The knocking at the door froze both of them, but Jeremy still didn't let go of Celeste.
They both looked towards the door, hoping that the knocking would stop. However, it only grew louder and more insistent. Celeste looked up and saw Jeremy's frown deepening as if he already knew who was on the other side of the door.
"Jeremy? Jeremy! Are you there?" Nancy's voice came through the door, sounding more grating than Celeste remembered. She wondered if Nancy's voice was designed to irritate her.
She stayed quiet and looked at Jeremy, unsure if they should go back to their previous conversation. She could see the same impatience and annoyance in Jeremy's eyes, but he didn't say anything.
"I know you're in there, open the door, there's a fight outside!" Nancy's voice was insistent, and it made Celeste's head throb.
Jeremy muttered a curse under his breath and let go of Celeste. As he moved away from her, the sudden cold air took over his body heat and made Celeste shiver. She suddenly realized how close they had been.
She almost reached out to grab Jeremy, but she controlled herself. She felt disappointed, but she knew the feeling was for no reason.
She guessed it was her wolf causing trouble again. But her wolf had already come out and run through the forest for so long. Her experiences had drained her, and she had already met Jeremy's wolf. Why did she still have the energy to sabotage and affect her mood? But Celeste didn't want to think about it.
Jeremy opened the door, and his impatient voice sounded in Celeste's ears, "Who's fighting who?"
Celeste didn't go out of the bathroom immediately. The door was open, giving her a clear view of both Jeremy and Nancy. She watched as Nancy tried to sneak a peek inside, but Jeremy stood guard, blocking her from entering. It was an odd sight, but it brought Celeste a sense of comfort, even though she couldn't explain why.
"No one did, actually. I was lying to you," Nancy admitted frankly.
Celeste wondered if she had winked at Jeremy when those words came out of her mouth. Celeste couldn't help but roll her eyes. She suspected Nancy of listening in on their conversation and purposely interrupting them at a critical moment, but she had no concrete evidence. Maybe she was just being paranoid and full of prejudice.
The door let out a creak as Jeremy made up his mind to shut it in Nancy's face.
"Hey, hey, hey! Don't close it!" Nancy protested desperation in her voice. "But everyone is feeling really down, and Sarah and Byron haven't come back yet. We're all worried."
Jeremy hesitated, his hand still on the door handle. Celeste and Jeremy had just arrived and immediately noticed the somber mood of the pack. But they didn't know Byron hadn't returned. The news was worrying. Byron had sent them a message to gather here, but he was nowhere to be found. Where had the Alpha been?
"Can I come in, please? What are you two doing? I don't like talking to you through a door," Nancy pleaded, her eyes fixed on Celeste in the bathroom. It was unclear if she was directing the question to Jeremy or Celeste.
Following Nancy's gaze, Jeremy looked at Celeste and raised an eyebrow at her. She nodded, and he stepped back to open the door, letting Nancy in.
"Have you called him?" Jeremy asked.
Celeste emerged from the bathroom and leaned against the wall.
"We did, but he didn't answer," Nancy replied, her eyes scanning Celeste up and down, making her feel a bit uncomfortable. Celeste didn't know what she was looking at. But she was always a little too curious for Celeste's liking.
"Where's everyone?" Celeste asked, folding her arms.
"In the hall," Nancy replied, her voice heavy with concern. "We don't know what to do next..."
Celeste and Jeremy entered the hall, where the wolves were all gathered with droopy faces.
The air was heavy and somber as if they had all lost a battle. Celeste's eyes scanned the room until they rested on Alan, who was standing in the corner.
The kid's eyes lit up when he spotted Celeste.
"Cel!" he ran to her, jumping on her leg and hugging her tightly. Celeste smiled. She couldn't help but feel a warmth in her heart. It was then that Celeste realized she hadn't seen Alan in many days. She couldn't resist crouching down to his level and ruffling his hair. The boy gave back a big smile.
Celeste was thankful that Alan hadn't been affected by the recent attack and that his father had recovered from his injuries. But thinking of the boy's father, her thoughts wandered back to her own home and what she had seen there.
The smile disappeared from her face.
Then she felt a pinch on her shoulder and looked up to see Jeremy staring at her with concern.
Were they on good terms now?
But his hand soon left her shoulder. His gaze shifted away from Celeste and onto Alan, causing the child to immediately lower his head as if to hide. Celeste frowned at Jeremy, then looked back down at Alan, but Jeremy didn't say explain.
"I think we should go out and look for Byron and Sarah. It's been long enough, and they haven't come back here. Aren't you worried?" said one of the werewolves.
"But Byron told us to stay here. The hunters are well-prepared. If we go out, we might end up getting caught and putting everyone in danger. We still have children here," another argued.
When the mention of children came up, Celeste could feel Alan's grip on her hand tighten. She placed a protective hand on his shoulder, silently assuring him that everything would be okay.
"But what if Byron and Sarah need our help? When they're in danger, shouldn't we as a pack go out and save them?"
"Jeremy, you're the Alpha here. What should we do now?"