In the previous chapter:
He wouldn't get to listen to Louis rant about his friends, his large family or anything for the matter. All the effort of choosing the prettiest flower, of sneaking away from his own town would be for nothing when Louis found out who he was.
Harry's paws push into the dirt, the small leaves and twigs snapping under the pressure. The sun was setting and left a bright glow of its rays over the trees and grass field. It was earlier than the last time he met Louis in the woods, at least by two hours. It's been a week since Harry was struck with reality about the harsh truth of his and Louis' relationship. Every single day since then, Harry has been memorizing the smallest of details of Louis' face in fear that he won't ever see the boy again.
It took a short pep-talk to himself before he came to the conclusion to tell Louis his true identity.
The delicate and soft plant was held between his jaws, a bouquet this time, of sunflowers. He was proud to say that he chose sunflowers because they are bright and strong like Louis. The sun peeks over the thick layer of trees, the sky a soft shade of purple merging into the blue that remained. The sun's hot rays hitting Harry's fur adding a slight shine to it. Upon reaching the large open field, Harry speeds up his steps. The scene before him was that of an empty one. Louis didn't arrive yet, it is a few hours before they usually meet anyway. Harry plans to give Louis the bouquet of sunflowers in his human form and decides to set them on the ground for now.
Flashes of Louis' cute little smile zoomed through his mind as he settles in the grass, facing the sun. Out of all his years, Harry has never seen a sunset like this before. It was remarkable. To see and feel the last of the sun before it disappears for the next few hours. To be able to look at the ball of heat without his eyes burning. Anyone walking through the forest would've thought it was strange and that Harry was out of place. No one would never expect to see a large wolf, nearly twice the size of any other, with scars decorating his fur of the darkest shade of black just sitting, seeming peaceful, in an opening of grass.
His wolf stood proud, paws perfectly straight and spine straighter. His fur was shiny and smooth to touch. Occasionally, Harry's nose would twitch whenever a new smell passed it. His eyes weren't the raging red as they've always been. For all his life, Harry's wolf has always had the blazing red but now, it was burgundy with specks of gold. Of course, Harry was completely oblivious to the fact that his own eyes were changing colours and continue to stare at the disappearing sun.
Soon enough, the sun was gone and as was the warmth it brought. Thankfully, Harry's fur was thick enough to keep him warm in the coldest of nights. His Alpha heightened senses and power allowed him to hear beyond miles, see the smallest of things like the little water droplets on one blade of grass and to be stronger than almost an army. His eyes were glowing in the night, the moonlight reflecting off of them.
Not too far away but not too close was Louis. He was spread out on his sheets, he chose to take a nap and still didn't wake up yet. The sheets were pooled at his feet, goosebumps were evident on his skin and his breaths coming out in small pants.
It was so cold. It was pricking him everywhere possible. Tears fell from his eyes at a rapid pace only to freeze halfway down his face. His mouth was dry, and his throat felt as if he swallowed a handful of rocks.
He couldn't move, any movement whatsoever felt impossible and out of reach. The cold air was biting at his skin and held him in place, restricting his movements. He only saw white. Snow began to fall from above even though there was only the blinding white.
The cold wind becomes stronger and more powerful until knocks out his air. Louis sobs out when he falls to the floor, all feeling in his legs gone.
Everything hurt. Every. Single. Part. Of. His. Body.
His eyes burned, his throat itched terribly, his chest suffered under an invisible heavy weight, and he couldn't feel below his waist. Louis gives up, completely weakened by the everlasting pain and shut his eyes as he falls to the ground completely. A scream forces its way out of his mouth when he only opens his eyes to see a black figure looming over him. Just like from nightmares, the skin was wrinkled and seemed to have dark liquid oozing out. The eyes were a ghostly white as well as the lips quirked into a scowl. The teeth were sharp and covered in blood.
Louis feels a drop of blood fall onto his face and only whimpers louder while trying to move again. He couldn't feel anything below his chest now. The figure leans closer and closer to Louis' shivering figure only to smile wickedly. The cold, the feeling of being trapped with nowhere to go, and the monster straight out of a movie were all too much. It felt real.
Within a few moments, Louis couldn't move at all. He couldn't even move his jaw the slightest. His mouth is frozen shut and his eyes were beginning to burn ever more until it was unbearable. The monster inches closer and closer until Louis could feel the breath of it puffing out onto his face. Just as the horrifying creature unhinges its jaw to rip Louis' face off, Louis awakens.
He sits up in his bed so fast he gets head-rush. His breaths are labored and his body is still shivering. It seems like thousands of thoughts are squeezing their way into his mind at once. He can't even bring himself to get out of bed when the haunting picture of the monstrous creature crawls back into his brain. Instead, Louis just lays back into his messy bed and cries. He was completely oblivious to Harry waiting in the field, with a bouquet next to him.
"What do you think is wrong with him?" Askes the Beta.
Both the Alpha and Beta watch their pack leader tear apart the large bear from the safety of the cabin. They were deep in the woods; having followed after Harry when the latter ran off after dinner had ended. They watched in both awe at the strength and power of the wolf and concern for the man on the inside.
"He has been like that for nearly a week." Liam sighs, leaning on the doorway.
Harry is thrown against a tree and holds in his cry of pain. He ignores the burn of a fresh slash on his spine and the feeling of his blood slowly seeping out from said cut; he bares his sharp teeth in a threat. The bear only growls back before lunging at Harry but his strong legs allow him to jump over his victim and land back on his hind legs.
Harry was sad. He was depressed and disappointed. Harry was hopeless.
Now, he was raging. Something inside him forced him to only feel anger when thinking of the previous midnights he shared with a certain blue-eyed boy. When Harry would feel his heart sink while remembering sitting in the middle of a field until sunset—voices would only shout at him:
"How dare Louis waste your time!"
"Useless! Absolutely useless, everything."
"He is not worth anything of yours."
He was blinded by rage unable to feel anything but fury.
"There!" The brunette exclaims, "You have them both right?"
The older woman rolls her eyes before faking a smile, "Yes, I do."
"So, why cannot you just banish them off out to nowhere?"
"I've told you; I am a witch, not a genie." She sighs, "And before you ask another question, I have the capability to influence their thoughts and you've already seen what I can do to them in their sleep."
With one pained groan, the fur-coated creature falls lifelessly to the grass. Harry didn't stop there, in fact, he continues to tear at the dead body. Creating more slashes and biting into the animal. The sun hadn't set yet but clouds ghosted over it, keeping the warming rays from reaching the forest.
The clouds would also cover everything, the pretty stars, and the moonlight. Harry only hisses and snaps his jaw when Liam advances toward him. When Liam was just a few feet away, he bolts. Taking off into the night and thick forest leaving nothing but a concerned friend and a puff of dirt in his wake. He hadn't stopped running since then. His paws pushing off the grass faster and faster every time. That was until he came upon the field that only chipped away at his heart. Just as he is about to take off in another direction, his raging reds catch sight of a small shivering figure.
He already knows who it was, yet he didn't run away. Like fate itself had taken the wheel of his life; his legs began to carry himself closer to the person. It was then when the sobs made their way to his ears. Without giving a second thought, Harry lunges at the boy. Gently though, and nuzzles his nose into their torso.
Louis gasps as he collides with the ground. A whined dances its way to his ears when he begins to sit-up. The pitch black fur, the faint familiar scent of peppermint; he knew exactly who was burying themselves into his shirt. "You are back," Louis whispers oblivious to his own heart beginning to repair itself. As his eyes adjust to the darkness, he sees his white shirt now smudged with a red liquid.
Harry hasn't pulled away at all. He continued to cloak himself in Louis.
Louis wipes his dried tears and bites his lip, "you are hurt," He confirms after combing his fingers through the fur on Harry's spine. After successfully pushing Harry off his tummy, the two begin to walk to Louis' house. Louis claimes that he needs to help Harry's wound at his home where his mother kept all medical treatments.
The forest was like a dark abyss. Louis could see faint figures that he knew were trees but relies on Harry to guide him through the darkness. His hand was on the wolf's head, close to the blazing red eyes. The echo of owls and other animals, and twigs snap under their feet were the only things Louis hears.
"I am sorry," Harry halts his steps and turns around, tilting his head to the side, "I left you that night." Louis continues, "I just... I was scared. I had a nightmare and I couldn't bring myself to get up."
"Are you angry?" His voice was small, so vulnerable. "I-If you want, I can treat your cut. Then you can leave-" Louis chokes on his words when the wolf only nuzzles back into his tummy. That single action was enough to ease his emotions.
It was dark when they reach Louis' house. It was difficult to sneak a large wolf through the back door since Harry had continued to bump into tables and almost shatter a glass vase that Louis barely catches. Once they successfully slip through his bedroom door after passing his parents and siblings rooms, Louis whispers for Harry to stay put and not to move. The wolf listens obediently until the younger boy returns with a first-aid kit and wet towel.
Louis locks his door before telling Harry to lay down. The wolf plops onto the carpet and watches Louis switch on his purple lamp. It was easier to see the picture frames that were hung on the walls when the light turned on. As Louis cleans Harry's wound, the latter observes the boy's bedroom. There was a large bed—unmade—and a desk in the corner by the window. Fairy-lights hang from Louis' headboard in different shades of blues and greens.
"I am sorry, my room is a mess." Harry watches as Louis' cheeks lit up in the dim light. His eyes were still red and puffy and Harry feels it stab at his heart.
He didn't know what came over him, probably pure anger, but when he laid his eyes on Louis, it washed away from the boy's existence.
After a few moments of Louis humming softly while tending to Harry's wound, he presses his face into the wolf's furry neck, "I missed you." The Alpha knows Louis can't understand him when he so desperately wanted to say, 'I'll never leave again.'
Sunlight and a light breeze welcome Harry when he wakes up. The slight sway in the light curtains suggests the window was open and as he stands to shut it, he only knocks something over. In shock, he whips around and knocks another object to the ground. Only then did he realize he was still in Louis' room from the previous night. Not only that, but he hadn't changed from his wolf-form.
Harry freezes when he sees shifting underneath the covers. Like a flower blooming, a head of fluffy hair and bright blue eyes peeked over the hem. "G'morning," Louis rasps, his voice cracking before he coughs.
The boy gets up from his bed and walks towards the Alpha, he gently pats the wolf's head before shutting the window. "Um.." Louis hums before rubbing his eyes, "I will be right back." He concludes then reaches for his bedside table. He pulls open the drawer and slips cute little glasses onto his face.
The Alpha watches Louis as he walks out of his room, and Harry sniffs around the boy's room for any other scents that aren't familiar. What he was expecting was for Louis to skip right back into his room and maybe show Harry his collection of music CDs that he talked about previously or maybe the boy would play a CD and dance around his bedroom. The strong Alpha wasn't expecting a very, very small girl to push the door open and yell, "Ma! Lou has big dog!"
And that was how Harry finds himself downstairs in the living room of the Tomlinson household with two children yanking at his fur playfully. Their little hands tap his head and comb through his fur. The two twins, also decide to put small flower clips into Harry's fur.
Louis is shocked at first at the sight of the black wolf being so gentle to his siblings. Just when the blue-eyed boy is about to help his mother with pancakes and prepare for questioning; she ushers him out of her kitchen.
"Uh-uh, Mister." She wiggles her finger at Louis' nose, "I think you should ask your friend to change into a form that's a bit more breakfast suitable." With that, the woman kisses his forehead and goes back into the kitchen. After thinking for a few seconds, Louis obeys his mother and knocks lightly on the living room doorframe.
A giggle tumbles out from his lips as the scene in front of him froze. Not only was it unexpected, but also fairytale like. His two younger siblings had changed into costumes—by themselves he guesses, the young girl is wearing a bright purple dress with glitter and ruffles while the young boy was wearing a cute little astronaut suit, and both children were sitting on Harry's spine like he was a horse.
Louis didn't have the heart to crush their confidence when he noticed that their clothes were on backward and instead gave them kisses.
"Lou!" The twins giggle before running off.
Blue met red and it makes Louis giggle again. The twins had successfully changed Harry's appearance from terrifying to fluffy. His usual smooth fur was now puffed up and messy, the wolf had clips and stickers scattered across his body and a princess crown on his head.
"We should go outside," Louis suggests and laughs while he cautiously removes the stickers and clips from Harry's fur; careful not to pull any single hairs in the process.
Once looking somewhere normal, the wolf follows the boy out the backdoor. Since it was still morning, the sun wasn't at its highest and was just barely peaking over the housetops.
Louis sits down on the porch, "So," He fiddles with his fingers and tilts his head down before asking quietly, "Are you... May you show me the other you?"
This was it, no bouquet of flowers, no glimmering moonlight, no field of flowers and tall grass.
From beast to man; their love story evolves. Like magic, the fur and scars begin to disappear as tan skin takes its place. Limbs lose muscle before gaining it again, just as strong. And deep green replaces blazing red.
Louis gasps and stands in awe at the godly figure who now stands in front of him.
Tan skin littered with tattoos, hands decorated with rings and a perfect smile. A literal dream. Brown hair in small ringlets, pink plump lips, and calm green eyes. His bare skin was a canvas, his manhood hanging free, and Louis was lost. Seeing passed the beauty and glory, Louis tilts his head to the side in confusion. "I feel like I have seen you before."
This was it. A fantasy short lived. Harry's heart aches when not a second ago it was filled with light, a hope that Louis would look past what others said about him about how he was ruthless and would rip up anything in his path. After all, no one would want a murderer in their home.
Harry gulps, "My name is Harry. Harry Styles."
Visions of small newspaper articles and news recordings project in Louis' mind. All of them telling him one thing, danger. Telling him how he's putting himself and his family in a life or death situation by just being two feet away from Harry. Louis is too caught up in his thoughts that he fails to notice Harry descending into the woods with a broken heart—he already knows he wasn't welcomed back into Louis' life. Just when he returned, he leaves again.
"Wait!" Feet stomping on the grass becomes louder, "Do not leave me again, please."
Harry bites his lip but still doesn't turn around.
"I am not afraid of you."
Despite the dozens of words jumbling up in his brain, the Alpha is only able to utter out one, "Why?" He turns finally.
The boy's steps were small and cautious. Acting as if the Alpha would sprint if he made the wrong move. Louis gulps, "I do not feel fear when I'm with you." The young Omega sways on the heels of his feet, "I mean—I know that I do not know every single detail about you, but that is irrelevant because I know enough to say that you will never hurt me."
In the blink of an eye, Harry is closer than before and his breaths puff on the skin of Louis' face, "They say I am unstable, that I can lash out any minute." Harry's voice was so deep, it made Louis' knees buckle.
"I do not care what they say." Louis' petite hand comes up to the Alpha's jaw. A touch too gentle that it would out beat the brush of a feather, "I trust you, Harry."
"Loubear! Momma says breakfast is done!"
Something flashes in the Alpha's eyes and a small smile makes its way onto his handsome feature. Harry's hand moves up to Louis', grasping it like it was as fragile as glass. He holds the smaller boy's hand to his chest, "LouBear, hm?"
All seriousness vanish and a grin craves onto the Omega's face. He feels giddy when Harry leads them back into his house, he's proud to ignore Harry's nakedness and retrieve him a pair of sweatpants and a shirt from his room—though they were a little small. The two walk into the kitchen, hand-in-hand and fail to notice the way the younger children whisper and giggle to themselves.
"I am Louis' mom, you may call me Flora." A woman walks in front of Harry. Her hair was long and cascades down her back as she helped one of her children into a chair before holding out her hand.
"Harry." The Alpha shakes her hand with his free one.
"Do not worry about being judged or anything, dear. The people in this town are ridiculous nowadays." Flora smiles and Harry smiles, grateful. She was definitely Louis' mom; same kind smile and everything.
Against wanting to, Harry and Louis separate to help set up the table. Soon enough with the help of seven people, the table is set with plates, utensils, various bowls of fruit and plates of pancakes.
"Boobear! Look!"
The blue-eyed boy laughs seeing his younger sibling, running towards him with a paper in her hand, "I draw friend and Lou!" Louis smiles at her broken English and takes the paper from her hand.
Louis was a blue stick figure with large crooked glasses drawn on his face and Harry was mainly a black glob with ears, regardless of the way Harry resembled a ball of hair, the Alpha high-fives the young girl.
"Thank you.."
"Matilda," Louis whispers into his ear.
"Thank you, Matilda! May I keep it?" Harry asked taking the picture from Louis' hands and sliding his hand around the boy's back.
The young girl squeals. "Yes! Keep!"
It takes a few minutes to calm the younger children and to get them to sit in their chairs before everyone digs in. It has been a while since Harry had an actual meal; eating was one of the things he couldn't do when he and Louis were apart. The thought of leaving the boy again only made him tighten his grip on Louis' thigh.
"So," Harry averts his eyes from his lap to Flora who sat across the table, "Harry, you're an Alpha?" She asks before feeding one of the twins a small slice of a pancake.
"Pack Alpha, yes."
She hums, "Maybe you could teach Louis a little something about hunting." She teases.
Louis groans, dropping his fork, "Mom," He drawls, "I do not think that Harry would want to-"
"I will."
"Really?" Louis squeaks and raises an eyebrow, "I cannot run very fast and I have not been my wolf in months."
Harry laughs through his nose. "Of course, we can start tomorrow."
NOTE: new update on April 28 at 9:00pm EST.