Beta Craig watched as his best friend returned to the bed gloomily, his face sore. His skin was pale, his mouth dropping, eyelids hanging and red stealing its way to the corner of his eyes. He looked terrible.
"I should call Gwen, you are unwell, Cowell," Beta Craig suggested as he moved to sit beside him.
King Cowell shook his head disapprovingly and signalled Craig with his hands to come nearer. Beta Craig did and sat down close to him, "There's nothing Gwen can do only to keep filling me up with his concoctions." King Cowell laughed but Beta Craig was serious.
"We can get you one of the powerful healers, you'll be well," Beta Craig uttered painfully. He wasn't ready to lose his precious friend.
King Cowell took his hands and squeezed them under his own, he mumbled, "Have you forgotten I can't be cured? You don't have to worry Craig as long as you're here beside me, I'm sure I'll stay healthy."
Beta Craig unlocked his hands from the King's grip and wrapped his hands around the king's hand, imitating what the king had done. He then brought his hands up to his mouth and smooched it softly.
"Craig?" The King suddenly called after a short silence. Beta Craig raised his head to him and arched his worried eyebrows to inquire why he had called him. "I'm dying, can't you see?" He said in a whisper and a grunt escaped from his throat while Beta Craig gazed lost seeing his best friend in the worst situation ever. It pained him so much that he couldn't do anything to save King Cowell.
Beta Craig tightened his grip on him, "You have to be strong, Cowell, you have to, please."
"I am, I've been trying to be and all because of you. Let me step down as I have desired. Take the throne, you're way much healthier than me. I can't continue like…" he pauses to wipe his tears and sit comfortably on the bed, "Very soon, as Gwen has said, I might begin to develop symptoms or I might die. I don't want to leave like that without presenting my crown to you, please let me," he pleaded desperately. However, Beta Craig was already choking on his tears. His friend was right but losing him was the worst of it.
"Be… stro…," Beta Craig shuttered as he shook in fear of losing his best friend, "Be… strong Cowell, don't overthink."
The two friends began to cry silently about what they would be expecting. Death might come for King Cowell while Beta Craig was going to moan his friend forever. The idea was too awful, a twenty-five years of friendship was going to end with grief.
"You remember the first day we met?" King Cowell suddenly asked and there was drawn back to twenty-five years ago.
Twas the night before Alpha Cowell was to be crowned king by his father. He didn't have anybody or a friend that he could make his Beta unless he had to use his father's Beta. That night he had gone for a run all alone, shuttering through the mountain and wailing to his satisfaction. Suddenly, he smelt a rogue in their territory. Having thought of chasing the lone wolf away, he tamed where it was.
But, when he got closer, he saw another member of his pack nursing the rogue. The rogue has been wounded through the trap placed in their territory and a pack member was trying to help out. He groaned out loud running towards them but the pack member was able to block his way to the rogue, earning the bite for himself.
"She's innocent!" Beta Craig had screamed as he groaned in pain.
"Innocent?" Alpha Cowell requested looking from the shred lone wolf to Craig.
"Is that how you murder people just because they're rogues?" Beta confronted him while King Cowell stood trying to grasp while Craig was supporting the rogue.
"Why don't you chase her away? She's not supposed to be here!"
"You must be dumb! When you find your mate as a rogue, you know what to do!" Craig snapped and went over to his mate when he had healed his wound.
That night King Cowell went home with the thought of finding his mate as a rogue. He hated rogues and he would chase or kill them right away but Craig didn't do that.
The next day he found Craig and he was the third son of their Beta who was always exceptional in the pack. He proposed a friendship and made him his Beta three days after their meeting, shocking the pack members.
The knock on the door brought them back as they both quickly wiped their fallen tears before Beta Craig asked whosoever to come in. Sage jerked the door open and greeted them.
"You don't look good," Alpha Cowell uttered, earning a growl from Beta Craig. He was the one who didn't look and he was talking about someone else.
"I can't claim her, I can't claim my mate," Sage complained as he staggered towards them on the bed.
"Why?" The two friends chorused.
"She… she dies!!" He groaned.
Both King Cowell and Beta Craig exchanged glances before returning to face him.
"I've never heard of that before, tell me, who is she?" Alpha Cowell asked and his friend answered.
"The leader of the pack fighters, Aurora," he revealed.
"What?!" Alpha Cowell cringed.
"Don't bother about that, Cowell! We'll sort this out! You can't ignore your health and well-being just because he can't claim his mate! He'll find someone else to claim!" Beta Craig yelled, tears streaming down his sore eyes.
"Father!" Sage exclaimed, not grasping why his father would speak in such a way, he was even crying.
Beta Craig stood up to him, "Can you see?" He said and pointed at Alpha Cowell on the bed, "He's ill and he's diagnosed with Alzheimer, do you understand what that means? He tends to have memory loss soon or he dies! Can you find someone else to claim and don't bother him with your problems!"
Sage found his eyes welled in tears. Was his father serious? Was the strong King truly diagnosed with Alzheimer's and no one knew? Was his father telling him to forget Aurora and claim someone else who isn't his mate?
"I'm sorry," he whispered as he bowed his head in tears to the king. "I'm sorry, I have no idea you are so ill, I'm sorry," he pleaded, remorseful.
"Come here," Alpha Cowell beckoned to him and he did. He trotted to the King who grasped him into a tight hug, "It's okay, boy, I'll be fine and you will surely claim her."
Author's Note: Kindly support my book with your votes and comments. Cheers!