Chapter 6: Love Me And Let Me Go

[GREALOR]

[Seven Years later]

"Please don't let them come this way, please…" a faint tired voice whispered in despair, as the evening sun slowly gave way to dusk, one of the most terrifying moments for him, the lonely and unwanted of the lot.

There were days when he wished the sun wouldn't rise, when he hated the feeling of the sun on his skin, but even then, he would never get a wish granted. After all, he was their greatest plaything, a tool to let out their anger and tidings of their bad day.

Six feet tall and without a voice, he was like a mountain with lost wishes, one that no one ever listened to, even the universe itself. He had so many wishes, but then the universe seemed to not be done with him yet.

And just like clockwork, he would wake up feeling better than the previous day. And graciously go to bed a broken shell, one that was trampled on one too many times by the royals and commoners of Grealor.

He wasn't a coward, no, he just happened to be one of the unfortunate orphans in the Grealor pack, a man without a last name, one that everyone considered a pet, because of how he had to respond to everyone to survive.

He always had a number of wishes, but they were never granted, and today, just like every other day, he knew what was coming for him, or rather, who was coming for him; the key players in his nightmare, oh how he loved them, sigh.

"Go, Danny. Get out of here before you become a target. I can handle them on my own. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if you got hurt," he said to the five-foot-eight man who was standing beside him, anger on his face like he had a few things to settle too.

Danny looked pissed even as he listened to his best friend pushing him to go to safety and leave him to the literal wolves who were headed for him. It was alike a slaughter session for him, but then it wasn't like he could do anything anyway.

He was just an orphan, and no one would ever stand up for him, unless they stood on him, when they were bored out of their minds with how their day was going. They didn't care that he would probably be nursing a broken back, as long as no one asked questions.

And no one ever did.

"Not this time," Danny said stubbornly like he had had enough of whatever had been going on with his best friend.

Danny was almost the same age as the outcast; well almost his age, because he himself didn't know how old he was. However, given he had never gotten a mate, like the other twenty-five-year-olds in the pack, he assumed he was under twenty-five.

Maybe after the mating ceremony passed, he would be able to know his age. But then that was also quite unfortunate for the outcast, because, for the life of him, he didn't want a mate.

He was okay with everything the Grealor pack members did to him, though he hoped to the goddess that he wasn't paired with anyone from this pack. He hated them all, save for Danny.

"You have to, Danny. I can't see you get hurt. Please don't break my heart, you too," the outcast said as he smiled at his best friend, as if that was supposed to make Danny leave. Things weren't exactly going to be better with Danny around, and they both knew that.

"I can't leave you alone here. I will fight them for you, let me do that, just this once. You know I can kick their asses and give them a taste of their medicine. You can't always be everyone's doormat, Tamiko.

"It makes me feel like an even useless best friend, because I can help, but you never let me," Danny complained as he fisted his hands, ready to land a punch on the first asshole that took a swing at Tamiko.

He hated it when Tamiko went home with bruises and broken bones and wished that the goddess would ever listen to Tamiko and give him relief, but that was all just a best friend's wish, and sadly, just like Tamiko's, they were never granted.

"And you will get in even worse trouble if you stand up to them, especially for me. If you were up against them, for you, then it would make more sense, but if you stand up for me, the alpha himself won't let you free.

"You know that, Danny," Tamiko said to his best friend who was shooting lasers at the trio that was coming in the direction of Tamiko.

He knew that today was also going to be one of the days that Tamiko went to sleep with broken bones and bleeding body parts and that pissed him off even more.

"You worry too much about me. I'm strong... And powerful, remember?" Tamiko said as Danny just looked at him disappointedly, because here in Grealor, all of that, in Tamiko, meant nothing because no one ever cared.

"I know, which is why I don't understand why you let them walk over you. I can tell my parents to adopt you, and you can be my brother, so they won't harass you, but as usual, you won't agree to it.

"One of these days, I will break their bones, and not even the alpha will stop me," Danny said, knowing so well that it would get him in trouble, but if that was the only way to fight for Tamiko, then he would do it.

He didn't care what the repercussions were for him, because he wanted his friend to be happy, at least once in his life. Seeing Tamiko hurting all the time wasn't sitting well with him and the pack rules weren't helping either.

It was all unfair, but then who would ever save Tamiko?

"Go Danny, you can treat me to lamb chops later," Tamiko said with a sad laugh and Danny just pulled him into a hug.

It was the hug that spoke volumes, a reminder that Tamiko wasn't going to be alone, a hug that got Danny silently wishing that Tamiko would let him fight his battle for him or even join in the battle.

It was the hug of unspoken feelings, a hug that was protective, and more than anything, it was the hug of defiance and one that reminded Tamiko that someday, Danny would snap and fight back for him.

Tamiko knew that too, and he wasn't worried too much about it, because if they ever tried to lay a finger on Danny, then Tamiko would kill them all. Maybe they already knew that, and that was why they had all collectively decided to bash Tamiko and Tamiko alone.

"If ever you want to fight back, Tamiko, I will always be there beside you to help you, brother," Danny said, before he unwillingly walked away from Tamiko, shaking his head sadly at the spectacle that was about to follow.

He may have left, but just like every other day that Tamiko was harassed by the bastard trio, he stood at a distance, studying them, like he was planning on retaliating someday on his friend's behalf.

Danny was a wild soul, a crazy one, but he had to respect Tamiko's wishes each time; but even he had just enough patience. Just someday.

"I know, Danny, I know," Tamiko whispered as he waited for his fate.