Chapter 1 - Clement

Returning from Incubi was hell. As glad as I was to be home in Bloodmoon territory, I returned in a sorry state.  

I was one of the few injured sent home first and in the worst state. Only I would manage to lose a leg in a fight. I made a stupid mistake, and now I’ve fucked up the rest of my life. 

Grandma will probably fuss until grandpa tells her to stop babying me. I can just imagine what grandpa is going to say. I’d try to imagine what dad will say, but I am sure I’ll be met with indifference. 

As Doctor Bryant finished his examination, my hospital room’s door flew open. The whirlwind of the Shelton family burst through. They got here faster than I thought. 

“Clemmy!” My grandmother called, hurrying into the room with a tote full of I don’t want to know what. Probably another sweater or scarf long enough to turn me into a mummy that she knitted.  

“Michele, stop trying to fuss over him.” Grandpa commanded in his gruff voice. 

In an instant, grandma took two steps back and lowered her head, folding her hands in front of her. “Of course, Dillon.” Her voice was soft and weak. 

I furrowed my brow. I don’t know if I ever noticed this before. Grandpa will use a harsh voice, and grandma just obeys and quietly bows her head to him. As I think about it, this is normal for them. 

I always just thought this is how mates are. That the female is obedient to her mate. But as I look at my grandma, I see defeat. I see a woman who has been broken and forced into a mold of her mate’s making.  

Why didn’t I notice this before? Because I didn’t want to. Because it was easier just to believe she was happy. She always puts a smile on when I’m around.  

“How is he, Phil?” Grandpa questioned Doctor Bryant. 

Doctor Bryant, however, ignored my grandfather. He turned to my dad, who had slunk into the room behind my grandparents. The bags on his eyes look worse, but it’s hard to tell.  

My dad has looked like shit for as long as I can remember. I can’t blame him for that. I mean, most mates die when they lose their mate. In dad’s case, only his wolf died.  

It left my dad as the wolfless werewolf of Bloodmoon. The broken man that just goes through the motions of living. It’s a sad sight. 

‘You shouldn’t be so hard on him. He lost his mate and his wolf. How would you feel if you lost me?’ Jax questioned. 

‘I’d probably look as shitty as Dad. I’ve seen pictures of him from when mom was alive. I look just like him but not hollow. And I’m glad I still have you, Jax. Bad enough, we probably lost our shot at a mate.’ I frowned. 

‘Don’t say that. Our mate won’t care about a leg. She’s made for us and vice versa. You just better not treat our mate like Dillon treats Michele.’ Jax scoffed. 

He can be an optimist all he likes. I’ll be the realist. No female is going to want a mate who’s missing a leg. 

“Hale, they treated your boy’s injury very well in Incubi. Good clean amputation.” Doctor Bryant explained, speaking directly to my dad. 

I could see my grandpa fuming at being ignored. Something tells me Doctor Bryant knew precisely what he was doing when he ignored my grandfather. 

“So he’ll never be a warrior again. And his plans to join the military are out of the question.” Grandpa huffed. 

“As I was saying, Hale. It’ll heal well enough, and then we get him fitted for a prosthetic. It will be a hard road learning to walk with it.” Doctor Bryant explained. 

Most people wouldn’t bother talking to dad about me and certainly wouldn’t ignore grandpa in favor of dad. Oh yes, Doctor Bryant knows precisely what he’s doing. The sly smile on his face says it all.  

But Doctor Bryant is the exception. He was friends with my dad. I suppose he still is. I don’t keep tabs on my dad’s social life. 

“Not to mention his wolf learning to walk with three legs. But plenty of canines the world over survive just fine with three legs.” Doctor Bryant shrugged. 

“Thanks, Phil. We appreciate what you’ve done.” Dad nodded, shoving his hands in his pockets and not making eye contact.  

“I’ll leave you to talk more as a family.” Doctor Bryant nodded.  

“Clement, just use the call button if you have any discomfort. You should be discharged tomorrow, and we’ll go from there.” He smiled. 

“Always a pleasure to see you, Michele.” He winked at grandma, earning a growl from grandpa. Doctor Bryant chuckled as he left my room. 

“Never liked that boy. And his son’s no better. And of course, now they think they are better than others cause his boy is the Luna’s guard.” Grandpa scoffed. 

“Oh, shut up.” I groaned, running my hand over my face.  

“Excuse me? Did you just back talk to me, boy?” Grandpa growled. 

“I said to shut up. I didn’t stutter, old man. My leg hurts, I’m tired, and I don’t want to listen to you talk shit about other families. Your fucking paranoia about people being better or thinking they are better is pissing me off.” I blew up. 

A lifetime of frustration spilled out. It was one of the things that always irked me about my grandfather. And I’ve gotten to the point I just don’t feel like keeping my mouth shut. 

It barely stung as his fist connected with my face. He’s hit me before, though under the guise of training me. Not the first punch I’ve taken and won’t be the last. 

His punch is getting weak with age. And after taking an ass-kicking from an Alpha heir, everything feels like a slap from a pup. 

“Don’t you ever talk back to me.” He warned, wagging his finger at me. 

“Especially as you are now, you worthless little shit. Worthless, the lot of you. First, my son lost his wolf, and now his son has lost a leg. The Shelton family line has become this.” He snarled. 

“You hit like a pup. Getting weak in your old age.” I scoffed, pressing the button to raise the bed more. 

“Your son lost his wolf rather than his life when mom died. Name one person that didn’t die when their mate did?” I snorted. 

“Been better if he had rather than living as a shell of who he was.” Grandpa narrowed his eyes at dad, then at me. 

“And now I see the weak genes passed down to you.” He sneered. 

“Weak? I went to war against magically influenced wolves and lost a leg. And yes, this has messed up my plans for the military, but it’s not the end of my life.” I argued. 

“Before I was shipped back, I was told that the Goddess guides us on our paths. But we all have to put in the work to find our destinies. That person told me that I should look within and find who I am.” I countered. 

“Ha. That person is a fool and doesn’t know what they’re talking about. You’re going to amount to nothing now. A three-legged wolf, a lot of good that will do the pack.” Grandpa scoffed. 

“That fool, as you called him, is Alpha Heir André D’Amore.” I smirked. 

“Though now I hear he’s going to be Alpha André claiming the pack's title his father was at war against.”I shrugged. 

“And trust me, he hits a thousand times harder than you ever could.” I added. 

My grandfather seethed even as grandma rubbed his arm, trying to calm him. I’m sure he has a million things he’d like to say. But he bites his tongue because André is an Alpha, and the thought of disrespecting an Alpha knowingly scares him. 

“I think you should go home and rest, grandfather. Before you shove your foot further down your throat, your toes poke out your ass.” I smiled.  

“Come, Dillion. Let’s let Clemmy rest. You’re probably hungry. You get grouchy when you’re hungry.” Grandma tried to soothe the situation. 

I shook my head as she led him out. I noticed that dad hadn’t budged. Hell, he hadn’t said a word. Because, of course, all grandfather needs is a snickers bar. 

“Dad?” I raised an eyebrow. 

“Austin…” Dad opened his mouth. I don’t know why he always used my middle name, but only when my grandparents weren’t around. I never understood why.  

“Why do you call me that? My name is Clement. So why do you call me by my middle name?” I decided to ask what I had always questioned. 

“Your m… your mother called you Austin. She wanted to name you Austin, but your grandfather insisted you get his middle name as a first.” Dad shrugged. 

Now it at least made sense. Dad preferred to use the name mom wanted, but he couldn’t give me without pissing off the old man. 

“Oh, I didn’t know what. Why do you let grandpa do that? Walk all over you? Why let him decide on my name if mom wanted to call me Austin?” I frowned. 

“You’ve been the old bastard. He railroads everyone. So we conceded and used Austin as your middle name. We would call you Austin when they weren’t around. It was easier than fighting him.” Dad shrugged. 

“But you… you got your mother’s fire. She’d be proud of you.” He smiled sadly as he spoke of her. 

“I don’t know. I did stupidly break formation and lost my leg. Essentially ruining my plans for joining the army. This injury has thrown all my plans into the trash.” I shook my head. 

“And just like that, Alpha André said. The Goddess guides us. This was your path. Now you must navigate it. You have a chance to remake yourself, son. You’re young. Take this time to heal and find the man you truly want to be.” Dad patted my shoulder. 

“Now do what your grandma says. Rest up.” He smiled slightly before leaving the room. 

After a week of healing and walking with crutches, I was able to be fitted for my prosthetic leg. Six months of working with a human physical therapist just to be able to walk correctly with the prosthetic.  

He was amazed at how quickly I progressed and healed. Certainly couldn’t tell him it was because I’m a werewolf.  

It took Jax a total of seven months to learn to walk and finally be able to run as a three-legged wolf. Generally, I shift and run in private to avoid specific comments that have been whispered around the pack. 

And it wasn’t just attending physical therapy I had to deal with. I also saw a pack psychologist to deal with whatever PTSD and such I might have developed from the war and losing my leg.  

I gained an appreciation for what my physical therapist Grant does throughout all of it. Not just for me but for everyone that comes to his physical therapy practice.  

After much consideration, given that the pack doesn’t have a physical therapist, a lightbulb went off in my head. I realized what I should do. I enrolled at a local college to start studying to become a physical therapist.