Drawn To You (boyxboy)

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Christian

I could hear his heartbeat.

There was something so surreal about it; the sound of his heart pounding softly, peacefully inside him. It was something of a lullaby for me, or a soothing melody. I could listen to it all day. So much so that I could ignore the flea-ridden furball that lay near him all the time.

For some reason, I had the inclination to reach for the silver pendant that was dangling from my neck. I ran my finger along the elliptical topaz that was set into a round, metal disc. I shook my head, wondering whether it had been some sort of instinctual sign that it was meant for him.

There was a soft thump about three feet away from me. I glanced up and saw the curly-haired face of my lifelong friend and beta, Dannon. His father had been my father's beta, so it only seemed right. Besides, he fit the role perfectly. He always said the right thing and had the best of advice.

My mind somersaulted. Wait, why the hell is Dannon here?

"Dude!" I hissed, pointing down below me. I pushed myself off the red tiles and onto my feet. I started running, feeling the changes as I moved. My ears elongated to sharp points at the top. Smatterings of fur grew out from my cheeks and the backs of my hands.

My face bulged forward, morphing and changing into a short snout. Sharp claws slicked out of my fingers and my toes. My lips bared as my four canines grew broader and sharper. As the change completed, I had reached the edge of the roof and jumped off.

I soared across the fifteen-foot distance from the house to the tree in the backyard, latching my claws onto the bark. I swung around to the back of the tree and slid down to the ground. I was off into the forest the second my feet hit the ground, Dannon not far behind me.

When I was comfortable with the distance I'd covered, I stopped in the middle of the trees. Dannon breezed in, stopping right next to me. I slapped him on the back of the head. "What the hell were you thinking?!"

"I was thinking," he answered, clutching at his head as his body turned back to his usual appearance, "that a part of being an alpha is actually hanging out with your pack members."

I groaned exasperatedly, my own body shifting back. "That doesn't mean every second of every day! Don't I get some time to myself? I signed up to be their leader, not their babysitter."

He narrowed his eyes at me. "You know it's not that simple, Chris. You made a special bond with each one of them the day you marked us and chose us as your brothers. And sister."

I sighed, knowing fully well that Dannon was right, like he always was. "I'm sorry, dude. It's just... I'm still getting used to the whole thing."

"You will eventually," he chuckled. After a brief moment though, he frowned. "Hey, don't you have a council meeting to get to?"

"That's tonight?" I questioned in disbelief. "That means the full moon is-"

"Tomorrow night, yeah," Dannon muttered with a nod. "Our first one. Crazy, right?"

"Totally," I replied quietly. "I can't believe I forgot about all this." It was the first full moon since I'd turned eighteen and, admittedly, I was a little scared out of my mind. Although, I figured I had pushed it out of my mind because I wasn't too eager to see the council.

Dannon laughed. "Don't worry, man, everything's been taken care of. We planned for this, remember?"

I nodded, leaning back against the tree behind me, and placing my hands on my face, a sense of being overwhelmed suddenly coming over me. I could feel Dannon's eyes on me as he took a step closer. "You were on his roof again."