Nice And Spice

7

I pause when I hear what the officer says to Theo. It's like a sharp knife to the heart, the words digging deeper than the last. Before he can run I grab him for a few seconds, but he scratches me and as I let go he bolts into a fast paced run. My mom rushes up to me, looking me over.

"Mom, don't worry about me, talk with the officers, I have to go find Theo." And without another word I bolt off into the forest behind him. My scratch is sore, but I don't focus on that, I focus on finding Theo and moving through the thick brush as it is around 11 pm and fairly dark out.

"Theo, Where did you go?" I call out, before I hear a whimper in the distance. I find Theo in the lake, by the waterfall, leaning against the rock face. I get a strong smell of sadness, remorse and regret and as I take off my shirt, I walk into the water. Swimming over to him, I run my hands up onto his back and down around his waist, lean against him, head resting on his back and hugging him, waiting till he is ready to talk.

"Ever since I was a kid, I had this dream that one day we'd be a happy family. Dad would stop being a raging alcoholic and stop blaming all the problems he had on everyone else. One day, a couple years ago, I was playing games after school and when he got home, I could tell he had a few drinks." Theo says, trying to hold back tears. I can hear the pain in his voice as he continues on.

"Mom was out, and he lost his job. He didn't just yell, but he turned violent and beat me. He left before mom got home. When mom saw the marks, she told me to pack a bag and we stayed in a hotel room that night. From there we moved around a couple times, before we made the decision to move here. She tried her hardest to protect me and I couldn't protect her." Theo looks up at me and moves closer to hug me.

"That sounds rough, I'm sorry you had to go through that." I reply.

"I always knew that I'd get that call or that visit, someone saying that she was gone, but I never thought it'd be this soon. I don't know what I'm supposed to do now, I feel lost and confused." He continues. I wrap him into a tight hug as he starts crying.

"I don't know what it feels like to lose someone or how to talk about it, but one thing I do know is that she is with you everywhere you go. You embody everything she was and everything she is. Strength, bravery, persistence, stubbornness. All reasons that I love and adore you. I'm not going to disappear anytime soon, none of us will. So how bout you show this sadness who's boss!" I see a smile creep onto his face and see a hint of red flow into his eyes. He gives me a hug again, tightly, and I wince in pain a bit.

"What was that?" He asks, but before I can answer he sees the scratch mark on my shoulder.

"Did I do that?" He asks.

"Yea, but it's fine, I'm fine." I reply, looking him in the eyes and changing the subject.

"You know we become alpha's one of three ways. Through blood, by taking another alpha's life and by sheer strength, when we've hit our lowest point. I say. I hear footsteps behind me and look to see everyone walking up. I stand up with Theo beside me, his eyes glowing red.

"You have lost one of the most important people in your life, but you have shown yourself the amount of strength that is within you and are able to rise to fight it. It won't be easy and you'll feel the pain, but with pain comes wisdom and with wisdom comes a new view to how we live." My mom says,

"You Theo are now an alpha, and in the shortest time too." I add on!

"Liam.....I love you so much and I can't wait for the next step in our lives together." Theo says as he hugs us.

That goes for you as well, Brett and Nolan. As we walk back to the house, my mom and I take Theo aside.

"As wolves we have a tradition when we lose someone of our pack. We take the body out to the mountains, a special place that only a wolf knows how to get to, and we burn the body as it floats down a lake, and we celebrate that person and the role they have played in our life." My mom says.