A husband sat outside of a room where his wife, other healers, and a boy were in. A thin, haunted, and traumatized boy who he had brought in hours prior. What else was he supposed to do? Leave him to starve in the woods? No, the omega child was scared. It simply wasn't possible.
A few healers exited the room, but the husband didn't stand until his wife emerged as well.
"Enya, how is he?"
His wife bit her lip. "He'll...be alright physically. Emotionally, however..." she sighed. "That poor boy. I don't know what all that happened to him, but nothing needs to be said. The bruises, bites, and his fear speaks enough."
The husband clenched his fists and let out a low whine, but he couldn't find words to say.
"How did you find him?" his wife asked instead.
"The Irhart Pack warned us that there was evidence of a rogue living just inside our borders. I volunteered to inspect it along with a few other Etas in case it was someone looking for sanctuary. It wasn't hard to catch him; he submitted immediately when we cornered him." He glanced behind his wife at the door. "I carried him back after calming him enough to approach him, but he was trembling like a leaf the entire way."
There was a small pause.
"His name is Zhian, by the way." The husband clasped his hands behind his back. "He's twelve years old and seems to like being near moving water. He relaxed a bit when we walked next to the creek."
His wife raised an eyebrow as a small smile tugged at her lips. "Ah, this is your way of asking me if he can stay with us."
The husband shifted slightly, rocking side to side on his feet as he pressed his lips together.
"Before confirming, I should make this clear," he began, stepping forward and cupping his wife's cheek in his hand, pressing his forehead to hers. "I am happy with my family. I have a beautiful wife and two rambunctious boys. I hold a good position in the pack, and overall, my life can't be improved much more than this. But yes, I'm a bit...attached to the boy. No one deserves to go through what he did, especially at such a young age, and...I want to make sure no one hurts him again."
"Always a man with a soft heart," the wife mused. "We'll have to ask Zhian how he'd feel about it—you're still an alpha, Han—and ask Soleva if she'll permit it, first."
She tried not to laugh as her husband tried to restrain his delight. If he were in his shifted form, she knew his tail would be wagging wildly.
"So you're willing to—" He wasn't sure how to finish his sentence.
"As members of the Unclaimed, our core belief is to accept the rejected and help the helpless." She chuckled. "And it's not as if we don't know how to handle a case like this. The difference this time, however, is that this is a child who needs a home. If the sky above permits it, we can do this together."
As soon as the words were uttered, the husband immediately pulled his wife into a tight embrace.
All heroes are born of somber beginnings.
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