Hercules: (Not) My kind of Hero {Complete}

Chapter ιβ

Human realm: Blood-Wolf Pack

The whole pack had noticed a shift between Nate, Hercules and Gabriel. Although they had frowned upon the fact that Hercules had caused Nathaniel to be separated from his parents, they were glad he was doing okay. Nobody really said it but they were glad that his parents had disappeared. They couldn't believe that his parents just up and left, even selling the house without any consideration to Nate. Okay, it was clear they didn't really like him but that didn't mean you just leave your kid behind. Gabriel had done the proper thing and sent a search party after them. They were found relatively quickly and Gabriel was in the process of punishing them properly.

"So what are you going to do now young princeling?"

Nate looked up from where he was watching Hercules demonstrate several slashes to a couple of weres that took up sword fighting. He glared at Akira, who wisely stood out of his lunging range. 

 "I am not a princeling!"

Akira was actually forced backwards several times as he had to dodge Nate's angry lunges. Nate didn't like to be called princeling or anything close to that. Just because Gabriel and Hercules had taken him in that didn't mean that he suddenly became the prince of the Pack. He was still Nate; the little runt that was abandoned by his own parents, the runt with thoughts could only be heard sporadically by the Alpha. The both of them were panting lightly as they stood staring at each other across one of the numerous clearings, Nate's anger was slowly dispatching and Akira was just watching him.

"What is the point of this?"

Nate gestured around the clearing; he could no longer hear the clanging of clashing swords. His glare intensified as Akira kept quiet, staring at him from the other side. Nate had given up a long time ago to try and figure out what Akira was thinking or why did the things he did. He backed up, back towards the way he came. Being a wolf he knew better than to turn his back to Akira. He had made that mistake once and it earned him an ugly slash on his right shoulder blade. The scar is now closed and a light pink. Thanks to his parents, Nate had a quick healing to adult poison claws. Not that Akira had clawed him; he had lightly slashed him with a sword when he foolishly challenged him to a one-on-one. He will never make that mistake like that ever again.

It was a good thing he kept facing Akira, if he didn't he wouldn't have seen him move forward. Acting on instinct, Nate dodged, rolled and landed in a crouch. He pulled out the little dagger Hercules had insisted he keep on his person for situations like this. Holding the little silver dagger on the same level as his eyes in his right hand, blade pointing to the side Nate's brows furrowed above his nose. He made no sound as he was silently waiting for Akira to move again. He was confused as Akira turned away, sniffed the air before sprinting away. Waiting a few more minutes just to be sure nobody would jump out at him; Nate put the dagger back in its sheath and made his way back to Hercules. His eyes kept darting from side to side as he silently slinked from tree to tree besides the obvious path.

When he returned, the place was empty. There was nothing but trees and the rock he had been sitting on watching Hercules and the others. A gust of wind ruffled the treetops and made the grass dance. Instead of feeling relieved at the breeze, the day had been stifling hot, Nate couldn't help but shiver. Something bad was about to happen, he just knew it. He had to find Gabriel or Hercules. A sweet scent had him stopping in his tracks, as far as he knew there weren't any flowers or plants anywhere on Pack ground that smelled this sweet. Shrugging it off, he hurried toward the Pack house.

There he found the Pack house empty; no guards, maids, staff or even little critters that scuttle along the walls. Checking room after room after room, Nate's worst fears became reality; he now truly was alone. He had checked every room in the building, even the cellars; a place he wasn't supposed to know about let alone visit. Just to be sure there might be people down there. He tried so hard to be strong, to keep it together, but the silent tears made their way down his cheeks. Returning to Gabriel's chambers he kicked off his shoes before curling up in the middle of the big bed the three of them usually share. He wrapped himself in the scents that clung to the linen, so that way they might still be with him.