From The Ashes.

Chapter 37

Hana and John were attempting to take down Caerun. I sat with my back against a tree, watching in absolute awe. I thought Hana was strong? Caerun almost seemed to be able to read their minds, dodging their hits before they'd even had a chance to swing them. As he shifted from wolf to human without missing a beat, I realised the silver bite scar that laced his shoulder in his human form also transferred to his wolf form, the grey skin hidden slightly by his brown fur. They'd been going at this for hours and still Hana and John hadn't been able to take him down. Although, it seemed he was finally starting to tire, but, then again, so were the other two. I sat watching with bated breath as Caerun dodged Hanas strike, only to be abruptly side swiped by John in wolf form. Both men went crashing to the ground and for a moment, there was an eerie silence.

"Well done, you two. You work well together." John, back in human form, pushed himself off Caerun and turned to smile at the exhausted Hana. Caerun stood up and dusted himself off before walking over to me. "First time in a long time that I feel like I haven't had to hold myself back." He whispered, smiling as I watched Hana and John look at each other, goofy smiles on their faces. An ache buried itself in my chest before a sudden thought occurred to me and I looked at Caerun with a raised eyebrow.

"What about the night I found out about you guys?" His expression went stony, his hazel eyes hardened with regret. I almost felt bad as he scuffed his hair until I realised his anger was aimed at himself.

"That night was a lesson I needed to learn. That there are some jobs a beta isn't supposed to do. Alphas have Lunas for a reason." I was silent at this admission, thinking about his words. The circumstances that night... the more I learned, the more it seemed that night should have been impossible. But, would I trade it? Not for anything, my heart said. I must have been silent for longer than I thought because Caerun suddenly nudged me, an amused glint in his eye.

"Come on, let's leave these two alone for awhile." He nodded towards Hana and John and I laughed quietly, nodding as he lead the way back towards the Pack House. We walked in silence for awhile until questions about his statement began to bubble up.

"Caerun, what's the difference between a beta and a luna? Aren't they both people who support the Alpha, only ones in love with him?" Caerun paused at the Pack House door, chewing on his thumbnail as he thought.

"First of all, is the Beta doesn't love his Alpha, there's something wrong. Zak has been my brother since we were born and I love and trust him with my life." Caerun started walking again and I followed as we climbed the stairs. "But, there is a difference beyond that. A beta is a support for the alpha, there to take on the reins of whatever the alpha doesn't have time for. That's why I spend so much time training. Zak is strong but he spends so much time worried about other people around him that he's easily taken by surprise so it's me who took up the military side of things so Zak could focus on what he does best. Looking after people. It's the same arrangement between Llewellyn and his Beta, Axius. We barely see Axius anymore because he's either sleeping or leading patrols to protect our borders." 

As he talked, we made our way up to my room. Caerun peeked his head through the conjoined door and, with a sinking heart that I didn't want to question, shook his head to confirm Zak and Cody weren't there. "That doesn't explain the difference." I muttered, desperate to keep the conversation on track as Caerun nodded and sat, cross legged on my bed with. He started nibbling at his nails and I had to stamp down on the urge to tell him to stop it.

"The difference, at least it should be, is that a luna is not a support. They are the alphas partner, just as capable to take on the burden of leadership as much as he is. I guess you could say they are each others support, able to pick up where the other left. We haven't had a luna for most of my life but I believe they are someone who is the opposite of the alpha but the same where it comes to everything important. Like, they would both give everything they have for the good of the pack but something one lacks, the other makes up for." He looked up at me, a question in his eyes that I couldn't place. "Like Zak being introverted but easily dragged into making friends by you." I flinched, not wanting to be reminded that my bumbling self had somehow dragged him along without realising it. He hadn't said anything, though, so hopefully it was okay. After a few more moments of silence, Caerun raised an eyebrow at me.

"Why do you ask?" He asked. I shrugged, collapsing onto the bed as I allowed the exhaustion to wash over me again. I was too tired to talk, to care. It was just something to pass the time. Caerun frowned, watching me intently.

"I don't know. Seemed interesting at the time." I closed my eyes, only barely aware that tears were forming behind my eyelids when Caerun shuffled where he sat.

"Axius was the one who gave me the scar." He said softly as he traced where the scar was through his shirt. I opened my eyes and looked at him, silently encouraging him to continue. "I was fifteen, a few months after I found out I am Zaks beta but still several months until I turned sixteen and was considered an adult by the pack. Zak was still fourteen but I could tell he was relieved that it would be me by his side. I threw myself into training, utterly terrified that some day I'd let him down. After all, I owe Llewellyn and Zak everything." He looked down, a deep well of sadness in his eyes that made me sit up and pay more attention.

"I got angry, thinking that people were holding back during training, especially Axius. I'd trained so much that I was certain I could only do better if I was just allowed to do so. Axius took me up on my complaint." I cringed, anticipating the next words out of his mouth. "He didn't hold back. Within seconds, he practically torn my arm off. I was rushed to the infirmary and Zak stayed by my side for the week it took to completely heal." Caerun was silent for a moment, his eyes on me.

"Caerun," I asked, "Why are you telling me this?" He shrugged staring out my glass doors, far away look in his eyes.

"Because, that's the day I learned that I would, could, never know enough. That I realised what being a beta really involved. The night you came to us was the night I learned what it didn't involve." Caerun was silent and I chewed my lip, watching him in thought.

"Caerun, are you mad at me for wanting to leave as well?" He shrugged but took his time replying.

"Yes and no. I understand why you feel like you have to go back, I understand feeling like you are the only one who could make someone happy if you just worked hard enough. But," He swallowed. "I also feel like you found out about us for a reason and as yet we haven't found out what that reason is. If you do have a chance of helping us with these attacks like Llewellyn claims, I'd like you to stay. But, ultimately, that's up to you." I shouldn't have asked. Thinking about this made the pain in my chest worse but it was nice to know someone at kind of understood the conflict in my soul. Either way, though, I needed to change the subject.

"How did you know that you were Zaks beta?" Caerun looked surprised at the sudden subject change before shrugging.

"I forget sometimes how much you don't know about our world. You're always so confident with what you do." I shrugged, not bothering to tell him that I wasn't confident, I just didn't think about my action before hand. "it can happen at anytime but it's normally when the alphas being the most vulnerable. The future beta will normally go to them and stay by their side without hesitation and when they make contact, a spark will pass between them, forging a link between them that can only be broken by death." I nodded, easily seeing this in the way the two friends, brothers, interacted. But something about what he described was bugging me. Hadn't I felt something like that? His words tugged at a memory and it took a few seconds before I realised what it was, shooting upright as I stared at Caerun with wide eyes,

"No, that can't be right, it happened-" Abruptly, I was cut off as the conjoining door swung open and Zak stuck his head in. I frowned sadly when I saw the guarded look he shot me.

"It's almost dinner time, you two. Are you joining us?" I almost wanted to say no. That being with them was too painful. But, I was going to leave soon. I needed to spend every moment with them that I could. I had to.

AN:

Yay, awful and short chapter. For the entire two weeks I had to write this chapter I could not figure out what should happen for the life of me. So, I ended up with this. It's crappy but at least it's something.

Question:

What do you guys think of Caerun?

P.S. THANKS SO MUCH FOR 10K VIEWS GUYS!!