Malika (#Short, Incomplete)

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

It's barely broken through dawn when the male arises from his half-lucid state, sleep never having properly fallen to him, not with the searing guilt that picks away at his flesh.

His form lifts himself out of the thick duvet, bare feet settling into the grey carpet, elbows resting at his knees, head tucked away into his hands. His eyes refuse to open just yet, features squinting hard with having to adjust, and it takes several moments for his body to ground himself, slowing pulling itself away from a sleep that would never bless him.

It's a rough yawn from the base of his throat, limbs moving mindlessly on their own accord, a hand raked through messy tight curls.

The beta feels painfully numb, the wolf within him residing deep and far away. His face feels stiff from having quietly cried in the comfort of his bed in the night prior, and his throat feels raw and dry, eyes heavy and welted red. His mind is wholly empty in this very moment, refusing to think any further, refusing to contribute to his self-deterioration anymore– he had done enough of that the night prior. He just feels painfully alone.

The male's movements are done unconsciously – he doesn't feel present in this plane of reality, thoughts dying and afar, his inner wolf shielding himself from this world.

It doesn't take him long to pull over some grey gym shorts and some trainers, leaving his torso bare as he heads out of his room, padding through the empty hallways. It was too early for any other wolf to be up, or for any of the staff to be present in the palace just yet. The hallways are still well lit, and warm with the heating on. He can't say the same for beyond the palace, eyes falling onto windows caked in snow, no doubt like the rest of their lands.

The indoor gym is dark until his fingers find a switch, immediately granting a bust of white light, causing his eyes to strain a little. He sighs, rubbing his chest as if he could suddenly just eliminate the guilt beginning to sear through, permanently branding him. His eyes fall onto the weights, envisioning a different type of burn for his body to bear.

And burned it did.

His muscles were practically sizzling beneath his skin, fibres pulling and contracting, quaking underneath the strain the body was putting them through. Sweat glossed over his skin, sitting between the defined lines of his abdomen and accumulating through the tousles of curls he had sitting on the top of his head. His chest rises and dips continuously, brows furrowed together.

It had helped a little, the male temporarily forgetting the burden he would bear, solely focusing on the anguish his body was going through and the music blasting through the speakers. But he could only push his body so far, and eventually the burn wasn't enough – unless he wanted to move up an entire weight set and rip his muscles in half, which he didn't necessarily want. The cold numbness opens up from the crook of his core, once again establishing it's place in him.

The beta grows frustrated, slamming the speaker shut, throwing the weights to the other side and collapsing onto the edge of one the benches positioned near the walls. His head sinks into his hands, form beginning to break under what he didn't necessarily want to do.

He sobs.

The noise is harsh, his body wracking through tremors, the noise heaving from his gut. Tears drop from his eyes, curving to his chin, the male's pain and anguish finally properly surfacing, the searing guilt being the one to drive this.

He sobs for the juvenile male that had passed on too young. He sobs for the family that had lost one of their own blood. He sobs because he couldn't save the wolf. He sobs in his failure.

A quiet shuffle at the threshold of the door alerts him, his tear-streaked face and red eyes snapping up immediately, form tense.

He softens once his eyes fall upon the gamma of the pack, a female going by the name of Akila, with soft brown eyes and long blonde tresses of hair that sits below her chest. She stands with hesitance, hands resting upon her very pregnant stomach.

"Hey," his words are barely a whisper, hoarse in tone, hands coming up to rub the tears away from his eyes, but they won't stop gushing, fingers beginning to tremble.

Akila doesn't say anything, only coming forth and taking a seat with him. Her hands are soft when they hold his, her face turned to him, brown eyes warm with a soft smile. The beta rests his head on her shoulder, form shuffling close in need of comfort, body not breaking any longer, but tears still falling.

"I couldn't save him," the beta's tone is small. Akila is the only person he felt comfortable being vulnerable before. He's only ever cried before her. Akila's grip on him tightens.

"It's not your fault. His death is not on your hands," her words are quiet.

"He was alive when I found him. There are a thousand different possibilities that could've left him alive. I took the wrong steps," he breaths, tone shaky.

"Perhaps, or maybe the Moon had his death predestined. You should not be punishing yourself," Akila tells him. The beta doesn't say anything for a moment.

"I'm a beta of this Kingdom who can't prevent lives of his own people being lost. How am I going to serve this position justice?" he murmurs, tears slowly beginning to subside, but pain seizing his heart.

"You are serving this position justice. You've only been beta for a month, just as Adir has only been King for a month. Getting accustomed to the position will take time, and you will improve day by day, I promise you. We all will. This doesn't mean you will fail as beta, because you're already doing an amazing job. You're first to wake and the last to sleep, this Kingdom knows how much you do for them," Akila murmurs, her hands brushing his hair away from his forehead gently.

It's silent for several moments, the beta attempting to steady his erratic breathing.

"He's dead," his voice cracks, eyes looking up at the female, the green glimmering. Akila sighs, hands falling to her lap.

"We'll visit his family this morning. Together. It's okay for you and your wolf to be pained about this. I know you're struggling with it, and Adir does too – though I don't think he knows it hit you this hard. But please, all the pain, all the anguish, channel it into something else. His death will mean nothing unless you do. Channel it and use it to focus on getting justice, rather than harming yourself," the gamma's words make sense, and he takes a deep breath.

"The death of this wolf will never be on your hands; it is on whoever was malicious enough to commit this vile act. All we can do now is ensure that this juvenile and all the others are given justice," she finishes.

Justice. He'd get justice for the juvenile, even if it took his life. Whatever it would take.

He nods, murmuring a thanks. She gives him a soft smile, kissing his temple.

They stay close to each other for a few more minutes, silence cascading the room and light beginning to shine through the windows. His tears dry, eyes cast down, lips curling into a small smile, which does not reach his eyes just yet.

"How is it?" jutting his chin to her stomach. Her eyes narrow at him, lips curving.

"It?" she raises a brow, stowing her chuckle away.

She takes his hand in her grip, placing it on her stomach. The male's features soften when feeling the hard kicks beneath, strong and determined. His eyes gleam with the sensation.

Akila was a wolf lucky enough to find her soulmate during the prime of her teenage years, resulting in two pregnancies early in her lifetime. She was young, but determined and is raising her pups well, alongside holding down the gamma position. Her mate, a male of the name Roman, was the general of the pack.

"My pup is a he, not an "it"," she tells him, her expression happy. The beta grins, eyes twinkling. He had wanted a boy.

"We found out a few days ago. You better not tell Rhea though, she'll throw a fit. We've yet to find a way to break the news to her," the gamma mutters, referencing her first born who was now at the age of four, and very determined to be given a sister.

The beta grins, pretending to seal his lips shut, before his head turns to the floor, quiet for a second.

His wolf remerges within him. He feels a bit better now that he had a goal to orientate his emotions to.

Justice.

"Speak of the devil," he mutters, eyes on a small figure skipping into the gym in search of her favourite person and her mother, her long blonde hair swinging alongside her sleep frock. Her features are delighted to find them both here.

"Good morning," her voice has a heavy lisp, giving them each a toothy grin, before planting herself into the beta's torso.

"Zeke," she greets, snuggling close to the male, and leaning up to press a kiss to his cheek, small arms wrapping around his neck. Ezekiel only chuckles, holding her close.

His wolf still mourned, but agreed with what the gamma had said. He had to move forward to ensure justice is brought and to ensure that he'll be able to continue his current duties well. If he became lost in his despair, he wouldn't be able to do either of those things.

The three of them get up, leaving the gym behind, ready to embark on the day before them.

A/N - i like this character a lot. it wasn't that i was happy with the quality, rather just pressurising myself.