Chapter 84: Chapter 84

~ Hadeon POV ~

It all started when I was a youngling myself…

Life was good. My parents were Betas, second only to the Alpha and important aspects in ensuring Nighttide was kept to the high standards we set ourselves.

As a firstborn Beta-son, my father had already plotted out my entire life for me – he wanted me to be a warrior just like him, and use the power of the shadows in greater ways than he ever could. You can understand that well, can’t you, Suki?

He prepared himself to train me for when my powers manifested, since it was common for high-ranking werewolves to develop their secondary power before their wolf; he wanted to be ready.

Yet, by the time I reached 2 years old, my parents began to grow concerned. My behaviour was different to other younglings – I didn’t explore within nature; in fact, I was almost repelled from the idea of playing outside. The curiosity to connect with Mother Nature was not within me.

They didn’t think much of it; they thought maybe some younglings took longer to connect with nature than others.

It wasn’t until I had reached the age of 3. By that point, my inner wolf spirit should have been detectable by scent, but there was nothing, no indication of the Moon Goddess blessing me with a wolf of my own.

My parents took me to every doctor and witch they could to conduct tests, but nothing was wrong with me. I was healthy and a perfect candidate for a wolf; every element of my being was designed to be a werewolf, but I didn’t have the spiritual access from the Goddess.

“He was just a late bloomer.” That’s what everyone kept saying. So my parents waited.

And waited.

A couple of years later, Brendan was born. They had the same fear for him as they did for me, but as he grew, it was clear that his connection to Mother Nature was there. When he was old enough for his wolf to be detected, my parents sensed it immediately, saying it was a powerful spirit.

I was happy for my brother; not once was I a jealous kid as we grew up. I loved seeing him thrive. In fact, it motivated me to want to connect with nature more so I could connect with my spirit and eventually bloom into the responsibilities my father dreamed and hoped for.

However, even though I wasn’t jealous of my brother, there was still a part of me that desired to be one with my people – to be a werewolf.

No matter what I did, I couldn’t gain a connection to nature or my wolf spirit. It took everything in me not to fall apart. Brendan kept me strong, hopeful that one day I would come into my own. He was a good kid, and I wanted to be a good brother to him.

When I turned 16, I was getting that much closer to the age at which I should fully get my wolf powers, but there was still nothing – no inkling that I had or would be getting any power.

My parents never looked down on me for what I was; they were never ashamed that I was wolfless, but they wanted to ensure that I would have a place in the community of werewolves, one fitting for my unique situation.

Late one night, I came over after one of my nightly runs in the forest and overheard a conversation between my parents. I sneaked over to the open door and stayed on the other side of the wall to listen to them.

“He’s under too much pressure, my love,” said my mother.

“We’ve never once put pressure on our son,” my father snapped back.

Mother sighed. “No, we haven’t, but he does. Why do you think he goes for a run in the forest at least once a day? Or chooses to spend his spare time – when he’s not studying with you – with Nighttides coven? He’s trying to connect with nature and magic as much as possible to awaken his wolf spirit.”

Father huffed, “That’s good of him. He’s working hard, and he still has time. The Moon Goddess will see his efforts and pay him greatly for it.”

“Darling,” Mum spoke softly. “I’m afraid if we keep allowing him to do this, he’s going to destroy himself – mentally and physically. We should not just prepare him for his duties within the pack; we should prepare him for the worst – him not receiving his wolf.”

“He knows that’s a risk; we’ve never hidden that from him.”

“You’re right, we haven’t hidden it, but we’ve also made him think if he connects with Mother Nature that he’ll eventually get it. He’s out for another run right now; that’s his second one today. Without a connection to a wolf spirit, he can’t heal as fast as we can. His body is practically human.” There was a pain in my mother’s voice, not disgust for her words, but grief for the life I wasn’t able to experience.

I couldn’t see the world the way they did, and I probably never would.

It didn’t take long for my father to realise that my situation could be a blessing in disguise. If I appeared human in most aspects of my persona, then that meant I could blend in with the humans with no complications.

I could breach their world without any risk of accidentally using my wolf abilities, because I have none to use. I wouldn’t raise suspicions because, for the most part, I act and move exactly how humans do.

“Hey Hadeon, how was your run?” 11-year-old Brendan asked, passing by in a rush to the kitchen for a late-night snack.

I winced. Brendan was already gone to get his snack, but my father emerged, his eyes locked on me instantly.

“How long have you been there?” he hissed.

Swallowing a lump in my throat, I stood tall and spoke clearly. “Long enough.”

My father narrowed his eyes. He was truly surprised, being unaware that I was there. It was then that I realised I had one advantage against werewolves – they couldn’t sense my presence.

“Good. Then I won’t have to repeat myself,” he jested. “Son.” He placed a hand on my shoulder. “How would you like to be the first non-Alpha to venture out into the human world?”