Chapter 4

Skylar left Chester's room, angry. He wasn't sure who he was angry at but his wolf knew exactly who he was enraged by. He was fuming, leaving traces of heavy steps down the hallway until he arrived at the main hall. Turning on his heels, Skylar headed to the back of the house. Once out, he shifted to his brown wolf, his clothes falling off me in pieces.

Kylo had given Skylar a piece of his mind when the latter told Kinsley about him bringing trouble. Now the wolf wanted out and be let loose. He needed to run. It was the only way he could rid of his raging emotions when it comes to the other boy.

Kinsley being unable to link with the pack became the biggest disappointment to Skylar, unbeknownst to the boy in question. They shared the same birthday. That midnight of Kinsley’s twelfth birthday, Skylar was there, somewhere. He knew before that he couldn't communicate with anyone in the pack through the link but that night, he wished he would be able to once he achieved his primal shift.

Kristoff, the alpha, and Skylar’s older brother Kelvin were there with the omegas in the clearing at the back of the pack house for Kinsley's primal shifting. The moment the young boy morphed into a wolf that almost looked like Skylar’s, Kylo yipped excitedly. He was very happy. Skylar was too, as a matter of fact. But that was something he would rather not admit to anybody.

The brown wolf was wobbly at first, and soon as he found his balance, he howled happily. Kelvin was the one who accompanied him on his first run. And Skylar, he ran from a distance following their scent as a guide.

After that day, Skylar learned from his brother that Kinsley was still unable to tap into the pack link. His shoulders dropped and he turned really angry really fast. He lashed out on an innocent table inside his brother's room, flipped it over and ran away from the house. He didn't know where he was going. He was mad but his wolf was greatly saddened.

From then on, when it came to Kinsley, Skylar and his wolf almost didn't see eye to eye. The human in Skylar grew stubborn and heartless. But Kylo remained firm with how he was. A born leader of a pack but bias towards that pale deaf member of the pack.

No matter, Skylar was thankful that his wolf kept him balanced. They were one after all. It was ironic however that his own wolf had a gentle side but the human in Skylar was more tilted towards the side of being unforgiving, arrogant, and even vicious if he wanted to be. That's why he heard that he was more suitable to be an alpha than his older brother.

Being strong willed and having the heart of a leader were not enough. His father had proven that. The death of Skylar’s mother had turned Kristoff weaker at one point and that affected the state of the pack. If an alpha was ever weakened emotionally and mentally, the whole pack would suffer. Their defense would be lowered, their guard crippled.

Kristoff  knew we couldn't afford to put the pack in such vulnerable state again. And he rose from that almost helpless state and redeemed himself. Consequently, the pack was back to its feet.

Kylo kept reminding Skylar that Kinsley being unable to link was not a burden. And the latter would often say anyway that it was a weakness. Sometimes he would go as far as saying he's useless. And so through their runs, Skylar and his wolf would battle their wits out. Sometimes it even went as far as overpowering each other's consciousness. When in wolf form and Kylo had the upper hand, Skylar would still not back down. He would take it as a challenge.

Skylar would reach a certain stream after weaving his way through the thick woods. That's a few miles of ground he covered every time he would be there. He would pant and stare at blackness when it was dark or at the moon's reflection in the water when it's out.

Full moon was in a few days so it's bright out that tonight. Skylar could see the broken image of the moon in the water, obscured by the shadows of the leaves of trees surrounding the stream. Arriving there, he would calm down from the running and his wolf was soothed by being in the presence of the stream. Or more precisely, the scent surrounding it which pacified him and his disappointment for his human counterpart. For being an ass, obviously.

On his way back from his run, he caught a strong whiff of that same scent. And instead of making his wolf jump in happiness, it made him angry. He growled as he neared the area, running towards where the scent of blood was most intense. And there, where there must have been a thick bed of fallen dry leaves like everywhere else, lay a hole in the ground, knee deep. By the light coming from up above, Skylar saw the glistening edge of something inside the hole.

A rumble escaped his throat when he realized the hole in the ground itself was a form of trap. Any unsuspecting animal, running at full speed then falling in here would surely get their leg slashed. The bigger the animal, the more damage it would leave. And werewolves in their wolf form were much bigger.

Skylar saw red as his wolf took over and the heat of his anger rose to a thousand degrees. His paws were light as he ran back to the pack house the fastest he had ever been. He didn't stop Kylo from taking control of his emotions. Somehow, he wanted him to. When he arrived not far from the house, he howled in deep rage.

Mostly, it would be directed to an enemy of the pack, an aggressive howl, warding them off, but this time it was towards four members of his own pack. He called them in his link, summoning them towards the back of the house.

“The four of you. Where were you this afternoon a couple of hours before dinner?!”

Soon as Skylar saw the four come to him, he

snarled as he smelled the scents that surrounded Kinsley's back in that pit I found. He was deeply disappointed that one of these boys was his best friend, Jax.

"Skylar...calm down, man. Whatever is wrong?" Jax tried to come near Skylar but the latter was in the verge of tearing him to pieces. He bared his fangs, snarling Jax’s way as he paced, his eyes blazing the other boys’ way.

“Shift.” Skylar commanded. “All of you,” he growled. He was boiling in anger still and I knew he wasn't going to come back to his proper senses so long as his wolf was in control.

Kylo snarled, fangs and teeth ready to do some damage as the four boys his age were replaced by four wolves in front of him. “One more chance to come clean. Where were you a couple of hours before dinner?” He asked them again, his stance in offense position, the fur in his back rising, his fury not dying any minute.

“We we're in the eastern forest. We um—”

“Setting a trap, right?” Skylar asked the smallest of them.

“Skylar... How did—”

Skylar didn't let Jax finish his words. He lunged onto him and caught him by the neck between his teeth. Jax yelped as he was bitten. Skylar shook him before throwing him off towards the nearby tree. He fell with a loud thud.

There was shock and fear from the other three. Kylo was not satisfied. He wanted to lash out more and release his rage on the other three who hurt his favorite pack member. The memory of the scent of Kinsley's blood was very fresh. It only fueled his outrage.

One by one, Kylo faced Jax' minions and each wolf fell on the ground, wounded, bleeding. And under the light of the moon, He howled. He felt victorious. But he shouldn't be was what Skylar thought. He hurt four of his own for one member he considered weak and useless.

Realization hit the young Rigodon but his wolf scolded him for feeling the slightest of doubt and guilt. It was not even his character to feel bad for doing this to Jax or to anyone if they anger me.

“Don't you dare!” Kylo bellowed. “Nobody should ever feel bad about standing up for the weak. Especially not you. You are me. Stop denying your true self, Skylar! You care!”

“I do,” Skylar thought. And that vexed him so many times he lost count. He cared for Kinsley like he care for anyone in his pack. Even the pack they house after they lost their home. White Moon.

Skylar and his wolf were on their own little world when he heard a muffled sound of the alpha’s voice calling for Kylo Only then Skylar realized he had been looking up to the moon in a daze.

The rustling sound grew louder in his ears as not only his father came to his direction but also a few others. He met his father's eyes and walked away shortly after. He told him why he did what he did through the link. With that, no one stopped him from going back to the pack house.

"Take them to the infirmary." Alpha Rigodon ordered his warriors.

"Yes, Alpha." It was the answer of four voices in unison.

As he walked towards the house, Skylar felt someone's eyes looking at him. He looked towards the eastern wing where the omegas' quarters was located on the ground floor. One small window caught his attention. Kylo whined seeing the familiar face that retreated soon as he met his eyes.

Somehow, he felt better after all that. He didn't fatally hurt Jax and his friends and even if he did, he doubted the slightest of guilt he felt earlier would come crawling back to him and then linger.

Right now, with the little admission he allowed himself, he feel content. He stood up for him.