Bloodbound [Werewolf]

Chapter Eleven

Would it be too late to back out from this dilemma I'd consciously put myself into? Was it too late to run back towards the Den and ask someone else to assist me? Would it be so cowardly to not push through with this training under Conan's guidance? Well... Perhaps...

... Scratch that — it was too late and not one of those other three Omegas would be inclined to swap places with Conan; not that Conan would pass them the baton willingly when he's been dead set since yesterday to teach me. But I'm no coward, nor would I ever admit defeat to him, so let the damned be damned until I finished this ungodly way of having a lower rank as my mentor.

I just need to do something with this frustrating tension that's been following us since we went out of the den and into the forest, I thought to myself as we moved into the deeper part of the woods where Cienna's loyal guard dogs wouldn't be able to easily sniff us out while I master the techniques. There still seemed to be some wedge between us despite the fairly civilized way of us coexisting in that forsaken den — we have argued little, nothing like those big debates we used to do which was quite the feat if you asked me.

So, of course, I tried making small talk; something I would do with my father's council members or noblemen from other territories. That was the closest thing I could think of doing to release the tension between us. I knew nothing else to do but focus the topic on the other person; most likely, that would make them talk more — blabber to their hearts' content, whilst I happily tune out the world as a whole.

"Well, if you don't mind me asking, how long have the four of you known each other? All of you seemed to be very friendly in spite of the playful banters." I asked, trying to remain neutral, though the awkwardness in my voice could practically be heard from miles away. True that I was able to converse through small talk, but those were often of royal matters and less of casual trivial questions. More than that, I wasn't used to conversing with a commoner so I had nothing I could use to get him monologuing. I realized then how I knew so little about Conan and how those little things I'd known back when we were twelve had probably changed since. Maybe those things I had known about him weren't there anymore.

He glanced at me, a quick unsure one, before looking back ahead. "That's a little abrupt, don't you think?"

"Am I not allowed to be abrupt? You don't have to answer if you don't deem it worth answering, but this dead air we had was too hellish not to say a word."

He hummed, presumably reconsidering my words. Finally, he shrugged his shoulders. "I can't really remember when or how it started. We've been friends for years. By estimation, I'd say when we were still mid-teens."

"Oh. Is that how you thought of making the group of shadows?"

"Court of Shadows," he corrected, sounding a little irritated, before continuing nonetheless. "Yes, and no. It's a little complicated since it was the Alpha king who decided to give us that title but we went along with it and here we are now."

I paused, hardly interested, but would rather have this awkward conversation instead of nothing but stifling air. I decided to ask more about their lives as Omegas since that was the only thing that I managed to be knowledgeable of and could associate with them thanks to my father's relentless persistence in me knowing my people. It seemed like a delicate subject to them, especially to him who was under one of the lowest rankings in the hierarchy. I'd never really given it much thought before, though I knew there was some stigma around male Omegas.

"It's not that uncommon for males to be Omegas, but most males go on to train to become Gammas," he quietly muttered, the tip of his ears turning red. He had his face turned the other side but I could swear that his cheeks were burning. I wondered then if it was because he was embarrassed to be talking about it with me or was ashamed that he could've single-handedly moved up the ranks long ago with his experience.