Tales of a Shifter (P5) The White Mountain

Chapter 12 - Forwards

Chapter 12 – Forwards

Moving forwards?

Every one of the Leopards were evidence of this idea.

Ezekiel who had been cursed with an ill fate since birth. Hated for the blood that he carried and the danger that his Reavers rage represented. He had grown into a compassionate, intuitive, beautiful soul, with the determination to see his duties and responsibilities fulfilled.

Lander who was constantly accosted by feelings and thoughts so heavily that he was a pendulum of ever changing ever shifting emotional stability. Happiness, sadness, bitterness and rage were a revolving door in Landers soul.....so that the Guardian was never on stable footing. But despite this Lander had grown into a strong, bull headed fighter with focus and passion that burned when he went on a war path or put his heart into a struggle.

Walter, the Guardian that could manipulate and had manipulated the innocent people in his life in the past. A tortured Shifter locked in an emotionless cage because of his own powers. In spite of this darkness Walter strives to be the shield for his brothers and the leader of the Guardians whenever the need called for him to step up.

Nate, a pack-less Wolf. Abandoned, feral, and mysterious. The Guardian with no home, no past and a dark painful secret hidden beneath his playful exterior. And although Nate had a heaviness on his heart, Nate was often willing to inject levity and hope into situations that perhaps called for fear and reservation. Instead Nate choose to be a constant ray of sunlight to his brothers and parents, even if his past was filled with gloom.

Glen the once tarnished queen, who had been humiliated and abused by the enemies of her Mate. Glen had become a pillar in her Clan, in her home and even to Brandon. She was rock steady in her compassionate mindset and open minded approach. She may have suffered and she may still carry scars in her soul, but she hadn't let such things destroy her.

And finally Mantilo the once impotent King who had been gifted a bloody broken home and was later powerless to stop the suffering of the woman he loved. Mantilo had risen from what must have been agonizing guilt and pain, to become the sternest, wisest and benign Clan Head/ Father that Brandon had had the pleasure to know.

Walter had spoken of this very thing.

You're hiding behind your circumstances.

The Guardian had openly accused.

Suddenly Brandon felt sick...and cowardly for staying in his own self-imposed exile. Continuing to fight away the light that was being offered to him at every turn. By Mantilo and Glen. And especially by Ezekiel.

And suddenly Brandon realized that...perhaps there was another path that he could walk. Was pain and hatred and fear all that he could understand? Was this darkness all that he could internalizes? Would he walk the earth the rest of his days suffering....and unwilling to step away from the horror?

Did he have all of the answers? No.

Did he have the blood of innocent people on his hands? Yes he did. But......even if Brandon took a step back from his own guilt....he also knew that nothing he did was ever going to change what he had down. Nothing would erase the ugliness....or bring back the dead. Remembering the death he had caused, carrying those memories were his eternal punishment. Nothing he did....including suffering, would ever make the faces leave his memories.

Was there a chance that Brandon and all of the Leopards would regret allowing him into their Clan? Yes.

But...after weeks of agonizing emotional limbo where hundreds of questions had risen in his head and blanketed his heart, Brandon knew only a few concrete things existed in his life.