One

Chapter 25

It was surprisingly easy to care for Noah. Brandon couldn't help the soft smile that stayed on his face as he observed the new Alter inspect Jamie and Sean's room intently.

He did notice how Noah tended to stumble a bit, tripping over his feet on occasion for no reason at all. When Noah held onto the table, Brandon couldn't stop himself from inquiring "Are you okay? Do you need some help?"

Noah blinked back at him, confused for a moment before smiling shyly. "Ah. Uhm... I'm not used to-" He motioned to their surroundings as he added softly "Walking around?"

At Brandon's curious look, Noah tugged his personal plushie closer to his body. "It's... uhm, inside?" He tapped against his temple before lowering his voice as he whispered "I never really had to walk."

The Alpha blinked before nodding, pushing back his growing curiosity that wanted to ask more questions about how it felt to be in their shared mindscape.

Instead he settled on an easier, safer question. "Do you need any help?"

"Mhmmm... I think I'm getting the hang of it." Noah hummed with a shake of his head, cinnamon spreading through the room, warm and fragrant.

He stumbled to the other side of the room, pausing at the sight of the TV set. "What is this?" Noah asked with a hesitant poke against the screen.

"It's a Tv." Brandon said, automatically moving forwards before taking the remote. Noah's eyes widened with awe when the screen turned on, showing a wildlife documentary.

"You can watch movies, cartoons, anything basically. The pack has a Netflix, er, movie subscription for their members." Brandon easily flicked through the programs until the screen showed kid friendly movies.

Noah's scent sweetened, excitement clear on his face as the screen showed previews of the cartoons. "Do you wanna watch some with a snack?"

Instantly Noah spun around, an ecstatic grin on his face that Brandon has never seen before. "Can I?"

The young Alpha had to fight to keep his smile on his face, realizing now that more than likely, Noah had never been outside before.

Instead of growling with disgust at the Corrupted like he wanted to, Brandon grinned down at Noah and gave him a playful nudge. "Of course you can. Do you want to come along or should I get the snacks on my own?"

Noah instantly stepped closer, giving Brandon his answer. They quickly made their way over to the dining area, where Brandon noticed that Noah was gingerly holding onto the back of the young Alpha's hoodie.

It made Brandon slowly realize that Noah was more than just an alter. That there was a reason why exactly the young man in front of him didn't seem to have a detectable rank.

He's a child alter. A Little...

Brandon didn't quite know how to handle the situation without insulting anyone. He knew that a child would love to have a hand offered to them, to hold hands as a sense of security and comfort.

However he also knew that towards the adult alters, it may come across as a bit demeaning. Perhaps they might even think Brandon was using Noah as an excuse to be more touchy with the community.

"Are you okay?" Brandon murmured softly, voice pitched low and soothing as not to startle Noah. He nodded, not releasing the hold he had on Brandon's hoodie, licking his lips hesitantly.

"Jamie always said to stay close in case something happens." He shrugged, nostrils flaring as they entered the kitchen. Brandon thanked his lucky stars as there were only two others in the room, currently engrossed in their meals.