Wolf

4 years later.

David pov.

It is just another normal day for us. Except that I am super excited. I will be turning fourteen tomorrow. And then, my wolf will wake up. Most of us get our wolves at fourteen. That is when we start our adulthood. When our wolves wake up, we can start to train ourselves. And me being the heir, my training will be harder and more intense.

“Hey. Man.” My best friend Cade greeted me with a brotherly hug. We had always hung together ever since childhood. He had turned fourteen earlier this year and his wolf had woken up. I watched in awe as he trained. His wolf was a brown wolf and it was so awesome when he shifted. It was sickening at first to see fur sprouting out of human skin and his limbs morph into a wolf. But it definitely was so thrilling 

“Big day tomorrow huh?” he asked. I chuckled nervously. He patted on my back and nodded reassuringly. “I’m sure you will be fine dude. It will be painful the first time, but then it will be just a piece of cake. Then the training will be tough.” He explained.

I nodded. I know I can do it. We walked through the gates and down the corridor of the school. Just then, the group of girls walked right past us. Their flirtatious glances and giggles only made me roll my eyes. Cade snickered under his breath. Being the next alpha and beta in line, has made us the main target for these sluts. But I am waiting for my mate. And so is Cade. We are the ones who witness my father’s immense love for my mom, his mate. It has been almost fourteen years since she died, but each time we visit her grave he wouldn’t be able to hold back his tears. Each year on my birthday, I watch him cry as he continues to pray for her. He would pray for her silently and I would watch him in silence. 

When I was younger, I didn’t understand why he would want to wait a little longer beside her grave. But as I grew up, my eyes slowly opened. I started to understand why he was like that. My brain slowly started to acknowledge the connection between him and mom. He loved her more than he loved himself. I could only wish that I could have such a connection with my mate. I will wait for her. Only she will be the one for me. The only one I would grant access to my heart.

The rest of the school was rather uneventful. I was eager to go back home so that I could ask my dad about shifting and my wolf. Of course I was anxious about it. Not just anxious, eager and excited too. I went home, no I practically ran all the way. It was already sunset. I was not going to sleep, I would eagerly wait for midnight to strike.  

“Dad! I am home.” I yelled. 

“Hey bud. Excited about tomorrow?” he asked, flashing me his lopsided grin. I grinned at him and nodded. He chuckled. “Why don’t you change and come downstairs for dinner?” he suggested. I ran upstairs and quickly changed before running downstairs to meet everyone who had gathered around the dinner table. That included the elders. I felt my enthusiasm falter a little bit at their sight. They never were my fans. They had always despised me. They always called me a bad omen. 

Elder Barron cleared his throat when he saw me.

“David, I believe your wolf will awaken tonight or tomorrow.” He said and I responded with a smile. “Well, I hope for the best.” He said. I saw elder Arnold glare at me. I chose to ignore him. He was the most bitter among all five of them. I know he doesn’t like me. Well, I don’t like him either. So the feeling is mutual.

I quickly gulped down my dinner and ran upstairs to spend the rest of the night on my own, until dad came to see me. He would always come to see me every night, after he finished his alpha work in his office. I spent the entire night playing on my phone. Dad managed to come when it was close to midnight. 

“Hey bud. You are still awake.” He said. As soon as he came in. 

“Yeah. I wanted to wait.” I looked at the time. Just a few minutes were left until midnight struck. I took a deep breath. “Dad. Do you think I will get my wolf tonight?” I asked excitedly. He chuckled. 

“I don’t want to give any false hope bud. It may or may not. But even if they don’t, it is ok. Don’t get too worried about it ok?” he answered and placed a small kiss on my forehead. 

“Now try to get some sleep. You have school tomorrow.” He said and left. I sighed. I hope I get my wolf soon.

Time ticked by. There was no sign of my wolf. I didn’t know for how long I stayed awake until sleep finally won. The next day was the same. We visited our mother's grave and it was just a normal day. Nothing special. I was disappointed. My wolf didn’t show up. No one questioned it though. 

Days passed by, and still my wolf didn’t show up. I started to get worried. What if I don’t have a wolf? The elders started to get on everyone’s nerves as expected. Their statement that I was cursed strengthened and as weeks passed by, they started to say that to me openly. If I didn’t have my father beside me, I would have given in to depression.

Months passed by. There was no one in my class whose wolf had not woken up, except mine. I felt left out and weak. I was supposed to be their alpha. What kind of an alpha doesn’t have a wolf? I started to get bullied at school about it. Even Cade seemed to have grown distant from me. The girls who used to flirt around started to ignore me. Only the bullies were the ones who seemed to have found time for me.

Two whole years passed by. I was now known as the wolf less boy. The human boy. The wannabe alpha. All those names only irritate me and make me feel like trash. Cade had started to hang out with the cool crowd. Sometimes I watch him joke around his new friends. It hurt like hell. But what hurt the most was when he punched me when he thought that I had a crush on his girl, elder Barron’s daughter. I tried to explain that he was mistaken but he didn’t want to listen to me. He beat me until I was bloodied. That was about a week before my sixteenth birthday. That day I cried like never before. I thought he was my friend. I guess I was mistaken. If he really was my friend, he wouldn’t have left my side just because I didn’t have a wolf. 

Me being more human, it took time for me to heal. My nose was broken, and by the time my birthday arrived, it didn’t heal completely. My sixteenth birthday was just like any other day.

Daddy and I visited my mother's grave. I stayed a little longer. I just didn’t want to leave. I stared at her tombstone and sighed. I wished that I was the one who died that day. Everything would have been better for everyone. 

“Let’s go, bud.” Dad said. I sighed and followed him. I didn’t want to go to school today. Ever since my fourteenth birthday, birthdays were the worst. Last year, I was pushed into my locker and the others taunted me saying that if I had a wolf I could easily get out. 

I hated my life. I hated my birthdays. And I hated this pack. If not for my father, and my grandparents, I would have left this pack and started living solo. I am almost certain that it couldn’t be worse to go rouge than having to endure what I do everyday.

I climbed into the car silently. Dad drove towards the school. I was awfully silent. I just was not in the mood to do anything. 

“Hey. What are you thinking about?” dad asked. I sighed and looked at him. He was looking at me through the rearview mirror. I smiled at him, though my smile had to be somewhat forced. “Come one tell me.” He urged.

“I don’t want to go to school dad.” I said in a silent whisper. He raised his eyebrows. “Why? This will be your last year and then you will graduate, won't you?” He said. I sighed. “I guess.” I shrugged.

“But everyone else keeps pushing me around. Even Cade doesn’t hang around me anymore. He.....” I gulped. I never told who had beaten me up. I guess that is one other reason why the bullies keep bullying me around. I never exposed them. “He what?” he asked. I looked at his reaction as I answered that question. 

“Actually he was the one who beat me up.” I told him. 

“What!” he yelled. I could sense that his anger was surfacing. The muscles on his jaw and shoulders tensed as he clenched the steering wheel with force, making his knuckles turn white.

“You should have told me. I would have kicked his sorry ass up during training.” He hissed. I shook my head. “Dad. This is why I hesitate to tell you about being bullied. You are alpha. I may be your kid but as an alpha you shouldn’t beat them up just like that.” I said. I heard him sigh. 

“You are too kind David. I’m sure you will be a very considerate alpha.” He said, making me scoff. 

“What kind of an alpha doesn’t have a wolf?” I asked under my breath. I had given up on my wolf now. It has been two whole years and there has been no sign of him. Not even the tiniest hint. His lips thinned to a grim line at my remark. He had always tried to stay positive. But after a year of waiting we had visited the pack doctor. No one had an idea why I don’t have a wolf. Some even suggested that my wolf might have died. I was done with it. 

“We are here, bud. I am sorry. But please. Just a few days of school left. Do it for me? And if anyone bullies you tell me. Bullies need to be punished David. You shouldn’t just let them push you around.” He said. I smiled and climbed out of the car and made my way inside. What he just said rang in my ears. I shouldn’t let them push me around. Bullies need to be punished. 

The school was already bustling. As expected, no one tried to talk to me. I walked up to  my locker and was about to take my books and walk towards the class when suddenly I was pinned against the lockers from behind. I couldn’t tell who it was but soon I heard snickers from behind me.

“Who wants to see a wannabe crammed alpha in a locker?” my attacker shouted. It was Michael the school bully who always thought it was fun to push weaker kids around. I heard laughs from behind and I knew that everyone was gathered around to witness the show. “I wonder how he will become alpha. His mother will be so disappointed in him. No wait, she too was a loser!” he said out loud and more giggles and stifled laughter were heard.

But then, something inside me just snapped. They can push me around but they didn’t have the right to degrade their Luna, my dead mother. I pushed with all my might and flipped him around. Soon I will be holding him in choke hold. His face was getting red and he was struggling to breath. But I was too angry to let him go. His friends rushed towards us. One of them, Taylor, threw a punch but I managed to stop it with just one hand. I dropped Michael who was now gasping for breath and twisted Taylor’s arm. Another one, Nolan, ran towards me but I kicked him in his groin. Soon all three of them were grunting in pain on the floor while the rest of the students were staring at me wide eyed. Some of them held their phones recording the whole thing. I looked at them. I was still furious. Then I let out a ferocious growl. All of them gasped. 

“Look at his eyes, it is turning red.” One of them gasped. I didn’t care. I didn’t care about this pathetic place. I ran away. Towards the gate and out of the school. I could feel my limbs changing a little. I knew I was shifting. I ran until I reached the forest. By the time I reached it, black fur was covering my whole body. I felt stronger and my senses were heightened. I grinned. Now who is the weak one? I thought. I ran deeper into the thick foliage of the forest until I reached a river that ran across the  country. I looked in to the river to see my reflection. There staring back at me was a black wolf with glowing red eyes. But I looked different from any wolf I had seen. I was standing up on my hind legs and I looked bigger and more masculine. My excitement slowly dissipated and it was replaced by unhappiness. I am a freak!