Storm Born Book One

Chapter 9

He felt the bed dip beside him he knew it was his mother, he could smell her and hear the pups heartbeats, sullenly he refused to turn and look at her, instead choosing to continue staring at the wall next to his bed, his back firmly to the door.

"I have brought you some food, we missed you at dinner" Rosalind spoke softly to his back.

"I am not hungry please go away"

He listened as she released a soft sigh, and then felt her hand lightly touch his shoulder the touch was comforting and though his brain was telling him to shrug it off, his heart yearned for the comfort her touch always brought to him. He allowed the hand to remain, its weight anchoring his emotions.

"I know you are unhappy Darius can you tell me what is wrong?"

He wanted to answer, part of him wanted nothing more than to fling his arms about her and sob but another part of him just wanted her to leave. He couldn't tell her what was wrong he was not even sure why he was feeling the way he was, all he knew was his stomach was churning and his throat burning from the effort of holding it all in. if he spoke at all it would be to scream and shout and he did not want to, not to her, not to anyone he was afraid that once he started to shout he would not be able to stop. he sniffled rubbing away an errant tear on the pillow.

"I know it has been hard for you, the last few months you have been forced to leave your home behind, to come and live in a strange land. As grown-ups, we have sometimes forgotten that what we decide to do affects you also, I am sorry we have not taken as much time as we should have to see how you felt about all the changes that have happened to you".

He rolled toward her, her face looked strained and tired he hated that he had caused her to worry he was telling himself he was not a baby and here he was behaving like one. "I'm sorry he blurted out" stretching his arms to hug tightly around her waist he buried his face into her side. she sat on the edge of the bed holding him as he sobbed rubbing her hand gently up and down his back.

"Can you tell me what is wrong sweetheart?" she asked as his sobs subsided to sniffles.

"I find it hard to be around so many people I am not used to it yet", he whispered, "When I saw the twins playing with the new children I...I felt angry and sad all at once"

"You felt jealous of the attention they gave the other children?" Rosalind brushed the sweaty hair from the boy's face holding his watery gaze in hers. "It is not surprising Darius that you should feel that way they are your first real friends, and you love them, you love them so much you want to hold them all to yourself and not let anyone else play with them."

The boy's face colored red, was that what he was feeling?

"I know you never liked to mix with the children in the village or go to the school there you have spent so much time on your own. But ask yourself is it worth losing your friends because you will not share them with others?".

"No..." he cried out "I do not want to lose them what should I do?"

"I think you know the answer to that Darius. Isn't it better to share your friends than to have no friends at all?  I think that the twins understood how alone and frightened these children were. Like you, they have been taken by adults, away from all they have known, and they have seen much suffering and lived in fear. I think they wanted to make them feel welcome and feel safe. That does not mean that they like you less, it just means that they have enough love inside them to share it with others?"

Darius felt an uncomfortable feeling of shame welling up inside him he had not behaved as well as he should have. he should have been among the first to welcome the new children instead he had ignored them. He was supposed to be the Alpha one day these people would be his people. his father would be so disappointed to see him behave like this.