[Snippet] IMAGINATION - fUTURE pROJECTS -

Draft 2.2: Werewolf

One last heartbreaking howl to the afternoon heat in my only memory of him and I ran back.

I don't even know when I reached but on the beautiful flower fields, Logan and my family stood gazing painfully at me.

I never felt so weak. I nuzzled my snout into the side of his cheek before shifting back and burying myself in his embrace. My Beta was my older cousin who was an older brother to me. He was my pillar, the hero I always wanted to be and my support since the day I took the leadership of the pack at 18. It's only been 2 years since.

"Shh ... we're here for you. We'll find your mate. Iris, was it? We won't stop looking, I promise you." He was feeling the pain and his eyes reddened, strongly patting me in the back to calm me down.

>Logan. About the intruder.<

"Right, come here. There's something I need you to see."

I wiped the tears in my eyes and took a deep breath. Right now, it was the Alpha that was needed not Roman Michel Pierce who was still wet behind the ears. I did my best to sport the piercing sharp gaze of an Alpha and with powerful steps I entered the pack house ignoring the heavy pangs of misery in my heart.

I did all of this only to stand in front of a boy, no a pup who's at the age of 3.

The scent of Mint.

"This pup intruded pack borders and we are sure he belongs to that pack. He couldn't probably have arrived here alone so we suspected that-"

I raised my hand to stop him from saying more and slowly, I approached the small pup who kept shuffling his feet at the corner of the room out of fear. I crouched down to sit, patiently waiting for him to understand that I was harmless. That I wouldn't do anything.

"What's your name ..." I asked in a gentle tone that I have never used before. My wolf was groaning lowly. He understood best who this child was, iris and mint, he know too well.

"Where's Papa ..." he sniffled and huge teardrops cascaded down like pearls. I wanted to comfort him so I opened my arms but this only scared him.

"Was it Papa who took you here? Why did your Papa bring you here?"

"Where's Papa ... he said he'll follow me. W-where's Papa. Why is he not here?!"

"Hey ... pup, shh ...it's okay-"

"You are all mean! Bad! Bad! Papa won't come anymore! I said not to take it off but you took it off now Papa won't come since Asher's a bad boy!" He waved a dark blue cloth in front of my face leaving me confused.

"We found him running blindfolded." Logan explained and this made me frown. I pulled the pup into my arms and he struggled fiercely, hitting my face to tore himself from my grip. The nails dug lightly into skin but I didn't mind and focused on patting his back, gently to calm the little one down.

After a while he stopped and bawled his fears out, soaking my shoulders. My nose felt sour and I embraced him protectively. It was this scent, Iris and Mint. This was his pup. His precious child and he bought it to me, to MY pack to protect.

>Roman, what's going on?<

>Iris. His pup.<

>He has a partner?!< My wolf came out and growled at him, seething in anger forgetting that there was still a pup in our arms and I felt the little body shudder.

>IT. WAS. NOT. HIS. CHOICE.< Five words, and it explained everything.

I gently pulled the boy away and wiped the tears from his eyes. He wasn't stopping but I wanted to know more. I NEEDED to know.

"We're not the bad guys. I'm here to help you. I miss your Papa too. Papa lost his way and all of us will look for him soon so try to trust me, okay?" I was not a man who knew how to comfort anyone. It was always Logan who comforted me and this was the best I could give.

"Not a b-bad guy? You won't hit Papa? You know Papa? I-I'm sorry. Don't tell Papa t-that I peeked. I promise i-it was only once! I only saw Papa getting dragged once so p-please don't hate me! Papa please come back- Asher's a good boy!"

It all came at once and at heart I know there was more. I took a deep breath and rose up from the ground with my head high without shying away from the pack members' gaze. I took the pup with me to my room letting him wrap his arms tight around my neck and weep.

From this day on, this boy was mine. My Son, my pup.

>The pup knows nothing. From what a pack is, that he's a werewolf or anything significant. He was sheltered from all that crazy sh*t that pack has been instilling into all their members and just from this I can see that your mate is a tough one. All the more that we need to find him.<

>Roman. Your mate maybe even more solid than you. You're a blessed man.<

My brows knit and the desire to find him made my stomach churn.

I want to find him, embrace and compliment him that he'd endured well. That he raised his son well and I was proud of him and more.

The pup in my arms grew tired of crying and fell asleep. Ever since my eyes landed on him I already came to love him. All the power I felt as his punches landed on me helped me see that as tough as his Papa was, the pup was all the same. Like father like son.

I inhaled his mint scent and I whimpered as traces of Iris was fading away.

I will find you.

I know you're still alive. I can feel it.

So stay safe.

Continue to live.

When our pup wakes up i'll ask for your name.

So hold on for us.

Iris, i'll come find you.

But fate was really such a b*tch and five years was gone like the wind.