NEW HOME, OLD CONTENDER

“Step forward young man” The Alpha demanded as soon as his secretary left, leaving just me, the Beta and the Alpha alone. I was supposed to be scared, but somewhere inside of me remained calm, assuring me that I would be just fine. Could it be my inner wolf?

 I immediately looked away as the Beta Sullivan walked past me, covering my face so he doesn’t see me. I was pretty sure he wouldn’t even recognize me though.

   I cursed him under my every breath, remembering how he whipped my father and assaulted my mother. Made fun of them while I hid in the bushes. My father vowed not to ever allow me come face to face with this wicked man. But here he was, fooling everyone in this pack. Father’s words of vengeance finally began to make sense to me.

  “What would you do if you had a sword in your hand and your old Alpha Blake and Beta Sullivan were tied up to a chair? Tell me, what would you do Nathan?” Alpha asked suddenly interrupting my thinking as soon as the secretary left. 

   I was taken a little aback by those harsh words called a question. I mean, why would he ask me such a question? How in fact does he know my name too? As to what reply I would give to this Alpha, I honestly had no way to comprehend and put it in words. 

  As he mentioned the names Alpha Blake and Beta Sullivan, all I could think of was hatred, revenge and pain ignoring the fact that I was young. I knew just what I wanted. It was to use the sword and behead the two of them as they would often approve of beheading a person just because they broke a simple rule. It became clear to me that this pack is an enemy of my old pack. 

  I stood there for a couple of seconds, still contemplating what to answer. This was sure a tough question.

  “I would kill the both of them and take vengeance for mama and papa”. A little voice spoke up. I looked left and right, looked backwards. There was no other child. Just me. Could I have said that? 

  “Then welcome young man, to the Leviathan Moon pack. I am your new Alpha Eugene.” He stepped up, took up a small bowl from a table next to him, walked briskly towards me. He seemed to have a knife in his hand too. 

  As soon as the Alpha approached me, I raised my head up just to view his face. He was a huge mature man, probably going to be overtaken by his son in a few years.   

  He grabbed hold of my hand and walked towards what seemed to be a statue. He put the bowl on it, stretched my hands forward and brought the knife close to my little arm. What the heck was he doing? 

  I screamed and pushed him away before his big thick knife could slice through my tender skin. There was no way I was getting cut just for one stupid blood oath. One could still take the blood oath and betray the pack, I thought to myself. Like Beta Sullivan. 

  The Alpha moved a little before getting grip of the ground again. He was somewhat shocked that little I could have the guts to do that. I didn’t know what would happen next, but I was ready. 

  “Whose pup did you say he was Simon?” Alpha Eugene asked Beta who was right behind me. Simon cleared his throat and was about to start talking before Eugene cut him almost immediately.

   “We don’t need him. He can’t be part of us. Take him away” Alpha Eugene said in anger and headed back to his seat. 

   At one, before I knew it, about two or three guards already had me lifted up in the air, walking towards the door. I was pulling and screaming and struggling to free myself. I bit the two guards somehow and they dropped me to the ground. I ran towards Simon and grabbed him by the waist, hugging him so tightly like some sort of pillar. I really didn’t know why I did that. Was it because I believed that he was my uncle?

  “What nonsense. I would not tolerate any nuisance and disobedience in this park. I said take him away”. Alpha Eugene commanded again. Come on, don’t this people have regard for little children? 

   “I’ll take care of him, please, just give us seven years away from everyone, close to the borders of this Kingdom, and I promise you Eugene that I will return to you a full grown soldier stronger than you have ever seen. A soldier ready to cut himself and take the blood oath. A soldier ready to take revenge. Just seven years. Please Eugene.” Aha, I knew that this was my uncle. 

  “What nonsense! Do you know the implications of what you are saying Simon. It’s a matter of life and death. No one lives in Leviathan who doesn’t take the blood oath. Don’t step on my anger Simon.” Alpha replied growling. His claws had already began to emanate. I just stood there, still, clinging to my uncle. 

  “Then we would stay outside the city Eugene. Come on, his father Peter, my brother fought well to survive, just to bring his son here. This is his home. I accept the implications my Lord. Just please, to honour his father.”

  Alpha Eugene paused and stared at his Beta. He seemed furious, but was ready to be bought. His Beta may never have failed him before. He looked directly into my eyes. All I could see was hate. A little boy who would not obey his Alpha. But Eugene loved Peter as well. 

  “See you in seven years boy.” The Alpha said taking one last look at my determined stubborn eyes. I looked away. I knew I had put myself on a high jump. I knew I had put my uncle in some serious mess, and I knew that it was me, only me that…

  “Move.” I looked up into Simon’s eyes. I knew he was proud of me. 

  We walked quickly out of the palace. I peered inside one more time before the door was closed. 

  “Ouch...” I yelled as soon as Simon’s huge hands attacked my little face, syncing with the door shut. Oh, I was wrong. He in fact wasn’t proud of me, but angry. I had just put him at a high jump with his Alpha. 

  He grabbed me by the hand and walked as fast as he could, headed towards the training center, letting me run just to put up with him. The he let go of me. 

  As soon as I got my hold, I saw the children that I saw earlier training tirelessly. One teacher flogged his student with a whip because she did not station her leg properly. I felt for the girl. She was about my age, but she did not shed a single tear, though, I could feel it coming. 

  I kept staring at her until she looked towards my direction. Our eyes interlocked and I didn’t want to turn them away. I guess she felt the same way. This girl was probably the most beautiful thing my eyes had ever seen. Her curled up hair that lay upon her forehead made sense to me. Her eyes were as beautiful as the moon I saw when father carried me on his back. Her lips, though dry, looked as soft as my mother’s bread. Her legs…

  “You see them? They’re about your age. But you won’t train there.” My uncle snapped. His words cut me. I won’t get to be with her.

  Simon grabbed me by my arm again, pulling me away from this beautiful sight. She looked away and continued with her training, and I followed my uncle walking over to the next training center.

  There, I saw the next group of people training. They looked like what would be in the next five or six years. Mid-teens they mostly were. 

  “Watch where you’re going, Omega.” One boy said as he hit me to the ground and laughed, him and his guys walking on. How did they know?

  “You won’t train here either.” Simon said and pulled me over again. 

  We walked for some minutes until we came to two men who seemed to be already waiting for us. They were with chariots as if waiting to pick us up. 

  As soon as we got face to face with them, my uncle said “Here, this is the man who’ll train you.”

  I stared at the first man. He looked lame and didn’t look like no fighting teacher. I was sure that he wasn’t the teacher. He didn’t even smile at me as we exchanged glances. It must be the second man.

  The second man looked tougher and smiled at me. Wait, what? Sullivan?