"I think, there's something going on with Kyler," The alpha of the Crescent pack spoke to his wife, who hummed in confusion.
"What do you mean, Arthur?" She lowered the book she was reading to focus properly on her husband instead.
"He has been too happy these days," Laura furrowed her eyesbrows at the statement.
"And is that a bad thing?"
"No no! of course not, but isn't it unusual..? Kyler seems to be in his own world these days and—"
Laura slammed the book close, only to glare at Arthur, "What else can he even do?" She snapped, "A 26 year old is stuck in his room the whole day and night! He's trying to accept it and be happy, and you find even that unusual. Would you only like it if he's miserable all the time, huh?" Laura scoffed, putting her book aside to glare at her husband.
"W— what..? No! Of course not— but.." Arthur stuttered out, but wasn't able to form a proper sentence.
"Arthur. Do tell me one thing. Why are you doing this to Kyler?"
"He's always playing around without a care. He doesn't think about how the pack will be effected if only a single step goes wrong— he's always getting attacked left and right! This could also lead those rogues to us, and, what if they do something to Kayden? We can't loose him—" Arthur was cut off when Laura scoffed out loud.
"Are you hearing yourself, Arthur? In that long speech that you uttered out, not once did I heard you mention that you're worried about our son."
Arthur was left stunned for a second before he tried to recoil on his words, but Laura wasn't gonna let him get away this time.
"No Arthur, don't even try." With that, she turned away from the husband and pulled the covers over her head, closing her eyes so that she won't be bothered by Arthur anymore.
For quite sometime, Arthur kept staring his wife's back, not really being able to comprehend what just happebed. With a defeated sigh, he too switched off the night lamp on his side and got inside covers, falling into a deep slumber.
While everyone slept, Kyler stared out of the window of his room, looking at the moon which shone brightly in the night sky.
He was so used to being out with Eris these past few weeks that he had started hating staying inside for the nights.
This room which he cherished, now felt like a prison to him.
He wouldn't have been here, but Eris had told him yesterday that she won't be able to come today, since her father wanted to discuss some matters with her.
Eris was the older one in her house, Kyler knows that she has more responsibilities than him, just like his brother. But he can't help but be dissapointed that she couldn't come to him.
Kyler sighed for the millionth time that night, getting up from the ground to get some water for himself from the jug on his bedside table.
He let out an irritated groan when he saw that it was empty, "Can't even do this right," He cursed the workers of his home for forgetting to refill his jug. He would've let it go but his throat was too dry and scratchy to just fall asleep.
Hence he went to the door and turned the knob to get out of his room to get water. Kyler's eyebrows furrowed in confusion when the door didn't budged from it's place, no matter how hard he tried.
"What the..? They lock me inside?!" This was the first time he had found out that the door of his room stays locked from inside and to say he was upset was an understatement.
He was mad at his father for treating him as if he was a prisoner.
Kyler pulled at the door hard, shaking the knob almost trying to break the door, but not quite being able to actually break it.
He kicked the door in frustration before banging on it, hoping someone would just hear the loud noises he created.
"Open this fucking door!" He screamed, but no one heard him. Atlast he sat against the door in defeat, no one was gonna come for him anyway. He isn't his brother.
"Why is this bothering me so much..?" A bit of thirst never bothered him so much when he was out in the open with Eris, but while being locked inside his room, it seems to be clawing his throat from inside.
Kyler doesn't know how or when, but he fell aslsep in that exact position with a dry throat.
Once the morning arrived, instead of a worker waking up Kyler, it was Laura. She went to his door with the keys she had taken from the worker and pushed them isnide the lock before twisting them.
Laura let out a shriek when Kyler fell back after the support of the door was removed from his back.
"Kyler!" She screamed and a startled Kyler immediately sat up, sputtering out nonsense from his mouth after being woken up in such a disastrous way.
Laura fell on her knees beside his son, immediately pulling a very confused Kyler into her embrace.
It wasn't long before the people around the house were gatgered around the mother-son duo, curiously peeking to see what had happened.
"Mom? What happened?" Kayden spoke up once he saw his mother holding his brother protectively.
"Laura? Why did you screamed?" Arthur too was standing beside his son, staring curiously at them.
"Mom.." Kyler rasped out, gently pulling himself away from from her mother. "I'm fine, I just fell asleep here.."
"Why were you sleeping like that? It's really bad for your health! And it's so cold these days, sleeping on floor like this will give you a fever— and!— you almost gave me a heart attack! I thought you fainted or something,"
Kyler chuckled dryly, he found his mother's worries to be cute, atleast there was someone who was worried about him. "Don't worry, I was just thinking, and fell asleep.."
Laura furrowed her eyebrows together, "Why is your voice so raspy?.."
Kyler shrugged his shoulders, "I'm thirsty,"
"Then you should drink water, it's that simple." Arthur spoke up, making Kyler glance up at him with pure hatred.
"I would, if there was any left in my room."
"Then, you are supposed to open the door, walk out to the kitchen and drink from the fridge, come on Kyler, don't be a lazy ass."
Kyler scoffed at his brother's words, "I was trying to do exactly that. But my room was locked."
Kayden immediately shut up and stared at his father in disbelief.
"I can't believe my son had to stay thirsty in his own house." She muttered before getting up from the floor, "Get up Kyler," Laura ordered, helping Kyler to stand up even though he didn't need it.
Laura pushed past everyone while dragging Kyler with her, leaving everyone standing still by the door, hearing Laura grumble curses over to the workers and her own husband.