Hades [Book Three] ON HOLD

Eight

Hades
| eight | hades is thirteen years old.

Hades slept for eleven days.

Moments after his first shift, he collapsed, unconscious, and the last thing he saw was the large Alpha that loomed over him protectively. However, unlike most wolves, he'd slipped into a coma, only awaking in the early hours of the eleventh day.

He woke with a start, his eyes snapping open and the first thing that Hades noticed was just how dark his surroundings were. He could barely make out the door that stood on the opposite side of the room, his thin arms attempting to push him upright. However, with a small wail, he collapsed onto the bed, his body tired and sore. He laid there for what felt like an eternity, but what was only a mere ten minutes, his eyes unblinking as he stared up at the ceiling.

There was a strange smell that reached his nostrils, and as much as Hades tried to decipher what it was, he couldn't identify the musky scent. It was eerily silent, Hades shifting in the bed, uncomfortable. He took a deep breath through his nose, his eyes squeezing shut as he attempted to sit up again. However, just like the first time, he was too weak, another shriek falling from his lips.

Involuntarily, tears welled in his eyes, but Hades was too weak to wipe them away as they rolled down his cheeks, his paralysed body sprawled across the bed, the sheets tangled around his bare legs. That was the moment he realised that he was as naked as the day he was born.

Panic sunk into his stomach, Hades groaning with frustration, forcing his body upright. Hunched over, he panted, the small action appearing to have knocked the air from his lungs, the bones in his spine prominent against his delicate skin. But he didn't get a chance to pull the covers over him, his heart hammering away in his chest when he heard the sound of heavy footsteps stomping down the hallway.

He trembled in the bed, his numbs hands wiping at his eyes, but it was too late to hide the fact that he'd been crying, the door opening quickly.

He recognised the wolf immediately, his stomach flipping, Hades lowering his head in submission at the man who stood in the doorway of the bedroom. He had never felt fear as strong as this, but he couldn't help but keep silent, too scared to voice the one question that had been running through his mind since the moment he'd woken up; where was he?  

Khan watched the young wolf carefully.

This was the first time that he'd saw him awake since his shift.

An Alpha himself, he had saw his fair share of young wolves shifting for the first time and he knew just how unpredictable they could be. His arms crossed, his face remained placid, his dark eyes watching Hades, the younger wolf peering up at him with glossy eyes.

"You're awake," Khan broke the silence, noticing how Hades flinched at the sound of his voice, his thin fingers pressing over his sensitive ears. Hades thought that he'd saw a ghost of a smile on the young Alpha's face, but it was gone within a blink of an eye. "You'll get used to hearing a million things at once," Khan informed him, but Hades wasn't paying attention.

The young wolf swallowed a large lump in the back of his throat, his hands shaking as he tugged on the quilt to cover his bare groin.

Khan noticed the action and rose an eyebrow, "You'll have to get used to being naked; it's a part of the job."

Cheeks flushed, Hades looked up at him, barely able to see Khan's features in the dark, "Job?" He whispered, his voice cracking, stomach sinking with disappointment. He knew it. He couldn't run away from his responsibilities; it was in his blood to be Alpha.