chapter 14
Saturday mornings in the district always started slow-like everyone collectively agreed that life was too difficult to rush.
The sun wasn't even properly up yet when Ferial and Abdie dragged two plastic chairs out to the walkway balcony, settling into their usual weekend routine: people-watching, complaining, and talking nonsense until one of them laughed too hard.
The district was alive already.
Mothers shouting from windows.
Kids running bare-footed.
Dogs barking at things that didn't exist.
Old men arguing about politics they weren't supposed to talk about.
A patrol truck parked at the corner, two wolf enforcers supervising a group of naughty teenagers who were apparently "volunteered" for trash duty as punishment.
Abdie took a sip from his tin mug. "Look at them," he said, pointing at the teens who were picking up litter with dramatic, slow exaggeration. "They made the enforcers chase them for twenty minutes last night. Now they're scrubbing like Cinderella."
One of the enforcers grabbed a boy by the collar when he tried to sneak off.
Ferial snorted. "Serves him right. Nachman's son always thinks he's invisible."
"He looks invisible," Abdie said. "Like a broomstick that learned how to stand."
Ferial burst out laughing, nearly spilling her tea.
Across the walkway, two older aunties sat on crates outside their door, already gossiping with the energy of people who trained for it.
"I'm telling you," the one said loudly, "the wolves are hiding something."
"They hide everything," the other replied. "Even their hairlines."
Abdie slapped his knee. "I love this place. Humans have no survival instinct."
"You included," Ferial muttered.
"Me especially."
Another patrol passed by slowly, scanning the buildings like they were studying threats-or maybe looking for scents again. Kids ran past them, chased by a dog dragging someone's slipper in its mouth. Two enforcers shouted after the kids, trying not to laugh.
Ferial leaned back. "I wonder if they're on edge because of the breach."
Abdie grunted. "Probably. But also... I heard something."
Ferial lowered her mug slightly. "From who?"
"From Shaun, you know? The one who cleans at the enforcer block."
"Nosy Shaun?"
"Yes."
"The one who listens to everyone's conversations even when they're not talking to him?"
"Yes, that Shaun," Abdie sighed. "He said some of the military wolves were packing supplies."
Ferial tensed. "For what?"
"Heading back to the Capital."
She blinked. "What? When?"
"Three days," Abdie said. "Alpha heir included."
She exhaled slowly, chest tightening in a way she pretended not to notice. "Oh."
Abdie eyed her. "What's that face?"
"I don't have a face."
"You have a face."
"I don't."
"You do, and it's weird."
She threw her slipper at him. He dodged and laughed.
They sat quietly for a moment, watching a small toddler absolutely body-slam another kid with a plastic toy. A mother screamed from three floors up, "KEEGAN! HOW MANY TIMES MUST I SAY DON'T HIT COUSIN DENZIL!"
Abdie chuckled. "That kid is stronger than half the enforcers."
Ferial smiled faintly, then said, "What do you think the Capital even looks like?"
Abdie stretched his legs out dramatically. "Okay, listen. Listen. I've thought about this."
"Oh no."
He ignored her. "Imagine this: wolves walking on marble floors in slow motion."
"With what music?"
"Something dramatic. Something with drums. Boom-boom-wolf swag."
Ferial choked on her tea laughing.
Abdie continued, very seriously: "All of them wear long coats that blow in the wind even when there is no wind. Because rich wolves can make their own wind."
Ferial wheezed. "Stop. Stop it."
"And they don't drink normal water," Abdie went on. "No. They drink glacier water from the tears of their enemies."
She covered her face. "Please, I'm begging you."
"And their houses," he said, eyes wide, "are made of the bones of people who owe them rent."
She screamed laughing and slapped his arm. "You're such an idiot."
"I know." He was proud of it.
Downstairs, an argument broke out between neighbors-again.
"You borrowed my pot and never returned it!"
"You borrowed my sugar first!"
"You took my child's bicycle!"
"He wasn't using it!"
"He's three!"
A patrol guard stepped in, exasperated. "PLEASE. For the love of the moon, keep your voices down! We're trying to conduct a security check!"
The arguing neighbors both shouted back, "YOU KEEP YOUR VOICE DOWN!"
The guard stood there blinking, questioning his career choices.
Abdie snorted. "Only humans can talk to wolves like that."
"And survive," Ferial added.
"Barely."
Another group of men walked past, laughing loudly. One of them pointed at Ferial.
"Eh, Abdie! That your bestie, né? Heard she caught the Alpha heir's eye the other day. Yoh, Ferial, girl, maybe you going to the Capital too!"
Ferial stiffened.
Abdie froze, slowly turning his head toward the man.
"Repeat that," Abdie said calmly.
The guy laughed. "What? I'm just saying-she must've walked nice for him to-"
Abdie stood so fast his chair fell backward.
"Say it ONE more time," he warned, voice low.
The man laughed again. "Relax, bro! I'm joking! Just saying, if she goes missing, we know where she-"
Abdie didn't let him finish.
He picked up a brick.
A full.
Solid.
Baked-by-the-sun.
District brick.
And he threw it.
Not at the man's head-Abdie wasn't stupid. But close enough that it smacked the ground next to his foot and chipped the corner of his shoe.
The guy jumped ten feet into the air.
"WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU!" the man screamed.
"Talk about her again," Abdie growled, "and I'll aim for your teeth."
His friends dragged him away quickly, muttering about crazy friends acting like siblings and unstable districts.
Ferial sighed. "You didn't have to-"
"Yes," Abdie cut in. "I did. They don't get to joke about wolves sniffing around my family."
Ferial looked at him, heart heavy but warm. "Thank you."
He slumped back into his chair. "Anytime. Brick-throwing is my love language."
She laughed softly.
The patrols slowly moved on, the sun climbed higher, and the district returned to its usual lazy chaos. Children screamed. Aunties gossiped. Wolves scolded people. Someone burned rice.
It was normal.
But Ferial knew-
in three days, the district's balance would shift again.
Because the Alpha heir would leave.
And somehow, even though his presence terrified her...
His absence scared her more.