noun ~ the state of being free from danger or threat

POLLUX

I stayed with Antoine for only one night.

After changing into clean, smarter clothes that involved the shirt his father forced me to have, I got comfortable on the bed. Running through my phone, I avoided social media like the plague. I didn't have any, and only downloaded one because Charlie insisted on it.

It was just full of some stupid videos, anyway. Peak Charlie humour.

Humans made some strange things, but their devices were extraordinary. Phones and cameras forever astounded me. Heck, even electric was bizarre.

What had wolves accomplished?

Growling?

Being possessive?

Pissing up trees?

Snorting a laugh, I faintly heard approaching footsteps. They were lighter than Antoine's, and I glanced at the door when they came to a stop behind it. My head cocked, recognising the scent to be a young female.

This must be his daughter; Emily.

I heard her deeply inhale before her knuckles lightly rapped on the door. I mumbled an enter, and with a brief hesitation, the door handle shifted. Acting disinterested as to not intimidate her, I barely glanced at the single eye that appeared through a crack in the door.

"Are you Pollux?"

"That depends if you are Emily." I quirked an eyebrow.

The door opened more, revealing her entire figure. Her hand still clutched the handle, though, uncertain of her approach. Deep brown eyes, light freckles and soft auburn hair, she glanced around the room.

"I am." She nodded. "I'm nine-years-old."

"That's cool." I hummed. "I'm twenty-two."

"Like the Taylor song?" Her eyes widened.

I laughed softly. "I suppose so."

"Do you like Taylor?" She wondered, stepping inside.

"She's alright." I shrugged. "I don't really listen to music."

Emily gasped, her father's deep brown eyes widening at me. "That won't do!"

"It won't?" I grinned.

"No!" She shook her head.

To my surprise, she marched up to me and took my hand. With a soft tug, I rose to my feet as Emily pulled me out of the room. My gift was itching to be used, recognising the strong sense of emotion from the child. With a slight, unsure wince, I focused an inch of attention on it and instantly acknowledged the determination filling her bones.

"Where are we going?" I wondered.

"To my room." She insisted.

"Uh, are you sure I'm allowed in there?" I asked, as we stopped before her door.

"Yeah, why?" She frowned up at me.

"Well... Because... I'm a stranger?"

"You're in my house and Daddy isn't mad about that." She shook her head.

"Because... I'm a boy?" I suggested.

Her nose crinkled. "You are?"

"I am?" I cocked my head.

"Oh." She hummed. "That's cool, I guess."

"It is?"

"Yeah."

I laughed softly. "Okay, then. As long as your dad won't kick-get mad at me."

"Daddy won't get mad." She shook her head. "Besides, this is a science project."

"It is?"

Forcing me into her room, her small hands pressed into my lower back. I had no choice but to enter, and fall into the small chair in the corner of her room. Much like the door, the walls were a soft purple, filled with pictures of nature, animals, and the universe. My eyes flittered around its entirety, taking in the bold notes of Emily's personality.

A colouring desk, a teddy corner, a reading nook and a projector hanging from the ceiling. The carpet was also a lavender colour, and soft beneath my sock-clad feet.

"You like my room?"

"It's very purple." I nodded.

She cocked her head, eyeing the teddy corner. "Yeah, I guess so. I like purple. What's your favourite colour?"

I hummed, deep in thought. "Yellow."

"Yellow's cool. Like the sunshine."

"Or flowers."

"Yeah!" She beamed. "I like yellow too."

"Good." I mused.

She suddenly jolted, clapping her hands as she moved to the other side of her bed. I watched her, amused, as she mumbled to herself. She was rooting beneath her bed for something, and I took the moment to acknowledge the purple unicorn bedding.

"You like unicorns?"

Her head popped up from the side of her bed, frowning across at me. "Huh?"

"Your duvet." I cocked my head. "Do you like unicorns?"

"Oh! Yes! I do!" She nodded, rising to her feet.

In her hands was a portable CD player, and my eyes widened as she heaved it over to me and set it down on the carpet.

"But I also like bunnies, owls, ducks, cats, wolves, lions and platypuses."

"Platypus?" I smirked.

"Yes! They're cool!"

Everything appeared to be cool to Emily.

"Okay, so what's the CD player for?"

"I am making you listen to music!" She beamed.

"You are?" I wondered.

"Yes! You said you don't listen to music, so now you can listen to mine."

"That's very... kind of you, Emily." I smiled, despite the wince.

Goddess forbid what chaos I was about to endure.

"First, we shall start with the beginning." She grinned, opening a CD case. "This one has lots of songs on it."

Oh, joy.

***

Saying goodbye to Antoine and his family was harder than I thought it would be. It wasn't the safety of the house, or the food that came with it, but rather the feeling I had when I was there. It was so familial, so warm and cosy with just the gentle conversation and admirations.

It was secure.

Emily's face fell when I told her I had to leave, having bonded with me over the various female artists she enjoyed. She even made me learn a few songs, telling me I should sing them to my niece and nephew when I get home.

Antoine had scolded her for how she basically kidnapped me. Emily didn't care, her eyes wide and doe-like, as she told her dad how much I enjoyed it. I couldn't help but laugh at that, taking the extra time to chew my pasta than normal.

And now, with a full stomach of two meals and a long twelve-hour sleep, I stood on their doorstep. Layla, his wife/waitress from the café, had been just as welcoming. I expected her to be wary of me, thinking that Antoine had told her who I was in the past, but she wasn't. With open arms, she embraced me like an old friend, and it made my heart ache with the loss of my own.

I would never have parents like this. Never have a family to go round every weekend for dinner and a catch up. Both my parents were dead, and I had no interest in taking up a relationship. Gaia's cottage wasn't home without Raven. My stepsister's death still took its toll on me. And on Gaia too, her usual self now subdued.

"Are you sure you don't need anything?"

I blinked, staring back at Layla with wide eyes. "Me?"

"Yes, Pollux." She laughed. "Who else?"

"I'm okay, honestly." I shook my head, smiling. "I have everything I need in my bag."

She eyed it distastefully. "It's not big enough for food, clothes, toiletries-

"Sweetheart, he said he's fine." Antoine chuckled.

"I hunt, Layla. I set traps, forage, and make fires."

"You do?"

"Not every day has a village nearby to raid." I joked.

"Just be careful, Pollux." Layla begged me.

"I always am."

"You had two ears last time." Antoine mused.

"I still have two ears." I rolled my eyes. "One is just smaller now."

"And yet you refuse to tell me how."

I grinned, shrugging. "Maybe when you are worthy of my adventurous conversations."

"Oh, of course.... Just look after yourself." He hugged me, patting my back.

I embraced the hug, my eyes fluttering closed. Layla was next, taking me from her husband's arms, and then it was Emily.

"You don't have to go. You can be my best friend and stay here forever." She whispered.

"I have places to be, Emily. The world is calling me." I mumbled.

"Then hang up."

I laughed softly, stepping away from them with a soft smile. "If only it was that easy."

"It is." She insisted. "Just stay."

I hummed, cocking my head down at her. "You ever get that rumbling in your tummy when you're super hungry?"

"Yeah."

"And you know you really need to eat or you're gonna... explode?"

"Yeah!"

"It's like that." I explained. "If I don't leave, like if you don't eat, I'm going to get irritated and explode."

She frowned. "Oh. That's sad. I don't want you to explode."

"I'm glad you see that, too." I laughed.

Layla tutted at Emily. "Pollux has his own life, sweetie. He has to go."

Emily frowned and leaned into her mother's waist for comfort. It was picturesque, looking at the three of them in their doorway. The home behind that was lit in a soft amber glow, one that made my chest ache with want. Even the smell of bacon and sausage from breakfast lingered, a reminder of the comfort that they provided.

"Thank you." I bowed my head before looking at Antoine. "For everything."

"Always, Pollux. You are a remarkable man." Antoine smiled, and I grinned. "Now, now, go on, before you get too cocky."

I laughed, nodding once more. I cast a look over all three of them before nudging Emily with a fist bump. A sigh of satisfaction left me as I turned and walked away from the comfort of their home. It was cooler today, and I was grateful for the overcast clouds up above.

My boot clad feet clipped across the concrete path as I walked away. They tell you never to look back because it means that you never want to go. But I couldn't help myself, and glanced over my shoulder one last time. Layla had taken Emily inside, but Antoine remained.

I turned fully, raising my hand in passing. He nodded his head once, and I smiled, placing my hand to my chest before turning back around. I feel deep down that Antoine is the reason I matured and became the man I was today. He was the only male figure in my life that changed me. I hoped I could convey that enough, and if not, we would meet in the future.

Half a day later, I was trudging through the mountainous terrain east toward Arleybay. I didn't even have to think, didn't have to check my phone once as I trekked through the forest. Eventually, the hearty breakfast I had worn off, and I glanced at the sky to see the darkening clouds coming. It must be close to evening now; I had left at lunchtime.

I was going to rain soon, so I needed to make camp before that happened. I had a little hammock thing that I could use as a shelter, because I could not smell a human town close enough for me to rest my head. There was a pack a few miles from here, but I didn't want that entire ordeal.

Finding a spot with big enough trees and dense enough shrubbery, I set down my bag. I relieved myself in a bush on the edge before setting up the hammock roof in the middle. The tree was sturdy enough to create the perfect angle that the rain would fall off of it. I made a small bed, comprising a sheet and my bag as a pillow. I would have to shift wolf, because I knew that with rain came cold and my human skin wouldn't generate enough warmth.

Perching on a log, I set my bag on the ground and rifled through it. Layla had made me sandwiches from their lunch and packed a handful of perishable snacks. My lips quirked as I unravelled the white bread, my fingers indenting the soft dough. It was some kind of chicken with stuffing and bacon. She claimed it was leftovers from dinner the night before I arrived, and I wasn't complaining. It was delicious.

Once I had satisfied my appetite, I pulled out my phone to check it. To my surprise, I had a text from Phoenix. My eyebrows furrowed as I scanned the words, wondering what was going on back home to receive such a message.

Phoenix: Pollux, there's an emergency.

Eyes wide, I hurriedly text back. It could be something as easy as a broken arm, or as serious as a border breach.

Me: Is everything okay????

There was no answer, and even as I picked up the phone to call him, it rang to voicemail. I tried one more before dialling Nova, and then Charlie. Nobody picked up, and my bones ached as I thought the worst.

I hoped everybody was okay.