New Wolf novel Chapter 103

"Are they dangerous?"

"Only when provoked. Which is why it's dangerous to keep it. What if when we bring pack to the pack it attacks people."

"Oh yeah." he scratched the back of his head. "I forgot about the little kids."

"The children aren't the problem," Alaric said matter-of-factly. "It's actually supposed to protect them, which was why it was assigned to that little girl."

"What happened to her anyway?" I asked.

"Yeah." Alaric jumped in. "What did you do with the body? We can't have people walking around see it."

All playfulness seemed to have left Troy's face. "I...I buried her. Over there." He pointed where some leaves met it a pile, as if he wanted to remember where it was.

"Let's go," Alaric pulled me in the opposite direction. "we can look for another bridge."

"What about Troy?"

"He'll catch up."

I looked back at him, and I didn't like the feeling it gave me to see him so blank. I pictured how he looked when he was teaching me to manipulate things. He was happy, he was bright.

He was so bright...

I like that Troy better.

I looked down the path again, but Troy was nowhere to be seen. "What's wrong with him?"

"He needs a minute."

"He's been gone a while." I continued. "Maybe we should-"

"Maybe nothing." Alaric glared. "We have other things to worry about, like finding that open bridge."

"How can you say that?" I stared. "You saw him- that look- how are you not concerned!"

"Trust me, you don't want him here right now. Just look for the bridge."

I did as I was told at that, but it didn't mean I was okay with it. Troy seemed too troubled for me to just leave it alone. And every time I thought about it, I kept it remembering what Liam said.

"Hanna?" He caught me as I was about to slip outside. I stiffly turned in being caught and offered a wave of the hand. "Why are you still up? Don't you have training with Alaric and Troy at sunrise?"

"Are you serious! Do you not see how bad this storm's gonna be?"

"He'll be fine."

"No. I'm gonna go look for him." I turned on my heel.

"No!" He shouted, the first time ever I heard him raise his voice. And it was enough for me to stop. "I'm trying to help you! You have to leave him, you'll only make things worst!"

"How? Give me one good reason!"

"You see this?" he flung his arms wildly. "This storm? Everything? It's Troy. You didn't actually think he wanted to kill that little girl? He's programmed to eliminate any danger, whether he wants to or not. It might have seemed heartless in your eyes but it was a necessary evil. In Troy's eyes, though, it's nothing like that."

"Why didn't you tell me this before!" I groaned.

He rolled his eyes. "What would you have done?"

"I'd left sooner!" I sprinted in the opposite direction, hoping to get to him before he explodes. I wish somebody told me this prior, I wish I hadn't judged him too quickly. This is the third side of him now I've seen and I just hope it's the last.

This is all my fault. Why couldn't I be as good as my mother? Why couldn't my trigger be something as simple as anger? Why did it have to be witnessing others in pain?