RONAN'S POV:
Groaning and mentally cursing at my wolf as I woke up for the fifth time from his incessant whimpering and whining about something. I tried to get some sleep but it's no use.
With a frustrated groan, I sat up reached for my phone to look at time, "3:58?! Are you serious?!"
Great. I only slept for 3 hours, I sighed, "Might as well go for a run." Slowly, I rolled off the bed and headed to my bathroom at the pace of a snail and did my business.
After brushing my teeth and splashing water in my face, I dried myself off and went back to my bedroom and then I changed into black shorts and white shirt. After tying the laces of my black Nike shoes.
I opened the door and peeled out into the hallway, glancing both left and right then as carefully and quietly as I coul, closed the door and tiptoed down the stairs.
While walking through the living room, a faint smell of blood invaded my senses.
I searched the source of the smell only to end up in the living room from yesterday is completely dry and completely black, 'He still hasn't cleaned it. Maybe he was too tired. He better take care of it soon before dad comes back.'
I walked a bit further and stairs that led to the basement appeared before me. I stopped and contemplated whether I should check on him and tell him to clean the carpet if he's awake or let him rest seeing what he went through yesterday. He stands up for himself to me and even my father but he can't fight them.
Why? I don't know. He just let them beat him, after all, it was one against four which was unfair. But then again, his life hasn't been fair.
And yesterday, the way his eyes asked for help and I almost did. I almost did. But I didn't, instead I just left and felt guilty....?
I shook my head, estranged by my thoughts, 'What the h*ll? Why am I like this?'
Whatever, he's on his own if dad comes back and see the blood. Zannicus deserves it, "No he doesn't." My wolf whispered and I just stood there.
Taking one last glance at his door I left the house, jogging at a slow pace before speeding up. I was already on my fifth lap around our territory when I spotted a figure jogging ahead of me.
'Huh, must be one of the pack members. But they're awfully early.'
It was when I neared the figure that I recognized him to be Seth. An idea popped into my head as I smiled mischievously, swerving left and ran through the woods ahead of him. I hid in a thick foliage squished inbetween two tree and crouched down, waiting till he passes by.
When he was right in front of me, I jumped out and latched onto his back while biting his shirt taking him by complete surprise as he screamed flailing his arms. I'm pretty sure some of the patrols from the borders heard him.
I slipped off his back, weak at the knees, hitting the ground and clutching my stomach and wheezing uncontrollably. Seth whipped around growling, eyes glowing then he lunged at me, "D*mn it Ronan!!! What the h*ll?!! You scared the sh*t out of me!!!"
He was punching my stomach and tried to land a few to my face but I was too busy drowning in hysterics. I gasped as he huffed, "D*mn man, still not funny."
"Y-y-you scr-screamed like a girl!" I said inbetween my laughter while Seth scowled down at me.
"I thought you were a rogue, I could've done something, or may even have killed you."
"Really? I don't think so. You do know I've beaten your ass a lot since we were kids and up till now right?" He rolled his eyes and glared at me in reply, "Now mind getting off? The position's a bit-" I gestured between us.
He frowned in confusion then looked down before his eyes widened in realization. He jumped up, dusting himself off and extended a hand which I gratefully took.
"Have you been running for a while now?"
"Yeah, already on my fifth lap. I couldn't sleep cause of a certain oversized hairball."
"Hey!" Logan barked.
"What?! It is your fault," He just grumbled in reply.
"Well, let's run together," Seth began running and I quickly followed.
"What about you? Just started?"
"Yup."
I frowned a bit as he's usually a chatterbox when he's either in the company of our friends or me even if it's past four in the morning. I was thankful when Seth initiated a conversation a few minutes later and we spent the rest of the morning talking about random things while running.
During our talks, I noticed that he zoned out a few times. I mentally noted that Seth is nothing but attentive and alert but the fact that he failed to sense me before I jumped on him means that he's deep in thought. We were now walking back to the house as our cool down, "Hey Seth, you ok?"
"H-huh? Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?"
"You were zoning out a lot."
"What are you talking about?" I gave him a deadpan look and he relented, "Uhh, well, I am thinking about something. Or someone rather." He mumbled the last part but thanks to our beings as werewolves, I still heard it.
"Ooh~ You like someone? Who is she? Is she nice? What's her name? What does she look like? When did you meet her? When can I meet her?"
He held his hands up, "Whoa ,whoa there man. Calm down."
"I can't calm down now tell me!" He rolled his eyes at my demanding tone.
"Yes. There is someone."
I huffed, You have to give me more details."
He sighed, giving me a side glance, "It's someone we already know. H-she! Is a strong person -"
"He?" I narrowed my eyes.
"No! I said she!" He corrected to which I glared at his pathetic attempt to cover up.
"Now you're just lying."
"Alright, yeah, it's a he."
"Okay, tell me more about him."
He beamed at me, "Where to start? He's a very strong person. He doesn't let anything get to him, gets up when he's down and every time he comes back stronger. I admire him for that and I remained so throughout the years. He stands up, not only for himself but for others as well. He takes care of the other omegas as if they're his pups and he puts other's needs before his own.
But he isn't always happy. That's what infuriates me so I try to make him laugh or smile as much as possible. But when he does smile, it's radiant and infectious so much that I fell in love." I blinked, shocked, watching as Seth smiles softly.
"He's different. There's this whole other side of him that we haven't seen because we are blinded by our judgements and prejudice and doing so, it prevents others from seeing what and who he truly is. And believe me when I say, he's a truly wonderful person. I'm just disappointed about the way he is treated." He finished sadly but at first his tone was happy. I frowned as I thought about who this guy might be when a certain someone came to mind.
I stared ahead, "What's his name?"
In my peripheral vision, Seth's eyes widened and it seemed as if he was contemplating something before letting out a defeated sigh a minute later, "Zannicus."
Immediately, I halted, for some reason I had expected the answer. I turned towards him, gritting my teeth, "Zannicus?! That rebellious filthy fag?! Why?" Deep down, I winced at my own words.
Seth abruptly stopped then faced me, a fierce glare adorning his expression, "Yes. Zannicus. And don't call him that."
"What? Filthy? Fag? Why not? It's true isn't it?"
'Stop that! Don't call him that!'
Logan suddenly shouted, shocking me, 'What? Now you're talking?! And why the h*ll are you taking his side?' Logan growled but by the time I diverted my attention back to Seth, he was already in my face yanking my shirt.
"I said. Don't. Call. Him. That." He snarled, "I had enough of all of this. I had enough of you!!" He ripped his hands away then shoved me harshly back making me stumble as I regarded him in astonishment, "Zannicus is worth more than you think! I never understood why you hate him so much and I probably never will, but don't go around talking about people as if you know everything about them!!"
He pointed a finger at me, "You don't know ANYTHING about Zannicus so I suggest you stop talking about him that way, especially if you're in front of me because I swear to the moon and back, to the Goddess as my d*mn witness, I will beat the h*ll out of you!!"
I gaped, my eyes bugging out further at his threat, "Just leave him alone!!"
With that, he turned and marched towards the house leaving me stunned into silence. I fisted my hands, 'I've never seen him like that. D*mn that omega!'
Blood boiling, I could feel my claws digging into the palm of my hands. I can't go back to the house so I turned and ran back into the woods, shifting mid-air and landing perfectly onto the ground. I tried to calm myself but then I remembered the way Seth talked about Zannicus. Thinking back, he's always been defending him.
But why? There are times I caught Seth staring at Zannicus as he cooks or works on something.
I'd remember the times I saw Seth cleaning Zannicus'wounds and even going into his room. My mind drifted back, "But he isn't always happy. That's what infuriates me so I try to make him laugh or smile as much as possible. But when he does smile, it's radiant and infectious so much that I fell in love."
My eyes widened, 'He lik- no. He fell IN LOVE with Zannicus?'
Unbeknownst to Ronan, his eyes glowed brightly as an unexplainable rage coursed within him. He growled, increasing his speed as tore and swerved around the trees, leaped over ponds and streams and jumped over logs.
He felt frustrated. Confused. He couldn't understand these foreign feelings, he couldn't understand why he was so worked up about this new revelation. He'd longed denied his own forbidden feelings that he had longed casted away.
He knows he doesn't even have the right to feel so enraged about Seth possessing feelings that goes beyond the boundaries of friendship with Zannicus when he has done nothing good to contribute to the Omega's life.
But, he can't help it. And the feelings he had hidden, forbidden, unspeakable, unnatural; as his father said resurfaced and Ronan is unsure whether to be concerned or, or something.
RONAN'S POV:I had no idea how long I've been running but when I returned, the sun was already setting. I spent the whole day in the forest. After my run rage, I rested by a river and I guess I fell asleep. Just before entering the house, I ran behind a tree and changed into the clothes already left there.While I was walking towards the house, I noticed that there was almost no one here. Aside from the pack members that were doing some last minute training on the left side of the house and the omegas in the living room and kitchen, everything was quiet but the houses outside though were lit up."Hello Alpha," The omegas greeted to which I returned with a nod. I walked past the living room heading straight for the stairs when I remembered something. I walked back to the living room and found the carpet cleaned and there were no signs of blood nor lingering scent.'That's good. I wonder how he is. Wait, no.' I released a frustrated sigh before resuming my journey to my room. As soon as
A wave of pain passed through me slowly, as if it was grating on my skin and the inside of my body. I made sure my face was void of any emotion as Ronan spoke once more, "I can't believe the Moon Goddess paired me with someone like you. I would never have you as my mate, someone who couldn't even protect himself I CAN'T TRUST to protect a pack. You're NOTHING." He spat while I remained unfazed by his words and I guess my silence irritated him, "Speak Omega! Or have you lost your tongue?" He smirked. 'That's it? I expected more.' I smacked my lips, sighing as I placed the glass down on the table, "Finally." Roman frowned, startled, "What do you mean 'finally'?" I grinned happily and spoke with clarity, "I, Zannicus Zer Zor-ester, ACCEPT your rejection as your mate and Luna of this pack." Not only did I feel a huge weight has been lifted off my chest, power coursed easily through me and laced every word I spoke. Smiling, I returned to my task of pouring drinks as if nothing happene
SETH: I arrived at the party the same time Ronan entered. Instead of greeting him, I went and stood under a tree. I'm still mad at him for talking about Zannicus that way. I just don't get it. Zannicus was discovered inside the borders by a patrol when he was a baby. The patrol was shocked but immediately brought newborn Zannicus to Alpha Ryder. However, the moment And Alpha saw the baby, something flashed in our Alpha's eyes but the patrol couldn't decipher what look it was. When Zannie was 7, he was immediately put to work. No one was allowed to converse with him, go near him, look at him or anything at all! Except Theo and the other resident omegas. Why does everyone hate him? Because if Alpha hates him, everyone should too? Because an Alpha's word is to be obeyed and whoever dare question him, they'll be punished? Ryder hates Zannie a lot. He avoided him like a plague or it's as if Zannie killed his cat or something. As a kid, Zannie was often subjected to verbal abuse, Ryd
While he was talking, I pulled out the kit, foregoing my slippers, we rushed upstairs and led me to the living room where human Seth was settled on the couch, his whole body doused in blood. I watched, horror-struck, as blood trickled down the couch and onto the floor. I rushed towards him dropping to my knees and checked for a pulse, sighing in relief when I sensed one but it was faint. I rid him of his shirt and winced at the long, deep claw marks littered all over his torso, back and face. I began to work and called one of the guys to help me. Once I was able to stop the bleeding, I wiped off the remaining blood using a clean, white towel with Francis and Isaac aiding me in washing Seth's wounds. Afterwards, I began stitching him up. I looked up from the silence to find them watching me, "Are any of you hurt?" I noted Francis looked torn up despite having no visible signs of physical injuries. "No, we're fine," They answered in unison. I nodded and directed my attention back to
ZANNICUS: The sun's rays illuminated the whole kitchen as flipped the last pancake. I turned off the heat and glanced at the living room to find Ronan gone, 'He must've gone to change.: I had just begun setting the table when my phone buzzed indicating a message- well, messages -from both Nica and Nic. Smiling at Nica's four-paragraph long apology for her absence last night because apparently her father suddenly woke her up at two in the morning informing her that Alpha has requested for more warriors. 'Ah, so that's why Nic and Nica were nowhere to be found,' I frowned, 'Alpha took half of the warriors with him? And the best ones at that?' Mm, maybe Luna's pack was really in dire need of help. It must've been a very large group of rogues that attacked them. Which reminds me, I wonder if last night's events had reached to Alpha Ryder. 'Did Ronan tell?' Shrugging out of my thoughts, I opened Nic's and chuckled at multiple cute animal gifs with 'sorry', and 'forgive me love' poppi
RONAN: After breakfast, I went to my office tp do some work. But I couldn't focus because of a certain someone- Zannicus. The way he eased the tension between me and Seth; the way he displayed concern to the warriors and the pack, and even gave a little scolding as well as gave orders. He has that calming presence, true to his being as an Omega, thinks about the safety of others, and all the while shows authority. He's a natural. "Luna qualities, am I right?" Logan grinned and since I was too distracted, I absentmindedly agreed, "Yeah, Luna qualities indeed. He'll make a very good one. Wait. What did I just say?" A knock prevented me from getting back at my snickering wolf. With a pout, I cleared my throat, "Come in." I set the paper I was holding down and watched with a hitched breath as Zannicus stood in the doorway holding a phone, 'Oh wait, that's my phone.' "Your father is on the phone and is currently on a furious tirade due to the fact that instead of his son answering, i
ZANNICUS: As soon as I was out in the hallway, I released the breath I didn't realize I was holding. The tingles that shot through my arm made shiver in, begrudgingly, a good way but I was grateful he didn't notice. After recollecting myself, I head back downstairs to clean up in the kitchen. My task basically includes cleaning up the entire house. The other Omegas are either out buying groceries or cleaning the cars of some of the pack members. Seriously, the owners are that lazy. Are they afraid to get dirty? After making sure the counter was squeaky clean, I moved onto the cabinets and I was at the last one when I felt hands on my hips. Startled, the towel slipped from my grasp as I looked over my shoulder to see Dylan behind me. I swallowed nervously and tried to wiggle out of his hold but his grip tightened, holding me still in place, "W-what are you doing Dylan?" I wasn't quite able to prevent myself from uttering the question a bit shakily. His uncomfortable gaze was focused
SETH: We ventured into the dark tunnel, my hand entwined with Zannicus'. Slowly, shadows began to dance from the torches flickering as we turned a corner giving way to light. Six guards flanked us as I glamced at a quiet Zannie, his eyes displaying an illusion of dancing flames, who seemed to deep in thoughts. "You okay?" I quirked a brow as my question went unheard, "Zannicus? Are you alright?" He shook his head, "Hm? Oh, yes. Fine." Unconvinced, I moved to speak but the overwhelming smell of burnt timber invaded our senses so I forced myself to look ahead as brighter lights slowly filtered into the whole place and the cells filled with rogues came in view. Wild, glowing red eyes- void of any human aspects but pure primal instincts -followed us as we walked, the rest rousing awake from the echo our footsteps slapping on the floor. Only a couple of rogues who still possess their human faculties were enclosed in one cell. Both were looking intently at Zannicus with their beady eyes