Chapter 24 - Venturing deeper into their relationship

"She's not picking up," Sehun mutters, frowning down at his phone. 

"She's not replying to my texts either," Baekhyun says, biting his thumbnail. "Do you think something has happened?" Sehun pales at that comment and immediately stands up from the couch where he has been sitting for the past few hours. 

The house is completely quiet without Ara around, despite the TV playing in the background since they had all woken up, and it almost feels wrong without Ara there. And the prospect of something having happened to their new pack mate creates a cloud of tension and worry in the room, and Tao stands up as well.

"I'm going there right now-"

"Don't." He stops when Kai speaks up for the first time that morning, a frown appearing on his face. "She's feeling sick, let her be for today."

The doorbell suddenly rings and Kyungsoo jogs into the hallway, letting Ikea workers into the house with the beds they had bought. The boys all stand up and make space for the workers, and while Kris is signing a few papers, Kai goes to the kitchen and sits down next to the counter. 

He had heard everything. He had heard Ara's pounding heart, the way she had gasped in fear when her mother spoke to her. And her mother, Kai couldn't help feeling his jaw clench just at the thought of how Ara's mother had treated her last night, her heartless comments, the fact that she slapped  Ara - Kai had almost left the car and broken down the house door to protect her.

But he didn't. He couldn't. Because what had happened in that house was something Ara had kept from them, and if she didn't want to reveal it yet, she didn't have to. But still, Kai couldn't help feeling angry at the thought of Ara going through all that crap without his comfort, his help. 

"What happened last night?" It's Suho who's asking, and he sits down on the stool next to Kai, crossing his arms over his chest in a fatherly manner, and Kai can't help but think of his own dad. "You weren't supposed drop her off at her home, something must have happened during the car ride."

"Yeah, she was completely fine at McDonalds," Kyungsoo suddenly appears out of nowhere, leaning against the counter next to Kai. He stares down at him with a frown on his face. "Did you do something to her?"

"Why do all of you think I did something to her?" Kai snaps, angrily standing up from the stool, and Kyungsoo arches an eyebrow in surprise. Kai sighs and runs a hand through his messy hair. "I'm gonna check up on her. No, Sehun, you can't join me."

All of the wolves have been listening to the conversation, Kai is aware of that, and he knows that Sehun wants to see Ara. But he doesn't know what condition she's in, or if her mother is still at home, and so he decides to go alone. 

"Douche bag," he hears Sehun mumble from where he is helping the Ikea workers build the couch-beds (couds, as Baekhyun had claimed with a stupid smirk on his face) in the living room, and he rolls his eyes in annoyance, grabbing his car keys from the kitchen island. 

"Make sure no one