A couple strolled through the massive entrance gate and into a forbidden area, which was most likely also known as a sacred room. A woman held her three-year-old toddler tightly in her arms as blood flowed from her forehead, but she didn't seem to mind. It was the last thing on her mind.
The room, on the other hand, was not making a good first impression. The room's dark appearance represents the mysteries that have most likely been buried there for who knows how long. In the absence of the streak of light, the darkness represents the room's incomprehensible helplessness.
"It's so scary, Mommy." The child clings to his mother's neck, burying his face in the crook of her neck. "I'd like to go home."
"Hey, before we came here, you said you're a brave boy. You can't be scared right now, okay?" His father lovingly caresses his head, assuring the small child of the impending end that only they were sensing, instinctively for some reason.
The child was terrified, perplexed by his parent's expression or the dangerous location itself.
The darkness grew darker as they entered. With each step they take, the gaps in the wooden floor crack, making a creaking sound. Their gaze wanders across the room, noticing the dusty chairs and tables, filthy curtains, the chandelier with broken crystal strings, and the scattered broken glasses on the floor.
In the midst of this horrifying scene, the couple's mouth turned dry and sour, and a shiver ran down their spine as they noticed a pair of leather shoes.
When they looked up, they saw a man standing in front of the window, his back turned to them.
"Hello, Lupus." Without looking back from the window, the man said wearily. The view from the window shows a deep and dark green forest with a few cemeteries strewn about.
Lupus looked at his wife and child, holding his wife's gaze for a few seconds before taking his son away from her.
"Soren," his father addressed him. Soren looked at his father innocently, oblivious to the circumstances surrounding him.
"Mommy and daddy adore you so much....always remember that, okay?" Lupus expressed his family's undying love for him. The tears of anguish that his mother had been trying so hard to hold back began to flow down her cheeks, and a new storm of emotion descended on her.
Soren looked at his mother, perplexed, because no one had bothered to explain the situation to him.
"Daddy, what's the matter? Why is mommy crying?" Soren frowned and inquired of his father as to the source of his mother's anguish.
"She is so happy that you are safe and brave that she can't stop crying; don't worry, they are just happy tears." Lupus explained.
Lupus smiled at his son, but he knew deep down that this was the last time he'd be able to smile, look at his precious son's face, or even hold him. That this is their final meeting, and that everything will change after this night.
Lupus called out to the man standing a few steps away, "Stephen."
Stephen turned around to face them, his face expressionless and unconcerned with any emotion. Brown eyes pierced the darkness of the room, staring at the couple and Soren, who, despite getting a tingly feeling in his stomach just by looking at this intimidating man, mustered enough courage to not look away from him, because his parents taught him to be brave and not to be a coward.
"Lupus, my dear friend." Stephen walked up to them, stomping his feet.
"It's been so long that I've even forgotten what you looked like."
"Stephen, we're running out of time. You must help me!."
"What are you talking about, we'd met after who knows how long and you're saying you don't have time," Stephen chuckled. "What a wonderful friend you are."
Stephen cast a glance at Lupus and his wife, taking in and attempting to comprehend her situation; he ignored the blood on her forehead and the stubborn tears that seemed unstoppable no matter how hard she tried, and finally settled his gaze on Soren.
"Take him with you." Lupus asserts, holding soren out to Stephen." Take him away with you."
"What?" Stephen asked dumbfoundedly.
Before lupus could clarify anything further to him, they all heard the fierce howling of wolves wildly.
"Stephen, please you have to help me, I don't know who to reach out to at this stage of time. So, please, you must help us." Lupus desperately cried out.
Stephen took soren from them, who is unable to grasp anything.
"Take him as far as you possibly can. Promise me you'll get him out of here safely."
Stephen only needs one look to understand what he's trying to say. He met his friend, and despite his nonchalant demeanour, he was deeply concerned and agitated that his friend would perish.
"I promise."
"Thank you, thank you so so....m-much Stephen."
Lupus looked back at his crying wife, taking her to his side and hugging her to which Stephen looked away holding Soren.
Soren didn't mind that he was clinging to a stranger because the kid couldn't understand the meaning of anything. He puts his sleepy face on Stephens's shoulder.
"Go, it's harder than we thought. Sending him away and wouldn't be able to see him again. Please go."
Stephen was about to leave when lupus stops him grabbing his arm. The couple looked one last time at their son.
"Now leave!." Lupus said, and Stephen walked away.
After a few days, Stephen received the heartbreaking news of his friend's and wife's death. This effectively cut off Lupus Black's entire family's lifeline.
➡➡➡➡
Regardless of all the commotions happening at the moment, Stephen hides the last precious piece of his friend safe and sound dear in his heart. He did everything to keep the little three years old cub safe but the destructive wolves are still on alert and patrolling in desperate search of his whereabouts to slaughter him too like his parents.
He did, however, appear to be frail, running and hiding all by himself. To ensure Soren's survival for the rest of his life, he decided to turn him over to the nightfall pack.
The current alpha was a heartless and horrible ruler who wielded far too much power to be messed with. Stephen was confident that the cub would be in good hands until the weather turned cold. However, because he didn't recognise it, he was subjecting Soren to the worst impending catastrophe he had ever faced at such a young age.
Just like in the human realm, where humans band together with their relatives and fight to suppress their own kind in order to reach the pinnacle of success and rule over those who come after them.
This is nature's rule: if you win, you must rule. Shifters are beyond human tendencies, oblivious to pure-bred humans who know nothing about the animal species shifters who live among them. A mere human is incapable of defeating a shifter, both physically and mentally.
The rule is simple: those at the top of the food chain reign over those at the bottom.
The werewolves, on the other hand, had no intention of dictating any additional spices. They are fastidious in the management of their packs and prefer to be left alone, yet they dislike being pushed.
Soren's naivety couldn't fathom what was going on around him, but he was an intelligent child. His mind began to comprehend the circumstances as soon as he entered the nightfall pack. His instincts told him that the rest of his journey would be difficult, yet he never complained.
He didn't protest when the other youngsters bullied him despite the fact that he could easily fight them back, and he didn't complain when the pack's alpha assigned him the task of butlering his lone child, Zale.
Both his father and his son give him orders, which he obeys. He never criticises Zale's outbursts of rage.
He has been in charge of Zale since his infancy till today, when they are both grownups.
Is anything going to change now that they've reached adulthood and their feelings for each other have begun to stir?
Oblivious of the intensifying pull towards each other, how well could they survive against erupting desires, lust and....oh well,
Scent?