Garrick watched his father lying motionless in bed. The agony and pain had made him unreachable. Ragnar was frantically trying to arrange every help possible while Catherine was helpless seeing the love of her life slowly slipping away from her. Garrick had called lady Odile who was treating the other wounded when the mishap had occurred. When she arrived to check the beta she knew the fate of his survival, there was only so much a wolf could take and the healer knew that any increase in his medication dose would do him no good.
Umberto's condition was worsening. His breaths came in ragged and shallow gasps. His loved ones wanted to save him. His fragile heart was trying to pump in all the life to save him but his other senses were slowly giving up. One look at the healer could deduce the fact that it was far too late to save the beta.
Umberto was breathing his last.
****
When Callan was out of his haze, he could not recall anything that happened. He was on a bed with countless other warriors lining side by side to him. He steadied his wobbly feet and blinked his eyes hurriedly to gain a clear vision. It was chaos in the healers' cottage. The smell of blood and the screams of pain were everywhere around him. He could see that the healers were attending the patients with all their might while he noticed his parents were nowhere to be found. Being one without a mind-link he could not communicate with them and assure himself of their safety. He made his way to Alpha house where all the high ranks were treated in hopes of finding his parents.
On reaching the Alpha house he could hear commotion everywhere but soon they all were silenced when Callan announced his arrival through the doors. The entrance was swamped with people who were emoting mixed sentiments, some of sympathy while others of utter despair. The hatred for the boy was evident in their eyes. But Callan could not assess what earned him this response. Apparently he recalled that he was fighting side by side with the pack. As also he did not put anyone in trouble as far as he could remember.
Distinct noises could be heard from a room which was near to the Alpha's Office; one of the voices he heard was of Aurora. He was relieved that his friend was safe and here so she could now reply to his unanswered questions. He made his way through the pool of people and breached the room. He could see the Alpha, Luna, Beta female, Garrick and some healers including Aurora around a bed. They were all surrounding- UMBERTO.
Callan gasped in shock when he saw the physical state of the beta. His face was marked with claws all over while his wounds down his chest were so deep that the skin was now hanging loosely from his upper torso. One could even see the bones of his rib cage. His leg was definitely the worst hit; Callan could see a chunk of mass missing from his thighs oozing blood.
He took one step to the beta but was thrashed to the nearest wall by a force. He could see two red swollen eyes. Callan did not miss the fury and the pain in the teary eyed face.
"YOU!.. You have caused this. You are the reason my father is suffering. Your reckless behavior has put my father's life at stake. I never believed what people said but you really are a CURSE for the entire pack." Garrick angrily raised his voice. He caught hold of Callans neckband and punched him with his full strength. Callan was dizzy and fell on the floor a bit disoriented. Garrick picked him up with his brute force and punched him even harder than before.
"That's enough Garrick. This is neither the time nor the place for your childish deportment."
The Alpha is right Garrick. Come here, sit next to your mother. Taking deep breaths Umberto communicated through his mind link trying to calm his son.
The betas son reluctantly released the boy with a strong exhale of his breath, snorting derisively. Callan looked at Aurora in confusion who herself masked her emotions and was weakly smiling at him. Garrick's rude behavior took Callan by surprise. Though the betas son was not a friend of Callan but he was never rude to him. Then what had changed all of a sudden?
Callan needed answers.
Looking at the bleeding face of the boy Aurora approached him hesitatingly. She held his hand and helped him out of the room. Aurora took Callan to the nearest available room. She wiped the blood from his face and applied some herbs on his busted lips.
"This will help you heal." Callan frowned at her as she was avoiding eye contact.
"Was Garrick true? Did I have something to do with Umberto's condition? Please answer me Aurora." Callan asked in almost a hushed voice.
Even before the healer could speak, a treacherous bead slipped through her eye running down her cheek. She lowered her head, took a deep breath and composed herself trying to be strong at this moment.
"The beta is in a precarious situation. The healers are trying their best to avoid any fatalities but his injuries..."
"That's not what I'm asking Aurora." Callan quickly interjected "Did I have something to do with the betas attack? Please tell me the truth." Callan was desperate in his request while Aurora was trying her best to gather courage to answer the boy. She deeply sighed to finally face the boy.
"Yes.." her voice broke in a whisper.
Callan almost choked. He forgot to breathe for a moment. He was confused. How could he possibly do that? There had to be a catch in the story.
"H-How..?" The boy was unable to form any other words.
"You were in a.. Haze. When the Elders were performing their enchantments to control Einar, you were drawn to the circle. You were in a different trance, you did not listen to any of our warnings and were about to infiltrate the circle. Umberto tried to save you but at the same time a feral wolf jumped in front of you. Umberto shielded you and took the brunt of the feral's attacks while you just kept moving. As he was trying to shift, you had almost reached the circle and were very close to enter it. Hence the beta decided to help you first.."
"I am trying hard but I am unable to remember anything.." Callan was squeezing his eyebrows to refresh his memories.
"I know. What happened next is what made the whole situation grave. When Umberto was reaching you another feral was about to attack you from behind. The beta pushed you away and shifted. You fell on the floor and were unconscious thereafter. The other feral had now joined his companion while Umberto protected you from their attacks as you were helpless. But the fight was too much for him."
"I don't understand. Why didn't the other pack members help him? Why were they being mute spectators?"
"The beta had ordered them not to interfere. The Elders had not finished their job yet and the procedure required their complete attention. In cases where their own powers have limitations they source their power from the souls of the wolves present; The more the better. Had the other warrior wolves joined the beta, the strength of the circle would have lessened and Einar would have broken the shield. Hence Umberto decided to face the ferals on his own. But till the time the enchantments were over and help arrived; the damage was done."
Aurora was discreet in what she told Callan. She had guessed it that Umberto knew about the Alphas' son and Callan and he was trying to avoid interference of other wolves. Had the other wolves joined in the fight and touched the boy; Einar would've definitely broken the shield in his rage and killed his own pack mates.
The beta saved the pack at the expense of his own life.
Callan was dumbfounded at Auroras revelation. This cleared things on why the people earlier were behaving strange. This also meant that Garrick was right. In a way he did put his father's life at stake.
He could no more hold his emotions and cried his heart out to his good friend.
****
It had been months since the death of the beta. Catherine could not tolerate the separation from her mate and soon followed him to the Promised Land. Ragnar and the entire pack were mourning the departure of their second in command Alpha and second in command Luna. With a heavy heart he appointed Peter as his new beta. The most affected of them all was Garrick. He confined himself in his room and bewailed for days that followed.
Since the day of the mayhem, Einar had been kept in a dark dungeon by the Elders. The Elders had been associated with some powerful warlocks and witches to find a solution to the menace of the beasts inside of the boy. They wanted to keep the beasts at bay until the right time for coronation of the future Alpha arrived. Zelda and Ragnar had been worried about their son and so was Aurora. Somehow she felt responsible for everything that happened and was guilty for the Alpha son's present state.
"Hello Aurora, are we ready to go." Aurora was bemused to see a tall man with curls and caramel skin. It was Elder Odulf.
"Yes. I have made all the preparations and even informed the Alpha and Luna. They will be on their way soon." Aurora said bowing her head.
"Do they know?" The Elder asked nonchalantly.
Aurora did not have to be a highbrow to know exactly what the Elder was talking about "No master. The Alpha mates know nothing about the bond. However I think the former beta might have had his suspicions."
"Hmm... I see. Do the boys know?"
"Callan is naïve, he is convinced that he is born without a mate and thinks that his powers are a result of the bracelet I gave him. Whereas Einar has recognized the other part of his soul."
The Elder was pensive for a very long time before he said "We have to keep them apart till the boy reaches his potential. Only he has the power to control the beasts or else this time even the strongest of our magic spells would not be able to stop the demolition of every supernatural being in the world. We have to be very careful."
The cluster of Elders had always tried to cease the impending probability of destruction of their race. They had always prepared for this moment.
The Alpha and Luna arrived a few moments later. Both of them had been emotionally devastated from the events of the mayhem. Losing their close friends, seeing their warriors fall and more importantly the condition of their only son had driven them to their extremities.
"I hope you are ready Alpha." The Alpha nodded.
"What do I have to do Elder Odulf?"
The Elder glanced at Aurora for a moment and then again at the Alpha mates. He was in a quandary as for how to explain what the Alpha had to sacrifice in order to keep the pack safe from his very own flesh and blood.
"This is not going to be easy for the both of you. Controlling Einar has become a next to impossible task for us. We have been using all our forces to calm his beasts but it has only proved to drag us to our limits. The beasts are resisting our spells and trying to break the barrier at an alarming rate. Soon our powers will subside completely and will have no effect on them."
"What do you suggest Elder Odulf? What should we do? I can't watch my son go through this anymore." The helpless mother said in a creaking voice.
"There is only one solution Alpha Ragnar- Sacrifice."
The Alpha mates were surprised and eager to know what the Elder had in mind.
"What do you mean?" The Alpha frowned at the Elder's suggestion.
The Elder slowly pulled a shiny red stone locket from his clothing and handed it over to the Alpha.
"We have to set this locket on Einar. The locket will draw energy from the beasts and help keep them calm. However the ornament in itself is not too powerful to hold or influence the beasts for a very long time. After a few months the effect of this spell will fade and the beasts will have their control back. This is where you have to make a sacrifice.."
The Elder lost his breath for a moment before looking at both the Alpha and the luna of the pack.
"To counter Einar's power we need the locket to be able to handle the resistance from the beasts. The locket in its own cannot do this task and so we need a force equal to Einar's to control him. We need your shedim spirit."
"I don't understand." The Alpha was perplexed at the moment while his spirit was getting agitated. Sensing the agony of her mate, Zelda held his hand.
"In the entire world only your spirit can match the powers of your son as of now. If we extract it in the form of energy and store it in the locket it can prove to be a stronger shield for every outburst Einar has."
The alpha widened his eyes at inconceivable notion of the Elder "NO.. I can't do this. Killing my spirit would mean that I make my pack vulnerable. I cannot risk my people's safety. I can't just..."
"Please calm down." The Luna of the pack held his hand. "Just listen to me, our son has been in the dungeons for months now. I can no longer bear to see him there; its breaking me from the inside." Zelda pleaded her mate with spheres of water running down her cheeks.
"Moreover we can't control him for much longer. The shield will break eventually and when he escapes the barrier, it would mean the end the pack entirely. Think about it." The Elder tried to reason with the Alpha.
After deliberating every aspect of it the Alpha decided that it would be best to sacrifice his spirit if it means his pack remains safe. The loss of his spirit however also meant that the Alpha would now be weaker than before. In case of any adversity he had to solely depend upon his wolf now. However the immediate danger was far worse than the possibilities of any future attacks.
The Alpha put his hand on the locket and reluctantly nodded at the Elder. The Elder and Aurora whispered the enchantments while they both kept their palms above the Alpha's hand. After a series of anxious breaths, the Alpha could feel his life force draining. He painfully groaned at every passing moment. He was on his knees while his screams and moans of pain brought tears to the eyes of the Luna. The black mist around the Alpha was now being absorbed by the red gem of the ornament. The Alpha collapsed due to the exhaustion of being deprived of his strength.
The shedim spirit in him was gone forever.
The Elder than collected the gem and headed straight for the dungeons while the Alpha was taken care of by his mate.
****
It had been two days since the Alpha lost his consciousness. When he woke up, he felt a part of him missing. He had experienced a near death circumstance but was relieved to know that he had his son in his proximity, alive and healthy. Einar was sitting besides his father and frantically apologizing for his deeds. His father embraced him and patted his back in a gesture of forgiveness.
On the other side Callan had been visiting the betas son to try and reason with him, make him understand that whatever happened was not his fault and he should forgive him. But Garrick was adamant the whole time which broke the heart of the Head warrior's son. He had become rude to the boy like everyone else. The death of his parents had made him bitter towards the boy.
Aurora and Elder Odulf knew that situation would soon escalate if Einar and Callan stay close to each other. They had to find a solution to keep the boys apart until the right time. They decided to meet the Alpha to solve this predicament.
Aurora tapped the Alpha office door asking for permission to enter; Elder Odulf and a few more Elders had joined her.
"Please come in Healer." The entire group of people entered the room while the Alpha was seemingly perplexed and ordered his fellow pack mates who were already present in the office to leave the room. The Elders had never visited him in his lifetime so this must be a serious issue for them. He nodded his head and greeted everyone.
"What do I owe this pleasure for?"
"We are here for some pressing matters that needs immediate attention."
"I'm listening." The Alpha replied to Elder Odulf.
"We think that you should send Einar for his training years to the king's land."
The Alpha was taken aback by the suggestion and retorted quickly "But it is too soon. He is not of age yet."
Indeed he was not of age yet but the elders had other motive behind their suggestion."We all think that it is a right time. The sooner he learns everything the better. He can then search for his mate in every werewolf land around the world."
"Don't you think he should wait two more years as is the norm? Why the rush?" The alpha tried to reason.
"The beasts inside him will soon yearn for a mate. We need to make him prepared before the thirst of his other half drives him mad. The training years will make him more responsible and more controlling."
"But what if his beasts show up and attack anyone in the kings' land. We won't be there to control him."
"He has been sane for the past few weeks and hopefully remains the same for the coming time. The gem in his locket will control his beasts in the meantime so you don't have to worry about it.'
"But still I don't trust him with his beasts."
"Don't worry Alpha; the other boy will accompany him- The former beta's son. He understands Einar well and will help him control his anger. Moreover even he has to complete his training years so it better be now."
"It won't be fair to Garrick." The responsibility of Garrick had now fallen onto the shoulders of the alpha and he wanted him to have every fair opportunity in life like of his own son.
"The boys would rather be together than be alone apart. They can take care of each other so you don't have to be concerned about any one of them."
The training years of the Alpha was an important exercise followed by packs around the world. Every future Alpha from every pack had to attend it to learn everything there is to be a good Alpha. In hinder side though, the king always had these camps only to be sure if any of the wolves possessed a threat to his throne and eliminated it at the source.
Ragnar tapped his chin while he was assessing the situation. He knew the deceitful and manipulative working of the king and his men. He witnessed it himself in his training years. Thankfully he could keep only the lessons he knew were necessary while he discarded the others much to the dismay of the king. He feared that his boy would turn more of a self destructive egoist man than a peoples person altogether. But it was a ritual and it had to be followed and ultimately Einar had to decide between right and wrong. Usually the age of any visiting Alpha is eighteen but since Einar's was a special case the Elders thought that it would be better to send him this year itself.
The Alpha nodded at the request of the Elders and hoped that the training years bring the best in Einar and Garrick.
********
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