"If you look into the distance, there's a house upon the hill, guiding like a lighthouse to a place where you'll be safe to feel our grace 'cause we've all made mistakes. If you've lost your way, I will leave the light on."
~Tom Walker, 'I Will Leave A Light On"
~~~
*Thorn's POV*
"Ugh," I whine, inspecting the long scar extending from my temple, down my throat, and ending at my collarbone. Out of all the scars I received from that attack, this one is undoubtedly the worst. The others are in places that can be easily hidden with clothing; my arms, my back, and one on my left leg that starts at the middle of my thigh and ends at my ankle. I have to wear long clothing to cover it all, but it's better than people seeing the puffy pink scars littering my skin.
"It's okay, Thorn," I say to myself in the mirror. "Appearances don't define you. No one in this pack is going to judge you."
Even as I say the words to myself, my eyes refuse to leave the reflection of the dreadful scarring on my face. I was never really too concerned with how I looked before just a few weeks ago. It's not like I care about looking hot or whatever, and attracting the attention of everyone in the room. As long as I felt comfortable, then that's all that mattered.
Well.
I sure as hell don't feel comfortable right now.
People will stare. I know they will. I can tell myself over and over that they won't, but they will. Everyone stares. Everyone looks for a moment with pity in their eyes, before realizing they're staring and quickly looking away. I don't know what's worse. Having people look at me with pity, or knowing people feel the need to quickly look away as soon as they see me.
Either way, it's clear that I won't be seen as normal anymore.
Werewolves can heal quicker than humans, and even more so with the saliva of an Alpha. The majority of my wounds healed fairly quickly, but the deeper, more severe ones have become permanent decorations on my skin. Constant reminders of when I, the son of the Alpha, was attacked just outside my own pack. My stomach clenches. I know I'm not an Alpha, or even a Beta, but the idea of being seen as weak still kills me. I want to be strong. Not just for myself, but for others. I want to be seen as someone that others can run to when they need help. When they need protection, guidance, support. Who's going to come to me when the scars covering my body prove I can't even protect myself?
My fingertips trace over the raised edges of the pink scar tracing down my face. I'm able to hide all my other scars with long clothing, but it's pretty hard to cover the one on my face. Unless I completely wrap my head like a mummy, which I'm not desperate enough to do.
The sound of a throat clearing behind me makes me jump. I turn around to see Tharn standing by the open bathroom door, watching me with pity in his eyes. I release a sigh and hold back the urge to clench my jaw. Tharn already blames himself enough for my attack. The last thing either of us needs is Tharn catching me staring awkwardly at my scars.
"What are you doing here?" I ask, since this bathroom is my personal one, attached to my bedroom.
Tharn shoves his hands in his pockets. "Just wanted to see how you're doing," he mumbles. "Are... you okay?"
"I'm fine," I wave him off. Pushing past him, I walk into my bedroom and plop down on the bed. "I'm just having a little pity party over my fucked up face. No biggie."
"Thorn..."
"Ah, seriously, don't worry about it," I grin at him. "I'll be fine. It's an adjustment for sure, but I'll eventually get used to it and move on." Tharn nods his head slowly, leaning against the wall. "Enough about me. How are you and Type?"
Tharn's eyes instantly light up. "They're... I don't think there are enough words to describe it. I'm happier than I've ever been in my entire life. He's everything to me and I... I really love him. A lot."
I smile warmly as my brother continues to gush about his mate. It fills me with joy to see Tharn so happy and in love. Last time I was home, Tharn just had a crush on Type that he thought no one knew about. But of course I knew. When you're as close to your siblings as I am to Tharn, you're able to easily pick up on their thoughts and emotions by the little expressions on their faces. Tharn's eyes always trailed after Type, filled with longing, whenever Type wasn't looking.
It was pretty funny, actually. Type was completely clueless about how Tharn felt about him. Just like how Tharn was clueless about how Lhong felt towards him.
And how Lhong was oblivious to the fact that I loved him.
Tharn was too busy looking at Type to notice Lhong staring at him with the same love-struck puppy eyes that he watched Type with. I, of course, noticed the way Lhong gazed after my brother. It's why I never tried to confess my feelings for Lhong. He was and probably still is in love with my brother.
I'm fine with it, though. I accepted a long time ago that Lhong would never feel for me what he feels for Tharn. I'm not holding my breath for the day that he returns my affections. He'll find his mate, as will I, and all of this will be a thing of the past.
Still.... that doesn't stop me from wondering how he's doing.
"So...." I drawl when Tharn finishes gushing about his mate. "Dad said Lhong came to visit while I was under. How... how is he?"
Tharn stiffens at my question. His fists clench at his sides, which he tries to cover by crossing his arms. I tilt my head quizzically at the odd reaction. Tharn and Lhong were close friends when I left to study abroad. Why is he acting so strange now?
"He's good," Tharn says through clenched teeth. His tone completely contradicts the words coming out of his mouth. "I'm sure he'd appreciate a visit from you. It's been a while."
"Tharn," I start slowly. "What's the matter? Why are you so tense?"
"I'm not tense."
"Yeah, right," I snort. "I mention Lhong's name, and you act like I just told you that I broke your favorite drum sticks." I pat the space on the bed next to me. "Sit down. Talk to me."
Tharn eyes me warily as he takes a seat. He fidgets with his fingers, obviously nervous about something. The concern in my chest starts to grow. How bad could it possibly be?
"Tharn," I call out to him softly. "It's just me. You can talk to me about anything. I'm always here for you, you know that."
"Y-You can't say anything to Type," Tharn says shakily, making me raise an eyebrow in surprise. So it's bad enough that not even Type knows? "I have to be the one to tell him. And I will, I just... need to find the right time."
"My lips are sealed," I reassure him with a nod. Tharn swallows thickly, his Adam's apple bobbing nervously.
"During my first heat.... I— I slept with Lhong," he confesses. My eyes bulge out of my head, and my jaw drops.
"You did what?" I hiss quietly as to not attract the attention of the other people in the house.
Tharn goes on, telling me about how he hit his first heat alone, and how he met Lhong by chance in the woods. He didn't get into the graphic details — thank goddess — and went on to tell me how much he regrets it and wishes he could undo it. Type doesn't know yet, but Tharn promises he'll tell him soon. I ignore the stabbing pain in my chest from the knowledge that my brother had sex with the guy I loved for years, letting Tharn finish his story.
"So.... you're nervous about telling Type?" I ask him once he's finished.
"Yes, but I'm more worried about Lhong," Tharn admits.
"Why would you be worried about Lhong?"
"Well..." Tharn scratches the back of his neck nervously, "he knows Type is my mate. And I think he's planning on telling Type before I can. That's why I freaked out when I heard Lhong came to visit. I was upstairs with you, and Lhong was downstairs alone with Type. But it didn't seem like he said anything to Type at that time."
Annoyance bubbles up in me. Lhong is trying to come between my brother and his mate? It's one thing to give into the heat and slip up once, but it's a whole other issue if he's threatening their relationship. A mate bond is serious. You don't fucking mess with that. This doesn't sound like the Lhong that I knew. The Lhong I knew was fun and happy, always trying to make others smile.
Someone needs to knock some sense into that little shit.
I abruptly stand up from my bed, finding my shoes and slipping them on. Tharn watches as I pull a long-sleeved jacket out of my closet and throw it on, covering up the scars on my arms.
"What are you doing?" Tharn questions with furrowed brows.
"Someone has to tell that little shit that what he's doing isn't okay," I snap. "You can't just sit back while he threatens your relationship with your mate. It's not right, Tharn."
"Thorn, it doesn't concern you. You don't need to take it upon yourself to deal with him."
"Like hell I don't! I was his friend too before I left! And friends don't sit by while their friends act like little bitches. I won't be gone long."
I don't wait for him to protest again before I'm out the door. I rush down the stairs and out of the house. Pulling my phone out of my pocket, I quickly dial Lhong's number.
"Thorn?" Lhong says hesitantly after answering on the first ring.
"We need to talk," I tell him, trying to not dwell on how his voice makes me want to melt.
"What's this about?"
"Meet me at our place between our packs. I assume you know the one I'm talking about."
There's a moment of silence before Lhong answers with: "....Yes."
I end the call, stuffing my phone back in my pocket before heading towards the woods. Years ago, when Tharn, Lhong and I were all still friends, we wanted to be able to hang out without any judgement. There were quite a few members of our packs that didn't approve of wolves associating with those outside of their own pack. Not wanting to stir up any trouble, we found an abandoned shed on neutral territory where we would hang out. Type would join us sometimes, but I think spending too much time on neutral grounds made him uncomfortable.
It doesn't take long for me to reach the shed. A lock had been placed on the door, making me smirk as I wrap my hand around it and easily rip it off. The inside of the shed is dusty and dark from years of neglect. It makes my heart heavy to know that it's likely no one has used this shed since I left. I pace around, planning out exactly what I'm going to say to Lhong when he gets here. I can't hold back, either. He needs to hear the brutal truth, and I can't sugarcoat anything if I want to get through that thick skull of his.
I hear the crunch of leaves under approaching footsteps. My heart thumps rapidly as Lhong's familiar scent floods my senses. I take a deep breath, trying to hold my ground and stay strong.
But all of that crumbles when I turn around and lock eyes with the man before me.
Over the years, Lhong has become even more beautiful than I remembered. No longer is he the awkward teenager I had a crush on. He stands tall and proud, like an Alpha should. The soft brown locks of his hair curl against his forehead, complementing the delicate angles of his face.
And then there are his eyes.
Those dark honey eyes that lock with mine, as everything within me screams, 'mate'.
My wolf howls excitedly while I stand frozen in my spot. The same thing happens to Lhong, as he stands unmoving, wide eyes still locked on me.
All prior thoughts slip out of my head as the growing need to embrace my mate enters my mind. I feet move of their own accord, bringing me closer to Lhong. It's as if there's an invisible rope connected to us, pulling us together as Lhong stumbles forward towards me. My hands find his, and I suck in a sharp breath at the electricity tingling in my skin from the innocent touch. I look down at our hands, running my thumb over his knuckles and hearing Lhong release a soft whimper.
My eyes work their way upwards, as my hands follow along. My touch trails from Lhong's hands, up his slender arms, and settling on his face. I cup his cheeks and Lhong tilts his head, melting into my touch. My heart is thumping erratically in my chest.
My mate.
Lhong is my mate.
I loved him for so long and now...
Thank the fucking Moon.
I pull him closer to me, making Lhong gasp as I bury my nose in his neck. My arms wrap around his waist, pressing our bodies together. His hands grasp the front of my shirt, holding me close as I inhale his sweet scent. Fuck, I thought his scent was amazing before, but now? Now I can't imagine finding anything more addicting. I press my lips against the spot where his scent is strongest; the area reserved for the mark of his mate. My mark. Lhong shivers in my arms, tilting his head to the side to give me more access. I smile against his skin, brushing my lips against his neck. Lhong delivers a high-pitched whine, and the sound sends a jolt straight to my groin. Pressing my lips to his jaw, I let my tongue dart out, unable to resist getting a taste of his silky skin.
A second later, I'm stumbling backwards after Lhong roughly shoves me away. I stare at him with wide eyes, his cheeks a delicate pink that I'm sure is reflected on my own face.
Lhong's mouth opens and he stammers, as if he can't find the words to say. He snaps his mouth shut before turning on his heel and walking out of the shed.
Oh, HELL no.
~~~
It was so hard reading the comments of people guessing that Lhong and Thorn would be mates and not spoil anything
Next chapter is Lhong's POV and all I can say is... get ready
Remember to comment/vote! Thanks, loves!
-Gumbie