Echoing through Alessio's head are self-deprecating insults - telling him he isn't good enough.
Crowned as the Alpha of half of Birchwood Forest, he discerns himself as weak and unfit to rule over those obligated to submit to him due to the vicious...
Hand painted, scribbled in loopy, inky cursive, was the word "Heidi's" on the lilac sign, with the paint peeling, standing in front of a curtain of unmoving, whispy clouds, darting out to perform their final bow before the colors of the sunset taint the sky.
A cobblestone pathway, surrounded by bushes, led up to the small, brick building. Alessio's lips of muted pink were sketched with a wide smile, as he bounces down the path of neatly placed stones with Messiah following close behind him.
His fingers were tucked into the warmth of his mate's embrace, as he sauntered across the soft gray and white hue of the stones scattering the lush, dewy grass. His wavy, honey locks were combed by the winter breeze braiding the hazy blue.
His puffy, white coat was pulled close to his body to bat off the cold temperatures and Messiah was adorned in the same coat in the color of ebony.
A wide smile spread across Alessio's face, as he stepped into the small bakery near the harbor located in the small town of Camden, Maine, embraced by aesthetic boutiques and vintage, thrift shops. In the air wafted the aroma of freshly, baked cookies sprinkled with sugar.
The pair was overwhelmed with hunger at the fragrance alone.
The walls were painted azure and pristine white, the trim wrapped around the building a pastel pink. Behind the glass were cinnamon buns glazed over with icing, silver trays lined with pastries drizzled in every color, and slices of bread caked with luscious butter.
Hidden behind the pristine, granite counters, whilst his pale-green gaze was fixated on his phone, was a chocolate haired boy.
The name Wren was slapped onto his nametag in bold, white letters. A moment passed before he lifted his head and a smile abruptly broke onto his face.
The blinding, pearl smile was directed at Alessio, who grins politely in return at the flirtatious attempt. "What can I get for you, cutie?" Laced in his voice was an evident British accent.
"Hmm, we'll have a box of macarons," Alessio responds, "and two caramel mochas."
"That'll be eleven forty," he says, as his pen waltzes across a wrinkled sheet of lined paper. His dimples pop out at the edge of his mouth when he flashes a wide smile at Alessio.
Messiah almost allows Malik to lash out, but sensing his anger, Alessio says, Calm down, mi amarto, in a voice of honeysuckle through their mind link. I bear your mark, he softly reminds him. I love you.
In addition to his words of reassurance, the bolts of electricity shooting through his body weather the storm clouds forming in his mind. Damn straight, he growls, his fingers lightly skimming over his mark, and sends Alessio into a frenzy.
His eyebrows arched, Wren hands over the dust-pink box of macarons and the styrofoam cups filled to the uppermost line with roasted, coffee beans, whipped cream, drizzled with caramel and chocolate syrup.
Messiah hands him the cash, alongside a generous tip, courtesy of the heavenly scent wafting off of their order.
"Are you nervous for therapy, baby doll?" Messiah prompts as soon as Alessio plops down in the passenger seat of the truck, the color of champagne, and buckles himself up.
"No," he replies immediately, "I have you." In his cold hands, he nursed the delicious liquid in his drink, whilst he gazed at the expanse of the cerculean skyline zoom by them on the asphalt, misted with the faint scent of the petrichor on the landscape.
The gentle touch of the sun peeked out from behind the whispy clouds and peppered kisses onto the tranquil water of the harbor. Messiah side-eyed the beauty of his mate and smiled widely at the rose-pink hue glowing upon his skin.
The seraphic image before Alessio sketched a warm smile upon his face with the soft strokes of lead.
⚫️⚪️⚫️⚪️⚫️⚪️⚫️⚪️⚫️⚪️⚫️⚪️⚫️⚪️⚫️
Lost in the tides of reverie, Alessio doesn't notice when Messiah pulls into the parking lot of a looming building. "Alessio," he coos in his ear.
The graze tickling him, Alessio shifts to face Messiah. He hums in reply.
"We're here, baby."
"Oh!" Hastily, he unbuckles his seatbelt and nearly falls out of the truck when he tries to jump out, but Messiah loops his arms around his waist before he can face plant onto the concrete. "Thank you," he whispers.
Even though he's embarrassed, he allows Messiah to lift him out of the steep truck. Planting the soles of his combat boots down, his arms refuse to waver from Messiah's neck. Rolling his eyes playfully, Messiah carries his 'nearly-grown' boyfriend into the building.
However, Alessio opts for intertwining their fingers tightly to impede his shaking hands instead of securing his arms around his neck throughout the therapy session.
The smell of aged, white wine and barbecue floated in the stale air, as Alessio recounted the vile memories of his childhood. From belittling insults to threats that Rehan would see him as the worthless and weak wolf he saw himself as, the memories flooded back to the quivering boy like a hurricane.
Tear droplets streamed down his tainted skin, as sobs tore past his lips and into Messiah's shoulders.
"What was the worst thing he ever told you?" With her lips in a firm line and clear, blue eyes, she was as unwavering as she was warm. The impression she gave off juxtaposed her rough exterior, with a golden piercing hooked onto her bottom lip and a leather jacket draped over her shoulders.
His eyes glassy and his voice crumbling, he poured out between hiccups, "He told me that because I was weak, I-I'd help the pack more if I...." Take your time, my love. No one is rushing you, Messiah cooed in a soothing tone. "I-If I killed myself," he finally said.
His teeth clenched and his knuckles snow-white, Messiah listened to the shattered glass reflected in Alessio's voice, as the crushing agony coiling off him at a brisk pace denied Messiah's lungs oxygen.
Malik's and Aleskei's deafening roars echoed through the shadows of Alessio's and Messiah's at the daggers twisting themselves into the beating hearts of their mates.
This chapter was significant for Alessio and his character arc. At this point, this is the first time he had fully opened up about his horrific childhood. Also, it was really important to me, as a writer, that Messiah was there to support him. Oh, and please drop in the comments below who you'd like me to put into the spinoff of Fractured Alpha. It can be someone you want more of a backstory of or you just want to see more of them.
And if you can, tell me how you think they can impact the story.
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