Howling at the Moons

CH 2: One of These Things is Not Like the Others

NARRATOR'S POV

Wayo had been different from the rest of the pack his whole life.

Growing up, Wayo was smaller in size and softer in nature than the other rough and tumble boys around him. The pack members were drawn to his calm nature from a very young age and most were overly protective of the boy without being aware of it.

When he was small he would disappear from the noisy nursery and wander the halls of the pack house, looking for a pack member to cuddle with peacefully. As he grew older, he preferred to read books and manga or play the piano. He regularly spent time having quiet conversations with pack members, young and old, instead of playing and running wild with the other kids.

There were also differences between him and others in the pack simply because of being the Pack Alpha's only son. While other kids were dreaming of what they wanted to be when they grew up, Wayo's whole life was laid out before him like a road map he had to follow, starting around age five. There were many responsibilities he had to fulfill and much he had to learn due to his position, but he didn't resent the extra work that came with being his father's son. Wayo always gave his all to the pack and worked his hardest to exceed the expectations of his father and his pack members, with a smile on his face.

Wolves outside the pack also expected him to act and look a certain way as his father's successor, but Wayo was quite sure he didn't live up to their ideas of what he should be. His father was a strong and determined leader, who earned the respect of others easily. He was a giant of a man with tanned skin, small eyes, and a strong jaw line. His father's wolf was large and solid black, weighing over 150 pounds and standing over three feet tall at the shoulder.

When Wayo's father allowed him to meet wolves from other packs and join meetings, he often felt shy and disconcerted by the strangers. Wayo didn't look like his father, his looks came from his beautiful mother. Wayo had soft, white skin and cute chubby cheeks. He also had large doe-like eyes and dark shaggy hair. He was considered pretty, instead of handsome by others. He was generally more prone to getting his cheeks pinched and being fawned over for his cute looks, instead of earning respect.

While Wayo's life was a bit restrictive, he had his parents and his friends and had learned to deal with what was expected of him. However, everything drastically changed shortly after his 10th birthday.

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Wayo's wolf finally made its long-awaited appearance. His parents and the pack were thrilled. His wolf pup form was a small bundle of joy wrapped in white fur, and while it wasn't what everyone expected, they all cooed at how beautiful he was. They speculated how magnificent he would look when he was full grown.

However, about three months after Wayo's first shift, everyone was starting to worry. Wayo's wolf wasn't growing and he had begun to have severe headaches that left him incapacitated for hours. The pack doctor was called in for a full check-up. He spoke with Wayo, ran some tests, took some blood, and said he would come to discuss the results as soon as he had them.

Two days later, the doctor wanted to talk to Wayo's parents alone to discuss the results. They braced for bad news, that something was wrong with their son. However, what the doctor told them was just unbelievable.

Wayo was perfectly healthy, but he was an Omega. Furthermore, his headaches while stronger than a female Omega's were a normal part of his growth. He explained the headaches were caused by Wayo's body trying to adjust to the flood of emotions he was starting to receive from the pack's bonds. The doctor encouraged Wayo's parents to start getting him the immediate training he needed from the female Omegas in the pack. He had to learn control over his new skills or his mental and physical health could be in danger.

While his parents were in shock over the news, Wayo was their beloved son and he needed help – Now. Wayo's father brought the pack's female Omegas into his office, explained the situation, and discussed what they could do to help his son start training immediately. He also asked them to keep the information about Wayo a secret until a pack meeting could be called.

Wayo's father began making phone calls to try and find out as much as he could about male Omegas, so he could make sure his son was cared for properly. He learned that male Omegas were rare, so rare that Wayo was the only one known in Thailand. There were other male Omegas out there, but the closest one was in a pack in China. It was rumored there was another one in India, but he was never able to confirm if it was true. It took Wayo's father years and lots of money to beg and bargain for the little information he could find out about male Omegas, but every tiny tidbit of information was worth it. He also came to fully realize something he knew all along; wolves are protective, possessive animals by nature and most packs are protective of their Omegas, but having a male Omega in the pack brought their protectiveness to a whole new fierce and dangerous level.

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A few days later, a pack meeting was called and Wayo's parents tried to explain to everyone what happened and what they had learned so far.

The pack was in an uproar. Everyone was shouting questions over each other about what this meant and how it could have happened. They didn't know what to think or feel. Wayo's parents were trying to calm everyone down, but nothing was working. Even the presence of the female Omegas wasn't helping.

The meeting was getting out of control and Wayo's father was about to end it and send everyone home, but unexpectedly there was ripple of movement through the crowd. Lots of pack members started unconsciously rubbing their chest as a calming feeling settled over everyone. The pack quieted down and turned to look behind them to the entrance of the large room. There stood Tasha, one of the oldest female Omegas in the pack, holding Wayo by the hand. Tasha was leaning down whispering in Wayo's ear, while Wayo looked at the pack with determination in his eyes.

Wayo left Tasha's side and started moving towards his parent, walking through the crowd. His look of determination changed to one of sadness and the pack members closest to him burst into tears, some fell to their knees. His father stepped off the raised stage area and scooped his son up protectively into his arms as soon as he got close enough. As he glanced around the room, he saw tears on the faces of every pack member there. Tears were streaking down his own face, but he was too busy looking at his son in wonder to notice.

Looking around at the pack again, Wayo's father quickly came to the full realization of what his 10-year-old, untrained son had just done. He had just brought an unruly pack of over 250 adult wolves to their emotional knees in a few seconds. This was a feat no adult, fully trained, female Omega was capable of doing. It was both stunning and frightening. This was beyond what his quickly done research had led him to expect.

Wayo's father grew worried. Looking at his son, he started to fear for his safety. He now knew why other packs with male Omegas were so fiercely protective. Every pack would want this power under their control.

08.31.2017

Edited:  01.27.2018   10:03 am US CST