16. The Shadow Pack

Going out of the packhouse felt strange. It felt oddly like getting a chance to taste the outside world after a long time. I felt like it has been decades since I’ve seen the outside world instead of a few weeks. The car glided smoothly, manoeuvred around the curves, I trained my gaze outside the window, drinking in the sight— the trees, the smell of mud. The morning sun was shining mildly, its heat felt like a warm blanket. I swallowed the sudden formed thick lump in my throat and ignored the burn in my eyes. 

I glanced beside me where Marcus sat, keeping an appropriate distance between us, his chin dipped downward, frown evident as he types furiously on the laptop. I fidgeted with the edge of the file that I was carrying but didn’t feel like opening it and going through the contents. I had finished reading and was prepared…somewhat.