[ON HOLD] BlackCat's The Wailing Moon

7) Ruins of a Life

The night sky held a waxing moon low on the horizon as clouds were dispersed like light fog overhead. The night air was cold and had a crisp bite of autumn. The snow wouldn't come for a few more months but the leaves were already bright with colors of orange and yellow. The trees were silent in the still night, reaching up into the sky almost like frozen flames.

The stark difference of atmosphere in the forest was eerie. This once familiar forest now strange and almost evil; the chance of stepping on traps designed to kill without discretion was a real issue now and days. Hunters came out almost every night looking to catch and skin a Werewolf.

Col had seen what Hunters do to anything they can get their hands on. His mother used to say mortals had the magic of logic and curiosity; they were special that way, they were magical that way, but the things the mortals have concocted are horrid. How anything they do could ever be considered magical was beyond Col's imagination.

Home hadn't changed, though it felt like it should have. The pack's log cabin village hidden away in the forest bustled with activity and hummed with noise and voices of everyday life; it was a wonder how this place had stayed untouched by the devastation in Capitol City.

A few omegas sitting around a fire were the first to notice Col's presence. They watched him silently as he walked by. Meeting their gaze Col simply nodded. He didn't expect he held any position in the pack anymore; however this place was still his home and safe haven. Surely the Alpha would understand. Though he feared he'd be turned away, labeled as a traitor and maybe even branded.

Thankfully Fakhir was the Alpha; Col knew him as calm and collected, taking all possibilities into account. He agrees to see Col and they sit down to talk. Fakhir and Col sat in silence for the first ten or so minutes, neither knowing quite what to say. It was awkward, Col had been named his Beta and he'd walked away as if it meant nothing. Col figured starting there would maybe be a bad idea but he went for it, like ripping off a band aid.

"I went to find and help my mate." Col was the first to speak. Fakhir nodded and said, "I know." Col looked down and nodded slowly, then glanced around the living room of the Alpha's home.

"I replaced you with Damon." Col's head snapped up to look at Fakhir.

"Are you nuts? He'll be nothing but trouble." Col bit his lip and wished he could eat his words, however Fakhir simply smirked.

"My mate can be a handful but he knows his place." Col's mouth dropped open then snapped it shut and considered Fakhir's words.

"Uh...I don't know if I should say Congratulations or call you bat shit crazy." Fakhir nodded and took a sip of his coffee.

"That is the general census around here. Most couldn't believe I'd tamed a red pelt let alone one of the twins. "He said as he stared down into his cup. "But they don't know the whole story." Col thought back to when he was a kid and remembering that Damon's scent and Fakhir's were always lingering on the other.

Col had always thought it was just two dominate wolves fighting for the upper hand, it was normal and something no one thought twice about, but now the anomalies made sense; it made sense why neither of them ever had any major injuries despite always seeming to be fighting, it made sense why it didn't seem like either harbored grudges and it made sense why neither of them ever proclaimed their ultimate victory over the other.

"You'd been with him this whole time." Col came to the conclusion. Fakhir nodded and looked up at him.

"Since we were kids, yes." Fakhir responded. Col frowned and shook his head.

"How did you keep it a secret for so long?" He inquired.

"We let people believe what they wanted to, which was usually me and Damon hating each other." Fakhir shrugged. "It didn't bother us, we knew the truth." Col nodded silently. "You know," Fakhir started, "A lot of people here are furious with you for leaving. When my scouts noticed your presence nearby there was a lot of people petitioning I send someone to kill you." Col frowned and shook his head.