Eclipse Child |✔|

|50|

Part II

She will fly without any direction.

It's all about feeling this time.

She was always destined for greater things,

even if it took her a while

to come to terms with doing

better than she accepted...

***

Silence rings within the room before I break it with my disbelief.

"You want me to be what?"

The male's grin broadens. He has taken a few steps back, giving me room to process his words. He sits, letting his long legs expand out. I see something else within his movements though. His legs are sprawled in a way to stop me from walking out on him. There is something in the way he carries himself- not the limp- it was different than a physical aspect. Almost raw and hungry. Savage.

An uneasy connection was starting to form within me to this male. I could identify him.

"My Alpha."

"Your Alpha. Not your Luna?"

He barks out his laugher, head thrown back in amusement at my words. I catch mom's startled eyes and realize she still was in the room.

"Leave."

She snaps back to awareness, standing and nervously edging towards the door. I almost want to laugh with the male, but for a different reason. There was nothing to fear about my safety. I was not the one to worry over.

"Henry," I motion towards her, making Henry frown at the idea of leaving. But he does as told, taking mom by the arm and leading her out.

The male is still grinning, not sparing to glance their way. His attention is only focused upon me.

I glare down at him.

"Why me."

He raises an eyebrow, crossing his arms and leaning back. Though he shows signs of relaxing, there is still a tension in his frame that cannot be shaken off.

"I must explain from the beginning."

"Then explain."

He looks pleased almost at my words, "My pack needs leadership. We need a unity- something to connect us and take charge."

"And you have no claims for the title?"

There is a slight wince in his face at my words. They draw my attention, sending small alarms through me for what the cause could be.

"No. No claims."

I stop, trying to think of any news I had of recent packs whose Alpha's had been displaced or declared leaderless. I could think of none. Henry and I surely would not have missed such important news.

"What pack are you from?"

He stills. It is my turn to stare him down and watch as he pauses in his answer. Finally, he inhales deeply, his resolved reached. Without looking away his says, "the Contritum pack."

I can't help it.

I laugh.

I laugh at the absurdity of his words, trying to stop when I see the dark look that falls upon his face. But I can't stop. I can't stop the hysterical rise bubbling within me. I had already snapped, years and years ago. Already was I broken and torn. This was not me falling apart further in front of this male. This was just him witnessing the ruin of my tortured past rising up to haunt me again.