Chapter 02

Climbing up the grass-clad cliff, the young boy plopped down on the wildly strewn carpet of grass below the soothing shade of the ancient banyan tree. The sun was well above his head, indicating the passage of time.

Any minute the field below will be occupied by the buzzing activities of the young werewolves that push against the speed of the wind to beat the other. As predicted, the boy felt the prickling sensations in the hairs at the back of his neck due to the thundering force of the approaching pack made of the four-foot beasts.

The rush of adrenaline that was evoked within him despite not being part of the wind-crushing group never did seize to make Mikkel Solar be one with nature. The wind that blew past his face tangled his long dark hair to a rhythmic dance as he breathed in the fresh air of a new day.

The feeling made him feel like he was thriving and disheartened at the same time. Seeing his group of peers shifting from wolf to human and human to wolf, each shift renders within him a sense of uselessness. At the mere age of 13, he had reached great peaks with feelings of jealousy.

Once upon a time, he was part of that group. Part of it, back when they were two-legged with no fur. Now he was just a distant observer who could only long to be part of the training they endured and the games they played.

He heard the trade mark howl of the young Alpha at a distance.

Hades Henderson.

He was three years the senior to him and three times the bigger, being tall and strong for his age.

Hades' big Grey wolf came into view as he shot his hammering paws against the pastures of the valley, competing against Cassian Solar, cousin of Mikkel.

Cassian Solar was the polar opposite of Mikkel Solar. Blonde-haired, broad shouldered for his age yet lean, pale skinned, tall, strong , social and especially, with wolf. Everything Mikkel was not.

He was the pack's proud young future Beta. A beta who deserved his title and had the ability to lead with everyone's respect to back him up.

Again.

Something Mikkel lacked.

"What are we doing today?"

Abigail's chirpy voice cut through Mikkel's thoughts, he shot his eyes toward the said 12-year-old blonde girl.

She was dressed in a light yellow sundress that complimented her beautiful locks. Even while on an open field, she still had her stick of lipstick that she tricked her parents into thinking that it was lip balm for her supposed chapped lips. She was spoilt rotten, being the Alpha's breathtakingly beautiful younger child.

Her brother and Cassian came back in a pair of used pants and a hoodie from behind a thick tree that stored sets of clothes for the shifters.

"We're going to train for once. And this time no interruptions Abby."

Hades crossed his arms and gave his younger sister a look that said he was serious. He liked to think that he had the responsibility of training the wolves of his age group.

"Stop being such a sour puss Heid. You're not even 16 yet"

Abigail rolled her eyes and flipped off her brother as usual. Something she apparently picked up from some show that Hades complained that she watched too often.

"Watch your tongue brat. You want me to tell mum and dad?"

"I'll just tell them that I learned it from you"

Tongue stuck out at Hades, Abigail's tiny body shoved him back and escaped.

The pair of siblings continued to bicker as per usual, while all the other pups dispersed to do their own game, not wanting to get within the crossfire of the hot headed Henderson siblings.

Mikkel was soon bored by the usual bickering. His eyes moved towards a group of wolves that cheered on their peers who had shifted, engaging in a mock battle. The wolf to the right knelt down on his hinds as he yipped at his female competitor's tail to get a rise out of her. Growling in annoyance, she pounced on him pinning him to the soft pastures that cushioned his fall.

Mikkel felt a sense of excitement wash through him as he watched them. He rooted for the female wolf, the smaller one of the two. Being small always brought him harsh consequences, so seeing someone else so small turn the tables with a larger competitor made him feel content.

Wanting to get a closer glimpse at the duel, he crawled back up the cliff and quietly slid it down, hoping he would not give himself away. He did succeed in concealing his movements. However, the changing direction of the wind blew his cover.

"Intruder!"

Ryan shouted as he snapped his head towards where Mikkel hid.

Heart thumping with apprehension, Mikkel held his breath praying that none of them would locate him. However, what chances did he have against young pumped werewolves that looked for any form of trouble.

"Over here!"

Tara Mcmurphy tore away the bunched-up shrubs that concealed Mikkel, away from the rest of them. Tara had been ahead of the group, which allowed her to skip around the cliff to reveal him beyond the shrubs.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't the cursed creature."

This time it was Zack Jefferson.

Mikkel walked back, tripping over a thickened root, he scrambled back on the floor scraping his elbows in the process. Seen through Mikkel's line of vision dark figures of young teenagers stood above him contrasting their selves against the scorching sun.

"What's going on?"

Hades Henderson walked up to him making his way through the crowd that formed around him.

"Its's the cursed creature Alpha."

Mikkel swallowed the oncoming hurt avoiding all of their eyes by focusing them on the old rotten root that made him trip in the first place. all of them had been good friends once upon a time.

"Solar?"

Hades' deepening voice shook Mikkel with its new found rough edge to it. The last time the young Alpha had addressed him, he was nine. Four years later this was the first time they ever interacted.

"Why the heck are you calling him Solar. Stop disgracing my name."

Cassian hooks his hand around his best friend's shoulder with a disgusted scowl directed at his younger cousin.

Mikkel and Cassian had been really close. Belonging to the same house, the two of them had been as close as real brothers. But all of that was thrown out the window that day Mikkel did not live up to the Solar family's expectations.

"Cass....."

Mikkel whispers with his head down.

He missed his brother.

"Stop cass-ing me you freak."

The venom in his adolescent voice threw the younger off, always used to the fond teasing voice that was directed at him. The new Cassian tightened his chest with suffocation.

"What are you doing here, huh? Watching us? Who gave you the right to come out here? Surely my father would love to know this."

He continued.

The crowd around had managed to corner him, giving him no absolute route for escape.

Hands belonging to Ryan grabbed him by his collar suspending him mid-air, a sparkle in his pair of blue eyes at the prospect of making a spectacle at the expense of the unwanted son of the Gamma.

However, as soon as he was halted mid-air, he was dropped as quickly at the sound of skin crawling growl that emitted from a raging Hades.

"Step away from him."

Mikkel felt the figures closest to him distance themselves from him, obeying the wishes of their future Alpha. Cassian looked at his friend in utter confusion, trying to comprehend the intentions behind his command.

"Right.. None of you should touch him. Learn from Hades. You don't want to be contaminated with some type of wolf-less disease do you?"

Cassian filled in coming up with a context for the equally confused future Alpha, who looked around as if he had not just ordered them to stop. The attention that he received seemed to have snapped him back to reality as he continued shrugging.

"Ya, I don't want to have any more useless wolves in my pack"