Chapter: 5. HIS SUPPOSED ALPHA.
PRESENT DAY
Mariana watched her son closely as he taught the little cubs. Little paw prints littered the snowy mountains. She must say he was starting to get back to his usual self since the Alpha's Reject. Hissing at the dreadful thought, the Werecat began to approach the little group. The memories from the night her son had run home, bleeding profusely and burning up with a high fever. Those moments made her stomach churn. Once Caleb ran into her embrace he fell and fainted. Unconscious for four days before they were able to bring him back to life then another four to recover his strength as for the wound, he still hasn't healed from it because it was a wound inflicted through Rejection and only the Alpha who left the poisoned mark is capable of healing the wound. Caleb was forced to wear a band around his neck to prevent it from getting infected while his mother tried to keep the wound healthy with her magic.
Although she could tell from the marks on his neck what they meant yet...
Caleb has refused to mention to her the wicked Alpha who would dare do such a thing to her beloved son but no matter how much she asked, Caleb would not give the Alpha away and she could not for the life of her figure out who this Alpha was.
Now it wasn't only the wound she was worried about but the new scent of her son. Mateless, yet he wore the smell of ownership, the scent of Mate's Bond pheromone oozed effortlessly from him. It wasn't a Pheromone caused by a Heat cycle, she taught him greatly how to control that but a Pheromone which seem to threaten all others, as ifwarning other potential Alphas and Betas to keep away, yet the one who dared leave such pheromone cared less to protect that which they own. Nearly every adult in the Tiger Clan could smell these pheromones when he walked by them. She had first noticed this scent when he was sixteen, he had returned home, scared and pale, and wearing an intimidating pheromone of a powerful Alpha and from that day on her son never went shirtless before his pairs as he would usually do. He's well dressed even when he is going on group hunting, and even during trivial activities such as swimming, Caleb is never without a shirt on.
Now while others may not think this to be serious it left Mariana questioning that night and what had really happened to her son and since he wouldn't give her the answer she sought, Mariana went on a journey to the fire mountains to consult the sorcerer and keeper of the fire Mountain. There she learned that her son has been marked, bonded for time and eternity by one who would dread his very existence until that one has learnt truly what it means to love another.
She feared greatly for the life of her son. So young yet his part seemed like one filled with many obstacles and difficulties, Mariana had no idea of what she should expect or what fate awaited her son now. What did that mean for his future?
Would he have to live out his life as her husband did?
Left to suffer in loneliness. Bearing heavily the burden of love not returned.
Sighing, Mariana came closer to the little group and they all ran to welcome her. Smiling, the woman went on her knees with arms spread, the cubs rushed into her embrace and she chuckled softly. "What have you done this morning my cubs?" Her voice rumbled with happiness. They all looked sheepish, blushing as if caught doing something naughty.
"Teacher, taught us to make flowers bloom!" Little Manson said with a giggle and Mariana laughed heartily.
Her cubs were good children indeed, always eager to learn, and who better to teach them than her only son? Their parents entrusted the lives of their cubs into Caleb's care and the WereTiger has done both her and their parents proud.
Smiling softly at her son who stood a few feet away from them, with arms crossed over his chest. He was trying desperately to hide it but she could see how much pain he suffered inwardly. Why he thought it is wise to keep these things away from her is beyond her imagination. But she hoped he would open up to her someday, now she might not be able to take the pain away but she could surely provide him with some certain potion or potions to ease the pain even for a little while.
"That's wonderful," She said smiling, stroking their heads affectionately.
"Let me show you." Little Abbey volunteered and then began to drag the woman toward a bed of sleeping flowers, away from the Snowy part to the Green side of the mountain. Caleb is yet to understand why one mountain is divided into three parts. Fire, Snow, and Green but it made the mountain unique and very beautiful. Even the sun tends to shine only on the Green side of the Mountain, the Fire part is often clouded with dark smoke, and the Snowy part is as bright as the Goddess's wings. Once the little cub began with her magic, Mariana watched intently as the little girl made her spell, hands pushed forward and misty dew-like water began to spill from her hands and the flowers stirred. The cubs clapped and Mariana too.
"Goddess, that is the best trick to make a flower bloom I have ever seen, oh my, Abbey, good job!" Mariana praised and the little girl grinned happily.
"Hehe…"She giggled blushing brightly. "Teacher Caleb says they are lazy flowers and they like to sleep so we wake them up." She explained.
"That is a wonderful presentation, Abbey Blue," Caleb praised the cub and smiled warmly at the little girl, who giggled.
"Thank you, Teacher Caleb," The cubs chorused and Caleb smiled.
"Well, now, it's time to return you to your Mommies and Daddies, they're waiting at the school, come on now!" Mariana rose to her feet, and the children formed a single line and began to walk ahead of her, each waving a GoodBye to their teacher as they passed him. When Mariana reached her son, she paused to briefly whisper to him. "We should talk when you return home tonight." Caleb nodded and bowed slightly to her and she continued after the children.
Watching as she walked farther away, Caleb waited until they were all gone from the mountain before he fell to his knees. The mark on his stomach has been burning for the past hour and he endured the pain. Initially, it wasn't this bad but recently it has gone full crazy, burning his insides and rendering his magic weaker and weaker by the day. He doesn't know just who to talk to and he wouldn't want to bother his mother. No WereTiger has been rejected since he was born and his mother had told him that only his father wasn't able to have his desired love and now it seemed as though, he too has been cursed to suffer such fate.
It isn't something to be proud of so why should he be eager to tell another ear of how he got Rejected and even more how his Mate turned out to be the Lycanthrope they all hated and feared? He knew many who would want to see the Alpha Of Alpha dead.
If his mother knew this would happen to him he was certain she wouldn't have asked that they returned here in the first place. But then again, can we truly run away from our fate? There is clearly a good reason why his father never brought them back, his mother likes to think it was because he didn't love her.
His Heat has ceased since that night. The Alpha has taken his will to a normal Heat Cycle away from him and only he can command his Heat back to normal. It is extremely harmful for an Omega whose Heat cycle has been unwillingly suppressed by an Alpha no less.
His supposed Alpha.
Caleb was in so much pain, as he crouched down into the snowy part of the mountain the cold seem to be easing some of the torture and soon he was lying flat in the snow. It felt so cold against the burning on his stomach, and the feeling made his vision blur. He closed his eyes and focused on regulating his breathing and the throbbing pain subsided into an uncomfortable dull ache. A few seconds later, he began to feel that awful wetness slithering down his legs. Soon he fell asleep, oblivious to the wolves watching him.