Twenty One.

Eren

 It had been about an hour since my Uncle left the pack lands with Dylan and I was still sitting here in the woods behind her house. Everything that had happened last night had me on edge.

 Unable to stay in and get a bit of sleep, I went over to the guard stations and volunteered for the night patrols so that I at least had an excuse to be near her. Since the night I caught him at her house again I've been on edge.

 I had wanted to approach him or at least try to find out a way to get information from him about what he was up to now, but I knew better than to come out and questions him.

 The constant battle to push my limits with him was waging war inside of me, but thankfully Noel happened to find me pacing outside of his office before I ended up getting myself in all kinds of trouble.

 "Oy, Eren. Why don't ya' come help me with something." Noel didn't stop walking when he called to me because I knew he was positive that I would follow him.

 The office was on the second floor of the pack house so when we hit the stairs I went up beside him, but didn't ask anything while we were still in the building.

 Of anyone in this place, Noel probably knew better than most that there were eyes and ears everywhere. I kept pace with him and waited until I had followed him out to one of the new training yards.

 As soon as we stepped into the equipment room, he smacked me on the back of my head. "Are ya' looking for a beatin' boy?"

 "What are you talking about Noel," I bit out as I stood there rubbing the back of my head. He didn't hit me that hard, but I was in no mood to deal with his bullsh*t right now.

 Noel was grabbing some sparring mats and I knew what he was intending for us to do. "If you would have gone in their with that look on your face, I would have ended up bandaging your bloody body later tonight."

 Annoyed that not only was he right, but that I was still stuck here with no answers. I figured I would see what Noel might tell me.

 "I know, I know," I said as I walked over and helped grab some of the mats. "Did you bring me here to knock some sense into me, or knock the crap out of me?"

 Noel laughed, and I knew that it was probably a little bit of both at that moment. Regardless, I appreciated the fact that he gave a damn about me at all.

 After we set up the sparing mats, we went a few rounds of just basic hand to hand drills, but it eventually evolved to full combat training.

 Noel had been one of the trainers for years before he became one of my Uncle's personal guards. Unsure if he thought I needed it, or if this was the only way he knew to help me, it worked.

 Once he had thoroughly kicked my a** up and down the mats, he let me lay there trying to catch my breath. 

"How is that you're hardly even winded old man?"

 He turned his head to look at me so quick, it took everything I had left not to die from laughing because it hurt too damn much.

"Oy, who are you calling old man when I just wiped the floor with you, literally!"

I had nothing to say to that because it was true, but there's no way I would admit it out loud.

 Eventually, he walked over to me and extended his arm to help me up off the floor. "Get up lad. You feelin' better yet?"

Though my body hurt like hell, my mind seemed more at peace than it had been in some time.

 "So that's why you beat the hell out of me, to make me feel better. I better not visit you when I'm sick, you'll end up killing me for real."

Noel couldn't hold in his laughter this time, and neither could I. "You may be right lad." 

 When we were almost done cleaning up the training area, I found myself back in that closet with him again, but I wasn't expecting him to tell me what he did then.

 "Your Uncle is taking Dylan off the pack lands tomorrow for a meeting that her employer has requested. He will be having a meeting their as well."

 The news shocked me and I dropped the last mat that was in my hands. "Why are they wanting to see her? Who is he meeting with? Who all is going?"

 "Enough with the questions boy. That's all I can tell ya'." He reached to grab the fallen mat and once it was in it's place, he walked in front of me and placed both his hands on my shoulders.

 We stood so close to each other that it was easy to see how much taller I was to him, but with the way he carried himself you would think he was a giant.

 "Don't get yourself in trouble lad," he gave a slight squeeze and then softly smacked me again on the back of the head before he headed for the door.

 I stayed there for a few moments longer to try to get my thoughts in order but I knew that I had to get out of here. 

 All I wanted to do was go see Dylan or my Uncle and demand answers, but I knew neither of them would want to see me.

 When I left the training area I realized that it was much later than I had thought it was. I knew that I should go back to the pack house for food, but I couldn't bring myself to see my Uncle right now.

 I stopped at one of the local shops and at a couple slices of pizza. As I ate I tried to come up with ways that I could join the little excursion that they were going on tomorrow.

 Dane had just started talking to me a bit more, but he had no helpful options to offer either so he just stayed quiet and grumpy.

 When I had no other options but to go home, I decided to take a little extra time and walk there instead of shifting and getting there too soon.

 As I was walking along the main street of the market area, my phone went off. I thought it was my aunt checking in on me, but I was surprised to see that it was Cruz.

 Cruz was a little younger than me, but him and I had become really good friends while working with the guard and patrols. Quickly opening up his message. I immediately stopped moving, f*ck, I wasn't even sure if I was still breathing.

 I'm with my sister at her friend's house and I picked up a strange scent here. You might want to check it out.

 Even though Lecia was my age we weren't friends, I would have to say we were just acquaintances. And what little I did know about her, the only friend that she had right now was Dylan.

 I didn't even bother to respond back to him on the phone. I threw my phone in my little bag and immediately shifted. Dane was running at full speed the moment his paws hit the ground. 

 We were in an all out sprint to get to Dylan's house as quickly as possible, and as soon as we were about a mile from it he began to search for any unfamiliar scents.

 Since we had already come into contact with the intruder's scent, that is the one that he began to search for. He stayed in the woods near her house and cursed me for not thinking earlier.

"You should have taken a moment to think about your clothes Eren," he growled at me.

Damn it, he was right, but I was in no mood to let him know that, so I just kept my thoughts quiet. 

 Dane made circles around the entire area and not just Dylan's house. No one would think twice about a wolf running through the area since we have stepped up the amount of the patrols.

 Finally he dared to get closer to Dylan's house and come up around the back. The moment we were a few feet from her back door there was a hint of that scent.

 Dane froze in place and I could feel his anger boiling over. We had both become so protective of Dylan lately, but I was glad for it.

 It meant that we were in agreement and that we would both do whatever we had to do to help her in whatever ways that we could. I had a feeling I knew why we felt this way, but I didn't have the courage to say it aloud.

 Dane had his nose to the ground and was tracking the scent. As we got closer to her back window he was near feral. 

 I wasn't in a much better shape so I had not words to calm him, but the moment we realized that they had gone inside he was close to barging in and searching the place.

 I tried to link with Cruz, but Dane was the one in control right now and he couldn't focus on anything other than the scent of the intruder in Dylan's home.

Dane was considering what would happen if he went into her house, but I knew that I had to jump in and try to reason with him. 

 "Dane, if they were in there still we would know it. We need to try and track them, but I need to reach Cruz."

"They were here," he spit. "They were in her home and no one even picked up on their scent!"

 He was right, but I needed to try to reach Cruz and get more information. "Let's come up with a plan, can you try to reach Cruz?"

 For a few more moments he was crouched there under her window snarling and I was afraid he was going to lose it completely.

 "Dane we have to figure out what they want with Dylan. Could she be the reason that they keep coming back," I yelled at him.

 Whatever the reason, whether it was my words or my tone, I felt that he was trying to calm himself down.

"Shift with me Eren. Talk with Cruz and get as much information as you can," he demanded.

 While I was worried about being seen out here, I knew that this was the best option for us right now.

 Dane hurried back to the woods behind Dylan's house and immediately shifted with me. I crouched down behind the large trees and linked with Cruz.

 Surprised that he and his twin were still there with his sister and Dylan, I listened to his quick explanation.

 Apparently Lecia was helping Dylan prepare for her trip tomorrow so the three of them would be staying the night.

 I was a little conflicted with how I felt about that whole situation. While I was glad that she wouldn't be alone, I was angered that someone had dared to enter her house.

 Dane reinforced that he was jealous that Cruz and Nico got to be there with her while all we could do was be hide out here in the dirt like worms.

 Well, I mean I have been the one to make her life pretty sh*tty for the past few years, so I'm sure that I was one of the last people she wanted to see right now.

 Cruz promised that he would contact me if anything happened, and I let him know that I was going to patrol the area here tonight.

 I sat here for a bit longer just thinking over everything from the things my Uncle does, what he won't tell me, to the things that have happened with Dylan lately.

 Dane was still trying to think of a logical reason for things to be happening, but I wanted to shift and let him take control for a while.

 We ended up patrolling through the night with nothing happening. The scent eventually disappeared and I went back home a little after dawn.

 Knowing that she would be leaving the pack lands in a few hours I decided to try to get rest while I could, while I knew that she was still here and safe.

 My Uncle always has a reason and purpose for everything that he does, so I knew that there was probably more to this trip than just a business meeting.

 Cruz had linked with me this morning and let me know that he and his brother would patrol the area until Dylan left. 

 When I got back to the pack house I used the kitchen entrance to try to get in unseen. I made it up to my room before anyone noticed, took a fast shower, and threw myself into bed to try to rest for a moment.

 After about an hour, I knew there was no way that I could sleep, especially since my Uncle was going to be leaving with Dylan any moment.

 Cruz had only linked me to let me know that nothing had happened and that he and his brother were headed home since the Alpha had already shown up.

 No matter what I wanted, I knew that there was nothing I could do once Dylan left the pack lands. I went down to the kitchens, grabbed some food, and took it with me when I left.

 There was no where I planed on going, I just knew that I had to keep busy. Of course, I ended up back outside Dylan's house. To my surprise though, I was not alone for long.

 Cruz walked over to me and grabbed a pop tart from my bag of stolen goods. "Hey, that's not for you," I grumbled with a mouth full of peanut butter crackers.

 We sat in comfortable silence for a bit and I was about to ask how his night had gone, but he beat me to it.

"So Eren, are you going to tell me what the hell is going on with you and Dylan Solamier."