章 16: 16
This one is a touch longer than normal and definitely emotional. Fair warning.
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"Faster!" I yell during shift training.
The men are getting much better. I leave them with Malak and walk over to my select group to work on our combat.
"Okay boys. When you fight shifting should be a natural thing. You should be fluid in your movement. As a wolf you are deadly but you are a bigger target. Use both forms to confuse and disorient your opponent. Never be predictable. Pair up and show me what you got." I order. I pair off with Randy the teen who hates me. I was right that he can be a strong warrior.
"Show me what you got. Remember to focus. Don't let emotions drive you. You have a task. Take me down. Nothing else matters." I tell the boy and he nods snarling at me.
He lunges at me and I dodge him. As I go for a counter strike he shifts nearly biting my arm. Impressive! He charges in wolf form than shifts to human at the last second landing a punch to my jaw. This just got fun!
We spar for a while and let me tell you the boy is good. The commander would have loved to have him as a Dog Boy. I shake the thought as I grab a couple bottles of water.
"Here." I toss one to the boy. "You did good. You'll be the top warrior if you keep this up." I compliment him.
"I still hate you." He growls as he storms off.
"Noted." I say as I sit down drinking my water.
"He's just an angry pup. He'll come around." One of the men, Carter, say as he sits next to me.
"Maybe... I don't blame him tho. He saw the aftermath of one of our missions. I'll tell you it's not a pretty sight." I tell him.
"I know." He says and I give him a look. "My big brother was Beta in one of the packs you took out. I had joined the royal pack a month before you killed my entire family. I went to see what happened. I was there hours after it was over. I saw everything. You were ruthless. Bullet wounds, silver daggers, teeth marks... It was carnage."
"I'm sorry." I choke out. How is he able to stand me after that? I killed his family! "Carter, there is nothing I can say or do to make up for.."
"You're right." He cuts me off. "There is nothing you can do to make up for killing them. But... I see who you are. You aren't responsible for it. You were a confused pup manipulated by the enemy. Right now you are helping us take out those truly responsible. If when you learned the truth you still turned on us this would be a different conversation but from where I sit... you were hurt just as badly by the hunters as any one of us if not worse. Keep being a worthy Gamma and you can honor those fallen. Train us so we can honor our families. So I can honor my brother."
"What was his name?" I ask and he smiles.
"Travis." He says and I nod.
"We win this war for Travis." I tell him as we stand up. He bows to me.
"Its an honor to fight with you Gamma Asher." He says.
"And you, Carter. You are a valued warrior." I respond and he walks away.
Maybe I can be redeemed.
"Asher I need you in my office." I hear the king link me.
"On my way." I respond. I take off my vest and throw on some clean clothes from my training bag before heading to the pack house.
"You called sir." I say as I enter the office. The room has three couples sitting on a sofa and a few chairs along with the king and Emily. I only recognize one other man as Alpha Ryan. All the people in this room exude power so I'd say they are all Alphas. "What's going on Alpha?"
"Come have a seat Asher. We want to talk to you." He says and I start to panic. I look at the people again.
One couple have dark skin the man has black hair and the woman brown. He seems like a no nonsense silent guy.
Another couple the woman is tanned with raven hair and blue eyes. The man has the same set of blue orbs lighter complected with dark brown hair.
Then their's Alpha Ryan the ginger man with green eyes and a goofy attitude. His mate sits next to him staring at me.
As soon as I analyze the group I know who they are.
"Why are they here Alpha?" I ask. "I can't do this." I say looking at the saddened faces of my brother's parents. I look at Odin's mom. He looked just like her but masculine. How can I face her? I gave her son over to the commander. After finding my mate I'm convinced he killed Odin. No way he would give her up! Odin was obsessed with getting her! He wouldn't have given up!
"Have a seat Gamma." The king breaks me from my thoughts. He didn't order me but the use of my title tells me I don't really have a choice.
"Hello Asher." Alpha Ryan starts. "I'm guessing by your reaction you know who we all are." He says and I nod. "Can you tell me about my boy?"
"Anhur... that's what they called him. The Egyptian god of war. You actually reminded me of him as soon as I met you. I should have realized. You look alike. He is a goofball. Refuses to let people bring down the mood. Pranked us so much father... I mean... the commander had to do daily checks in his footlocker when we were 13. He never let us get down on ourselves. He hung out with Odin mostly. I think he knew Oden took our life hardest. He kept us balanced." I tell him and he smiles.
"He's still alive then?" He asks.
"Yes sir." I respond and Alpha Ryan's Luna crys into his shirt.
"Thank you." She tells me and I nod.
"And my boy?" The dark skinned man asks.
"Aries, Greek god of war." I start and the man growls jumping up.
"His name is Emanuel James! Do not call him by another name!" He growls at me and Alpha Alic steps in.
"Calm down Alpha Samuel. He grew up knowing your son by a false name. He even had one. He didn't know his real name." He says and Alpha Samuel sits back down with his mate.
"What did they call you?" She asks.
"I was named Titan, Luna. Fearsome wariors that came before the gods in Greek Mythology." I answer.
"Can you tell me more about my EJ?" She asks and I nod.
"He bunked next to me. I spent more time with him because of that. He is the strongest of us. The only one who could ever beat me in a fight. He is tall and strong. He doesn't talk much but if you want something done he's your man." I tell her and she smiles.
"Thank you." She tells me.
"Is he alive." The man asks.
"He was when I ordered him and Anhur to retreat in California... he should still be alive." I tell him and he nods before holding his mate.
"And our son." The final Luna asks.
"I knew him as Odin. Norse mythology. King of the gods... what was his name?" I ask and she begins to sob.
"Was?" She asks and I nod. "His name was Glenn... how did he die?"
"Glenn was the smartest of all of us and had the biggest heart. He was navigator and a top tactician. Tech wiz too. The guy read for fun. I'll never get that... on a mission in Mexico he broke ranks. He challenged Aries... I mean EJ when he went after a young woman. Glenn refused to let us touch her... I now know that she was his mate." I start and the Luna crys even harder.
"Continue boy." Her Alpha mate says and I nod.
"We thought he was drugged. It was the only explanation we had for him going off mission. We dragged him out of there and brought him back to the compound."
"No!" The Luna yells stopping my story. "We taught him about mates! My baby boy would have known!" She yells.
"We all thought we were orphans. Humans who were experimented on to save our lives. None of us remembered before we were taken. We thought the wolf was a side effect. They had us on drugs so we couldn't communicate with our wolves. We thought we were freaks. They called us dog boys. They said the dog men were out for power and to kill all humans. They showed us pictures of dead children and said dog men did it. Then they sent us out to eliminate the threat to save all human kind!" I rant.
I feel my mate's hand on my shoulder as I start to cry. Why am I crying? I know what I did. I know what they did to me. This shouldn't faze me! Seeing the pitty and sadness these Alpha's faces just makes it ten times worse. Emily sits in my lap stroking my hair as I inhale her scent.
"What happened to Glenn." His father asks once I've calmed down. I look up at the man.
"Once we were back at the compound I told the commander that he was drugged and needed to detox. He knew what was going on. I see it now. He knew about werewolves and mates. He ordered Anhur, Aries, and I to finish the job and said he'd take care of Odin. I tried to protest but he reminded me that the only reason the government kept us alive was our 100% success rate. The three of us left in the early morning to finish the mission and when we came back he was dead." I answer.
"How?" The Alpha croaks out.
"Gunshot to the head... quick. No pain." I say trying to make him feel better he just nods.
"Odin... Glenn... he was a kind heart. He hated what we did. He knew it was wrong when the rest of us thought we were doing good. He was better than all of us." I explain to the grieving parents.
"Thank you son." The Alpha says as he places a hand on my shoulder. He gives it a squeeze before leaving with his inconsolable mate.
"So my son is still on those drugs? He doesn't even remember me?" EJ (Aries)'s mom asks.
"Yes ma'am... the Alpha King captured me and forced me into detox. That's the only reason I'm here. Honestly sometimes I wish I would have just died in war... or maybe one of my brothers would have been taken instead of me... I don't deserve this. I'm sorry your sons aren't here. I don't even have a family to miss me and you guys... I'm sorry." I rant looking at the floor.
"Look up son." Alpha Samuel says and I look him in the eye. "now look at the young lady in your lap." I look to Emily who is nearly in tears. I can't believe I just said that in front of her! I said I wished I was dead! After we just mated! "I miss my son. I want him back. But Never and I mean NEVER take for granted the blessing you have in front of you. I will have my boy. You will help me get him back. Our king has told me of your work. I know your father is gone so let me say this for him. "I'm proud of you." Believe me he is because a lesser man would have killed himself under the weight of the guilt. I hope my son chooses to make up for his past and move on. I hope he is as strong as you."
"Thank you sir." I say holding Emily tighter. Proud... of me. I feel more tears fall.
"Stay strong boy." He says before leaving with his mate.
"Alpha Ryan?" I say after a long silence.
"Yea Asher." He responds.
"What is Anhur's real name?" I ask and he smiles.
"Charlie." He tells me.
"Thank you for giving us hope. We thought we'd lost him. You've given us more than you'll ever know. Thank you, son." Alpha Ryan says before leaving me alone with my mate and the king.
"Take your boy home, Meme." The king says and she nods pulling me up. "You did good Ash... and I'm proud of you too." He tells me with a smile. I nod and follow my mate out the door.
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