theories about your Packhouse.
"Oh yeah? What's the craziest thing he came up with?"
"He used to call it the Institute for the elite. He was convinced that everyone had powers and worked for the government to help fight aliens."
Niall snorted. "Sounds like he watched too many x-men films."
"Yeah," Liam chuckled. "There's a few about werewolves. Um, for me, that was the most far-fetched rumour."
Niall was amused by that. He rubbed his injured arm and smiled to himself. "It's nice having a human in the Packhouse. You've given everyone something else to talk about other than Zayn's incompetence."
Liam flattened the snow with his shoe. "Did Zayn really struggle to be Alpha?"
"Yes. He was very angry, and sad. He refused to join meetings and training. If we asked anything of him, he snapped and lashed out. It was very hard on the pack, but we tried to give him space. Zayn's mother puts pride above everything else. She was on his back since day one to step into his dad's shoes. We all knew she'd cry herself to sleep every night but put on a very brave face during the day. Zayn had been a mess up until you arrived. This is the most leadership we've had from him. He's doing well."
"What was Zayn's dad like?" Liam asked. He wanted to talk about anything to take his mind off the fighting.
"He was a kind man. He was friends with everyone, even the omegas. He knew everyone's names, everyone's birthdays, everyone's age, everyone's hobbies. We were like a big family." Niall's smile faded at how times have changed.
"The only person Xavier couldn't keep up with was Krey. Every day he would ask where is that damned boy of mine?" Niall chuckled.
"Xav was a very busy man and sometimes couldn't find the time for Zayn unless Zayn had done something wrong, then Xav would pull him into his office to talk about it. We think Zayn spiralled and started doing everything that would get him into trouble, just so his father could spend more time with him. Xav was a good dad, but a little absent." Niall sat back against the wooden bench.
"The night Xavier died, he had pulled Zayn into his office to talk about why Zayn kept stealing things from his office and hiding them around the Packhouse. Zayn would drive him mad sometimes, but Xav loved him, despite all of Zayn's bad choices."
Liam tugged Niall's blazer tighter around himself to keep warm. "He would be p-proud of Zayn now. Wouldn't he?"
"Yes, very proud." Niall looked back down to Liam, inspecting him once more. "Xav would have liked you. He used to say that Zayn needed a big bucket of water to fizzle out his anger. I think you're that bucket of water."
They both chuckled, which was nice after such a stressful morning.
"Right then Liam, let's keep moving. I don't have a clue where to go. Let's just think of this as a sight seeing adventure. We're in other wolves' territory, so we can't linger for too long." They left the bench and ventured down the empty street.
"How do they know if you're in their territory? Can they smell you?"
"There are things on trees that can detect only wolves when we pass. It's how we keep track of where everyone is. Zayn has access to the tracking device on his laptop. You know that big map of England Zee has above his desk? Those pins are placed where there are packs. Zee has always kept track because he knew he'd be Alpha one day, but he didn't know the role would come so soon."
After walking for a while, the sound of breaking waves pounding the sand was closer.
"I think Zayn will make a good Alpha," Liam said after thinking about how far Zayn had come since his father's death, and how far he could still go as a leader.
"Yes, me too." Niall looked out across the cliff, and so did Liam.
The path they followed curved towards the edge, and Liam saw the waves for the first time in years. He smiled at the few people bobbing in the water far below, braving the sea in rough conditions. Those people had no idea that a big fight between werewolf packs was happening while they swam to catch waves.
Liam thought he would be jealous of their obliviousness. Liam was only thankful for meeting Zayn and hoped the fighting would be in Zayn's favour.
"Niall, if something happens to Zayn, will I feel it?" Liam couldn't bring himself to ask what would happen to him if Zayn died.
Niall couldn't bring himself to say that Liam would whither away if Zayn died. Bit by bit, Liam would grow weaker and weaker, and soon die without a mate because he didn't have a wolf to lose instead.
"Let's not think about that. Zayn is a good fighter. The pack is strong. I have faith in them."
Liam looked ahead, following the path with his eyes. "Then I have faith too," he said quietly, hoping the noise of the wind and the waves masked his thumping heart.