CHAPTER 4: BREATH B4 HORROR

HAYDEN

“Alpha Hayden…” My ears perked up upon hearing Sue, one of the omega servants in the pack house enter my office after a knock.

“What is it?” without looking, I coldly responded as kept focusing on the paperwork that was already piled up, again.

“The pack elders wanted to speak with you.” Sue politely informed me which creased my eyebrow before looking confusedly at her.

“I already talked with them, what’s missing?” I coldly wondered but Sue cleared to me who were the pack elders she was referring to.

“No, Alpha. It’s not them, it’s your grandparents.” Despite her skeptical tone, Sue corrected herself as she informed me about my other visitors for the day.

“Why they can’t just leave me alone?” Hearing that, I can’t help but feel annoyed as I gritted my teeth over the same feeling that it will be the same topic again.

“Fine, let them in.” With an irksome feeling, I waved my hand to the omega and let my visitors in.

“Yes, Alpha.” She left after a respectful bowing at me and my grandparents entered.

My grandparents were like any other grandparents around the fifties to sixties but they were still strong as they emit the same energy ever since I could remember. They entered the room quietly and my grandmother was always beaming her genuine smile and gave me a motherly hug which I automatically returned. I had to if I didn’t want to be thrown out the window.

“How are you?” My gentle and kind grandmother, Oasis asked with her usual caring voice.

“I’m good just preoccupied with these papers.” I simply replied and continued my work.

“Good to hear, but…” She smiled in gladness and was about to say something else when my old geezer firmly interfered which I hated whenever he did that.

“But you need to find your Luna.” My firm and stubborn grandfather, Jason finished for his wife who seemed surprised by what he said. I was not even surprised hearing the same thing from him and it was starting to get on my nerves, AGAIN.

“Honey, we’re not here for that.” My grandmother smiled apologetically to me which I’m glad that she does but not my grandfather.

“Yes, we are and you, you have to find your mate to help you with the pack. You can’t do it alone. You need a Luna.” Being stubborn as he has always been, he directly reminded me about something I loathe.

“THAT AGAIN?! CAN YOU JUST LEAVE THAT ISSUE BE?! I’M ALREADY 37 AND I’M DOING JUST FINE. WHY CAN’T YOU ALL SEE THAT?!” I suddenly roared in anger as I punched the desk making it split in half and making them flinched. They hadn’t seen me act like that before.

“HAYDEN!” But with my high temper, my family bragged inside and worried state.

“I ALREADY TOLD YOU BEFORE! SO, SHUT THE FUCK UP!” I kept roaring the turmoil bursting around my chest as I didn’t care if I was being disrespectful at the moment. I just have to let it out since there are so many things that have been mixed up and dealing with the same pressure again, I had enough.

“HAYDEN, LANGUAGE. THEY’RE YOUR ELDERS.” I heard my mother’s angry but worried voice coming from my side but I couldn’t care less.

“ELDERS WHO KEPT PRYING ON MY MATELESS LIFE AND SINCE YOU DON’T KNOW THE COST OF BEING MATELESS WHEN YOU HAVE YOURS!” Indirectly, I managed to spill what caused my turmoil inside and it can’t be stopped.

“What do you mean?” I heard my grandmother’s broken voice when she asked something due to what slipped from my lips but I’m not going to tell.

“Hayden please calm down.” I even heard my siblings but I was beyond reach. I'm mad.

“NO! THEY WANT THIS RIGHT? YOU WANT ME TO FIND YOUR LUNA, FINE, I’LL FIND THAT LUNA THAT I COULD PRESENT TO YOU. I’LL EVEN MAKE AN OFFER FOR THAT PERSON TO AGREE TO BE THE LUNA FOR YOU AND FOR THIS PACK AND NOT MY MATE, HAPPY?!” I roared my crazy decision before I grabbed my coat and headed out of the office.

“Hayden, please, tell us where you are going to ease our worries, please?” My mother, Cassie was crying as she worriedly pleaded as she asked where I was going. I slightly halted my tracks since I felt the pain from my mother’s tears which made me not look at her.

“TO LOOK FOR THEIR LUNA, NOT MINE.” Just by a glance from my shoulder, I growled from my throat and left them by slamming my office’s door which I hope I didn’t break.

***

Run. I ran around to release a soundless roar since my heart was once again breaking into pieces from the pressure they had been giving me. I thought I’d already passed it but sadly, it wasn’t. It was still painful but I could not cry anymore and just run aimlessly around the pack’s border while doing my usual lone patrol when I felt something new approaching my town.

“That’s new,” I whispered as I diverted my attention from heartache to what just arrived in my town. I was at the edge of the woods which connected to the town’s sidewalk and I could see a nice car with a medical professional badge attached on the car’s bumper.

“Hm, Henry’s visitors arrived,” I mumbled when I realized who just arrived and went back to my rounds.

‘Hayden, they’re here.’

“I saw and made sure they were fully accommodated. I’ll speak to none tonight. I need a breather after what happened.” I responded to my brother’s telepath while I jogged on the sidewalk to be familiar with the two doctors waiting at the security house.

‘Noted. I’ll tell the maid to save some food for you.’

“Thanks,” I responded before cutting the link and when I decided to buy a coffee, I smelled a rainfall scent that had a mysterious gap.

I snapped and looked around but I found no one until I saw a woman who was glued on her phone while leaning to a new car in town. My eyes were narrow as I was curious about what she looked like but instead of looking across the street, she looked back and talked to her friend who was already with my brother.

“So, that’s your mate.” I suddenly linked to my brother while I bought my coffee and watched them carefully across the street.

‘Yeah.’

“Not bad, bro,” I smirked since I saw my brother shyly rub his nape.

‘And the girl beside her is Roxanne and she’s single.’

“I don’t need that.” I coldly responded although it was not a bad idea too. But I didn't let my brother sense that from our link or he'll tease me to the core.

‘Just saying in case you want a Luna.’

“I didn’t see that coming from you.” I scoffed because I didn’t know that he could say that instead of waiting for my mate or something about love.

‘I’m upset with them too but I’ll support you to the right extent.’

“Why her then?” Curiously, I tried to know why my brother suddenly endorsed his mate's friend to me better than what the pack elders had shown me before.

‘I just felt that she’ll be staying here for a very long time.’

“You and your gut feeling…” I shook my head because he always followed his gut feeling and they mostly weren’t wrong.

‘Well, it's my gift.’

“Whatever.” I rolled my eyes as I finished my coffee and sternly looked over at the person that my brother wanted me to hook up with.

I might not see Roxanne Morison's full looks but her physique and aura were indeed a fine lady however I could not tell if she was into ladies aside from her boyish way of clothing at the moment. But again, her unusual scent was captivating me since most human scents to us were just one or two solid scents but that doctor had some gap as if it was hiding something. It intrigued me and when I was about to leave the café’s porch, I felt a familiar eerie breeze from the old garden making me recall my interaction there.

‘She’ll come when the right time comes…’

“If that’s the case, then let’s see. How things will unfold.” I muttered as I started jogging not ever realizing a smirk played at the corner of my lips.

***

‘Again? You’ve been visiting this place a lot. Aren’t you crept out speaking to a ghost like me?’

“Correction, you’re not a ghost, and no, not at all. But I think I saw your daughter.” Correcting a ghost was funny but I did inform her about her daughter who might already arrived here.

‘Why are you telling me this? Intrigue?’

“Maybe. Her scent was nothing like any human…” I shrugged my shoulders while my hands kept playing the piano with one of the soundtracks from Phantom of the Opera called Think of Me.

‘Human? I see…its happening…’

“What happening?” that caught my interest and questioned her.

‘You’ll know soon Alpha but care to tell why you’ve been coming here ever since you found this place?’

“I felt at ease here. I could breathe here.” I honestly told her how I felt around this old garden and her soothing presence. It was calming like my mother’s but she was more.

‘Hm, I wonder if you still could say that if she’s all you could think of.’

“Hahaha, if that happens that its nice but if not, then it's good.” For the first time, I genuinely chuckled making her smile but when she looked straight at my soul she sighed.

‘Pain from yesterday already in the past yet the heart still seeking to be healed completely.’

“You…are you a clairvoyant werewolf?” I stopped playing the piano and noticed what ability she had.

‘This is just a start, Alpha Hayden, and don’t forget what I told you before…don’t hurt her more than she already was.’

“I am too. I’m…” I creased my eyebrows since I was in pain too but she cut me off from reasoning.

‘You’re past on it. Move and be with her now that she’s here.’

“I’m not sure if I can.” I sighed and the worry still clear in my voice when I said those words.

‘You will if you let this heart beat again.’

“I don’t know how…” I followed what she was pointing on my chest making me sigh as I was not sure how to let my heart beat again.

‘If you’re willing enough to let go the pain, and ready to love again, your heart and mind will do so. Your wolf will guide you to her.’

I was about to say more but she was gone already. But the message that she had been plotting in my head was leaving marks that I couldn’t bury for too long. I sighed but quickly got up when something alarming happened.

“ROGUES!” I deeply growled and quickly stormed to the town.

“KEEP EVERYONE IN SAFETY NOW!” I roared as I sent a pack link to everyone.

“DEFENDERS, DEFEND THE TOWN AND PROTECTORS, PROTECT OUR PACK,”

I commanded to everyone as I ran against the wave of townsfolks heading to safety.

“Henry, is she with you?” I asked my brother directly to our private telepath.

‘Who?’

“Roxanne,” I growled as I began slamming some rogues on the wall of the shop before they could hit the young pup with its mother.

‘I’m running after her.’

“WHAT DID YOU DO?!” I growled protectively through our link when I heard his response before I ripped the heart out of another rogue charging at me.

‘She just stormed off when I let her meet our private patient. I think I triggered something painful.’

“DAMMIT! Where did she run off too?” I worriedly growled as I kept killing rogues hindering my way of searching for her. I was not sure why my entire body had been pushing its way just to find her and my wolf was losing its temper.

‘Down the street.’

“I found her.” I was grateful when I saw her but a rogue was about to end her life and I won’t let that happen.