I Claim Your Love

When the metallic taste hit the senses of the wolf he was out of his daze at once. He slowly retracted his canines from the shoulders of Callan and took a few steps back. The sight in front of him broke his heart completely.

Callan was a disaster.

A deep piercing wound was marked by the grazing of the wolf’s canines to Callan’s flesh. The muscles from the back of his legs were tore open and protruding in an unusual manner. The scars and wounds which decorated his ribs, arms and entire body made him moan in pain. His eyes; the most beautiful feature of the man were brutally attacked. He was barely able to keep them open. The organ bulged abnormally large while the side of one of the eye had a long deep cut extending from the eye to the side of the ear. His jaws were swollen while his bruised lips exhaled air to soothe his body.

Remorse. It was the first thing which crept through the veins of Einar. What had he done? He was supposed to protect his beloved; keep him out of harms way but all he did was to bring him on the brink of endangering his life. Callan was left bruised; battered; destroyed just because Einar had to do his damn duty. With a heinous deed as such, how was he supposed to face the moon?

This compelled Einar to have a moment of weakness before giving up his control entirely to his wolf.

The blood shot eyes of the wolf gripped its entire body in a faint red mist. The animal was elated. It had been years since he was this close to his mate. He sniffed the aroma and a smile made its way as he snickered. However, the wounds and bruises all over his mates body made him worried. He was agitated, infuriated when he saw the state he was in. He quickly stuck out his tongue and decided to lick Callan’s wounds and heal him. He stepped near his mate the next instant but out of fear of his life Callan flinched and slid his body backwards.

This action only made the wolf more determined. However when he stepped ahead, he growled in jealousy. Callan’s body was reeking of a mixture of different smells. It was the smell of all the people he had been in fight today. It brought the possessive side of the wolf to the fore and he decided to mark his mate then and there.

He growled in annoyance before circling his mate; sniffing him, licking him on occasions. All the while Callan was in pain and was mostly unaware of his surroundings. The wet snippets of the wolfs saliva in between were embarrassing him and he wanted to stand on his feet and leave the place at once. Just as he thought the worst was over, he could feel the wetness of a hot liquid with putrid smell dampening his body. The fluid started from his legs and was now reaching his torso before gargling his mouth. The wet hot liquid was burning his body while his pain intensified.

And then he took a whiff.

Callan was mortified, frozen to the spot. He felt traumatized. He couldn’t believe it had happened to him and in front of everyone too. He could hear the screams, he could hear the cruel laughter soaked in his embarrassment.

He was being humiliated.

For the wolf it was nothing out of the normal. He was marking his territory in the most barbaric way possible. The way he knew. It had been the way of the wolves before they civilized. What he failed to understand was with changing times, urinating on a person was considered as an act to defame someone; to degrade him, demean him to the lowest.

Callan’s head was spinning. It was a painful new memory rooted deeply within the depths of his mind. People would never forget this, he would be reminded of this moment till the day he died. A thousand unpleasant thoughts ran through his mind right now; from settling to another land to ending his pathetic life.

Callan closely gripped his eyes for he was too ashamed to face the world. His unshed tears were burning his soul. As if his pain was not enough the skies cried, bawled the agony inside of the man; pouring drops of relief, washing his scars, washing his blood and washing away the putrid smell of the demeaning liquid.

When the rain drops touched the wolfs fur, he regained his composure. Einar finally had his control back but after seeing what he had done, he wished he disappeared forever. With a howl to the sky Einar changed into his human and slowly but hesitatingly stretched his hand out to reach for his mate and help him get up.

The ground beneath was drenched in crimson red while the clouds bellowed as if they were in pain. Callan just looked keenly at the hands of the man standing in front of him. How can a man be without any shame! After putting him through this misery, entering the match purposefully and squashing his dream, disparaging him in front of the entire society; how could Einar still stand tall and expect him to give his hand!

Callan turned his face to his right in disgust “I want Aurora.” he said nonchalantly.

Einar shamefully nodded his head and agreed at once. He linked his men to call for the healer. The crowd in the meanwhile was overjoyed as they cheered and hailed their alpha in great respect. They believed it was a fitting reply to the non shifter of the pack to show him his place.

Moments later Aurora arrived at the scene. She kneeled besides her friend and carefully uplifted Callan to her shoulders. She desperately hugged him and sobbed her heart out for Callan’s pain. She looked to her side at the alpha and shook her head in anger, disagreement clear on her face. She knew that what Callan went through was not justified. The entire pack had conspired against him, berated him, humiliated him.

“Take me to the cottage.” Callan said at once.

“But Cally the announcements are yet to be done.”

Callan closed his eyes shut as the wounds on his heart were aching more than those on his body. “I don’t care anymore. Just take me away please. I beg you.”

Einar could see no more as he went ahead to take his seat with a bowed head and a broken heart. Callan managed to stand on his feet, he whirled his eyes to the audience and looked at the two distraught figures who would have to share his burden of shame for their life- his parents. They were devastated, they were broken. Callan mouthed a sorry to them and went ahead with Aurora amidst the booing and taunting of the people.

****

The cold rock around Callan was stationary, yet sometimes he felt that they were closing in on him. The air which breezed through the river refreshed his thoughts a bit until he was dragged to the shameful memories of the horrible day. He had been aloof from everyone since a week. He had been recuperating alone with only Aurora knowing about his whereabouts.

Callan was distant; reserved; detached from the world. He felt like a clump of dirty moss that could never go out in the sunlight. The events of the trials had maligned his honor. His entire life he was tormented, secluded and torchered through various ways. Yet he faced it all and came out as a stronger man. The only happiness he felt was with Viola but even that source was taken away from him.

Since his birth he was fed with dreams to one day follow his fathers footsteps and be a leader in his own right. However his aspirations were brutally strangulated when the top leader cheated his way to kill Callans dreams.

Up until this point he wasn’t even surprised by the on and off behaviour of Einar, but to reach such a low so as to defeat a human by any means was not the quality of a good alpha.

He was a bad leader. A bad man.

Callan’s ears perked when he heard the rustling of bushes behind the rock. He looked to his side and saw Aurora with a bowl and a spoon in her hand. She quietly kept the food in front of him and put her hand on his shoulder. “How are you feeling?”

Callan dejectedly shrugged.

“You cant be here forever. Some day or the other you have to come out in public and face the real world.”

Callan deeply sighed. “I have nowhere to go. The only purpose of my existence in the pack is now taken away from me. I really don’t care about the pack anymore.”

“How about your parents then.” she looked intently at her friend “Mary has been worried sick about you. She has been constantly enquiring about your health. Your parents miss you Cally.”

Callan stood up from his spot in a jiffy and pressed his palm to the nearest rock “You don’t think I know! I just don’t have the guts to face them. They have been embarrassed because of me in front of the entire pack. I always try to make things right but somehow my actions take them on a guilt trip. I wish I was never born.”

Aurora gasped in shock with her hand on her chest “Don’t say that Cally. You don’t know what you mean to us.” she almost whispered the last part “Besides your parents love you no matter what. They have cared for you then and they care for you now. You will always have their heart my boy.” She carefully held his hands in her own to pacify him “Enough of this. I have a special surprise for you in my cottage”

“I am not in the mood.”

“Oh common. You have been struck for over a week here. Just come with me, I promise you wont be disappointed.”

Callan shrugged dejectedly while Aurora caught hold of his hand to make him follow her. She dragged him to her cottage and stood near the entrance of the door. She then requested a confused Callan to walk inside alone.

When Callan opened the door, his legs halted and his lips quivered. He was shocked to see his smiling father standing right in front of him. Without wasting any of the time he quickly ran to embrace his kin and cried profusely; letting go the burden of his shame, the burden of his disappointment, the burden of his loneliness.

After what seemed to be like hours Callan finally found his voice as he apologetically looked at his father “I am really sorry father. I am sorry for you have to bear witness and be a part of the embarrassment.”

“You don’t have to apologise my son. I don’t blame you for anything.”

Callan swept away his tears and stood firmly “Why are you here father?”

“To take you home.” Justus narrowed his eyes when he roamed his eyes over the body of Callan. His once fatal injuries were almost healed while what remained now were the scars from the battlefield “Auroras care has done wonders on you. You don’t look that bad.”

Callan just faltered for a second there. Mostly because Aurora had convinced him that his bracelet played an important role in his recovery and so his return to health was faster than usual. To avoid getting caught Callan just changed the subject “I don’t know father. I don’t really want to go with you.”

“Listen here Callan.” Justus placed both his arms on the shoulders of his son “I wont ask you to forget about everything cause it is not possible. But being here all alone will only haunt your memories. Instead be with people who care for you. They will aid in your healing process.”

“I have dishonoured the family name. The legacy our forefathers is destroyed. No more Ashton will be the head warrior now.″

“Yes. No Ashton will be a head warrior now.” Justus chuckled.

By the looks of it, Callan could see that his father was not affected by the news at all. He presumed that maybe his father finally valued his son more than the pack. He brushed his thoughts aside and curiously asked his father. “You don’t seem upset by it..”

“Because I am not. I am really happy.”

“I don’t understand.” Callan asked in bemusement.

“The alpha promised to make some changes and he did! For the first time in our pack history the alpha chose people based on their skills or how they have performed and not the fact that they have won.”

A small ray of hope lit Callan’s face “This means that I have been...”

“No my child. Peter’s son Aldous has been chosen as the new head warrior.”

“Yeah. It is a good news indeed.” Callan chuckled sarcastically. “You seem really excited about Peter and his family.”

“I am more happy about you.”

“Why?” Callan narrowed his eyes.

“When you left the arena that day, Einar announced all the champions and allotted them their positions. Garrick was made the beta and Arthur the gamma. in addition to that the alpha created some more positions for handling the administration, border patrol, dungeons and so on. He gave chance to all the worthy members of the competition.”

“Then did I get any of the above.”

“Unfortunately no. However when the announcements were done the alpha asked Luna Rosaline to demand a gift; a wish of any kind in front of the entire pack. Can you imagine what the Luna asked for?”

Callan was more baffled by the glint in his fathers eyes. What was making him so excited? “I have no idea.”

“The Luna expressed her wish to be granted a guard and do you know who she chose”

Indeed who? Callan saw the happiness, the joy in his father. He surprisingly looked at him and whispered “Me...!”

“Yes! Both Mary and I have been so happy since then. I could never imagine your hard work been finally paid off this way.”

A Luna’s guard was never heard of. In the packs that he had encountered Callan could not recall any such position as a Luna’s guard. More importantly why was this news making his father all glee “Why are you so happy? I mean how is this any different? Is there even such a thing as the Luna’s guard”

“Yes my child. In the entire hierarchy the closest you can get to an alpha is by being the beta. However the Luna’s guard is a rank even higher than the beta. An alpha never trusts anyone when it comes to his mate, not even his own kin. So to be able to serve the Luna is the greatest honor anyone can ever imagine. This means that the Alpha trusts you more than anyone in the pack.”

“But I never wanted to be a guard.”

“I know my son. It may seem tough for you because I never prepared you for anything else. A head warriors post was the least I was expecting of you. Yet you outranked yourself and made my forefathers even more proud.”

Callan sighed and took a deep breath. This was too much to handle. He wanted to be the head warrior from the start. He had to fight tooth and nail to make his way to the trials. Even after making a mark in the fights, the alpha intervened just to make sure Callan was defeated. If Einar wanted he could easily give him the rank of his choice. If he trusted Aldous he could have easily trusted Callan for the job. Then why make him the Luna’s guard?

Unless, it must have been Rosaline to force her mate to accept Callan.

He remembered the day when he was leaving the arena and saw the glossy eyes of the Luna amidst the happy faces all around. Rosaline was concerned for Callan. Her good heart must have propelled her to do a good deed. This meant that Callan’s new job was nothing but a charity, a pity for him. This was even more embarrassing than Einar peeing on him. Callan wanted to live a dignified life and not the one handed over by some charity.

With a firm resolve he looked to his father “Father I know you are excited and I know you are really looking forward to it. But the fact is, I just cant accept it.”

“Don’t say this Cally” Justus’ face fell “This is what we always wanted. A place in the pack. People will finally respect you and recognize your worth my boy.”

The fact was that people would never accept him. Everyone follows the leader and when the alpha himself detested Callan for no apparent reason, how could he expect the pack to behave differently. “I don’t care about respect anymore father. The pack can never give me happiness.”

“Its not true..”

“This is the truth and you know it father.” He rose his voice as he expressed his tears of helplessness “Even if I become the Luna’s guard I wont ever be respected. I am tired father. I am tired of my life. For once I want to be happy. For once I want to do what I want to do. Explore the world, find love, settle down and start a family.”

Callan facepalmed as his sobbing intensified. He wanted to relieve himself of all the misery and misfortunes he had to suffer in this pack. He wanted to be free, to be happy. He wanted to be in a place where people were not judgemental, where there could be acceptance. He was tired of being told how to live and how to behave.

Justus knew that his son was different.

The constant pressure put on Callan to fit in, mould himself into a wolf was not justified. He was a human and Justus had to accept that. The pack was making him miserable while his own greed was putting his son through so much of suffering. For once he decided to be a father and braved his heart. “If this is what you want... I promise that we wont come in your way my child. We will always support you in your decisions.” Justus almost choked.

With tears dripping profusely, Callan slowly lifted his head and looked at his father. He could see the sincerity in his fathers eyes. He knew that whatever decision he makes his father would support him. He weakly smiled at Justus “I appreciate that father. After giving it much thought I have decided to settle somewhere else and leave this pack for good.”

********

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