Use Me, Royal Stranger (mxm)

Chapter 8 - Full Moon's Fate

        "Carlen, get me the elderflower vial would you? My hands are full." Healer Naomi requested as she bustled around her working station, trying to get all the ingrediants for the next incense pack that she wanted to make. "Carlen dear?" her shrill voice rang out in their strangely quiet work room. "Carlen?"

        Hearing no response, she turned her head to look for her foster son. "Carlen White!" She screeched as she noticed that he was simply staring at his hands with a blank look on his face and a sharp tool in his hand, not hearing a word she said.

        Carlen jerked from his thoughts abruptly and he turned to his mentor, blinking wildly, "Na-Nana? I'm sorry." He hung his head when he saw the concerned frown on her face.

        The older woman looked sympathetically at the youth. She had a clue why he was so distracted. The full moon was tonight and her young son hated it with vengence.

        "It's alright darling. Just keep your head for a while longer alright? You can head back to your chambers after lunch and rest till it's all over alright? I just need to get this done with your help." She explained gently, watching as he nodded slowly and moved towards the ingredients cabinet.

        "What did you need again Nana?" Carlen asked, his voice sounding weary as he glanced at the labels on the containers in the cabinet.

        "Elderflower, my dear." She responded as she turned back towards her work station. She breathed deeply as she pondered about her young charge.

        Her dearest, most precious child. He had always hated that the was a werewolf. As a child, he would tell her that he felt like a monster, a wild animal. He hated it. He had once asked her if he had been abandoned because he was a monster and Nana's heart broke. She did not know why exactly someone would abandon such a sweet baby, but she told Carlen what she felt. He wasn't a monster. He was her baby.

        Nana could not understand how Carlen had began to feel so strongly about being a werewolf until he started locking himself up on full moons instead of heading out to socialize like other werewolves. Werewolves were known to be social creatures and every full moon was when their need to be around others like them were the strongest. It was also during this time that people would find their mates and begin a family. The full moon was usually celebrated amongst the werepeople, but for Carlen, it seemed like his worst nightmare.

        Carlen's strong dislike for his other form endured till this day. Every time the full moon comes along, he would become withdrawn and moody. At first, Nana would force Carlen out of his room, made sure that he went out and socialized with people of his age and allow his wolf to reign for one night. But eventually, after finding Carlen in his room in tears after each full moon, depressed that he had allowed himself to give in to his wolf's desires, Nana realized that she could do no more for her child except allow him to sit out of the usual rituals and allow him to be alone to his own thoughts. This was how Carlen had been spending his full moon nights for years. Nana knew that this full moon would be the same.

∞

        Carlen stood stunned, staring out of the small window of his chambers. How could he have forgotten that the full moon was tonight? Carlen sighed and threw himself against his creaking bed. Tonight was the night he got to meet Alaric again. His Royal Stranger. He sighed deeply once more and buried his face into his sparse sheets. The pull of the full moon was making him feel uncomfortable in his own skin already. It wasn't long till he would feel that intense need to fight to suppress his wolf even though he knew that his wolf would win in the end. He hated the precise moment when he would feel his wolf take over. Carlen sighed once more.