The Origin of the Shifters

Chapter 11: 4 Years Later...:

As Jay and his friends had gotten older, they had become part of the hunting group. Jay also helped his father, Alexander, heal the injured as they both shared the same power. He sat proudly beside his father, who had visibly aged by the whiter patches on his fur.

As Jay sat with Alexander, they heard the sound of the hunting party returning with dinner. Retrieving their shares and sitting together, the skull sat as a whole and ate their shares peacefully. No one fought over portions, they all equally enjoyed their meals and the atmosphere was harmonious indeed!

As night fell, Jay and his friends decided to sleep outside in Jay's small clearing. They gazed up at the full moon and the star-filled sky, the breeze cold yet comforting.

"We've got our combat test tomorrow," Jay said. "I can't wait to see the look on Arthur's face when he finds out he's my sparring partner!"

Jake and Dylan laughed with Jay. "Yeah, me and Dylan are gonna spar together too!" Jake squealed. "Apparently there's a tournament coming up and whoever wins it as the last member standing becomes the official Guard of the Alphas!"

Jay nodded. As he looked up at the sky with his friends, he watched as his eyes slowly shut, as he slowly dozed off.

The next morning, Jay and his friends began their training. 

Arthur and Jay faced each other and began to spar with each other. Dodging and hitting, their techniques improved. Soon enough, a few weeks later, the tournament had begun.

"Sparrers, are you ready?" Alexander boomed. All nodded. Arthur and Jay faced each other with faces like thunder. "GO!"

As each group was eliminated, Jay and Arthur stood. 1 to 1, they stood tall with teeth bared and claws unsheathed. They sped at each other, scratching, biting, dodging. Suddenly, out of nowhere, Jay slipped and Arthur pinned him down.

"Arthur is the winner! He is to be made the Official Guard of the Alphas!"

As his father's words echoed through his head, he watched as that friendly smile Arthur had earned turned back to that selfish, menacing smirk he had before as he chuckled to himself evilly at Jay's disappointment.

Angry at himself, Jay ran away. Jake and Dylan noticed him rush through the shrubs and followed him swiftly. Running as fast as his legs could carry him, Jay panted and hyperventilated as he ran, not stopping as he rushed into the city, running through the streets.

"Jay, come back!" Dylan cried.

Jay heard the sadness in Dylan's voice but continued to run away. He ran as far away from the woods as possible. But as he did run away, he heard Jake screaming out in distress. As Jay turned around, his eyes were wide. A car headed straight for him. Dylan then ran towards Jay to save him. But as Jay had opened his eyes, he heard Jake crying out. Dylan laid in the road, frozen still. A puddle of blood trickled from his body as he lay still, as his eyes were open but were clearly lifeless.

Jay ran over to Dylan and shook him. But nothing happened. But after a few seconds, Dylan blinked and looked up to Jay weakly.

"J-Jay..." He said with a groan. "T-Take care of my son and Autumn for me... I-I'm sorry..."

But before Jay could respond, Dylan lay dead in the road. Jay cried out with tears streaming down his face.

"DYLAN!! PLEASE!! DON'T GO!!" Jay cried out loudly. "IT WAS ALL... MY... Fault..."

Jay dropped to his knees as Jake hugged him tightly, tears trickling down his face but not as badly as Jay did. Jay turned to his form and carried Dylan's body, Jake helping him.

As they walked back into the camp, there were gasps of shock and despair as the boys carefully laid Dylan's body in the middle.

Aspen and Alexander rushed over to see what had happened, but as they did, Jay ran over to them and cried hard into his father's chest, hugging both his parents in trauma, trembling severely from what he had witnessed.

"Jay, what happened to Dylan?" Aspen held her son's face as he looked up at her with glazed eyes and a red face.

"I-I ran off and h-he saved me... F-From a human vehicle monster. It was all my fault..."

Aspen and Alexander looked at each other and felt pitiful. But Jay felt afraid as he heard "Murderer" around him. He tried to run away again but Jake held his arm firmly. Jay's lip trembled as he hugged Jake tightly.

As night fell once again, Jay couldn't sleep. All he could picture in his head was the image of Dylan's body. The blood, the open wounds, the lifelessness in his eyes as he lay still on the hard, tarmac road. The image was so horrifying that he just couldn't get to sleep. The next morning, Jay's eyes were bloodshot and red from not sleeping and a lot of crying.

As he sat up, he remembered something Dylan had said before he passed. "Look after my son and Autumn for me... I-I'm sorry..."

As he processed the words he widened his eyes. Autumn and Dylan were a thing? And he has a son? Autumn's pregnant?! Jay had so many questions in his head. But when is it due?

The answers soon unravelled themselves as Autumn went into the nursing den, her belly was a visible bump. Aspen then walked in too.

"Well Autumn," Aspen spoke. "It is currently the 3rd of August 2005, so your cub is due in 3 days time. It'll be hard without your son having a father figure but I know you can manage."

Autumn nodded. "Thank you, Mrs Takeshi."

Autumn walked out of the den in her form. She then settled down comfortably in the resting den where the rest of the skull also slept.

As those 3 days past, and the 6th of August approached, Jay and Jake heard the gentle and wholesome sound of a newborn cub. The skull gathered to see Autumn's new son, but they didn't let Jake and Jay through, budging them out of the way.

Jay widened his eyes. All this, the disagreement and the fear and shame was all because of him.

"Let's go, Jake... It's clear we don't belong here anymore..."

Jake, looking back at the crowd gathering around Autumn and her son, sighed and looked forward again to follow Jay.

"I guess It's clear now, Jay," Jake sighed. "We've become rogues."