Aaron: Before The Fall

AARON

It has been two weeks since I last talked to Alex.

He didn’t text me to let me know that everything is now under control and everyone is fine in Pack Sage, but I left him on read. I didn’t mean to be rude to him, I just didn’t have time to respond. It honestly escaped my mind as well, and by the time I recalled, it was too late to reply, so I just let it be.

For the past two weeks, I have been busy with work. I come home very late at night, that too only to sleep for a couple of hours before I return to the office and work on the deal I have currently signed with another bio-technical company for a merger. This was a big deal for me. If our ideas for innovative inventions work, we will take over the world. I have been so busy with work lately that I missed my mother’s call almost every day. I am sure she will understand once she knows what I have been up to.

In fact, I have been thinking about bringing her and Alex to the city to visit me in a couple of weeks. I miss them. Even when I have everything I could financially ask for, I don’t have people around me. I get lonely here. I don’t make friends, because I am scared my true identity will be disclosed. The fear has stopped me from getting into a relationship. I’ve had a few flings, but that’s how far I have gone. Maybe once this merger is done, I can start dating again.

I am already thirty-five years old. In a few years, the wolf in me will eventually die and maybe that’s when I can get into a serious relationship and maybe think about settling down.

An average werewolf is supposed to find his or her wolf at a young age. If one doesn’t find it, or like in my case, if one suppresses it and doesn’t let it out for twenty to twenty-five years or more, the wolf is bound to die. I know my wolf will not easily die due to being pure alpha-blooded, so I might have to wait longer than an average werewolf. Before that happens, I cannot be in a serious relationship. I am afraid my true identity will come out in front of her and scare her. After all, what average human would want to be with a monster like me?

Another couple of weeks passed, and today we finally made the merger official. There was a whole party in honor of the merger. The news of the merger made it to the front page of the Financial Times. It was one of the most talked about topics in the world of business. I even appeared for a short interview on some of the big news channels. I talked about some of the promising results we will be seeing in the world of biotechnology in the future.

We had a big celebration at the headquarters. Some of the big names came to celebrate the success of our company. The night was bedazzled. Investors, entrepreneurs, and even some celebrities add to the glory. I was extremely busy the entire night. I didn’t carry my phone with me, but Kendrick told me a few times that my mother had called since he was managing my phone. I told him to tell her to wait. I couldn’t abandon my guest at the moment. These were some of the most important people in the business world.

I spend the night dressed in a tuxedo, meeting and greeting people, collecting congratulations from them. After the speeches, the dinner was served. Since everyone was busy enjoying the food, I decided to go back to my mother. I took my phone from Kendrick and went to the roof, making a video call to my mother. After a few rings, she finally picked up.

The grin on my face slowly wore off when I saw my mother. I haven’t seen her face in a month. She looked incredibly weak and exhausted. Her cheeks looked hollow. She had bags and dark circles under her eyes. She looked way thinner and her hair was messily tied in a pony. I frowned, “Mom, is everything okay?” I asked.

She heaved a sigh, “Where have you been, Aaron? You have not been answering my calls or messages. Alex even tried to reach you, but you didn’t answer,” she complained.

A sudden wave of guilt took over me. I smashed my lips together, “I am sorry, Mom. I have been very busy. Today is a big day…” I started to tell her but she cut me off.

“The pack is in danger, Aaron,” she concernedly spoke. That shut me up. I blinked as I watched her look deeply into the camera, “We have been getting attacked repeatedly. It is not just us. The surrounding Packs have been attacked as well,” She informed me.

I gulped, “Are…are you all okay?” I was suddenly worried about my family’s well-being. My heart was racing with the thought of them getting hurt.

She sighed and nodded her head, “Yes, we are okay. We have a strong defense. We are making it through the mess, but sweetie, it is getting hard. Your father and Jake are stressed. No one can figure out who is attacking us. They are using powers beyond our reach. I don’t know how long we can hold it. Alpha Sam from Victor Pack and Alpha Earl from Shadow Pack are currently visiting us. We have all allied to tackle the attacks,” she informed me.

Shadow Pack. Alpha Earl. His daughter, Arla. I gulped painfully at the memories and gulped down the lump I felt in my throat. If Alpha Earl had been there, maybe Arla had been there too. She is next in line to the Alpha of the Shadow Pack. It has been ten years since I last saw her. I wonder how she looks now. I wonder what she thinks of me now… if I even cross her mind.

“The Pack of the North have decided to ally to fight the attacks,” she added.

I slowly blinked, “So, you will all be okay, right?” I asked.

She heaved a sigh, “I believe so, yes. But, Aaron, I was thinking something…” I knew what was coming next, but I let her continue anyway, “Why don’t you return to the Pack? You are the one that was chosen to be the Alpha after Max. Jake is doing his best, but I know you can do better. Come and help your family and your Pack,” she pleaded.

We had this conversation before. It always ends the same. I heaved a sigh, “You know I don’t believe in all these packs, the chosen Alpha, and all, Mom.”

“You are disrespecting the Goddess,” she corrected me sternly, “Be careful of your words, Aaron, don’t let the bad omen of disrespecting the Goddess get to you,” she said like she always says.

I smashed my lips together. I don’t get in debates with her. Her beliefs are stronger than mine. “Okay, I apologize, but you already know my answer, Mom. I can’t come back. I don’t want to. I have moved on.” I told her. I see her eyes gloss with tears as I tell her the truth, “Dad, Jake, and Carla don’t like me. I know the people of the Pack hate me. I don’t think my presence will help you all anyway. But I am truly worried about you all. Please let me help you in other ways. Let me fly you all out of the North. Come to me. You will be safe here.” I tried to talk her through but the stern look on her face made it evident that she would not agree and that’s exactly what happened.

I see her flare her nostrils. The Luna in her replaced the mother in her. “No one from my family is abandoning their Pack. We will fight. Don’t worry. Alex and I will stop bothering you with Pack matters. I am sure you have better things to do,” she impassively spoke.

I made her angry with me. I clicked my tongue, “Mom…” She refused to listen to me.

“Before you go to bed tonight, please try to ask for forgiveness from the Goddess for your words. She is very forgiving. I don’t want you to pay for your ignorance. I have to go now. Take care,” she said before she ended the call.

I heaved a sigh and clicked my tongue. I blew my cheeks out and put my hands on the railing around the roof, looking out into the dark. The lights of the city spark like a million tiny stars. I was far from the hustle and bustle of the city. Usually, this sight brings peace to me, but it didn’t this time. This time I had a dreadful feeling in my stomach. I was feeling nervous. I never feel nervous. It was probably because I was worried about my family’s safety. I know it is difficult to make my family agree to leave the North, but I will keep on trying. I can’t let them be there anymore. It is getting dangerous.

I look at the clear sky to see the full moon and a Lunar Eclipse. It is supposed to be a sacred night for the werewolves. I stared at it, wondering if it even held any meaning at all. A few seconds passed. I hissed when I suddenly felt a painful tug in my chest. I grimace at the pain. I rubbed my chest – trying to get rid of the discomfort I was feeling in my chest all of a sudden. I have never felt it before, not even when I was breaking all the connections with my Pack. The tug slowly started to turn into a slow burn.

Maybe it was something I ate earlier…

I was going to walk back to the party when I heard someone’s hushed voice. “I told you. I don’t want to do this anymore.” It was a woman’s voice. The voice was coming to me in a soft echo. My eyes searched for who it was, but I couldn’t see anyone except for me on the rooftop. Maybe it was something on the other side of the roof. I tried to move, but I suddenly froze in my place.

I hissed again and covered my ear when they started to ring with a shrill sound. I held onto the railing and closed my eyes tightly, hoping to get rid of the feeling soon. I tried to see who it was, but I couldn’t see her face and my vision started to blur. I wondered if I was having a heart attack as the pain in my chest increased. Suddenly, I was surrounded by a strong rustic scent. The shrill sound strengthened, and so did the pain with each passing second.

“Dad is waiting for us. We are making our final move tonight, Bre, and you are coming with me or I swear to God, I will kill you even before he gets his hands on you.” I groaned when the pain intensified in my chest – spreading through my body.

“But I don’t want to do this anymore. You promised that innocents would not be involved!” I kept hearing the voice.

“I don’t care! We have to do this if we want to win! They are too strong, and we can’t do this without your powers!” I heard a loud booming man’s voice before the pain in my chest left me panting and sweaty. I couldn’t bear it anymore. I dropped to my knees and welcomed the darkness before I lost consciousness.