Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The horrible camp was all he’s ever known. The barbed silver fences lining the ground. A fire pit in the middle where the Owners would sit. Multiple silver-lined cages were placed close by, as our beds. Sitting there all day and night, they could see the main building, where all the Owners stayed and where the…dungeon was. A lot of them would starve themselves. He was never told why. Or maybe he didn't understand, but apparently, something was put in the food or water that made them weak. The women would say something about "their wolves." He didn't know much about wolves, just a few things he had been taught when he was younger. He was only seven when they brought him here.

They kept most things hush, as they were also not allowed to talk about it or converse with each other in general. The Owners didn't like it when they communicated. The dungeon connected to the main building was there for when you got in trouble; they would throw you down there after getting whipped. The whip was also coated with a type of substance that made you feel very hot and stopped any wounds from healing.

His worst beatings were when he was eight. You would think they would be nicer to the children, but they weren't. Thankfully, some nice older women would get dirty water from the well that we had to drink, and they would pour it on his back. Sadly, after the Owners were told they were helping each other, they killed a few and sent the others back to the cages. Purposely putting them against each other. In the end, the only people who survived were the ones who constantly bullied and tattled. It worsened when Killer was introduced. He specifically was one of the worst ones.

Geno had already dealt with almost every punishment before Killer arrived. Killer listened to the Owners the most, quickly revealing multiple people's secrets and causing nearly half the camp to die. Thankfully, he hadn't even dreamed of leaving or trying to get away. So there was nothing to tattle on for him. He was too scared to try to get away. He also didn't know where to go. This was all he knew. Witnessing all these deaths made him numb to it all and only focused on his survival. He was the oldest survivor. The spotlight shifted from Killer when Red arrived. He was the exact opposite of Killer. Always fighting everyone and everything. He didn't even get along with them.

Red hated noise; sometimes even breathing wrong in his direction would cause him to act out. So they had to muzzle him and always keep him chained up. Why weren't they killing him immediately, like they did so many others, was beyond him. The Owners loved hurting Red because of his attitude. Killer also seemed to enjoy his screams. He hated watching or hearing it, but he knew if he gave any reaction, they would also love it. Ever since he was eight, he had turned apathetic. Not showing any emotions. A blank slate.

This, of course, annoyed the Owners, so they would test his limits but ultimately gave up after a few years. They never went too far with him, like others, which confused him. He was treated slightly differently, like Red and Killer. Never given too life-threatening punishments. Then another showed up. When Blue arrived, the attention shifted slightly again. He was highly emotional and couldn't stop crying or trembling, and the Owners found him very, very cute. The boy was sometimes pampered and sometimes punished just to make him cry. They loved seeing him cry, so he would constantly do so to appease them.
Red found Blue annoying, though, and would constantly tell him to shut the fuck up. Killer didn't seem to like the crying as much, but still enjoyed everyone's suffering. How, was beyond him. But maybe he just did that to survive. Goddess knows he is. His apathetic stares, devoid of emotion and conversation, allowed him to survive. Geno was never one to talk much anyway. Only giving straightforward answers to anyone and keeping his head down. Newer people come every few weeks, but they are usually killed. Some mentioned packs or other places he had never heard of.

He didn't know what that was. He didn't have any memory of the outside world other than his family's faces and their dead bodies. And so far, he has been the youngest to have ever entered the camp. Raised in his captivity. Always feeling tired, hungry, and sleepy. He watched the Owners kill and rape a lot of them. But leave him alone. It almost made him feel guilty. He had a feeling they would do the same with Red and Blue if they acted like him and stopped being so emotional.
He didn't understand why they did this to all of them until the Owners gathered them up. Red was still tied up, glaring at everyone. Blue was still crying, Killer was smiling, and he was silent. Like always. They were brought to the main building and made to sit and wait until someone walked in. The man had dark hair and dark eyes, wearing a mask. So they couldn't see his face. But that wasn't the only thing. His aura was terrifying.

"Is this all of them?" The man asked with a growl.

"Yes." One of the top Owners said.

"Two are missing."

"I know, sir p-"The man grabbed the Owner by the neck and held him high. Everyone flinched.

"I told you to get me all of them. Where are the other two?!"

"P-please sir, one has already been claimed and heavily guarded, and the other…we can't seem to get him, he's always m-moving!" The man growled, though it sounded way more like a beast. He dropped the Owner on the ground, who quickly rubbed his neck and ran away while the masked man turned to look at them. They all tensed up, especially after all of that.

"Well…I can still work with this. Keep trying to find that one that's running. Once we get him, we can start our next move. I need at least one more." The man’s frown turned evil. His smile was almost haunting as he saw them. "Yes, I definitely can." He walked towards them. Geno kept his head down. The man hummed, looked at all of them, and then stopped in front of him. Bringing his hand down to his chin, he forced Geno to look up at him.

"Yes, he will do well. I think I'll pick this one, the rest are still mine. Listen up, you all are claimed by me, your alpha, and you all will belong to me." The man growled. He didn't understand some of it, so he just nodded. The man let him go and took a step back to look at them all. Everyone nodded, except Red, of course. Killer spoke first, flirting.

"Is that a promise?" The man didn't seem to care and ignored him, staring at Geno. Geno's eyes went to the ground, staring ahead, waiting for the next order.

"Send that one to the dungeon. I don't like how he's looking at me." The man motioned to Red, who yelled out and fought the Owners as they dragged him away. The man glared at Blue, who was crying, and waved his hand.

"Get that one out of my sight. I don't like crybabies." The Owners nodded again and did exactly what was asked. So this man is the one in charge. Soon, it was just Killer and Geno left.

"These two are…adequate." The man stated and walked out, and the Owners nodded and motioned for them to get up and leave the building. They did just that and walked back towards the campfire. He saw Blue still crying in his cage, curled up in a ball. Killer glared at Geno as he didn't react.

"I don't know what you did, but stop it. I will be his favorite, and you can live your happy little life silently in the corner like you're meant to be." Geno's eyes went towards him and looked back in front of him, ignoring him.

Ever since then, the man would show up more frequently and ask for the two. Killer would be more than happy to do anything and even tried multiple times to get the man's attention. Though the man didn't seem to like him throwing himself at him. The man would always glance at him, and Geno tried his hardest not to offend him. Geno and Killer ended up being the ones to teach newcomers the ropes, as the Owners didn't want to.
The Owners were also more hesitant to punish them. Still, Killer and Geno barely got in trouble because the man soon requested that any punishment will be delivered by him. And, of course, Killer didn't want to upset the top dog, and Geno was terrified of bothering him. Red continued to get in trouble, but again, they would only punish him enough, never too much like they did others. Blue got punished for the Owners’s amusement, here and there, but that was it for him. Two more years of this hell continued.

That masked man grew progressively angrier over the two that were missing. Apparently, the one running was still avoiding him. Geno overheard the man talking to the top Owners at some point. Explaining how, if they couldn't catch him, they could try to go for the one being guarded. He didn't understand any of this, and the situation worsened when they started mentioning names.

"Where is he?" The masked man snapped.

"North Wood." He explained.

"That…is doable. Especially if he is as dumb as they say he is. Let's switch targets." The man stated. Geno quickly left before he got caught eavesdropping. He didn't want to get in trouble. Months went by, and the exact same thing happened. Red wasn't getting any less aggressive, and Blue was growing increasingly hopeless. It was sad to see his spirit break. Though Red was very resilient. It was imposing. Though everything changed when he showed up.

Ink. He was strong. Older than him by a year. He was smart. The boy immediately recognized the situation, trying to get buddy-buddy with him and Killer. Killer had fun messing with him. Geno, though, didn't say a word. Ink caused a lot of trouble, already getting multiple people to back him up and fight against them, only to get attacked by the Owners, and they were murdered. Still, Ink, of course, was spared. The masked man appeared only once, as he seemed very busy and punished Ink before leaving.

Ink's cage was unfortunately next to his, and he was starving himself, refusing to eat, but Geno didn't know why. Ink sat next to Blue, comforting him. Even though Ink wasn't supposed to, and Blue was shocked, they whispered, and soon Blue got his spark back. Ink was lovely. Constantly caring for everyone. Geno was surprised when even Red let Ink get close to him, and Ink helped with getting him untied and unmuzzled. Geno didn't understand why he was so….nice. He wasn't ready to see that niceness get ripped from him.

Ink is going to get in trouble again, he sighed. Every day was a new fight, and somehow, even with barely eating and barely drinking, Ink had this energy. How? Why does he do this? He continued to ignore the other’s attempt to be nice to him. Geno was ignoring everything, not wanting to get in trouble, until the Owners got more vicious with Ink. That's when it started. He watched Ink get brutally hurt. Though he kept smiling and was still sunshine. Killer seemed annoyed with him. But everything changed when Geno overheard a conversation.

"What if we just fuck him? Just don't get any cum in him, and the boss will never know." One of the Owners growled.

"Let's wipe that bitch ass smile off his face. He's a fucking whore and deserves to know it. He isn't mated." The other Owner next to him snapped. Geno wasn't a dumbass. He knew exactly what might happen to Ink. He stared at the campfire, his eyes glancing towards the others sleeping form. The Owners left to go grab something from the shed to use to tie Ink up, and Geno couldn't help himself. He had hope, for the first time. This bastard gave him hope. He never should've thought hope existed. He moved slowly to the edge of the cage.

"Ink!" He whispered shouted. This woke him up. Ink looked surprised and confused.

"Hurry, the last person that was in the cage made a key, it's under the rock to the left corner of your cage. Unlock the door and get the fuck out of here before they get you." He whispered shouted. "You're going to have to convince the-" The other interrupted him.

"The witch, yes, I know I can do it. She knows me." Geno didn't know what Ink meant by witch. He didn't know what that meant. Ink moved quickly and grabbed the makeshift key, unlocking the cage. He froze, turned to him, and handed it to him. Geno was surprised and took it. Ink smiled.

"I'll be back. I will get you all out of here, I promise. Believe me." Geno shook his head.

"Don't try. Just save yourself." He stated, and Ink shook his head and ran. He ran so fast. Woah. How did he do that? Geno hid the key quickly and pretended to be asleep. After a while, the Owners came back. Yelling started waking everyone up.

"Find him! If we don't get him, everyone gets punished!"

"Geno broke him out!" Killer yelled out, and all the Owners turned to him.

"The makeshift key is under the dirt to his right!" One of the Owners moved quickly and revealed it.

"You little shit!" Geno felt apathy hit him. Closing his eyes, he heard his cage open.

"Every day we can't find him, you get punished." Yanking him towards the dungeon, and all he could see was Killers' smirk. He knew exactly what was going to happen, and he's already accepted the consequences. Whatever he had done to deserve this life, he was sorry. He didn't mean to do whatever he did. He took one last look at the moon before he was shoved into the dark. He had only been down here once before, and it was terrifying. His 8-year-old self cried the entire time.
He got chained up before they grabbed the whip. He closed his eyes, going into his head. Away from here. Away from this. The searing pain hit him hard. Flinching hard with each hit. He remained quiet, making no sound at all. Though he couldn't stop the tears going down his face, not like they could see it in the firelight, and with his head down. They continued doing it all night long before stopping. Unclipping his chains, he fell on the floor.

"Fuck we went too hard."

"You idiot, we weren't supposed to punish him, only the boss can!" A different Owner came down the stairs yelling.

"It's fine! Quickly clean his wounds; he needs to heal before the boss shows up and punishes him."

"It fucking better be." They threw water on his back and put wraps around them before throwing him into a cage down in the dungeon. His eyes went to the countless bones in the cage. Curling up away from them all, he hugged himself tight as his tears went into his legs. He stayed down there for days, only moving to eat a small amount of the food they provided. They went to clean his bandages multiple times until they slowly faded away and became scars. One day, the door opened, and footsteps slowly descended the stairs.

 

No noise or voices other than the steps. When the feet stopped outside the bars of the cage, which hurt to touch. He lifted his head, seeing him. The boss. His dark eyes were full of anger and hatred. He had imagined multiple times what the masked man would do to him. This wasn't a normal punishment. He did something that was not fixable. He swallowed. The boss opened the door.

"Here." He pointed in front of him. Geno stood up and stood in front of him. "Follow." He followed after him. The boss led him to a different part of the dungeon that he had never been to before. He walked in, and fear spiked. It was a torture room. The man turned to look at him as he stood at the door. The man motioned towards the chair in the center of the room.

"Sit." Geno closed his eyes, blinking away any tears, and walked towards it, then sat down. That's when it began. The horrors the other did to him. He wouldn't stop until he made at least a noise, which was hard for him. The man also constantly splashed water on him to keep him awake for all the pain. He decided he might want to die. The man grabbed his cheeks, pulling him closer to him.

"Now, little wolf. You just cost me everything, and so now I'm going to take your everything." Geno couldn't help but let out a laugh, which surprised the man. Geno's dead eyes looked up at him.

"I already lost everything." The man smirked and shook his head.

"I'm going to make you wish you were dead. But you won't be allowed to die, no. Not until I choose. That's what I'm taking from you. Your right to die." The man stated, and Geno swallowed, his face pale. After the hours of punishment, the man dragged him back to his cell, leaving him bleeding and bruised on the ground before leaving.

He doesn't know how long he was left here. The man came down once more and repeated the same thing. He was becoming increasingly creative in the ways he would hurt Geno. Making him hold cut-up glass in his mouth and rip out his fingernails until he screamed and cut his mouth. Geno was currently getting shoved underwater and pulled up after a few minutes. At first, he struggled, but then he let the man do it. Cause he just wanted to die. He tried to kill himself in the water. Though the man could always sense when he was close to passing out, he would be pulled back from it.
What if he held his breath? Well, no matter what, he will still breathe when he passes out; there's no way to stop that unless he were underwater. And passing out just pissed the man off more. The man spoke venomously to him during all the torture. But Geno was always so far gone that he never remembered anything after he was thrown back into the cage. This life was miserable. His eyes moved towards the bones. What if…? The dark thoughts hit him. His need for survival was gone.
Why would he even want to be alive for this? Why didn't he try to kill himself when he was 7 and they captured him? He was too weak to even try; he would have to get his energy back. Ha. It was funny. He had to heal and rest to even try to take his own life. Hopefully, he can do it. He can only imagine what the other would do if he were to fail. The masked man wanted them alive for some reason, and he didn't understand why. Days went by before he could move enough. He grabbed one of the bones, looking for the sharpest one.

He started sharpening it. I took him hours, or maybe it was a day. He couldn't tell. He didn't know how long he had been down here. He hid it when meals arrived. He didn't eat it. What was the point? He will be dead soon anyway. Once he got it sharp enough, he tested it, cutting his finger. Good enough. Swallowing. Should he aim for his heart or his neck? He moved and sat down in the center of the cage, raised it high, and brought it down to his neck.

 

He missed.

He aimed fine, but what he didn't expect was a hand. It moved it from the center, slicing the side of the neck, but not deep enough to cause him to die. Opening his eyes towards the man, the terror set in. It was him. Why? Why does everything horrible possible happen whenever he does anything? Every time he tried to decide anything, everything went to shit. It was better when he was quiet in the corner. Killer was right. The masked man had silently come down while he was trying to kill himself, of course. He should've just used the dull one. The man growled and yanked it out of his hand as Geno quickly crawled away, slamming his back into the wall. The man looked furious, but his eyes settled on him, and a look of amusement crossed his face, and he chuckled.

"That's a nice expression you have." Geno realized he had dropped his mask for the first time. He dropped it because he didn't see the need for it if he was going to die.

"I already told you. You aren't allowed to die without my permission. You'll never be able to get away from me." The man growled. The man stalked over towards him, and he glared, feeling tears go down his face.

"Let me die! You have no right to take-" The man grabbed his throat, holding him up.

"I have every right! EVERY RIGHT! You think you can escape me? I will always have you." He yelled. And Geno kicked out, having no idea where he found his fight. The man slammed him onto the ground, making him lose his breath. "You dare defy me! You are nothing! I thought you were the strongest, and it turns out you're the weakest and dumbest of them all." The man yelled out, and he smirked, feeling blood fill his mouth.

"I could say the same thing about you-"He let out the most hair-raising scream as the man had let his anger take hold of him and raised the bone that was still in his hand and stabbed it into the other's left eye. He screamed and screamed, hitting the other. The man pulled it out instantly and slammed his head into the ground. He felt a crack in his skull. The man cursed, before he sighed. Geno lay on the ground holding his face, not able to even sob. Everything was getting fuzzy.

"And that is why you don't make me lose my temper. Come here, let me fix you-" The man's silver tongue was almost hypnotic. Footsteps rang through the hallways.

"Sir! We need to leave, they found us!" Someone yelled.

"What! Shit, get the- "

"There's no time you need to get out so they don't catch you." Their voices turned fuzzy, and soon he was left alone in the dark, cold basement. His arm went down to his side. He couldn't see very well, his good eye full of tears and his other full of blood. Everything hurts. He laid in his blood, slowly pooling. Is this how he's going to die? Didn't he want this? Why did he feel so alone? He was always alone. What did he do to deserve this? It doesn't even make sense. He closed his one eye. His head was fuzzy, he heard a lot of noises. He was almost gone before he felt movement. He opened his eyes slightly.

"Don't touch him, you'll make it worse. Get a Salutary down here!" Who are these people? He saw blurry dark figures leaning over him.

"Hey, can you hear me?" Blackness swallowed him.

 

He felt only pain. Which is weird cause you would think you would stop feeling pain after you die. Someone was talking. He couldn't make out any words. They sounded familiar. They sounded upset. Why? This voice has never been upset before. Then it went away again. He was hit with the second wave of pain. And that's when he saw her. A wolf. A white wolf. She looked dead. Was she? Someone help her. Please. He didn't know why he wanted to save her. Was she okay? His surroundings faded away. Again, with more voices, he didn't recognize any of them, but they sounded furious. He was scared. Was this the afterlife? Where was he? What happened?

 

When he finally opened his eye, he was greeted by his only friend. The Moon was shining very brightly through the window onto him. He glanced around. He was in a big room. Bandages wrapped around his left eye. The room was dark, though he could make out everything. Which was weird cause he never could before. He moved his arm up and noticed he was attached to something. A needle in his arm. He panicked and ripped it out quickly. What was being put in him? That was when he noticed the beeping that was happening in the room. It stopped, and he brought his hand up to his neck. Tracing a scar. One of many. Where was he?
The softness underneath him felt almost like a lie. He noticed the clothing he was wearing was a white thing, like a cloak, but it didn't have a hood. He slowly moved to stand up when the door slammed open. He jumped and slammed himself into the wall behind him. Someone he had never met before stood there. A man in a white coat. The man looked scared. He took a deep breath, looking very relieved.

"You're awake! How are you feeling?" The man asked and walked over towards him. Geno backed away again, looking at him in fear. The man stopped and blinked in surprise before he took a step back and raised his hands. "I'm sorry, Luna, but I need to make sure you are okay! I'm not going to hurt you, I promise!" Geno trembled, and the person seemed to falter more. The man glanced at his arm. "Did you rip out your IV?" Geno quickly glanced at his arm and swallowed. Now he was even more scared. Was he going to get punished for doing that? "You're not in trouble; it's just, you might have hurt yourself. I-do you want me to get someone else?" Geno didn't respond, staring at him. His gaze seemed to make the man even more nervous, and he basically ran away. "I-I'll go get someone else!"

When he left, he felt his entire body sag with relief. He stared at the door and finally glanced at the Moon. He slowly moved and made his way towards the window. It had a windowsill. Slowly sitting on it to stare at the Moon like he always had. The few things he remembered from his childhood were the stories his mom would tell him about the Moon. Curling up on the sill, he lay his head against the glass. Also, take the time to look around. He was very high up. His eyes widened. Was he in a castle? He brought his hand to the glass, taking in everything. People walking around, maybe guards. A fountain, a forest lining the sides of the gate, and tons of buildings connecting to the castle. A knock jumped him out of his thoughts.

"Hello? Can I come in?" A female voice was heard. He swallowed and didn't respond, curling up more before the door was slowly opened. "I'm sorry for intruding." She stated walking in. She shut the door and stared at him. Geno relaxed slightly. She smiled. "My name's Frisk, what's yours?" He stared at her and looked away, curling into himself. Her eyes widened with worry as she made her way over to him, and he glanced at her, tensing up at her approaching. "Hey, you're safe now. No one's going to hurt you. Those bad men aren't here anymore." Geno raised an eyebrow.

"They aren't?" His voice sounded so broken and scratchy from not drinking water for so long. She looked like she had been physically hurt by his words.

"No, they’ve all been trialed by the judge in front of the goddess." He had no fucking idea what any of those words meant. She took another step forward. "They will never be able to touch you again." She stated, and he felt a strange sensation overcome him. Should he be relieved? He didn't even know how to feel. She looked worried. "I want to leave to let you process this, but the Salutary told me you pulled out your IV, we also need to check your vitals and your eye to make sure everything is healing." She took another step but seemed nervous. She was acting like he was Red. He wondered where they were. He stood up and walked over towards her. She looked surprised and almost took a step back, but he showed his arm to her. He was a foot taller than her. She glanced down at it and then brought her hands up, but hesitated. Her eyes went to his.

"M-may I?" He didn't respond, and she finally moved her hand onto his arm, which he subtly flinched. She glanced up at him and then continued to feel around the area where he had yanked the needle out. "Looks good, do you feel any pain anywhere?" She asked, and he didn't respond; she swallowed, taking that as a no. She then motioned towards the soft area where he had been before. "Would you like to sit down while I check your eye?" He tensed up. Would he get in trouble if he didn't let her see his eye? He should just do what she says, because she seems nice enough, but what if… what if she's trying to trick him? Trick him into doing something he's not supposed to and get punished. Though he didn't see the harm really in letting her check his eye.
He slowly made his way to the bed and sat down, and she slowly followed, sitting next to him. She brought her hand up. The door opened loudly. He jumped backwards and she flinched, surprised. He backed up from his position to the furthest part of the room. A man he had never seen before walked in. He had a very similar aura to the masked man. Though his smile was way more welcoming. He had golden hair and golden eyes. The man smiled before glancing at him. His eyes softened.

"My apologies, did I intrude?"

"Oh, never your highness!" Frisk bowed her head in submission. Geno glanced at her while doing that and did exactly the same. The man sighed.

"Geno, you do not need to submit to me." Geno flinched and looked up, scared. He started to tremble. The man blinked at him, confused. Frisk glanced, and she looked at the man.

"You're scaring him." She whispered, and the man whispered back.

"I know. How do I stop?" They both whispered like he wasn't right there.

"He might think he did something wrong, and you're gonna hurt him." The man's eyes widened, and he cleared his throat.

"You are not in trouble, Geno. I just came because I was told you woke up. I wanted to check up on you and make sure you are doing okay." Geno stared at the man. He wasn't as scared anymore, but he still didn't want to talk. An awkward silence fell over the room, and the man seemed a little nervous. "...they did say you weren't a big talker…" He didn't respond, just staring at him. The man cleared his throat, looking to the side, before he sighed and looked at him with a very serious expression.

"Geno, I want to tell you why you experienced what you did. You, out of everyone, have the right to know, but…I also don't want to cause any more damage. So when you feel ready to hear the truth, seek me out. I will give you more time to process where you are. Know you are as safe as possible here. No one will even dare to hurt you again. I wish you a good night." The man bowed his head slightly before leaving, and Frisk's eyes widened; she glanced at him.

"W-woah. The king bowed to you." She said with amazement. He glanced at her and then looked back in front of him at the closed door the man went through. She swallowed and patted the spot next to him, trying to get him to sit back next to her. She waited with a smile. After a while, she started to talk, not enjoying the silence.

"I'm guessing you have no idea about the king. He's the king of werewolves." Geno slowly moved towards her as she kept talking. "His name is Dream, but we call him 'your highness.' Though…you probably could call him Dream. You have the right, as do the others." Geno sat next to her, and she smiled at him again. "Can I check your eye now, sir?" Geno didn't respond, but she didn't expect him to. So, she slowly lifted her arms and slowly undid the bandages. She pulled it off, and he flinched as the light hit it. He blinked multiple times. He could see. Her eyes narrowed before her eyebrows furrowed. She moved closer, analyzing his eye before she stood up.
"I-I'll be right back!" She panicked and ran out of the room. He was confused, bringing his hand up to look at it. He could see. He thought his eye was entirely destroyed. How was it healed? He brought his hand to his face, holding it. He wanted to cry. How could he? Did he even know how to? He thought he lost his mask, but it seems to have just been loosened. He still had no idea where he was. But he could put two and two together. King and castle. Why he was here was beyond him. Why would he be here? The door opened loudly, and he flinched hard. Frisk cursed and struck the man who had first stood before him .

"Knock! You scared him." She snapped

"I'm sorry!" He exclaimed, bringing his hands up, and she glared, huffing before glancing at him.

"I'm sorry if we startled you, Geno. I brought him here because something concerning happened to your eye. I wanted to- "

"Can he even understand you?" The man stated, and Geno stared at him. And Frisk glared at him.

"Just go check his eye!" The man rolled his eyes and made his way to him, and Geno stood up and backed away. The doctor glanced at her, and Frisk took a step forward.

"Geno, please! We need to check your eyes. I just need a second opinion. He won't hurt you; he just needs to look at it! He won't touch you, promise!" She begged, and he stared at her. When has anyone held their promises? Well…he guessed Ink. She seemed to be trustworthy enough. But he knew better than that, he didn't have any hope anymore. She asked again, and he finally let the man look at his eye, but he got the guts to glare at the man the entire time; he seemed nervous. The man muttered something while looking into his eye. He also seemed very confused.

"You see that too, right?" Frisk asked.

"Why is it different…" The man then asked if he could cover his right eye and do a test. Geno did that, and he was asked if he could see while backing up. Testing his sight. He could see as well as his other one.

"It's still going to scar, but you somehow healed your entire eye back…though it is a different color than your original." Geno brought his hand up to his eye, touching underneath it. The man turned and whispered a few things to Frisk, who responded before he turned to leave. As he was going, another girl was there knocking. Frisk moved and talked with her before bringing in a tray of food. Walking to the bed, she placed herself on it and revealed it to him.

"The kitchen got word of your wake-up. They sent some food, how nice!" Geno stared at the food suspiciously and shook his head, and she looked surprised.

"Do you not like the food?" He didn't respond before she glanced down and seemed to realize something. Silence went through the room before she broke it. "Forgive me." She reached down, took some of the food, and ate it. She smiled at him.

"See, it's safe! And good! Trust me! You can eat it!" She even took a sip of something in a glass. It looked like water. But he couldn't really tell. Water never looked that clear before. She took a few steps back, smiling. "Well, I should leave to give you some time to process everything. I've intruded enough. Remember, if you want some answers and clarification, ask the guards outside to bring you to the king!" She smiled and waved, leaving the room.
He ended up eating some of the food. It was good. And the water tasted so much different than the water he had before. Not as salty. He had noticed a mirror in his room which he used to look at his eye. His blue eye was now entirely red. He messed with it, not used to such a different eye color. When the sun came up, he ended up falling asleep. His dreams were nightmares. Playing tricks on him. Making him believe he had just dreamed of getting away. Waking up near dawn, he sat on the edge of the window again. There was more food in the room now. He had no idea who left it. He moved and ate some of it again. He's never had food taste so good, though he still couldn't eat a lot. His body wasn't used to it. He still felt very weak and fell back to sleep, ending up on the dungeon floor again. He didn't sleep as long, being tortured by his mind, until he was woken up by the Moon. His eyes stared at her beauty. He had woken up against the window. Her shine comforted him. He sighed.

"What am I supposed to do?" He whispered. Leaning against the glass, he felt a tear go down his face. He couldn't help it; the pain he carried was great. He lost his hope, trust, care, and emotions. He felt like he was going to break down. The Moon flickered, which caught his attention. He noticed something shining slightly down onto one of the buildings. Was…the Moon telling him to go over there? He blinked and moved up to stare at it more. How does he even get there? It appeared to be located to the right of his room and on the ground floor. So go right and go down? That should be easy? Right?
He moved towards his door and stood at it. Frisk did say he could leave when he wanted. He grabbed the door handle, slowly turned it, and opened the door. He was met with a hallway. Walking out, he glanced around, seeing men standing outside his door on either side. They didn't glance at him, only staring straight. Are these the "guards" Frisk was talking about? The possibility of asking them for help flashed through his head. He still couldn't find his voice, so he chose to do it himself. Walking down the hallway. He leisurely made his way in the vague direction. Did he really know where he was going? Nope. But he, for the first time in his life, had energy to move.

Maybe it was the food or the sleep he got, but he’s never felt okay with no pain before, and it was kinda scary. He was seeking a distraction. But, as always, he was blinded by his fear. It held him in a death grip. The only thing saving him was his apathy, but even that had its limits, as it prevented him from reacting to people or even talking; his apathy got in the way. So, it's either not feeling anything or feeling too much. He almost wished for someone to save him, but he wasn't that pathetic.
As he walked through the seemingly endless halls, he found a staircase. Going down them, he went further into the castle. He saw a few other guards. They were very big. Taller than most. He felt like a twig next to them, mostly from being starved. He was significantly underweight compared to everyone else. Ever since he was 7, he had been given just enough to survive. He was very weak. Once he went down multiple sets of stairs, he was breathing heavily. His eyes noticed the Moon glowing down the hallway of one. He followed its gaze. Going to one of the doors where guards were standing outside. He glanced at them and went to open the door, but they moved in front of him, not allowing him in. He took a step back and stood there before he just decided to sit down and wait. The guards look surprised.

He wanted to be in the room. The Moon told him to. And he'll be damned if he didn't listen to the only friend he's ever made. He only trusted the Moon. His mom told him to. And so far, the Moon hasn't done him wrong. He waited a while on the ground before footsteps were heard down the hall. He glanced over in that direction. A guard walked into the hallway, and the man seemed surprised before he glared and marched over to them.

"Who's he?" The guards looked at each other.

"Not sure, sir." They responded together, and the man growled, looking down at him.

"Who are you?" The guard asked. The man reached down and grabbed his arm, which made him panic. He flinched back. And jumped away, getting to his feet. He took a step back, scared. The guard glared more. "Tell me." Geno opened his mouth, but again his voice was stolen. He lost it a while ago. But he was so scared of getting punished. The man grabbed his arm, and he freaked out but couldn't break the guard’s hold. His mind was transported back to the camp. He felt tears rising to his eyes. The man started to pull him somewhere before someone spoke.

"Excuse me, sir." The guard froze before turning to a different guard that seemed to have emerged from the shadows, though this one looked different from the rest. There was a cloak over him. The man immediately let him go. He almost ran, but mostly got as far away as possible in the hallway.

"A shadow guard…? Who is he?" The man seemed confused. The shadow guard spoke quietly.

"That's Geno, sir. The-". The man's eyes widened.

"The-shit," The guard interrupted before he turned back to him and kneeled down into a bow.

"I apologize for not recognizing you sooner. Please forgive me." The man stated, and the other two guards by the door followed suit. Geno stared down at them. The shadow guard sighed.

"He doesn't talk, sir, but I believe he forgives you." The man with his head down nodded and stood up before glancing at the door he had been sitting in front of before looking at him.

"You want to see them, don't you?" The man asked him. Geno stared at it, and he slowly walked around the man, cautiously, not wanting to get grabbed roughly like that again. The man looked guilty. He heard the man mutter to the shadow guard,

"I hope I didn't hurt him."

"The king would have your head."

"I know." Geno stood outside the door and moved to reach the door handle again, but the guards blocked it. He assumed they were stopping him from going in, but instead, they opened the door for him. His eyes widened as he saw who was in the room. He found Blue and Red curled up sleeping in a bed in the center of the room, and Killer, who was sleeping to the side. He slowly walked in. They're here too. The guards shut the door, and he stood there looking at them. The Moon shone in. This is where it brought me? They are alive. He glanced at the three. He stayed there, debating what to do, before deciding to leave. He walked past the guards after opening the door and retracing his steps back the way he came. Unfortunately, he had very much forgotten where his room was. So he ended up wandering around the halls.

He ran into the guard from before, who bowed at him as he walked by. He glanced down at his clothing. He still only had this white cloak like shirt on. Nothing else. Was he supposed to dress in more clothes? Everyone else did. He walked further into the castle, finding a different area than before. He was definitely lost. He doesn't know where that other guard went. He got pretty far before he ended up seeing another person. They didn't have all the armor on like the guards. The man was leaving a room with a few books in his hands. He glanced at Geno and seemed to be taken aback by him. The man turns his head slightly to analyze him. He walked forward.

"Well, hello. Who are you?" Geno swallowed, and he was growing increasingly annoyed with his no-talking issue. The man raised an eyebrow at the fact that he didn't speak. Geno opened his mouth, but nothing came out. The man hummed. "Not a big talker?" Geno shook his head. The man's eyes ran over him before he smiled.

"Well, my name is Thanatos. Most werewolves aren't up at this time…are you lost?" Geno nodded, and the man smiled. His eyes went over him before the man seemed to agree with himself, nodding. "Follow me." Geno did, obeying.
As they went down the first hallway, the man spoke. "Most people get lost their first few times in the king's castle. It's the same with the Lycan castle. Both are annoyingly way too big. Which, in my eyes, makes it harder to protect, but of course, my concerns fall on deaf ears. Though don't be afraid to ask any guards to help, as they know these castles inside and out; they help werewolves all the time." Geno followed 'werewolf'? Was he a werewolf? He does remember his dad saying something about them. They went up several flights of stairs and through numerous hallways. When they ended up outside his room. The man walked away and waved, smiling again.

"It's good to see you, Geno. Go get some rest." The man stated, and he walked into his room. He wasn't really tired, but his legs were. When the Moon was up, he felt like he needed to be up. He fell asleep later that night, mostly from boredom.

 

The next day, he woke up to Frisk knocking on the door. She came in and smiled.

"Good morning, Geno! Do you want to take a shower?" Geno stretched and yawned and glanced at her, tilting his head. She swallowed and seemed to stop. "You…do know what a shower is, right?" He shook his head, no. She again made that same pity-filled face. He started to get annoyed by it. The women in the camp always made that face before they helped, and then they got murdered for caring. He didn't really want Frisk to die. She walked over to the other door in his room, which he had quickly discovered last night was a toilet.

She opened the door, walked in, and started messing with stuff. He walked in after, and she had moved the glass door. Reaching in, she started the shower. The water turning on made him flinch. It looked kinda familiar. Maybe he had a shower before? His memory was always really fuzzy. She explained how a shower worked and what to do; she then left some clothes for him to change into before leaving. He entered the water after removing his clothes. He had been cleaned while he was asleep. He was way dirtier than this when he was in the dungeon. They didn't exactly let you clean yourself there, other than throwing frigid water on you. He didn't mean to stay in the shower for so long, but the warm water felt so nice. He almost wanted to sleep in the shower. He dried himself off when he was done and changed into the clothes, which were white dress pants and a shirt. They felt very silky. They also looked fancy. He never wore anything like this before. He stepped out, and she smiled at him.

"You look great, Geno! An omega brought in your breakfast! If you'd like, we can visit the king today! But if you still feel like you need more time, then no rush." Geno thought about it, staring at the food. Walking over, he took a bite before nodding, "You wanna go?" He nodded, yes again. She smiled, "I'll inform the guards. We can leave whenever you want to!" She stated that she was moving out through the door. He ate some more, and she came in and continued to talk his head off. She just loved talking, didn't she? Though it was better than him being alone with his thoughts. He stood up after he ate a third of the food. Finished. She glanced at the food and shook her head.

"You gotta work on that, Geno! You gotta eat more and grow stronger! You won't be able to shift that weak!" He didn't know what she meant by that. “Do you want to go to the King?” She asked and he stared down at the food before nodding. Frisk stood up and walked over to the door as he made his way, following her. Opening the door for him, he stepped outside, and the guards around his room bowed before leading them. They were different from before. Not as tall and smaller in build. Frisk walked with him.

"I heard you left your room last night. The Lycans were going crazy gossiping about you!" She giggled. He was confused about what that meant, until she tilted her head, and he saw her confusion. "You know what a Lycan is, right?" He shook his head, no. "Do you know what a werewolf is?" He again shook his head. She gasped. "Do you know the Moon goddess?" He stopped walking and stared off before turning to her and nodding, then continued walking. She seemed surprised at that. "Well, the Moon goddess made the first werewolves. Humans that can turn into wolves. These were called Lycans. Their blood can turn anyone into them. Though it was a 90% death rate. Anyone who turns into one isn't a Lycan, but a werewolf. Though a born werewolf can be turned into a Lycan through the blood." She explained as guards led them down multiple halls.

"Lycans are different from werewolves. Bigger, built for freezing cold weather, eyes can see fully in the dark; they are usually nocturnal. Because the Lycans are here right now, the Lycan guards take over during the night, and anyone up is usually a Lycan. Born Lycans are basically royalty. They are the closest to the goddess image of us. The goddess has a huge connection with her Lycans compared to werewolves. They have their own castle up north on the highest peak in the lands to be the closest to the goddess." He nodded at the explanation. "Anyway, because you were up, the Lycans were excited as they had never got to interact with a…well, you'll find out soon!" She stated, smiling. They continued through hallways and stairs.

"Anyway, all werewolves and Lycans have a mate, and when they get turned, they get a mate. This mate will be shown to you when you come of age, usually 18, when your wolf shows up. Not only do you get to shift into a wolf, but you also get a mate! But this mate is someone the Moon goddess had made for you, as you were made for them. To deny them is to deny the goddess herself. Usually, doing so causes a lot of repercussions." They made it to some very fancy-looking double doors. One of the guards leading them knocked before opening the door and entering, leaving them outside. They waited, and he soon was let in. What he didn't expect was that there would be more than just the king in the room. Three other terrifying individuals were sitting around a table discussing such. Frisk bowed.

"Oh, I apologize, your highness, I did not know you were busy." The king shook his head. Dream smiled.

"Oh, it's no big deal, we can continue after."

"The hell-it is a big deal!" One of the men yelled. Geno flinched hard at the yelling, taking a step back, and Frisk grabbed his hand. He glanced over at her, and she squeezed his hand, giving him a reassuring smile.

"Oh, please, I'm just going to talk to Geno, and you're welcome to stay, as it won't be too long." Dream waved the man off before standing up and walking over to them. The king stood in front of him.

"How has your stay been so far? I heard you visited the others last night. Sorry if any of the guards acted harshly. No one has seen you yet; they just know your name, and with your current state, you're not able to give it, am I correct?" The man clarified. Geno looked down shamefully and nodded. The man chuckled.
"It's nothing to be ashamed of, Geno. From what I've been told, you had been there for a while. I don't expect you to be able to transition so quickly into this life." Geno looked up at the king. He was kind. But he didn't know if it was a trick. Were Lycans higher than the werewolf king? Or was the werewolf king higher? He didn't know how important he was, but he seemed very important if he had this castle. He had to 100% not piss him off.

"Now let's not beat around the bush too much. You, Blue, Red, Killer, and Ink were kidnapped by a very evil pack of werewolves. They had been planning on overthrowing me and all my alphas." The king motioned towards the three behind him. The word 'alpha' hit him; that was what the masked man said he was. The three, including the king, all gave off a similar aura. He now knew why. The king sighed sadly. "They accomplished this by getting a witch, a very powerful one, to help them. This witch had a…complicated relationship with the crown after my father had rejected her as his true mate because she wasn't a werewolf. So maybe she saw this as a form of revenge of wanting to take the mates, but she cast a spell to find all the Lunas of the five alphas, including me." Five? Where's the fifth alpha?
The man swallowed. "So this pack used her magic to mask their scent and break into the five packs and steal all of you before you became of age to shift. Not only that, they stole other she-wolves, hoping to hold other werewolves' mates against them." The man smiled like he didn't just tell him the most soul-crushing information that all his suffering was because of some fucked up greed for power.

"What's a Luna?" He whispered for the first time, speaking. Dream's eyes widened before his eyebrows narrowed.

"You don't know what a Luna is?" The king asked. Geno nervously shook his head. "A Luna is the mate of an Alpha, usually born physically stronger than regular she-wolves. Although a Luna does not need to be a female, it simply requires a female wolf. Tell me, Geno, how old were you when you were taken?" The king asked, and Geno held his head down, glancing up, messing with his hands.

“…seven…” He whispered, and Frisk gasped hard. The king's eyes widened, and even the alphas behind him looked even more horrified. The king closed his eyes, his hands squeezing.

"I'm…so sorry this happened to you. This…changes things." The king turned to the other. "Will he even be able to shift? His wolf should be dead by now."

"Wolfsbane for ten years…" One of the Alpha behind the king stated. They whispered more before the king turned back to him.

"Trust me, Geno, we will find the one responsible for this." Did they not find him? The masked man? The king looked stressed, and the alphas behind him looked pissed. Frisk moved and grabbed his arm.

"Let's leave." She whispered, glancing at them, sensing something he didn't, and he followed her, hearing the words as he left.

"One of us will be stuck with a wolfless Luna!?" One of the alphas growled out.

"We can still fix this. We can bring the wolf back. We just need to talk to the Ju-"He felt overwhelmed with all this new information. He walked forward and pulled his arm away from Frisk, and walked faster in the direction he knew they came from. She seemed to understand and didn't speak the entire walk back. When he got back to his room, he slammed the door in her face, she thankfully didn't come in. He walked over to the blinds and pulled them over all the windows, then moved to the bathroom, taking off his clothes and turning the shower on as she had shown him. Then he entered the shower. Seeking any comfort.

He couldn't help but finally cry. His family was taken from him, he was forced into hell for ten long years, and all of it for fucking what? Because of something he will be? He was born with something he didn't ask for, and it cost him. He lost a part of himself he never even got to meet or know. He couldn't even be mad at the goddess cause she wasn't the one to pick this hell. She was there to comfort him sadly as he sat in that cage and died. He couldn't come back from this. It was hopeless. That alpha's words hit him. No one would want him, not without his wolf.

He didn't know how long he was in the shower before he finally turned it off. He moved back into his room and laid in the bed. Curled up under the blankets. His tears wouldn't stop. He wasn't even sobbing anymore, just flowing out like an endless sea. His head hurt. He felt almost dizzy. He had passed out at some point as his thoughts ran wild. His brain went back to the dungeon and the masked man in his head, the vile words floating everywhere, and the words "one of us has to have a wolfless Luna?" Echoed. The masked man chuckled.

"I told you. No matter what, you can't escape me. You'll forever be scarred. You'll never be able to get away from it as long as you're alive."

 

Stop.

 

STOP.

 

"You're broken!"

 

STOP.

 

Geno.

He gasped, leaning up and looking to his right. He saw that his window was open, the Moon glowing in towards him. He stared at her. Bringing his hand up, he wiped the tears. A knock was heard on his door, making him flinch.

"Geno? Are you okay? I heard some yelling?" The door slowly opened, and Frisk peered in, her face filled with pity. He must've looked like a mess. "I'm sorry for intruding…do you want to talk about it?" He couldn't help but send a sharp glare at her, which made her flinch. He sighed and shook his head, looking away, feeling guilty for scaring her. That stayed in silence until Frisk hummed, speaking.

"Well… You like walks?" She asked, and he stared off, nodding yes. He liked exploring. She smiled and glanced at the door. "Do you want to walk with me? Maybe clear your head? It's definitely not healthy to hide in your room." He nodded, agreeing with her and wiping his face a little more before standing up. How embarrassing to be caught crying. He followed after her, and they both left to walk the dark halls together. The Moon being their only light. She glanced at him multiple times, and he could tell she wanted to talk but wasn't going to. It was nice seeing her trying to be quiet for him. He felt a little brave.

"Do you have a wolf?" He asked, and she flinched, swallowed, and nodded, yes. He felt that question and answer had hurt him; he shouldn't have asked anything. She glanced away.

"Your wolf could still be alive. You never know. Ink was only weakened for a few days. Killer was able to resonate with the King to bring strength to his wolf, who was almost dead. Blue and Red wolves were slowly coming back too! It's not completely hopeless!" She stated, and Geno glanced at her.

"How do you know they aren't of age…" He whispered.

"Oh, the wolves aren't there, or well-not able to communicate or shift, but-" she yawned, " We can sense their existence. Especially the alphas and the werewolf king." She looked really excited with all the talking he was doing. She explained how the wolves could talk in your head, and they had their own name, and you can almost see your wolf in your mind. And that your first wolf shift hurts a lot, but it won't after that. They got pretty deep into the castle, like he did before. Walking near the area where he met the Lycan. At least he thinks he was.

 

"Dude, it was so funny I've never seen the king so-" A loud door was heard, and Frisk turned her gaze with him to the three people walking around the corner through a door. One was the man he had talked to before, still holding books; he smiled when he saw him. The other, on the other side of the middle one, has dark brown hair and golden eyes. He was a lot bigger with a few scars. But nothing could top the aura the man in the middle had. And he couldn't even see his face. Fully covered in a black cloak. Everything around him seemed like darkness and death, just like the masked man. He could only see his mouth, which was unexpressive. He looks almost ancient. Frisk trembled slightly, bowing to him while Geno could only stare slightly before avoiding his eyes and walking past. The cloaked man stopped.

"You're looking better." The man's voice was deep and almost soothing, at least to him. They continued to walk, and Frisk glanced at him as they continued on their way. They walked in silence until the others were out of earshot.

"Who was that?" He asked, and she trembled slightly.

"H-he-" she cleared her throat, "he's the judge." His eyebrows furrowed in confusion. And she shook her head. "Ah, I forgot you don't know that. Okay, so basically, he's the true king. Not Dream, but don't EVER say that in front of the king." He looked surprised.

"Why?"

"When the goddess made her first wolves, the Lycans, there were only about ten of them. Eurielle, Aries, Celestria, Thorin, Lulu, Hati, Faith, Vit, Mintie, and Grim. Grim was the strongest. The most loved wolf. He wore a black cloak and mostly stayed in the shadows. The moon goddess gave them one mission. To make more. So they spread their blood, killing humans and turning them. When we started growing and expanding, we needed a king. Someone from the first Lycans only made sense. The original ten fought, and a few refused to participate. Grim was one of them. He didn't believe in killing each other. When Aries won, he plunged the entire wolf kingdom into fear and pain. It got bad enough that Grim stepped in and killed Aries, proving himself to be the strongest lycan. But Grim didn't want to be the king, so he gave it to Aries's brother, Thorin. But he warned him that he would come for him too if he did what his brother did.

The Grim family soon became exactly that. They call them the Lycan king. He's the Judge, and they are the ones tasked with judging any criminals, including the king. Throughout history, kings have been killed and replaced by the Grim family. They are the only remaining Lycan pack. The Blood Moon pack. They are the Lycans I told you about in that castle up in the mountains." He nodded, surprised. She swallowed and glanced at him. "He judged your capturers, and…he was the one who found you." Geno glanced at her, surprised at that. He forgot that someone had to have found him in that dungeon, bleeding out. She glanced at him and continued to speak. "We call him The Judge here. The king's family calls him The Executioner; the Lycans call him king. Anyway. He's pretty scary, isn't he?" She said with a nervous chuckle.

"He actually banished the last king…Dream's older twin brother. Dream had begged him not to kill him, so The Judge decided to banish him from the castle and any of the packs. He made the last king who rose to great power a rogue in one night, just a few years ago. They say he can tell a lie with just looking at you!" Frisk seemed actually scared. He didn't see what was so scary about the family. Especially with the idea of one ruler being able to do whatever they want without repercussions. He glanced at her.

"So the Grim family would be the highest social ranking?" She nodded.

"Then it's the king, then it's the alphas, then it's betas, gamma, and so on." He had no idea what those last words were. She yawned again, and he stopped, glancing at her. She stopped walking and turned to him.

"You want to be done?" He nodded and gave a soft smile. She needed to go to bed. He wasn't necessarily tired. They made their way back, said goodnight to each other, and then he entered his room. He stayed up looking through more stuff in his room. There were many books, but he couldn't read them. Although there were some with pretty pictures, he would look through them and guess what was happening in the story. He soon fell asleep with the books in his bed. He was woken up a little late by Frisk, who had also just woken up. She apologized for being late while giving him breakfast, but she also assumed he would sleep in with her, and he did. Her eyes went down to the books.

"Oh! You read?" She asked. He shook his head, and she glanced at them, seeing that they were mostly picture books. “Do you know how to?” She asked and he shook his head. She smiled. "Would you like to learn?" He nodded. She nodded and started showing him the basics of it. She also taught him the different roles in wolf communities, as he had asked what a beta was.

Alpha and Luna are the leaders and on the top, the ones in charge of the entire pack.

Beta's being second in command, taking over when the Alpha or Luna is gone. They also give a good second opinion for the Alpha in making difficult decisions and keep him on track. There are usually two Betas.

Gammas are next in line for Beta. They must undergo training, and only after completing it can they be considered a Beta. But once the Betas finally step down from their position, the Gamma will take over as the next one.

Salutaries are the healers. They are herbal wolves who're in charge of helping with injuries or illnesses. No magic or powers, just herbs and special medicines from resources.

Sentinels are guards around the border. They switch every few hours, but are responsible for ensuring that no one enters who the pack doesn’t know. They protect the borders.

Scouts are the informatives they send to other packs. They scout out nearby packs and territories to warn the pack. They are also the primary information-gathering wolves. Typically, the wolves that can run the fastest and relay messages the quickest are these.

Hunters are individuals who possess exceptional skills in tracking and pursuing prey. The hunters make sure that the pack has a full abundance of food. After large hunts, the lead hunter will alert the pack to the food available. Hunters lead the hunts along with the alpha, luna, and/or beta, directing the members on when it is their turn to charge at the prey.

Guardians are wolves that teach and protect the young. All teachers and babysitters are them. Everyone, though, is a warrior who will fight for their pack. They also have some elders in the pack whose wisdom is greatly appreciated.

The lowest in the groups were the Omegas, but they handled cleaning and cooking tasks effectively. They were mainly servants, and they listened well and were the most obedient.

Rogues are werewolves that have either been kicked out of their pack or left on their own free will. Rogues don't have a set appearance, except in their wolf form, where they have long fur. They also have a foul odour radiating from their bodies.

He asked her what her role was, and she explained she was a Salutary in training, but also the head maid in the castle, tasked with taking care of the next in line, the Luna. Which was currently him. She also explained that people can mindlink with each other and communicate in each other's minds when they are part of the same pack. It was fascinating to hear about, and now he understood how some werewolves looked like they were having a conversation when they didn't even talk. She then told him about all the packs. There was the North Wood Pack, the South Wood Pack, the Red Lotus Pack, the Lycan Kings Pack: Blood Moon, and the Kings Pack: Gold Night. It was late in the day when they had finished most of what she wanted to teach him. He had time to eat, and so he ate his lunch. They ate, and she seemed to realize something.

"Oh, I almost forgot. Ink wanted to meet with you. I told him I'm giving you some time to adjust before I ask you. Would you like to meet Sir Ink?" He thought about him. He realized that it was the voice he heard that was crying. Had Ink seen him when he was hurt? He nodded, and she smiled. "Great, I'll inform him." She left him, and he finished eating and put the books away. He had just finished cleaning up when the door slammed open, making him almost jump five feet in the air. He looked at the door wide-eyed and in fear.

"Sir Ink!-" Frisk yelled out, but she couldn't say anything else before Ink ran in and hugged him. He tensed up. Ink looked like he was going to cry. He noticed the other person standing by the door next to Frisk. It was one of the alphas that was behind the king.

"I'm so happy you're okay! When they told me you got punished because of me, and I saw what they did to you, I felt so horrible! I'm so sorry!" Geno sighed and shook his head. Frisk cleared her throat.

"Not to intrude, Luna, but please be more mindful of loud noises like slamming doors and touching Geno. He's still getting used to it." Ink turned and let go.

"Oh, I'm sorry I let my emotions get the better of me." Ink stated sadly, and Geno spoke.

"You didn't do anything, Ink. It was Killer who told them." He stated, and Ink's eyes widened.

"What?!?" He yelled out. Geno almost rolled his eyes.

"Ink, did you honestly think everyone was as nice as you? To survive there, you have to betray and tattle on each other. Killer has a body count more than I can even count on my hands. When he first arrived, he killed half the she-wolves in the camp by telling on them while they were trying to build a secret resistance." Ink looked horrified, and Geno sighed and took a step back, avoiding his gaze. “I can't even get mad or blame him. It's what you had to do to survive, Ink." He stated it as if it were a matter of fact.

"No! You helped me, and I got everyone out. I spent weeks working with Error to get the king and Lycan king to back me up! We didn't even know you guys were Lunas, just that they were taking she-wolves from camps." Geno looked surprised.

"And how did you get them to help you?" He asked.

"Well, funny enough, the Judge was the easiest to convince. He had already been told by the goddess to find you guys, so when I called for a meeting and told everyone, he agreed before any of the other Alphas. The king, though, was difficult. He actually never really helped…he didn't want any of his subjects to get hurt. He only sent a few reinforcements, but it's not like we needed that with the Lycans. They are a very dangerous force to reckon with." Ink stated and the man from the door took a step in and spoke.

"Now, Ink, if the king heard you say that we would get into trouble, remember to be-" The Alpha spoke.

"Careful, I know!" exasperatedly interrupted the man who glared. Ink glanced at Geno before motioning towards the man, "Oh, Geno. This is my mate, Error!" He stated, gesturing towards the Alpha. Geno blinked, and he felt the gears turning in his head.

"Oh, are you a Luna too?" He asked, and Ink smiled and nodded.

"Yup, thankfully, I had already shifted before they found me." He nodded, understanding now why he was stronger than them and how he was able to get out.

"Sorry, I don't really know much about this. What pack are you from? Is it the same as Errors?" He asked. And Ink smiled.

"They said you didn't talk, but you have been so talkative!!" He humored and then answered his question. "I'm from the same pack, thankfully! We are from North Wood!" He looked at the Alpha. Error looked like he hated everyone. He couldn't understand why he would be with someone like Ink. "Also, I don't expect you to know all these things. They told me you were taken really young, so if you have any questions, don't be afraid to ask! It must be a big change being here now." Ink commented, and he nodded, agreeing. Ink began explaining exactly how he had gotten back home.

Apparently, the camp was in an abandoned area where rogues were known to go. Ink was friends with the witch's daughter. So the witch met with Ink at the barrier around the camp she had made. She didn't say anything but left part of the barrier open. Ink had ran through it and thanked her. Because of the wolvesbane in the food and water, Ink was too weak to shift, but he could still run and used some of his strength, as he had not been eating. He ran the entire way while marking the trees. He then ended up running into a different rogue. One he had never met before. This rogue was very nice and was able to tell Ink where to go. Ink listened and ended up in his pack after three days of running straight. He passed out on the edge of the barrier of his pack. One of Error Sentinel's tracking that area found him.
While listening to Ink's story, he realized he had been down in the dungeon for so long. Everyone probably thought he was dead. Error commented here and there, but mostly stayed to the side, kinda in a protective way. It only made sense that when you have your mate and Luna kidnapped, you would be very protective of them. Ink was in the middle of explaining what a Luna does and how his pack works before Error interrupted.

"Ink, it's been two hours." Ink sighed and glared at the Alpha before turning to him.

"Sorry, Error has some meetings he needs to go to, and he doesn't allow me out of his sight now, so I have to go with him. It was fun talking, we should talk some more. It was fun! You are the closest Luna to my age! The other Lunas are way too young," Ink stated, and Geno nodded with a laugh, and Ink said his goodbyes before they both left. His mind went to Blue, Red, and Killer and remembered the Moon. He looked over at Frisk.

"Can I visit them?" He asked, and she seemed to know precisely who he meant.

"Let me go ask!" She smiled and turned, leaving him. He waited until she came in, and she nodded with a smile.

"They just came back from a walk with the Alphas, so they are free." A walk? Did they do that often? Or was he different? He didn't have a wolf, so he guessed none of the Alphas wanted him. He pushed that thought aside and followed her through the castle. He already knew how to get there, but he let her lead with the few guards.

"What's a shadow guard?" He asked, and she glanced behind her.

"A shadow guard is a secret guard tasked to someone and is instructed to not show themselves, so said person doesn't know they are being tracked, but they are there to protect them." Hmm.

"I have one." He said, and she glanced at him, and so did the other guards around him.

"You do?" She said as a joke, thinking he was joking. He nodded.

"Yeah, I met him," Geno said very seriously. She swallowed and realized it wasn't a joke.

“...oh…well…you’re not supposed to know that…” She stated.

"He was helping me." He explained. She nodded and did a thinking motion.

"Weird, I didn't think the king put a shadow guard on any of the Lunas, usually he tells me this." The guards also looked at each other, a confused expression on their faces. Did he say something he wasn't supposed to? They made it to the room. Frisk knocked, and the guards opened the door. He walked in and didn't get far before Blue hugged him. He expected this, and he smiled down at him. Blue looked up and gasped.

"Your eye!" He brought his hand up to his left eye, forgetting it. He shook his head and smiled.

"I'm fine." He explained. Looking in the room, Killer was in the corner, messing with something, clearly ignoring them. He always felt the other might hold guilt. He also doesn't think Killer will be able to apologize to him, but he didn't expect one. He looked over at Red, who looked surprised. Blue took a step back, and Red walked up.

"You're alive?!" Blue hit Red. And Geno laughed.

"Ow!" The Luna complained.

"Don't be rude! He's the reason we even got saved!" Blue reminded Red, and Red's eyes widened like he just realized this, and he turned to Geno.

"Whoa, look at your scars. That's so badass! You're so cool, Geno!" Red stated. Funny, he sounded more childish compared to Blue, who's the youngest. With all that anger gone, Red seemed like a very blunt person. Geno laughed and shook his head.

"I did what I had to do to survive. So did all of you. I will not hold any of that against you." He glanced at Killer, who had flinched when he said that. "I'm just glad you are all safe. Did everyone else get out?" He asked, and Blue and Red glanced at each other.

"Well…" Blue trailed off, and it already sounded bad. Red spoke up for the younger.

"When you were kicked to the dungeon, Killer kinda took over the camp as top dog, and so a lot of things changed, and only the people that listened very obediently and the ones Killer liked stayed; the rest…were killed. We had a few ten-year-olds added, and then near the beginning of the attack, they killed half of the she-wolves again… only 25 were saved, including us…they found 329 dead bodies buried." Red stated, and Geno swallowed the bitterness. He knew almost all 329 of those people. He sighed and shook his head.

"Well, we're all okay now." He stated, and Red shrugged.

"Well, kinda, they still haven't caught that mask bastard-" Blue hit him again.

"Let's not talk about it now. How have you been adjusting, Geno? I was told you were there for a really long time." Blue asked him, and he laughed.

"Well, it's a lot to learn about wolves, packs, roles, how to use a shower, and reading." He humored, and Blue laughed.

"I forgot showers existed!" The younger wolf exclaimed, and the older smiled. Geno stayed with them for the rest of the day until he was getting too tired and yawned, looking at Frisk, who got the hint that maybe it was bedtime for him. The sun wasn't going to set for another four hours. But their late-night walk they had last night made him exhausted. They left with a hug from Blue and one reluctantly from Red. Frisk led the way back to his room, and she told him goodnight, saying she would be back again tomorrow and that the King wanted to see him at a certain time the next day. He nodded, and she left. He walked over to his windows, closing the blinds, and then he took a shower.

He loved feeling clean, as he never got to feel clean in the camp. He was obsessed with this new feeling he had. The warm water felt so nice. He had a hard time relaxing anyway. His brain is full of horrors, and it always finds a way to tell him he's not safe. He closed his eyes, feeling some of his worries wash away. When he was done, he finally went to bed and slept a good chunk of the night, but still ended up waking up. It was like the Moon was waking him up. Or maybe it was the nightmares that haunted his head, leaving him to suffer alone. He stood up and decided he would go on another walk like he usually did when he couldn't sleep. He tried to be quiet so he wouldn't wake Frisk. He had learned that she was tasked with sleeping close by so that she could quickly get to him when needed. He left quietly through the doors and made his way down the hallways, not really caring where he was going. He made his way through the halls aimlessly. The guards all looked like Lycans now, and they all seemed to know exactly who he was; a few even smiled and waved at him.

The Lycan guards seemed way more friendly than the werewolf guards. He wondered why that was. The Moon was full tonight and very bright compared to other days, so he couldn't help but watch her, almost leading him through the castle. He decided to follow her, as what else do you do when the Moon seems to communicate with you? He never got to ask Frisk if this was normal, but he guessed that he will just have to remember. It's possible that he's the next Luna, and he suffered so hard that maybe the goddess feels bad. Who knows. While following the Moon, he actually ended up in a similar hallway where he saw Thanatos for the first time. He continued to walk and had almost gotten past the room that the man had left before it was basically slammed open on him. He didn't expect anyone to be in there, so getting hit by a strong wooden door was not the most pleasant experience. Thanks, Moon. Really appreciate it. He fell on the ground with a grunt, bringing his hand up to his nose.

"Huh?-oh-Oh my goddess, are you okay?" He opened his eyes to Thanatos, of course, standing above him. He nodded slightly, and the man brought his hand out for him to grab. Geno hesitantly took it as the man with a ton of strength pulled him up like he was a sack of potatoes. Frisk was right about Lycans being very strong. Thanatos looked so skinny, too. The man's eyes trailed him before landing on his nose. The man leaned forward with his eyes narrowing. Geno took a step back in surprise. "Looks like it will bruise. I should've been more careful with opening the door. There are only a few Lycans here at the moment, so I don't account for anyone being outside the door at this hour…you lost again?" Geno shook his head no. The man raised an eyebrow. Geno's eyes went down to the books in the man's hands. The man glanced down at his books. "Ah! Do you want to visit the library?" Geno looked up at him, and Thanatos opened it more for him to see in. It was a huge room filled to the brim with books.

His eyes trailed over them like it was candy. Thanatos smiled, and Geno looked down, very upset, and turned his head away from the room. Thanatos' smile faltered, and he looked surprised at the sudden change in emotions the werewolf had. Thanatos glanced back at him, then at the room. "So you don't want to visit the library?" Geno glanced again at the library. He didn't know why he was feeling shy all of a sudden, and didn't want to talk to the man, but he did. The Lycan hummed. "Can you read?" The question hit him in the gut. He flinched and stared back at the ground. "But you want to?" Thanatos assumed, and he nodded. The man laughed. "Oh, you'll get there, you just have to practice reading every day, and soon you'll be a pro at it. Have you tried?" He nodded. The Lycan hummed. "How far did you get? Did you learn the alphabet?" He nodded. "Anything else?" Geno shook his head, no. The man glanced at the Moon and then at the room, making up his mind. "If you want, I can help teach you some in the library." Geno looked up directly into the other's eyes. The Luna's eyes were basically sparkling as he looked up, begging. The Lycan brought his hands up in front of his chest, backing away, and laughed nervously. "Whoa, I can only stay for a little bit. I am working at the moment, but let's see what we can work on."

The Lycan brought him to a table in the library, and he searched for some books before coming back with picture-like books that he didn't know the names of, but definitely looked like they were intended for children. The man set it down and started going through it with him. Geno slowly began to answer when the man asked what it said. He got through what vowels were. The man started reading some of the children's books and reviewing why certain words were spelled the way they were. They continued talking through the books for a few hours.

"And this combination of letters usually-" The Lycan flinched hard, and he put the book down. He seemed to be focusing on something. He then nodded. "Sorry, I guess I was here longer than I noticed. My king is calling me back. But it was fun talking to you. If you'd like to learn more, I'll be here around the same time each night. Don't be afraid to ask!" He nodded, and the man stood up to put the books away. The man was so quick that he didn't even get to say thank you before he was gone. Huh. He stood up and made his way out of the library. He was getting bored, so he headed back to his room to go back to bed, as there really wasn't anything else to do. Though he did try to read the small picture books in his room, he spent like twenty minutes on one page with one sentence, and eventually gave up. Finally, just going to bed.

 

Frisk woke him up with breakfast. She explained it was pancakes, bacon, and eggs. He remembered when his mom used to make this for him. He ate it excitedly while she explained that in an hour, he would meet with the king, so if there was anything he wanted to do before then, they needed to get it done. He finished eating and asked to change clothes to get ready. He did and then they had some time before he needed to be there, so he took the time to ask Frisk to teach him more reading. Frisk was surprised that he caught on so quickly, and he just said he had been trying to practice when he couldn't sleep. Frisk said she was impressed.
After doing some reading practice, it was time to meet with the king. Frisk and some guards led him to the double doors again, and he entered to find Blue, Red, Killer, Dream, and two other men he had never met. He sat down next to the other Luna, Blue, waving at him. The king smiled at them and cleared his throat as the door shut, leaving just them; not even Frisk was in the room.

"I'm glad you could all make it. I hope your time with us has been pleasant, Lunas. We have been investigating your cases and have found some matches with your parents." Dream smiled, and the Lunas looked surprised but also excited. "Blue, you stated your last name was Faelan. After looking into some documents, you are from the Red Lotus Pack, with parents Ronian and Anita Faelan. Alpha Dust will be in charge of protecting you while in his pack." He motioned towards the gray-haired alpha, who took a step forward. He was the one who complained about having a wolfless Luna. The man had an intense glare, and he looked very aggressive. Blue nodded nervously. Dust took a step back, and the king moved on to Red.

"Red, you said your last name was Serafine. We found you are from South Wood Pack, with parents Darther and Fina Serafine. Alpha Science will be in charge of protecting you while in his pack." A white-haired alpha, who looked very calm, took a step forward. Red side glanced at him defiantly. The alpha raised an eyebrow before stepping back as the king moved on to Killer with a smile. "Killer, you couldn't remember your last name, but you remember your pack saying you were from my pack. We will keep you here under my protection while we look for your parents."

The king's eyes went to him. "I will talk to you after this." Geno was surprised. The king turned to the alphas and did an extensive list on how to protect the Lunas and the extra work they will have to do until they are of age. Killer was 16, Blue and Red were 15. The alphas were writing down precisely what they had to do with a nod and asking questions about specific situations. he waited while he spiraled. Since he doesn't have a wolf, will he be discarded? What are they going to do to him? "You will all leave in a week. During these years before your 18th birthday, you will take supplements to help strengthen your wolf and train to be a Luna. We will have a pack-wide party for your birthday, in which we will wait for you to shift and see which alpha is your mate. You are all dismissed, other than Geno." The three Lunas bowed and thanked the king before leaving. He had to stop himself multiple times from yawning during this meeting. Geno felt tense as everyone's eyes soon were on him. He did notice that two alphas were missing. Error and The Judge.

Error probably didn't need to be here, as he had Ink and none of the Lunas live in his pack. The Judge was a Lycan and probably was asleep. The king was discussing stuff with the two alphas. The king turned back to him and smiled. "So Geno, do you have any memory of who your parents a-"
"Dead." The king was taken aback by his interruption and the answer. "They killed them to get me." He stated. "Including my younger brother." He indicated, his gaze going down. The king stared at him and swallowed, eyes furrowing.

"Wouldn't an alpha have noticed if a whole family got wiped out from their pack?" The king stated, and he had to explain his few memories he had.

"We weren't in the pack when the attack happened…we were on our way to somewhere…we were in a carriage." The king and the alphas looked at each other.

"A carriage?" They muttered. He didn't know what the carriage had to do with anything, but for some reason, they thought that was important, probably something he didn't know. He watched them mutter, and the king shook his head.

"We will look into it. We will figure out your family, Geno. Even if they are dead, you deserve to have their last name. But for what will happen to you right now." He flinched at that, expecting him to get thrown away. He was broken. Defective. No one would want to deal with a wolfless Luna. The king smiled. "We will have you visit the Lycan castle. I've spoken with The Executioner about using the sacred water at their castle. It has been known to heal wolves; we've brought back wolves in the past with it. Do you have any idea when your birthday is?" He shook his head, no. The king sighed. "Then we really need to find your parents so we can have the record of when to bring you back to the castle for your first shift. You are dismissed." Geno nodded, bowed, and walked out, leaving the alphas. So he could potentially get her back? He yawned, and a guard went to lead him back, but he knew how to get back to his room. His eyes went to the sun. So he's going to the Lycan castle? It will be cold, right? They don't usually have werewolves there. Will he be the only one?

He made it back to his room and entered it. Frisk wasn't there, which surprised him. So he took the time to rest, not expecting himself to fall asleep, but he did. He woke up in the middle of the night, shocker. This is becoming a habit. But he remembered how it was at the camp. He mostly slept at random times anyway. There was never a consistent schedule due to his extreme physical fatigue. The more he ate and drank, the less energy he had. However, when he didn't eat or drink, he also didn't have any energy. It was a sick fucked up situation. His nightmare was also partially worse tonight. He was fairly sure he had woken up with a scream. He really hoped no one heard that. He didn't want to wake anyone up. The nightmare consisted of his family. When they got ambushed. He had forgotten how hard his mom and dad fought; they had killed so many other werewolves. They were strong, but they couldn't fight a whole pack, especially when the werewolves got hold of them. They forced them to stop fighting or they would kill him and his brother. Little did his parents know they were just going to kill his brother and them and just take him.

He couldn't even cry when they died, as the men got annoyed with his noises, so he had to cover his mouth and sob silently. That was when the Moon talked to him for the first time.

I'm here

He could still remember the words she said. She didn't have to say much; she just had to show that he wasn't alone, to comfort him. He glanced at the Moon. She wasn't very visible tonight. Hmm. The clouds were getting in the way. He wondered if Thanatos was still in the library. Maybe he could go and visit him. He left his room and made his way through the halls to the library. He turned down the hallway to see the Lycan he was looking for. Except he was going down a different hallway. Geno sped walked towards the hall to try to catch up with him. He second-guessed himself while running after him. Thanatos could be working. He probably shouldn't bother the man by asking him. However, he learned to read much better with his instruction. The way he explained things was more a reflection of how he had learned and understood things; with Frisk, he felt kind of like an idiot. She had to repeat so many times. She also made him very confused. She was big on just telling him and expecting him to remember, but when it came to Thanatos, he would overly explain why and even go on rants that were not relevant, but it made him remember it more. He also had him speak the words back to him to practice, which was nice.

He turned down the hall and saw Thanatos entering a room with double doors. He slowed down. Two guards stood outside it. He slowly walked over, and the Lycan guards glared slightly at him, which surprised him. He took a step back and just stared at the door. Thanatos has to leave the room at some point, right? Unless this was his sleeping quarters? He didn't think of that. He moved to walk away before the guards knocked, and he was surprised when someone opened the door. It was the other man he saw with scars standing next to The Judge. The man glared instantly and shot forward, and Geno flinched backwards, trying to take a step back, but the man had grabbed his arm and yanked him into the room. He let out a cry as their hold was a little strong on his very weak arms.

“Azrael be gentle.” The deep voice spoke. The man wouldn't let go, and Geno tried to yank his arm out.

"I found this one eavesdropping." The man speculated, his eyebrows furrowing, and he looked around, confused, shaking his head. Thanatos was on the other side of The Judge, who was sitting at a desk. This was the Lycan Kings' office. He should've known better to follow the man if he was working. He's dumb. He was also terrified. The man, who had his face covered in shadows, reminded him of the masked man, and he flinched, staring down at the ground. Frightened, he had started to shake.

"Azrael. I said be gentle." The Judge boomed out. Azrael finally let him go, and he almost fell and had to catch himself, bringing his arms closer to his body. The Judge was staring at him, expecting an answer, but he couldn't seem to speak, which was definitely bad.

"I-I-I w-wasn't ev-evs dr-" He cursed himself a million times over, not able to speak.

"He can't even say it." Azrael rebutted, and he flinched, feeling a wave of anger and fear.

"I wasn't! I just wanted to talk to Thanatos. I didn't even know this was his highness's office, I swear!" He cried out. The Judge brought his hand up to lean his head against it, humming.

"He is so very clearly lying! We ne-" The man objecting stopped as a glow shined into the room. This surprised him; he didn't see her out at all. Why was the Moon shining now? The Judge even turned his head to stare. After some silence, the alpha spoke.

"And what did you want with my Beta?" The man questioned. He swallowed and looked at Thanatos; their eyes met, and Thanatos took a step forward to speak, but before he could, The Lycan King raised his hand.

"I asked him, not you." Geno swallowed as all eyes were on him, and his face flushed red. He brought his hands together, fidgeting with them.

"He-he was t-teaching me h-how to read." He confessed, feeling so embarrassed that he didn't know what to say. He knew if he lied, the other would know from Frisk's warning. He was telling the truth, so the other person should know he's being truthful. There was silence in the room, and Azrael laughed out, which made his face redder.

"You can't expect us to believe that the reason you were outside this door was to ask Thanatos for some lessons?" The other humored, and Geno's face went redder, and he felt like crying. Thanatos let out a deep growl in the room, surprising even him.

"Azrael! Yo-"

"Azrael, leave the room." The Judge interjected Thanatos before he could even start a fight. Azrael looked surprised before he bowed his head in shame and left. Geno moved quickly out of the way so he didn't get hurt by the other as he left. He stared at the door and turned back to the other.

"Is this why you were late yesterday?" The Judge asked, staring at him and sizing him up.

"Yes, your highness." Thantos straightened up and closed his eyes, answering.

"When did this start?" The Lycan King asked.

"Only yesterday, though we have ran into each other before." The Beta explained.

"How?" The Judge questioned.

"He was lost," Thanatos stated. The Judge hummed, and Geno stared at the ground in submission, still very scared.

"Is there a reason you followed him to my office?"

"He said he would b-be in the library if I wanted another lesson, and I saw him down the hallway and tried to catch up with him, but he walked too fast. I saw him go into this room and thought it was his sleep quarters…I was going to leave before the guards knocked…" He explained.

"They do that so no one can eavesdrop. And Thanatos is currently working." The alpha shot out, and he flinched and nodded, staring at the ground.

"Yes, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to intrude." He spoke, but his voice sounded as though he was crying. He couldn't stop himself from sounding so scared, either. Silence filled the room, and he believed he was supposed to leave, so he turned to go through the doors.

"Stop." The alpha stated, and he couldn't even move, as his body followed the alpha's command. 'You never disrespect an alpha command.' Frisk's words rang through his head. He slowly turned his head to the other. The Judge motioned to the chair in front of his desk.

"Sit." He swallowed and stared down at it. He remembered the last time he was told to sit down in a chair. He walked slowly towards it. Was he in trouble? He didn't mean to stand outside the door for a few seconds. Those mean guards. He sat down and stared down at his hands shaking on his legs.

"Calm down, you aren't in trouble. I just want to speak with you." He slowly raised his gaze up to the other. The Judge was definitely glaring at him. He nodded yes and squeezed his hands. The Judge watched him for a bit before speaking, "I was informed recently that I will be bringing a werewolf back to my castle to use the sacred water." The man almost growled out. He could tell that the Lycan King did not like this. "I'm going to have you know we have never had a werewolf in the castle before. We would've liked to keep it that way. But because of your situation, we will have to keep you there." Geno looked down, feeling guilty. It was his fault this was happening. "I expect you to be on your best behavior. I won't hesitate to send you back if anything comes up. We have very strict rules in the castle, and even more you will have to follow as a werewolf." He nodded, and the alpha continued. "We will be leaving sooner than what the king stated, as I need to be back in three days." He nodded again. "You may leave." He bowed and nodded and basically ran out of there. Azrael was standing outside with a glare as he sped walked past. He wanted to go to his room. He made his way to his room and climbed under the sheets, curling them around him in a protective way. That was way too scary. Gosh, how did he even end up in that situation in the first place? He took a few deep breaths and tried to drift off to sleep. He was woken up by Frisk like usual.

"Wakey Wakey!" She chimed, pulling the blinds, and he groaned. She chuckled before she sighed. "I heard you are going in a few days." He moved the blanket off his face to look at her. She looked to the side before looking back at him. "I loved taking care of you. And I hope you will have a peaceful time there. The Blood Moon Pack is renowned for its strict rules, yet it is also recognized as one of the most beautiful and magical places on earth. It's a very peaceful atmosphere there, so high up in the mountains, covered in snow. No enemies to worry about. And so close to the goddess, it's been told to be the reason the Lycans live long; they are basically immortal." His eyes widened.

"Are they immortal?" He questioned. She nodded.

"The only thing that stops their immortality is when they birth their next heir." She explained how the Lycans are very powerful. Resistant to wolvesbane, heal faster from injuries, and so on. They grew up fast, too, apparently.

She then gave him a sad look. "It might be terrifying being in the castle, though, so please try to make friends! I want you to have someone to back you up; you never know what might happen. You may be a pup, but it can be very vicious in certain packs." He nodded, taking her warning that he definitely already knew with the way that the Alpha talked to him. He ate breakfast and asked her again to teach him how to read and more stuff about packs. He Learned about maps and how to read them. She explaied borders. Watching her point to the very middle and say that was where he was, and then bring her hand across the entire map to a corner and point at a different word, and go, 'that's where you are going.'

"How are we going to get there?" He asked, and Frisk thought about it.

"Well, probably through carriages, but probably only one or two, and the rest walk, as carriages are pretty expensive." He nodded, and she explained that Lycans usually ran in their wolf form to get there quicker, but because he couldn't shift, they would probably be walking. He now understood how it's even a bigger annoyance for him to be going back with them. Perhaps he could discuss with the king the possibility of sending him later with different guards. However, that would also require more work. Ugh. He also doesn't think he could stand up and talk to him about it anyway. He sighed, and Frisk looked at him worriedly. It was almost lunchtime when a knock was heard at his door, and she opened it. Someone he had never seen before stood there and bowed.

"Alpha Dust and Alpha Science formally invite you and the other Lunas on a walk in the courtyard." The man stated, and Frisk squealed and got very excited for him.

"Thank you, we'll be right down!" The man nodded and left. He glared at her for answering for him. He wasn't sure if he could be comfortable around those men. They did say the other Lunas will be there. Frisk started yanking everything out of the wardrobe. When they got the chance to get him clothes, he didn't even know. Did they guess his size or measure him and make some clothes while he was recovering? He can only imagine how different it was for the others when they got brought here first. Everyone was probably freaking out about how to take care of them while he was fighting for his life. Frisk pulled out some clothes for him to change into, and she also suggested a quick shower. Which he didn't really care about, but he did take a quick shower and change into the clothes she had picked. He walked out, and she was so very excited.

"Just think about it! One of those Alphas will be your mate! Isn't this so exciting! This is just like a fairy tale!" He didn't really see it that way, but sure. Whatever made her feel more excited about her life. He was honestly mostly excited to go to the courtyard. He heard it was really pretty. He wanted to see it. He hadn't been outside since he's been here. Which he could guess why. The guards and Frisk led him down to the courtyard, which was only reached by multiple stairs, and it was pretty tiring. He didn't get to exercise much when he was in the camp, so he was easily winded. When they walked into the courtyard, he didn't even notice the others, but he was struck by how beautiful the flowers were. He stared off at the flowers while Frisk led him to the three Lunas and two Alphas standing next to the beautiful fountain. There were wolves engraved into the stone, centered. Two of the Alphas glanced at him as he appeared.

"Geno!" Blue cheered and hugged him, which made Geno chuckle helplessly. Red rolled his eyes.

"Could you be more childish?" The Luna grumbled. Blue let go of him and turned annoyed at the other.

"Hey, don't act like you weren't excited that Geno was going to join us!" Blue accused him.

"I-I wasn't!" Red defended himself, face going red, and Geno couldn't stop the smile, he covered his mouth. His eyes going to Killer who stood silently in the back. This was different. Killer was always so loud and obnoxious when it came to the camp owners. His eyebrows furrowed at the other before his thoughts got interrupted.

"I heard you're leaving soon. You have to visit us every day before you go!" Blue complained, and he didn't get to respond before one of the Alphas finally spoke. Pushing his glasses on his white hair, slicked back.

"Now, Blue, Geno here could be busy; you don't want to bother him too much. I promise you, you two will have lots of time to meet." The Alpha scolded, and Blue pouted. Geno raised an eyebrow and sighed, shaking his head.

"Don't be afraid to reach out, but he's right, I could be busy." He stated, and the alpha glanced at him.

"I didn't get a chance to introduce myself the other times. My name is Science. I'm the Alpha of South Wood pack." Geno nodded, and the other Alpha clicked his tongue. He had noticed the Alpha basically sulking in the corner; he looked really annoyed. The man uncrossed his arms and huffed.

"What's the point of taking a walk if we aren't going to walk?" The man growled and turned to walk and Geno glared. Science sighed, and they all started following the angry Alpha.

"That's Dust, the Alpha of Red Lotus Pack. Sorry for his attitude. He's always been like that." Science huffed out, and Geno smiled and shook his head.

"No worries, I hope I didn't keep you guys waiting too long." He stated, and Science smiled, shaking his head.

"Don't worry about that, I'm glad you are feeling good enough to join." He nodded as they walked through the flowers. He looked at that. They were really beautiful.

"Must be boring in that room all day, being on bed rest and all," Science stated, and he blinked, oh, was he? He didn't even get told that. He chuckled.

"Yeah, which is why I've been having fun taking walks in the castle. I've also been getting taught to read." Dust snorted from the front, and Science smiled.

"Oh, you like to read?" Science asked. He nodded and smiled with a shrug.

"Trying, still learning." Science nodded.

"Well, if you need any help, I'll be happy to. I enjoy reading a lot. I could even give you suggestions that are for beginner readers once you get the hang of it?" Science was so nice. He hadn't felt comfortable with any Alpha that he had met so far. He was very much enjoying it.

"I would love that, thank you, Science."

"Stupid." Dust grumbled, and Geno glared slightly. Science rolled his eyes.

"Don't worry about him, he's just sulking like always." Is he a child? He was surprised by his own thoughts. Maybe because he had a taste of this life, he can't seem to have any tolerance for annoyances like him. He nodded. Blue was jumping up and down, looking at all the flowers and following the butterflies. Dust rolled his eyes at him, which made Geno even more annoyed, as he was feeling protective. Whatever.

"Did you guys get called here by the king when they found us or something?" He asked, and Science hummed.

"Yes, Error and The Judge attacked that pack themselves after the king denied giving any aid. Though in the end, he still sent Dust's pack to help.” Dust growled.

"And we didn't even do anything!" Dust yelled out and turned around, and Science rolled his eyes. "I was promised bloodshed, I was promised an actual fight. And I get there and everyone was already killed or taken in custody!" The Alpha complained, turning back around to walk. Was this asshole complaining about not getting enough action? Blue seemed to falter in his dance, too. Red was always glaring, so when he averted his eyes, Geno knew something was wrong. He didn't even care about saving the people trapped in the camp; he was only concerned with the fight. And he was still mad about it now. Weeks after it happened.

"Did you not come to save us?" Blue asked, and Dust seemed to be taken aback by his words. They stared at each other like Blue was searching for meaning in Dust's eyes, or maybe a better person. Dust scoffed.

"We didn't know you were even there. I was just promised a fight." The Alpha shrugged, and Blue looked heartbroken, and Science took a step forward.

"If we had known for sure you were there, we would've all come immediately," Science stated like a knight in shining armor in the books Frisk read to him. He now sees what Frisk meant by the fairytales. Dust laughed.

"You guys were only saved like this because you were Lunas; the other she-wolves are currently trying to find their packs and families by themselves." He was shocked to hear they weren't treating the others caught in the camp the same way.

"Why?" He asked. Dust raised an eyebrow and looked at him.

"Because it's a waste of wolf power? Ha! Imagine trying to find the families of all those she-wolves!" The Alpha started laughing, turning around. "I was against it in the meeting, as was Alpha Error and the king." Geno glared after the other, not able to stop his words.

"I feel bad for his pack." Science's eyes widened, and Dust stopped. Oops. Geno, you already dug this hole; you might as well die in it. "An Alpha who can't calm his anger in times of crisis will be the downfall of his pack. Not caring for anyone, just wishing for a fight to occur." He stated.

"What would an orphan pup that's never been in a pack know?" Dust growled, turning to him, his eyes glowing. Blue and Red were staring in shock. Killer also couldn't help but be a little intimidated by this situation.

"Apparently more than you." Geno took a step forward, keeping his eyes fixed on Dust's. "Alpha Dust, if you expect to have a Luna, you need to be able to handle criticism." His eyes went to the other three. "I can tell already I am not your Luna, and if you do become my mate, I'm rejecting you right now." Science let out a gasp.

"Meaning you will be an Alpha to one of the younger pups. So I hope you learn to handle your manners and emotions and think about how to treat people." Geno didn't even wait to hear the other as he rushed away, not really knowing where he was going; all he knew was that he was trying to get away from that asshole. He heard the others call his name, but he didn't answer. He had no idea where he got this attitude from. Was this his true self? He's already decided. Science was likely his Alpha. He was the only one he wasn't scared of. He only realized after walking halfway around the castle that he was, in fact, lost and did not know where he was.

Great. How many times will he get lost? He walked around the plants, taking in the beauty of the surroundings. He knelt down to look at a particular flower. It was red and resembled a spider. He reached his hand to touch it. Woah. It looked kinda familiar.

"Geno?" The voice startled him, and he jumped, turning around. Blinking, he stared up at the king. The man looked kinda confused. Looking around. "I thought you were on a walk with the Alphas?" Geno stood up and bowed. "I was I…I got lost." He stated that it wasn't a lie. The king hummed.

"Well, would you like some help getting back to them?" He shook his head.

"No, your majesty, I think I would like to just go back to my room…" His hands were going in front of him, scared of the other.

"So the walk didn't go well, huh?" The king said almost humorously. He swallowed.

"Alpha Science was very nice. I enjoyed talking with him. Alpha Dust was ...less than nice." The king laughed at that, and his face went slightly red.

"Ah, my problem child. He has always been an issue for a while. I've seen a lot of Alphas and Lunas grow up, and I've never had such a vicious alpha under my rule." Geno blinked, surprised.

"How old are you?" He immediately realized how rude that question was. He brought his hands up to his mouth. "Oh, I'm so sorry, that was rude! I-" The king waved his hand in a laugh.

"Don't worry about it, you must be confused. There's a reason the king stays within the Thorin family. We have been blessed from the beginning with being the king of werewolves, ageing slowly. We grow older than most werewolves, but we aren't as immortal as the Lycans. We seem to only live for 300 years." The king explained. He was surprised to hear this.

"And you're…?" He questioned.

"I'm 149 like my br-" The king froze and cleared his throat. He could tell his twin brother was a rough subject. He nodded. "If you like, I can have one of my guards lead you back to your room." He nodded.

"That would be much appreciated, your highness." The king smiled and nodded, motioning for one of his guards and talking to them before the guard led them. He followed them back into the castle, making his way to his room. He almost missed the courtyard. The flowers. When he got back to his room, Frisk was pacing around, talking with the guards, before her eyes fell on him, and her eyes widened.

"You!" She yelled out, and he flinched, taken aback by the sudden outburst. The guards ran away. "Where were you!? You scared me half to death when they came and told me you ran off by yourself, are you crazy!-"She cried out, and he interrupted her.

“Frisk, I'm fine.” He tried to reassure her.

"Yeah, thank goddess, imagine what would happen if you weren't?!" She snapped. And he huffed.

"What would happen in the courtyard?" He tried to reason with her. This was the safest place. Her eyes got dark before she took a deep breath.

"Geno, trust me, you already have enemies even if you haven't met them. Once they find out you are a Luna, you have enemies. People want power. Once a Luna dies, someone else is picked, of course. Second chance mates are a thing." He looked surprised at that. He had enemies? Well, he knew he made at least one enemy, Alpha Dust, and he knows Azrael hates him for existing. But enemies he had never met before? She took a few breaths.

"I'm sorry." He apologized, lowering his head, and she sighed.

"No, you're right, you should be safe here, it's just after everything, and how easy it was for that pack to take you in the first place. I really worry, okay?" He chuckled.

"You sound like a mom." He humored her, and she looked down, smiling slightly.

"I've always wanted a child." She explained, and he wasn't surprised. She led him into his room and continued to explain how to check for poison in food, how to know when someone is tracking you, and how to dodge an assassination attempt. Though most of her words went through one ear and out the other. It was a lot to learn. Nearing thirty minutes, he couldn't help but yawn, and she stopped mid-thought.

"Oh, you must be tired after all that walking! Do you want dinner and to go to bed soon?" He nodded with a smile.

"Yes, please." She smiled and went to get him food, and he took a breath. He's had to deal with a lot of people, and he just wishes to be alone now. He couldn't help the annoyance he had with that one Alpha. He hopes he's Killer's Alpha. They were perfect for each other. Frisk came back and talked his ear off while he ate, and he didn't have the heart to tell her to go away, so he just suffered through it. She didn't deserve it anyway. He knew what it was like wanting to talk to someone. When he was younger, he was desperate for attention from anyone, and the Owners took full advantage of it. When she left after he was done, he closed the blinds and took the time to try to read some of the picture books. He got further than before, but that was it.

Falling asleep, as usual, he woke up with another nightmare, but this time he had fallen off his bed in the process. Not expecting himself to fall, he almost screamed, but landed on his arm, which hurt, but it wasn't anything he wasn't used to. What he wasn't used to and couldn't stop were the tears going down his face. Fuck. This nightmare was a particularly horrible one about the first mother he met when he got to the camp. She immediately took care of him, but because of this, she died tragically after being raped in front of him. They told him that if he didn't watch, she would die. They killed her anyway afterwards, saying it was his fault. He curled up and took some time to calm himself down. Glancing up to the Moon shining through the gaps in the curtains. He brought his hands up to his face, trying to calm the tears. He never had this problem before. Why he was crying and why he couldn't stop all these extreme emotions were a mystery to him.
When he had entirely calmed himself down, he took it upon himself to try to get more sleep. He went back to bed, but he couldn't. No matter how much he tried, horrors struck his mind. Maybe he could go to Blue, Red, and Killers' room and stay there for the night? Tell the guards he was going there to not freak out Frisk. He decided sleeping with another person, like he was used to, would be the best option. That was probably why Red and Blue slept so close. He changed and opened the door to his room, stepping out. He was about to speak with the guards when they first handed him a paper.

"We were instructed to give this to you if you stepped out of your room." He grabbed the letter and opened it, reading it. It was from Thanatos.
If you end up waking up at night and still want to learn how to read some more, come to the library. I'll be there most of the night tonight!
Oh. Did he want to go back to the Lycan area? They were very terrifying the last time he was there. He debated before he decided to go. His desire to read was stronger. He felt embarrassed about being the only Luna who couldn't read. He remembered Killer making fun of it during camp. When notes were being passed, the owners never suspected him, as he couldn't read them, and Killer made sure everyone knew. He walked the familiar way through the halls. Running his hand over the golden engravings on the walls, this building was so beautiful that he had no idea how they built it. He made his way to the library. When he got outside, the light was on and the door was open. His walk slowed down. Hesitantly, he made his way to the door, sticking his head around the door frame to glance in. Thanatos was sitting there reading. He slowly entered and walked over to the man. When he arrived, he stood there, waiting for him to notice.

Should he say something? Was he intruding? Should he have knocked? Thanatos glanced up and screamed, making him jump hard, and he threw the book up in the air. Thanatos quickly caught the book and glanced at him, taking a few breaths.

"My Goddess! You scared me!" The beta cried out, and he apologized. Thanatos shook his head. "Gosh! I'm surprised I didn't hear you. You're really sneaky, huh?" You had to be. The dark thought struck him, and he simply nodded. Thanatos chuckled at the humor in this situation and motioned for the seat next to him. "I'm happy you took me up on my offer." Geno took the seat next to him. "His highness doesn't like it when I befriend werewolves, but as my mate was one before I turned her, I don't see the problem with it. Gives me something to do while everyone's asleep. It's so boring here." The Lycan stated, and he can only imagine. Their castle at night must be very lively, like this castle during the day. He wonders if it's hard for them to sleep here? Thanatos quickly reviewed what he had learned, and Geno explained anything else he had learned from Frisk.

They started going through some picture books, and he was able to get through them faster with his help. Thanatos then brought up the topic of learning how to write. Geno shook his head. He just wanted to focus on one thing at a time until he fully understood it. The Lycan understood. They did this for an hour. Thanatos was listening to him, trying to read the ending of the picture book about wolves and a pig.

"Hey." The Lycan got his attention; he had a severe expression. Geno tilted his head. "I think I'm going to warn you right now. The Lycan castle is very different from this castle. There will be a lot of prejudice against you being there, and it's going to be rough. Just try your hardest to not cause any problems…his highness wasn't lying when he said-"

"Thanatos." He spoke his name, which silenced the Lycan. He smiled sadly. "I know how to be invisible. So don't worry. I'm used to it. Just act like I wasn't even there? I can do that."

"No. I-fuck-"the man sighed and tried to find his words. "I want you to be safe, and so it's best to avoid some people, yes, but I want you to make friends, especially with the workers there. Trust me. Without their support, it will be way worse…you need to gain their respect, which I have a feeling that will be very easy for you." The man smiled at him, and he was surprised by that. He nodded, looking down at his hands. They continued with more lessons before Thanatos had to go, and he thanked him for teaching him. He left to go to bed and get ready for the next day.

Chapter Text

Two days went by. Frisk taught him some more about reading, and he made sure to spend as much time as he could with Blue and Red. They cried while hugging him, telling him goodbye the day before. He had to admit he cried too, though he knew he would see them again. Thanatos never sent another letter, so he guessed the man was too busy to help him read. And so he stayed in his room trying to read. He had learned "remarkably fast," according to Frisk. Ink came to visit him the last day he was here to say goodbye. He met with Alpha Science a few times and took that time to learn how to read with him. He was very nice and understanding when he struggled with a few parts and even gave him some books to help him. Since the Lycans were nocturnal, he knew he would be getting up at night to go with them. So Frisk had him go to bed a little early, around midday, to at least get some sleep. He was woken up by Frisk, who looked tired as well. She smiled and helped to get his things together. She explained that all those clothes in the wardrobe were given to him by the king, so he could bring all those, which ended up fitting in a tiny suitcase.

He was told by Frisk that she had been instructed to keep the packing small, so this was perfect. He quickly took a shower and changed while Frisk went to get him something to eat. They were doing well on time. She handed him his food when he was out of the shower. He ate and told her he was ready, as he didn't want to cause anyone to have to wait. He was going to miss Frisk, and as they made their way down the halls together, she tried not to cry.

"I'll be back, don't worry! I'll only be gone until I fix my wolf." he explained, and she nodded, trying to calm herself down.

"You have been the nicest werewolf I've ever met, Geno." she stated and he smiled. They had been together for a week and even he was upset about having to leave. He never had someone take care of him like she did. It was nice for a change. She led him to the back of the castle courtyard, where they were setting up one carriage. All the guards were standing around. Thanatos was in the midst of them all, instructing them on what to do. Frisk stopped and smiled and he turned to her and hugged her, surprising the wolf. She smiled and patted his back and he let her go, knowing this would be the last time seeing each other in a while. He turned to join the Lycans as they set up their carriage. Thanatos turned and smiled.

"Ah, hello, Geno!" He chimed before his eyes went down to the suitcase he was holding. The man blinked. "I told your helper to pack lightly. You did not need to pack this lightly." The man humored, and the Luna glanced down at what he was holding.

"What do you mean? This is all I have?" He questioned. Thanatos blinked, surprised, then some emotion flashed on his face before he turned away, averting his face. The Beta cleared his throat.

"Well, let me take it off your hands," Thanatos gently took the suitcase from his hands and added it to the carriage luggage. He stood there, staring down at the ground, waiting as everyone rushed around setting up. What was he supposed to do? Should he help? Glancing at Thanatos, he took a step to go talk to him, but was stopped as the guards turned and bowed. He turned around to see The Judge walking over with Azrael and the last few guards. He blinked and realized he needed to bow, and he did. He swore he almost heard a laugh from the other. He glanced up as The Judge walked past him.

Everyone got prepared as The Judge entered the carriage with Azrael and Thanatos. He glanced at the guards, all standing in a formation. He blinked. Does he just follow? He loved the communication in this pack; it was very helpful. He tried to just stay as quiet as possible. There was some last-minute setting up before the carriage started, with a whistle from the coachman, and it slowly began to move. He's probably going to walk with them, so he did. He followed far in the back. Though it was very difficult, as the horses were faster than his legs and he never walked much since he was forced to always be in a cage. He wished he had asked the king for better shoes as he was only given these dress-like shoes, which were not his size. He was too small for them. Back at the camp, they had only really used their legs once a day to walk, and it was quick because The Owners hated it. He was glad Thanatos took his luggage. He noticed the subtle glares he got from the guards and he didn't care, ignoring them. He was used to stern glares. They were not as bad as smiles enjoying his pain.

He would rather have their jealousy and anger for his fortune than the enjoyment of his misery. Were they going to walk the entire way? Was he going to get to stop and rest? They walked through the forest, were they avoiding the king's town? He thought going through it was faster? Unless he read the map wrong. He stared at the forest as they walked on the dirt road. It was pretty. He had so many questions that he wished he could ask Thanatos. Still, he was too nervous to interrupt the man while he was working in case the same incident happened again, not to mention he was in the heavily guarded carriage. He followed behind at a slow pace, staring in awe after a while of walking. The Moon had moved pretty far in the sky. He started to feel tired; the ache in his legs was intense. He slowly started getting left behind, but because of how slow he was going, a few guards noticed and he could tell they were annoyed with him.

He wanted to go faster, but he never had to use his legs this much. He lasted a long time before he couldn't stand it anymore and tripped and fell. He honestly saw himself as pathetic, but he didn't have any pride left, so he didn't really care. He heard some movement. Soon, a hand showed itself to him. He glanced up at a she-wolf guard. She smiled, and he hesitantly brought his scraped hand to hers.

"T-Thank you," he whispered, and she pulled him up like it was easy. She also seemed surprised.

"Whoa, you're light." He nodded and then looked over to see that the carriage had stopped and everyone was staring at him. When they saw him up, they started the carriage again. He bit his lip and continued to walk. He could walk through the pain and ache in his legs, but it was hard when his feet hurt. He fell down again after a while. She gave him a pitying look; the carriage was stopped and she helped him up again. His knees were scraped this time. He's going to be lucky if he makes it to the castle in one piece at this point. The night wasn't even over yet. He sighed and stood up. She suggested different ways to walk to make it easier and he explained that his shoes weren't his size, so he couldn't walk the way she suggested. She then suggested carrying him, which he aggressively refused. He would rather be left in the woods than that.

He had gotten further than last time before he fell again. He had scraped his knees again, but all he was worried about was trying to stand up so everyone wouldn't be waiting on him again. The carriage stopped again, but the she-wolf guard wasn't able to help him before the door to the carriage opened.

"What is the hold up?" A voice spoke out as The Judge stepped outside, glancing back at them. He felt his face go slightly red in embarrassment for being on the ground. The other stared and the guard saluted.

"I was just helping him out, your majesty, as he's been falling behind for a while now," she stated, and he felt bad about keeping them up.

"S-sorry," Geno muttered. Silence went through the air as he stared at the ground. He was so frustrated that he was upset with his body for not being able to do what he wanted. There was a sigh.

"Clean him up and then bring him into the carriage," The Judge stated, and the guards around him gasped.

"What!" One yelled out.

"But, your highness-" a second tried to reason with him.

"Clean him up. And bring him into the carriage. Don't make me repeat myself," The Judge growled and turned, going back into the carriage. Geno finally realized he was bleeding all over the ground and that was why his knees and hands hurt. Some other guards ran up to him and helped him with bandages, assisting him in cleaning up his hands and knees.

"Does it hurt anyone else?" She asked and he shook his head as the throb and wetness of his feet hit him. He didn't want to hold everyone up anymore. She smiled and led him to the carriage. He swallowed hard as the footman opened the door and helped him step into the carriage, which he walked into. One side had The Judge and the Gamma, and the other Thanatos, who was smiling and waving at him. Probably the only one who wanted to sit next to him. He moved and sat down, pushing himself as far into the corner as he could.

"Hey Geno, heard you were having a hard time keeping up." He nodded and stared down at his feet. The man frowned, worried. They sat in silence before the Gamma started whispering with The Judge. He glanced at them. The Judge had lots of papers in his hands that the Gamma was pointing at; they were clearly working on something he wasn't supposed to hear. He was actively intruding on their work. He stared back down at his feet. He felt his shoes filling up. He didn’t know with what. He didn't move, body as stiff as a board. He didn't move a muscle, continuing to refuse to relax. After a while, Thanatos cleared his throat and then spoke to him.
"You'll love the library we have at the castle! It's way bigger than the kings, and it has a ton of old, ancient books." Thanatos was very bubbly with him, like talking to a child. He glanced at him and looked back at his feet. Thanatos swallowed and tried a different approach. "We also have very good food! Our kitchen is very professional and kind!" He continued to barely move. Again, an awkward silence followed as he didn't respond. His feet had gone numb. Was that a good sign? He couldn't say anything or it might cause a problem. Then he would hold them up again. He's never going to get there at this point. "Well, I think you'll love the- "

"Thanatos, are you trying to sell him the castle? What the fuck are you doing?" Azrael snapped, and Thanatos sighed. Geno flinched at the harsh tone.

"I'm just trying to talk to him. The poor boy looks like he might faint from sitting here with you two glaring at him," the man scolded.

"Well, he should've walked better if he didn't want to be in here!" Azrael snapped, and he flinched hard.

"Azrael," The Judge scolded.

"What! I'm just telling the truth, we don't lie in this pack!" A lie may take care of the present, but it has no future. He had heard that slogan a few times. So that's where it came from. It's their pack slogan. Thanatos and Azrael started arguing back and forth. He stared down at his feet. He wanted to check them. He felt like something was wrong, but he didn't want to cause any trouble for anyone. The Judge had to intervene, telling them to knock it off. He sighed. Thanatos glanced at him.

"Are you okay, Geno?" He looked up at the other and then he glanced at the one across from him before speaking.

"Yes," he basically whispered. The Judge's head rose slightly at that, which Thanatos immediately noticed.

"Did you just lie to me?" The Beta asked coldly, and he panicked, feeling very stressed. He looked up at the other. Thanatos' eyes, though, looked full of worry.

"What's wrong?" The man asked. He shook his head no and looked away, averting his eyes.

"Just tell me…do you have to go to the bathroom?" Thanatos badly whispered that last part. Geno seemed to snap back into some type of reality, thanks to the humor of the others' words. He felt his face heat up slightly.

"What! No!" He almost shouted, looking up at the other. Thanatos smiled and laughed out at him.

"Some werewolves are shy about it." The man shrugged and the Luna looked at him like he was stupid. He blinked at him rapidly, which made the beta laugh more.

"Come on, what's wrong?" Geno sighed and glanced down at his feet again. He then glanced up at The Judge.

"Is he the problem?" Thanatos questioned, still trying to figure him out like a puzzle. He shook his head, no.

"I-just don't think it's appropriate to do it in front of him…" He muttered, looking down at his shoes again. Thanatos blinked, made a confused face, and looked at the other two.

"What does that even mean?" Thanatos stated, and the Judge sighed.

"You may take your shoes off." Geno glanced up, surprised at the other knowing what he wanted. He stared at The Judge before he slowly brought his hands down to the shoes. Slowly pulling it off, some blood dripped out on the floor. Thanatos gasped and reached over to help him. The Judge and Azrael both tensed up.

"Oh my goddess, why didn't you say something earlier? You were just free bleeding in them!?" The man almost shouted.

"I didn't want to stop the carriage again…" The men stared in disbelief. Thanatos then took the other shoe off, and more blood spilled. His feet had tons of blisters and cuts all over them. "The king didn't have any shoes in my size…I am also not used to walking much…I wasn't allowed to walk in the…" He trailed off, and Thanatos looked even more horrified.

"Why didn't you tell me earlier!" The man snapped. Geno flinched again and put his head down, hiding in the corner. "T-the last time I tried to talk to you while you were working…" his eyes went to The Judge. "…I got in trouble," the luna whispered, staring back down at the ground. The Judge growled, shaking his head. Making him flinch again.

"Stop the carriage, let's clean the blood and get him patched up," the man stated, and the carriage came to a stop. The Judge stepped out with Azrael, and a few guards came in with supplies, with Thanatos helping. Geno felt bad about this entire situation. He felt like everything was his fault. Why is he so dumb? He should've just said something. When they finished, the Judge and Azrael came back in, and Geno curled his legs up as he leaned against the side of the carriage. They rode in silence for a while before the Gamma broke it.

"That was kinda pathetic," Azrael stated, and Thanatos kicked him across the carriage. Geno nodded, agreeing. He was used to words like that from The Owners. They continued in silence as the sun began to emerge. He yawned when he saw it. Thanatos glanced at him.

"We'll take a break for everyone to sleep in a few hours." He nodded with a smile at the other. Thanatos smiled back at him for actually responding more now that he wasn't in as much pain. His hands, knees, and feet were all bandaged. He looked out the window, seeing the trees; he stared at them and the three men talked over some things that could be talked around him. They were planning something and going over how taking care of the pack or something. He didn't really listen, just drowning them out. He was exhausted, not getting the full sleep he usually did and from walking so much. They reached a resting place to set up camp. He left the carriage very quickly before the others even got a chance to stand up. He winced as he walked on his feet. Thanatos ran after him.

"Wait, Geno, here!" Thanatos handed him some stuff, and he stared at it.

"What is it?" He asked.

"A tent and bedding for sleeping, if you have a hard time sleeping during the day, it might help!" The man smiled.

"Oh, I'm used to sleeping on the ground, so it's fine!" He stated happily. The guards all heard, and so did The Judge, who was leaving the carriage. The Judge walked
past them.

"Use it." The Alpha walked by and Geno was surprised, staring off at the other, who then walked away before looking at Thanatos. Thanatos smiled.

"I can help you set it up?" The other offered, and Geno sighed, nodding. He had no idea how to set it up. Thanatos taught him how to set up the tent and by the time they were done, everyone had already gone to bed except for the guards required to take a shift. Thanatos explained that they do it in hours. Every hour, someone switches. So they only lose one hour of sleep, which is nice. They passed out food for everyone. Geno ate with Thanatos before he had gone into the tent after thanking the Beta and had fallen asleep the second his head hit the soft bedroll.

 

"Time to get up, Geno." He blinked and rubbed his eyes before looking up to Thanatos, standing with the flap to his tent open. The man smiled at his groaning and complaining about having to be up and the man laughed. The setting sun shone in.

"Oh, come on, get up. You can sleep more in the carriage, though I thought you might want to work on reading, so I was going to bring some books with us." He perked up and started to get up, stretching. The man chuckled and left him as Geno began taking down the tent the way Thanatos taught him. Everyone else was a little faster than he was, though they were more used to it, so he was still packing it up when everyone had moved on to fixing the carriage. When he finally finished putting the tent back in the bag, he walked over to Thanatos, who was directing people. He walked up and waited for the man to notice. The man turned around in the middle of talking to point out something to a guard, which, in hindsight, he probably shouldn't have been that close to in the first place. Thanatos smacked his face very hard, making him drop the tent.

"Oh goddess!" Thanatos almost shouted, and Geno stared down at the tent.

"My tent," he said sadly as blood dripped down his face. Oh. Thanatos rushed to grab napkins.

"I'm so so sorry, Geno! I didn't see you there!" Thanatos freaked out. Geno glanced down.

"Is the tent broken or is it fine?" He asked, only caring for the state of his bedding. He would be upset if he couldn't use it again. Thanatos stared at him, like he was dumb.

"Geno…who cares about the tent!? I'm worried I broke your nose!" Geno laughed as the Beta kept shoving tissues at him.

"I'm fine, it's just a bloody nose." Thanatos took over, putting his tent away as an apology while Geno tried to stop the bleeding in his nose. He got it mostly covered right when the carriage was done, and everyone started walking into formation. He still didn't have shoes, walking with bandages, but he was used to going barefoot anyway. Thanatos led him into the carriage, and he sat down with his bloody tissues. Azrael stared at them.

"What happened now?" The Gamma asked, almost annoyed while The Judge joined them immediately, turning his attention to them because of Azrael.

"I accidentally smacked him in the face," Thanatos stated, looking dejected. The carriage started moving. Geno patted his nose more.

"At least the tent was good, hopefully I didn't get any blood on it," he muttered quietly, trying to make only Thanatos hear, but he knew the others could anyway.

"Again about the stupid tent. It's a tent," Thanatos grumbled like he was dealing with a pup. Geno shrugged. The Judge pulled papers out of a binder, mostly ignoring them. Geno glanced at the books Thanatos had. The sun had entirely gone down now.

"Geno, you want to do some quiet reading practice?" the man asked, and he nodded excitedly. He wanted to try everything he could. The man pulled out a book, and they began reviewing it together. They were speaking quietly to avoid disrupting the work the Alpha was trying to accomplish. He had gotten far enough that he could almost read the picture books by himself. Sometimes he would need help with a few words and Thanatos was more than happy to help. There was still awkward silence between the Gamma and The Judge with him. He could tell Azrael hated him, but only because he seemed weak. The Judge was neutral, primarily, but still very cold. He didn't expect any extra treatment from him. Thanatos being this nice and then the Judge allowing him in the carriage was extra treatment enough.
He was trying to finish this book about a girl in a red hood when the carriage stopped abruptly. He felt everyone move. Thanatos pushed him back as an arrow shot through the window and almost hit him, slamming into the wall next to his head. There was a quick yell, and Thanatos and Azrael shot out of the carriage. Were they getting ambushed? Those two acted so quickly, as if they were expecting it. The Judge didn't seem to care, as if he was accustomed to this. He flinched as the yelling rang out; he couldn't help but feel a slight sense of fear. Does he need to do something? He went to ask but before he could, a louder yell happened and the door to the carriage opened. It was definitely an intruder, though he didn't go for The Judge; the man went for him. Grabbing the Luna’s arm, he didn't even get time to react before the man's arm was cut off. The man screamed as the hand fell down on the ground. He's seen severed arms and legs before, but it didn't make it any less traumatic.

He realized the one to do that was The Judge. He was so fast that he didn't even see him pull out a weapon. One quick swing and the man was falling over, screaming. Geno couldn't see any weapon; he was confused about how the other had done that. Was it just his claws? The Judge sighed.

"If I had known this was how it was going to be, you would've been in the carriage from the start," the Alpha stated. Thanatos came around the corner with a sword and killed the man.

"Are you okay, Geno?" The man asked. He nodded, and Thanatos nodded back, smiling, before shutting the door to the carriage. More screaming and yelling happened before silence. Geno couldn't help but stare at the hand on the floor. Thanatos opened the door again and smiled before seeing it.

"Oh, let me clean this up." The man basically just threw the hand on the ground. Then a guard came up and cleaned the blood.

"You're getting slower, Thanatos. They shouldn't have even gotten to the carriage," The Judge stated, looking through papers. Thanatos kneeled down with a bow.

"My apologies, your highness," the Beta stated, and the other side of the door opened to the Gamma. Azrael came in and sat down.

"They were after the Luna, the shadows said they had been tailing us for a bit," the Gamma reported.

"Send a raven to home and tell them where we are and inform them of upping security," The Judge ordered, and a raven flew from the trees to the Beta who had his arm outstretched outside the carriage. He had noticed the ravens following them for a while, but didn't think anything of it. They use ravens to communicate? Handing the bird a piece of paper on which Azrael had written on, the bird flew off with it. Thanatos soon entered the carriage.

"16 dead swordsmen, 6 dead archers, 1 taken hostage, all werewolves. 0 deaths, 0 injuries." Thanatos finished his report. The Alpha nodded. Geno's eyes returned to the spot where the hand had been.

"They dare make enemies with the Lycan kingdom? All over one werewolf pup." The Lycan King huffed. Thanatos shrugged. Geno picked up the book and opened it.

"You know all too well how important mates are to werewolves," Thanatos stated. Silence filled the room. Geno shoved his face into the book, but he wasn't reading. He was stuck in his head. So far, he has coped with what happened to him by ignoring it and it affected his sleep, of course, leaving nightmares instead of dreams. He never used to have either when he was in the camp. He just kept staying up until he passed out. He was good at pretending everything was good until things like this reminded him of horrors his brain had successfully blocked. Randomly getting the memories of the fingers, arms, and legs she-wolves lost in fighting The Owners. He hadn't noticed how much he was spacing out until the carriage stopped, and Thanatos nudged him. He glanced over.

"We are setting up camp. We will sleep longer this time and then spend the next night and day going to the castle as it's not safe to camp in the mountains," Thanatos explained. So they were almost there. Geno nodded softly and opened the carriage door to get out, since the other two had already done so. He got his tent from the back of the carriage as he saw where Thanatos put it. He set it up himself, having learned how from Thanatos. The sun was slowly rising. Food was passed out again. He ate before he yawned as he got into the tent. Curling up, trying to get out of his head. He was fine. The nightmare plagued him before he was woken up again by Thanatos. The man suggested some more reading, but he shook his head,. He was too tired. The trees looked different from before. They had covered a lot of ground. They packed up everything, and he was back in the carriage. He curled up, squeezing his legs as he leaned his head against the wall, looking outside at the trees.
The Moon was rising in the sky. Thanatos, The Judge, and Azrael discussed work. He started to get colder, but he didn't see the point in saying anything. Not like he had any warmer clothes. After a while, he began to see white flakes falling from the sky. He had sat up to stare in wonder. It looked strangely familiar, a word going through his head. Snow. He didn't know why, but it made him excited. Snow! He couldn't help but stare in awe, and then the carriage stopped. He saw no one else move like they knew they would stop the carriage, and he glanced out to see all the guards taking off their clothes and armour before shifting into a wolf. He had seen werewolves shift in front of him back at the king's castle, but he had never seen Lycans before. They were way bigger. Way fluffier. They were almost twice the size of regular wolves.

"Never seen a Lycan before, I'm guessing?" Thanatos joked, and he turned to him, shaking his head.

"We're awesome, right?" The man stroked his own ego, but Geno was so in awe that he didn't even notice. He turned back around to the window to look.

"Pretty…almost eternal." He was awed, staring at the wolves. Thanatos hummed.

"I known someone who said the same thing," Thanatos whispered as he turned. Geno didn't understand what he meant. He closed his eyes, leaning against the wall and staring as the carriage started with everyone as wolves. He's guessing they did this because it was cold. Warmer to be wolf guards than human guards. He stared off for a while until the Moon was entirely in the sky. He glanced at Thanatos, finally feeling bored. He brought his arm up and grabbed the other's sleeve, yanking it slightly to get his attention. Thanatos, who was looking at files, glanced over at him. The man smiled.

"I was told there are a lot of rules here…what are they?" He whispered, and Thanatos thought for a second before speaking.

"Depends on how you are going to be viewed. As the Lycans king's guest at the king's request, and a future Luna of a pack, you are very high in social status-"

"I will be introducing him as an Omega werewolf that I'm helping the king with. It's safer that way." The Alpha stated, interrupting them. Thanatos looked surprised.

"B-but everyone knows he's a Luna." Thanatos tried to reason. He could tell living as an omega would probably be hard.

"Not for sure if I say he's an Omega, they will trust my word," The Judge stated. Thanatos blinked.

"So you're going to lie?" The other accused.

"Would you rather have him die? He's not safe without a wolf. When he starts to show signs of his wolf coming back, then we can start telling the truth," The Judge pointed out. And that was the end of that. Thanatos swallowed and looked down at him with pity.

"As an Omega, you will need to submit to anyone in the castle other than other omegas. However, as a guest, you receive higher priority, so the workers will accommodate you. The only people with a higher role are those who are not workers but hold a higher level in the pack. You must use their title and not look them in their eyes and do your best to agree."

"So I can't use your name?" He asked, kinda sad. If Thanatos could look in pain, then he definitely did from his words.

"You can in private! Just not in front of others! I promise it won't always be like this! It's to protect you," Thanatos spoke. Geno shook his head.

"I'll be fine, trust me, Thanatos…being an Omega is more familiar than being a Luna," he informedthem, turning to look out the window. "Does it snow anywhere else but here?" He asked, and Thanatos shook his head.

"Nope! Pretty, isn't it!? Most werewolves are mesmerized by it. It's said it's a blessing from the Moon Goddess." He stared at it. The snow got heavier and heavier. They stopped, and some movement happened as some guards shifted back into their human form and walked around the carriage. He heard some noises. He then soon saw a wheel get pulled off and a different wheel added. "Those wheels are designed to go over snow," Thanatos commented, and he glanced at him.

"How?" He asked. Thanatos smiled at his question.

"They have runners that glide on the snow," Thanatos stated, and he nodded watching the maintenance on the carriage. It was getting chilly. He curled himself up against the window. Without any shoes, his feet were cold. he was accustomed to being cold as they received little clothing in the camp. The carriage soon started up again, riding more smoothly over the snowy terrain. The Moon started to set, and the sun was slowly rising. The three talked about more work as he just watched the snow. They were circling and slowly going up the giant mountain. He didn't get to see it from a distance as the carriage didn't have the best windows, probably for protection. He had to move the curtain anyway to look out and he only used a little peephole. He was becoming increasingly nervous and excited as they drew closer. He needs to remember to only focus on getting his wolf back. Otherwise, he probably would get thrown out. No one wants a wolfless Luna. He also needed to be on his best behavior. These Lycans are nice now, but the minute he disobeys them or does something wrong, he knows they will be quick to snap. He wasn't safe, no matter what they said. Thanatos was nice but he wouldn't stick up for him to anyone else. With other people's eyes on them, everything changed. This could very well be his last time talking with Thanatos so nonchalantly. It was sunny for a while, and soon they all sat in comfortable silence. The Judge had pulled out a book to read. Taking a break from work that the Alpha seemed to be only doing for the past three days.

Does he do anything other than work? He turned his eyes towards the sun shining high in the sky. He closed his eyes as the snow glowed way too brightly for his eyes to focus on. He listened to the sound of the horses' hooves. They had taken multiple breaks for the horses, but the black horses were bred for this purpose up in the Blood Moon Pack. At least, that's what Frisk said. He had seen horses before while being in the king's palace, but these horses were huge and a lot more fluffy-looking. He shivered slightly; it was getting pretty cold. He was even more fortunate that he wasn't walking outside in this condition. He didn't even realize he had fallen asleep when he did, but when he did wake up, the sun was setting and his surroundings were different. They were high up. All he saw was snow. He glanced down, seeing a blanket wrapped around him. He glanced at the other three. Thanatos also looked to be sleeping, while Azrael appeared to be dozing off, but he seemed to be hiding it. Only The Judge was awake. He saw the other lift their head in acknowledgement of him. He averted his gaze, and that's when he saw it.

He couldn't help the soft gasp that came out of his mouth as he saw it. The gray castle reached up to the sky like it was trying to reach the Moon. It was an ancient-looking, old carvings of moons throughout it. They were still very far away from the castle. Past the gates, it looked like there was a town before they got to the pack house. The pack house was like a castle, just like the king's. He stared out the window, moving closer to it. Even with the sun setting, the Moon was already shining down on the castle, like she protected it. Like it was hers. There weren't many trees around the castle as it was too high for them. He also noticed how tough it was to breathe. He had to exert a lot more energy to breathe. The king's castle was breathtaking, but this castle was almost frightening to look at. It was the exact opposite of the werewolf kings. It was dark and it nearly looked as if it were ready for any invasion. It was not made to look beautiful but to protect. He didn't stop looking at it until it went out of view from the carriage. He then turned his eyes back to the others. He pulled the blanket more tightly around himself, curling up in it. He was just a human right now, not even a werewolf, going into such a heavily guarded and sacred place.

He sensed that the castle was holy and he could feel its history and importance. It almost felt magical seeing it and he couldn't even comprehend what it would be like being in the castle. Not many werewolves were allowed in the castle. They Lycan’s kept to themselves. It was a strict environment and being here was a privilege. He closed his eyes, thanking the goddess for the opportunity. Then he glanced at Thanatos, who looked like he was about to fall out of the seat while snoring. He had to cover his smile as he was going to laugh at the other. The others didn't look cold at all. It was cold in the carriage but noticeably warmer than outside. He could see the guard wolves' breath.

The Judge was reading a very old book that he knew he could never learn how to read. The Judge glanced at him as the Luna was caught watching him and he averted his gaze quickly. This man was like a demigod. The Lycan king, technically the werewolf king, the Moon goddess's favorite, the executioner of criminals, can tell when someone lies. He understood why Frisk was terrified. They sat in silence. He actually had so many questions, but he didn't want to bother the other and didn't know him well enough to get answers. His eyes went to the sky, seeing as the trees were getting fewer and fewer, then he noticed the ravens. They flew above the wolves following them. They continued on for a while before they began to approach the gate. He got a better view of the gate this close, seeing spikes on top of it to stop anyone from climbing over; the walls were gigantic and it was almost scary.

"Thanatos," the alpha spoke calmly, but even with that, Thanatos still slammed himself up in a yell, waking up Azrael as well. Being so spooked by the other, he grabbed his sword, ready to pull it out.

"Yes!" The Lycan yelled, saluting and then looking around, confused. Azrael sighed and leaned his head back, annoyed at the other. The Judge, though, didn't move much, still reading the book, expecting this from the other.

"We are at the gate," the Lycan King stated. He wondered what the other looked like. Geno glanced at Thanatos, who seemed to relax.

"Oh. Already?" The man yawned, and he glanced over to him. "Hey Geno, you're up! How are you feeling?" Geno nodded, not really answering the other, because he wasn't feeling like talking. He glanced at the gate as they stopped outside it. A few guards conversed with one another at the gate. "Great talk," the other humored, causing Geno to shoot a glare at him. Thanatos raised an eyebrow at that before laughing. The guards finished talking before the gate made a loud noise, and the ground shook. He flinched and Thanatos helped steady him. "Oop- careful there." The man smiled and Geno looked at the gate nervously. The big door was slowly opening. The carriage began to move as soon as the doors had finished opening. When they passed the threshold, he flinched as a sharp pain hit his head. He brought his hand up to his forehead. Trying hard not to make any more noise. "You okay, Geno?" The voice was fading, and his vision was blurring. He felt himself fall before someone caught him.

Well helloThe familiar voice rang through his head, and the ringing got too loud until it was nothing.

 

He woke up in a familiar situation, though this room wasn't as nice. Opening his eyes, he glanced at the beeping next to him and at the IV in his arm, which he almost panicked again but he stopped himself from yanking it out again. He shouldn't hurt himself anymore. He leaned up, feeling slightly dizzy, but it soon went away, he blinked, looking around him. There were other beds, similar to his, around the room with curtains between them. He seemed to be the only one in here. He glanced down and saw that his bandages had been replaced on his feet, hands, and knees.

There was also a change of clothes on the edge of the bed. He stood up and looked at the device connected to him, slowly pulling it out, along with several others, including one that made a beeping noise. He then turned to the clothing on the bed and changed into them. Black pants that weren't too long or too tight, with a flowing silk fabric. The shirt was white with embedded jewels around the collar and sleeves. There were socks and shoes, but he didn't want to put them on. With his feet still hurting, he never wanted to wear them, though there was another thing. A big cloak, just like The Judge had on, but instead of black, it was white. It was fluffy and made for winter to keep the wearer warm. He wasn't as cold as before, but decided to put it on anyway. Figuring out how to tie it, he finished, then checked the window. It was night as the Moon shone down. He realized he was in the castle. Looking down through the window, he saw the pack town surrounding the castle; it was quite large.

Very lively, the lights were on and lots of people were moving. They were having a festival, he believed. Maybe because the king was back? He can't believe he passed out just like that. Why did that even happen? He pushed himself up since he didn't want to just sit down; he wanted his wolf back. How? He still didn't get to ask The Judge. He was always busy and Geno was also nervous to ask. The man scared him. Maybe he can ask Thanatos instead. Making his way out of the room, there were no guards. Being accustomed to the presence of many guards, he didn't expect that. His eyes went to the halls.

The walls were gray rock with ancient carvings engraved. The floors were made of a type of stone that almost shone with the moonlight. It was very quiet. He started walking down the halls, taking in everything. Hands behind his back, he leisurely made his way through them with no goal in mind. Getting himself lost, he knew the only way to learn your way through a castle was to get lost five times. While walking, his eyes caught something on the roof and as he looked up, he almost stopped walking, his breath being taken away. The ceilings were lined with stained glass, shining beautifully in the moonlight. There were also some lights shining through the ceiling that weren't just the Moon but some crystals that seemed to glow just like the Moon.

They lit up the entire hallway dimly. though it was enough to see. He walked further into the halls, not understanding how it could be so quiet and silent when it was technically day for them. He couldn't find anyone. Where was everyone? He went down a set of stairs to the first floor, which took a while to reach. His feet had a dull ache but it didn't hurt enough for him to care. Used to being in pain 24/7, he just ignored it. He pulled the cape on, warming himself up. Maybe The Judge was right about capes. They are so comfy. It felt so magical being here. He had noticed how much lighter he felt just because he was here now. This felt like where he belonged. Though he tried not to get too swept away by its beauty, as it was a lie. He was only going to be here until his wolf appeared, nothing more, nothing less. When he reached the main floor, he noticed the windows facing a large courtyard in the center of the castle. It looked godly beautiful. He walked along the wall, staring at the windows until he got to a door. Opening the door, he made his way to the courtyard. He made his way through the courtyard. The chilly air hits him instantly. He breathed out, seeing his breath. The gardens were full of red flowers, like the ones he saw before in the king's castle. It had such a beautiful contrast to the white snow in the courtyard. There were these blue light bugs flying around. He even saw a few ravens sitting on some of the trees in the courtyard. There was a glowing fountain in the middle.

The fountain, though, wasn't a depiction of a wolf but a moon. The water, which wasn't frozen as he had expected, was flowing through it, glowing slightly. He got closer to it and discovered that the fountain was gigantic. He could probably try to swim in it. He reached it and noticed the crystals in the fountain might have been the reason it was glowing. Was this sacred water? He stood at the base of the fountain. Watching it until he heard a lot of noise. He looked up and realized where everyone was. There was a party, or a ball, whatever it was called, going on. It seemed like one out of the fairy tales. He could see into the big ballroom from the windows connecting to the opposite side of the courtyard from him. He could see The Lycan King, Thanatos, and Azrael. They all appeared to be enjoying themselves with a large group of other Lycans around; he noticed they wore all-black or white cloaks. Was this another rule? Though most didn't have their hood up like The Judge. The Lycans were very formal in bowing to each other. He glanced back at the fountain. He leaned forward and brought his hand out to touch the water. His hand hit it, and the water felt so warm. How is that possible? He pulled his hand away and shivered as the cold air hit it. His feet were also freezing, almost numb, but the numbness helped alleviate the pain, so who was he to complain? He stood back, staring at the fountain again.
Snow was still falling from the sky and he could feel it hit him, making him wet and colder. Bringing his hands up, he flipped his hood up to protect his face. Then, he turned around and walked through the garden. He wanted to take one of the flowers but he was scared to get in trouble, so he just stared at them. His thoughts scattered as he was yelled at.

"Hey! What are you doing out here!?" He turned his head to the voice, finding a few guards speed walking towards him. He stood still and they made their way to him. One grabbed his hood, yanking it off, and the other grabbed him as if he were going to run away, though he wasn't. The two guards led him away from the courtyard, bringing him into the hallways, and then led him into the ballroom. Now this was really like one of those fairy tales Frisk read to him. He was basically thrown on the ground in front of The Judge who was sitting on a throne. His hood was thrown back on in the process. The silence that went through the room was deafening.

"What's this?" The Judge's deep voice spoke.
"Found them in the courtyard," the guard spat. He slowly raised his head, bringing his hand up to his hood and pulling it off. His eyes went to The Judge, who stared at him before he stood up and walked towards him. Geno averted his gaze, looking down, knowing the rules and not wanting to be rude. The king leaned down in front of him, grabbing his chin, turning it back to look up at him. From this angle, he could almost make out his face. That's when he saw his black hair and blue eyes glowing in the dark.

"Are you okay, Geno?" The Judge asked, and he nodded quickly. The Judge then tsked and let him go, turning to the guard.

"This is my guest…An Omega werewolf from the king." Gasps went around the room, stating 'A werewolf? Here?' 'Isn't that against the ru-' 'This is outrageous.' The voices got more and more aggressive and he tensed up getting more anxious. "I did not want this either. I would prefer no werewolf ever step foot into these walls. His case is particularly unique, necessitating that he remain here. I apologize, please treat him accordingly," The Judge spoke aggressively and so everyone knew he meant it. Everyone bowed and nodded. The Judge looked down at him.

"Take him to my office," The Lycan King stated, and the guards grabbed him roughly again. "Be careful, he's just a pup and weak. He already knows how to behave; no need to treat him like a criminal," the king stated and the guard loosened his grip before protesting.

"But he entered the forbidden courtyard-"

"Which I had not informed him of. He's a pup who wanted to play in the snow, how can we blame him?" A few giggles went through the room, and he felt shame hit him. Pup? Play? Is that how the other saw him? Just a child? He squeezed his hands and yanked his arm out of the guard's gentle hold and turned to walk back out the doors. He didn't want to stay here anymore. He pulled his hood up and walked out, with the guards following him quickly. They quickly took over, leading him as he followed them to the office. So the courtyard was off-limits. Good to know. If someone had been there when he woke up, maybe he would've had better direction than this; whoever was in charge of him went to the party. Guess he wasn't worth it. Whatever. After walking for a while and climbing some stairs, they finally reached the double doors. They opened the door and he walked in as they shut it. He looked around. This office was way bigger than the one the king was in before. Bookshelves lined with numerous documents stood on each side. A big wall-length window behind the desk and a desk chair in the center of the room. The Moon shone perfectly, and he got a perfect view of the pack village and rugged mountains. The entire room seemed ancient with antique decorations around. There was a chair in front of the desk, which he moved to sit down in.

Pulling his hood off, he stared up at the Moon as she shone in. It was very dark in the office, with the only light coming from her blue glow. He waited in the office for a while to the point he was tempted to go through the other’s things but that could get him in really big trouble. Maybe he should just leave? Well, he always was really good at spacing out and ignoring his surroundings, so he did exactly that. He waited there until the sun started to come up. The door opened behind him. He couldn't help but flinch at the sudden noise. He hated looking so weak. The other dared to call him weak after everything he's been through? There was a sigh.

"Geno, what are you still doing in here?" The Lycan King asked him. He swallowed.

"You told me to wait in your office…" He stated, and the king sighed again.

"You've been here all night?" The other asked, walking over to the desk and placing a ton of papers down, and he nodded.

"Next time I don't show up in two hours, leave," the Alpha stated, and he nodded again.

"Use your words, that’s not how we work around here."

"Y-yes Alpha!" He stated, and the Lycan King sat down.

"I had called you into my office to talk about rules and what your schedule will be, but I will keep it quick, as you need to go to bed." The alpha messed with some papers. "Ask any of my guards to lead you to any place, and they will. I apologize if you didn't have any last night, as it was a big celebration for my arrival. There was a request for every Lycan in the castle to be there." He nodded, understanding, but he still didn't think it was right to leave him. "You will be in one of the guest bedrooms on the fourth floor. You are allowed to go anywhere but the courtyard, basement, dungeon, the Holy Place, and the fifth floor without my permission." He nodded, and the alpha looked up at him.

"Yes, Alpha," he stated, fixing his mistake and the Lycan looked back down.

"You will definitely need to work on manners while here or you are going to get in more trouble than it's worth. I made a schedule for your time here. You may be a guest, but you are currently part of the pack and so you will join the pack. Meaning I expect you to sleep our hours and join us for our pack-wide activities." The Alpha finally pulled out a paper and handed it to him. It told him his times he was supposed to be in certain places and where he needed to be. The issue was that he didn't know how to tell time. He went to ask, but remembered the comments from before and stopped himself. He could ask someone else. He then glanced up at the other, showing he was done looking at it.

"You are only required to do three things each day. The morning sermons in The Church, the pack training afterward, and with me to the sacred waters, okay? Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are given in the dining hall; you don't need to show up and can just request food, but it's a good place to make friends." Now the other was sounding like he cared; was his empathy just an act? The man had pointed at each word and explained it, as well as the times and what everything said on the paper. He even went as far as to say the bells indicated time here. The first bell meant church was starting, the second bell, breakfast, third bed, training, forth bell was lunch, then the fifth bell was dinner. He knows he's messing up everything here, just being in the castle, but the other just needed to help him get his wolf back and he will be gone and never return. Even though he never really wants to leave, even with how scary it is. "Is there anything else you need from me?" The Lycan King asked. He stayed quiet, staring at the ground, before he raised his head to stare at the other with fire in his eyes.

"Don't....Call me a weak pup. I'm not weak, don't forget how you found me," he spoke. Though his voice was steady, he could hear the hurt in it. He then stood up, turned, and walked out the office. He went to walk and then stopped, not knowing where he was going, he turned to one of the guards standing outside the door. He looked down at the paper he had, and there was a name for the room he was going to stay in that was stated on it. He showed it to the guard.

"Could you please tell me how to get here?" He asked. The guard nodded and showed him the path and explained the turns and which stairs and what the room door looked like. He thanked him and turned to follow the other’s instructions. When he finally reached the fourth floor, he looked for the door. Apparently, it was a white door with a moon engraved on it. His eyes went to it, and he opened the door, looking around, finding no one on this floor at all. There were just guards at the stairs as he went up but none in the hallways. Huh. When he entered his room, the room was beautiful, bigger than any of the other rooms he had. The bed in the middle had curtains hanging over it just like in those princess books. There were two bookshelves on either side of the walls and a dresser and desk. There was also a door, which he guessed was for the bathroom. His suitcase was placed nicely on a chair in the corner of the room. The sun shone into the room and he cringed at it. Walking over, he shut the curtains, successfully making the entire room pitch black. He looked at his schedule. He glanced at a thing on his nightstand and saw numbers. Is that a clock? He moved over and started pressing buttons. It screamed at him. He shut it off and then noticed some instructions on the back of the clock. If only he could fucking read. He sighed, dejected. Whatever. He couldn't wait to be late. When the other explained the paper, he pointed at things to explain what it said and what it meant, so he took into account that he couldn't read but he didn't take into account that he couldn't read the time. Everyone said words like hours minutes and seconds, what’s the difference? He's not weak but he's ignorant, that's for sure. He explored the new room until his tiredness caught up to him. He entered his bed, closed his eyes and went to sleep.

 

He woke up to the sound of bells. Fuck. Was that the first one? Then he was already late. He quickly got up, looked through his suitcase, changed into the clothes it contained, and putting on his cloak. He freshed up as fast as he could in the bathroom to not be later. Running out of the room he quickly realized the one problem. Where's the church? He looked out the windows in the hallways to see if he saw anything. That's when he saw some movement and saw someone running across the snowy plains and heading towards a massive, slippery-looking staircase. The staircase went all the way up part of the mountain, the highest point. At the summit of the mountain, a church-like structure was visible. Geno stared at it. Well fuck him. So you needed to be up early to make the journey. Will he even be able to make it before it ends? Well, he has to try? He didn't have any shoes. Glancing down at his bandaged feet. Does he need to change any of those? Who knows. He sped ran down the hallways and down the stairs. A few guards moved out of his way and raised an eyebrow, and a few snickered at him. He ignored them. All he needed to do was try and get there in time. He got to the first floor and circled around the halls. He only knew how to get to the courtyard, so he took the time to ask a guard where the door to the outside was.

They motioned towards the door across the hall. He quickly made his way there and opened the door. It was a very strong door, so he almost couldn't open it. The cold air slapped him in the face. Right. He forgot about that. He made his way to where he saw the staircase. When he got their his feet and face were already so cold. He took a deep breath before he heard a loud noise.

"Fuck I'm so late!" A Lycan cried, her voice loud as she took the first step, glanced at him, and smiled. "Hello! You're late too? Let's do this together!" The Lycan reached out her hand to him and he was surprised by her kindness and he hesitantly gave her his hand. She sped walked him up the stairs. He slipped a few times but tried to keep up with her. She glanced down at him. "My name's Makaria! What's yours?" She asked, and he glanced down at his feet, trying to make sure he didn't slip again.

"Geno." He softly told her.

"I didn't think anyone was going to be as late as me, it makes me feel so much better." She exclaimed. He breathed heavily, not accustomed to the air being so thick. He felt like no matter how much he breathed, it wasn't enough. It was worse when he stepped on the icy steps; he could feel more pain in the parts of his feet that weren't bandaged, but he just ignored it to respond.

"Yeah, I…woke up late." He avoided his real reason. She giggled, taking a few deep breaths. They were only like a fourth of the way there.

"Ah, me too! Sucks! I hate how I can sleep through everything! My mate says it's a talent I have."

"Do you think we will make it?" He questioned her.

"Usually when they notice people missing, they go slower with it, and not if I can help it!" She declared while dragging him faster, which caused him to trip. This was it. This was how he died. A female Lycan dragging him up stupidly long step stairs. He was planning his funeral when she caught him and laughed.

"You got this! I haven't seen you around. You're new to the castle?" She steadied him and continued.

"Y-yeah, something like that." He took a deep breath, feeling the panic leave his bones as he tried to continue following her. This girl is incredibly energetic and a bit too wild. His ears, feet, and nose were now numb. He could feel the snow in his hair as he saw her boots she had with had spikes on the end of them. Oh. Thats smart. They were half way now. He couldn't tell how long it had been. "A-are we making good time?" She laughed out.

"Not at all!" She cheered, and he couldn't help but laugh out loud. "But it's fine, I can just use my puppy dog eyes and get us out of trouble!" She giggled, and he had no doubt she could get HERSELF out of trouble, but definitely not him. He knows exactly who will be scolding him.

"I-I've never been to these things." He took a few breaths, trying to catch oxygen that wasn't there as they got higher in the air. "What's it about?" He questioned. She huffed.

"Oh, some stupid story about the moon goddess, thats very exaggerated, and then we all pray and sometimes give offerings, but the main point is to pray to her to show you are devoted." She mocked it, and he had a feeling that if she said this in front of anyone else, she would get into trouble, and she probably got into trouble a lot anyway. When they got three-fourths of the way up, he fell down and waved her on.

"G-go on without me!" He took deep breaths, being super dramatic. "I-Tt's no use. Forget about me." He took more breaths, "I-I wasn't made for this world." He cried out, and she laughed loudly, reaching down to pull him up with impressive strength.

"Whoa, you're light!" She chimed and started making her way up the stairs while trying to support him.

"I-I'm being serious y-you really don't need to help me!" He stated that he felt his face light up, and she laughed, shaking her head in response.

"Nonsense! We are in this together! And we are going to make it together, goddess damnit!" He laughed and finally pushed him to to follow her lead and try even more. She cheered as he did and they held hands making there way up the stairs. When they reached the last step, he laid down, and she caught her breath on her knees.

"Well, that took you two way too long." A familiar voice spoke, and he glanced at Thanatos standing there with crossed arms. "Geno is understandable, but Makaria? How long have you been here for?" The man scolded her, and she looked up, as if she were going to cry.

"What do you mean? I told you to wake me up," She pouted, and Thanatos sighed. "I just wanted to help Geno."

"Yeah, I know I could hear you two all the way up the mountain screaming at each other. It's a staircase, not a death sentence." The man humored. Geno, still catching his breath on the floor, stared up at the moon, waiting for his death.

"Say that to my almost death sentence." He monotoned out.

"It's evil!" She screamed out, pointing at it as if it had killed her father. "No staircase needs to take ten minutes to fucking walk! And I ran up these!"

"Hey, no cursing here, you know the rules." Thanatos snapped and she whined. The Beta sighed and walked over, helping Geno up as he stumbled, and that's when she gasped.

"Geno, your feet!" She stated and he glanced down to see the bloody foot prints he had left all the way up the stairs from ripping his skin off the bottom of them. Whoa, the ice really did a number on them. Thanatos cursed and immediately picked him up bridal style. He yelped in surprise, and finally Thanatos walked to the door with Makaria behind him. The door opened. The Judge was in the front of the church, accompanied by another Lycan in a black robe that appeared more religious. Everyone's heads turned to him. Every single person in the castle is looking at him. He wanted to throw up. The Lycan King raised an eyebrow as Thanatos set him down on the closest bench and Makaria appeared behind him.

"Ah, so thats's what all that ruckus was. Makaria, how many times do I need to tell you to keep your voice down?" The priest, like Lycan, stated, and she glanced down sadly, being scolded. He heard a few whispers. 'The werewolf made it up the stairs?' 'How did he do himself?' 'No, he got help.' 'Still, he shouldn't have been able to get up them!' 'Even Makaria couldn't do it when she was one.' 'werewolves aren't allowed up here.'

"Silence! Let's continue." Geno tried to be quiet even when trying to breath heavily. Thanatos had found some bandages and re-bandaged his feet the best he could. He thanked the beta and bowed to him. He smiled and bowed back which made a few people gasp when they saw. Makaria sat next to him, and Thanatos sat next to her. They listened to it. He made sure to actually pay attention as the priest went over part of the story, though he didn't hear the beginning of the story. Basically, the creation of Lycans and what they were supposed to represent. Listening to the story, it was beautiful. He finally got the chance to check out the church he was in. It was a grey building with stained-glass windows everywhere. There was stained glass circle above the church and behind the priest definetly for the moon. Moon symbols are engraved everywhere, and those crystals. The floor looked like marble. The combination of white and silver made the entire room look beautiful. He knew that currently, he was in the highest place possible in the lands. He was as close to her as he could. Taking his time he looked up at the moon shining into the church, listening to the priest while watching her. When the sermon was over, The Judge walked in front.

"Thank you, priest Hades, now let us commence the prayer." Everyone stood up and kneeled down. So did The Judge who turned themselves to the moon. He followed what everyone else did, standing up, but flinching hard from the ache in his feet. Everyone closed their eyes. He glanced at Makaria.

"What am I supposed to do?" He whispered, and she opened one of her eyes before whispering back.

"Close your eyes and focus on the moon, pray either a thank you or some kind of wish. Whatever you want, I'm gonna say I wish I could get the red platforms I really want. Or you can admit something you did." He almost laughed, but caught himself as he noticed The Judge glare at them. He closed his eyes and joined his hands together like everyone else. He thought about the moon and cleared his head. How does he think about the moon? Does he imagine her, or does he remember her voice? He took a deep breath and went to her comforting voice; he heard in his head how it felt, and he prayed.

Thank you for being there. It was unfair, and I still am not okay. But thank you for not abandoning me. I…forgive you.

He didn't know if he did it right or not. It was silent until gasps and a few people whispering. He opened his eyes, confused to find the spot he was sitting on the ground glowing blue. The moon was shining down on him. The priest stood there in disbelief before he looked as though he was going to cry. The grounds slowly stopped glowing, and he stood up, confused, while everyone was watching him in shock. The priest ran up to him.

"Oh my goddess! Thank you -what's your name!" The priest asked, grabbing his hands. He cleared his throat.

"G-Geno." He stated, and the priest nodded, full of so much joy.

"Geno… The moon goddess loved your prayer; it was pure and sincere. Those usually don't happen. I've never seen it; I've only been told about it in the past. I thank you for whatever you said! If you don't mind, would you share with the group?" The priest had dragged Geno onto the stage. He swallowed and stared at all the people staring at him, waiting for him to answer. If he answers, then they are going to ask for clarification, and then him being a luna will be revealed. He also didn't really like the idea of everyone knowing one of his most vulnerable parts of himself. He had started to work himself up in stress before The Lycan King interrupted them.

"Now, let's not ask anyone to admit anything they don't want to. Geno, you may sit back down if you want." He blinked and nodded, putting his head down in submission and running away to his chair. He took a few breaths of relief as everyone was still kind of looking at him, until The Judge started to speak in front of them, demanding everyone's attention, pulling it off of him.

"Dude, that was so cool!" Makaria almost shouted, and he chuckled nervously, shrugging. He really didn't know what he did. He knew the moon is just showing her gratitude to his response to her, but she really needs to stop accidentally causing him more stress. With that, church was done with some finishing sentence from The Lycan King. He stood up, flinching at his feet again. He didn't get far before someone swooped in and held him bridal style again.

"Nope!" Thanatos smiled at him, and he blinked and tried to get out of his grasp.

"Let me go B-Beta!" He stated, feeling his face get red, the Lycan shook his head. He walked out of the church with everyone watching as he made his way down the stairs.

"No, you need to go to the Salutary!" The Lycan sang, and he glared.

"No, I don't, I'm fine!" He stated.

"Yeah, your blood on these stairs, I almost just slipped on, really sells that." He had a point.

"Why did you not have shoes on, Geno?" Makaria asked behind Thanatos. Geno looked back down at his hands.

"I don't have any," He stated, and Thanatos shook his head,

"Thats a lie, I gave you some with your size upon the king's request." Thanatos stated. The Judge requested that he get shoes?

"I left those in the salutary's room." He mumbled. Thanatos's eyebrows furrowed.

"The salutary room?-Oh- Med bay gotcha, well let me get you those and bring you to get a check up from the Salutary!" He groaned, and the lycan laughed. Makaria hummed.

"Is there a reason you aren't healing?" She queried.

"He's still a pup," Thanatos explained. The surprised look on her face almost made him laugh.

"Oh! Really!?!" She marveled. He nodded,

"I get my wolf this year," he lied. Thanatos's hands squeezed him. He wasn't entirely lying, so the other didn't have a reason to call him out. They made their way down the stairs with Makaria asking question after question: 'Are you a born werewolf?' Yes. How old was he? 17. Did he have a favorite food? Pancakes, he guesses? How do you know your wolf is female? The false king told him. Does he have a favorite hobby? Reading, though he wasn't good at it. When they made it down the stairs, Thanatos spoke.

"Makaria, let him breathe, let's get him to the Salutary, then you can ask your questions." She pouted and crossed her arms. He laughed at her, and Thanatos also chuckled. When they got into the castle, he was shivering and definitely getting way too cold.

"Oh, I remember how cold I was when I was a werewolf." He's not an idiot and can put two and two together.

"Thanatos, your mate is very energetic." He muttered. Thanatos laughed and nodded.

“She's always been a lot. She's only a year older than you." He stated, nodding as they made their way in the hallways and to the saltuary. When they arrived, a female saltuary was sitting at a desk with a clipboard. She raised an eyebrow.

"Back so soon, huh?" She commented on him as Thanatos placed him down on one of the beds. She moved and smiled at him before kneeling to examine the bandages. Replacing all of them. His hands no longer needed them, but his knees and feet still did. As he has opened some on his knees too when he fell on the stairs.

"Were there any shoes left here?" Thanatos asked, and she nodded, pulling out the white boots with spikes on the bottom for him. Thanatos thanked her and handed the shoes to him.

"If you go outside, please just wear them. I'm going to go cancel your training. Let me go inform the Alpha." He nodded, and Thanatos left. The salutary told him what to do to help them heal, as his healing was extremely slow, slower than that of a typical pup. She seemed so puzzled, but he knew the real reason. The salutary was then called, saying she had to leave because an emergency had happened. She left quickly, leaving just him and Makaria. She was staring at him with a very serious expression before her eyes narrowed.

"So are you like a spy or something?" She accused nonchalantly with an almost bored tone. He blinked and looked at her like she was crazy.

"What? No! Spy for whom?" He questioned. Was she joking?

"Spy for the king." She was serious. He was truly at a loss for words.

"I've had like three conversations with that man." He stated. She raised an eyebrow, trying to figure him out. He took a deep breath. Perhaps having one person know won't be a problem.

"I lost my wolf." He stated, and she looked surprised.

"To get her back, I needed the sacred water here. The Ju-The Lycan King was asked to do that for me." He explained, and she stared at him, trying to decide if he was telling the truth. He averted his eyes, and she narrowed hers.

"You're hiding something. Why would the king make such a request for an omega pup?" She stood up, got threatening, grabbed his collar, and he squeaked as she pulled him close. "I love my life here. I love everyone here. If you even think about hurt-"

"I'm a luna!" He cried out, and she let him go, her eyes widening.

"Huh? Y-you can't expect me to believe th-"

"I rode in the carriage from the king's palace here with the Lycan King. I was one of the four Luna pups found in the camp, which I think you've heard of. I lost my wolf cause of the amount of wolvesbane I was forced to take while there. We got attacked on the way here, and the Lycan King told me not to tell anyone I was a Luna, so could you please keep it a secret-" He didn't even get to finish before she hugged him. She was crying.

"I'm so sorry! I shouldn't have accused you- I made you say unnecessary stuff." She let go and got on her knees, bowing her head. He looked at her in horror and shook his hands, face exploding at the attention he was getting. "I'm sorry for disrespecting you, Luna. Please forgive me. You have been through so much-" Thanatos walked in and blinked at the scene before him. He burst out laughing.

"Thanatos, stop laughing! Make her stop!" He cried out as Makaria continued, and Thanatos laughed more.

"It's not her fault when someone in a higher role than her admits it, she needs to apologize for being rude and bow. You need to accept her apology, or she can't move." Thanatos stated, and he blinked at him before looking down at her.

"I forgive you, please just talk to me like before." He begged, and she stood up and hugged him again.

"Thanatos, why didn't you tell me! He's just a baby! It's so sad!" She cried, and Thanatos sighed, then walked over and yanked her by the collar, holding her in the air.

"Maybe because we were BOTH," Thanatos sent a glare towards him, "told to keep it a secret so he will be more protected." The man stated this, and she shook her head, bringing her hands up as if in prayer.

"I swear to the moon goddess herself I will not tell anyone Geno is a Luna before he is ready." She stated, and a glow went through the room, and Thanatos hummed.

"Well, that was reckless. You'd better stay by that promise, or you know what will happen."

"What do you mean?" Geno asked, and Thanatos glanced at him.

"Swears to the moon goddess are serious here, and as you saw that glow, that means she accepted it, and so if she breaks that rule, she could be disrespecting the moon goddess herself, and it's a pretty bad thing if you do." He felt panic hit him.

"Makaria, you did not need to do that!" He shot out, and she smiled.

"It's the only thing I can do, with forcing you to admit you were a Luna. Though you really folded fast." She said it with judgment, and he felt his face light up. He put his head down and started messing with his hands.

"...I don't like lying…and I wanted a friend…I was scared you weren't going to be my friend if I didn't tell you…" He shied away. Makaria's eyes filled with tears, and she
turned to Thanatos with begging eyes.

"No." Thanatos shot out. She threw a fit, bringing her arms down and stomping her foot.

"WHY? Why not!" She cried out.

"No, Makaria, I can't give you Geno." Thanatos lifelessly stated. She pouted more.

"But he's so cute! I can't help but want to protect him." Thanatos sighed and brought his hands up to his forehead. Geno didn't really understand, maybe it was a couple thing, so he ignored them.

"Oh, by the way, Geno, the Alpha agreed to let you rest. You should come back every day to the salutary until she says you're good enough to train. Then you can join the training." He nodded, thinking back to the Alpha. He seemed nice and all, but he definitely treats him like something that will break in a second, and in the Alpha's defense, he has broken like twenty times since he met him. His body is weak, but he is not. He just needs help making it better. The second bell rang, breaking his thoughts and their argument. They both spoke before walking up to him.

"You want to go eat food with us, Geno?" Makaria asked, and he looked at Thanatos, who smiled, and he nodded. He stood up, flinching with pain, and Thanatos moved to pick him up. He glared and put a hand between them.

"Let me walk." He scolded, and Thanatos brought his hands up in surrender. He slowly followed after them as they strolled in front of him. He watched them interact; yeah, they are definitely mates. He now sees how perfect mates are. It really seems as if they are made for each other. They went down to the ground floor, as the med bay was on the second floor, and found the dining hall. Opening the door, he walked in. There were numerous round tables throughout, and everyone was eating. There was a small line in front of a kitchen with multiple people serving food to everyone. He ignored his feet and walked with purpose, not limping anymore. He wasn't weak. As he got further into the room, people noticed him. Walking with Thanatos and Makaria.
Whispers started immediately. 'I hear he got all the way up to the top of the stairs while running in ten minutes.' 'Thats crazy, there's no way a werewolf can do that.' 'A Lycan helped him. Makaria.' 'Not as impressive but still..' 'Did you see those blood prints on the stairs?' 'I heard he's the first werewolf to get a response from the goddess herself in the temple, the priest even cried.' He tried to block them out. Thanatos turned to him and smiled, and Geno bowed slightly to try to get the image of him as an omega out. What he didn't expect was for Thanatos to bow back, making everyone gasp. Makaria slapped his arm and turned, rolling her eyes at his stupidity.

"What? What did I do?" He asked her, and Geno basically was smashing his own face in his head. He took a deep breath and sighed. Following them, they retrieved food from the kitchen staff and moved to an empty table in the corner. He sat with the other two. He realized he had forgotten to grab cutlery, so he excused himself and made his way back to the kitchen. Grabbing a fork, spoon, and knife, he held them and turned, almost running into a girl.

"Watch it, werewolf." The girl sneered and pushed past him, making him almost fall over, but he caught himself before he basically ran to the table. He didn't care much; he just wanted to get some food. He sat down with Thanatos and Makaria. Makaria stared off before nudging him slightly.

"Be careful near that one. She will give you trouble; stay out of her way." She gave him advice, and Thanatos hummed in agreement while shoveling food in his mouth like a slob. Geno gave him a disgusted look. Thanatos noticed and blinked, confused.

"Hwhath?" The Lycan said with a mouth full of food. He sighed, and Makaria laughed out loud, now just noticing how much food was in his mouth, and of course, the milk she was drinking spilled out of her nose. Match made in heaven. He shook his head, unable to hide his smile. At the same time, Makaria panicked to clean it, and Thanatos started choking on his food from laughing so hard, resulting in Makaria performing the Heimlich maneuver. He covered his face, not wanting to be associated with the two, as everyone watched with judgment. He can tell these two are highly respected people, but also idiots. The two quickly went back to eating next to him, bickering with each other, while he ate his food in silence and focused, trying his hardest to eat it all. It was a small portion in general, but he always has a hard time eating a lot, and he knows he needs to gain more weight; otherwise, he will never grow.

"Hey Thanatos, I've been wondering something for a while. Why did I pass out when I went through the gate?" He asked, and Thanatos finished swallowing some of his food.

"Well, the gate is magical and designed to keep one thing out. The moon goddess did it after the gate was built. You know the original story, right? That originally the goddess made wolves but the wolves got hunted too much by humans she took pity upon us and made them Lycan's. Well, the barrier is supposed to keep our enemy out, humans. His highness believes it saw you as a threat because of your wolf being dead." Thanatos informed. He looked down at his food. So she really was dead. He hadn't known for sure, but the dreadful feeling after seeing that white wolf lying there, lifeless. Thanatos finished his food, and Makaria was nearing the end, while he continued to pick at his food, trying to gain the strength to eat it.

"I'm glad to see you've been wearing the cloak. We wear them to honor our ancestors and Grim, who wore them. Female Lycans wore white cloaks, and male Lycans wore black." Thanatos explained, and he nodded. Lycans started to leave the dining hall.

"I always hated wearing it," Makaria grumbled. "Doesn't go with anything! How am I supposed to style it?" Thanatos rolled his eyes, and Geno laughed. Makaria held the cape up. "And why are the white cloaks more fluffy?? I see your black ones, they are like silk!" She cried out, and Thanatos sighed.

"You can ask for silk ones if you want." He explained, and she slammed her hands on the table.

"Thanatos! How long have I been here and complained about it, and you didn't think to TELL ME ABOUT THAT?" She yelled at him.

"I LEGIT TOLD YOU, YOU JUST DON'T LISTEN!" He shot out at her. They continued to argue while he ate, ignoring them. He didn't think he would get so annoyed by couples, but he does. He's a third wheel. After a while, Thanatos turned to him.

"Training is about to start, so I'll be taking Makaria with me. Enjoy your breakfast, Geno. And by the way, the library is on the second floor." Thanatos winked at him before bowing in respect. Geno nodded with a fake smile as the two got up and left, leaving him in the room by himself. He sighed and decided to just throw the rest of the food away. He ate a good portion of it. Hopefully it was enough. He didn't really know what a normal portion was. The amount of food Thanatos ate was horrifying. And Makaria ate twice as much as the Luna did, and actually finished. He walked out the door and started walking along the hall. The moon shone in. The moon really is everywhere here. Back in the camps and King's Castle, she was hidden a few times, but here she seems to be almost on display. He turned down a hallway, finding a maid with her head down, as the girl from earlier that snapped at him in the dining hall was standing in front of her with her arms crossed. Two other female Lycans were behind her, backing her up.

"This is fucking unacceptable. What do you mean that the room is taken? That room has been empty for decades!" She snapped, and he didn't know if he should just walk around her or… wait here? The maid flinched.

"I'm sorry, the room is currently occupied per the Alpha's request." The maid stood with her head fully down.

"Don't you put it on the alpha! No one is allowed that room! Who is occupying it!" She screamed again at the maid.

"I'm not allowed to inform you-" The Lycan smacked her head, causing the maid to fall to the ground. He flinched and couldn't help his legs shoot forward. Running towards the maid, he stood in front of her with a glare at her. The woman's eyes widened slightly before glaring harshly at him.

"And what do you think you are doing? This is a private conversation!" The Lycan snapped. He closed his eyes and shook his head.

"I believe there are ways to solve this problem without hurting anyone."

"How dare a mere omega tell me what to do!" She snapped, and he also kept his head down, even if he didn't want to. He needed to play the part. The bell rang, and she cursed.

"You two just made me late for training! If I catch you ever sticking your dirty nose in my business again, werewolf, you will regret it." She spat venom and shot away with the other two running to get to training. Even if she hadn't stepped in, she would have caused this entire conflict; her own actions had led to her being late. He turned to the maid on the ground, holding her cheek. He bent down as she still avoided his gaze.

"Are you alright?" He asked her, and she glanced up at him. Before she put her head down and nodded.

"Can I see the wound?" She looked up, surprised, and let go of her face, and he glanced at how red it was. "You definitely need to put ice on it." He stated. She nodded before swallowing.

"Thank you…you did not need to step in, sir." She kept her head down. He couldn't tell if she knew he was a Luna or if she was just like that. He laughed and shook his head.

"I don't stand for unnecessary violence. I also find this whole role system stupid." She looked up at him in shock.

"Do you need help standing up?" She went to respond, but was cut off.

"Tanada. What are you doing here? Get back to cleaning." He turned to the new voice. Tanada stood up and bowed. "Yes." She bowed slightly before running. An older-looking maid was standing in the hallway with her arms crossed. She glanced at him, and she bowed slightly.

"It's in your interests to best ignore us, Luna." He made a confused face. He then glanced outside before looking back at the maid, swallowing, feeling a pit in his stomach.

"Is this how it's always been?" He muttered, and the older maid sighed, her face falling into a sad smile.

"Such a gentle soul. Yet you've seen such horrors. Confused child. Don't sacrifice yourself for someone who can never repay you." The maid scolded, and he was taken aback before glaring and shaking his head.

"That's exactly why you should do it. I don't need repayment. Not every conversation needs to be an exchange." He voiced his words, and the maid stood there watching him, smiling before turning around and walking away. He was confused. She walked away, and he stood there. What just happened? Lycans are too weird. He walked down the hallway like he was trying to do from the beginning, trying to make it to the stairs. Did he know where they were? No, but if he keeps walking down all the hallways, he will be bound to find them. And he was right as the stairs came into view. He thought about what that she-Lycan said, and he couldn't help but laugh. If she thinks she can do anything to hurt him. It's comical that she believes she could try. He doesn't think she would be as creative as the masked man. Her fire can't burn someone who's been to hell and back. Going up the stairs, he reached the hallway. He decided he could just open every door to find the library, as everyone was training and leaving no guards for him to ask.

The first few doors were storage rooms, the next was the medical bay, and the next was some type of quarters. Lots of doors were locked. When he reached some double doors, he was worried about opening them because most double doors led to an office. But these look different from the double doors that led to The Lycan King's office. He grabbed the handles and opened it, and audibly gasped. He found it. It was truly larger than the King's library. He slowly walked in, looking up. The entire ceiling was covered in a lovely stained glass of the moon goddess. He ventured in and started exploring the whole room. It had an upstairs. While he explored, he discovered where the children's books were located. He also discovered that most of the very old books were located upstairs. He had made his way up there and found old maps hanging on the walls, but he couldn't read them because they weren't in the language he was learning to read.

This was a different language. Did the Lycans have a different language? It would only make sense. He stood in front of it and noticed some more books he opened a few of them and then put them away. Dust was everywhere. No one reads these. He walked downstairs, went to the kids' books, brought them to one of the tables, and tried to teach himself. He actually got further and started being able to read the children's books. He read more children's books, learning a ton of fairy tales. The words were simple. Which made it easier. He read in the room until a bell rang, and he stood up. Lunch had started. Putting the books back, he left the library and limped his way downstairs. And to the lunchroom. He arrived late, and almost everyone was here when he glanced around. Everyone also glanced at him. Thanatos was sitting with The Judge and Azrael. Makaria and a girl he had never seen before were all sitting there. He swallowed and made his way to get food. As he got food, he turned and didn't really know where to sit until he saw an empty table; he went to sit there.

"Geno! Over here!" Makaria yelled out to him, and he turned to look at her. He saw Thanatos smiling, but the others didn't seem particularly joyful about him joining. However, they weren't telling him no, so he made his way over. He bowed to them and took a seat. He felt nervous. Having to play up as an omega was rough. Makaria smiled.

"How are you, Geno? What were you doing?" She chimmed.

"Reading." He stated.

"Oh, you can read now?" Azrael shot out, and he didn't respond while Thanatos kicked him.

"Oh, that's fun. I never really got into reading. Though training was very fun! I love getting to hit Thanatos!" Makaria chimed.

"Crazy bitch." Thanatos muttered under his breath, and Makaria kicked him. A woman was sitting across from him. "Oh, Geno, this is Eris, my sister. She's our Delta," Thanatos stated, and she didn't even look at him, clearly not caring about his presence. He averted his eyes and focused on eating in silence as Makaria and Thanatos started fighting next to him. He sighed.

"Heard you got hurt." The voice spoke to his right, and he glanced up to the Lycan King, who was eating and also reading. Could he do that? He nodded, putting his head down. "Be more careful." The other stated, and he nodded.

"Yes, Alpha." He replied. Everything was calm, with mostly Thanatos and Makaria running the conversation and Azrael's harsh comments here and there. Until a girl walked up. The same one bullying the maid, she smiled.

"I greet the Alpha." She bowed, manners perfectly.

"You may raise your head." The girl then sat next to him, and he moved immediately away, closer to Makaria. She glanced at him.

"Who's this?" She asked, motioning towards him.

"Geno, an omega from the false King," Thanatos stated. The Lycan hummed, and she turned to him.

"Hello, my name is Keres, Azrael's sister." Of course, sounds about right. He nodded. Her eyes narrowed. "Very disrespectful." She commented and he bowed.

"Sorry. I don't know your role." He apologized, and she smiled.

"I'm the second Gamma." She sweetly commented.

"In training," Thanatos commented, and she shot a glare at him. He then made a confused face and glanced at Thanatos, confused. What does he do with in training individuals. Thanatos sighed."In training is lower than the actual rank, so Azrael would be higher than her, but she is still a Gamma in training, just not a Gamma yet." He nodded. He was starting to feel suffocated in here. He tried to ignore it. If he ate faster, he could simply return to the library.

"So, Geno, are you the false king's pet?" He made a confused face. What did that mean?

"What's a pet?" He asked, but his mouth was covered by Thanatos' hand.

"No he's not, the False King ask for a request and we are fulfilling it. He will be heading back to the castle once he accomplishes it. That is all there is to it." Keres' eyes narrowed before she smiled at him. He could tell she was trying to pick at him, but he didn't really care. Turning back to his apathy, he grabbed his food and started to eat.

"What does he need to accomplish?" She questioned.

"That's a private matter between me and the False king, Miss Fenrir." The Lycan King stated. She flinched and bowed her head.

"Yes, of course, my king." She side-eyed him, and he ate more quickly. Get him the fuck out of here. He missed his fairy tales. She put a hand under her chin, and he was ready for her.

"So were you a servant in your pack or a slave?" The silence filled the table, and Thanatos went to speak, but the alpha stopped him. Geno hummed, thinking. His position back at the castle. And before.

"I guess, yeah, I used to be a slave, but not anymore."

"Oh, really? How was that like?" She humored, and he responded quickly.

"An ocean." He stated this while taking another bite of food.

"Huh?" She chuckled, confused.

"It was like being in an ocean with no land around." He explained and Makaria was squeezing her hands under the table and looking like she was going to shoot across and kill Keres.

"Sounds horrible." She stated with a smile, and he smiled and turned to her.

"Yeah, but it taught me essential parts of life that most people don't know." The others wouldn't know of his stab at her, other than her and him. He turned back to his food. She didn't respond.

"Why didn't I see you at training if you are staying here?" She asked.

"He's still recovering from his injury," Thanatos spoke.

"He doesn't seem hurt." She commented. Azrael nodded in agreement. Makaria growled.

"I mean, you both walked over his blood earlier, so I would assume you both would have some common sense." She snapped, and Azrael glared at her. He sighed, decided he finished his food, and grabbed it, standing up to leave. Makaria stood up too and followed after him. He dumped it and walked out. When they shut the door behind her, Makaria couldn't stop herself.

"She's such a fucking bitch." She snapped, and he sighed and walked as she followed. "She acts so goody goody in front of the alpha while making such backhanded comments." She growled and she huffed. "She was the same way with me when I first arrived before I got turned, then she tried to be friends with me, and I told her to go fuck herself." She grumbled. He sighed and turned to her.

"It's not just her. You and Thanatos need to not fight my battles for me. I'm not weak, Makaria. Please don't look down on me." He shot out, and she looked surprised. He turned and walked away, heading up the stairs, and aiming for the library. When he arrived, he resumed reading. He wanted to improve his reading skills. He went through more of the children's books, and he ended up with a book that explained how to write the alphabet. He was surprised by it, and then he noticed the papers and pens already on the table. He grabbed it and began experimenting with the pen and paper, learning how to write the alphabet. He followed the directions in the book. They looked horrible. So he tried again. He was able to understand the directions more. Mainly because they had diagrams. It never quite looked the way he wanted it to. He continued to do this until his hand grew tired, then he returned to the books, going back and forth. He had no idea how long he was in there until the bell rang for dinner. He ignored it. He didn't really want to sit at the table and deal with the drama. So he just decided to skip dinner. He didn't know how to get food to his room either. He had stacks of papers and books all around him that almost hid him. The door to the library opened, and he heard a laugh. He looked up from the books and saw Thanatos standing there with food. He walked over and smiled.

"You've really gotten into reading, huh?" The other commented as a joke, bringing the food to him. The beta placed the food on one of the empty areas on the table for him, along with some water. He looked up at him. Thatantos' eyes went to the paper, and he raised an eyebrow.

"Thought you didn't want to learn writing?" The other asked, and he shrugged. Thanatos studied him before sighing.

"I came to apologize, Luna, for both of us. We shouldn't try to protect you; we need to give you a chance to do it first." The Lycan stated, and he stared at him before turning his face away.

"I'm sorry for being snappy; you guys don't deserve that." He muttered. Thanatos shook his head.

"Don't worry about it, neither of us are upset or mad at you; we are more mad at ourselves. Anyway, I'll get out of your fur so you can continue to read. If there are any words you don't understand, you can always ask me!" Thanatos bowed and turned to walk out of the library. Geno glanced at the food; Thanatos had gotten him the same food he had before, but in a bigger portion than before. He moved the papers and books out of the way. Then grabbed the food and ate while reading at the same time. He didn't even notice while reading the kids' book; he had eaten all the food, unlike before. He continued to read multiple different children's books, getting faster at it. There were many lessons to learn from these books. There were even Lycans for kids, an entire history of Lycans and werewolves, including their customs and the reasons behind certain behaviors. The 200-year war between Lycans and werewolves. Learning a lot about the species. Lycans were very magical and, in a way, more animalistic than werewolves. Instead of aggression and sexual desire, they were more focused and connected to nature. They are the care and motherly protection animals hold. The need for connection and the strength that comes with numbers. Lycans were originally prey before they became predators. He was in the library for a while until he realized he was forgetting something. The meeting with the alpha. How could he forget that? He's so stupid! He ran and put the books back, but he didn't know what to do with the paper and pens, so he placed them on the library table. He then ran out of the library, seeing that the moon was pretty far in the sky and was definitely about to set soon. Shoot.

He ran towards the floor his office was on and made his way to The Lycan King's office. When he got there, the guards opened the door for him, expecting him. He didn't even get to enter the office before the alpha walked past him aggressively. He flinched back as The Judge walked down the hall. He looked after the other before running after him. They walked in silence, and Geno was getting progressively nervous. He had left the alpha waiting. He had no idea how long. While they made their way down to the first floor, the other finally spoke. The other walked so fast he was basically chasing the other, which hurt his feet.

"You were late." The man finally spoke, and he swallowed. He continued to run after the other.

"I-I'm sor-" He tried to apologize, and the other snapped at him.

"If this was because of yesterday, I warn you not to invoke my wrath." He shook his head.

"I-no! I didn't do it-" He tried to defend himself again, and the other spoke over him again. He almost tripped while chasing him.

"I even gave you a paper with the times on it to be here." The alpha deep voice may not sound aggressive, but it was mixed with apathy, disappointment, and dominance.

"I don't know the time!" He cried out, and the other finally stopped walking. He bumped into the other, not expecting him to stop. The Judge turned to him, and he felt his face lit up.

"You said something about meeting at 5am? I don't know what that is." He muttered. The alpha stared at him before speaking.

"You didn't ask for clarification." The other pointed out his wrongdoing.

"You are hard to talk to." Geno snapped back.

"Then ask Thanatos-don't waste my time." The other lashed.

"Can you be at least a little nice to me?" He complained. The Judge took another step forward, and he took a step back as the other approached him.

"'Nice'? I have been more than 'nice'. I've let you in my pack, let you in my house. I feed you and give you so many privileges, just so you can get your wolf back, as a favor. The least you can do is show up on time and work on the one thing you are here to do." The Judge growled. He flinched and he glared.

"I didn't ask for any of that! I just want my wolf back!" He almost yelled. The other got close to his face.

"Then show it." The Lycan King huffed, turning around, and he followed in silence, thinking about the lecture in his head. His hands were squeezing; he wasn't strong enough. He couldn't debate with the other cause he was right. He followed the other person to the door leading outside. Opening the door, he followed and realized he hadn't put on any shoes. Oh well. He limped after the other on the cold, slippery ground. The other led him to the stairs again. He looked up the death trap again. But what he didn't expect was for The Judge to turn around and pick him up.

"Hey!" He yelled out as the other held him, bridal-style, and he stared up at the other, his eyes widened. He still couldn't see the other person very clearly, except for their blue eyes and black hair. Their eyes stared at each other. Geno caught his breath. The Judge turned their gaze to the stairs before walking up them, and Geno felt his face flush, and he turned to look away; this was embarrassing. His eyes went to the noticeable, still-red stains on the stairs from where he had walked initially.

"Why was everyone shocked when I got up there?" He asked.

"A werewolf can not climb these stairs; they are made to break a werewolf's spirit." The Lycan King stated.

"And you expected me to climb them?" He accused, locking eyes with the other again, glaring. The other eyes had an apathetic look, as if they didn't care for him.

"You said it yourself, you aren't weak. And you did it, didn't you?" The other pointed out, and he didn't respond, turning his face away from the other. Grumbling to himself, as there was no point in arguing with the alpha. The Judge walked up the stairs like it was nothing while holding him. Geno had a hard time catching his breath, even with the other carrying him. He felt like he just couldn't get oxygen in his throat. He looked up at the moon glowing down at them.

"What's the point… she's fully dead, there's no way she can be brought back if she died right?" He asked, and the alpha seemed to tense up.

"She isn't dead. If she were you would've died entering my pack. She protected you, proving she was still somewhere in you. You even have a part of her to show for it." The other clarified. He made a confused face and looked at the other.

"What part?" The Lycan laughed.

"You think your eye just magically healed itself? Your wolf asked the moon goddess herself to help save your eye, that's her eye. Probably why she's almost dead. She sacrificed herself for you." He was shocked. Was she watching over him this entire time? He felt some pain and guilt hit him. He needed to get her back and repay her for all she had done for him. The Lycan King had gotten up the stairs so fast, and they made it to the top very quickly. The other gently let him go to the ground. He stood on the snow, glancing at the other. The Judge stared at him.

"You are…very light. I'm going to have the Salutary put you on a diet to make you gain weight." He commanded before turning and walking toward the church door.

"What, why?" He complained after following the other. The Lycan opened the door for him.

"Because if your body is not strong enough to shift, you will not shift and be stuck in a semi shift, and that could be a problem, and it's excruciating for both of you." Geno walked in and huffed as the other led him to the back of the church. He followed after Lycan. The Judge went to a wall behind the podium they used. Bringing his hand up to the door, it unlocked under his hand, glowing blue. Geno stared at it, watching in awe as the other made a door basically appear out of nothing and open in front of him. The Lycan turned to look at him, and Geno swallowed and took a few steps to follow him. The door led to stairs that descended endlessly. The walls turned to stone, and the darkness deepened. He started to get nervous, as the last time he was in a place like this, he knew how it had ended, following the others' black cloak. He stared off at the other and didn't watch his footing on the steep steps, slipping. Falling forward, he let out a yelp, but was soon caught. The Lycan steadied him. His arms, which had been holding him, slowly let go.

"Careful there." He warned. Geno moved away, feeling his face light up again.

"I didn't need your help." He muttered, looking away. The Lycan King turned away and continued to walk down the steps.

"Keep lying to yourself if it makes you feel better, pup." The King chimed, and he felt his face turn even redder. He stared as the other person walked down, and he finally started to follow, actually watching his footing now. They made their way down the stairs until they began to pass through a cavern-like cave. Embedded into the rock walls were those glowing moon crystals. They both reached the end, turning down the hall, and he looked upon the beautiful room. Ancient-looking columns lined the room, with intricate designs on the walls filled with elaborate carvings. It had a hole in the ceiling, letting the moon shine down into the light blue water that filled the room. There was a small waterfall spilling more of the light blue water. White flowers filled the water laying on top of it. He couldn't help but stare in awe at something so magical. It was as if the moon were making the water.

"Now this water isn't to be used carelessly. It is very dangerous." The King stated. He glanced at the other, confused.

"What do you mean?" He asked, and The Judge walked over to the water, standing on the edge of the big pond.

"The water will activate your wolf side, which can be hard to withstand and painful, so we will need to go slow, like putting your hand or foot in first. Then we can proceed slowly until you are fully submerged. Then you can start trying to heal your wolf fully submerged." The Lycan King clarified. He stared at the water and took a step forward. He walked to the edge of the pond. The Lycan stood nearby. Geno pulled his cloak off as it got in the way, neatly folding it and placing it on the floor before he kneeled next to the edge. He stared at the beautiful moon water. He glanced at the other. The Judge motioned him to do it.
"It doesn't work unless the moon goddess is out so we don't have all night." The Lycan hurried him. Geno turned back towards the water, staring at it before hesitantly bringing his hand down to it. He slowly engulfed his hand. He let out a soft gasp. This feeling. It was something he had never felt before. The other was right, it was almost painful. It was slowly coursing through his body, as if he had become the water. He stared at his hand in the water. His reflection didn't look like him. Staring back at him was a white wolf. She looked dead. His eyes widened, and a longing feeling filled his chest. This wasn't enough. It won't work unless he's entirely in it.
He pulled his hand out aggressively, even though he was longing to keep it there forever. He took a few steps away and brought his hands up to his shirt, yanking it off. He then reached for his pants.

"What are you-" He yanked them off, leaving himself bare, then he walked over to the water and swallowed. "Wait!" He jumped in. He was engulfed by the water. He didn't really know how to swim, so he started to sink, but he didn't even panic or fight. The pull in the water was so strong it was calling him. Taking him. He didn't want to ever leave; he wanted to stay here forever. He almost did until an arm grabbed him. Yank him hard, and he was pulled up from the water. He gasped for breath as his head broke through the water, his eyes meeting blue eyes and a face he had never seen before. He realized the other had taken their cloak off.
"You idiot!" The other shouted. But he didn't even care as he was entranced by his face. Their face was masculine yet feminine, with black, fluffy hair that cradled their face and neck, and blue eyes that glowed. Ash skin, he looked godly. The King was beautiful. He felt his face heat up slightly. "That could've killed you! Are you insane? You disregard my warning, so recklessly!" The Judge exploded. He actually seemed very angry. Geno felt a surge of emotions run through his body, the connection still hitting him hard in the water.

"I want her back!" He screamed out; he had never yelled this loud before, feeling tears go down his face. The other stared at him, "You will never understand that! I didn't even get her! I lost a part of me I never met. I feel so…EMPTY." He yelled out. The other yanked him up from the water and held him. He was shocked by the gesture of comfort. There was silence before the other spoke.

"You will get her back, but you won't get her back if you kill yourself in the process. Please be more careful." He swallowed and nodded as more tears went down his face. The other sighed. "When it comes to doing a full body emerge, which we need you to. You need someone to be here to push you under the water, then bring you back up, or you will be lost to it all. We try to do it for as long as we can, as you can actually breathe in this water. When you get pushed in the water, focus on your wolf, what she looks like, what she will be like. The pond can heal anything the user wants it to; you need to tell it what you want." Geno nodded, taking a few breaths. The Judge looked at his crying face and moved so Geno could hold himself on the ledge of the water.

"I'll give you some time to compose yourself before we start. I will hold you down there until the moon goes down. If you need me to stop, hit my hand three times. Inform me when you are ready." The other turned and walked away, then turned around to face away from him. Seems the other also needed to compose himself. That's when Geno noticed the others' clothes and hair were wet. Did he…have to jump in after him? He felt shame hit him. His face lit up as he looked down.

"I'm sorry." He whispered, feeling more tears go down his face. The King refused to look at him, still giving him privacy.

"That's not an 'im ready'. I don't need an apology. I need you to walk your talk. You decided randomly to jump, which would've been great, if you were already running, but you hadn't even started walking yet. You missed your aim. Don't focus on anything else, just work on getting her back; she's waiting for you." He swallowed and brought his hands up to wipe away his tears, feeling determination fill him. He was right. She was waiting for him; he shouldn't leave her waiting any longer. He took a minute to calm down fully before informing the other. Though the last time he was in water wasn't a very joyous situation.

"I'm ready." The King turned and walked over before sitting down on the edge, bringing one arm to his hair and the other to his arm on the ledge. He brought his hand up to stop the other before they continued, and they paused. Geno stared up at the other meeting his eyes "Be gentle." He stated it seriously, and the other raised an eyebrow before a smirk appeared on his face, and he leaned close.

"Did you think I would hurt you? You already do that for me." The Judge pulled his arm off the ledge and pushed his head gently into the water. That bastard. His annoyances were quickly swept away, and he tried to take his first breath, and he was shocked to be able to breathe underwater like this. He almost got washed away by the current again, but he tried to remind himself of her. His wolf. All he could see was her dead body when he saw her. He kept that thought in his head. Her soft, white, fluffy fur. Her red eyes. She was very big. Strong. Powerful. He hadn't realized how long he had been down there until he was pulled up. It felt like only a few minutes. The King pulled him out of the pond. Helping to pull him onto the ground. He wrapped his arms around himself as he took deep breaths, shivering. Was it always this cold out here?

Was it always this bright? Was his body always aching like this? His thoughts were broken as his cloak was wrapped around him. He raised his head to the other. The Lycan still hadn't put his cloak back on. He watched the other go put his cloak back on and flipped his hood over his head before grabbing his clothes and walking over to him. The Judge grabbed Geno's hood and pulled it over his face. Geno tried to stand, but he couldn't, and the other stopped him before he could. The other picked him up. Holding him in his arms again, bridal style, the King walked with him. He couldn't help the exhaustion slamming into him; he leaned his head against the other's chest. He took a few deep breaths again, feeling like he had no oxygen. He was getting so loud that he shoved his face into the other's to try to calm down.

"I will bring you to your room." Geno shook his head, no, but then made himself dizzy.
"You are in no condition to walk yourself. The after effects of the pond are going to affect you for the next few hours. I will warn you now of strange dreams. Which is why I would prefer to do it earlier so it would be easier for you to get sleep." He shook his head and tried to speak. "Shhhh. Don't fight it. Geno, you are suffering right now. Listen to your body, not your stubbornness." Geno finally calmed down and closed his eyes. The door to the church opened, and the cold air hit him, causing him to curl up closer to the other and start shivering. The Lycan pulled him closer. They made it down the stairs quicker than before, as the other had more of a reason to get the other inside. The sun was in the middle of rising, so most Lycans were asleep at the moment. When the other got him inside, he heard the King talking to someone, but he couldn't hear properly enough to tell who. He fell asleep in his arms.

Chapter Text

His dreams were weird. He wasn't himself. He was her. Her paws were running through the woods; we were fleeing from something. Something bad. Rain and sleet was hitting him. He turned to see the thing chasing him. A black wolf. This wolf had red eyes. It was terrifying. Hunting him. He kept running and tripped over a pile of dead branches. The snow was slowly getting heavier. It didn't make sense why it was so windy. He felt like no matter how fast he ran, he couldn't make it far enough. He looked up, and the moon was red. Red? He had never seen that before. It was terrifying. He turned the wrong way, ending up with a large mountain blocking his path again. He turned around to run to the left, but was stopped by the wolf, who was already there. The wolf was fast. He watched in horror as the wolf slowly cracked and molded itself into a larger, more distinct being. A bear. A giant one. It raised itself on its back legs before it roared. He couldn't move and the other shot forward and grabbed him in its jaws.

He woke up almost screaming, holding his chest, and he glanced down, taking deep breaths. Glancing over to the window, he saw that the sun was setting. He had gotten up early. Better than waking up late, he guessed. Looking down, he noticed he was still naked. The clothes he was wearing yesterday were folded perfectly to the side. He had been tucked in. He was so confused. Then the memories hit him. His face went red. Bringing his hands to his face, he turned to the pillow and screamed into it. He fell asleep in the other's arms! He wouldn't take himself seriously either! He's such a child! He was basically drugged when he came out of the pond. He moved to take a shower and clean himself up. He looked for more clothes. He only had a few things. He changed into one of his last shirts and, of course, the cloak. He placed the dirty clothes in the laundry basket. Does he need to bring this anywhere? Who knows. No one tells him about anything in this pack; they just expect him to know. He felt better getting his thoughts together in the shower.

Should he feel anything different? He didn't feel any different; maybe he needed to be in the pond longer. He was late yesterday. He still doesn't fucking know what 5am is! He probably should try to climb the stairs beforehand, right? Because it will probably take him a while. As he went to pull on the shoes, he noticed the bandages on his feet. He was supposed to go back to the Salutary at some point to check them. He stood up, grabbed his shoes, and walked to where he knew the med bay was. His floor was as empty as ever. Thank goddess for that, or the guards would hear his screams from his nightmares every night. He has always been haunted by his past. He mainly forgot everything in the camp other than the very traumatizing points. But those forgotten moments haunt him in sleep. When he reached the door, he knocked. The door opened to the Salutary. She didn't have her lab coat on. She looked at him and smiled.

"Hello, Geno. Did you get hurt again?" She asked, and he shook his head.

"I just wanted you to check them if you have time…if it's too early, I can-"

"No problem! I'm just getting ready, so give me a minute to finish up!" She interjected. He nodded and she shut the door while he waited outside it. She opened the door once she was ready and he walked in. She checked all of his bandages and was able to remove some, leaving only the ones on his feet to check. He was surprised when the bandages lasted so long with the water. They must be very strong bandages. She checked his feet and looked a little shocked.

"They are completely healed," she expressed. He was surprised. She looked up at him. "Did you do anything recently that would make them heal that fast?" He shook his head, and then he realized: The pond. Well, he couldn't tell her that. He thought about it and finally spoke.

"The goddess liked my prayer yesterday, maybe that?" He questioned, and she hummed and nodded.

"Must've been. Well, I'll inform the Alpha that you can start training." Fuck, please get hurt again. Maybe he could throw himself out a window? He sighed, chasing his thoughts away. He knew he needed to get stronger or he would not be able to. But he doesn't even have enough muscle to try to spar. She did a physical and said everything else looked good, then handed him a paper. The Alpha was not lying about a diet. Are you kidding him? He huffed and she smiled, pointing at the paper.

"I even drew it out so it's easier to understand!" She looked so proud of herself even though he could read it now, except for that last word. But he nodded and thanked her. He then pulled on the spike shoes he had. They were very comfy and warm. He walked out and made his way outside. The sun had fully set. He noticed everyone was waking up. He seemed to be making good time…probably. Why weren't there any children's books explaining time? He walked to the first floor, passing numerous guards. When he got to the door outside, he pulled his hood up and walked out into the ice. It was snowing today. He walked over to the stairs. He stared up at them with determination. Taking a deep breath, he took the first step.

 

Makaria was right, these are evil. They shouldn't exist. He was already tired; he had only gotten up a quarter of the way. Taking a break, he gave himself some time to rest before he tried again, going up halfway before taking another rest. When he started up again, he noticed some Lycans already coming towards the stairs. Okay, so he is doing well on time. He quickly realized the first Lycan coming was The King. When he got three-fourths of the way there, the King had passed him.

"Good job," the other commented as he walked past. Geno didn't like how much he enjoyed the Alphas' praise. He makes it look so fucking easy. He continued to rest as he watched the other make it all the way up there. A different Lycan passed him, and he realized it was the priest. The man smiled at him.

"You are doing great! I can really see your devotion to her!" The priest complimented him as he walked by and he thanked him, even though he didn't really care what the priest said. After he felt rested, he started up again, taking each step slowly. Still taking deep breaths, he finally got to the top of the stairs as a few other Lycans did. He waited as they entered to try to catch his breath more. That probably took him a while. The Moon was now further in the sky. He walked in and made his way to the back. The King and the priest were talking near the stage while other people were getting settled in. He waited, bored. Maybe he should bring a book next time? But that would probably be seen as disrespectful. Maybe not. He stared up at the ceiling, looking at the Moon, who was lightly glowing into the room. She was getting ready. He smiled up at her. After a while of waiting, someone sat next to him. He glanced to his left. Thanatos smiled.

"You're here early!" The Lycan commented.

"I woke up early," He replied. Thanatos hummed.

"How'd the water go?" He nodded.

"I kinda just jumped in." He looked away, apathetic, not really in the mood to talk. He was still kinda tired.

"…what?" Thanatos had freezed, very confused.

"Yeah, his highness was mad at me." Thanatos couldn't hold in his laughter as he burst out laughing so loudly, causing a few heads to turn. The other leaned over.

"Geno, out of all my years I've been alive, I've never seen that. What, did you do a cannonball or something?" The Lycan humored, laughing at his own joke. He glared at the other. The other continued to laugh until Geno finally stood up, annoyed, and walked across the room, sitting down in the front away from him.
"Hey! I'm sorry, come back!" The Beta cried out and chased after him, then sat next to him. Geno then stood up and kept moving, not wanting to be near him. Unfortunately the Beta would not let up and kept sitting next to him. Finally, he resorted to the only thing he could think of and sat next to the King. Which was always an empty seat. Shocked expressions turned to him for some reason. The King, who was reading his book, didn't even glance at him. Thanatos slowly made his way over and the King uncrossed his legs as a warning. The Beta stopped and started whining.

"Genooooo pleasee, it was just a joke." Geno sent a glare at the other and crossed his arms, turning his head away from the Lycan. Thanatos soon left as he didn't expect the King to back him up. When he did, Geno glanced at the king.

"Thank you." He muttered, and The Judge glanced at him.

"I didn't say you could stay there." He flinched and moved to stand up."Maybe you can… if you convince me by telling me what the problem was," the King bargained. He swallowed and looked over to Thanatos in the corner, fuming. He probably won't be safe if he goes back. Geno sat back down and looked away, muttering, wanting the other not to hear him.

"He asked if I did a cannonball into the sacred water," he reiterated. The King snorted and he glared, feeling his face go red.

"Don't laugh!" He shot out, and The Judge chuckled more, finding his misery amusing. When everyone arrived, a bell rang from the castle tower, signaling that church was starting. The priest walked up to the podium and began his sermon, which told a story about the Moon goddess and Grim and how she blessed the city once it was built for her. The castle is actually an entire church and worship building for her. She was so moved by it that she made the barrier around the gates as protection. The priest explained the entire story, including the details of the attacks and why they had done that. Everyone seemed used to these stories, which must be a common occurrence. The King had his book closed and was watching the sermon. Geno couldn't help but glance at him and remember his face. He turned away quickly to not be caught as his face went red. Oh goddess no. Did he get a crush just from seeing his face? Is he a pervert? What is wrong with him? Absolutely not. He was going to be Science's Luna. He's not even a Lycan. It would never work out.
He kept the thought of being turned into a Lycan out of his head. He was here for business. The sermon finished, and the King stood up and repeated the same words, beginning the prayer. He stood up and knelt, just as he had before, with his hands, and the King did the same next to him. He thought about it for a while. What to say?

Thank you for caring for my wolf.

He came up blank…umm…

You look very pretty today.

He felt the familiar feeling hit him. No fucking way. He opened his eyes and glanced down at it glowing blue.

"This is getting ridiculous," he whispered, which caused the King to glance at him, seeing the glow.

"Oh my goddess, again?! Geno, what kind of prayers are you doing?" The priest demanded of him, causing everyone else to glance over as well with gasps and shocked expressions. Of course, the whispers happened again. He shrugged, feeling panic as everyone looked at him again.

"I-I don't know, I just said she looked nice today!" He cried out, and silence filled the church before the King burst out laughing. Which made everyone more shocked at their apathetic, straight-faced Alpha losing his composure like that. Goddess, even his laugh was hot, fuck.

"That does sound like something she would like to hear," the Lycan King stated, and the priest was flabbergasted at how simple his goddess could be. The King finally stood up, and the prayer was cut short. Everyone got up and moved, talking to one another. The priest went up to him, patting him on the shoulder.

"We might need to put you in a different room to pray if this keeps happening," the priest humored.

"If it means I won't have to climb the stairs, sure," he replied and the King that overheard nearby chuckled, shaking his head.

"That is something I won't let you skip." The Judge started to turn away. He turned to the other.

"What, why? Why does it matter?" He challenged. The Lycan turned his gaze to him and leaned downwards.

"Maybe I just like seeing you struggle," the Lycan teased. He was taken aback by those words, feeling confusion hit him. "I'm joking, pup, the stairs are part of the prayer to prove yourself worthy of being in the church. If you can't put in the work to see her, then you don't deserve to," the King deadpanned as he left. Geno felt his face flush with anger. Goddess, he's such a prick. Please, Moon Goddess, get him out of here sooner. Makaria ran up to him as Geno left.

"Geno! You should come with me!" He didn't get a chance to respond before he was pulled away by her. She basically ran down the stairs with him and he almost felt like he was going to pass out. She had so much energy. When they finally got down the stairs, his legs were shaking and he was staring at her like she was crazy. She looked at him worriedly.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I was just excited to get you clothes, my bad." His eyebrows furrowed.

"Huh? Clothes?" He asked out of breath, thinking he was about to die.

"I was told you don't have much! So I want to get you clothes!" She beamed. Geno caught some of his breath.

"I don't have money," he deadpanned.

"I'll just use mine, free of charge!" She waved her hand like it was no problem.

"Now let's hurry and do it! We can get breakfast too!" She dragged him away, and at this point, he didn't care. He wanted to just go read, but he guessed he could be forced into wearing clothing he'd hate. She dragged him around the castle towards the front to leave. The guards at the gate looked confused as she requested to leave.

"Did you tell Thanatos?" Geno asked. She turned with a very evil smile.

"No! You were mad at him! I'm also mad at him because he didn't wake me up again! So let's make him pay! HEHEHE" She laughed evilly and the guards glanced at each other from her talking shit about their boss. They let her go through the gate because they couldn't really stop the Beta's mate. Higher social ranking and stuff he thought was stupid or whatever. She led him towards town, strolling through the streets. He does have to admit that he's gotten better at walking, even though his legs ache every day. She showed him every building in the pack, pointing at it and explaining what it did or who lived there. Apparently, they had a really good fish place here. Not what you'll expect in a Lycan pack. They seemed so dignified that they would eat like, glorified air or some stupid shit like that. He was getting tired and she noticed as the second bell rang from the castle.

For breakfast, she suggested stopping and getting food. He nodded. They had to be quick to eat, then shop, and then get back for training. They got to a little café. There was a long line, but they moved as she walked past them. Can they just skip the line like this? She ordered and asked him what he wanted. He read the menu and just kinda told her to order for him cause he didn't know what some of these foods were. She got a 'cappuccino'? Whatever that is. He just got tea. She got them both some type of breakfast sandwich. She brought them outside and had them sit at a small table. He tried the food. It was good so he wouldn't complain. He explained they needed to be back for training so they needed to be quick.

"You are going back to training? But aren't you still injured?" She asked.

"The Salutary said I'm fully healed. I think it was the water." She looked confused for a moment before realizing, and she slammed her hands against the table.

"Tell me! Tell me!!! I've never seen it. What's it like? What does it look like?" She questioned. He brought his hands up nervously, before he went into detail about the entire situation. She held onto every word he said. She went on to explain how the water apparently drips from the Moon itself. Or, allegedly it did. They talked more and finished their food and she brought him to the clothing store down a few streets. They looked at shirts and pants and she made him try on so many things. When she got to the dresses, he told her no. She pouted and begged and he told her over his dead body. She laughed and helped him find some shirts with armor on them to protect him in case he got attacked. She was very thoughtful. He mainly chose white clothing as he didn't really want another color. Though a red scarf was in the store and he kept glancing at it. She noticed and grabbed it before walking over to him and wrapping it around him. She smiled.

"Finally, some color! Are you allergic to it?" She joked and he huffed. In the end, she got him three outfits. He had to stop her, telling her they needed to get back, and he couldn't walk as fast as her and he really didn't want another lecture. They made their way back with two bags in hand. He was so exhausted. Women are too much. She was trying to kill him. As long as the clothes worked, he didn't give a shit what they looked like. Though…he did like that red scarf. It warmed him considerably, as he had kept it on since she put it on him. Lycans watched them as they went by, probably looking at her because she was more well known as the Beta's mate. When they arrived at the gate, the guards let them back in. They quickly made their way to the training guards. Makaria flagged down a maid and asked her to bring these to his room. They nodded and left quickly. He would've never been able to ask that. He didn't want to ask anyone to do anything. He already felt guilty that she had to do that. Makaria grabbed his arm and dragged him.

"Hurry, we have like five minutes to get there!" He didn't know what that meant, but it sounded bad. Even when he ran, she was faster, but something about running felt so freeing. He forgot how fun it was to run. He couldn't help but laugh and she laughed with him, enjoying their run as they sprinted through the halls like idiots. When they arrived at a room with double doors, she slowed down and then opened them for him. When he walked into the room, it was a gigantic circle with huge windows all around. It had beautiful art on the ceiling. Banners with the Blood Moon pack’s symbol were all around the room. There was a gigantic octagonal podium in the center of the room for multiple people to fight on. There were many weapons hung up on the side of the walls. The room was lit by the crystals around it and a giant fireplace directly across from the front door. There were bleacher-like seats in one corner of the room where people laid their stuff. Everyone in the castle was basically here. He made his way there following Makaria. They took their cloaks off along with his scarf and folded them gently. She pulled her shoes off, and he followed what she did.

She ran off, yelling Thanatos's name, who looked stressed. Those two started talking, and he watched them. He looked down at the bleachers.

"Where were you?" The voice boomed, making him jump, and he turned to find The King looking furious. He swallowed.

"I-I was with Makaria." He tried to defend himself.

"You weren't in the castle." The King accused him. He went to retort, but he couldn't lie, so what could he say?

"I needed clothes," he stated, and the King took a step forward, towering over him, making him shrink away.

"Seems you don't quite understand your place here. So let me remind you." He swallowed nervously. "History lesson, do you remember the 200-year war?" Geno swallowed, knowing it. The war was between Lycans and werewolves, which ended about 200 years ago. He read about it and so he nodded. The King leaned down closer to him. "Who exactly were the prey in that war?" He felt himself tense up. Werewolves. "Half of my pack is more than 300 years old." His eyes widened, and he felt a pang hit him. That's why they were looking at them. It wasn't her. The other leaned even closer, voice deep and dark. "Those Lycans slaughtered and ate your kind." He couldn't help the shake in his legs. "Don't leave the castle," The King commanded and the bell rang, so the King turned and walked away. He couldn't help but be a little horrified. He had forgotten how unsafe he was here. He wasn't safe. Makaria's sunny attitude was only because she had been a werewolf too. Training started so his thoughts were quickly dismissed.

He didn't want to participate, but he was basically forced into the training when a woman instructor called all the she-wolves. She looked pretty old. He made his way over, and there were a handful of male she-wolves. At least he didn't feel like an outcast. Makaria wasn't with them and he noticed, though he couldn't ask Thanatos, as he was in the male wolves' training withAzrael instructed them. The King was observing both sides. The female instructor pointed at everyone and told them what to work on for today, and when she ended up pointing at him, she hummed and skipped along until it was just the two of them. She circled him, thinking.
"I'm not used to training werewolves plus a pup. You look severely malnourished as well. Surprised you can stand." He felt the sting of the hit to his pride. He knows he's small. She hummed. "Muscle building. Running and weights. Run around the castle three times. Then 30 reps with 30-pound weights." Huh?!? He blinked and looked at her like she was crazy. The King overheard and commented.

"Isn't that a little much for a werewolf?" The older woman hummed and turned to The King.

"You think so?" She commented, and he turned his gaze to the ground.

"I can barely climb up the stairs." He muttered, and she laughed, waving her hand.

"Oh, those are meant to be like that because of the air. Though…how long does it take you to go up them?" She questioned. He didn't really know how to answer until The King did.

"He takes an hour and four 10-minute breaks in between." He timed him?? He stared at The King with a weirded-out face. The women hummed.

"So maybe one lap around the castle and only 5 reps each with ten-pound weights? If you come back late, it's fine, just try to complete it." The King agreed, and Geno nodded. She turned to leave, and he gave The King a look that the Alpha hummed at.

"Stalker," he stated and turned around, walking away to run around the castle. He got his shoes back on and left the room. After he had done all that walking…and running. Ugh. He was already too tired. Maybe he should've bargained it down more but The King probably wouldn't have let him. He walked out the doors to the castle and shivered. Well, he'll get warmer if he runs. The castle was way bigger than he thought. He tried to run in the opposite direction of the training room because he didn't want to be watched as he passed. As he ran, he came across Makaria, who was also running but with two buckets of water. He caught up to her and she looked exhausted already.

"What are you doing?" He asked, and she looked surprised. She slowed down to his jog speed.

"Thanatos and The King are punishing me for taking you to town." She pouted. "What are you doing?" She then asked.

"Doing a lap around the castle, then 5 reps for training," he explained what was assigned to him.

"Luckyyyyyy, I got three laps with this stupid water! You know how heavy they are? Thanatos smiled as he put rocks in them! Can you believe him? He's so mean to me!" She cried and he couldn't help but laugh. He can definitely see the horns growing on Thanatos's head. She took a breath before turning to normal and smiling.

"Anyway, I'm gonna go do this so I can get back and beat his ass during our martial arts section!" She then sped ran off, leaving him shocked. She is so fast, my goddess. He sighed and continued his slow jog, which was making him warmer, but he was still getting winded. It wasmore than he was used to, that's for sure. The mountains were high, like Thanatos said, making the air harder to breathe. It makes it harder to build stamina but it also makes you stronger than doing regular training. His legs started shaking. Moon Goddess, take him out. He's a human in a dog's world. That's how the saying goes, right? He can't even think anymore. He was halfway around the castle. Makaria had passed him so many times, saying hi each time. This could almost be worse than the stairs, though the stairs made it so he couldn't breathe. Here, he's just not used to running. He fell on his knees, catching his breath. Standing up, he walked to the wall and leaned against it. He can't run anymore. His 'running' has turned into slow running. His lungs burned, and he was definitely pushing himself way more than he was used to. He'll just sit here for a while before he continues. After a while, he finally stood up, wobbling. He took a deep breath and ran around the castle, continuing. At some point, he was just walking, which he knew was cheating, but he couldn't even jog. He's never run this far; this was longer than the entire walk to town.

He made his way around the training building, taking a few deep breaths and leaning on his knees. He took another break near it, leaning his head against the wall with his eyes closed. Continuing around the training area in a light jog, he got back to the doors. Even with the cold, he was sweating, but not as much as he would have if he were inside. He was shivering too as the cold air froze the sweat, making him colder. He was standing there trying to catch his breath. He opened the door and walked in. He walked towards the training room. Passing people walking in the halls. He made it to the door and opened it, walking in and finding only a handful of people still here. Thanatos, Keres, Azrael, Makaria, the female instructor, The King, and two other male wolves. When he walked in, the female instructor ran up.

"There you are! Thought we lost you to the snow." She humored him, and he didn't respond, too tired to, panting. She gave a worried look. "Let's get you to sit down and have some water. We can start working on the weights for your arms once you've calmed down. Did you not bring a water bottle?" She asked, and he tilted his head. "...You don't know what a water bottle is?" She asked as he sat down, and shook his head, no. She looked surprised before running off and returning with a container that resembled a cup but was covered. She opened it, showed him, and handed it to him. It was filled with water. He drank some of it and almost drank the entire thing. "Whoa, slow down there, you'll make yourself throw up." He slowed down as she had said, and she laughed at him. "You are such a cutie, I see why The King wanted you all to himself." He almost dropped the water bottle. He couldn't ask what she meant before she ran off. She came back, though, with some weights.

"Now you only have to lift them up five times. I'm going to demonstrate how to lift a weight in case you don't know." He nodded, watching her. She did it with both arms. "You got it?" He nodded yes. She then placed the weights next to him. He only had to do 5 reps for each arm. Shouldn't be too bad, right?
His arms are so fucking weak. The doors were hard enough; some of the doors here are way too big and heavy. It's why the guards open them for people. He had struggled slightly with the weights, but he got through it. Keres and her buddies were giggling in the corner, which he didn't mind; he was proud of himself. He was stuck in a cage for ten years. He did a pretty damn good job. He could tell those girls wouldn't have lasted a day where he was from. He drank some more water as Thanatos came over, holding Makaria on his back. She was lying against him, groaning.

"Hey, Geno! We saw you pass! You did amazing! How are you feeling?" The Lycan man asked. He glared at the other.

"Like death." Thanatos chuckled.

"You two are very dramatic," the Lycan chuckled.

"How about you go and not run for ten years, barely walk, and then run around the castle?" He snapped, and Thanatos gave him a pitying look then looked away, feeling guilty for saying that.

"I'm sor-" The Beta went on to apologize and he sighed.

"It's fine, I know you didn't mean it, I'm just…tired," he interjected. Yes, that was it. Thanatos nodded, and Makaria complained in a gibberish he couldn't understand; Thanatos laughed.

"Don't mind her, she's just tired." He nodded. "You want to go to Lunch?" Thanatos asked, and Geno raised an eyebrow, confused right as the fourth bell rang. Oh. He nodded. Standing up, he went and grabbed his cloak, pulling it on along with the scarf. Everyone was leaving, so as everyone joined together near the exit, he ended up next to The King.

"Saw you finish your training, good job," The King commented, and he turned his face away as it heated up.

"Whatever," he huffed and walked out the door. Then his mind went back to what The King had said about the Lycan’s eating werewolves. Did The King? He caught up to Thanatos and Makaria. He was stuck in his head before he asked the question, making him panic inside and hoping the answer was not what he thought it was.

"How old is The King?" He asked with a whisper.

"You want the age he stopped growing or his actual age?" Thanatos asked, and he shrugged, not knowing what the difference was.

"Both, I guess?" He didn't really know what the other was asking.

"He stopped growing at 25 years old. Though he is currently 481." He gasped.

"A-and h-how old are you?" He questioned, scared of the answer. Makaria spoke this time.

"He's 360, but stopped growing at 26." She yawned on his shoulder and he blinked in horror. He knew they were immortal, but that's immortal. So they were both around when Lycans ate…He felt himself feel sick. Looking down, the other glanced at him.

"You good?" The Lycan asked.

"Y-eah." He stuttered, turning away. He couldn't look at either of them the same now. They got to the dining hall where they joined the long line. Getting food from the kitchen and going to sit in their usual spot. Azrael and Eris were already there. He sat next to Makaria while Thanatos sat next to Azrael. Thanatos immediately started eating, and he couldn't help but stare at the other’s sharp teeth and the food he was eating. Thanatos noticed him staring and tilted his head, and he turned away nervously. He was acting all scared again. He couldn't help it.

"Seriously, what's wrong?" The other asked, and he shook his head no.

"It's nothing. Don't worry about it." He averted his gaze.

"So it is something you liar!" The other snapped, and he flinched in fear. Makaria brought her hand to his shoulder, and he glanced at her.

"Are you okay?" She asked, and he went to reply and so he didn't, as someone sat next to him. The very one who scared the shit out of him earlier. The King had a book and food with him as he sat next to him. Thanatos smiled.

"Great, he can't lie anymore now that he's here." The King froze before turning to him.

"You were lying?" The Alpha asked. He swallowed and didn't respond, knowing he would just know he was lying. The man growled slightly, causing him to jump and move away, holding onto Makaria and looking very scared. The Alpha seemed surprised by that. Thanatos pointed at him.

"He's been like that since I told him our ages." The King went quiet before he burst out laughing. He had to put the book down and covered his face to calm himself and Thanatos looked even more confused.

"Oh my goddess Geno- you-" The other laughed more, and he felt his face go red.

"What?" He cried out, confused and embarrassed, because he had clearly done something stupid.

"You didn't actually think Thanatos and I ate werewolves, did you?" He felt his face go redder, and now it was Thanatos's time to laugh. Azrael and Eris also seemed to find it funny, trying to cover their smiles.

"You said anyone older than 300 did!" He cried out, and the King huffed, trying to catch his breath and not laugh more. The Alpha was having a hard time composing
himself.

"No, I didn't, I said we had some Lycans that did, which were the guards. Though if you are offering…" The King stated while laughing. He felt flabbergasted as his face went redder.

"T-thanatos is a Beta thats basically a guard. And no!" He spluttered, face so red he was blending into his scarf.

"No, it's not!" Thanatos cried, upset now.

"I said basically!" He shot back. Thanatos got an evil smile and shot at him.

"Imma eat you!" They threatened. Geno screamed and flew into The King. They both laughed harder. Makaria smacked Thanatos.

"You're such a bully! And so are you, Reaper!" She shot out. Reaper? He heard the King chuckle close to his ear behind him.

"I can't help it, he's very amusing." He heard the other respond. He pushed himself away from the other, staring at his hands on his knees, trying not to die inside. Someone joined them at the table on the opposite side of The Alpha. Of course, it was Keres. He side-glanced at her before completely ignoring her. You could tell the change in the table’s atmosphere the second she joined. It wasn't as joyful. Keres smiled and immediately started talking to The Alpha.

"I greet the King of Lycans." The Alpha nodded and grabbing his book, clearly using it to ignore her as well. He couldn't wait until lunch was over; he could go and read. Thanatos made a bet with Azrael that he could beat him in arm wrestling, and both Eris and Makaria became their own personal cheerleaders. Keres glanced at him.

"Why don't we try, huh? How about it, Omega?" He glanced up at her.

"Thank you for the offer, but I must decline." He tried to say his lines correctly, but weirdly, he doesn't have to do this with anyone else but her. Guess it was good practice?

"Are you scared?" She challenged, and he didn't respond, focusing on his food, glancing at Makaria, who was seething next to him, waited for his cue. She took his look as permission.

"If you wanna arm wrestle someone so bad, how about me?" Makaria shot out, coming to his rescue.

"What-No-I," She stuttered.

"Oh, are you scared?" Makaria used her own words against her. The Gamma in training glared.

"No! I'd beat you no sweat!" He rolled his eyes but thankfully, only The King saw. Thanatos and Azrael were still struggling on one side of the table and now Makaria and Keres were. Eris was eating and watching them. He didn't really care about this stupid challenge, and he turned to look at The King, who also seemed not to care, reading his book. Geno leaned closer, curiosity filling him. Now that he could kind of read, he did want to know what the other was reading.

"What are you reading?" He questioned. The King glanced at him before slowly moving the book to show him. Geno looked at the book and blinked at it, confused.

"Why do the letters look like that?" He asked. The other snorted and moved the book away.

"It's a different language," The King stated and he felt dumb again. He squeezed his hands and closed his eyes and he couldn't help the words that came out of his mouth.

"Please don't think I'm an idiot," he whispered. Silence went by for a while, and he had almost thought the other one didn't hear him as he watched Azrael and Makaria win. At the same time, Thanatos cried dramatically on the floor, and Keres screamed at her.

"I don't," The King whispered back.

 

Lunch went as well as it could've gone with someone's face smashed in food. Thankfully, not his. Makaria and some other female Lycan from a different table were fighting and Thanatos had to drag her away from them, kicking and screaming. He was starting to think she might be crazier than Ink. Leaving him by himself at the table with three people who hated him and the fucking Alpha. He decided he had eaten enough of his diet food and stood up but was immediately pushed back down on the seat by The Alpha. He glanced at the other. The King pointed at the food still there.

"No." He flat-out refused.

"He's so disrespectful," Keres commented on him, and he turned his head away from them both. The Alpha leaned closer to him.

"If you want her back, you need to eat." He shot a glare at the other before sighing and messing with the food, slowly eating it. He hated this. He was full. He didn't need more food. He basically pouted over the food. He ate more of it, but couldn't finish the last bit of it, and was just trying to wait it out. Maybe he could beg the other? Nah, he wouldn't stoop that low. As he thought of ways to get out of eating, Keres stood up to throw away some of her food and walked past The Alpha before "tripping," and her food fell on him. He flinched as it fell on his new scarf. Aw. He frowned before smiling big.

"Oh! Guess I gotta go change! Thanks, Keres!" He chimmed and basically ran out with the food and dumped it, before she could do her fake 'I'm so sorry! I tripped!'

"Geno!" The King yelled out, but he was gone with the biggest smile on his face, leaving Keres flabbergasted at how she had somehow helped him. He sped walked through the hallway, taking off his scarf and noticed it had also gotten on his cloak and shirt. He thought this kind of shit only happened in fairy tales. Where does he go to get this clean? He slowed down before walking around, maybe ask a guard? He looked for them and huffed in annoyance, swearing every time he needed a guard that they suddenly didn't exist. As he walked around a corner, his eyes recognized someone. What was her name? Ah right.

"Tanada!" He called out. The she-wolf maid flinched before turning and looking surprised to see him. He walked up to her.

"Sorry to interrupt you while working. I was just wondering if there was any way to clean this?" He held up the scarf and pointed at the rest of the mess. She glanced at it before putting her head down and nodding, swallowing.

"You don't need to do that. Is it on the first floor?" He questioned her and she shook her head, motioning for him to follow her. Oh, that was nice. He followed after her, and they went up some stairs, then down a few halls, ending up outside a door. The maid opened the door, and he entered to see multiple other maids in there messing around. They all flinched and immediately stood up straight, bowing. He shook his head.

"You guys don't need to do that," he restated and they didn't move before he sighed. They slowly glanced at him as he followed Tanada. This room was full of buckets of soapy water and washboards. There was a pile of dirty laundry to the side of the room that the maids were clearly not attending to, and it seemed they were having fun. Though, who was he to complain if they were taking a break? They all went right back to cleaning laundry. Tanada sat down on a stool next to one of the big buckets and reached out for his scarf, blinking. He handed her the scarf and the cloak, but his shirt was still messy. He glanced down at it, and a different maid ran past them before pulling out a simple, clean white shirt from the cabinets, handing it to him. He pulled his shirt off and changed, giving the dirty shirt to Tanada. The shirt he was wearing was definitely a maid's shirt, which the maid had apologized for while handing it to him, but it was all they had. He looked around before sitting down and watching her wash the scarf. He panicked.

"I'm sorry you don't need to do that! Do you need help?" He asked, and she looked at him in surprise.

"Why would you help me?" She whispered, seemingly still nervous around him.

"Well…Although I may be a guest, I do want to learn how to do everything. And it's not your fault that food got spilled on my clothing, so I should help? Can you teach me?" She blinked, and the other maids, who were cleaning in silence, stopped and looked surprised at them. She stared at him, trying to see if he was joking, but he wasn't. So, she nodded and handed him the scarf, then grabbed the cloak.

"You need hot water and soap, then this washboard, you have to add a little soap to it." She pulled a washboard out of a different bucket and handed it to him. He placed it in the same bucket and did what she said. "Then rub the clothing gently against the surface, once the water turns clean, place it in this bucket to rinse it off, then hang it over the fire over there to dry quicker. It will take a few hours." He nodded.

"Thank you for teaching me Tanada." He smiled and she blushed, looking away and nodding. He started cleaning his cloak just like she demonstrated. He was almost finished before the door to the room opened aggressively.

"You girls better be working and not horsing around!" The head maid stood there glaring but raised an eyebrow when seeing them all working. She looked pleasantly surprised. Her eyes slowly went to him and Tanada. She raised an eyebrow at them and walked over to them, crossing her arms.

"I don't think it's appropriate to put our guests to work now, isn't it, Tanada?" The maid scolded, and Tanada flinched, and he shook his head.

"My clothes got dirty and I wanted to learn how to clean them, so I asked Tanada. She didn't do anything wrong!" He claimed, and she glanced at him and hummed.

"You are a guest of the True King." True King? He had never heard that title before. How many fucking names does this wolf have!?

"Please?" He asked and the older lady swallowed before sighing and bringing her hand up to her forehead.

"You are the strangest wolf I've ever met. I've never met someone who wanted to clean before," she huffed, "Fine, I'll look past it for now." He smiled. He wanted to try everything. He wanted to learn how to cook next. He never tried art, but Ink loved it so maybe that too. He also read about archery in one of the fairy tales. That seemed fun to learn! He could perhaps ask Thanatos, but he might not be strong enough to wield a bow. He asked Tanada for any tips on washing clothes, and she explained some and demonstrated for him. Once his clothes were done, he hung them up and turned to her. She was leaving the room so he followed her as she walked back to the main hallway. She grabbed her broom to continue sweeping before she glanced at him.

"D-do you need help with anything else?" He could either hide away in the library like before and read, or he could actually learn how to do something.

"I mean, do you need help?" He asked. She looked even more surprised. Maybe he was annoying her? "Sorry if I'm stopping you from working and annoying you! I'll leave you-"

"No. Umm, I mean, it's nice to talk to someone…are you sure you want to help? I don't understand why you would want to do that," she said softly.

"You're an Omega, right?" He asked, and she nodded, her gaze downcast. "Well, I'm an Omega too, so it should be fine, right?" He couldn't use this excuse once he was a Luna, but it was fine for now. She looked up at him, seeming to have a hopeful look in her eyes.

"You want to sweep?" He smiled and nodded.

"Sure!" He helped her clean and learned that sweeping more gently cleaned more effectively than pushing harder. You wouldn't think that was how it worked at all! A few other maids joined them and actually started talking with him. He ended up making friends with every single maid to the point they were giving him tips on everything.

"You interested in any boys?" One of the she-wolves probed while winking at him. He thought, confused. A boy? Like romantically? His brain went to a certain asshole and his face went red before he shook his head no. They all squealed.

"Oh, you totally do! Tell me who?" He waved and shook his head no. All the girls groaned and were upset. "Then tell us what he's like."

"An asshole," he huffed, and they all giggled.

"Aren't they all?" One commented, and he smiled, agreeing with her. He thought about the other. "I don't have a crush, he's just…handsome," he stated and one of the girls swooned.

"Goddess, give me one just like that!" One of the maids pointed at one of the paintings on the walls of a Lycan in war, stabbing a human. He was very buff and covered in blood. He wonders who that is. Everyone giggled and glanced at him. He sighed.

"He doesn't see me as someone romantically. He sees me as a dumb pup." He huffed, and Tanada stared at him.

"Have you tried to flirt?" Geno felt his face go red and then a wave of dread washed over him. He shook his head.

"I can't-it just-can't work out. I'll just wait till I turn 18 and find my mate, it's a small crush, so it's not important." He convinced himself.

"Awwww." They all complained, and he shot a glare at them as they giggled. He smiled to himself. These Omegas were way easier to talk to than the other higher roles. So serious for no reason. Well, except Makaria; she's crazy.

"WHAT ARE YOU GIRLS DOING? GET BACK TO WORK!" The head maid yelled at them as they came around the corner, and the other maids squealed and ran off to do their actual job, not talking. Tanada continued to clean and the head maid sighed and grumbled about them being incompetent as she walked away. Tanada glanced at him.

"Prove to him you're not just a pup, Geno." She smiled, and he glanced away. How would he even do that? The man barely saw him as a wolf. Well…he guesses he isn't one until he gets her back. Some time passed and he heard the sound of female giggling. He glanced in their direction and it was Keres with her friends.

"You Omegas are so funny. Can't stay away from cleaning, huh? Slave," she spat her venom and walked away, and he just smiled and continued to sweep. Tanada glanced at him and, once they were gone, spoke.

"How can you smile like that after they say that?" She muttered, and he chuckled.

"'Cause I know I'm better than them," he stated and she looked shocked and surprised at his attitude. "Do any other higher roles in this pack treat you horribly?" He asked and she averted her eyes.

"Only the elders…" She hesitated to say.

"See? A true high ranked wolf doesn't need to bully Omegas to feel better about themselves, cause they know they are better." She looked surprised at his view of the situation. They finished sweeping almost the entire hallway when Tanada glanced at a clock.

"Oh, I'll be right back, Geno! I need to get the mop," She said and smiled at him and he nodded, leaning the brooms against the wall. He finished sweeping one spot.

"What are you doing! And what are you wearing?!" Thanatos's voices yelled out, and he glanced up to see Thanatos, Azrael, The King, and Makaria.

"Tanada taught me how to clean!" He said excitedly. He didn't get to say anything else before Thanatos was dragging him down the hall, the rest running alongside with him. "What's wrong?" He tilted his head, confused.

"Why are you acting like a maid!?" Thanatos almost shouted.

"'Cause I'm supposed to act like an Omega???" He questioned, and they entered the King's office. Thanatos paced around holding his forehead and The King also looked very stressed.

"This is your fault!" The Beta pointed at The King.

"My fault? We have to protect him!" The King snapped. Thanatos pointed at his shirt.

"And look what that did to him!" He yelled. He only got more befuddled.

"I'm so confused. What's wrong?" He questioned, and Makaria walked over to be next to him, looking at him worriedly.

"Geno, you are a Luna and a guest here. Never mind a guest from the werewolf king…if word got out you were cleaning like an Omega that can be…" She pointed out.

"Horrible! They would think we treat all guests like slaves!" Thanatos yelled out. Geno looked down, upset.

"I-I just wanted to learn how to clean…" he said softly, and The King sighed.

"Makaria, go get him changed and bring him to the library or whatever. I'm going to rethink some things." Makaria bowed.

"Yes, my King." She turned and smiled at him and led him out of the room as he looked down, upset. At this point, he would rather be with the Omegas. They walked in silence before he spoke.

"Why do I always do something wrong?" He murmured.

"You don't do anything wrong! You are just dealing with things that usually happen when you're younger." She smiled.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"Well, The King probably also tried to help his nanny maid out when he was a pup and got scolded for it." He realized what she meant. "Geno, you are trying to learn what is appropriate for you and it doesn't help that you also having to pretend to be a different role at the same time." She stated, and he nodded.

"I prefer to be an Omega," he stated and she looked surprised.

"What?" She questioned.

"I'm more used to it and… it's easier to see who's my enemy." She stared at him before smiling.

"You will be an amazing Luna. I can already tell." She led him to his room and they went through the bags of clothing, pulling out some new shirts to wear. He hadn't retrieved his white cloak yet, so he just changed his shirt before she led him down to the library. He told her she could do different things, as he didn't think she liked reading. She thanked him and ran off. He sat down in the center of the room and decided to try some higher-level reading. Picking an older pup book. he slowly read it. It had a lot of pages and no pictures, which sucked because the images were the best part. Whatever. He got stuck on some words and started writing the page number on a piece of paper to ask about later. Though his writing sucked, he could read it and that's all that really matters. This book took a lot longer to read as he couldn't really understand it. He had to repeat sentences he just read to fully understand them. Even when words didn't make sense, he just guessed what they could mean. He enjoyed the main character. It was about a male wolf learning that he was a long-lost Alpha of an evil pack. He got halfway through the book before the fifth bell rang, meaning dinner was ready.

He sighed. Here we go again. He almost put the books back, but decided to bring this book and his paper with him to dinner. As he made his way down the hall, he heard his name called. Turning, he saw Tanada running up with his clothes. She smiled at him, and he thanked her.

"I'm sorry I vanished, I kinda got kidn-"

"Don't worry about it, Miss Perdita told me already." Miss Perdita? Must be the head maid. He nodded as she handed him his clothes. She then bowed and ran off. He walked back to his room to put the shirt away, then pulled on his cloak and scarf. They were all warm and it was a nice feeling. He was late to dinner. Heading into the dining hall, he saw his regular table. He walked over and got his food that followed his diet and then made his way to the table before he was stopped by two she-wolves, the ones that follow Keres around.

"Now, why would an Omega like you go to that table?" He smiled and bowed.

"I'm The King's guest-" He explained, submitting respectfully.

"Does that make you think you're better than us?" He chuckled at that and they growled.

"What's so fucking funny, slave?" He was going to respond ‘you,’ but maybe he shouldn't get into a whole fight in the middle of the kitchen.

"Geno! Come here, we saved you a seat!" Makaria cried out, and he glanced at the two she-wolves, smiled, and walked past them as they glared. He walked over and The King moved to give him the space next to him and Thanatos. He was surprised and sat down and Keres, who was across from them, looked pissed. He set his food down, pulled his book and paper up, and he looked at The King sitting next to him. He was reading the same book he always does. His staring must've been noticeable as the other turned to look at him. He opened his book, looking away. He flipped to a specific page and slid the book to Thanatos, pointing at a word.

"What does this word mean?" He asked and Thanatos, with food shoved in his mouth, looked around, panicked, not able to respond. The King brought out his hand to give him the book. He glanced at The King and slowly handed him the book. The Lycan pointed at the word he didn't understand.

"This one?" The Alpha asked. He nodded.

"It's ambiguous. It means that whatever the subject they are talking about could have another meaning, like a double meaning," The King explained and he stared at it before nodding.

"Thank you." He continued to ask both Thanatos and the King what certain words were. Keres scoffed as he did.

"Omega acting dumb to get attention is really sad." She commented and he didn't respond; she seethed. "Look King, he's ignoring me! That's disrespecting me!" Geno looked up and sighed.

"What do you want me to say?" He asked, "That you're right? Or that you're wrong?" He questioned further. She swallowed and stuttered.

"I am right!" She boomed out.

"Okay, then you're right, miss," he stated and turned to look back at his book. "Oh, right! Thanatos, can you teach me how to tell time?" He turned and asked. Thanatos choked again, trying to talk with his mouth full.

"So you agree I'm right, then do it again!" She shot out and he glanced at her, then looked back at him.

"I need to be somewhere at 5am. What is that?" He questioned, ignoring her again. Thanatos coughed and then grabbed his paper.

"May I?" Thanatos asked and he nodded. Thanatos then turned the paper over and pulled out a pen out of nowhere.

"You just carry pens!?" Makaria asked and Thanatos chuckled.

"You never know when you need one to draw a clock." Thanatos began explaining how a clock works, how to tell time, and all of it while drawing it on a diagram for
him. He nodded, learned quickly and counted it easily. That wasn't as bad as he thought. He was eating while the other taught him and then, once the other was done, he started to read. While reading, he noticed that he had eaten more. He finished his food and he was surprised by what he had done. Geno smiled to himself. He got better at it. The King stood up to throw away his food, patting his shoulder, clearly praising him. He huffed, the moment now ruined. He stood up and threw away the food and the paper because he didn't need it anymore. He then went back to the library. He wanted to try to finish his book, which he was almost done with. He checked the clock on the wall and counted out loud. He had an hour before he needed to go back to the Alpha and into the sacred water. Ugh, he didn't want to go back there, but he knew he needed to. He finished his book and started another one, glancing at the clock every fifteen minutes. When it was close to the time to meet with the other, he put his books back and made his way to The King's Office. When he arrived, the guards glanced at him and he brought his hand up to knock.
The guards opened the door for him before he could and he walked in, seeing The King writing on multiple papers. He slowly inched over and sat down in the chair, looking at the other. The Alpha glanced up at him, then back to his papers before speaking.

"I heard from Makaria that you want to stay an 'Omega' instead of telling the pack what your role is. Is that correct?" He swallowed and nodded. "May I ask why?"

"Well, as I said to Makaria. It's just what I'm used to; I find it easier talking to the maids and servants than you guys, and it's been helping me see my enemies in this castle. When you are weak, all the wolves in sheep's clothing go for you." He smiled and the other hummed before chuckling.

"I know what you mean." Geno's curiosity spiked.

"How?" He asked, and the King hummed as he continued to scribble stuff down.

"We have a tradition that you probably haven't heard of, but because my family was always huge on being 'down to earth,' any high-ranked families in the pack, including the Grim family, would send their kids to go secretly help a servant or work as a secret servant for many years to humble them. It works," the other informed him. "You can tell exactly which Lycans haven't gone through the training." Geno nodded, knowing exactly what he meant.

"So you used to sweep?" He asked, and the King laughed and shook his head.

"More like move cargo and do a lot of heavy lifting, though I did watch Eris help maids and I have seen all the work they do. I don't want to discredit their hard work." The Judge stated, and he nodded. The King sighed, finally. "I will allow you to keep this charade, but if you get hurt or hurt another, I'm divulging your title. You can act like an Omega, but you are not an Omega in my pack, Geno. As an Omega guest, you are not required to do anything but be a guest. Is that understood?" He nodded. "Words?"

"Yes," he huffed, and the King chuckled, amused. The King put the papers in a drawer and stood up.

"Let's go get your wolf," The Lycan stated and he followed after him. He chased after the other, who slowed down as he noticed how long it took for him to follow. They made it downstairs and to the door, which the King opened for him. He glanced at the other being a gentleman and felt his face heat up. Still, he played it off by bringing his hand to his scarf and covering his face, acting like he was cold as he walked into the frozen tundra. The Judge glanced at it as he passed and followed after him.

"Is that one of the things you bought with Makaria?" He nodded and smiled. The Judge hummed.

"You know you can just request things, right? Currently, I'm considered your temporary guardian. If you need clothing, ask." Geno rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, let me just go up to The King of Lycans and ask for PJs," He sassed, rolling his eyes.

"Oh, so you need pajamas?" The other seemed to ignore his jab.

“What-no-I-ugh!” He huffed, looking away, and The King chuckled.

"I forgot how fun Lunas are. You guys love to be a challenge and be challenged." They made it to the base of the stairs. Geno stared at it as The King started walking up it, but he didn't move. The other turned and tilted his head and Geno crossed his arms, glaring.

"You make me climb these stairs up and down every morning, then make me run around the castle, and now you expect me to climb them again. My legs will break, no! There must be another way up them-HEY!" The other had walked down the stairs in the middle of his speech and picked him up. He struggled, flailing around as The King started going up the stairs.

"Stay still," The King commanded.

"HELP I'M BEING KIDNAPPED!" He screamed out. The Judge laughed. "Let me go right now! Don't touch me!" He fought more.

"See, you are just proving my point from before. Are you going to be good now and walk?" The other asked.

"NEVER! These stairs are evil!" He shot out. The King squeezed him almost painfully.

"Enough, Geno. Do you want your wolf or not?" The other growled. He calmed down and looked down, pouting. Once they got halfway, he nudged the Lycan.

"Put me down, please, I'll walk the rest," he said quietly. The King glanced down at him before gently placing him on the stairs, where he almost slipped immediately. The other steadied him.

"Thank you or whatever," he grumbled as he took his first step.

"Seems like your manners keep getting worse," The King teased. He glared.

"Yeah, and your assholiness keeps getting worse." The words left his mouth before he could stop himself. The Judge looked at him and he felt nervousness fill him. The Judge had stopped walking, causing him to stop too. The King finally laughed in disbelief, bringing his hand up to his face, the Alpha trying to compose himself. Geno couldn't help but cover his own face with his scarf, feeling his face get red. The Lycan laughed out finally and took a breath.

"Out of all my years, I've never been called something so humorous." The King turned and walked up the stairs. He blinked. He wasn't mad? He found it funny? He feels like how Keres' minions felt when all he did was smile and laugh at them. How is he beating him with his own strategy? He followed the other, pouting. He got three-quarters of the way up before he couldn't continue, taking a deep breath and leaning down. He closed his eyes.

"She's not worth this torture!" He yelled out, and he could hear The King laughing while walking back down the stairs to make it to him. The Lycan didn't waste any time picking him up and he crossed his arms, turning his face away from The King. They made it up much quicker with the other just holding him in a bridal style. What's the point in his walking at this point? The Lycan let him go, gently. They walked into the church and opened the door, going down the stairs.

"How do you even open the door?" He asked.

"By using my real name," The King responded.

"Real name? You have so many names and titles!" He huffed, and the Lycan hummed in agreement. They made it to the pond. Geno was again blinded by its beauty and couldn't help but stare for a little while before the other broke him from his thoughts.

"We will only do two hours, so you have an hour to recover and then sleep." Geno nodded and brought his hands up to his scarf and cloak, taking them off and folding them nicely. He then pulled his shirt off, his pants and underwear, his shoes, and then his socks. Walking towards the water, he sat down, putting just his legs in. He slowly pushed himself into the water, holding on to the side of the wall. He then turned to the other. The King was taking off his cloak. Whatever thought in Geno's head got lost. The Lycan turned to him and raised an eyebrow before walking towards him. "Yes?" The other teased as he kneeled down in front of him. He swallowed and shook his head to get himself out of his own mind. He searched his mind for his original thought.

"Would you teach me how to swim?"

"Not in this pond, and sure. Most water is frozen here, but we could take a trip to the Ice Lake." The Ice Lake? What was that? He didn't get to question it much as the other grabbed his arm and head like before and Geno took a deep breath before getting pushed under the water. He forgot how strong the water’s pull was and he had to regain his train of thought and go to his wolf again. Going over her again. Everything about her. Again, it felt like five minutes passed but two hours actually did and he got pulled out. He could understand why some wolves could get killed in the water. Not coming up for air, thinking only a few hours went by when it's been days and they don't eat or drink, dying from dehydration and starvation. The King pulled him onto the ground as he took deep breaths and coughed some water onto the floor. The King repeated his process from last week. Putting his own cloak back on, then throwing Geno's cloak back over the Luna’s head and lifting him up, holding his clothes. Geno grumbled, upset, but still couldn't form coherent words. The Lycan chuckled.

"Even in this state, you still find a way to be angry at someone," the other hummed as Geno leaned his head against The King's chest. The Lycan brought him upstairs and they arrived at the church, then descended the church stairs to the evil stairs. The sun was rising as the Lycan brought him into the castle. A few maids ran up immediately with towels. He was better than he had been yesterday, so he could kind of keep up with what was happening. The Omega she-wolves were helping. The King brought him upstairs to his room, placing some towels over him. He stared off into space, looking confused and spaced out. The King glanced at him before giving him space and leaving. Geno wobbly stood up, shivering still. A shower would make him feel better. He walked into the bathroom, aiming for the shower and turning it on.

 

A week went by. The Alpha after this day was called by 'elders' to discuss some problems and so Geno hadn't seen him other than on their trips to the sacred water. He didn't even show up for church. Geno was warned by Thanatos to stay in the library and keep to himself as much as possible, which he did. The Beta didn't tell him why, but when he passed an elder in a random hallway, their hostile glare was all that he needed to know. He started keeping his hood up whenever he walked around the castle. He had read so much during this week that he became adept at getting through books, using Thanatos to guide him on which words mean what. When The Alpha was missing during meals, Keres stopped sitting at the table along with Azrael and Eris. Sometimes it would only be him and Makaria if Thanatos needed to help The Alpha with work. He was still running around the castle and using the same weights during training, but he was getting faster at it. The stairs to The Church still took him as much time as before. They really do break your spirit. The incident occurred at the end of the week. He remembered having one of the most terrifying dreams; the monster he had seen in his dreams came again. Chasing him in a snowy forest again, he knew where not to run. He tried turning left this time instead of right and ended up in front of a lake. He had never seen this lake before.

It was frozen. He didn't know if it could hold him. But when the monster roared behind him, he turned around, seeing the beast running at him at full force and he screamed, waking up. That's how he woke up in the morning, thanks to his alarm clock, which he had learned how to set. He wasn't expecting anything different today. Getting dressed early and going down the stairs, he made it to the first floor, finding lots of Lycan's guards running around. This was strange because, usually, everyone was just getting up while he was making his way up the stairs for church. The maids were also running around. He was confused. He walked down a different hallway, finding the main exit to the castle and saw Thanatos standing there directing two guards. He walked up to the Beta. The guards bowed to the Beta before turning to run and do whatever job they were told to do. Thanatos turned his body towards him and he looked very serious, unlike his usual smiling face. Geno tilted his head.

"What's wrong?" He questioned

"No church today, all activities have been canceled other than breakfast, lunch, and dinner," Thanatos stated and started walking away. Geno shot forward, following him.

"Why? Did something happen?" He asked.

"We had a breach," the Beta deadpanned as he ran off to deal with more guards.

"A breach?" He whispered before turning and walking back to his room. He could sleep some more then. His nightmare last night wasn't his usual camp nightmare and it left him very tired as he woke up drenched in sweat and aching from shaking so much. Something about that dream terrifies him. Maybe it's the blood moon, or the monster, or the fact that the beast looks so familiar. He went to bed, changing into the new pajamas he had found randomly in his room two days ago. He put them on and fell asleep on his bed. He was finally woken up when there were loud voices outside his room. His eyebrows furrowed, trying to ignore them and go back to his warm sleep.

"Why did no one check on him!?" A voice was yelling.

"I'm sorry, your majesty! The breach was very im-" Both the voices were familiar. He groaned, trying to ignore them.

"Azrael! For the last time, any breach that happens is going after him! When's the last time we had a breach?" He pulled pillows over his head.

"Not in a hundred years, sir." He squeezed them harder.

"Exactly why would-" His annoyance filled him and he opened his eyes.

"You guys are being way too loud outside in his room. What if he's sleeping?" He had a headache from oversleeping. Moving up, he sat on the edge of the bed.

"We have no idea where he is! Especially when you send all the shadow guards to the border as well!" Standing up, he walked to the door.

"You had a shadow guard assigned to him?" He slammed the door open, glaring. Thanatos, The King, and Azrael stood there, surprised. Azrael rolled his eyes.

"See, he's right there. Can I go do my job?" That was the last comment as The King turned and grabbed the other by his collar and slammed him into the wall next to
his door. Geno flinched back in surprise. Thanatos quickly shot forward into his room and pushed him further into it, shutting the door. Thanatos smiled, turning towards him.

"Don't worry about those two. Sometimes, the King needs to remind him of his place." Geno glanced down at the ground. There was a lot of noise happening in the hallway, and whispers he couldn't hear.

"Why does Azrael hate me so?" He questioned. Thanatos swallowed as Geno looked back at the Beta. The wall behind him slammed hard. Thanatos smiled more, trying to block the bangs happening behind him like it was so normal.

"H-he… It's not that he hates you, he's j-just…immature!" The other stated like he just thought of that word. The Beta sighed, bringing his hand to run through his own hair. "Azrael is young and from a very traditional household. He never had to go through the training that most Lycans in his position had to go through because he was sick a lot during his childhood, so he doesn't have that nice humble touch we all get. He hates werewolves because all his life he was taught that they are lower than him and he can't seem to get that out of his mind. He's always had a tremendous attitude, honestly, Lycan men like that just need to either get laid or mated-" The door opened and Azrael looked a little roughed up and had his head down. Azrael walked over and kneeled on the floor in front of him, bowing his head. The King stepped in and turned his head aggressively to Thanatos, who also kneeled down and bowed his head to Geno.

"I, Azrael Fenrir, Gamma of The Blood Moon Pack, failed to protect all of its pack members. I deeply apologize, Luna, and ask for your forgiveness." Azrael recited as if it were from a book. Thanatos didn't say anything as The King walked between them, but stood to glance down at Thanatos.

"Thanatos, I give you the temporary addition role of Gamma until this crisis is deemed over." Thanatos nodded, and Geno could see the way Azrael's hands squeezed.

"Geno, I hereby assign a personal guard to you, Azrael Fenrir, during those days." Geno's eyes widened.

"What!" He shot out. "Thats not fair-" He stoped himself at the look the two on the ground gave him, and The King's aura changed as his blue glowing eyes flashed at him. He put his head down, scared, and just nodded.

"...yes, Alpha," he quietly spoke. The King turned and left with Thanatos following, while Azael stayed on the ground and realized he needed to accept his apology. "It's fine, you can stand up," he shyly said, turning away. He was still in his pajamas. Azrael stood up and walked to the bedroom door.

"I'll be outside the door." The past Gamma growled. Shutting the door, he stood there. Oh gosh. He hadn't had a personal guard, only a shadow guard. He saw that The King had them. Do they follow your every move? He sighed and turned to take a shower and change his clothes. The King was very touchy right now. He understood that. Well, yeah, you get breached for the first time in hundreds of years, and the weakest member of your pack has their guard taken away and then goes missing. Yes, that would cause a lot of aggression. What if something happened to him while he was sleeping? He always feels safe because of the guards and the shadow guards. His mind went to the black monster in his dreams. Is it a warning? When he was finished, he checked the time. He slept past breakfast. It had just ended. Probably why they freaked out when they didn't see him show up. Being with Thanatos was the last time he was spotted. After every guard left the castle…He was hungry. He put his scarf and cloak’s hood up. He walked out of his room. Azrael was leaning against the far wall with crossed arms. He walked past the other.

"Where are you going?" The other demanded. He turned, surprised, and looked away nervously.

"I-I'm hungry, so I was going to see if I could ask the kitchen or som-" He was interrupted.

"Nonsense, I'll just send in an order, they will bring it to you."

"How?" He asked, and the other tapped his head. Oh a mindlink.

"You want the same food from before?" Azrael asked.

"Yes, I'm on a diet," he explained. The guard averted his eyes.

"I know. You want the food brought to your room?" Azrael questioned.

"Can it be brought to the library?" The other clicked his tongue and looked away, clearly communicating with the staff. Was he being too much? He would've happily gone there and gotten his food in person and brought it to the library himself. He huffed, turning around and walking down the hall when the guard shot forward to follow him. He now understands why they are called shadow guards and personal guards are called personal, as Azrael really is in his personal space and business. He hated how close the other followed but it was for protection. He arrived at the library, retrieved multiple books, and began reading while the guard stood to the side. He could feel the other's gaze on him, which was making it really hard to concentrate on the books. He felt so awkward. He feels like he is getting babysat. Soon, an Omega kitchen staff member walked in and handed him the food and he thanked them. The Omega left quickly and he started to eat while reading. He finished eating by the end of his novel, then moved on to a different one that interested him. He liked novels; he picked them at random. Some were fun fantasy stories, some were history lessons about what happened 300 years ago, and some were just helpful stories telling him how and why things are the way they are. He was learning a great deal, trying to make up for the stolen years of his youth.

An Omega had come back in to take the empty trays. Azrael probably told him to do that. Makes him think of the one time he left food in here. It's not his fault that he's not officially part of this pack and therefore can't mindlink others, although he thinks he might need a wolf to do so. So that's a double no. He read another book, the hours passing by. He had two hours before lunch.

"Do you only do this?" He heard the Gamma ask, full of distaste. He turned to the other.

"Reading? Yeah…what else would I do?" He questioned. There was nothing he could do other than this and every time he tried to do anything different, he got in trouble. For instance, when he tried to help the kitchen and maid staff in secret, he was told by the head maid that The King said he couldn't. He had successfully befriended every single Omega in the castle; he even went after the stable boys. No one was safe from friendship. Maybe he could work his way up? But some of the Lycans ate werewolves. Nope. He drew the line at cannibalism.

"Something important or beneficial?" The Lycan retorted. He glared.

"Like what!? What do you do that’s important or beneficial every day?" He questioned. Azrael glared back.

"My job, training, pr-" He felt his eyes sparkle as he remembered one of his favorite characters from his books with her bow and arrow.

"Training! Would you train me?" He asked excitedly and the Gamma looked taken aback. "I really want to learn how to use a bow!" He chimed. Azrael raised an eyebrow at him and scoffed.

"You wouldn't be able to use a bow," the other insulted.

"Well, I don't know if I don't try. And you're complaining cause you are bored watching me read. So, do you have a better idea past Gamma, or are you going to train me and show me why you are the Gamma?" Azrael had glared harshly at that comment before he seemed to think.

"Fine." The Gamma grumbled, and Geno jumped up, excited, and moved to put his books back and make his way out of the library while the Gamma followed. He made his way to the training room. He opened the door to find no one in here; usually, when he would glance in here during his days here, there would be at least someone. Guess because of the breach, there was no time for training. Geno walked to the bleachers, placed his cloak and scarf on the surface, and removed his shoes. These floors were not made for spikes. He walked back to the center of the training room and onto the platform in the center where he had seen multiple different wolves spar on them. Azrael was busy looking in the back and into rooms, pulling out supplies. He watched the other pull out different dummies at various levels of difficulty. Then, Azrael walked to him and handed him a bow and a pack of arrows. He also gave him shoes and weird-looking gloves. He put them on.
"I had to get kids' sizes for all of these, so hopefully you can use a pup bow." He could tell the other was trying to degrade him, but he was just happy to have the bow and arrow in his possession. He pulled the bow back, and immediately, Azrael moved closer to him but seemed to hesitate.

"May I, Luna?" He asked for permission to touch him and he nodded in response. The Gamma moved his hands into the correct places. "Now, pull back, you need to bring it to your nose." The Lycan explained and he pulled back with all his strength, his arms shaking as he pulled it back correctly. "It will be easier when your bow has an arrow in it." He nodded and thanked him. Azrael also had a bow and arrow with him. "Let me show you how to use an arrow with it." The Gamma pulled an arrow out of his own quiver, put it into the bow, pulled back to show how he did it, and aimed it. Geno pulled his own arrow out and did the same as the other, aiming it while shaking slightly.

The other took a step forward towards him to help him. The other straightened his posture and made sure his was parallel to the ground. "Okay, you aim by focusing primarily on the target itself while using your sight pin as a secondary reference point." He nodded and looked at the easiest target. Azrael walked around him and helped him aim the bow more accurately. "Keeping your eyes on the target and allowing the sight pin to 'float' around the aiming spot," he said. He moved it slightly to the left. "Then pull it back as hard as you can and take a deep breath. Then, let it go as you release, watch your hands though." Geno followed his instruction, taking a deep breath and releasing the arrow. His arrow started out well but slowly lost power and fell right before the target. Geno stared at it in disappointment.
Azrael smiled at him for the first time. "Don't worry about that. The more you practice and the more you build muscle, the better you will be able to shoot the bow. You are aiming correctly and doing everything else; what you lack is strength and power." Geno sighed and looked down at the ground.

"Tell me something I don't know." he huffed, and Azrael didn't respond before he looked at him.

"Well? Get on to it then! You won't get better by pouting over it. Throw as many duds as you can; any practice is worth it." Geno nodded, now full of determination, his eyebrows furrowing as he glared at the dummies. Pulling another arrow and pulling the bow and this time Azrael only needed to fix a few things. He shot it again and it did the same thing, but this time it went further. He began to put his whole body into pulling the bow to try to get it even a little closer to the dummy. The dummy wasn't even that far. He would never be able to hit any animal, let alone on horseback, like his favorite character did. He huffed, annoyed at his body; it wasn't doing what it was supposed to do again. He grabbed another arrow and pulled the bow. They practiced for two hours and Azrael shot some arrows with him, saying that he hadn't practiced it much, so it was fun for the other. The Lycan helped him with tips, and Geno got him talking about what he does as a Gamma and what he trains typically. Geno was interested in learning how to use a small dagger, but maybe another time. It seems Lycans use swords and bows but they also like to use their claws, so they practice fighting martial arts and using their wolves.

"The King has claws sharper than any sword! You saw the hand he tore off that werewolf," the Gamma insulted the species before his eyes widened as he realized what he had said and how and he averted his eyes. Geno sadly smiled. It hurts when you get close to someone and feel a connection as you talk, only to have them ruin it like that. Though, it was predictable. He could see that the other felt guilty without saying anything so he would forgive him.

"It's okay, Azrael, I understand if you don't get along with my species or don't like us. But please don't let that anger endanger me," he lectured and Azrael didn't respond. He didn't have to, mainly because the lunch bell rang. He was tempted to continue practicing but the Gamma explained that he needed to give his body rest or he wouldn't improve. He was also pretty thirsty. He went to lunch with the other, walking into the hall. There weren't as many people here and most were getting food and leaving, probably panicking because of the breach. He has no idea how they could break into that dangerous and large gate. The barrier around the castle is also supposed to protect its pack from invaders and, in general, any person who plans to hurt a pack member. He read the book about it and heard stories that the barrier had even killed an Alpha who came through it, wanting to ally with the pack. Apparently, he planned to hurt an Omega in the pack. So did the person breaking in not plan to hurt anyone? He walked to the table and only Makaria was there. He didn't expect to see anyone but her there anyway. He sat down next to her after picking his food and she raised an eyebrow at seeing him.

"Whoa, I thought training was canceled." She humored as she saw his sweaty, tired form. He smiled and grabbed some food to eat. He was so hungry and thirsty.

"Yeah, Azrael was just teaching me some archery," he explained, and she raised an eyebrow before thinking to herself and looking excited.

"Oh, that’s so cool! My classes got canceled today because of the breach and Thanatos is way too busy to give me attention. Do you want to learn some martial arts?" She offered, and he went to answer but Azrael, standing behind him and not sitting down or eating food, spoke.

"I don't think that is wise, Makaria." His remark annoyed him. She shook her head at Azrael.

"I'll just show him the basics, not kick his ass," she explained and the Gamma didn't complain. Geno then glanced behind him, confused at the other.

"Why aren't you eating?" He asked and Azrael stood staring forward, answering his question.

"I'm working." Makaria gave a shocked look and leaned closer to his ear.

"Oh my goddess, so what Thanatos said was true? He's been demoted," she whispered, and he sighed.

"You can eat, I'm not moving, and there are barely any people in here, so just eat." Azrael seemed hesitant before he left; he knew the other was hungry. Who wouldn't be after training? He continued to eat while Makaria explained how stressed Thanatos was and how mean and aggressive the Alpha was acting. The Alpha was pissed and he knew why. Having one of your closest men not think or act in the right way because of his childish prejudice, causing harm to the pack. If the Lycan King lost him, it would make his impenetrable fortress seem very easy to attack and he could only imagine how many enemies The King had. Azrael sat next to him and started eating with him. They all ate. Makaria finished first, then Azrael, and then him. Afterwards, she brought them back to the training room. She brought him to the center of the room after they both removed their shoes and any other clothing that would be in the way. Azrael stood in the background watching them with his arms crossed. She smiled and showed him a few forms, explaining how werewolves usually fought without weapons. They use claws and teeth.

"Utilize strategies such as flanking maneuvers, coordinated attacks, and using distractions to overwhelm opponents," she explained and Azrael hummed in agreement. He nodded. She circled him. "Sometimes it's more about surprise than it is about strength, which I think you will be able to do more easily using speed and agility." He nodded and she stood still and brought her hands up in a defensive position. "I'm not going to fight back because that would be too unfair, but I want to see you try and take me down while I defend myself." He nodded. He was told how to attack, so he first tried it, but it was extremely weak and she raised an eyebrow, blocking it easily. "I know you can do better than that."

"I don't want to hurt you," he stated nervously, and she laughed, giving him a 'really?' look.

"You won't hurt me, silly. Thanatos fights me full force and he can swing hard, okay? Trust me, I can take your hits." She chuckled, and he nodded. He tried again with all his might, not focusing on her as an ally but as an enemy. Azrael gave him a few tips to help him hit harder by using balance and his body as leverage. Slowly, they both upped their attacks and defensive responses. He was learning how to respond to someone who defended in different ways and how to counter that approach. Makaria seemed to be having fun watching him try to attack her, as she was so fast and strong that it didn't affect her. They trained for a few hours, then Makaria had to go and he decided he needed a break, so he went back to the library. He read until dinner and it was only Azrael and him at the table this time with barely any Lycan’s in the room. Although Keres and her little goons were here, which made it all the more amazing when they approached him while he was eating.

"Now look who the dog dragged in," one of the girls stated and Keres stood there with her arms crossed. He glanced up at them.

"Is there something I can help you with?" He questioned.

"Yeah, you leaving or on the floor begging for forgiveness." She spat venom. He smiled and tilted his head. He was exhausted and really didn't want to talk but of course, she always picks the worst time to try to get under his skin.

"Oh, so I need to tell the Alpha that his pack doesn't allow guests to eat in the dining hall," he cockily responded. She growled, eyes flashing, and she took a step forward.

"I don't fucking care what you are. You are no guest when you steal what is rightfully mine," she growled. He didn't know what she meant.

"What are you talking about?" He questioned and she growled more, grabbing his scarf and pulling it closer.

"The Luna room. Give it to me," she snapped. The what room? The room he's living in? Huh?

"I was put in there by the Alpha's request," he responded calmly. If he causes a problem, he will be outed so he needs to be careful with this.

"You are lying! There's no way an Omega can even set foot on that floor! Even if you are a guest!" She yelled. He glanced at Azrael, who was looking away and not going to help him at all, even though he was currently his guard. It was his sister so he couldn't expect him to back him up over his own blood.

"Even if I was lying, why would I lie about this?" He asked and she growled more.

"Because you want the room!" She screamed. Thank goddess they were the only people in the hall. Otherwise, this would be embarrassing to witness.

"Look, lady, I don't fucking give a damn where I sleep. I could sleep on the floor for all I cared and be fine and comfortable, so go ask the Alpha for the room and stop getting me involved in something I can't control," he snapped, not able to contain his own anger. She threw him backward into the table, slamming him really hard against it. He let out a pained noise. The other girls laughed as she turned and walked away, following her minions. He brought his hand to his back that got hit. Goddess, that hurt. He glanced at Azrael, who still wasn't doing anything, and stood up.

"Thanks for the help, your sister is very nice. Don't fucking follow me or I will tell The Alpha you let me get hurt." He cursed and walked away through the doors. He was so pissed off. What's the point of having a guard? Something flashed by the window as he walked by, causing him to stop and look outside. He stared off, then continued to walk to his room. He had an hour before he needed to be with The Alpha. He didn't get to eat much, which was going to mess with his weight gain. Maybe he could get more food later? That would work when everyone's asleep. He laid in his bed spacing out until it got close to the time to meet with The Alpha. He made his way to the King's office, stood outside of it, and knocked.

"Come in." The guards opened the door for him, and he walked in. There were piles of paper around a bottle of alcohol and so many other books were slammed open around him. There were also five other guards in the room, including Thanatos. The King glanced up at him and then averted his eyes to the clock, cursing. He stood there nervously. The King stood up and started going through a ton of the papers before building up a binder with a pen. "Keep me linked to the conversation while I accomplish my job tasked by the Werewolf King. This isn't over," he snapped.

"But your majesty, what are we going to do about the winter solstice? It's in six days!" One of the guards asked and the King didn't respond. He passed Geno, walking out of the room as the Luna followed. He chased after the other. The Alpha glanced behind him and glared.

"Where's your guard?" He swallowed. Fuck he can't lie or he would've.

"I told him he didn't need to follow me." It wasn't technically lying. The Alpha glared more.

"And why would you say that, and why would he agree?" The King lashed out.

"Well, I'll be with you so I don't need a guard, right?" He asked, and The Alpha didn't respond, turning back to the front. They walked in silence to the first floor.

"H-how bad was the breach?" Geno stuttered.

"A small hole. We patched it but we don't know who or what got in. They didn't break the barrier so they don't intend any harm, but it remains a safety concern nonetheless. We need to find who broke into the pack." He nodded.

"What's the winter solstice?" He questioned. The Alpha hummed.

"The Goddess's birthday, the day of no sun. We celebrate it every year." The Lycan explained.

"What, really?" He felt his eyes sparkling in excitement.

"Yes. We stay up for the entire day and night, as best we can, as a way to show our respect. Though you don't need to." That sounded fun. He wonders if there are a ton of festivals and things they do?

"Why would that be a problem?" He asked.

"Because security is so tight right now, we usually spend two days before the winter solstice getting ready for it and then have the big celebration. We are at our strongest and most aggressive during this time, but we could also be considered most vulnerable to invasions or unwanted people sneaking in. So, if we can not find this person, we might need to change the way we do the winter solstice." He nodded. The King reached the outside door, opened it, and it almost flew open aggressively. The King paused and hummed, staring at it. Geno tilted his head.

"What?" He asked.

"We are going to get a winter storm tomorrow. Don't go outside, it's as bad as a sandstorm." The King started walking out and he followed, pulling his hood on as well to cover his face. They made their way to the stairs and he sighed, already tired. The King glanced at him.

"Need help, princess?" The Alpha teased, and his face went red.

"NO!" He pushed past the other and started walking up the stairs. However, his entire body ached, including his finger from shooting so many arrows. He huffed, making his way up the stairs. Goddess, was this tiring. But he was getting better, making it halfway before taking a quick break. He then continued his way up the stairs. He was far behind the other but thankfully The Alpha didn't try to pick him up today in impatience. He followed the other.

"Are you drunk?" Geno asked, and The King laughed.

"You're amusing, thinking I would get drunk by one bottle; also, that was Thanatos who was drinking, who is a lightweight, and was drunk." Geno laughed as they went through the church. The King opened the door again and they made their way down the halls into the pond room. He stripped like usual and entered the water. The King pulled out his work and sat next to him.

"I'm going to use one hand to hold you while I do some work, okay?" Geno nodded and the Alpha grabbed his wrist as Geno slowly emerged himself. The water tingled against his body. He decided to try opening his eyes for the first time underwater. Opening them, the water was beautifully blue, almost white. He glanced down and realized how deep the water was actually. He could nearly see to the bottom. He wondered what was down there. He shook his head of his thoughts and focused on his wolf. They finished as quickly as they started, at least for him. The Alpha seemed to have accomplished a lot of his work. The Alpha repeated his usual actions of putting his cloak on and then putting Geno's cloak on the Luna's head. Then, he picked up the other and his clothes.

Geno focused on calming himself down. He's slowly gotten better at dealing with the side effects of the pond. It sucks because the pond makes him feel like he's in heaven and separates him from his body. Then, when he's pulled out, it's like he's being shoved back into his body and into this horrible world. The feeling of hunger and exhaustion hit him. They went down the stairs. Once the other got them down and started walking towards the castle door, he spoke.

"I'm hungry," he mumbled. The King hummed and glanced down at him.

"Didn't you have dinner?" The Lycan asked, and he shook his head, no, slowly. "Do you want me to send food to your room?"

"I want-I want…to eat…" He muttered, and The Alpha chuckled. "...with you," he mumbled into the other's chest. The Alpha seemed to pause, then glance down at him.

"Now, why would you want that?" His voice sounded different, back to teasing.

"You-" He yawned. "Aren't…bad…like them." He stated, almost falling asleep. The King chuckled and brought him to a bathroom on the first floor, requesting a towel from an Omega, who ran over to help with towels. Geno was brought in and given his clothes and a few towels.

"To get food, you have to dry yourself off and change your clothes." He whined but did as the other said, trying to steady himself in the bathroom. That bastard abandoned him. Well, would he actually want the other dressing him? Like a pup? Ugh. He finished putting his clothes on after drying himself, still shivering. His hair was soaked. He walked outside to see The Alpha waiting for him. The King turned and started walking in the direction of the kitchen. He followed after the other. They both ended up in the dining hall. Most of the lights were off as they walked in, and only one worker remained. The Alpha walked over with him and approached the counter. The worker rushed over and bowed.

"My Alpha."

"I apologize to ask this so late, but we didn't have dinner. Could we possibly have some food?" The worker nodded and smiled. He didn't know the other hadn't had dinner yet. He must not have eaten much because of his busy schedule today.

"Of course, my King, what would you like?"

"I don't really care what you make, just make it quick. As for him, he has a specific diet he needs to follow from the Salutary. I might actually have it here somewhere." The Alpha searched through the binder he was holding and then pulled out a list, handing it to the worker. The worker scanned it and nodded.

"I'll see what I can make for both of you, this will be quick," the worker chimed.

"Thank you," Geno commented and the worker turned to prepare the food. The King walked to the table. Now that Geno was getting more coherent, he just realized he had asked The King to eat food with him alone. Even the Lycan was surprised by his request, remembering it. He followed him. The King sat down and Geno walked to the opposite side of the table, sitting down, averting his eyes from the other.

"Why are you sitting so far away? Weren't you the one to ask me to eat with you?" Geno's face went red.

"I-"He stuttered and lost his voice. How does he say he realized he had asked something embarrassing, and now he was suffering from it?

"Come and sit," The King ordered, and his body just stood up and followed, sitting down next to him, nervously.

"See, that wasn't so hard, was it? Now tell me who these 'bad people' you were talking about are?" The Alpha interrogated, resting his weight on his hand with his elbow on the table. He shook his head.

"It doesn't matter, I wasn't entirely there, you shouldn't trust the words of an incoherent man." He turned his face away, and the King chuckled.

"I shouldn't trust you, huh? Well, let me tell you a little secret, Luna." He turned back to face the other as the Lycan leaned closer to him, making Geno's heart skip a beat and breath hitch.

"Nothing loses my interest faster than somebody lying to me. Keep that in mind. Now let's try this again. Who are these 'bad people' you were talking about?" He swallowed, looked down, and shook his head no. The King clicked his tongue in annoyance. Geno looked up in desperation, not wanting to anger the other.

"It doesn't matter cause once I get my wolf, I'll leave. If I say something, it will just add unnecessary drama that you shouldn't get involved with," he explained, and The King stared at him before a soft bell dinged from the counter, indicating their food was ready. The Alpha stood up and told him to stay where he was. The Lycan came back quickly, placing the food on the table.

"If I hear one more thing about someone being disrespectful to you or causing you harm, you have to tell me. Are we clear?" The King growled harshly, and he flinched, nodding.

"Yes, Alpha." The man hummed and turned away to actually eat and Geno stared at his food thinking before the other huffed.

"Do I need to feed you, too?" The Alpha asked and Geno glared at him and quickly started to eat to get the other off his back. He was tempted to tell The Alpha everything. Everything about Keres and Azrael. How he doesn't see the point in having this guard when the guard won't even protect him from getting hurt. However, this could cause numerous issues within their pack and these two individuals are highly valued by their pack. Maybe not Keres, but Azrael is very respected and he can see that the Lycan is trying to get over his biases. However, it's even harder when your family is involved. He knows that if his brother was still alive and did similar things, he probably wouldn't be able to get involved until it went too far. He glanced at The Alpha.

"Could I participate, please?" He asked, and The Alpha glanced at him, realizing what he meant, the winter solstice, before thinking silently as the other ate.

"If we find the intruder, yes. But, you will be required to stay close to Makaria." He was surprised. Why her and not Thanatos or Azrael?

"Why?" He asked.

"During our preparation of the festival, the male wolves go on to the ice lake and dig holes into the fish, and we use that as our main source of meat, as the lake holds giant salmon and tuna. The she wolves hunt in the forest around it and collect any fruit." The Alpha watched him as he ate and it made him feel self-conscious. He looked away and continued to try to eat, but even when the other ate, he watched him.

"S-stop staring at me!" He huffed, feeling his face getting red. The Alpha laughed.

"I was actually watching the ravens outside the window over there, but if you want me to stare at you, I can." The King made fun of him and he felt his face go red.

"No! I just said don't do that!" They continued to banter the entire night, which left Geno feeling dumb, humiliated, and extremely embarrassed. The King, though, was having the time of his life, enjoying his suffering and he was so close to throwing the entire tray of food in his face. He had no right to attack The Alpha, but goddess damn did he want the man to shut the fuck up. He basically slammed his face into the table.

"I'm going to add you to the list of 'bad people' if you don't fucking stop bullying me!" He cried out and the King laughed more.

"You are done with your food; you could've left at any time." The Alpha pointed out and his face reddened; he just groaned, which made the other laugh again. He will never admit he liked the other bullying him but it seemed like The King could already tell. The worker who was in the kitchen had been watching them from a distance. He didn't know why. The King finally sighed like he was upset. "It's getting late and there's a lot to do tomorrow, so I will be retiring for the night. Goodnight, Geno." He raised his head and nodded.

"Goodnight, your Majesty," he stated and The Alpha seemed to pause, but then continued to leave, handing the tray back to the kitchen aide and leaving. He waited until the other one was gone and got up and left as well. He walked over to hand the tray to the kitchen worker. "Do you want some help cleaning?" He asked. The worker looked at him, studying him.

"What's your deal?" The man asked and his eyes widened in surprise.

"W-what do you mean?" He stuttered.

"You're an 'Omega' yet you get so much special treatment from the King of werewolves and now the King of Lycans. Are you seducing Alphas or?" The harshness in his words stung, but he remembered helping him with dishes earlier. He was very nice. He must be upset about something. He was mostly confused about where this came from.

"N-no! Why would I even do that?" He questioned.

"Even if you don't realize you are doing it, The Alpha is clearly intrigued by you so much that he ate privately with you. Something he hasn't done since her. I'll have you know that if needed, the entire pack will protect our Alpha from outside threats. That means you." He sighed and bowed slightly, going down and kneeling on the ground.

"I swear by the Moon Goddess I will not intentionally harm The Alpha, The Lycan King, as a guest in this pack." He stated. The glow flew through the air; the Goddess accepted it. The man stared at him in shock, mouth opening like a fish, before his face went red and Geno stood up.

"T-that doesn't mean anything…I- Just be careful, okay?" The man stumbled over his words and Geno was surprised before he smiled. So the other was worried for his safety and his Alpha’s. Gotcha.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine no matter what. I'm made to do this." He humored and turned to leave since he didn't feel like sticking around. He left the kitchen, not noticing the figure listening to their conversation nearby. When he got to his room, he went straight to bed, exhausted. Though, his body wasn't physically tired anymore since the pond had healed any ache in his muscles and any pain he got from getting hit earlier. He slept like a log.

Chapter Text

The nightmare was back but this time when he got to the lake, he ran onto the ice. It cracked, and he fell through instantly. The red water swallowed him whole. He didn't set an alarm because he knew they wouldn't be functioning as normal until the intruder was found. So, when he woke up from the nightmare later that morning, he yawned and pulled himself out of bed, having slept in for a good chunk of time. Breakfast was about to start. He showered, changed, and then made his way down, looking at the snowstorm happening outside through the window before he opened the door. He was greeted by Azrael. He didn't say anything to the other as he walked past him. Their last conversation hadn't gone well so he didn't really want to talk to the other. He made it down to the breakfast area and only Makaria was there. He joined her and they ate. She asked him if he wanted to train some more and he agreed. The snow was slamming into the windows. You could barely see anything outside. The castle was also colder than usual. He felt stressed. Something uneasy was stirring within him. Why did he feel like this? When he finished eating, he followed her to the training grounds and they sparred again. He even went back to archery when he got too tired and Azrael still gave him some tips, even when Geno gave him the silent treatment.

He, though, did listen to the other tips. He had glanced at Azrael and he could see the guilt swimming in his eyes. He looked as though he hadn't gotten much sleep. He must be tired. When he got closer to the targets, he always hit them dead on. He just couldn't shoot from far distances, which could be a problem. He was good at aiming. He has always been good at little things like that but always too weak for it to matter. He practiced pulling the arrow back over and over again, not even shooting it. He needed to practice. When he wanted to take a break from archery, he went back to martial arts and continued to get beat the fuck up by Makaria, but she was always very gentle with him. He actually enjoyed speaking with Makaria as it didn't seem like a competition with no judgment sent his way, unlike with Azrael. While taking a break, he watched the snowstorm happening outside. During training, the wind was so loud that the castle creaked. It was pretty but violent. Makaria ran past him.

"Lunch is about to start so I'm going to get there early so I can get Thanatos some food and bring some to him. I heard he hadn't been eating much since he's searching every inch of the pack for The Alpha." She smiled and he nodded, waving bye to her. He stood up and pulled his cloak up and his scarf on. Azrael followed him and he walked his way down the hallways to get back to the kitchen. He passed through the door to the outside and almost made it to the dining hall but he was yanked harshly backwards by something. He choked as it pulled him by the throat and he fell backwards to the ground. Keres walked around with the other two girls.

"Hello, liar," she chimed.

"How many times do I have to tell you I didn't li-" He was kicked harshly in his stomach. He was pushed backward and he quickly got to his feet, holding his stomach, and Keres held her hand up to stop the two she-wolves from attacking again.

"I talked to The Alpha. If you tell him you don't want the room and want to change it to one that's more your role, I can have that room back." She smiled and held her hand out. "So let's go!" His eyebrows furrowed; he then took a step backward, glaring. She narrowed her eyes.

"Or do we need to convince you more?" She threatened. He didn't think twice and simply turned around, sprinting. Of course, Azrael was doing nothing. He needed to find someone or just hide. He didn't get far before his cloak was grabbed and he brought his hands up quickly, unclipping it. He knelt under the cloak and continued to sprint to the stairs to try to get back to his room. Or he could aim for the maids' quarters, as they wouldn't think to check there. It was wishful thinking thinking he could, as a human, outrun a werewolf, let alone a Lycan. He was slammed harshly against the outside door. Keres growled in his face, her eyes glowing. Her nails slowly turned to claws digging into him, making him bleed. He kicked and tried to push her off, but she only flinched.

"Keres, stop. That's enough." He was surprised by those words coming from the past Gamma's mouth. Azrael stood there glaring. She turned and glared harshly.

"What? You want to stop me, brother?" She growled. "You hate him just as much as I do. Don't forget what those werewolves did to us!" She reminded Azrael, whose eyes grew dark, clearly calling his wolf.

"Keres let go of him. Trust me, it's not worth it. He's different."

"No!" She screamed, growing progressively more upset, her claws hurting him more and more until he let out a cry of pain, which made Azrael flinch and he shot towards them to intervene. "Don't touch me! THEY ALL ARE THE SAME!" She screamed and pulled him and he brought his hands up and did a maneuver that Makaria had taught him, flipping his body and legs so that she was forced to let go. She fell back, grabbing her wrists. He didn’t think he would be able to do that. He took the chance and turned, opening the doors to the outside and ran out. He ran into the snow as Keres tried to chase him, but the snowstorm was so bad she couldn't see him after a few feet. He moved away from the door, instantly freezing. He turned as a shadow passed, making his hair stand on end. Something was outside with him. He could sense it. He knew he wasn't safe so he turned in a circle, seeing nothing as he scanned, but of course, the snowstorm made it impossible for him to see anything. He turned back to run to the door. He would usually have been questioning himself or just confused about why he was scared in the first place. Still, his fear was so great that it overpowered his rationality. He’d rather be with Keres right now.

He almost made it back to the door when something grabbed him and he let out a scream as he immediately struggled, turning his face, and his eyes widened. It wasn't Keres. It was the same mask. This man wasn't the same man, but he had the mask. Panic hit him harder than before. NO. NO. NO. NO! He didn't want to go back to that hell place; he would rather die. He finally got a taste of real life; he wasn't going to lose it. He was just starting to get his wolf back. This can not be happening. He should've just told The Alpha. His mind screamed, he swung, struggled, as the man pulled a cloth over his mouth. He smelled it. Chloroform. Funny enough, chloroform isn't just a ‘breath and you pass out’ like fairy tales tell you. It actually takes five to fifteen minutes of breathing it in to make you pass out. He learned this in one of his books. So, when he realized strength wasn't getting him anywhere as the other dragged him away from the door and around the castle, he knew he needed to pretend. He continued to struggle and slowed it down, his struggles getting slower and then slowly going limp and closing his eyes fully, 'fainting' in the other's hands.

The werewolf didn't seem to trust it, still holding it over his mouth a little longer. It was getting to the point where he was actually starting to get dizzy; he held on to the hope that this would work. Finally, the wolf dropped the chloroform and he took this as his time to act. Shooting upwards quickly as the other one was trying to drag him. The man, shocked, didn't get to grab him in time as he sprinted forward. Where to go, where to go!? He didn't know what to do. He shouldn't scream as it would only cause him to be found quicker. The man's a werewolf. He needed to run faster. Faster! He ran as fast as he could, taking deep breaths. He glanced behind him and realized it was a bad idea. The man was right behind him. The man grabbed his shoulder and Geno turned and swung, cutting the other one. The man looked shocked and he turned back around and pushed his body as fast as he could. Faster! His eyes made eye contact with the stairs. They will break a werewolf's spirit. Not his though. He ran up the stairs as quickly as he could. His scarf flew off him in the process. Taking quick breaths, he had never run this fast in his life and he only seemed to be getting faster. His mind panicked so hard he didn't notice what was happening to him. The claws that didn’t belong to him coming out. Both his eyes were glowing red. He ran up the stairs, feeling the ache and pain hitting him as he pushed through them. The wind blew so harshly that he almost fell off the stairs multiple times.

He didn't need to turn around as he could hear the other person breathing heavily, having a hard time keeping up. Even going up these stairs, he heard the other one curse and huff, as if he could barely move. He felt his ankle being grabbed, which made him almost lose his balance, but he steadied himself and turned aggressively. The werewolf was breathing heavily on the stairs, looking like he was going to puke, yet he was still trying to get him. How much does this man want to hurt him? How could anyone in their right mind withstand this much just to hurt him? What did he do to him? He swung his leg but the werewolf stood up with the last bit of energy, trying to grab him. The moon flashed red as he swung in panic, cutting the man's neck, blood splattering on the stairs. The man fell over, holding his neck and Geno screamed out. He never wanted to kill anyone. Horrified and terrified, his emotions overwhelmed him, just as his senses did. He turned and continued to run up the stairs. Something was telling him to go in there to get to safety. He wasn't even controlling his body anymore, just full on panicking. His nose could smell everything. His eyes could see farther. He could hear everything. He could breathe better. The stairs were like nothing to go up.

He made it to the church, running into it, and ran towards the door. He felt a word come out of his mouth as he ran his hand over the words he didn't know.
"Ankou," (s)he whispered and the door lit up and opened. His true name. He quickly made his way down to the pond and finally pulled himself into a corner of the room, holding his freezing-cold body and shaking.

 

The Alpha had been searching the grounds with Thanatos and Azrael after the Gamma informed him that Geno had been kidnapped.

"If we don't find him, I will have all your heads!" He roared out, making them run faster and search more frantically. He sniffed the air. The snowstorm made it impossible to smell any wolf scents, especially Geno's nonexistent one. He was aiming for the intruder. He noticed tracks in the snow and followed them, but he didn't know if he was following the wrong one until he saw blood in the snow. He shot forward following the blood and the steps. Sprinting, he followed them and ended up at the stairs, where a red scarf lay on the ground. He bent down and grabbed it, his eyes furrowing before he realized what he had done and then shot up the stairs. He mindlinked his guards. They went up to the church. When he saw the body, his heart skipped a beat and he ran to the werewolf, dead, lying on the stairs, blood spilling from his throat. Confusion went through The Alpha. His wolf finally stood up. That meant nothing good. Were there two? He sprinted faster up the church, slamming the door open and his eyes widening as the door that only he could open was opened. The Alpha ran down the hall. Did they already know the code? What else did they know about the pack that allowed them to do this effortlessly? He turned into the pond area and what he saw wasn't what he was expecting. His wolf came forward. The Luna was curled in the corner with blood all around him, some his, some the other wolf’s. His eyes were glowing a deep, dangerous red. His claws were out and he was crying.

A shifting episode. He forgot about that. Of course, Geno would experience multiple of these. This is a little early, though. The stress must have triggered his wolf. He walked over slowly and a growl went through the room. Multiple guards ran down the hall and he held his hand up, minding linking them. Wait. Don't run in. Thanatos and Azrael peeked in and gasped. The others backed away. He knelt down, his eyes going black, letting his wolf show itself to the scared Luna..

"Geno." He spoke, which caused the younger one to flinch and growl louder. He put his head down to show he was no harm, which made the growling stop. He raised his head and slowly walked over to Geno. The Luna curled into himself more and tried to push himself away. The fear in his eyes, he still didn't recognize him. He brought his hand up and pulled his hood down. Geno's red eyes met his as the younger froze. He treaded carefully towards the other, kneeling in front of him. Geno let out a snarl and the Alpha took a deep breath. This is going to hurt. Bringing his arms out, he pulled the younger wolf into him. He needed to smell his scent. It would calm him. Geno scratched him instantly, ripping his cloak, and the guards gasped more. Geno slowly took deep breaths as his one red eye slowly returned to its normal blue. He looked down at the werewolf.

"Geno. You're safe. You're fine." The she-wolf looked around, confused, before realizing what was happening.

"I-I" Tears exploded out of the younger wolf. He mindlinked the guards instantly. Get out.

 

Geno hadn't panicked like that in a long time. He sobbed and screamed so loudly you would think he was getting tortured again as he slammed his face into the other's chest. The King rubbed his back, trying to comfort him as he had his mental breakdown. First, he gets bullied, then he almost gets sent back to the camp, and finally, he kills a man all in the same day. The Alpha hadn't said anything since he first spoke. He was shaking so hard he cried more and more until his head felt like it was going to split and he had lost all his energy, feeling so tired. He didn't move, lying against the other before closing his eyes. The Alpha slowly stood up, holding him in a bridal carry. He hadn't entirely fallen asleep so he heard the conversations happening around him as The Alpha walked out of the sacred waters.

"Is he okay?"

"Those screams were horrible."

"I will talk with you later. Everyone, back to your stations. Gather the pack, I have something to reveal."

"No way you are going to do that now that he's passed out so he can't stop you!"

"They already know he's here. What's the point in hiding it? Clearly, it's done more harm than good. You were right, Thanatos. We shouldn't have put a Luna in an Omega's spot." The guards around Azrael gasped.

"What do you mean Luna?" One of the guards asked. Geno entirely passed out. He couldn't get himself to care.

 

He woke up with his head pounding. He found himself in his room wrapped in bandages on his chest. He stood up, holding his head as it pounded. He looked around his room, the memories hitting him. He pulled himself into a ball, curling up. The door opened and he immediately growled. This caused the person coming in to flinch, back away, and leave. He didn't know why he could growl now, but he could. He had pulled all the blankets and pillows around him, feeling very unsafe. He felt like he did when he first woke up in the Werewolf King's castle. After a while, he tried to go through everything that had happened the day before. There was a knock on the door and slowly it opened. The Salutary came in and she pushed her glasses up on her face. Before walking over to him. She smiled and he glared slightly.

"Don't worry, Luna. You are very safe here. I just wanted to talk to you." The Salutary pulled up a chair and sat down, smiling at him still. He slowly relaxed while staring at her cautiously. "So, Luna, do you remember what happened yesterday?" She asked and he slowly nodded. "Good. Do you know what happened to you, though?" What happened to him? What did she mean? He didn't respond and the Salutary smiled, pulling up her clipboard to write something. "When a werewolf is close to shifting, they go through episodes. They are small at first, then they turn into fits, which usually happens for multiple reasons. Though, I have reason to believe this episode was caused by the extreme stress put on you and your wolf's self-preservation, as I was told by The King how great it was." She motioned towards her own eye as a reference to his. She stared at him for a little bit.

"Since you've been in the sacred water, have you experienced any wolf-like symptoms before this episode? Advanced speed, strength, agility, hearing, smelling, taste, sight? Or developed a need for meat?" He shook his head no. She wrote stuff down. "Are you quick to anger or aggression? Any Nail or tooth growth? Eye's glowing? Growling?" He shook his head, no again. She hummed. "Now tell me, Geno, do you feel her now?" He looked at her, confused, and the Salutary raised an eyebrow. She then smiled. "It's fine if you don't quite understand. You did growl at me when I first entered your room. So, I would say she is definitely there now," she commented. She looked through some of her papers. "I was told you didn't know your birthday. Therefore, due to this episode, your shift may come earlier but we do not know when it will be. The King requested us to bring you back when you are going to shift," she explained and he nodded.

She smiled. "It was nice meeting you, Luna. I hope your next pack treats you well." He nodded, feeling a sense of sadness. He felt like he was getting abandoned. He would be able to see Frisk again, but he's going to miss this pack. The Salutary took his vitals and went through some physicals, even taking the bandages off, which he found that his wounds were healing faster. She pointed out that his wolf was the cause of that.

"Am I still going to use the sacred water?" He asked and she hummed, thinking before shrugging.

"Thats something to ask The Alpha, he's going to come and answer some questions soon, so wait for him." He nodded and she left. He stayed in his room. Food was delivered to his room by the kitchen. He ate some of the food and continued to stay in his room. His room had a small bookshelf with a few books he had not touched since he arrived, as he wasn't interested in them, but he took his time to read through them now. He didn't really feel safe leaving his room. He needed some time alone for his thoughts. He was also waiting for The Alpha to appear. He stayed in his room for most of the day. It was only during dinner that he decided he wanted to go do some archery. He left the food they sent there, placing it on his dresser to eat later. He changed his clothes then opened the door, surprised to find multiple guards outside.

They glanced at him. He took a few steps out and they bowed to him. He swallowed before walking past them. Two of the guards followed him while the other two stayed by his door. This was a little much. He did not need this many guards. He went down multiple stairs before ending up on the first floor. He walked to the opposite side of the kitchen. He noticed how warm the castle was; maybe the snowstorm had stopped. The guards whispered, probably wondering where he was going, so when he ended up in the training room, he opened the door to find no one in there. The guards walked in with him. He made his way to the back door that Azrael usually used and pulled out everything he needed.

Once he had everything set up, he aimed the bow at the easiest target. He glared and pulled it back as hard as he could. He glanced over as he saw the snowstorm still raging on. How was he so warm even with his scarf and cape off? He took a deep breath and let it go. The arrow hit the target dead on. He couldn't get the werewolf out of his head. The blood exploding from his neck. He swallowed and shot another. He kept going until he decided to turn to the next target. He took a shot and didn't hit it dead center, so he kept trying. The guards moved out of the room and stood guard at the door from the outside. He refused to stop shooting even after two hours of doing it. Even when his hands burned and hurt, he ignored them. He felt…restless. A tsunami of emotions whirling in him like the snow storm. The door to the training room had opened, but he ignored it and continued to shoot. When he went through his arrows for the hundredth time, he glanced over and saw The King leaning against the wall, watching him shoot. He looked away from the other and The King walked over.

"Impressive, you've learned this much in such a short time." Geno nodded, spacing out. The Alpha walked up to him. He refused to look at the other as he stood right next to him. "Your wolf is back so we don't need to use the water anymore. I have contacted The King. He will tell me what the plan is for you." Geno nodded. He finally spoke.

"Did you tell them?" He asked and the other stood in silence. The question, the elephant in the room.

"Only the guards."

"Then don't," he stated. The Alpha sighed.

"Geno-" The Luna interrupted him.

"What's the point if I'm leaving in a few days? You won't have to worry about me, I'll just stay in my room all day" he snapped and turned, walking away. He knew the only reason he was snapping was because he was sad to leave. He reached the door, opened it aggressively, and left. He made his way upstairs. He made his way back to his room. He slept for most of his time in the room until someone knocked on his door the next day.

He got changed, not bothering to put anything too warm on, as he had slept so warm the night before that he could barely handle it and didn't understand why. He opened the door and Makaria hugged him. She was crying.

"Geno, we thought you really got taken!" She cried out and he sighed, nodding. They both moved to the bed and started talking. Makaria explained that Azrael got in trouble for not keeping him safe. "I also heard you got your wolf back!" She excitedly stated and he nodded. She cheered. She went on to tell him all the drama he missed in one day. Keres said some bad stuff about him and was called out by Azrael. Then Keres’ friend, whose apparent name is Morrígan, got deranked and is now listed as an Omega. Thanatos joined and stayed for ten minutes talking with him and thanking The Goddess that he was okay. Thanatos explained how they found him and what had happened that day. Then, Thanatos had finally asked him,

"Why were you outside anyway? You got a warning about the snowstorm and not to go out in it, right?" He nodded, but didn't answer. Thanatos didn't understand why he hadn't said anything. He knows if he did, Keres and Azrael would likely lose their ranks and face trouble. Still, her sentence about werewolves had stayed with him since the previous day. Don't forget what they did to us. He needed to talk to her without her being a fucking bitch.

"It doesn't matter, I heard you killed that asshole! That’s so cool. I've never done that. We don't get in a lot of fights around here. To think that man dared to try and break into The Lycan King's Pack!" Makaria huffed, which made Geno think.

"How did he even get in if he was planning on hurting me?" He asked and Thanatos thought about it.

"Oh my-we should've thought of this, of course!" He yelled out, hitting his own head. The Lycan pointed at him. "You're not part of our pack so the intruder didn't get hurt because he planned to hurt you and not anyone else." He felt a lump go in his throat. He's not part of their pack; he doesn't belong here. He swallowed, remembering The King's words about the Lycans in the village. Makaria nodded.

"We should've realized they were heading for you. The Alpha probably realized this immediately and thats why he was so mad at you and Azrael when you lost him," the she-wolf stated. Thanatos nodded as they pointed out how they should've been better at protecting him. Makaria glanced at him and her eyes lit as she realized this.

"Oh! And get this, Geno. Keres tried to flirt with The Alpha yesterday." She laughed. He glared. "She asked him to eat with him after basically following him around the whole day and The Alpha was not having it. He even used her surname to remind her how to respect him and never ask him something so inappropriate." She giggled and he couldn't help but smile at that. "She made such a fool of herself. I wish you were there; she was so red and basically ran away with her tail between her legs, humiliated by him." Thanatos sighed.

"I don't understand she-wolves and their extreme need for drama. You two." He shook his head and Geno shot him a look.

"You have the same amount of drama, you just ignore it, and because you ignore it, it affects work and then soon, it causes problems and then someone gets hurt," he stated and he could tell the Beta knew precisely who he was talking about. Thanatos shrugged.

"Look, I'm just a Beta, blame The Alpha for that." Thanatos shifted the blame and he narrowed his eyes.

"Aren't you in charge of the pack when he's gone and in charge of all the warriors and guards?" He pointed out.

"Well, yes, but I share that with-" The other tried to excuse his behavior.

"And isn't the Gamma a guard and warrior?" He pointed out again.

"I-uh," The man stuttered.

"You are technically higher in rank, so that is your job. The Alpha is supposed to only judge you while you judge the others." Makaria whistled.

"That’s a Luna for you. Clocked you." Makaria humored and Thanatos threw his hands in the air. Then, Thanatos had to leave to go to work. Makaria stayed and they talked until after lunchtime, getting food brought in that they ate. However, around that time, the Salutary came in to check on him, making the other Lycan leave. She took some vital signs and began a physical examination.

"Well, Geno, your wounds are all healed up; they healed faster than a pup but slower than an adult, which is pretty confusing. You could be close to your shifting time, so maybe that’s the reason. Anyway, we ne-" The door to his room slammed open, causing him to jump and glance over towards the person running into his room. The guards stood there and the Salutary looked confused.

"We need the Luna and Salutary to come with us." The Salutary looked surprised before nodding and they both stood up and walked over, but one of the guards grabbed his arm and basically dragged both of them out of the room. He couldn't help but feel annoyed and growl, which caused them to stop, letting him go in surprise. He shoved his face into the much older, taller, and bigger Lycan.

"I can fucking walk on my own, don't touch me!" He growled, which made them all flinch and nod in response. They even let go of the Salutary, who looked like she was used to being dragged away by them.

"We were told it was urgent, so please come with us quickly." He nodded, realizing something serious must've happened. He followed them quickly, running down some stairs and towards The Alpha's office. The door opened immediately and they walked in. The King was holding some papers on his desk, looking stressed. Thanatos was also not looking his greatest, standing in the corner and Azrael was sitting down, holding his head in his hands. Well, this looked great. The King raised his head to him.

"Sit." He motioned for the one seat in front of his desk. He then pointed to the Salutary and pointed to a chair in the right corner. They both moved and sat down in their respective places. They sat in silence until The Alpha sighed.

"Thanatos, grab it," The Lycan King stated. Thanatos looked shocked and scared.

"You're not planning on doing it, are you?" The Alpha turned his gaze, eyes glowing. Don't question an Alpha.

"Do you have a better idea? We do not have time to test it normally" The King snapped. Thanatos sighed and turned to the bookcase to his left, opening it and pulling out a particular book. This action moved the bookcase backwards, revealing a secret passage that Thanatos walked down, grumbling about how much he hated this secret passage. He turned to The King, who stared at him before speaking.

"When you were in the werewolf castle, you informed The False King that the only memories you have is of your two parents and little brother who were in a carriage travelling a far distance before you got attacked." Geno nodded and The Alpha grabbed the paper, turning it to show it.

"The King wasn't able to find anything on your origins in his packs and they eventually asked us for our records. We sent them and they found only one Lycan family that disappeared that vaguely matched your description. But-" The Alpha brought his hand up to rub his face. "This family is of very ancient Lycan descent." He stared and his eyebrows narrowed, looking at his hands. Thanatos walked back into the room.

"...are you saying I could be…Lycan?" He whispered. The Alpha didn't respond.

"We can't tell for sure until you shift, but The False King wants you back when you shift," Thanatos stated.

"And there's another problem," The Alpha stated, "Their eldest son would be 18 today, not 17." His eyes were furrowed. "Are you sure you have your dates right, Geno?" The Alpha asked and he swallowed.

"Wouldn't he have already shifted?" Thanatos asked.

"Not exactly, delayed shifting has side effects. That makes it harder to experience their first shift, which is why it's so important to actually be able to shift on your birthday." The Salutary explained from her chair.

"The only way we can truly tell is to do a blood test, but that would take…" The Alpha started to say.

"Three months." The Salutary finished his sentence. Geno stared at his hands.

"So how do we tell?" He whispered

"Well, that’s the thing, there's only one other way and it's dangerous!" Thanatos glared at The King.

"What choice do we have?" The Alpha snapped.

"If we don't know if he's a werewolf or a Lycan, it can cause more damage." The Salutary said. Thanatos snapped back and the two wolves started arguing.

"What's the way?" He asked, staring at the Alpha.

"To spray your blood on an ancient artifact that turns werewolves into Lycan and humans into werewolves." The King motioned towards the slab Thanatos was holding. He tilted his head.

"That doesn't make sense."

"If you already are a Lycan, it won't react to you and will just glow. If you aren't though…" He shuddered and realized why.

"It could kill you!" Thanatos snapped, turning towards him. 10% chance of not dying, Frisk had told him.

"I-If I'm Lycan, do I stay?" He muttered the question.

"If you are a Lycan, you are under my rule and I will prohibit you from going to that castle. The Alphas will come here to watch you shift." The King growled and everyone was shocked by that answer. He felt his hands squeeze. He wants to stay here. Thanatos placed the slab on the desk and argued while he stared at it.

"Why would he stay here? That would cause problems for the other packs and they will-"

"Thanatos. Geno would be a Lycan Luna. That is stronger than any other Luna; it won't be just the Black Blood Pack going after him. Do I need to remind you what happened to her?" His eyes followed the markings on the slab, which had ancient moon symbols. It called to him. It glowed like the crystals and the Moon. It was definitely a gift from the Moon Goddess. He had never seen anything like that before.

"But if he's not a Lycan and we turn him into one, isn't that breaking so many rules?!?" Thanatos yelled out.

"I am not forcing him to do this. It's his own decision," The King stated.

"It shouldn't be an option! Can't we bring him to his parents' house and see if he regains any memories?" Thanatos yelled.

"The parents lived on Mt. Jotunheim." Thanatos went quiet at that.

"I'll do it." He volunteered. They both turned towards him. He stared at The Alpha and The King nodded. The Salutary stood up quickly and made her way over, standing to the side and The King stood up as well and brought his hand for him to take. Geno brought his hand out, but Thanatos got in the way.

"No, No-I can't let you go through with this! It co-”

"Thanatos, get the fuck out of my way," Geno roared, which made the Beta almost fall back. The Salutary nearly laughed out.

"Well, your wolf is definitely making itself known, that’s for sure." He felt his face go red before turning back to The Alpha. He gave The King his arm. The Alpha yanked his sleeve back and his claws unsheathed. He flinched, staring at the pitch black claws of the other. The King stared at him before bringing his arm over the slab. He took a deep breath and The King brought his hand down. His claws danced on his skin, making him shudder as he stared as the other cut into him. It didn't even hurt as the claws were so sharp that the other didn't even have to use force to cut into him. It was terrifying. When The King was done, The Alpha squeezed his arm and they watched as the blood dripped multiple times onto the slab. It didn't react and he stared at it in fear. Suddenly, it seemed to suck up the blood into it. They all watched it in fear. A minute went by, and nothing.

It then started to glow. It grew brighter and brighter, almost as blinding as the sun. Thanatos let out a shaky breath he was holding. The King slowly sat back down and The Alpha pulled out a piece of paper and started to write something down on it quickly before handing it to him. He stared down at it.

"Welcome to my pack. Geno Hati. Son of Leif and Frea Hati." He stared in disbelief. The Salutary tried to wrap up his wound, but The King stopped her. Azrael left the room in a rush. The King unsheathed his claws again and cut a scratch across his palm. The Alpha reached out a hand for him and he gave him his arm again. The King slowly put his bloodied hand on his arm and he felt the wave of different sensations hit him.

"I, Reaper Grim, the King of Lycans, hereby invite this she-wolf into my pack," The Alpha spoke and he suddenly felt everything. The Alpha let him go and he almost fell down, but the Salutary guided him back to the chair and started cleaning and wrapping up his arm.

"We are going to have to inform the pack of the new Luna member," The Alpha stated. Geno shook his head.

"Can you keep my role a secret until the winter solstice?" He asked.

"Why?" The King questioned. He looked down at his hands.

"I want to tell my friends myself." The Alpha sighed. It was only three days, please. Silence went through the room until The King finally sighed.

"I'll tell them I'm deciding your role in the pack because it's complicated, so you will be unknown." He nodded. Suddenly, a loud voice went through his head, causing him to yelp and bring his hands to his head.

Blood Moon Pack, I am pleased to inform you of a new addition to our pack. Lost son of Leif and Frea Hati. Geno Hati. Role undecided. Welcome him. He blinked around and turned to Thanatos.

"Is that what you hear?!" He cried out and Thanatos laughed.

"You'll get used to it." The Lycan humored. The Alpha turned his attention to Thanatos.

"Move his room to the Luna bedroom." Thanatos looked surprised and Geno looked confused.

"I thought I was already in the Luna's bedroom?" He asked

"You are in the guest room for Luna's, not the actual Luna's room." Oh. He thought to himself as his eyebrows furrowed.

"But I'm not the Luna of this pack, I-" The Alpha interrupted him.

"Any Luna that's a part of the pack, regardless of being the Luna, will get that room."

"But what about your Luna? Don't you want one?" He asked and The King's eyes stared at him. Thanatos laughed out loud.

"Thats a little forward, Geno, don't you think?" He blinked, confused, before he realized how that sounded. His face exploded and he shook his arms in front of his face. "I- didn't mean it like that! I was just wondering if you were going to have a Luna!" He stuttered and Thanatos laughed more, even The King chuckled.

"There are five packs and five Lunas to be had. One of you will most likely be my second chance mate." Geno's eyes widened. Second? The Alpha sized him up and he could feel his eyes trailing him. "And you definitely could be my Luna." His face went redder and he stood up.

"In your dreams!" He yelled out, turned, and ran out of the office while Thanatos laughed. He slammed the door and leaned against it, trying to calm himself and holding his face that was burning.

"You're not so far off. He is a Lycan." He could hear Thanatos' voice speak. He pushed off the door and walked away. Now he understood why everything seemed familiar. The snow, the red flowers. This was his pack. He was now part of this pack. It was exciting to actually have a home. To have a place to belong. He was excited to finally be a part of something. As he walked the halls, he didn't get far before Makaria sprinted down them, aiming for him. His eyes widened and he backed up, but she smashed right straight into him, making him fall backwards.

"Ow?!?" He shouted.

"You're a part of the pack now?!?" She screamed and he smiled and nodded.

"They found out about my parents. Also, I'm apparently 18, not 17," he explained and her eyes widened.

"So you just need to shift." He nodded. Makaria smiled and cheered, and he pushed her off of him. He stood up and she glared playfully at him.

"Rude!" She shot at him.

"Don't tackle me next time, what if I got hurt?!" He argued back, crossing his arms and they both couldn't stop the smile riding its way onto their faces. He helped her up and they both stood in the hallway.

"I heard your last name. Your parents are so famous that their bloodline traces back to one of
the first ten Lycans, Hati. Which is why that’s your surname!" She explained. He nodded.

"We live on Mt. Niflheim, right?" He asked and she nodded as a few guards walked by. He grabbed her arm and dragged her up the stairs to the library, where they could talk in a quiet place. When they entered, he turned around. "What is Mt. Jotunheim?" He asked and she fell quiet before motioning for him to follow, leading him to the upstairs part of the library and to a map. She pointed at a mountain.

"We are here and…" She ran her hand past their mountain across an ice lake to a different mountain across from them. "This is Mt. Jotunheim."

"I don't understand, were they rogues?" He asked and she shook her head.

"They were the second-highest family in The Blood Moon Pack, and they lived here away from the pack for a particular reason. They were responsible for charting the Moon. You were kinda lied to. Mt. Jotunheim is thinner but taller than Mt. Niflheim. So your family stayed here."

"How did they get back to the pack when they needed to?" He could tell it would be very annoying to try to go back and forth.

"They actually had an ancient cave that connected into the pack, but only the family and the Grim family knew where it was, and The Alpha has stated it's unsafe and has been caved in." She explained that he nodded.

"I want to go there." He stated and Makaria shook her head.

"Yeah, that won't happen." He raised an eyebrow.

"Why?"

"That mountain is so dangerous with no Lycans up there to defend and maintain it. It's prone to avalanches and rocks falling. A few years ago, a part of the mountain fell off" she explained, turning around to sit down in one of the armchairs in front of the map. He sat down with her.

"It was that unstable? Why was my family living there?"

"Honestly, we believe it's because your family isn't there that the mountain is basically dying. The Moon Goddess wasn't giving it enough love." Huh. Then isn't that an even bigger reason to go there? His eyes went to the place where they were sitting.

"I noticed all these books are written in an old-'

"Norse. Old Lycan's language is called Norse," she finished his thought, and he glanced at the book and opened it.

"How do you read it?" He asked.

"Pffft, you think I know that? Only really old Lycans can read that. Thanatos even can't." Hmm. That sucks. Maybe he could ask The King? He wants to know it. He would love to read the old books.

"Have you asked The King yet?" Makaria asked, and his eyebrows furrowed.

"About what?"

"About joining us for the winter solstice. You technically are a part of the pack now, so you should go!" He thought about the conversations he had with the older Lycan.

"He told me once we caught the intruder I could, but I haven't confirmed if I can go."

"Well, you should! It's so fun and the preparations are starting tomorrow; we are going to go to the ice lake after lunch so you'll be able to see the mountain!" She excitedly jumped up out of the seat. "Do you want to go do some training, Geno?" She asked and he nodded. They left for the training hall and spent the next few hours doing martial arts and archery. He was much stronger and was able to land some blows on her, which surprised her. She then started to increase her attacks and their exchange of blows began to go back and forth. He was now learning how to defend himself, unlike before, when he had only been taught how to attack. They did this until the dinner bell rang and he and Makaria made their way to dinner. When he entered, he was surprised to see everyone at the table except Keres. He made his way over to the counter and got some food; he couldn't stop himself from getting more meat than he usually would grab. It just smelled so good that his mouth couldn't stop salivating. He and Makaria made their way over and sat at the table. He didn't get to sit down before Azrael stood up and walked around the table towards him.

"Can I talk to you in private, Luna?" He asked, bowing slightly. He put his food fully down on the table and nodded.

"Of course." The Gamma then brought him outside the dining hall. The man kneeled down and bowed fully to him, making him look around in surprise, and thankfully, no one was in the hall.

"I'm very sorry for my lack of respect since I've met you. I had a very bad experience with werewolves in my past and I treated you like a criminal when you were a victim. I saw you as someone weak and undeserving. You are far from that. I don't deserve my title as Gamma, so I have given it up." The Lycan lamented. Geno’s eyes widened in shock.

"What!" He shot out.

"Until I feel like I've made it up, I'm going to give up the role and go back to being a Gamma in training. The King supports my decision. Until I can trust myself to fully care for my pack. I just wanted to personally apologize but also thank you, as I've realized my shortcomings." The Gamma in training still kept his head down and Geno sighed, feeling a smile go on to his lips.

"I appreciate the apology. If you don't mind me asking, what happened to make you hate werewolves so much?" Azrael stared at the floor.

"There used to be a werewolf in the village. They were the only werewolves there and they weren't really part of the pack, as they couldn't be brought in without being a Lycan or turned and they didn't want to turn into one. So, they just stayed as a werewolf in the village. My parents took pity on them and gave them a job and a place to sleep as our maid and nanny. That…wrench put my sister and me through hell and back, with strict rules and etiquette to follow. We were always sick, though, and she refused to take that as an excuse. She would claim to my parents that we were sleeping all day, getting better, when really she was forcing us to do her chores and punishing us for any little thing. Soon, my parents found out that she was poisoning both of us, which made us sick. The King judged her and hanged her in the village for her crimes." Geno was shocked by those words. He can understand why Keres acts like that now. She probably has never met another werewolf after that one. He nodded.

"Thank you so much for telling me Azrael. I accept your apology. I hope to see you as the Gamma of the pack soon." He bowed back and Azrael looked up, surprised. He turned and walked back into the dining hall, heading towards the table to eat. He sat next to The King, who was reading. Makaria and Thanatos were throwing food at each other. He swears those two can't behave. Eris sat across from him. He wondered if he could talk to her. Eris was also reading. Yeah no. He'll get her attention one day. He's curious about her. He took a bite of his food and swallowed it. "Can I go with the she-wolves to the forest tomorrow?" He asked and The King seemed to think it over.

"No." Geno narrowed his eyes.

"Why? You are just going to leave me here? I'm a part of your pack-!" He objected

"I said no," The King reiterated. If that's how the other was going to act, then he'll act worse.

"Then I'm not eating." He stood up and turned, walking towards the door of the dining room. He heard The Alpha sigh hard, slamming his book shut. The King stood up and walked after him, grabbing his wrist. Geno turned, gaze burning, analyzing the other.

"You have to stay with Makaria, no further than two feet. You better hold fucking hands." Geno smiled and was all excited. The King walked him back to the table.

"Makaria, don't you leave Geno's side for even a second when you guys are out in the forest." Makaria nodded. They were talking about the celebration. Apparently, there's a festival and then a pack run. Because he was a Lycan, there was no worry about him going into the village anymore. There was a giant feast at the castle, which opened its doors to everyone in the pack. In the ballroom, everyone is welcome to join. Not many pack members attend as it can be unpleasant if they fail to follow etiquette and risk punishment. Therefore, anyone who doesn't know the etiquette doesn't show up. It all sounds very fun. It was a whole 36 hours of the Moon being out.

"Will there be fireworks?" He asked and The Alpha glanced at Thanatos, who hummed.

"We could add a firework show, if you want, Alpha?" Thanatos questioned.

"Not too late, as not everyone stays up the full 36 hours." Thanatos nodded and he got even more excited. Apparently, they also have a pack-wide church in the gigantic church down in the village coliseum. He always wondered what that building was. This was all so exciting. He ate fast and finished quickly. He didn't leave, though, as there was nothing else to do. The King and Eris were the first to go. Then Thanatos and Makaria had to leave after staying with him for thirty more minutes, which gave him two hours to do whatever he wanted, so he went back to the library. He went through the books and started reading, but he got bored and put them back before his mind went up to the Old Norse books. He headed up the stairs and went to the old-looking map tapestry on the wall, looking through the books underneath and around it. Maybe he could try to read it? He flipped through all the pages of the books, going through every single one of them. He had pulled out a few books from the shelves, then sighed and went to put them back. He went back downstairs and started reading the normal books. He was lost in thought as he read.

Geno, where are you? Thanatos mindlinked him, causing him to jump and almost fall out of his chair. How the fuck does he send a mindlink back? He put the book back and left the library, looking for any guards. He found one and explained his need, and the guard mindlinked Thanatos. The guard nodded and looked down at him.

"He told me to tell you to go up to the fifth level." The fifth level? But wasn’t that was forbidden for him to go there? It was completely blocked off. He made his way up the stairs and when he got to the fifth floor, guards stood there protecting it. They glanced at each other before stepping aside, allowing him upstairs. He walked into the hall, and it was different from what he had thought it would be. It was beautiful. He walked further in, finding Thanatos standing there. He smiled and walked up. The Beta pointed to the door in front of him, which had a full moon symbol on it.

"This is your room." Then, Thanatos pointed to the right to the only other door up there. "That's The Alpha's room." His eyes widened. He was staying on the same floor as The Alpha? He looked at the other like he was crazy. "Haha, don't give me that look, Geno, you will almost be alone on an entire floor, as there's no one else up here. On the fourth floor, it was the guest floor and the Beta and Gamma’s rooms, so Azrael, Keres, and I live there." He nodded. So that's why she was so annoyed as she got kicked out of her room by a lower rank. He would be annoyed, too. "Anyway, I had a maid bring all your stuff to your room, and as for mindlinks." Thanatos turned to him and closed his eyes.

I imagine the person I'm trying to talk to and I speak in my mind; then I cut it off after I am done. You will feel it like a connection. Try it with me. If you don't think of anyone personally and instead think of just the word 'pack ', you will mindlink the entire pack, so avoid doing that. He nodded and closed his eyes, thinking of Thanatos.

Hello? He then cut it off and blinked. Thanatos smiled.

Hello Geno. See, you're a natural!

He smiled and nodded, and the Beta moved out of his way as he entered the room. It was gigantic. There was more floor than furniture. The entire room was circular. It was extremely high up and wall-length windows lined half the room, showing beautiful mountains. The decor was white with black marble on the floor and white lines going through it like cracks. Those white cracks were lined with gold. There was a big bed in the center of the room. With a big princess curtain over it, it looked just like the empress and queen beds he's seen in his picture books. There were multiple tables and chairs to the side of the walls, as well as two gigantic bookcases filled with books. A big white fluffy circle carpet was under the bed. There was a door to his left that led to a beautiful bathroom. With a tub.

Can you learn how to swim in a tub? Probably not. He saw his bag and his clothes put away neatly in the dresser as he looked through them. His view outside was beautiful since he could really see the Moon. He felt so close to her. He decided to explore the bookcases. As he looked through them, he found that every book in this room was Old Norse. He sighed. Well, that was perfect, wasn't it? He started searching for anything they might not be. That’s when he came across it. A very old-looking pamphlet that showed a key to understanding the language, written out. He saw it hidden and he laughed. The past Luna definitely used it to cheat here.

He grabbed the pamphlet and grabbed the smallest book they had and aimed for the desk in the room that had a beautiful mirror on it. He sat down and checked the desk, finding papers and pens. He started writing the key out and looking through the Norse book. He fully translated the first page and studied it. He did it late into the day. When the sun began to rise, he moved to his windows and pulled the curtains down, plunging the room into darkness, with only a few glowing crystals on the floor. He then noticed a small crystal light next to the desk that he needed to turn on. He did, and the light illuminated the room. He studied the language and the book until he passed out on his desk. As a result, he forgot to set his alarm. He was only woken up by a voice.

Where are you, Geno? The Alpha's voice asked, making him jump and almost fall out of his chair. He blinked and looked around, confused, and then looked up at the clock. Fuck. Church had already started. He closed his eyes and thought of The Alpha,

I'm sorry! I'm going to be late; I forgot to set an alarm because of the room change.

He only heard a chuckle from the other, which made his face go red. He changed into clothes along with the cloak and scarf. He rushed out of the room and down the stairs, passing the guards in a rush. He made his way down the entire castle and damn, running down four flights of spiral stairs was a lot. He ran down the hall to the door and ran outside towards the stairs to the church. He can do this. He's a Lycan. He's run up the stairs before. He took a deep breath, staring at them before going at a full-sprint up them. He got halfway until he slowed down to a fast walk. He couldn't run up them anymore; his calves were burning. When he reached the top of the stairs, he tried to catch his breath, leaning on his knees, before he felt good enough. He then slowly approached the church door and snuck into the room, sitting in the farthest corner from everyone. The Alpha was the only one to notice him. Oh god, hopefully he doesn't get a lecture. Church went by quickly and he tried to escape before The Alpha could catch him, but he wasn't fast enough.

"Geno." He froze and sighed, turning around and walking up to The King as everyone left.

"I'll overlook your tardiness this time, but make sure you don't forget or I will start waking you up in the morning." The Alpha smiled and he shook his head yes. The Alpha hummed.

"Words," The King teased and he glared, annoyed.

"Really?" He fumed.

"Don't make me repeat myself," The King deadpanned. He growled.

"Ugh, YeS, sIr," he mocked, throwing his arms in the air and turning around.

"You get an extra lap in training!" The Alpha shot out and he let out a loud groan as he left through the doors. He made his way down the stairs. He quickly made his way to his room to try to shower. He finished his shower, and as he left his room, the bell for breakfast rang. He made his way down. He's starting to hate how far his room is. So much walking! When he arrived at breakfast, everyone was buzzing with excitement. They were very excited to go hunting and fishing today. He got his food with even more meat than before and sat down at the table with everyone. Keres was here this time. She looked pleased. He had a feeling he knew why. Thanatos glanced at his food, and he chuckled.

"Every time I see your food, Geno, you have more meat on it. Someone's wolf is ravenous." He shrugged and everyone now looked at his food, making him feel slightly embarrassed.

"At least he's eating more," The King stated and he huffed, looking away.

"Heard you got kicked out of the Luna room because you're no longer a guest," Keres said, smiling across the table, and Geno smiled.

"Something like that. Hope you enjoy the room, Keres. I didn't know I stole it from you, so I apologize." He stated and she blinked, taken aback by his niceness. She didn't respond and just looked down. Makaria was basically jumping up and down in her chair.

"Dude, I fucking can't wait to go hunting! There's this fucking bunny," she growled. Thanatos rolled his eyes and turned to him.

"It's a dream bunny," the other clarified.

"And it torments me every single time I try to fall asleep outside my room," she hissed. Thanatos again leaned towards him.

"She falls asleep and keeps dreaming of it."

"It plans to kill me, but I'm going to kill it first. I will find this fucking rabbit." She yelled out, looking extremely determined and striking a pose as Thanatos rolled his eyes again. He focused on his food and looked up at The King, who was reading his Norse book. He pointed at one of the words he was having a hard time figuring out how to say.

"How do you say that?" He asked. The Alpha glanced up at him.

"Fjǫlði," The King spoke and he blinked. The Alpha laughed at the face he made.

"C-could you maybe say that again and very slowly?" He asked and The King laughed again before he did. He made the other say the word multiple times. Breakfast finished quickly and it was time to get to training. He made his way to the training room. He got there early so he could start his two laps now. He told the female trainer, who was already there, and she smiled and nodded. He started running early and as he got outside, the bell rang. He finished the first lap relatively quickly, having become more accustomed to it. His wolf was also able to keep him running faster. His legs ached though. The second lap was significantly more tiring and he had to slow down to a jog for the last part of it. When he entered the castle, he was winded. But he shook his head, feeling determined to get back to the training room and finish. When he entered, he saw that the martial arts training section had just started. He took some weights and used them quickly. The instructor walked over and she smiled at him.

"I think we can start upping the training to 2 laps and 5 reps of 15 pounds for next time." He nodded and she smiled, then glanced at the Lycans wrestling. "Would you like to join?" She asked and he hesitantly nodded. She smiled again and she then seemed to analyze the she-wolves. "Let's have you work with Eris; she is my top student. HEY! Makaria, get back here!" She shouted at the she-wolf terrorizing Thanatos in the corner of the training room. He turned to Eris, who was standing there, wiping sweat off her forehead. He made his way to her. She glanced at him as he stood next to her.

"The instructor told me to practice with you," he stated and Eris closed her eyes, sighing. She straightened herself and her sharp eyes made him feel small as she analyzed him. She then moved onto the platform and he slowly followed her nervously. She led them to a spot on the podium. He hated being up here in front of everyone, although many other fights were happening nearby. She brought her hands up. Where we just going to go? She shot out at him and he took a step back. Blocking like Makaria had done, she changed her attack at the last second and caught him off guard, hitting him harshly. He hit the ground hard and she sighed. He then stood up quickly. She raised an eyebrow and she shot out at him again. He thought the instructor said 'work,' not 'fight', but he could learn from it. She swung her legs down to catch him off guard but he jumped backwards and moved quickly to the right, which made her eyes narrow.

His hands went up to block the hand she threw. He couldn't withstand her strength and maneuvered the power in her blow by sliding it off to the side, catching the air as he went a different way. She then used her other hand again, catching him off guard and striking him in the stomach. He flinched and growled, leting go of her hand and used both hands to twist her hand that hit his stomach. He completely threw himself on the ground, which made her yelp and they both landed really harshly on the ground. He laid there taking a few breaths as Eris stood up. He opened his eyes to see Eris holding out her hand to him. His eyes widened and he hesitantly took her hand, and she pulled him up like he was nothing before she smiled.

"Very interesting, I've never seen anyone do that" she commented and turned, walking off the podium while he basically limped off it. Thanatos and Makaria immediately ran up to him.

"My gosh, everyone was watching you two. I've never seen that move before," she chimed. He sighed.

"I knew she was too strong for me to do anything with, so I just kinda went for it." He shrugged. He heard laughter as someone approached. His eyes narrowed and his face went red as he knew exactly who that was.

"Oh my goddess, I haven't seen a Lycan take themselves out and their opponent to win something in a long time." The King guffawed. He huffed.

"Stop making fun of me!" He cried out, and The Alpha shook his head.

"I'm not Geno. I'm honestly impressed. You just proved how important victory is for you, like a true Lycan." The Lycan King praised. Geno felt his face get redder.

"S-s-shut up! I don't need praise!" He flusteredly ran away. Doing that somehow made it even more embarrassing. His crush was so painfully obvious. He had left training early to go to the library and bury his shame in a book, and maybe slam his face into a bookcase, but it was fine. When the lunch bell rang, he made his way to the dining hall, finding only Makaria there. He walked over and ate with her as she explained how they would gather in one big group and make their way through the village. Apparently, it was like a parade as everyone cheered them on to gather a ton of food for the village. All the guards, hunters, warriors, and higher ranks were going. The Omegas stayed back. He felt bad, but when he asked Tanada after breakfast, she exclaimed that she was excited because no one could get in the way of cleaning. If they were out for a long time, she and the other Omegas would all get to chill and hang out, so she was happier to stay. That is the only thing he couldn't relate to her with. He loved being a part of things. He wanted to experience everything this world had to offer. He has already experienced hell; it's about time he gets heaven. And he does have to say he's pretty damn close when he's here. He feels like he just belongs here. Makaria dragged him away from the maid as he said his goodbyes.

She led them to the training room and he collected his bow, she collected a dagger, and they both went outside to the front of the castle. Eris was in charge of the she-wolves in the forest, hunting. The King was in charge of the guards and warriors while Thanatos was in charge of the hunters. The hunters will be venturing into the more treacherous parts of the forest that even a normal wolf could not handle. They will be taking down moose. Whatever that is. The Alpha explained the rules to his group on where to go, what to do on the ice, and how to catch fish. Thanatos followed a different set of rules for his group, instructing them to stay close together, fight together, and ensure that the dangerous prey was kept away from other groups. Eris stood up for them.

"We will be collecting fruits, berries, and any small rodents, deer, fox, and birds you can kill. Although, let's focus on fruits, as we need more of those than meat since the other two groups will get meat. Stay together and make sure to alert everyone to potential danger." The she-wolves nodded and The Alpha called all the groups into a line. They made their way through the castle gates and down the path towards the village. They entered the village and the Lycan villagers cheered. "Get a big one!" "You got this!" "AWOOOO." It was kinda overwhelming. He smiled to himself as he tried to blend in with the other she-wolves, which worked very well because he was so small. They walked through the entire village. He noticed that many different people had various things. The hunters had bows and weapons. The guards and warriors had fishing poles and other items that he didn't know what they were used for. Eris had handed out pouches for berries so everyone could collect them. They reached the barrier and the guards opened it, allowing them to pass through. They all walked through the barrier. He huffed as he did, the magical feeling he had gotten so used to leaving him. The feeling of being in the everyday world repulsed him.

"Ugh," he huffed and Makaria chuckled.

"I know, right?" She chimed and he grumbled. They went further into the forest, following a path that appeared to be regularly used. He stumbled a bit, but his spiked shoes helped with not slipping as much as he was used to. As they walked through the forest, they proceeded for about fifteen minutes and arrived at a frozen lake. He stared at it as the groups began to separate. The hunters went towards the right. The King goes right onto the lake, walking on it with no fear. Eris led them to the left forest. Makaria pointed up to a mountain across from them. He glanced over at it. So that’s the mountain. He stared at it for a while before running after the group to catch up. They made it further into the snow forest. The ice lake looked pretty but something about it…unsettled him.

He started walking with Makaria, making sure to be as close as possible so The King couldn't complain. Makaria definitely didn't complain; she's always been a huggy, cuddly friend, which was nice, but he sometimes wanted to throw her out a window when she overstimulated him. He kind of feels nervous being with just her as she's such a troublemaker and he knows he won't be able to stop her if she gets into trouble. Thanatos can barely control this woman and he's her mate! While walking through the forest, he could see what The King's group was doing. They seemed to be drilling multiple holes into the ice. They slowly vanished from view as they got further into the forest. His group had progressed far enough that Eris told everyone to split up but stay close as they slowly migrated down the lake. She also explained that when picking fruit, make sure to leave any bad ones or nuts you find on the ground so they can be planted again for next year.
He and Makaria found a little berry bush. They both sat down and started to pick.

"Did you know Thanatos gave me the position of Beta?" She asked and his eyes widened.

"Really?" He was surprised.

"Yes, because I'm his mate and all I could be is to be the Beta for the next Luna." She looked solemn. "I don't think I'll be a good Beta. I can barely get up in the morning. How could I possibly help the next Luna?"

"You'll go into training first, right? Thanatos could train you and then you'll get to see him even more. And I don't think you will be bad at it. You’r mated to him and he worked hard to establish himself as a Beta. You can do the same thing. He has hundreds of years of experience. You need to remember that, it’s causing you to be too hard on yourself, okay?" He smiled. Her eyes lit up.

"You really think so? I guess I could train and see how it goes." She smiled then looked back at him. "Thank you, Geno. I wish you'll be the Luna I serve" she stated and he looked back at the berries. He hadn't even thought of this yet; doesn't he need Luna training? He continued to pick berries with her and was only broken out of his thoughts as a small brown bird flew down and landed on the ground far in front of him. He shushed Makaria. Slowly pulling out his arrow, he knocked it and pulled it back hard, his eyes narrowing. He took a deep breath and let the arrow go. And he missed. Hitting its leg, the bird freaked out and flew away, and he sighed. Makaria patted his back. "Don't worry, Geno, it's harder to hit moving targets; you'll get there." His eyes narrowed. He doesn't know why, but he doesn't think it's that. Something in him made him move it down at the last second. Maybe he was just nervous? Yeah probably. They continued to pick berries and talk.

Everyone had split into pairs to pick together while Eris walked through all the groups to check up on people. Geno and Makaria slowly moved further down the forest together, picking berries along the way. A white bunny came into view and Makaria basically lost her shit and ran after it, yelling, "THERE IT IS! THE DEVIL." He tried chasing after her but, of course, she was fast when she was insane. Most insane people are fast. He went back to the group and resumed picking berries. Makaria came back sad and he could tell that she didn't catch it. "I'll get him next time." She smiled evilly and Geno was honestly scared for the poor rabbit. Then he noticed a small rodent in the snow and he pulled out his bow and arrow again, aiming it, but he missed again. He huffed. It was too cute. He shook his head.

"I can't do it. It's too cute and innocent," he stated, and Makaria hummed, looking at him.

"I get that, some werewolves just can't hunt as they have too big of a heart." He shook his head. He was determined to bring back at least some meat.

"No, I want to, I'll do it." He boomed. She giggled.

"That's the spirit. I'll tell you if I see anything shootable and you tell me if you see that worthless, vile creature." It's a fucking rabbit. He rolled his eyes and continued to pull berries. He tried again to shoot two different birds and a deer, but he missed each time. However, the poor deer had run off with an arrow in its butt. They got further into the forest until the Moon was going down.

Everyone, back to the lake
The King's voice rang out and Eris yelled for everyone to gather around her so she could conduct a head count. She did one and they made their way back. They walked onto the lake but he was scared, staring at it. Makaria walked on it and noticed him not following and walked up to him.

"Hey, you'll be fine, Here, take my hand." She smiled gently and reached out to extend her hand and he took it. He hesitated and nervously took his first step. He almost slipped. However, he got used to it and slowly walked with her to the center of the lake where everyone was gathering. The hunters had brought one moose and six deer, one with an arrow in its butt. He swallowed. Feeling guilty like he caused that dear to not be able to escape death. The King complimented everyone, thanked them all, and instructed them to proceed to the multiple horse-drawn carts at the end of the lake to load their belongings. Three different ones. Eris brought them to the berry-holding cart and the she-wolves poured their pouch. Any little animals they caught went into a different box behind them. The deer and moose were slowly getting put on the far left one. The King's group walked over to the middle one and dumped a fuck ton of fish. It was crazy. Did they get the whole damn lake? When they were done, they brought the carts back and made their way back to the barrier. Standing in front of the gate, everyone slowly walked in and he nervously followed behind everyone.

He didn't feel anything and walked through the barrier as if it were nothing. The magical feeling hit him again. He forgot what sacred ground felt like. Even though it was the same temperature as outside the barrier, it felt warmer. They walked into the village. Some Lycans were still there, just not as many as before as the sun was coming up, and thus most of them were sleeping or getting ready for bed. They cheered as they walked the food back to the castle to prepare for the celebration. He was tired and wanted to sleep. Makaria had left him and gone to Thanatos, demanding that he carry her. Which he, of course, did, and now she was asleep with him holding her. Lucky bitch. His eyes narrowed. Eris glanced at him and smiled.

"You collected a lot for your first time." She smiled. He thanked her. She’s now talking to him. He glanced at her.

"You are a very good leader," he said. Eris smiled and nodded.

"I enjoy it." He nodded and glanced at her. He was starting to look up to her. He never noticed her, but now he saw how much she shined. Probably why she was in the castle. He also saw a lot of potential in her. They made it back to the castle. Eris handed her cart off to the maids. The Omegas were in charge of moving cargo and took over the food. The groups all entered and headed either to bed or to get food. He entered the kitchen, got something small, devoured it, and brought it back before going to his room. He was too tired after all that walking. His hands were rough from picking the berries. When he got to his room, he washed his hands and pulled any splinters out. He then changed into pajamas and went to bed. As he fell asleep, his head was transferred back to when he was young and in the camp. It brought him to one of the memories he wished he could forget. One of the she-wolves shifted. She tried to attack them. They threw her in the fire and stabbed her over and over and over again. The wolf’s screams haunted him. He saw the wolf's dead eyes staring at him, begging for help, as he could only close his eyes and cover his ears. They chopped off the wolf's head and hung it in the camp as a message until its rotting smell got too much, then they burned it. Burning a wolf was not a good smell. Although, this dream didn't unfold as it originally did. He was looking at the wolf's head hanging up before its eye slowly moved towards him, then it started to scream at him.

Geno

He woke up with a jump, trying to catch his breath. He was shaking hard. He pulled himself up and curled up against the edge of the bed. His curtains were still dow, and the sun was still shining. He definitely couldn't sleep anymore. He stared off, trying to lie back down and sleep, but every time he closed his eyes, the wolf's head was there. He rubbed his face. He felt a slight tug in his head. And he realized that was his wolf. He was surprised to receive anything from her as she had been essentially silent since that episode. He immediately did what she wanted. Letting her take over, she slowly walked out of bed and towards the door. Opening it, she walked into the hallway. She then turned to her left and walked down the hall. She made it to the outside of The Alpha's door and reached for the handle. She twisted it but he took back control and stopped her. What are you doing? He pulled his hand back. He took a step back and sighed, rubbing his face. He turned to leave but the door opened, which made him almost jump out of his skin. His eyes met blue ones. He hadn't seen the other without their cloak off in a while. The other looked tired; he raised an eyebrow.

"Geno?" The Alpha asked groggily.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you!" He panicked.

"What's wrong?" The Alpha said, more alert.

"Nothing-" The other's eye narrowed, "Well, I just couldn't sleep, and she tugged to take over, so I thought she had an idea, but all she did was bring me to your room. I should've stopped her sooner, I'm sorry." He apologized, putting his head down, feeling his face go red. This was so fucking embarrassing.

"Don't be. When a Luna feels unsafe, she will go to the closest Alpha for comfort…" The King studied him. "...Are you okay? That doesn't seem like a lack of sleep. You do know you are safe, right?" The Alpha asked and he nodded, looking down, his hands messing with each other, feeling his face just burn.

"D-don't worry. I just get nightmares of my past every once in a while. It's nothing serious. Again, I'm so sorry for disturbing your rest, your majesty." He bowed slightly, turned, and walked away quickly.

"Geno." He paused and turned slightly. "If you ever need to talk about it, I'm here, but so is Thanatos and Makaria. We all care for you; you are one of our own." Geno nodded and turned back around. He didn't need to tell anyone. He was fine. He wasn't weak! He walked into his room, made his way to his bed, where he got in and actually fell asleep easily. Perhaps she was right to visit him. He woke up in time with his alarm and made his way to church. He sat in the back with Makaria, spacing out the entire time. He was feeling restless. He felt on edge. It was like on the day he got…He shook his head, he's being stupid. He's literally fine? He pushed that feeling down. When church was done, he grabbed a quick shower and made his way to breakfast.
When he came in, he found Thanatos and Makaria running, chasing each other, and The King had to yell at them to sit down. Which was like scolding two puppies as they sat, sadly pouting, while The King looked way more annoyed. He hoped he didn't keep the other up. He walked to get food with even more meat. Walking back to the table, he sat down and Thanatos glanced over and chuckled, and he kicked him under the table and went to eat. But, he did notice The King staring at him, which made him glance around and get shy. He kept glancing at the other and even moved, and The King moved to continue looking at him,

"Y-you can't say you're not staring this time! Stop staring!" He whispered-shouted across the table. The King just smiled at him and went to read. Geno now stared at the other, like, what the fuck? He rolled his eyes. Breakfast finished,he left for training early again. Running the two laps, he again had to jog at the end. He was tired so he made his way back inside. He did the weights and took more breaks and didn't join in on any martial arts. His body was a little sore from yesterday's beating. After he was done, he ended up going back to his room because he was too restless to just sit and watch; he needed to do something. He went to his Norse book and worked on translating it again. He read and worked on his Norse until the lunch bell rang. He collected everything he needed and even stopped at the training room to get his bow and arrow early along with the dagger Makaria picked last time. He went into the dining room and found Makaria. He handed her the dagger and they ate lunch, making sure to get a lot in case they would miss dinner.

When they were done, they made their way to the front of the castle. Everything from yesterday repeated as they went over rules and handed out supplies. They walked down to the village and the villagers cheered, and they left through the barrier. Makaria explained to him the history of the mountains and why there were two. They represented the two giant wolves that are known to chase the Moon and the sun across the sky. It sounded stupid. It was like the weird stories the priest tells. He only believes in one mythical person and that is his Goddess. They made it into the forest and had to go further in, trying to reach the area they had arrived at yesterday. He was determined. He was going to hit an animal. Makaria found an apple tree. She climbed on it and knocked the apples down, freeing them as he ran under her, collecting them all. There weren't many apples, but there were lots of winterberries and raspberries that people found. They moved further into the forest. They were peacefully picking until the words startled them.

Found a big enemy, stay clear of the left side of the forest Thanatos' voice spoke.

Noted. The King responded.

Inform us if we need to move. Eris stated.

Negative, just don't get close to the border between our sides. Thanatos explained. Makaria and him glanced at each other. She shrugged and they continued to pick raspberries. He let his mind wander while picking the berries and realized he would be at the ball during the winter solstice. Does that mean he will need to dance? He glanced at Makaria.

"Do you guys dance at the ball?" He asked and she looked at him, nodding excitedly.

"Yes! It's very fun! Do you know how to dance?" He shook his head no. She stood up and brought her hand up, dropping her bag of berries. He smiled, dropped his bag, and took her hand. She slowly showed him how to ball dance. He stepped on her foot a ton. He even tripped over himself. She giggled. "Don't worry, Geno, everyone acts like that their first time." They continued to practice dancing and giggling until Eris showed up.

"What in the goddess's name are you two doing?" She shot out. He and Makaria were both startled and laughed. Makaria fell to the ground, giggling, and Eris shook her head, sighing. "You two, get back to getting berries, fricken ball dancing in a forest," Eris muttered that last part to herself as she left. They both collected themselves and he helped her to her feet before returning to the bush. He struggled with it before he saw a ferret run out into the open. He grabbed his bow quickly and aimed it just as fast, but he was so focused on actually shooting that he didn't move his hand as he let go. The face of the dead werewolf his head. He yelped and the arrow missed hard. A pain stung from his hand that he didn’t move out of the way of the arrow. He brought his hand to his body and it was bleeding. Makaria glanced over.

"Shoot, I have some bandages here. Maybe you should stop shooting for now until it's healed?" She pulled out some bandages from her bag and handed them to him. He thanked her and nodded, agreeing with what she said. He gave up. He can't kill another animal. Every time he aims a bow at the animals, all he sees is that werewolf. They got more and more berries and moved further towards the border. When they were nearing the closest group, Eris walked by.

"Okay, no more moving, let's stay on this side and maybe go backwards." He and Makaria nodded. As they finished a bush, Makaria stood up and gasped. He turned and she was standing by a tree a few yards away.

"Look, Geno, it's plums! We can never find these!" She chimed and started to collect them immediately.

"Isn't that a little close to the border?" He asked. She rolled her eyes at him.

"Like two yards? It doesn't matter if an enemy saw me here; then they would see me where you are." She did have a point. But they definitely need to go back after this. He stood up and collected with her. He's never tried a plum. He wondered what it tasted like. He put it in his bag. Howls were heard nearby and they both froze in place. Makaria's eyes narrowed.

"That's Thanatos." She commented. He panicked and took a step back.

"Should we go?" He asked, and she shook her head.

"They haven't said anything yet. I trust our hunters; they are dealing with it." He nodded, also holding pride for his pack. They continued to go through the plums when there was a rustling to their right. He flinched hard and glared at the bush. Makaria followed suit. It was when the white fur appeared, along with its floppy ears. It hopped out. Oh no. Makaria let out a growl and dropped her bag immediately, chasing the bunny. She had run into the border. He dropped his and ran after her.
"Makaria, don't!" He yelled out, but she didn't listen. They hadn't even gotten far when Makaria screamed. He caught up and she was holding the bunny in her mouth. He huffed and calmed down. He grabbed her arm and dragged her back towards their side. They moved further away from the border and she snapped its neck, making him flinch. He hit her. "What were you thinking! Were you trying to get yourself killed?" He growled and she put her head down.

"I'm sorry." He put his hands on his hips, but jumped when a loud growl shot through the air. They both turned and their eyes widened. The white fur muddled with arrows and blood. Its gigantic paws the size of his entire chest. It was a bear. Not just any bear. A polar bear. It sniffed the air watching them. The rabbit's blood. It started to run towards Makaria. She threw the rabbit in its face and turned and ran. The bear didn't seem distracted by it and ran at her. She screamed and he shot out of the way of the bear as it tackled her. She screamed in pain as its claws dug into her. His eyes widened and he pulled his bow and arrow out and shot it. The arrow basically bounced off the bear, though it got its attention. It turned its head to him, sniffing the air. He pulled his wraps off his bloody hand, and he yelled as he waved his hand to get its attention. It turned its whole body towards him. He heard howls getting closer and some yelling. He didn't think twice and he turned and ran. He sprinted through the forest. This was strangely familiar. If he goes right, death; if he goes forward, he will get caught up with. That just leaves left. He darted left and the bear slammed into the tree behind him. He let out a scream. He felt strength fly through him as he sprinted faster and faster. His eyes saw the lake. He tried to yell more, but he was using all his air to run. He couldn't make much noise. He slid down the edge of the forest, landing on the lake. He ran forward.

REAPER He scream mindlinking. He could see the wolves all together in the center as they noticed him. The bear jumped onto the ice and the cracks flew through half of the lake. His eyes widened. No, if he continued to run, they were going to fall into the water; the ice couldn't handle the bear's weight. Then he remembered another one of his books. A polar bear is more dangerous in the water. He stopped running and turned around, pulling his bow and arrow out.

"GENO," Screams were heard from multiple directions. He pulled it back as the bear sprinted at him. He narrowed his eyes, aiming it. The bear jumped, opening its mouth to roar while swinging its paw. He waited. The ice broke, and the bear lost its footing. There. He shot the arrow through the bear's mouth. They both fell into the water, with the bear on top of him. This water was frigid. He couldn't swim, but that wasn't his concern. The polar bear swung around, trying to get the arrow out of its mouth. The claws scratched his chest as they sank more. He couldn't help the scream he let out underwater as the claws dug into his chest. It cost him his air and caused him to inhale some water. He choked on the water and felt his vision get darker. He drifted away as the polar bear tried to swim away. Arms grabbed him. He was yanked harshly and found himself out of the water. He coughed up water onto the ice. He was instantly covered in a black cloak.

"Get a fire, and make sure that thing’s dead!"

"Where's Thanatos?" Someone yelled, then a familiar female cry crossed the lake.

"Get her over here!" He turned over, lying on his back, and gasps went around, probably seeing the wound. He breathed hard, panicking. He was in so much pain. Was he going to die? He wanted it to stop. He stared at the Moon, trembling.

"Hey, Geno, are you here?" The Alpha moved him to face him and he felt some tears going down his face as he nodded. The Alpha's stressed face stared at him.

"Get some bandages and where's that goddamn fire?!" The King yelled out. Someone was placed next to him, whom he glanced at and saw Makaria holding her side, sobbing in pain. Thanatos stood next to her, panicking. Multiple guards ran up and everyone from the separate groups was converging on the center.

The collecting is over, bear attack.
The words went through everyone. The wraps came around and a fire started up next to them. The Alpha reached for his clothes and pulled his shirt off and he let out a scream as it hit the wounds. The other apologized and grabbed a fish, raising it to his mouth and Geno furrowed his brow.

"Use it to bite down on. This is going to hurt." The Luna nodded, scared, and bit down on the fish. It tasted good. The other pulled the wrap around him and yanked it hard, causing him to bite down and scream. The Alpha continued to wrap his chest extremely tight to cut off circulation, but it was so painful. He felt lightheaded from the pain. The Alpha then picked him up, wrapping him in the cloak. Thanatos did the same for Makaria. The Alpha and Thanatos ran them to the castle. He felt his blood soaking through The Alpha's clothes. He was losing too much. Closing his eyes, the other noticed and called his name, but he was too far gone.

Chapter Text

Geno

 

Now this was a different voice he heard. He blinked and found himself alone in his room. Ugh. He wanted to roll his eyes at the number of times he's found himself in this position. An IV was attached to him while he was in a bed. He tried to push himself up but the pain hit him hard, making him fall back down. His eyes went to the window. The sun was about to rise. How long had he been out? He couldn't move as his chest felt like it was on fire. He remembered Makaria. Is she okay? He panicked and pushed himself up, hissing in pain.

He huffed, his feet touching the floor as he turned himself. He stopped to catch his breath. He glared at the IV and just yanked it out of his arm. He stood up and almost fell over. Grabbing onto the bed, he took a few breaths. This was stupid. He should just get back to bed, but no, his stubbornness tells him to get up. He needs to make sure she’s okay. Everyone's asleep at this point, so he can't ask anyone. He walked a few feet until he fell, his arms grabbing onto the desk as he fell with a bang. He yelped. He took a few deep breaths, regretting his decision. Fuck. He tried to pull himself up, but he couldn't. He leaned his head back, hitting the edge of the desk.
He's so stupid. Closing his eyes, he tried again a few times and still couldn't push himself up. He cursed himself before sighing. Who could he ask for help right now? He doesn't want to be stuck here.

Alpha

He mindlinked, trying to be quiet with it. He didn't get an answer and he was too nervous to ask again, so he sighed.

Geno?
The voice startled him and he soon heard movements. The door to his room opened after a quick knock. The King's eyes went to him and his eyes widened. He rushed over to him.

"What are you doing?" He scolded.

"I can't stand."

"You aren't supposed to be walking." The Alpha reached gently to pick him up, but it still hurt. He growled at the other. The Alpha raised an eyebrow at him.

"Really?" He monotoned out and Geno turned his head away, embarrassed. He didn’t mean to do that. The King slowly placed him back in the bed.

"Is Makaria okay?" He asked as the King started tucking him in, which was embarrassing.

"Yes, she is. Is that why you tried to get up?" The Alpha asked and he looked away, pouting at getting scolded. The King sighed.

"You should sleep some more." The Alpha moved to leave.

"What happened?" He asked and The King looked at him before sitting on the bed.

"You almost died." He rolled his eyes.

"Yeah I noticed, I meant-" The King interrupted him.

"That polar bear was not a polar bear." He scrunched his nose. Is he stupid?

"Huh?" The Alpha sighed.

"Its claws were silver." What? His eyes widened. "Someone made that bear to hurt Lycans and set it free. Multiple hunters were almost hurt; it seemed to be attracted
to Lycan blood." The Alpha glanced at his hand and raised the bandaged hand. It wasn't the rabbit. He shot up on the bed, hurting himself in the process, and the Alpha pushed him back down onto the bed.

"That means-" He shot out in a panic. The King interrupted him.

"I know."

"You need to- "He tried to talk again. The King interrupted him again.

"I know."

"FUCKING STOP INTERRUPTING ME!" He yelled, face red, and the Alpha laughed, and he huffed, trying to regain his composure. "You are the worst!" He crossed his arms, turning his face. Geno stared off and then glanced at The Alpha.

"Were you asleep?" He muttered.

"Almost, then you went and got yourself hurt, so now I'm here." The Alpha smiled. Geno glared at him.

"Then leave me alone and go!" He grumbled. The Lycan laughed.

"You are so adorable when you are upset." His face exploded and he turned away.

"Shut up!" He snapped. The King hummed.

"That's what I get for complimenting you?" The other teased.

"Complimenting? You just said you like making me mad!" He huffed.

"And I said you were adorable," the older wolf pointed out.

"Yeah, well, you're stupid." He crossed his arms and turned his face away again. He then swung his arms up and down on the bed, upset, and sighed.

"I don't wanna stay in bed all day! That's so boring! Isn't the winter solstice happening tomorrow! I-I did all that work and almost died, and I'm not even allowed to go?" He sniffled, feeling tears well up in his eyes. The King stayed silent. The Alpha then sighed.

"The only way we were able to save you was putting you in the sacred water and it didn't even heal you; it just kept you from being poisoned by the silver. And the first thing you do when waking up is to be upset that you can't go to the celebration? You wouldn't even be alive for the celebration."

"Put me in the water again, then," he demanded. The King glared.

"That water is not used to satisfy desires, Geno," The King lectured.

"Well then, I'll just go myself. I know how to unlock the door," he huffed. The Alpha leaned close, threatening.

"Geno, don't make me tie you to the bed. I will do it. We can get the Salutary here and she can see if she can help heal it a bit more. If you can walk around by the time the celebration starts, you can join, but I will require you to stay by my side." Geno nodded, now scared.

"Please don't tie me to the bed," he fretted. The Alpha laughed and sighed.

"Is that the only thing you heard?" Geno smiled and looked away.

"Go to bed, Reaper, you must be tired," he said sweetly. The Lycan's eyes narrowed.

"Oh no, you don't. I know what you are planning. Wanting to run off into the water?" Geno rolled his eyes and went back to his grumpy attitude.

"I want to dance," he deadpanned. The Alpha went quiet. "I've never gotten to and Makaria was teaching me in the forest." The King raised an eyebrow at his confession.

"You were supposed to be getting berries." Geno swung his arms up in the air, then winced in pain.

"Thats not the point!" He grumbled. The Lycan sighed.

"You think going into the sacred water for another two hours is going to fix you?" The King pointed out.

"You have a better idea?" He glared. The Alpha glanced at his bandages.

"You could shift."

"Ha! Thats funny, fuck off." He turned in his bed, hurting himself, but he didn't let the other see it as he put his back to him. The King sighed and stood up.

"Get some sleep, Geno, maybe you'll feel better tomorrow. If not, we can see if we can do something about it. And I would love to dance with you," The Alpha hummed. He grumbled.

"I'll purposely step on your feet," he grunted, and The King chuckled, leaving. Geno soon fell asleep. He woke up to the sight of the Moon in the sky. He moved to try to stand up and it did feel better, but it still hurt. Was it healing? He slowly got out of bed and made his way towards the door to his bedroom. Opening the door, there were multiple guards outside. They all kneeled immediately.

"Hello, Luna, we will inform the Salutary that you are awake and send her to you. Is there anything you need?" They asked. He thought for a second.

"Food?" He asked and they nodded.

"Of course, we will contact the kitchen too." He nodded, then slowly shut the door and made his way back to his bed. He struggled to get in it. Lying down, he waited until the Salutary came in. Which wasn't long as she basically sprinted in. She quickly checked his scars and seemed to freeze, staring at them. Her eyes narrowed. That's not good.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"T-They are healing at an alarmingly fast rate. This is faster than a normal Lycan." She stuttered and swallowed before fixing her glasses and leaning closer.

"They don't feel like they are." He huffed in pain. She hummed before grabbing something else.

"That's because you're also fighting an infection with the silver. Could it be the sacred water or…" She performed other physical tests and even brought out everything
in her Medical Bay Area. Some of these machines he didn't even understand and he also didn't know why they were doing every single test on him. The food arrived, but he wasn't even able to eat with all the things she required. After hours of her basically using his body as a pincushion, she crashed out.

"It doesn't make sense. I can see it healing! That's crazy. Yet the infection is fighting back just as hard. If you weren't healing this fast, you would be dead!" She yelled out, frustrated beyond belief.

"Is Makaria okay then?" He was confused why she was fine and he wasn't.

"She's okay because the claws didn't hit any organs and only cut her skin. The infection came from the water you fell in, mixing with the silver." She huffed. "This would make sense if you had already shifted like Makaria, who can heal quickly because of it, but it doesn't make any sense otherwise unless- oh my Goddess, it's the
Winter Solstice." He blinked at her, confused as she looked outside at the Lycans already celebrating.

"Yeah?" He deadpanned like it was apparent.

"That's why. Luna, do you feel any lightness?" No, he shook his head. "Was anything shining around you?" No, why? He shook his head. "Weird dreams?" Always have those. "The Moon Goddess always picks her favorite Lycan in our pack every Winter Solstice celebration, and it usually has a big effect on them. Since The King was born, it's always gone to him, but… I'm starting to think that's not true. I think maybe that, and a combination of your wolf wanting to shift, is what’s causing you to heal so quickly."

"She wants to shift?"

"She's been in you for 18 years, of course she wants out. She's been coming out every time you're in danger. I'm going to get The Alpha to confirm." She left and he decided to eat while waiting.

 

"No, she still picked me this year," The Alpha stated. The Salutary sat down and groaned, holding her head.

"Then how is the Luna healing like this? They should be dead right now." The King walked over to see what she was looking at. The Salutary stood next to him and pointed at his chest, and they both studied it.

"Yeah, just stare at my chest or whatever." He grumbled, and The Alpha chuckled before his eyes narrowed, then they softened, and he laughed.

"Eir, did you forget Geno's wolf is back?" The Salutary looked confused before she made a serious face.

"You aren't seriously saying his wolf is doing that?" The King turned to her.

"Lycan Lunas are profound at healing themselves. That's why they work so well in battle, even when small." The King glanced back at him, humming in thought.

"She's definitely active. Geno, I think I'm going to assign some homework. Make a mental note if you notice your wolf or someone else does and bring it to the Salutary at the end of the week so we can track her activity, that's how we will best know when you will shift." Geno nodded. The King smiled at him.

"Good boy, if you can walk by lunch then you can go to the celebration." Geno's eyes sparkled.

"Really?! You aren't just saying that to dance with me? Because I won't!" He huffed and The King scoffed.

"As if anyone else would let you step on their feet," The Alpha stated this while the Salutary smiled, writing something in her notes and gathering her belongings. He crossed his arms, pushing himself up more.

"Thanatos would!" He shot out. The Alpha smirked.

"Not unless I order him not to." Geno gasped and The King walked away.

"Hey! You wouldn't do that, would you? Wait! You can't just leave like that!" The Alpha left. "That wet ass motherfucking dog." He growled and the Salutary glanced up and blinked. He blinked, shocked at those words and anger, bringing his hand up to his mouth. The Salutary giggled.

"Well, that's definitely your wolf," she humored. Geno sighed.

"Great, so we just need to put me next to annoying people and I’ll shift?" He huffed.

"Not exactly, it’s more likely you'll try to attack someone and either get yourself hurt more or hurt someone, so try to control her temper before you say something you can't take back." She smiled.

"Where's Makaria?" He questioned as she stood up to leave.

"Thanatos is with her in their room." She explained. He smiled.

"Can I go see them?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Why are you asking me?" Oh yeah.

"You're right. I'm a fucking Luna, I'm going to go see her!" He moved and stood up with determination, but almost lost his balance. The Salutary shot forward to help steady him.

"Okay, maybe let me put some herbs on it first and wrap you up, then if you want, I can help lead you?" She offered and he glared.

"That would be nice," he snapped. She looked surprised. He felt a pang of guilt and he put his head down in shame. He didn't even know where that came from.
"Sorry, she's…" Eir laughed.

"Don't worry about it, Geno. I've been around more than enough pups." She leaned over and began applying some herbs, then wrapped them before helping him
put on a shirt. She also assisted him in standing. He was gritting his teeth throughout the entire situation. Though, once they started walking, he was able to stabilize himself more. She led him down the stairs and they made their way around the hallways, passing his old room. They got outside a certain door that had a wolf's face carved into it. The salutary smiled and said goodbye to him and he waved her away as he leaned on the wall. He took a deep breath then raised his hand to the door and knocked. He waited and no one answered, so he knocked again. He waited, and again no one answered. Should he knock louder? Maybe they can't hear him. He knocked even louder before the door was slammed open.

"I SAID LEAVE US ALONE! We don't need comp-" Thanatos shouted, but stopped mid-sentence as his eyes looked down at Geno's surprised expression. The Lycan froze and then he shot forward, grabbing his shoulders. "Oh my Goddess, Geno, are you okay?" Geno smiled and nodded, and Thanatos helped him inside as the Luna almost fell over. His eyes caught Makaria, who was lying
in bed. She looked over.

"Geno!" She huffed, trying to pull herself up more.

"Are you sure you are?" The Beta asked again and he chuckled and nodded.

"From what the Salutary said, my wolf is fighting the infection as fast as the infection," he explained. Thanatos pulled up a nice chair for him to sit next to Makaria and he sat down. She reached her hand over and grabbed his.

"Geno! I'm so glad you're okay. Watching you go limp in The King's arms was terrifying. Thank you for protecting me. I would've definitely died." She bowed her head and he scoffed.

"I just ran faster than you. Nothing to thank me for." He shrugged.

"Still, they told me what happened…" tears welled up in her eyes and she brought her hands to cover her face. "I-I don't know if I could live with myself if you died," she started to sob and he panicked. Thanatos rushed over to comfort her before he could even move, which he was slow due to his injury.

"Shhh, Maka, you're fine, beautiful," Thanatos whispered as he comforted the she-wolf and Geno felt like he was seeing something he shouldn't have. Would his mate do the same? He was kinda excited to be loved. It wasn't something he was too familiar with. He remembered everyone's eyes of lust and hatred in the camp, but not eyes of love. Makaria quickly composed herself, looking exhausted.

"How are your wounds?" He asked and she sighed.

"The silver didn't get to me too much, but it's still making my wolf not able to heal it very well. She's been crying for a while," Makaria stated very weakly.

"I don't think I've ever learned her name," Geno asked and Makaria smiled.

"Her name's Muerte, she's the exact opposite of me. She hates doing anything! She just wants to sleep and stay at home. Isn't that boring?" He chuckled, thinking how he would enjoy either. Thanatos sighed.

"I feel bad for Muerte; she has to deal with you," The Beta stated and Makaria gasped.

"How dare you! She doesn't even like to shift! I've never met a wolf who didn't want to run, but noooo, she doesn't even want that!" She went to raise her voice more but winced, and Thanatos shushed her and slowly pushed her against the bed.

"I'm guessing you aren't going to the celebration then?" He asked and Makaria sighed.

"I really want to go with you, Geno, but I've been put on bed rest by this idiot," she grumbled.

"You need it. She won't admit it, but she was a very weak werewolf. She almost died when I tried to turn her." The Beta stated. Geno’s eyes widened.

"B-but mates have a 100% turn rate?" He questioned.

"Exactly! And she still almost died!" Thanatos shouted out. Makaria hit him gently with a glare.

"Stop making me sound weak, I'm strong!" She complained. Geno smiled.

"Yup, and you'll be the Beta to the next Luna." He interjected and Thanatos immediately turned to Makaria in shock.

"D-did you decide?" He asked softly and Makaria gave a smile before looking at him and nodding.

"I've decided I'll do it. I'm supposed to anyway as your lover." Geno was kinda confused.

"So is it sibling-based or mate-based? I don't understand." He questioned and Thanatos seemed confused by his question before realizing.

"Oh, well, siblings usually both get the same title passed down by parents, but if the sibling puts the title down, then usually a mate will be asked to take it up."

"Does that mean Eris…"

"She never wanted to be a Beta; she likes organizing small things and being in charge of them. Honestly, she always wanted to be a Luna, but she knows she's not. She has already accepted her flaws and taken up the role of Delta. She's good at handling the pack. When the King and I have to go, she's in charge with her mate."

"She has a mate?" He asked and Thanatos nodded and growled.

"His name is Anubis and he's an asshole."

"He's the only one other than Azrael and The King who's beaten Thanatos." Geno raised an eyebrow before smiling.

"Impressive," Thanatos growled and slammed his hands down.

"No, it's not, he cheated!" Thanatos yelled out. Makaria shook her head.

"He didn't cheat-" Thanatos interrupted her.

"Yes, he did!" Makaria grabbed a pillow and smacked him hard. He didn't expect it and almost fell out of his seat.

"Don't interrupt me while I'm hurt! I'm hurt!" She screamed and Geno raised his hands up to calm her. She looked to the bed in pain.

"Didn't that hurt? Are you okay?" He questioned her and she giggled, then laid down, looking very tired.

"Yeah, it did, but the adrenaline was worth it," she chimed. Thanatos looked like a hurt puppy in his seat after getting scolded. Geno glanced at her and smiled.

"I'll get going, you seem like you're tired." Makaria instantly started complaining to get him to stay, but he stood up wobbly. Thanatos helped him. The Beta looked down, worried.

"Are you sure you can walk all the way back to your room?" He asked and Geno waved his hand away.

"I'm not going to my room and I'll be fine!" He smiled. Thanatos looked confused but Geno pulled away from his help as he got to the door and opened it before leaving.

"Get well soon, Makaria!" He chimed before shutting the door. He started walking down the hall using his hand to guide him. He walked down the stairs very slowly and passed a few guards who looked worried at him. He made it all the way down and to the hall he needed and walked along the wall until he came across the two doors. The guards standing outside of it looked surprised by him. They moved forward to help and he chuckled. "I'm fine! Is The Alpha in his office?" They nodded and he smiled and knocked.

"Come in." The doors opened and he slowly made his way in, holding onto the wall. The Alpha glanced up, his eyes widened in surprise before he stood up and rushed over.

"What are you doing?" The King scolded. He smiled.

"I can walk!" He chimed before almost falling.

"Yeah, barely! You look like you are going to pass out. I mean it Geno, I will tie you to a bed if you keep this up!" The Alpha snapped and Geno looked down.

"B-but you said I could go if I could walk…" He defeatedly spoke. He heard the other curse and looked away before bringing a hand up to run through his hair as he thought.

"Geno, you are just going to hurt yourself."

"But I might not get to see it next year!" He exclaimed. There's no telling if The Werewolf King might come and take him away. The Alpha looked down at him. The King then took a step forward, towering over him.

"Rule 1: You will be with me at all times. Rule 2: If I pick you up, you will stay in my arms til I set you down, with no complaining! Rule 3: If you end up hurting yourself in any other way, I will take you back to your room. Understood?" The Alpha growled and he nodded. He would be jumping up and down at the moment if he wasn't worried his insides would pour out. The Alpha then walked over to the door and opened it. The guards bowed.
"Work’s over," The King stated and the guards looked surprised. The Alpha then turned and outstretched his hand for him. He stared at it for a moment before smiling and taking it. The King then used it to pick him up. Of course, it was a trap. He huffed. The Alpha chuckled.

"Come on, don't you want to see the village?" He humored.

"Can I go there now?" He questioned

"Yeah, with a guard, but you are part of the pack so they will accept you no matter what. Most Omegas and Warriors live there anyway." Geno nodded as they watched the other lead them down the stairs and out of the castle. As they walked out, fireworks started to go off. He pushed himself up more to look at them, entranced by the colors exploding in the sky. He had never seen fireworks before. They were so colorful, like rainbows exploding. He felt like a kid. When they arrived at the village, he asked The Alpha if he could try walking. The King let him down and forced him to hold on to him as they strolled slowly into the festival. Children ran past, giggling with sparklers. He watched as some teenagers ran by, chasing each other and yelling while their parents talked and drank at a nearby bar. There were so many people, so full of life. Everyone was so happy. He stayed quiet the entire time, watching everything. He's never seen anything like this before. The joy was almost contagious. He was so in awe. They were walking towards a big bonfire in the center of the town. Two dead moose laid on tables nearby, while warriors and guards around them ran the food lines, helping the pack members obtain some meat. They got to the fire. It was such a big bonfire. Villagers danced around it, but it was different from what he remembered. He glanced up to see the Moon still up in the sky like before. He smiled and closed his eyes.

Happy birthday

He opened then and turned to The King. The Alpha had been watching him the entire time. He suddenly felt embarrassed, looking away while his face went red.

"Now, why would you do that?" The King commented. He turned back to the other.

"Huh?"

"Don't look away from me. Your eyes are beautiful," the other flirted. Geno's face became redder than the fire they were standing next to.

"I-I-I- Stop! You're trying to sweet-talk me!" The King chuckled.

"No, I mean it." Geno glared and stomped his foot.

"Well, don't mean it!" The King raised an eyebrow

"Are you telling me to lie?" Geno crossed his arms, looking away.

"I'm telling you to be professional! What would pack members think if they heard you t-talking to me like that?!" He stuttered, now muttering quietly to not get anyone
to hear them as he glanced around. Most villagers were glancing at them. Their Alpha was here, talking with the newest pack member and bringing them around.

"That you might be the next Luna." The Alpha started walking forward. He followed after the other this time.

"You know you can't decide that yourself." He shot out.

"Well, would you want to be?" The Alpha just casually gave The Luna the position like it was nothing.

"Again, you can't decide that," he grumbled. Even though he really did want to stay here. He made friends who actually care about him. He finally earned his place in the pack and proved himself.

"It's a yes or no question," The Alpha said. He glanced at the other. Was he suggesting something against the rules? A second chance mate. He must be lonely. So very lonely, begging him to choose him over going with his mate. He could still be his mate.

"I want to be with my mate," he responded. The Alpha didn't respond. He saw how Thanatos and Makaria worked. They know each other like it's just in their nature. They are so perfect together. He wants that. He wants someone who would love him and his faults. Someone who would take all his baggage like it's theirs. He glanced at The Alpha, who went up to the guards by the moose. Reaper would do that. He glanced away but the fear of committing to someone before he finds out is still there. He still needs to keep his distance. He's only known the man for a little more than a month. Geno walked further into the crowd, looking at everyone, but he stayed close by. A little child ran up and stopped him.

"Are you new?" He chimed so cutely. Geno smiled and nodded yes.

"You are?! Mommy said you were, but I didn't believe her! Where did you come from? Are you His majesty's mate?" Geno shook his head.

"Oh, nothing like that. I just got…lost and I finally found my way back home!" He smiled, and the boy looked surprised.

"That sounds scary!" The boy stated, terrified. Geno chuckled.

"It was. I couldn't find anyone, but I was thankfully able to find my way home again. I'm very happy to be here but I've never been to a celebration like this." He explained. The boy started jumping up and down.

"Do you want to dance too?" The boy tilted his head. Geno's eyes went to The King, who was watching him while talking to a guard. Geno smiled mischievously.

"Of course," he chimed. He was practically healed. It will be fine. Doesn't even hurt…kinda. The boy grabbed his hand and quickly ran to the fire. Geno gritted his teeth as they arrived and the kid started dancing with him, telling him how to do it.

"This is called the fire dance! You try to dance like a flame!" The kid did the weirdest dance, flapping his arms in the air. Geno laughed.

"Really?" He asked the kid, who nodded and giggled before doing a different dance and showing it to him. He soon joined the kids in dancing. He forgot about his pain and enjoyed himself. This was all he wanted. Other pack members joined in having fun with him. The Alpha had to hold himself from stepping in as he watched in awe. Geno had to stop when the pain hit him too hard and The King rushed to his side and picked him up quickly. He tried to push the other away. He was making a scene in front of everyone!

"Please let me dance more," he begged

"Geno, you are bleeding through your bandages. I can smell it." The Alpha pointed out and Geno looked down, dejected that his fun got shut down so quickly.

"...but I've never had fun like this before." The Alpha tensed.

"I'm sorry, Geno, we went over the rules. You were the one who decided to dance." The King shook his head and the Luna sighed. Geno glanced at the food as they passed. The little boy was there, waving. He waved back.

"Can I at least try it?" He tried bargaining. The King glanced down at him.

"Try what?" He flinched and glanced at the moose.

"T-the moose. I've never eaten that." The Alpha looked back in front of him as he kept walking away with him in his arms.

"You can eat in the ballroom in the castle with me." The King stated. Geno’s eyes widening.

"I can still go to the ball?!" The King chuckled and he nodded

"If we clean you up and rewrap your bandages, yes, but no more dancing." The Luna groaned.

"What! So Makaria taught me ball dancing for nothing!" He complained and The King didn't respond. He shouldn't fight The Alpha. He had the power to just lock him in his room so he can't go to the ball. He was lucky the other was being so flexible with his demands. But, he was starting to get greedy. He was going to act childish if he wasn’t told ‘no’ much. He couldn't help it. When they arrived, The Alpha led him to the med bay and laid him down on one of the beds. The King mindlinked the Salutary. Geno shyly glanced at The King, who was standing in the room.

"Did you really mean it?" Geno whispered the question that's been on his mind. The King glanced at him and he continued, "If I were someone's mate and I rejected
them to stay with you…What if a different Luna is your fated mate? Would you reject them too, or would you leave me with nothing?" He asked and The Alpha looked surprised at those words. The King went quiet before he spoke.

"I don't want you to reject your mate. Losing a mate is the worst experience you can have." Geno was surprised by that answer. Geno brought his hands together, fidgeting with them while looking away before jumping as the door opened and the Salutary ran in with Azrael and Thanatos.

"My King, we've been looking for you- what happened?" Thanatos asked. The King sighed and they started talking about what had happened. Then, Thanatos brought up a problem they have been dealing with. Eri came up to him and instructed him to take off his shirt. She helped him take it off, making his back face them all. She unwrapped his wraps, and a gasp was heard in the room. He glanced confused at the three. They were all looking at him. Why? Then he realized. His back. He tensed up, not liking them looking at his scars. Eri didn't seem to care as she focused on his scars on his chest.

"He has more scars than you," Thanatos whispered to The King. Geno turned his head away from them, squeezing his hands. Eri glanced up at him but then looked back down at the wound. She helped stop the bleeding with some herbs and then quickly wrapped him back up with more clean ones. The sewing hasn't gotten ripped; it was just bleeding through from all the moving. She explained how he just needed to be more careful and not dance. He laughed. A maid arrived as apparently The King called for one. Handing him a shirt, he then handed it to Geno, who didn't respond but just took it before placing it on himself with Eri's help. Everytime he feels safe and happy, something from his past comes back to haunt him. He has forgotten they haven't really seen his back. The King and Eri had but none of the others. He stood up and The King helped him, trying to lead him, for which he growled and slapped his hand away.

"I can walk myself!" He snapped aggressively. The King raised an eyebrow and Geno blinked, surprised by himself. The Salutary laughed.

"Thats number 3." His face went red slightly and he grumbled.

"Very aggressive wolf you have there. Makes me worried for when you fully shift," The Alpha alluded. Geno sent a glare as they made their way out into the hall. Thanatos continued to discuss a problem with The King. Geno was growing increasingly annoyed as he wanted to ask a question. There seemed to be some silence, so he turned to The King.

"Will all the-" Thanatos interrupted him to talk about something else. Geno grit his teeth and the look on his face must've been obvious before The King stopped walking and turned to Thanatos.

"Thanatos, didn't the guards tell you?" The King questioned. Thanatos seemed taken aback by The King interrupting him and his train of thought.

"What?" The King looked down on the Beta.

"I said work was done. I'm going to celebrate. You can tell me the problem once the celebration is over. Now shut up." Thanatos looked surprised and stuttered.

"B-but my king, you never-"

"Thanatos," The Alpha warned. Thanatos put his head down.

"Yes, my King." The King then started walking and turned his attention to him.

"What were you saying, Geno?" Geno swallowed, feeling himself swoon over the other doing that. His anger had melted away immediately. No, calm yourself.
He glanced away.

"Will all the food we got be there?" He asked quietly.

"We give two-thirds of the food to villagers and keep the rest here, but the villagers are allowed into the castle first floor, minus the courtyard, so they can also eat our food here," The Alpha explained as they got to the ballroom door. The King opened the door to the ballroom. Geno entered and it was beautiful. They decorated the entire ballroom with blue accents featuring the symbol of the Blood Moon Pack. Multiple beautiful chandeliers hung from the ceiling with dark blue streamers dangling from them. All the tables were decorated beautifully with dark blue tablecloths and a candelabra in the center of each. The plates, napkins, and silverware are all placed perfectly. With a place to dance in the center, most people either danced or sat. There were multiple large tables at the front of the ballroom, serving a substantial amount of food. Fish, berries, moose, rabbits, some ferrets, and foxes. The King led him into the ballroom, where many people were chatting. The King found an empty table and pulled the chair out for him. Geno slowly sat down to rest. The King then moved off towards the food as Thanatos and Azrael walked over to the Luna.

"Has he been showing you around the celebration?" Thanatos asked and he shrugged as he touched the silverware.

"I asked to go and so he stopped working and brought me down to the village," Geno responded.

"Damn." The Lycan whispered and Geno looked at him, confused. Azrael hummed, "You need to go talk some sense into him, Thanatos, before the whole pack thinks
they have a new Luna." Azrael humored, but Thanatos was already running towards The King with a solemn expression. Geno sighed and shook his head. It was useless; he had already tried to talk some sense into The Alpha. He can't deny he's enjoying this new attention. Azrael hummed, glancing at him.

"Don't worry, it will pass. He's only treating you like this because you are injured and almost died." He didn't think of that. He was probably right. The King showed interest in him but never anything romantic. Even though it feels like they are on a date, but not, at the same time. Why was this so confusing? His stories never went like this. It was a lot more obvious. He needed to wait until he shifted. Otherwise, he can't make a decision. The Alpha's words about rejecting mates rang through his head. It must've been hard. Azrael seemed nervous around him.

"U-um, I'll go. I'm sorry for disturbing you, Luna." Azrael bowed his head and turned to leave. He watched Azrael leave, then glance back to The King walking towards him and Thanatos looking panicked. The King set down some food in front of him. He got no food for himself. The King sat down next to him with nothing.

"You aren't going to eat?" He asked.

"Do you want me too?" The other humored.

"No! Well, it's weird eating by myself, that's all!" He huffed before grabbing the silverware to try the food. He took the first bite, and oh my Goddess. Is there better food than this? He heard The King chuckle.

"Slow down or you'll choke," The man teased. He glared, his face going red.

"Stop watching me eat, you weirdo!" The King moved his elbow onto the table, leaning on his hand, to get more comfortable watching him.

"No," The King chimed. Maybe he could throw a plate at him. Geno scoffed.

"Do you get off on annoying me or something?" He grumbled.

"Something like that." The King stated.

"Fucking pervert." He huffed before someone grabbed his shoulders, making him almost jump out of his skin.

"Geno!" Makaria spoke and he almost choked and died.

"Are you trying to kill me? Why are you h-"He almost shouted but the she-lycan covered his mouth.

"Shhh! Thanatos said he was going to stay with me, but then he left! So I'm breaking the rules! Don't tell him I'm here." She whispered and hid behind them both. He chuckled, then grabbed a different fork and got some of the food before reaching over and presenting it to her.

"You wanna try the moose?" He asked. He didn't even get to finish his sentence as she shot forward and ate it. He stared at her, shocked, and she smiled.

"That's really good! Looks like Thanatos is a better hunter than you, Alpha!" She joked and The King turned to her.

"Excuse me?" The Alpha deadpanned.

"Oh, you're so right. I'm hating him right now! Never mind! The moose is horrible and he should pick berries next time!" She leaned forward to him. "Make sure you tell him this so he cries and comes back to me for comfort!" She made an evil face and he chuckled. She huffed.

"I want to ball dance with you, but Thanatos will most definitely see me." She whined.

"I'm sorry, Makaria, I already claimed his first dance," The King stated. Geno made a shocked, disgusted face.

"What! When did that happen?! You said I'm not allowed to dance!" He shot.

"You aren't." The King leaned back on his hand. "Unless it's with me." Geno's face went red.

"Ooooo, that was flirty as fuck! Get it King!" The Alpha sighed and turned away as Geno burst out laughing at Makaria. Makaria was totally bringing down the atmosphere The King was trying to make. Makaria stole more of his food and The King eventually slapped her hand away because he wasn't going to. "Hey! You can't hit me! I'm injured!" She cried out with her mouth full.

"Then act like it!" The Alpha snapped back and she looked down, sad, and Geno sneakily gave her food before The King stopped him too. Geno then retaliated by flicking a small piece of meat at The King. The Alpha seemed to freeze when he did this and so did Geno. Geno tensed up. Oh Goddess, he was in trouble. The Alpha then stood up and stretched his hand out to him, to take.

"I think it's about time we dance, don't you think, Luna?" Geno flinched at that.

"I said I wasn't dancing with y-what HEY!" The King took his hand and basically dragged him to the center of the ballroom. "I-I'm injured! Alpha!" He shot out and the other turned around to him and put his hand to his waist, and the other, with his hand, leaned close to him.

"Oh, so now you're too injured?" His face turned red as he struggled.

"I-I," he stuttered as everyone was watching them, whispering. They started to dance to the music and he was having a hard time focusing, so The Alpha helped him with most of the movement. Their pace was slow and gentle. He looked down at his feet to make sure they didn't step on the other. "You are the worst."

"Shouldn't have thrown food at me," The King chimed. He growled at the other. The other laughed.

"That's number 4. Your wolf might shift soon. Very talkative." He glared more.

"No, I just hate you!" The Lycan King snorted.

"What did I say about lying?" The other could tell it was a lie. Ugh, fuck this man and his weird ability. He stepped on the other with him distracting him.

"I'm sorry!" He whispered. This man didn't even flinch. The King just continued to dance with him. Geno felt like his world was spinning, but not because he was injured. It's fine, right? He probably had danced with other people in the pack before. It doesn't matter that he danced with him. Right!?! He was freaking out. The other squeezed him closer.

"Hey, focus," The King stated. He glanced up and looked the other in the eyes. His blue eyes stared down at him. The Luna got entranced by his eyes.Geno slowly moved his hand from his shoulder to the other’s face hesitantly. When he touched the other's cheek, the Alpha didn't even flinch; he just stared down at him. Being this close, he could see the others' faces better, even with his hood up.

"You look tired," Geno intoned. The King's breath hitched, and the other finished the dance and brought him back to his seat. Geno was surprised. When he sat back
down, The King walked off, and Geno was left with Makaria. Did he do something wrong? Maybe touching the other was a problem? He turned to Makaria, who was now sitting where The King was. She was staring at him with stars in her eyes. He blinked at her and looked around before looking back at her.

"What?"

"Oh my Goddess, you two are so cute!" Geno rolled his eyes and looked away while trying to eat more. He was hungry and he needed more food to heal and grow. "I mean it! I've never seen The King act like that! He's never danced with anyone before." Fuck. He put the silverware down and groaned, bringing his hands up.

"He's going to give everyone the wrong idea that I'm the next Luna!" He cried out and Makaria looked on in confusion.

"Aren't you?" She questioned while also eating his food.

"We don't know that for sure! We can't make these decisions without me shifting and knowing for sure."

"It just makes sense you are the only Lycan out of all the Lunas," He huffed. That didn't mean anything.

"MAKARIA," A familiar voice screamed across the ball. Makaria jumped and stood up immediately.

"Fuck!" She sprinted away, but of course, because she was injured, she couldn't go too far before Thanatos scooped her up. They yelled as the Lycan dragged her out of the ballroom like she was being kidnapped, as she screamed bloody murder. Everyone watched in horror but Geno just kept eating. He finished eating quickly and made his way down the hall. Some Lycans were going to bed now, but he knew the celebration would still continue later in the night. He walked around the castle by himself, most guards and maids celebrating together and with everyone gone, he was by himself. He was able to stroll without holding on to anything, so he did that, exploring the castle more. He had never done this before, scared to run into elders or Keres. But now, he could go wherever. He did this for a few hours. No one asked where he was and no one bothered him, which was nice, but he also felt a sense of sadness. He was spending time with a certain someone but they left. When he finished, he was heading up to his room, but decided to see if there was anything else on this floor. As he walked on the fifth floor, he was surprised to see that there really were only two rooms. That was until he came across a staircase.

He walked up the staircase, intrigued by what it could be. The stairs went up for a while before he ended up at a slightly open door. He got to the door and peered into the open door. His eyes went to a beautiful room fully filled with windows. The ceiling glass perfectly kept the Moon in view right overhead. Her moonlight glowed down into the center of the room, and in the center of the room, the King was sitting, kneeling with his hood down and eyes closed. Geno moved to take a step.

"Al-" Someone covered his mouth and pulled him away. He panicked immediately untill the voice spoke in his ear.

"Shh, calm down, it's just me." Thanato's voice spoke. The Beta brought him down the stairs while shushing him. They got pretty far down til he spoke. "Don't disturb The King when he is in the blessing room." He tilted his head.

"The blessing room?" He asked.

"It's the room where Lycans can get answers and blessings from The Moon Goddess. Though, she's known to ignore you if you aren't a blood relation to the first ten Lycans. But during the winter solstice, the Lycan she picks is in charge of getting told what to do by The Moon for the rest of the year or until the next Winter Solstice." The Lycan explained. He was technically the heir to the Hati family, which was one of the ten holiest families.

"So I could talk to her?" He asked. Thanatos nodded.

"Yes, but she's more talkative during her birthday as she's at her strongest." His mind went to what Ink had said.

"Does this mean last Winter Solstice, she told The Lycan King to find us?" Thanatos thought for a second before responding.

"The lost Lunas? Yes, she did tell him that and that phrase spread like wild fire in our pack, but when we presented it to The Werewolf King, he dismissed us." The Werewolf King was a coward. He wanted peace, but that's not how wolves or Lycans work. Thanatos smiled at him and he turned back down to walk down the stairs.

"Does he tell the pack what he gets told?" He asked. Thanatos nodded yes.

"Yup, he'll have a big pack meeting where he will tell the pack what She told him." That sounded exciting. He wants to hear Her words.

"Why were you up there?"

"Oh, I do a walk by every hour just to make sure everything’s okay, so I'm going to go back and chill, then do another walk by in another hour." They got down the stairs and started walking in the hallways.

"How's Makaria?" He questioned.

"Tied to our bed." Thanatos smiled evilly. Geno blinked at him.

"What is up with you male-Lycans and tying everyone up?" Puzzled Geno. Thanatos laughed.

"It's just how we are. Well, I'll see you tomorrow, Geno, unless you plan to stay up more?"

"I might stay up but I'll probably just read." Thanatos nodded as they reached his room and went their separate ways. Geno opened his door and walked in. He grabbed his Norse books and paper and brought them to bed. He started decoding them and reading them using the Moon’s glow to see. She was particularly bright today, which made his room very bright. He was becoming quite proficient in reading Norse. He fell asleep after 5 hours of studying so hard that his head hurt and he finally gave in to sleep. He woke up to the Moon still out. Damn, She really does stay up for 36 hours. There was still a celebration happening. Apparently, the guards like to challenge each other to stay up the entire time, mostly by drinking and getting drunk. So, he can now understand how the pack would be at its weakest during this time. He moved and his wound didn't hurt as bad. He decided he should still go visit the Salutary. What time is it anyway? Because the Moon was out this long, it made it hard to tell. He checked his clock and it was 11pm. So right before lunch. He walked over to the door and made his way out to the Salutary. When he arrived, he knocked and the door opened. She was sitting there, eating, and she smiled.

"Hello, Luna, is everything okay?" She asked.

"Oh, I just wanted you to check my wound to make sure it's good. It doesn't hurt anymore." She then asked for any other symptoms and walked over as he took off his shirt. She unwrapped it and checked it. She analyzed it in awe.

"Whoa. It's fully sealed. Definitely still healing, but your wolf is definitely working overtime. She must hate you for getting hurt so often." She giggled and he sighed.
I'm sorry, whatever your name is. He knows the wolf just can't show herself to him, but she's watching him. She's protecting him. She's here now. He feels her now, like Eri said. The Salutary added some more herbs and rewrapped it. He put his shirt back on. He then thanked the Salutary and left. The bell rang and he decided to go get some lunch. When he entered the room, most people weren't there as they were probably sleeping. He walked to the kitchen and got some food that they had from yesterday's ballroom. He got some more moose. excited to eat it more without everyone watching him. He turned to go to the usual table to see only Keres sitting there. She was just sitting there eating by herself. He debated with himself before he walked over to the table to sit down. He can leave at any time, he doesn't need to stay.

When he sat across from her, her eyes glanced at him, then widened before she brought her attention back to her food in silence. They sat in silence for a while, which was why he got one of the Old Norse books. He could read it without the cheatsheet now. Though, he doesn't know if he fully understands how to say some of the words. He was reading it while eating and they didn't talk for a while before Keres broke the awkward tension.

"I heard from my brother that you're one of the Lunas kidnapped by The Black Blood pack," she whispered. He tensed up and looked up at her. She looked exhausted. She sighed. "All those times I called you a slave… I'm sorry," she apologized. He was shocked. She looked away. He collected himself, smiled, and put the book down.

"I understand. All I ask you to do is hold on to that horrible feeling of guilt you have and remember it. Remember every time you called me worthless, slave, and Omega. The time I was chased outside by you and got attacked by the intruder trying to take me back to that pack." She looked surprised at that; she probably hadn't realized that was what had happened. He keeps his expression neutral. "Remember that every time an Omega is with you. When you meet a werewolf. And especially if you meet someone that's both. Don't treat them like how you treated me. They aren't evil. They are just like you. They just want to live and have a happy life." Keres turned her gaze down to her food, thinking. He took the hint and stood up; he was already done with most of his food anyway, with only, like, two bites left. He walked out of the dining hall, and he didn't even know where to go. Since it's a celebration, there's no training, no church. He couldn't even go and train as he was still hurt. He could go read more. He started making his way to his room, walking up the stairs. He paused as words entered his head.

Geno, please come to my office.

The Alpha's voice rang into his head. He went up the stairs again and made his way to the King's office. When he got outside, there were no guards. He knocked.

"Come in." He walked into the office. The King was standing by a different male Lycan he hadn't met before. There was a cage nearby. In the cage was a white raven. He had never seen one before and it was beautiful. The King smiled when he entered.

"Come here, Geno." The Luna walked into the room and made his way to the other two. The King motioned towards the other Lycan, who bowed.

"This is Anubis, Geno." The Alpha introduced him.

"I greet the Luna of the Blood Moon," Anubis said.

"I called you here today, Geno, because as an official member of our pack, you get to have a raven to help communicate," The King stated and Geno's gaze went to the beautiful raven.

"Is this.." He faltered.

"Yours? Yes. Anubis picked it out for you; it's one of the rarest ravens we have." The King answered.

"And she was a bitch to train. Just know she will do anything for a winterberry," Anubis grumbled. Geno laughed and walked over to it.

"What's her name?" He asked.

"Thats for you to decide." Geno stared at the raven as it stared at him. "Here," Anubis handed over a small whistle flute. "She's trained to stay around you while searching for food. She will come if you blow the whistle. If you have food with you, she will most likely arrive sooner. She's safe to let out of her crate. She understands if you give her a letter and tell her where to go, as she has been trained to recognize certain words. Ravens can also mimic our language, so don't be scared if she speaks. She's very talkative, unfortunately," Anubis grumbled. Geno reached his hand to the raven and the bird quickly nuzzled him. "Hmm, she likes you, that’s good. She is usually a tyrant, attacking me," the male Lycan grumbled, upset. Geno chuckled. "Here's a list of what they eat and normal resting times for them, and here are some gloves to wear so she can land on you." The Lycan handed him a paper and the gloves. He thanked Anubis. The man bowed before turning and leaving just The King and him. Geno turned his attention to the bird. What should he name her? He stared at her white feathers while touching her.

"Hvita." He stated, and The King glanced at him. He glanced over and The King had raised an eyebrow. It was an Old Norse word meaning "white." He liked it. He smiled and nodded. He turned to The Lycan. "Thank you, My King." The Lycan King nodded and Geno left with his new pet. He brought it to his room, placing the cage on a windowsill. He then reached over and opened the cage. He backed away to give the bird her space. She jumped onto the edge of the cage, looked around, and then jumped onto the sill. She hopped along before opening her wings and taking to the air. He pulled the gloves out, then used the whistle.

"Hvita." He stated and the raven glanced at him. She flew over towards him, landing on the glove on his forearm. He smiled and petted her. He should get some food for her. He walked over to his desk and let her hop on it. Then, he moved around to look in drawers and found some blankets and small pillows. He then went to the windowsill and set up a little bed for her, even placing one of his old shirts in it so she would become accustomed to his scent. He then brought her over to it. She seemed to like it and started messing with the nest. He moved the cage to the corner of the room, away from her. He moved to the window by the nest and opened it, letting her leave if she wanted to. He then moved to leave his room. He wanted to ask the kitchen if he could get some raven food. He walked down to the dining room, then made his way to the one person working, who was still cleaning up lunch. He walked up and asked if they had any food for ravens. They placed a bag containing berries, seeds, and meat. He thanked them and brought it upstairs. Making his way to his room, she was gone, so he leaned outside the window and blew the whistle. After a bit of a while, Hvita landed on the windowsill. He then pulled out some food for her to eat. She looked happy. He placed some more into her bed before he heard some noises from outside. His eyebrow furrowed. That sounded familiar. He was confused.

Leaning over the window while she ate, he saw two Lycans running around in the snow and throwing snow at each other. They had familiar clothing on. Was that
Makaria? What were they doing? He put his scarf on and made his way out of his room. He walked down the stairs and outside of the castle, circling around to get to them. When he arrived, Makaria had built some kind of wall of snow with multiple little balls of snow next to her. She was throwing them. He slowly snuck up to her as she threw one and the other Lycan threw one at her.

"What are you doing?" He whispered and she screamed, jumping to the side.

"Oh my Goddess, Geno! Don't sneak up on me like that! What's wrong with you!" She cried out and then got hit in the face with snow.

"HEY, I'M TALKING TO GENO. THAT DOESN'T COUNT!" She turned and screamed, then another ball of snow hit her again. She took cover behind the wall. "That's it,
Geno, you are now on my side, let's kill him."

"Is he Thanatos?" He asked and she didn't answer before she threw about fifty balls of snow over at the other in a few seconds like it was nothing. How she can do that
but can't run from a polar bear is beyond him.

"Oh, now you are going to get it!" Geno heard Thanatos yell back and he smiled.

"What are you doing?" He asked again while Makaria got smacked in the face with snow.

"Ugh! That bitch! Oh, we are having a snowball fight!" He tilted his head. She ducked down again and laid against the snow fort with him while snowballs flew past.

"You grab snow and roll it up into a ball,then you throw it!" She cheered and he hummed, moving to roll one up. She stood up, grabbed a few, and started throwing them. He began to help, standing up and throwing one.

"HEY, you can't have Geno on your side!" Thanatos yelled and Makaria giggled with him.

"What? Scared you are going to lose to two She-Lycans?" She yelled back.

"Lose? I'm fucking winning!" Thanatos screamed back. Makaria stood up, aiming a snowball.

"You wish!" She then proceeded to get smacked with a snowball in the face, again. Geno laughed and then he stood up to throw one, but he also got smacked. Geno
still threw his and sat back down, shaking his head to get the snow off. Makaria laughed at him and he couldn't help but laugh too. This was a lot more fun than he thought. They continued to throw them back and forth and eventually Makaria screamed, "Charge!" She jumped over the snow barrier, rushing towards Thanatos, then tackled him. He watched them throw a ton of snow back and forth until they were both drenched. He started to shiver as the other two ran over, giggling; they were also shivering.

"Have you ever made a snowwolf?" Makaria asked and he shook his head, not knowing what that was. She smiled and brought him over to the piles of snow, then started rolling them. He did as she instructed. They made a big ball of snow, then a slightly smaller one, and then an even smaller one. They put them all on top of each other and added snow to the top to resemble wolf ears and snow to the face to make it look more like a wolf's snout. She found some rocks and used two for the eyes and one for the nose. Then they got some small sticks for the teeth, and then added two big sticks for the arms. It looked somewhat ridiculous and he didn't understand why they did it, but it was fun. They stood, shivering, staring at it before Makaria spoke.

"Let's get inside before we die of hypocrisy," Makaria stated.

"Hyperthermia," Thanatos corrected her.

"Yeah, whatever that is." She linked her arm with Geno’s, and they went inside the castle. Thanatos told him to go take a warm shower and change his clothes, so he did. When he arrived in his room, Hvita was snuggled up in the bed. Geno smiled and made his way to the bathroom to do what Thanatos suggested. The rest of the day continued uneventfully, with him chilling with his new pet and reading. The next day, The Alpha called the entire pack together. He got to join Makaria in the She-Wolves section. He preferred to not be in the spotlight, like how Thanatos and The Alpha were both standing on the stage.

The Alpha started telling the pack what to expect from this year. It seemed relatively normal and good news about food and relationships. Although, it did warn them of a heavy loss early in the year, that they will recover in time. He found it very interesting to listen to her words. It was over quickly as they made their way back. Though, there were cheers from the townfolk, probably because they were happy that there was no horrible warning. A week passed with just him focusing on reading and writing. He had entirely taught himself two languages very easily and he was proud of himself. Things were getting back to normal as church and training started up again. He arrived early as he realized how easier the stairs had become for him. It was only him, the priest, and The King in the room. He sat down near the front by himself. The King, who was reading, glanced at him.

"Geno, your spot is in the Luna chair," The Alpha stated and he glanced over at the seat next to The King. He was surprised to find himself sitting there, but he didn't question it as he stood up and walked over, sitting down next to him. Geno let his eyes wander as he hadn't thought to bring a book, as it would probably be seen as disrespectful. He looked around the room and his eyes caught some Old Norse written on the walls, circling around the room.

 

“ Sá Gjalpar skær enda sá tungl elskask.”
(The Wolf and the moon loved one another)
“At Inn ást enda vinátta æ ē”
(as lovers and friends always)
“Sá himinn kveld þeira veiði-fǫr”
(The sky at night their hunting grounds)
“Sá Gjalpar einnhverr kveldi á alheimskr draumblæti”
(The wolf one night, in a manner of completely foolish pride)
“Elta Sá stiarna þá leyna”
(Chased a star that tried to hide)
“Sá Gjalpar nidher-slā falla niðr Jǫrð, sá tungl eðr fjúka; Sá Gjalpar engi betr”
(They fell to Earth, The Moon still flew; the Wolf no more)
“Sá Gjalpar at kveld kveða á sinn félagi, einir sér, hath forlǫg”
(The Wolf at night calls to His Mate, All alone, cursing Fate.)
“ þadan af, þaðan frá Sá Gjalpar kveða, á angr ýla á Sá nátt himinn”
(And to this day the Wolf will cry, A mournful Howl to the night sky.)

 

Geno whispered the words, staring up at them. The story was sad, and honestly, he felt a sense of pain while reading it. A very ancestral sadness hit him. He sighed, closing his eyes. He never would've known that story if he hadn't learned Old Norse. All these Lycans, unaware of this, was very sad.

"ek vissi ekki þú kunnir norrønt mál" (I didn't know you knew northern speech). The Alpha spoke. Geno glanced over as The King spoke. Geno was able to understand after a little while and he racked his brain to come up with a response. As he mainly dealt with reading and writing, he didn't speak or hear much. He swallowed nervously. He was new to the language but it seemed like this might actually be The Alpha's first language.

“ek kann lítt.” (I know little) He nervously messed with his hands in front of him and The Alpha chuckled.

"Vél gerir þú" (Well, you are doing great), The Alpha responded. Geno looked away, his face turning red. The bell rang as the church started interrupting their conversation. The day continued to go as usual. He was busy reading some of the Old Norse books in the library when the incident occurred.

 

Geno, go hide in my office, now!

The mindlink startled him, making him jump. The Alpha's urgency scared him. He was thankfully on the same floor as his office, so when he got up, he dashed out of the library and aimed for the office. When he arrived at the office, two guards were already there. One guard opened the door and the other rushed him inside.

"Luna, please stay here for now and don't leave! Someone will come to get you when we know you're safe!" He nodded, still confused. They shut the door and he heard them lock it. Well, now he is stuck here. He walked over to one of the chairs in front of the desk. Sitting down, he waited, glancing around at his surroundings. He didn't get to look around the office much as he was more focused on The Alpha, who's usually in here. He waited for a while before he finally got bored and started to snoop. He stood up and looked at the cabinets, which held all the weird, creepy-looking artifacts. Although a few he could actually understand, as their label was in Old Norse. He didn't dare to touch any of them; what if one of them turned him into a human by touching it? You never know. He glanced through the papers on The Alpha's desk. He started looking through them. Most of them were about the pack, money, supplies, and allies. Some others were related to maternal issues. Wow, Astrid sounds like a bitch. Stealing Erik's bread and then breaking his plant pot that his grandma made for him before her death.

Though Erik did apparently cheat on her. It was with his mate and he apparently "broke up with that crazy bitch three months ago." My Goddess, he takes back everything, he doesn't want to be Luna anymore if he has to deal with this shit. Oh, and get this, Erik is a baker, which makes this entire situation even worse. He placed the paper down, then a folder caught his attention. "Black Blood Pack." He swallowed and opened it, reading through the files. 56 or more members, leader: unknown Alpha. All members are rogues. Possible candidates for unknown Alpha: Mac Tire, Gaster Geri, Nightmare Thorin. Or a rogue Alpha. With 329 dead she-wolves, including 34 dead male wolves, over the decades of getting caught stealing. The witch was also missing when attacked. Out of the 56 members found in the camp, 35 were killed, and the rest taken prisoner, who were then executed by the Lycan King in court in front of the kingdom.

Wolvesbane was found in food and water. Silver embedded in all cages and torture devices. He skipped the part where they explained the abuse and torture. Flipping a few pages, he ended up on Luna's; each of them was written about. He was the last one found. The Alpha, Thanatos, and Azrael found him, and The King rushed to see a Salutary who explained that he was in a very critical condition and would most likely pass. The Alpha placed him in the moonlight and rushed him to the werewolf castle to be placed in the one blessed room they have in there in hopes the Moon would save him. Vitals returned to normal after three days and he was then moved to a room with a Salutary to take care of him. He moved to the last page. ”The masked man explained by all the Luna's is mostly likely an Alpha who has not been caught. Multiple documents left over in the camp explained the plans for using the Lunas but none of them had names. Yet, a vague connection to the werewolf king was found. Investigation is still underway.” What. He flipped through more papers, trying to find any evidence of The Werewolf King's involvement, but found nothing.

He moved to open some of the drawers of the desk before he heard movement on the door. He placed the papers back quickly and ran over to the seat, where he sat down. The door opened and different guards he hadn't seen before walked in. The guards around the door seemed to want to intervene, but couldn't. Geno flinched. Something must've happened. The guards walked over to him and he jumped from his seat and stood behind the desk with a growl. The guards glared.

"Grab him," the main guard told one of the others. Geno glared and moved to a more open spot. The guard walked over and grabbed his arm. Geno then grabbed it and used the martial arts he had learned to entirely flip the man over, landing on his back. Aggressively, his claws extended, and he put them to the man's neck, glaring at the other guards, who were all halted and looked surprised. The guard in charge took a few steps forward, glaring.
"Luna, stand down." The nerve- how dare he tell him what to do? He instantly scratched the man's throat. The two guards who were supposed to be protecting him looked shocked and they glanced at each other, as if having a silent conversation. He flinched as words flung into his head.

Geno, stand down. You'll be fine.

The Alpha's voice, calming him, made him hesitate before he released his claws and took a step back as different guards rushed to help the bleeding man. He didn't cut him deep enough to kill him; they are being babies. He's had worse than that. He walked past them, making his way to the guards. The one in charge moved to grab him and he slapped his hand away.

"I'll have my guards lead me with you," he demanded and the guard glared and huffed before turning and walking away.

"Lycans," the man grumbled. This made him realize they were werewolf guards. They did look familiar, so he had a few guesses who was in charge of them. The two Lycan guards followed him as he walked behind the werewolf guards.

I'm sorry, Luna, we couldn't help. The Alpha informed us not to

One of the guards mindlinked him. He sighed.

Don't apologize, it's his fault, not yours.

He grumbled and could tell the other two were surprised by him shit-talking their Alpha. The main werewolf guard led him down the hallway and that's when he found multiple werewolf guards all around the outside of the castle. This was an insult. He was getting mad. He now knew who he was dealing with and why the guards couldn't intervene. They walked towards a room he hadn't been in before on this floor. It had big double doors. The guard opened the door and he walked in. A familiar smiling face with golden hair sat.

"Ah, Geno! I'm glad you could join us!" Geno glanced around, finding multiple Lycan guards behind his Alpha, sitting at the end of the table, and numerous werewolf guards behind The Werewolf King on the other side of the long table. There were two familiar Alphas sitting next to The Werewolf King. They had their own guards, but only two. He glared at the False King.

"What do you want?" He snapped harshly. The Werewolf King looked surprised and so did the other Alphas.

"Shh, come over here, Geno," The Lycan King interrupted, motioning for the seat next to him. He glanced at the Lycan King and walked over towards his Alpha. He sat down next to the Lycan King, who had glanced at his bloody hands. The Alpha looked at his guards and snapped his fingers, which caused a few guards to move quickly. They fetched a cloth for him and handed it to him to clean his hands. He cleaned his hand as the guard who escorted him whispered in The Werewolf King's ear, who narrowed his eyes at him.

"Not only do you break our rules, but you attempt treason?" The False King shouts out. The Alpha next to him chuckled.

"It was you who attempted treason by forcing your way into my castle with the knowledge of following our etiquette, yet your guards didn't and disrespecting our
Luna." The Alpha monotoned out.

"Your Luna?" He's not yours!" Alpha Dust yelled out.

"He is of Lycan blood and is the son of one of the top families in Blood Moon; he is the Luna of our pack as Red and Blue are the Luna of your packs. Isn't that right, Dream?" The Alpha snapped. Using the King's name is clearly a disrespect to his crown. He could tell The Alpha was pissed and pleased with the commotion Geno had caused. The False King stared at The Alpha before his eyes went to him and he smiled.

"It seems we got off on the wrong foot. Luna, I apologize if my guards offended you. Now, we can talk about the issue at hand. You-" Geno growled, interrupting the intruder.

"I don't care what you have to say. You disrespected my pack." He snapped. He was so fucking angry.

Shhh just breathe.

The Alpha's calming voice made his rage slowly vanish and he looked at The Alpha. Feeling himself obey the other's command, he sat there breathing. The Judge sighed and stretched his arms as if this entire situation was boring.

"Werewolf King, you know I didn't break any rules and made a very tolerable offer based on the conditions," Dream glared.

"Tolerable? I'm not letting two packs fall just because you want to!" Now he was confused. This is something he didn't know. He watched everyone.

"Now, Dream, it is not my fault, you STILL haven't found the culprit and refuse to let my men find them. We got attacked a few weeks ago and they almost successfully kidnapped our Luna. I'm not sending him to your castle to his death," The Lycan deadpanned.

"You can't expect two Alphas to wait weeks here for him to shift! We don't even know if he will." Dream yelled.

"That is not my problem, Dream. I focus on my pack members, not others." The Alpha smiled.

"You are so selfish," Science shot out. Geno glared at the insult. Oh, maybe he did hate werewolves.

"I'm protective. Continue insulting me, and I will make sure your two packs do fall," The Lycan King growled.

"Now let's not be hasty, Executioner. I have an offer," Dream smiled, interrupting.

"This could've been a letter, you know?" The Alpha pointed out, "And are you in any position to be making more requests out of me?" The Lycan King growled.

"Let us use Vargúlfr Drykkr," Dream stated. Old Norse? That translated to "Wolf Drink." What was that?

"Absolutely not," The Lycan King didn't even entertain the idea.

"Then we will have to claim treason for keeping an unclaimed Luna from the packs." Dream deadpanned.

"What's a wolf drink?" He asked The Lycan King. The Alpha turned to him.

"Vargúlfr Drykkr is a drink that forces a shift that was used on young werewolves and Lycans during the Young Earth, when they were getting killed faster than their wolves could shift. It's now banned as it's excruciating and causes lasting damage to the wolf or shifter." The Alpha growled.

"He's 18, it won't cause any damage," The Werewolf King pointed out. The Alpha glared.

"He's not physically ready for shifting into a Lycan. Maybe a werewolf, but a Lycan wolf could kill him. And as he is a late shifter, it will be even more likely he’ll experience a semi-shift." Dream struggled to respond before he found his words.

"Then isn't it safer to force the shift on a special day?" The King offered. The Judge laughed.

"Yeah, on the Winter Solstice that happened a week ago." The Lycan shot out. "But if you want a dead Luna, be my guest, have fun killing one of your packs." Dream seemed taken aback by the Executioner's words. Science and Dust also seemed to have not considered that possibility. Dream's eyes narrowed as he looked at the table before glancing up.

"You know it won't kill him, he's protected by The Moon here; she would save him if he did die," The King pointed out in fake confidence. But when The Judge didn't
respond, his bluff was actually correct. Geno glared.

"Wait, so now I'm dying and we're all agreeing on it?" He shot out. The Lycan King pushed back, leaning against his chair, looking like he was relaxing.

"I retreat. If you want the Luna to take Vargúlfr Drykkr, then get him to agree to it himself. I have no reason to be in this conversation; it is not my decision." At first, Geno was hurt by the words, but soon he realized he wasn't giving up on protecting him, but giving him a choice. The Werewolf King smiled at that, seeming to think it would be easier to convince him. How wrong he was. The Werewolf King didn't even get to respond.

"No. I like it here. I don't appreciate the disrespect from you three. Leave and come back when I have shifted." He commanded, crossing his arms. Dust scoffed. Dream leaned forward.

"What if that never happens?" Geno shrugged.

"Oh well. Guess I'm going to church a lot." The Alpha leaning next to him chuckled. He knew the others didn't know what he meant. They glared and he leaned forward, uncrossing his arms. "Look, I'm not killing myself just because you three are impatient. And I'm definitely not helping you." He shot out, looking at The False King. The werewolf King raised an eyebrow as he was confused.

"I'm sorry if I offended you somehow, Luna-"

"I don't care about that. I know what you did." He said ominously, and that made the two Alphas near him confused.

Reading through my documents, huh?

He glanced to his right as The Judge raised an eyebrow at him. He looked away, embarrassed.

You should arrest Astrid and give Erik some bread as compensation

The King had to cover his mouth so he didn't laugh. He cleared his throat and looked back. The Werewolf King’s eyes were narrowed on them.

"If you don't do this, I will declare war." Geno was surprised and The Alpha moved forward.

"Now, aren't you breaking the rules?" The Lycan King growled. Dream glared.

"You are holding a Luna captive." The Judge raised an eyebrow with an unimpressed look on his face that Geno knew the others couldn't see. The King motioned towards him.

"Do you see chains? Is he tied down? He listens to me because he respects me, unlike you three." The Judge laughed. "Hell, if he had to sit in any of our laps, he would pick mine." His face exploded red and he shot a glare at The King.

"I will declare war." Dream shot out; he looked even angrier over their display. The Lycan King chuckled.

"And I will destroy all your packs," The King sadistically spoke. Geno was now worried that a full-scale war would break out over his shifting. This is the most ridiculous thing for a war to happen over.

"Ha! You think you have the wolfpower?" Dust snapped.

"I know I do." The Judge spoke arrogantly. Geno knew he did, but he also knew Lycans would die, and so would werewolves. He didn't want that to happen. He also couldn't tell if the King was bluffing. His anger has resided, leaving him feeling a sense of guilt. He didn't want a hundred years of peace to be destroyed over him. He sighed as the Alphas continued to bicker.

"I'll do it." He stated. The Alphas glanced at him,, and The Werewolf King smiled. The Lycan King slammed his hands on the table and stood up.

"If he is my Luna and dies, I will kill every single werewolf in this world most horrifically." That voice…that wasn't him. That was his wolf. All the Alphas flinched; even The Werewolf King seemed to waver. He sighed.

"Now look who needs to breathe. Calm down. I'll be fine," he shot out. This seemed to snap The King out of it. The Lycan moved, sitting back down and waving them away.

"My point still stands. He'll shift tomorrow during the full moon in the Blessed Room. None of you are allowed in. Now leave before I decide to start a war." The Werewolf King stood up and smiled at him.

"Thank you for being reasonable, Geno." The nerve- he growled.

"Luna." He shot back. The Werewolf King raised an eyebrow before putting his fucking fake smile back on.

"My apologies, Luna," he chimed and turned to leave with the Alphas following him out and the guards in tow. When they left, he felt a wave of relief but also worry go through him. The King next to him was strangely quiet.

"How bad will it hurt?" He whispered, looking down at his hands.

"It will be worse than anything you've ever experienced." Geno flinched at that. His hands started to shake. Geno felt tears well up in his eyes but he tried to stay strong.

"Everyone, leave us" The King commanded and the guards moved quickly out of the room. He swallowed and tried to stay calm.

"Geno," The King whispered comfortingly. "You'll be able to do it. She won't let you die. Your wolf already protects you way more than any other wolves I've met. You could probably ask her to go through hell and back and she would. She loves you. It's about time you met her. Though it will not be pleasant, it could be worth it. Especially as your mate will be here."

"I don't want Dream or Dust as my mate!" He cried out, feeling tears go down his face. The Alpha definitely noticed that he didn't say 'Science.'

"You never know what might happen, just have hope in the Goddess. She knows what you need." Geno swallowed and nodded, bringing his hand to rub his tears away. He's right. Trust Her. She knew what he needed. She picked one of them and it will be perfect for him. He took a few breaths to calm himself.
"Even if you get Dream or Dust, they might be better than you think and maybe you can teach them a thing or two about Lycans," The Alpha huffed and Geno glared.

"I'd rather die." He huffed out.

"Geno…" The King sighed. "If you get one of those two, I never ever say to do this, but…you can reject them. We Lycans are different. You can reject a mate no matter where you are and if the other isn't a Lycan, you only have to say it to completely destroy the mate bond. Werewolves require both to say it. And if you need any help, don't be afraid to ask me, you are part of my pack." The Alpha explained. Geno nodded. He's giving him permission to run and reject away from everyone.

"I reject Dust and Dream if they are my future mates!" He yelled out.

"That's not exactly how it works, but that might have worked as you are 18". The Lycan King chuckled, leaning his elbow on the table and resting his face against his hand, looking at him. He then glared at the other.

"What was that lap thing about? You're such an asshole!" He grumbled. The King laughed and shot a glare back at him.

"That's what you get for going through my office." Geno huffed and leaned backwards in his chair, crossing his arms.

"What was I supposed to do?!? You left me there for hours!" He pointed out.

"It was twenty minutes," The Alpha deadpanned. Geno looked away, embarrassed again.

"Hours!" He huffed.

"You've been hanging out with Makaria too much; you're becoming annoying," The Alpha teased. He glared and hit the other before standing up and walking to the doors.

"You're the annoying one, not telling me anything and not expecting me to panic when random guards try to grab me!" He yelled at the other before slamming the door behind him. The Lycan guards all stared at him as he did. He averted his eyes, feeling his face heat up slightly as he left to go to Makaria to calm his nerves and tell her what happened. When he arrived and told her what he had to do, she freaked out and called the Salutary, who went over the possibilities of each outcome. It wasn't too bad. 50% death and revival. 10% death and no revival. 20% killing his wolf and 20% actually entirely shifting. These were great odds. He sighed as the Salutary looked at him with pity. He'll be fine; he just needs to trust the Goddess. No way She lets him die before he can be a Luna. Not after everything he's been through.

He barely even met a wolf. He's seen them from visions and the pond but that was it. He wondered what The Alpha's wolf looked like. Makaria hugged him while crying, scared he would die. He tried to comfort her, but he was frightened himself. It soon got too much, so he pretended The Alpha mindlinked him to go to him and he left, trying to get his mind off of it. He walked around the halls, but then realized he might run into the other Alphas, though they probably were sleeping, as it was night for them. It was about to be day in a few hours. He didn't think he could sleep. He sighed and made his way to his room, where he locked himself in. He started reading some more of the books in the room. Half of them were very sexual romance books.

The last Luna here was really into erotica. He wasn't interested that much in that. Though, the other half of the books she had were Old Norse and were teachings on how to be a Luna. They were written by a Luna during Young Earth. She was very vicious. He took the three books she had written and started to read them. They actually taught him what to expect as a Luna. He tried to focus on the words but couldn't as his mind kept drifting off. After a few hours, when he should've been sleeping, he made his way out of his room. He needed to walk. To get his mind off of everything.

He was scared. He was so afraid he didn't even dare to go to the other floors, so he started to walk on his floor in a circle. Going past his and The Alpha's room. Around his tenth time circling the floor, he came across his room and found The Alpha leaning against the wall, waiting for him. He stopped walking and they glanced at the other.

"Can't sleep?" The Alpha asked and he looked down at the floor. He then glanced up at the other, nodding slightly. The Alpha hummed, taking a few steps forward.
The Alpha walked over to him. "Would it be easier for you to sleep if I were there? I can watch over you until you fall asleep if that will make you feel safer." Geno wanted to nod and say yes, but he also felt it would be super awkward. He didn't answer and the King hummed and moved, pulling up a book. "Let's go." The Alpha turned to the Luna's room and walked in. Geno followed nervously. The Alpha pulled up a chair near the bed and opened his book. Geno watched him before shutting the door and hesitantly walking to his bed, where he got in. He got into the bed and turned his back to the other but every once in a while, he could hear the other turn a page. It was…comforting. He refused to look, feeling embarrassed that he hadn't fought this and let it happen, and the fact that it was working and making him feel tired. He closed his eyes and soon drifted off into sleep. When he woke up, he was greeted with the full Moon. He could tell he had slept in, but because of the intruders, there was no church, no training, just silence, just as before with the previous intruder. He changed his clothes and continued with his day until he tried to leave his room. Werewolf guards stood outside.

"Hello, Luna, we request that you stay in your room today," they voiced. Geno glared.

"No, you have no right to keep me trapped in my own pack." He snapped and tried to walk past them, but they blocked his way. He growled and the guards glared.

Alpha

Yes Geno?

I need help

Where?

My room

"Don't get in my way," he snapped and the guards still took a step forward. He was ready to swing but he knew if he did something first, it could be put on him, so he just walked forward, causing them to actually take a step back. If they touch him or grab him, it gives him a chance to attack. He kept walking forward in the hallway and they kept trying to stop him by getting in his way. It was only when they were all lined up in front of him that he smiled and turned around quickly and sprinted down the hallway. They yelled and ran after him. He circled the floor and made his way to the stairs, turning down them only to run into someone’s chest. They caught him. He glanced up to see The Alpha and Thanatos standing there looking very worried.

"What's hap-" The King didn't finish his sentence as the guards ran to him, but stopped when they saw the King. The Lycan glared and helped steady him before walking over to the guards, moving him quickly behind him protectively. "Is there a reason you are in a forbidden area and chasing our Luna?" The Lycan King growled. The guards stayed silent. "Can you not speak when spoken to? I can help with that." The Alpha's claws shot out. "I trial lots of criminals not willing to admit anything, I always get them to talk." The guards swallowed nervously and glanced at each other. One took a step forward.

"My apologies, sir, we had-" Geno growled loudly, interrupting them.

"It's your majesty," Geno snapped. The Alpha glanced at him quickly before looking back at the werewolves.

"My apologies, Your Majesty, we were just guarding the Luna to make sure they were okay." The Alpha turned to him. He glared.

"He's lying." He snapped, forgetting the other could tell.

"I know." The Alpha smirked. He felt a weird thrill go through him as he remembered. The Alpha was having fun. Thanatos walked forward and gently nudged him.

"Let's go. The Alpha will get the truth out of them and punish them accordingly; you don't need to see it." The Beta moved him away from The King, who dripping with bloodlust, walking towards the guards. As Geno and the Beta walked away, he glanced at Thanatos.

"Are they going to die?" He asked. Thanatos chuckled.

"Ha! No, but they will wish for it." The Beta chimed sadistically. Like Alpha, like Beta. He walked with Thanatos downstairs; he didn't want to meet The Werewolf King or the other Alphas. So, Thanatos brought him to Makaria's room and ordered food to eat as they hung around each other. Thanatos had to leave at some point to help The Alpha. Azrael joined the room instead. He seemed a little awkward, but Geno didn't comment on it. He knew Thanatos probably asked him to protect them and he knew Azrael would 100% protect him from the horrible werewolf guards. The day went by relatively smoothly, other than that first hiccup. Werewolf guards avoided him and he had an idea of why. The King was truly terrifying when angry. As the day progressed and his nerves were high, he found himself in the mindlink.

Geno Hati, can you please come to the blessed room.

This was mindlinked for everyone in the castle. Everyone knew what was happening. The rumors had spread like a crack in ice since yesterday. Makaria hugged him as they were in the library at the time. He said his goodbyes in case the worst scenario happened and then he moved to leave, Azrael leading the way. They silently walked through the halls. When they went down a few halls, he found all the maids lined up bowing to him. He swallowed and he faltered in his step. Azrael squeezed his shoulder to push him to keep moving. This was making him tear up; he felt like he was being sent to an execution. When they went up the next hallway, there were guards, lined up, bowing. His hands squeezed and he put his head up in pride even though his breath was quickening. He needed to be strong and Azrael squeezed his shoulder twice in a show of support. They went to the next hall and found Makaria, Eris, Keres, Anubis, and the rest of the warriors and hunters. Again with heads bowed. Did Makaria run up the stairs to get here before him? He felt like crying even more.

Goddess, he wanted to run. They went up to the last hall, walking up, they made their way past his bedroom and towards the last staircase. Thanatos was the only one standing there, also bowing. Azrael soon joined the Beta. He swallowed and stopped, staring up at the stairs. He said the other stairs were evil but these right now looked like the stairs of death. He took a deep breath and took his first step. Slowly making his way up, his shaking was getting worse. The intense stress was so bad that every fiber in his body was telling him to run away. Go live somewhere else.

He shook his head and when he finally got all the way up the stairs, he found the four Alphas all waiting for him. His eyes only went towards one. The Lycan smiled and reached out his hand; Geno hesitantly took it and The King led him into the room. He walked in and saw that The King had gotten it set up for every possible outcome. A tub full of sacred water was even in the room. Cushions and blankets were situated like a nest in the center of the room with the Moon glowing down on it. There was every medical device they had on the side of the room. Eri was in the room to the right with multiple clipboards. She looked exhausted. The Alpha led him to the cushions and motioned for him to sit down. He did and The Alpha leaned down.

"I won't be in the room; only Eri will be. If you want her gone, you can also request that. I suggest stripping and when you are ready, drink this entire flask." The Alpha placed a potion bottle with a cork on the top of it on the floor in front of him. "Mind link me if something happens, we will be right outside. Here's a timer so you can tell if you get stuck in a semi shift. Start it when you take the bottle and keep track. If your body shifting stops and all you feel is pain and it doesn't move after twenty minutes, you are stuck and could die. Okay?"

The Alpha asked for confirmation and Geno didn't nod, staring off at the bottle. The Alpha brought his hand up and snapped it in his face, getting his attention. "Geno. Stay with me. You will be okay. You got this. It's just a little bump in the road. It's going to hurt like hell, but you will survive," The King reassured. He swallowed and nodded. The Alpha smiled and brought his hand up to his head to pat it. "I'll see your wolf in a bit," The King humored and Geno nodded more excitedly this time. The King soon walked to the door but glanced at him one more time before leaving. Then, Geno was left with his own thoughts before Eri spoke.

"Don't worry, Geno, I'll be right here. Unless you-" She spoke and he stared off at the door.

"I want to be alone" he deadpanned. She went quiet.

"Are you sure?" She questioned. He nodded.

"Yes, please, I'll mindlink you if I think something is wrong." He explained.

"Okay, Luna, the only feeling that is a problem is if you feel your wolf dying. Trust me, you'll know what that feels like." She explained and he didn't respond as she walked away. Well, obviously not, he didn't even feel it when she died the first time. Eri left, shutting the door. He slowly started to take all his clothes off, folding them as he set them aside neatly. He took deep breaths as he tried to calm his nerves. He looked down at the bottle and soon curled up in a ball, staring at it. He didn't want to do it. He was going to die. He knew he was going to die. He wasn't going to see them ever again. He started to breathe heavily, his panic getting to him as he held his body close, staring at the potion in horror. He felt himself slowly begin to spiral into insanity until a familiar gentle glow shined down on him. The Moon. The Goddess. Her moonlight shining on the potion in front of him.She glowed in a comforting, 'I'll protect you' way. He swallowed and slowly moved forward, grabbing the bottle. He undid the cork and slowly brought it to his mouth, taking a deep breath, he downed the whole bottle and immediately gagged. The taste was horrid. He continued to drink the rest of it, knowing it might be worse if he didn't. When he finished, he placed the bottle on the ground, without a care, and started the timer he had. He took a few deep breaths and curled up into the blankets. He didn't feel anything different except for a slight heat in his abdomen. Then it hit him. He gasped, falling down, and he couldn't even stop his scream. It was gut-wrenching; he felt like he was going to throw up. But he didn't even feel like he had a stomach anymore. His body cracked and moved in unnatural ways as he grabbed the blankets, screaming. That was all he could do, just scream and cry.

His entire body was in pain. He almost couldn't feel anything at all as his vision went in and out. He couldn't even think. He started to be unable to breathe as his screams turned more animalistic and airy. He was ripping the blankets apart as blood spilled on them. He couldn't do it. It hurt way too much. He wanted to die. His tears did not dry up as his sobs and screams filled the room. He closed his eyes and soon felt just pain, no movement. He glanced at the clock and waited. When thirty minutes passed with him still screaming, he knew he was stuck. He tried to take deep breaths to get the pain to go away, but he couldn't; his vision was weird, changing colors as he was halfway shifted. His body probably looked horrifying. There's a reason he told Eri to leave. He tried everything he could, trying to calm himself, trying to move, trying to find his wolf, but he felt like he was reaching for air in lungs that had no oxygen left. He was going to die like this. He panicked more, sobbing. He went to the only person he could think of.

Reaper, I can't do it, I can't!

Geno. You can

"No! I-It hurts

He let out more screams.

I-I'm stuck
He knew this was going to happen. The Alpha knew this was going to happen; his body was not ready for it. He couldn't shift because she was too strong. He was not.

Geno… The soft voice filled his head

…SHIFT the other loud command hit his head full force and he faceplanted into the ground; an Alpha’s command was hard to ignore, especially to his wolf side, and he screamed out another gut-wrenching scream as his body snapped more. She was responding to it.
There you go. Shift now. The Alpha commanded again.

He let out another scream, more animalistic as his body started to move again. Getting past his road bump. A few more screams happened before he couldn't use his voice and the pain vanished. He rested, not wanting to open his eyes, but he did anyway. Opening them, he was seeing the room differently.

Hello

He flinched as the female voice filled his head. It was her.

You're alive

He heard her chuckle and he watched the wolf walk around. He felt like he was watching himself in third person; it was weird.

I am, thanks to you

Thanks to me? I should be thanking you! You saved me so much!

I'm just saving myself, you are me, and I am you.

What's your name?

Enid

Do you-

I would love to keep talking to you, but I think we have some Alphas to meet.

He suddenly found himself in control; she had given him the reins, which he didn't understand why. She hadn't been out much yet and already she was giving him the reins?

Shhh, Geno, you overthink.

He couldn't help but find the humor in it, yet he was also slightly annoyed. Wow, now he can't even think without it being a problem. He slowly took his first steps and walked around before he started to jump around excited like a puppy playing. Wait. Could he? He paused and sat down. And tried it as if it were second nature. A loud howl came from him, filling the castle. He heard Enid laugh.

That's one way to let them know you've shifted.

He moved towards the door, but was now nervous for a different reason. His mate. He could smell something sweet.

Mate is through the door. Yeah, he noticed. He mentally eye rolled.

Rude
He keeps forgetting she can hear his thoughts. He walked slowly towards the door. When he reached the door, he brought his paws up to it and scratched, then knocked on it. He heard movement behind the door. The door opened to a familiar Lycan King. He had a sad smile on his face. It wasn't him. Though, Reaper didn't look surprised. His eyes moved to the others and they passed Dust, then passed The King. They settled on Science. His mate. Science smiled and kneeled down, looking him in the eyes.

"I had a feeling you were mine." He stated and Geno couldn't help but immediately walk over to him, the mate's bond very much influencing him.

He's sweet Enid swooned.

"Great! I'm glad we were able to resolve this without a crisis! Geno will go with us when we leave tomorrow! Science, you'll be in charge of his transportation and I hope everything is settled!" The Werewolf King chimed happily. He and Dustleft quickly and Eri took a step forward.

"Umm, excuse me, Alphas, may I do a physical on Geno to make sure he's okay after the shift?" Science seemed to narrow his eyes at her before nodding. She walked over and knelt down. She checked his paws and his teeth. She checked his ribs, neck, and other areas before smiling. "Well, it seems you're a healthy adult Lycan! How about we get you shifted back so we can make sure you didn't get stuck like this." She smiled and he moved, standing up and walking back into the blessed room. Eri walked in, and so did the two Alphas. Geno went to his clothes but stopped and glanced at the two Alphas. Now that he was an adult, it was different. Science seemed to understand and smiled.

He's our mate, we shouldn't be shy Enid lectured.

Umm, excuse me, it's my body, not yours

"Shy, huh? I'll be right outside." The Alpha kindly stated and walked out, shutting the door. He then looked at The Judge. The king raised an eyebrow at him.

"I've already seen you naked more than twenty times", Geno huffed and stomped his foot, and The Alpha sighed with a chuckle. "You're unbelievable." The Alpha left, the door shutting. He glanced at Eri. She smiled at him.

"Now, to shift back, Geno, you need to focus on yourself. You could also ask your wolf for guidance." Silence went through his head at that.

Wow so helpful

I'm a wolf, not a shifter. I only know what you know.

He sighed and closed his eyes. He wonders if it will hurt shifting back. It probably will, right? He focused on returning to being human. His body ached. The familiar feeling hit him and he started to shift. It was painful, but not as bad as before. When he fully shifted back into his human form, he felt dizzy. He heard Eri call his name, but she sounded so far away. He closed his eyes and drifted away as his vision clouded. He was so tired.

 

He woke up to find himself in his bed, although this time there were no IVs or medical devices near him. He moved himself up and felt his bones aching. Gosh. Shifting really did a number on him. He laid back down, feeling tired; it was early morning. He had slept a while.

Yeah, you did. I didn't think you were going to pass out like that. I would've stopped you from shifting. We didn't even get to meet our mate properly! Enid snapped

He jumped and almost screamed, forgetting about her.

Don't scare me like that! He cried out.

Don't forget me! She snapped back. She must've felt so unappreciated when he didn't know she existed and she saved his life. He stared down at his hands mournfully.

I'm sorry he could basically see her in his mind if he tried hard enough, and she looked very annoyed at him.

Don't apologize! Huh? He was now totally confused.

I'm not sorry then? He questioned himself and watched her stomp her foot.

Ugh, you're hopeless.

Wow, look who's being rude. He huffed and looked away; his wolf was a confusing presence. Is this really him? Is he this confusing? So confusing, he confuses himself? He moved slowly off the bed, standing. When is he supposed to be up? Were they leaving during the day or at night? He didn't really want to go. He liked it here.

No one ever wants to leave their home. We will have a mate there and then that pack will become our home. Enid comforted him.
He guessed? She sounded confident, so he'll be confident. Does he need to pack? So many questions, maybe he needed to ask The Alpha. He froze with a pain in his heart. He almost didn't want to see the other. Did he want to reject Science? Did he like the other Alpha? Can he choose?

Don't you dare, our mate was chosen by the Goddess; She's the only reason you are still alive. Don't disrespect Her after all that. Enid snapped.
He nodded, agreeing with his wolf. He was very faithful to his Goddess; maybe he'll be fine. He walked out of his room, his mind still only going to him. Why? He wasn't even his mate. He glanced at the Lycans' bedroom before walking over to it and knocking. After a while, no one answered, so he tried knocking again. Nothing.

Alpha, where are you? He mindlinked The King.

In my office, The Alpha responded quickly. He was surprised the other was still awake. He should be in bed. Geno turned down the hallway and made his way downstairs towards The King's office. When he arrived, there were no guards around. He raised his hand and knocked.

"You don't need to knock each time, Geno, just come in." Geno opened the door.

"You'll regret that once I start snooping again." He commented and The King, who was going through files, sighed. He smiled at the other before his own smile fell as he looked down at the ground. Silence filled the room. There was a very, very, VERY big elephant in the room that neither of them wanted to touch, but he was always one for poking a bear, so. "Do you want me to reject him?" Geno stated without a care.

Geno. The warning from his wolf was there. The Alpha instantly set down his stuff and brought his hands to his face. The King sighed and stood up.

"Geno. I'm not going to be the one who takes you away from your destined mate. You and him don't deserve it-It could also cause a war-but rejecting a mate is painful; losing one is worse. Don't do that to yourself. He was made for you, I was not, Geno." Geno nodded, staring at the floor, but he couldn't help the tears; he brought his hand up to his face.

"I-I like it here. I hate that I'm losing my home again," he stuttered. The King stood up, walked over and embraced him. He was surprised by the hug. The Alpha patted his head.

"You're tough. You'll get through it. I'll let you take whatever from the castle…just not the whole library. You can take a few books," The King humored and Geno wiped more of his tears, trying not to get them on The King's cloak.

"I can take Hvita too?" He asked and The Alpha chuckled and let go of him so they could make eye contact.

"Of course, how else would you message me?" The Alpha chimed.

"You want me to send you letters?" He was surprised by that. He thought he would be abandoned.

"If your Alpha agrees." Oh, he didn't think of that. Would Science not let him contact home out of jealousy?

Our mate wouldn't be like that. Enid stated. Yeah, he hopes.
You don't even know him Enid, stop acting like you do

She rolled her eyes and sat down, averting her face. He ignored her and gave The King a small smile.

"I'll be a good Luna, I promise." He stated as if he were trying to convince himself. He was so unsure what he was supposed to be doing. He hasn't been taught any Luna training yet.

"I have no doubt. They are leaving in three hours. I'll have some maids come help you pack. Let me also send you some emergency funds just in case. If you need anything at any time, don't hesitate to reach out. We are still your home, you are still Lycan and a part of our pack." Geno laughed at that. The King was definitely spoiling him.

"You took me in too fast" He shook his head, disapproving of The King's decision. What if he was evil or something?

"You remind me of someone I used to know," The Alpha stated and moved away. Geno then swallowed his feelings and all that he wanted to say. He knew he had to end it this way. Even if there was a spark, it's better to pretend it never happened. The King was trying so hard to ignore it that he could only respect it. He trusted him and trusted his wolf more than himself, even though his own feeling of impulsiveness wanted him to just reject the werewolf and choose him. Maybe The King was right. He wasn't made for him. He moved to leave but stopped and turned around at the door, bowing.

"Thank you for everything, Alpha," he hummed. He really did mean it. The Alpha and his pack showed him hardships, but also lots of love. They gave him new strengths and he felt like he actually belonged somewhere for once. He turned and walked out. He spent time slowly packing as he worked through his feelings. He even took (stole) books from the library and the Luna room that he thought would be helpful, like the "How to be a Luna" in Old Norse. He chose only Old Norse books as he was worried about forgetting the new language he had just learned without them. He packed his cloak and anything he got here. The Alpha did end up sending him a bag full of money. It contained very expensive-looking gold coins that he had no idea how expensive they were.

Emergency Enid reminded him and he agreed to put it somewhere safe. He won't need it. When he was finished, it was about thirty minutes before he had to go, so he quickly ran around the entire castle, saying goodbye to every single worker and person. He even said goodbye to Keres, who got red in the face and ran off embarrassed. She somehow has gotten weirder. Maybe it's the lack of friends. Makaria was sobbing, following him around and Thanatos almost joined her before Azrael dragged him away for making more of a scene than Makaria. When it was time for him to leave the castle, he found multiple carriages already departing, but only one still there. Alpha Science stood outside, his guards setting up equipment. He walked up and Science's eyes lit up; he smiled.

"Good Morning, Geno! Let me put these away for you." Geno smiled and handed him his suitcases before he grabbed the whistle around his neck and blew it, staring at the sky. Science finished putting the luggage away in the carriage before he turned around and almost got hit by a bird.

"Whoa!" The Alpha exclaimed as Hvita landed on his forearm. Geno petted the bird and smiled.

"Sorry, I didn't get to ask, but The King said I could take my raven with me, so can I?" Science seemed hesitant but soon nodded, staring at it.

"It's white." The man stated and he couldn't help but laugh. Stupid mate bond, it wasn't even funny.

"Yes, she is. Her name is Hvita," he stated happily. Science hummed.

"Old Norse? Surprised you know that." They stated. He shrugged.

"I taught myself," he deadpanned. Science whistled.

"Impressive, what other talents do you have?" The Alpha teased. He felt his face light up. He didn't even realize how long they had been talking, that a guard had to
remind The Alpha to start heading out, or they wouldn't make it. Thanatos, Makaria, Azrael, and The King came out and said their goodbyes. Makaria hugged him again while still crying. Azrael bowed and thanked him. Thanatos smiled and fist-bumped him before patting his head and then crying also. Then, The King bowed his head at him, which definitely made him almost gasp. He had never seen the other bow to anyone. He felt his face heat up and he instantly freaked out.

"What are you doing! Get up, are you crazy!?" He whispered loudly and The King chuckled, looking back up at him. He turned away and marched away and Science walked behind him quickly.

"You okay?" He asked and he nodded and huffed.

"He's just really annoying sometimes," he stated and the Alpha chuckled about him bad-mouthing The King. They entered the carriage and his raven decided to fly next to it. He assumed she was trying to remember the path there and back. She's smart. He pulled out his bag of raven food and would roll down the window to feed her treats. Science smiled and started asking him about his time in the castle as they began to leave through the village. Geno's sad eyes watched it go away, but his heart was quickly swayed by the man in front of him, who talked and kept his attention away from his pain. This continued through the gate, then the border, and he took one last glance at home.

Chapter Text

*Time skip: 3 years*

He should've expected this from when he first set foot in this pack. His eyes stared at the silver bars around him, the cold, rough ground against his feet. He couldn't even blame him. He was a pawn in this game. Red never wanted to hurt him, even when the taste of jealousy from the younger was strong. Red could never beat him and they both knew it. The pack knew it, which is why they did this. The fact that his own mate couldn't even defend him proved everything to him. He was curled up in the corner of the cage. The trauma from the cages was well known about the Lunas. Red and him even refused to see the dungeon. So being caged in one was a fitting punishment. Of course, he would think of it. Yet if Red were in his shoes, he wouldn't have been given this punishment.

Even though he was the one that almost died in one, Red only went down there a few times. Guess there's two-way jealousy. His wolf had been quiet. He knows she's also in disbelief about this situation. He feels foolish. He had almost thought he would finally be accepted as their Luna. Such idiocy to wish for something that would never happen. Since the first incident, he should've known. When he first arrived, everyone was pleased to have a Luna. Still, there was always an underlying feeling he couldn't understand. Then, when he saw them, he knew why. Red and Science. They were almost perfect. It was familiar. Science was practically obsessed with helping Red and Red was always aggressive and rash, causing him to get in "trouble." Something he looked down upon. Everyone else, though. They loved that.
Red was thrilled to see him when he first arrived; they enjoyed each other's company. Though, he could see the pain in Red's eyes when he was told why Geno was here. Red still tried his best to befriend him and they would've stayed friends if the incident hadn't occurred. He missed his pack greatly. It was too bright and too hot here in South Wood. He always woke up late and went to bed late. He felt weaker. The magical feeling was gone and he was left yearning for it. This made sense, as most Lycans never left home. If they ended up with a werewolf mate, their mate was required to join the Blood Moon pack. It's different when it's an Alpha, though. But he has a feeling this has never happened before. A werewolf, being a Lycan Luna's mate.

All he had were his reminders of home. His cloak and scarf are his two most precious items. He never wore them but kept them in a safe place. So when he saw Red wearing his cloak, it caused a great rage in him. It was too late for him to see reason. Oblivious, Red had been set up, and so was he. Science went to Red's rescue and, of course, the maid played it off as a mistake that he had caused somehow. Science had more reason to believe his pack as he had only arrived a week before. Yet, being his mate, you would think he would spare even a little trust.

From that day on, he refused to let maids in his room, which annoyed Science and caused more issues, but he didn't care. He didn't like them going through his stuff. He had tried for a month to befriend the maids and workers, but their blatant distaste for him and Science's disregard of it made him seclude himself further. He didn't even apologize to Red. He spent the rest of his time physically training and Luna training. In just a few months, he had beaten the best warriors in the pack, and still, Science was helping Red with his training. Science would praise him in private, but it was quick. Geno's trainer was the Beta, who seemed to have no opinion of him. He didn't treat him nicely, but he didn't treat anyone nicely. He found comfort in that. But even when he tried to prove himself to the pack, the more he succeeded, the more they hated him.

His young heart didn't understand and just assumed he was doing something wrong. He tried hard to make friends but it seems the maid used that one incident to claim him as a tyrant. Red even intervened, calling out everyone, including the Alpha, on the mistreatment he experienced. So, it stopped in public. There was always some subtle comment or act of disrespect that would prompt him to lash out, which was then used against him. He had no allies here and even when his mate tried to take his side, the elders and the entire pack seemed to be so unruly that even he couldn't calm them down. Red was three years younger, yet the pack had chosen him. All of this was pushed away because of his mate.

Science was very kind when it came to him alone. He was very interested in his Lycan side. Alpha Science was also very knowledgeable and loved reading. They both had that in common. But, he could always tell something was missing. Science was always looking at the window or looking for someone else. His heart hurt. Enid kept trying to convince him it was fine, that she was happy and so should he be. So, he believed her. He thought everything would be worth it. However, it only worsened. It got so bad he was accused of poisoning Red before his shift, which was happening in three days. Science, of course, after all this time and accusations against him, had to choose the pack, even though he didn't want to. He could tell Science cared about him but he cared about his pack more, and since Red was born here, he was considered his pack, unlike him. He was too different.

The only thing that kept him from losing it these three years was Ophelius, Science's wolf. He was loving. He showed no interest in Red. Enid loved him very much, which made it harder for her to endure the mistreatment by Science. Science refused to even hold hands in private, but Ophelius had kissed him before. Science was pissed and yelled at him for letting it happen. He couldn't catch a break. He had been down here for a few days. They gave him food but he refused to eat. He couldn't. This situation was too familiar; he felt so unsafe. He knew Science would get him out. They just had to prove he didn't do anything. He had said this to himself over and over again, though it didn't seem to happen. The door opening was loud, squeaking against the metal, kicking him from his depressing thoughts. The footsteps slowly make their way down into the dungeon and down the hall. He could hear it was heading towards him. He raised his head when the footsteps stopped outside his cell.

It was the Beta. Sebastian. He opened the cell door, taking a step back to let him leave. He moved his legs and stood up, walking out. He passed the Beta; no words were said. They both walked down the hallway.

"You have been released due to Blood Moon Packs' involvement." His eyes glanced over to the Beta.

"So the Alpha didn't say to release me?" Sebastian looked at him with a glare.

"No, as you are under investigation for poisoning a Luna," the Beta stated it as if it were a fact. Geno looked away, hearing his wolf sigh.

"You won't find anything as I didn't do it," he claimed.

"A maid found wolfsbane in your room," the Beta pointed out.

"Even if there was, maids aren't allowed in my room. And I didn't know having wolfsbane itself was a crime," he countered

"The maid found it during the investigation," the man refuted. Geno smiled and turned to the Beta.

"Yes, after I was locked away without reason, and after that, the same maid said there was poison in Red's food. I was punished before they even mentioned a
connection to me. Doesn't that sound weird?" He questioned and the Beta stayed silent before averting his eyes, his glare going away. Geno then turned and walked up the stairs of the dungeon. "Where is Science? He couldn't tell me this in person?"

"He left with Red for the shifting ceremony at The King's castle." Geno's steps faltered on the stairs. So while he was down here, they were…at a party. His hands squeezed, feeling the familiar rage, but it soon numbed away. Can he even be angry anymore? He expected this. To Red, he will always be in Geno's shadow. But to everyone else, Geno was in Red's. He walked faster up the stairs and made his way into the main house, going towards his room. He went up a few stairs, passing some snickering maids. He ignored them with his head held high. He would get sent back down there if he caused another commotion right after leaving the dungeon. They knew that, so they were antagonizing him. He found his room and opened the door to see that everything was a wreck. He stared at it and shut the door. He ran towards the cage to his right. Hvita was curled up in a ball and he panicked.

"Hvita!" He cried out. She perked up, looking at him. He almost sobbed as he saw what they did to her. They had never touched her before. It was bad enough that Science refused to let him send any letters to Blood Moon. He opened the cage and let her out, then gathered any food he could find and offered it to her. She ate fast. He had begged Science to make sure he fed her when he was in the dungeon. Clearly, he didn't. Geno opened his bathroom, letting the water run so Hvita could drink and wash up like she liked to. Once she had settled herself in the sink, he calmed down. Hopefully, they didn't touch it. Did they? He moved quickly to his secret suitcase trunk, opened it, and found his cloak and funds still there. He sighed in relief before turning around and looking at the damage. All of his clothes were destroyed. He sighed. Science would blame him for it. His eyes went to his bookcase. No. He rushed over towards them. Grabbing the loose papers. His eyes filled with tears as he stared at his Old Norse books. He desperately searched through them to find a way to salvage them. They weren't completely ruined; he could save a few. There were two that he couldn't. He held them close.

Geno. Enid softly whispered and she didn't say anything more. He opened his crying eyes, staring at the wall. He had decided. Standing up, he moved to his desk and grabbed a paper and a pen. Writing on the paper, he rolled it up neatly and tied a ribbon around it.

"Hvita." He called, and she flew out of the bathroom and landed next to him, and he felt guilty. He handed her the letter and opened the window next to his desk. "I'm sorry to ask you to do this in your condition, but bring this to The Alpha Lycan King of the Blood Moon Pack, you can take your time," he stated and the raven grabbed the note before nuzzling into his hand, causing him to smile before she took off out of the window. Geno watched Hvita leave, flying away. He squeezed his hands. He spent the rest of the day cleaning up his room and locking himself up in it. When he was done, he went to bed. Being so very exhausted, he couldn't eat or sleep in that cage. When he woke up in the middle of the night, he made his way outside his room. Everyone was asleep. He slowly made his way downstairs. He was hungry. He made his way to the kitchen and snuck in. Going through the fridge, he took some food.

"Now look at you sneaking in and stealing like a criminal!" A familiar feminine voice spoke. He glanced over towards the head maid. He didn't respond, grabbed the food, and walked away. "Gosh, are you even alive? After everything, you still don't react!" She shouted as he left the kitchen. This pack has always been very emotional. Something he couldn't understand as someone who's relatively calm. He liked peace, but every sentence was an attack and it was annoying. Red definitely fits this pack with his aggressiveness. He couldn't be angry, because every time he was furious, he was seen as abusive. He made his way to his room and ate while looking at the stack of Luna work he was required to do on his desk. He was always on top of it, but because he was put in the dungeon, it hadn't been completed yet. It was still given to him, of course.

He didn't have anything else to do, so he started them. Handling it like he was told to do. During his training with a past Luna, Science's step mom, she didn't explain anything and just gave him the answer. The answers always made no sense, so he tried to rationalize them, but even then, he never understood them. Some choices for answers were significantly better and had a higher chance of an outcome, but the past Luna didn't see that and simply said he was wrong without providing much of an explanation. He spent the rest of the night and the morning working. At some point, someone knocked on his door. The sun was rising and he sighed, telling them to come in. Sebastian walked in, placed some more work down, and took the stuff he had finished. The Beta turned to leave but faltered and turned to him.

"Good work." The man monotoned. The door shut and Geno placed the quill down. He glanced over towards the door. That was new. The Beta never acts like that with anyone. Or maybe he just never noticed, too obsessed with the Alpha to see it. He turned back to his work and continued. He again skipped breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It wasn't safe to get food without the Alpha with him, so he would just eat something at night again. He finished more than half of the paperwork. Life was dull and boring here. He feels himself slowing down with his work. He stopped and decided that was good enough, then made his way to his broken books, using any glue or tape he had on hand to fix them as best he could. He placed them back in his trunk. He had been avoiding them since he found them like that. It was sad, looking at them; he didn't want to face the damage that had been caused. However, after working a lot, he would unwind by reading. Now he couldn't. He was tired, even though he hadn't done anything but work all day; he wouldn't even try to go to training. No one would want to duel him, knowing they would lose. They would just isolate him. There was no safety here or out there. He'll just go to bed; he was left waiting for a response.

 

Different pov:

The party was loud with dancers performing on sage. The werewolves were howling and enjoying the drinks and food. Fireworks and lanterns hung in the sky. Two Alphas had already started a fight while their pack members cheered them on to see who would win. The Werewolf King sat with his Luna, enjoying the festivities, though all eyes were on Dust and The Judge, with the only two Alphas without a Luna. The aggressive Luna was favored by Dust but also by his pack Alpha. The Werewolf King had to remind Alpha Science not to do anything harsh, as he already had a Luna and needed him for his plan. It was already great that the Luna and the executioner didn't seem interested in each other. Hopefully, he can avoid it and start his second phase.

 

Different pov:

In a small corner of the party, a black cloaked Alpha sat with his guards, drinking and watching the festivities with a dull look. His Gamma stood next to him. Everyone was too scared to approach him except for the Alphas, who paid their respects and then left with their tails between their legs. This was the second ceremony and he showed no interest. The Alpha had placed his drink down when a familiar screech went through the air. No one else heard it over the loud party noise. He raised his wrist as the white raven landed on him. His Gamma flinched at the color of the raven.

"Is that-" The Gamma stopped himself, and The Alpha raised his hand to the note wrapped around the foot of the raven. He read it before putting the note in his pocket and grabbing a paper and quill that the guards had already gone to fetch for him, handing it to him. He wrote down something before wrapping the paper back on the bird. The Alpha then petted the bird gently and gave it some food. The Lycan whispered to it and released it back into the air. The Alpha stood up. "My King?" The Gamma questioned.

"Let's cut this short. We are heading back early. Tomorrow night." The Gamma and guards followed after The Alpha, leaving the party. The Werewolf King's eyes narrowed, following him.

 

Geno:

He woke up again at night, starving, and snuck downstairs. He made sure to be even quieter; he also went for the pantry instead of the fridge. He had a feeling they probably left a trap for him now that they knew he was eating at night. He wasn't going to test it. He glanced into the pantry and went to take a step.

Wait. Enid made him jump and he stepped back. He then noticed the obvious trip wire attached to the floor and a bag of flour. He sighed and stepped over it, rolling his eyes. They forgot Lycans can see in the dark again. He grabbed a few snacks and carried them all back into his room without incident, successfully avoiding anyone. He ate and started working on the rest of the work. Hours went by again until the day started and then there was a knock on his door again. Sebastian came in, placed a few more documents down, and took the items he had finished. The Beta had stopped at the door and Geno noticed he hadn't left. He glanced over to the Beta.

"H…have you been eating?" Sebastian asked. Geno smiled.

"Yes." He lied. He had gotten very good at lying. He was lying every single time he opened his mouth. Sebastian looked at him hesitantly before leaving. The Beta had a feeling he was lying. Geno knew that but he also knew the Beta wouldn't care. When did anyone? He stared off, dropping his pen. His toxic thoughts flooded his brain. Enid has barely spoken. She had been curled up in the corner of his head. She was mourning. He would be too if he hadn't already given up a year ago. He was only staying for her. She was the most important thing in his life. She refused to take credit for saving him so many times. She was too humble for that. She was someone he looked up to. Enid was perfect. He was the problem. He felt Enid curl more into herself. He was taken out of his thoughts with a tap to his window.
His eyes met Hvita. He was surprised. She should've been back tomorrow, not this early in the morning. Unless, maybe The Alpha wasn't in the pack currently? Oh. He was at the shifting ceremony. His hands squeezed. This was the second ceremony as his didn't really count. He had heard Killer was the first ceremony and was mated to The King. It fit him. He opened the window, and she hopped onto his desk. He took the note off her foot, untying the ribbon and opening it.

As you wish, my Luna
He tensed up at those words. He forgot those words existed. He rolled it up and held it close to his chest. He was really doing it. He took a deep breath. He gave her some food and grabbed her bed in the cage. He hated putting her in there, but Science made him. He placed the cushions near the window in a nest shape for her to rest on. He looked back at the small pile of papers. He should finish them all. He worked through the rest, going past the time he would usually take a break or sleep. It was an extra two hours of work, but after he finished, he set them aside and went to bed. He slept relatively well and woke up again in the night when the sun had just gone down. It was perfect timing. He moved to his trunks and quickly placed his items in them. He refused to take anything but a paper and a pen from this pack.

Only bringing back the clothing and supplies he received from The Blood Moon Pack, he had two trunks full. He took a quick shower and changed into clothes he hadn't worn in a while as they were too warm for him. His cloak wrapped around his shoulders with his scarf. He moved to Hvita and gently woke her up. He let her move onto his arm, then he placed her into the cage. She hesitantly entered. He knew the feeling. He felt bad that she was scared but he needed her in the cage. Werewolves were weird about ravens. Somehow, the idea that they bring death and bad omens was popular in the werewolf packs. Probably because of the 200-year war since the Lycans used them to communicate. If only the werewolves knew that the Moon Goddess had made ravens to help the wolves. He moved quickly to the papers he finished and kept them neatly done. He wrote a note on top saying they were finished. He held the two trunks and the cage and took one last look at the room. He swallowed. It still looks like he lives here. He took nothing from the pack or what the Alpha gave him. He didn't want anything tying him to Science.
He moved out of the room, making his way down the hallway. When he reached the ground floor, a few maids were mopping the floor in the hallway. He moved to walk past them but he noticed one of them grab the dirty water bucket when she saw him and slowly make her way towards him. He wouldn't have paid attention to her if he didn't know her plan. He has experienced it often. He placed his luggage on the ground and let out an aggressive growl. She flinched back, surprised before he did a fake lunge towards her, causing her to fall in fear. The bucket was somehow unspilled, so he decided to fix it for her. Grabbing the bucket, he picked it up and dumped it on her head.

"Next time you try to do that shit again, do it more subtly, worthless Omega." He dropped the bucket on the floor; he had let his rage go. He hadn't done that in a while. She looked entirely shocked, lying there drenched, her eyes wide and staring up at him. Wasn't so fun on the other side, huh? He should have been doing this from the beginning. The other maids also looked surprised. He shot a glare at them. They all flinched. He wasn't used to them being scared. He had nothing left to lose. He didn't care. He grabbed his trunks and cage and walked past them. Making his way to the entrance of the packhouse, he opened the door and walked out. The guards standing nearby glanced at him.

"And where are you going?" One of the guards shot out. He turned aggressively in their face. His teeth and claws came out.

"How is that any of your fucking business?!" He almost yelled. The guards looked shocked. "Put your head down like you are supposed to do. You all run your mouths way too much while lower than me. Makes me want to rip your throat out." His voice had deepened and he finally let out the built-up bloodlust he had. The guards stood there, entirely shocked, but the one he had threatened fell to his knees, shaking. They wanted a tyrant? He'll give them one. He turned, flipping his hood up.
"Understood?" He growled.

"Y-yes, Luna," the guards stuttered and he grabbed his stuff and walked. He walked past the driveway and made his way to the gate. When he arrived, the guards approached him, likely trying to stop him or ask about his plan. He knew they were going to cause issues and he was ready for it, but the door to the gate opened. The guards turned around, surprised, looking at the gate as it moved, then shifting their gaze to the controls, and he glanced as well. Sebastian was standing there opening the door. They made eye contact and the Beta's eyes went to his luggage and then back to him. The only person who could keep him here was him. Though he was ready to raise hell if that happened. The Beta stared at him for a while before he closed his eyes and put his head down slightly. A nod? Or a bow? Either way, it was his way of giving him permission.

As if he had the right, Enid's harsh voice hit him. He swallowed, turned back around, and walked through the gate. He made his way down the hill and walked through the town. Most werewolves were asleep. He made his way to where the carriages were kept. As he walked, there were only three coachmen. Two of them he recognized and walked past, seeing their carriage as that of South Wood Pack. The third carriage was from North Wood Pack. He walked over to the coachman, who was setting up his carriage.

"Where are you heading?" He asked, scaring the other. The werewolf looked at him in surprise.

"Oh- uh Red Lotus-"

"Could you take me with you?" He asked, pulling out three gold coins from the funds and handing them to him. The man looked down at them in surprise. He doesn't really know how much money a golden coin is worth. Most werewolves used a different currency so when the werewolf saw it, he was at a loss for words.

"O-o-of course! Your highness!" The man stuttered and he raised an eyebrow. Your highness? Huh? The money must be special. He should have paid all the maids, then, to be nice to him if that was the case. The man quickly moved and took his luggage for him, placing it into the carriage. However, he refused to be separated from Hvita. A different werewolf walked up.

"Who's this?" He looked young. The younger one looked at him. Geno pulled his hood more to cover his face.

"We are going to be transporting a very important person, so be on your best behavior!" The couch man whispered to the younger man. The footman bowed to him and walked to the door of the carriage, opening it for him. He walked into the carriage and sat down, placing Hvita next to him. She seemed to fully settle in now at the change of scenery. He kept some food with him for her as he watched them start loading up the carriage more. He began mentally preparing himself. Petting the raven as she slowly started to fall asleep against his hand. The carriage started up soon after and he moved the curtain out of his way to look outside. He watched the town slowly move away. He took a deep breath and closed the curtain, trying to calm the conflicting emotions within him. He waited before they were stopped at the border. The guard investigated the carriage. One guard opened the door, and upon recognizing Geno, he pulled out two gold coins and handed them to the guard. The werewolf looked surprised.

"Take it and stay quiet or I'll slit your throat," he snarled. The guards tensed up and stared at the coins before hesitantly taking them and shutting the door. The carriage started moving again and he waited a little bit before checking the border. They had passed it. He closed the curtain and sighed.

Whenever you are ready, he stated and leaned his head against the wall of the carriage. Lots of time passed and he stared out the window as the carriage moved in stress. He would give her all the time in the world.

I'll be fine. He blinked at Enid's voice, surprising him. He was surprised, as it had only taken her an hour. He took a deep breath. He knew they both weren't ready but it had to happen. They couldn't keep pushing it aside. Opening the curtain, he looked outside towards The Moon, tears welling up in his eyes.

"I apologize, Moon Goddess, but I, Luna, Geno Hati of The Blood Moon Pack, reject Alpha, Science Quinn, of the South Wood Pack as my mate." He stated the words and as they left his mouth, the pang of pain hit him. But of course, it was a pain he hadn't felt before. This wasn't physical, but it felt like it was. It was the bond. It had been aching for the last three years but now it finally snapped from his words. His Alpha definitely felt it but was too much of a coward to reject him, so he had to do it. He knows Science doesn't love him, no matter how hard he tries. He knows only his wolf did. It still hurts. He feels tears go down his face. He knew they weren't his. It was the bond. It was also his wolf's, she had been crying since she let him make the decision, getting prepared for the rejection. He was told that the person being rejected usually feels the most pain but he knows the one rejecting gets the wrath of the Goddess. He was not ready for her wrath and he felt horrible for disobeying her. He could only pray for her forgiveness and hopefully she does. He sighed, leaning against the carriage wall. He could still feel the tears go down his face. He was kinda happy knowing Science was feeling this or worse. He hopes Science thinks he died instead of being rejected. He hopes he at least feels guilty for the way he treated him.

He stayed silently, crying the entire carriage ride to Red Lotus. He didn't say a word and neither did Enid. It was a very depressing experience. He was even more worried about the anxiety-filled thoughts that rang through his head. What if Science demands him back? What if a war starts? What if Red is the Luna for the Blood Moon pack? Could he handle that? He didn't want to think about that. He was feeling a bitter taste fill his mouth and he started glaring off at the opposite side of the carriage. Maybe he wanted a war to start. Did he care about anyone in that pack enough? Sure, he might feel guilty for a day over Sebastian, but, would he really give a shit if Red, Science, and the entire pack ended up dead? Heh. It would be funny. He glanced out the window, seeing a border coming up. Has it already been a day and a half? He pulled his cloak more over his face. They got here quicker than he expected. When they reached the border, they were stopped and inspected again. The guards opened the carriage. They had lots of armor and scars all over them, but he had more.

"Name and pack?"

"Geno Hati, of The Blood Moon Pack," he deadpanned. The guards looked at their lists, raising an eyebrow.

"You're down as a part of South Wood Pack," they pointed out.

"Not anymore," he stated. The guards glanced at each other. "Is there a problem?" He growled. They were surprised by the attitude and glared. The guards took a step forward towards him.

"Now, who do you think you are?" They snarled and he released his claws.

"A Luna of The Blood Moon Pack. And, a wolf who just rejected their mate with nothing left to lose, do you really want this fight?" He growled, his eyes glowing, and the guards actually took a step back but they didn't look scared. They whispered together.

"Where are you heading?" The guard asked. He looked away.

"Home." He stated. The guards whispered again before taking a few steps back.

"You may continue." The footman shut the door and the carriage started to move. He knew that this situation was going to spread like wildfire. The Werewolf King’s pack was always big on gossip, having a newspaper that informed everyone of all the latest updates. He's ready to see, "Luna rejected by mate and left to rot after poisoning other Luna?" Or some stupid shit like that that's not true. He watched the new pack he had never been in as they went through the main road. Lots of werewolves were training. Everyone wore some type of armor. Everyone also looked very annoyed. Is this really the pack Blue's in? He's like the opposite of this. He wonders if he's okay here. The window to the coachman opened.

"Y-your highness, where would you like us to drop you off?" The coachman tried to clear his throat to sound less nervous.

"Where the other carriages are." The coachman nodded and shut the window. They continued through the village. They were a lot less developed than the three packs he had been in. He remembers learning that they were more about getting in the dirt and embracing nature. He would agree that they were connecting to nature but not the earth. The sky is what called him. He was almost jealous of Hvita. She could just fly away. He wanted that. All this stupid fucking responsibility. He was glad he was alone, or else someone would be dead in the carriage and it wouldn't be him. When the carriage stopped, he grabbed the cage, waking Hvita up slightly. He stood up and the door was opened by the footman. He walked out as the footman collected his luggage. He looked at the other carriages. There were two. Two different coachmen are leaning against them, smoking. He grabbed his stuff and walked over to them. They glanced at him.

"Can you take me to The Blood Moon Pack?" He asked. The two coachmen stared at each other and then burst out laughing. Geno watched them laugh with no emotion.

"Like hell we would," one of the werewolves stated. He then reached into his pouch, pulled out the entire bag and held it, making sure they could see all the gold coins. Their eyes widened.

"Will you now?" He snapped. They swallowed and the coachman to his right stepped forward first.

"I-I can bring you halfway up the mountain, but once we get in the deep snow, my carriage can't handle it," the man stuttered, staring at all the money. He nodded.

"That'll work." He handed the pouch to him. The man quickly started helping him carry his luggage, rushing around. This man didn't have a footman. That was good. He entered the carriage and it definitely wasn't the fanciest one. Not that it mattered. He set Hvita up in a nice place and fed her some food. After a while, the carriage started. He knew this was going to be a long trip. So, he knew he could probably sleep for a while. He kept his hood up and leaned against the wall of the carriage. He fell asleep after he felt a little safe. Though he, of course, slept with one eye open. He learned to do that in the South Wood Pack after seeing the number of maids who tried to break into his room. He had to learn quickly how to protect his space.

 

He found himself in Science's office. He turned around as Alpha Science walked in. His mate. The man glared down at him with almost a look of disgust.

"I've handled all your tantrums since day one, but what you did is unforgivable." Geno looked around, confused, as he sat on the chair waiting for him.

"What did I do? What-"He didn't know why he was called into the office. Science interrupted him.

"Don't play dumb. You are so wicked to hurt a pup. You're my mate, how many times do I have to tell you he's no threat!" His mate yelled. He flinched backwards and his eyebrows narrowed. He heard Enid whine.

"Red? What happened to him? And what do you mean, you've always prioritized him?" He shot out. Science growled and shot forward, making him stand up quickly and take a step back.

"Can you calm your jealousy! I've tried to reason with you to get you to stop but you've gone too far. I'm sending you to the dungeon!" Science yelled again, grabbing his wrist.

"B-but what did I do? I'm so confused!" He cried out.

"Oh my goddess, just shut up! Stop acting innocent! I have already been given the proof; now get out of my sight! We can finish this when the shifting ceremony is over and he's safe!" The guards had rushed in and he was still confused. When he was brought to the dungeon, the maids were smirking, watching him. Did they-? He had only noticed how serious it was when he was thrown in the cage. The memories and fear hit him.

 

He jumped up, opening his eyes and bringing one of his hands to rub the sleep out of his eyes. He sighed. He remembered he screamed to be let out until his throat had gone raw. That was the first day. He stopped yelling as he realized no one was going to help. He was finally told what he "did" the second day in. It was all such bullshit. How he let them all treat him like this is beyond him. He has made a decision that he will never let another person hurt him again. He didn't care anymore. He glared at the wall and glanced out the window. A forest.

During the trip they stopped three times to camp. He didn't care much and actually just told the coachman to sleep and he'll keep watch as he slept in the carriage during the day. It always felt so much better when he slept during the day; he couldn't help it. When they camped, he would sit by the fire and read through the pages of his books he still had, like he hadn't already a million times. He could probably recite the Old Norse in his sleep. It was the only way to not forget the language. They were on their fourth day and he started to see the snow. They had gotten to the base of the mountain. They were slowly on their way up, slowing down on the snow, as the werewolf clearly didn't have wheels for this terrain.

The horses also seemed to not enjoy the snow. There's a reason the Lycans bred their own horses. They were always bigger and fluffier than most. His nose caught the lingering smell of his ex-mate, making his heart ache again. He gritted his teeth. He needed everything washed. He never wants to smell that asshole again. He was trying to calm himself and his wolf when the carriage was abruptly stopped. His senses turned on and he moved away from the window. An arrow shot through it, hitting the other side of the wall. There was the sound of a body falling, which he knew was the coachman. He knew this was going to happen; rage shot through him. They have some nerve trying to capture him again after everything he's been through.

He slowly smiled and waited; this is perfect. He had something to let out his anger on. He quickly pulled out his bow and aimed it through the window in the direction that the other arrow was shot, shooting it. He listened and heard a body hit the ground. He then put the bow down and pulled out his two dueling daggers. The door opened and he shot out, not even noticing how many there were; Enid had taken over. His bloodlust and anger made him almost blackout. They were shocked; they had only tried to kidnap him and Red one time in South Wood Pack, and he could tell the pack members in Black Blood Pack there, sucked and didn't know how to fight, so they were immediately caught and killed for trying to steal the Lunas. He knew the main fighters and strength from that pack were outside Blood Moon, at least he has a suspicion. He knew that, compared to the other camps, they carried themselves differently. He even had a feeling that he was here. Blood had been splattered across the snow. He was in a blind rage and they were almost too shocked to even fight back. Not expecting this weak little Luna could take them all out? He'll kill them all. Three years of pent-up emotions exploded out of him to get everyone. At some point, his daggers had been abandoned and he used his claws. He really was like an animal. No one was safe near him. He had only came to when the last man fell and when he looked for more, he didn't see anyone.

He stayed on guard, glancing around the bright forest. He was supposed to be sleeping anyway. He slowly relaxed, staring at the damage he had done. 17 dead bodies. A few heads were torn off. Lots of limbs are detached. He was never this violent before. It felt…freeing. There was a pleasure in completely destroying everything. Blood was all over him. He glanced at the carriage, seeing the horses shot and the coachman dead. He walked over to the dead coachman and took the bag of coins. He had a feeling the other would die up here, so he gave them all to him, knowing he would get it back. He walked over to the horses that were dying and petted them gently until they slowly passed away. Standing up, he walked back to his carriage, entering to get Hvita. He grabbed a piece of paper and his quill from his trunk, writing out a report of the situation and stating that he would now start walking. He fed her first, then handed it to Hvita.

"Blood Moon's Alpha, The Lycan King. I'll be in The Blood Moon Pack by the time you come back for me," he stated so that she fully understood him and then opened the carriage door. She took off and he decided to leave the cage here. He never wants her put in another cage again. He grabbed both his trunks out of the carriage, placing them on the snow-covered ground. He fixed his cloak to entirely go over him, wrapping his scarf better around his neck and lower face. He then re-tied his spiked shoes to ensure they wouldn't slip. After he was ready, he grabbed his trunks and started making his way up the mountain. It got colder and colder the higher he went. He knows it won't be safe to camp out here with the Black Blood Pack around, so he will just have to walk until he gets there, no matter how tired he was. It might take two days. He should probably eat something. He could hunt while making his way through the forest. If he didn't have this much luggage, he would make Enid run. The cold was starting to feel familiar. As the sun began to set, he made sure to pay attention. The sun had passed a quarter of the sky when he started walking. He was one-third up the mountain. He followed the path made for the carriages. The air here thinned as you ascend, making you stronger, and the more you train, the less oxygen you need.

He somehow wasn't too tired. He was normally always exhausted, so he didn't feel anything different. He was mostly numb. Having released all his emotions in killing, he felt empty, but not in a good way. Like when you cry for way too long until you are fatigued. If it took him the entire day to get through one third of the mountain, then he would probably be there around the next night. He could handle that. As he saw the Moon Goddess slowly rising, he bowed and prayed for Her forgiveness. As he walked through the deep snow, he began to prioritize walking on any ice as it was more stable and required less time. The snow was time-consuming, as it needed maneuvering through it.

Walking in the snowy forest gave him a déjà vu feeling. A familiar sense of home. His homesickness was being relieved. He was starting to feel like he could release the breath he had been holding for three years. He felt a tear go down his face that he quickly swiped away. He was now angry at himself for crying. He didn't need to. He's done it enough. He walked and walked. He could've tried to climb fully upwards, but it would be harder with the luggage. Just going diagonally up the mountain, following the carriage road, was the easiest but also the most time-consuming. The Moon's glow made him feel empowered. Pushing him to keep going. He was extra vigilant as he walked through the forest, knowing the pack could be tracking him. They were hunting him right now so he needed to be fast and not rest.

He didn't have time for that. He learned that following close to the treelines stopped any cold wind from hitting him too hard. At night, it gets very cold. His eyes almost hurt, but his Lycan blood was fighting it; he was constantly on the edge of being too cold to being just fine. He ignored it and pushed through the night. When The Moon started to set and the sun started to rise, he had made it two-thirds of the way up. He just had one more day. He will get there tonight. He pushed on again. The sun made him feel less cold but it also caused his eyes to ache differently. He always hated that ball in the sky. His walk had slowed down as he had no break.
Walking up this mountain was way more difficult than anything else he had done in a while. His training in South Wood Pack made it easy for him, but he knows he will have no stamina up here. He'll have to build that back. Well, he was working on it right now, he guessed. He took a few breaths. While he had made his way up this mountain, he had caught two rabbits and lots of berries anytime he saw them, eating as much as he could find. He didn't have access to water, so he would only obtain it through food. He kept eating as his top priority to give him energy and keep him warm.

The sun had started to set when he began to see the walls in the distance. Probably a few hours until he would get there. A few screeches went through the air as he looked up to multiple ravens navigating the area. They saw him; they were going to notify the guards of his presence. Something he didn't notice before. They kept track of most of the outside. The border for the pack was technically the entire mountain but they didn't care to guard that large of an area; it wasn't worth it and it wasn't habitable. So, they kept a vast border around the entire village and then the big castle in the center to protect. This pack with just the gate was already two times bigger than all the other packs he's seen. It was the exact size of The Werewolf King’s, but if you were to put the mountain as part of the pack, then it would be way bigger. Almost ten times bigger or more. He walked the very icy road. As it got higher, the snow was harder and more like ice. The trees also slowly vanished. A few miles from the walls, the trees stop growing; there are no trees this high. It's challenging for them to survive at this high altitude and extreme cold. The Moon had risen after a few more hours of walking; he arrived at a bridge leading to the giant gate. He walked along it. He was tired. The guards stationed outside, on the wall, and on top of the wall all noticed him. It was silent as he made his way there. He stopped in front of the guards. They glared in suspicion. He knew why. He was covered in blood.

"What business do you have here?" They stated. He placed his trunks down and raised his hands. He pulled his hood off and yanked his scarf lower. His eyes met theirs. Their eyes narrowed until one of the guards seemed to recognize him and kneeled immediately.

"We apologize for not recognizing you sooner, Luna." The other guards, surprised by those words, knelt down as well. He nodded and pulled his hood back on. They opened the gate quickly. He took a deep breath and took his first step, crossing the border. It, of course, didn't make him pass out like the very first time. A familiar feeling of peace washed over him. Guards on the inside quickly rushed to him. One helped him with his luggage while the other spoke with him. The magical feeling helped alleviate his pain, but then he was left with his anger.

"We have a carriage coming up. We are sorry for the inconvenience!" He didn't respond. At least this pack knew how to act. He could tell the guards were on edge near him. He didn't know why, but he also didn't care. He was not in the mood to talk. A carriage arrived not too shortly after and they put his luggage in. He entered the carriage and sat down. He closed his eyes, taking some needed rest as the carriage made its way towards the village. When they finally arrived at the village, he glanced outside, watching the villagers. The village looked precisely the same as he remembered. His mind went back to Science from another smel, and he squeezed his hands again. He hated mates. He hated that pack. He hated The Lycan King. If he had just told him to reject him and stay, he would have been fine. None of this would've happened. He didn't even want to face them. He felt like a reject, a failure. He had failed his one job. His own mate didn't even like him. Goddess, he was pathetic. He watched the carriage approach the gate around the castle and he tensed up. He doesn't want to face him. He hated to face him like this. When the carriage circled around to the front of the castle, he pulled his cloak on more. The door opened and he stood up and walked out. He stood there, his eyes going to familiar faces. Thanatos is standing there, smiling.

"Hello, Geno," Thanatos has stated. Makaria, next to him, looked excited.

"Geno!" She cried out happily. Keres and Eris were standing there too.

"Welcome home," they both chimed. They all looked slightly different. At least he wasn't here. He didn't say anything and walked forward. He knew they would get his luggage and he didn't care. Thanatos quickly narrowed his eyes before they widened slightly. He passed him a look, his eyes side-eyeing him. Thanatos flinched, looking at him surprised. Geno didn't care and he walked towards the door.

"What's wrong?" Makaria whispered to Thanatos. The Beta raised his hand to stop her from talking and motioned for a few guards to join them.

"Accompany him," the Beta stated. He walked into the castle, the guards following from a far distance. He made his way through the castle. A maid had walked out, pulling a broom, and almost ran into him. He growled loudly, which made the maid's eyes widen and fall in shock. He walked past her, not caring. He made his way up all the stairs until he got to the fifth floor. He stepped onto the floor and smelled the smell again. Science. He needed to get this stupid smell away from him; it was making him want to gag. The familiar, sweet, intoxicating scent of his ex-mate. He walked towards his room and opened it, then slammed the door shut. He locked it instantly, took his clothes off, and made his way to the shower. Get it off. Get it off. Get it the fuck off. He scrubbed the shit out of his skin with burning hot water until his skin was red. His anger was increasingly escalating until Enid took control, pushing him back.

I got this, Geno. Please rest. She stated and he hesitated and almost lashed out at her, but stopped himself. He watched her finish showering quickly. She left with a towel around her. There was a knock on the door.

"Hey Geno it's me Thanatos. I have your luggage here!" He chimed. Enid didn't respond, staring at the door. They heard the door move, clearly checking if it was locked. He heard Thanatos sigh. "Geno, we just want to help. Please understand that. I'll leave this out here and go, okay?" Thanatos placed the luggage outside before hesitantly leaving down the hall. They listened to his footsteps. She opened the door slowly, seeing no one outside, before grabbing the luggage into the room. She placed them on the chairs before pulling out clothes. She changed quickly, before she jumped, hearing a tap on the window. She turned to see Hvita. She walked over to the window and let her in. Moving to grab some food pouches and placing them down for her to eat all of them. Then, Enid made a small nest like he had done before on the windowsill for her. Enid pet Hvita quickly before making her way to the bed and slowly getting inside. He felt her push back and he took over, closing his eyes. He saw Enid curl up inside his head to sleep. She looked exhausted. He can't even imagine what the mate bound feels like for her. She is the reason for the mate bond anyway. He drifted off completely, so tired that it didn't take long for him to fall asleep.

 

"Geno! Are you okay?" The knock on his door was loud, waking him up. He jumped hard before growling very loudly, pushing his head further into his pillow. He knew the other heard him. "Don't be like that, you've been asleep for sixteen hours!" Thanatos yelled. "I need to make sure you are at least alive in there," the Beta humored.

"Leave me alone, Beta," he snapped, clearly using his lower rank. Silence followed and stayed like that for a while.

"When did you start using ranks for power?" Thanatos stated quietly and he heard him walk away. He glared into his bed and slowly pushed himself up, taking a few deep breaths. He took a shower and changed. His cloak was ruined, so he put his dirty laundry in the basket and placed it outside the door, only to find a tray of food and some extra clean cloaks folded. He took them with the food and noticed his lock was missing. It had been taken off the door and it enraged him. He checked the time. It was around breakfast time. He ate, then changed into his cloak and scarf. He pulled his hood up and left, shutting his door, before he turned and walked down the hall quickly and made his way down the stairs, passing multiple guards who avoided his eyes. He got to the floor he wanted and rushed through the hallway. He walked up to the office. The guards were standing outside. He glared harshly at them. The guards quickly knocked and opened the door for him. He walked in and found Thanatos looking through papers before glancing up at him. Thanatos smiled.

"Hello, Geno!" The Lycan chimed.

"Give me my lock back," he deadpanned. Thanatos' smile fell, and he sighed.

"Well, it's hard when you lock yourself in your room for that long; we can't make sure you are safe. The maids also can't get in to clean-"

"I refuse to allow a maid in my room," he interrupted the other. Thanatos looked at him in silence before tilting his head.

"...Why?" Geno growled out, feeling Enid also getting involved.

"Because I said so!" He growled out the command. Thanatos’ eyes widened before they narrowed.

"Geno-" He took a step forward, growling even louder.

"It's Luna!" He snapped. Thanatos gave a straight face. A coldness in his eyes.

"Luna. I'm currently in charge of this pack as the Alpha-"

"You are no Alpha of mine." He snapped. Thanatos looked a little hurt.

"Luna… I'm your Beta-"

"You are not! I don't have a Beta! I have no one!" He yelled, he turned, and slammed the door. He walked out and he heard the office door open.

"Luna!" Thanatos yelled out and followed after him. The Beta caught up with him and tried to grab his arm; he yanked himself out of the hold and turned away, his claws extended. "I apologize, Luna. I want to be here for you. Know I am your Beta. I swear on the Moon Goddess I care for you and I'm here for you." The Beta made the swear, causing Geno to retract his statement. He still looked at Thanatos in disbelief, but it was hard to say he didn't care when he made that vow. Thanatos smiled and then he glared again before turning away.

"Whatever," he stated and Thanatos rushed forward next to him.

"I will tell the maids not to go in your room, but I can't give you the lock back until the Alpha is back," Thanatos explained, ignoring the other.

"When will that be?" He snapped.

"In two days," Thanatos told him.

"Cool, don't talk to me until then," Geno sassed back, and Thanatos laughed.

"Ha, that's funny. I have to as the stand-in Alph-"

"Again you are no Alpha" He interrupted the other.

"Do you want me to prove it?" Thanatos questioned. This caused Geno to stop and turn to look at the other.

"Are you asking to spar?" He shot out. Thanatos smiled.

"If that is what will prove me to you." He scoffed.

"Save your breath, you will fail." Thanatos chuckled.

"It's funny you think that," Thanatos chimed, and he looked back in front of himself and started to walk.

"I know that," he deadpanned and Thanatos hummed.

"Well, let's see then." The Beta walked quickly in front of him to lead him. He knew where the other was going. But, if this was the only way to get this Beta off his back, then so be it. He followed him downstairs and to the training hall. Anyone who passed them kept their distance but would wave at Thanatos. The Beta was well-loved in the pack. Geno took note of all the guards in the hallways. When they got to the training room, Thanatos opened the door for him as he walked in. They both made their way in and Thanatos walked over and talked to both the trainers. Geno walked over to the bleachers and removed his cloak, shoes, and scarf. He turned as Makaria walked up, smiling.

"Geno! How are y-" she chimed, but he walked right past her. Everyone who was on the podium fighting had moved off and Thanatos stood up there, also without his cloak. Geno walked towards it and whispers went through the room; no one knew what was happening. Geno stepped onto the podium and took his place in front of Thanatos. They stared at each other before Thanatos made the first move. Geno blocked it completely, moving out of his way, and making the Beta almost stumble. Still, Thanatos caught his ground and continued to attack. Again, Geno kept blocking and avoiding his attacks as if it were nothing. Geno could tell the Beta was holding back. Geno continued to wait for an opening, and when Thanatos finally did, after he blocked another attack, he ducked and aimed for his legs, slamming hard into the pressure point before maneuvering himself behind him. Thanatos caught up and turned around just in time to stop his other attack. Thanatos's eyes were slightly wide before he smiled and narrowed them.

He was finally taking him seriously. After the initial rocky start, Thanatos finally let loose. Although Geno was focused on ending it quickly, he was still able to keep up with Thanatos, finding it relatively easy. However, he knew he needed to end it quickly or he would not have the stamina to keep up. So, Geno got low to the ground and did a fake out causing Thanatos to get in the position he wanted as he swung himself up and took down the other in a very aggressive shoulder throw, slamming Thanatos on the mat harshly on his back. Geno took a few deep breaths as everyone gasped in shock. He then turned and walked off the podium to the bleachers. He gathered his clothes and made his way out of the training room. He didn't even break a sweat. Going to his room, as he reached the door, a familiar scent hit him, causing intense rage. Why does he still smell that fucking asshole? He quickly entered, threw his stuff on a chair, and went to Hvita. She was curled up sleeping, so he gave her some more food next to her for when she woke up. He then started to unpack, as he had not had a chance to do so. He moved around the room, putting everything away, but he stopped when it came to the money and books. He should give the money back. He placed the bag on his desk, along with the broken books. When he finished unpacking, he moved to the bookcase in the room and gathered the other Norse books. He pulled them up and started to read them. He didn't want to leave his room, justay in his bed reading. Enid had fallen asleep after the fight. She had been mostly sleeping, only getting up when he fought the Beta.
She listened to the conversations but she didn't move; she was always curled up in his mind. He eventually fell asleep, too. He was just so tired. He didn't sleep long before he woke up. He curled himself in the covers more and checked the time. It was after dinner time. He skipped lunch and dinner. He didn't want to eat anyway. He also wasn't part of the pack yet since he needed to be added again. He is still technically a part of The South Wood Pack. He hated that. However, it meant he couldn't mindlink the kitchen and he wouldn't be caught dead asking a guard or anyone else to do that for him. He continued to bed rot until a knock happened at his door.

"Luna, can I come in?" Thanatos asked and he didn't respond. That meant no. He heard the other sigh behind the door. "Luna, I was informed you skipped both meals. That is not allowed. I was fine with you skipping training, but you need to eat."

"Thanatos," he deadpanned, annoyance running through him for having to repeat himself a million times.

"Yes?" Thanatos asked.

"You are not an Alpha. Do not tell me what to do," he snapped. Thanatos growled on the other side of the door.

"Can an Alpha only tell you what to do? Or would you still not listen? I'm considered Alpha right now. I control the guards in the pack-" He interrupted him.

"I thought we made it clear when I beat you. I'm not listening, so just leave me alone." He growled. Thanatos sighed.

"Geno. I'm putting our ranks down. I care for you, and I've made that promise. Please just eat and take care of yourself. That’s all I ask of you." He had a lot of patience. Geno growled and slammed his head into the bed. He didn't know how annoying it was talking to so many people. He just wanted to be left alone to self-destruct. Why can't they just let him? He was a failure anyway. There’s a reason he is desperately clinging to his role. Could he even call himself a Luna when he didn't have a pack?

"Fine, leave!" He yelled. He heard the other hesitantly walk away. He slammed his hands into the bed aggressively before standing up and walking towards the door, slowly opening it to check for people. No one was there and he leaned down and grabbed his food before shutting the door. He ate slowly in his bed while reading. He escaped his life in the pages. This book thankfully had no romance or he honestly thinks he'll crash out. When he finished, he tried to sleep for a few more hours, but now his brain was too active. The sun was rising and people were already in bed, so he sighed and stood up. Grabbing his cloak and scarf, he put them on and pulled the hood over his head. He walked out of his room and made his way downstairs. He walked along the halls. Most people were asleep, with only a few guards walking the halls. They didn't ask or talk to him as they passed, probably because they couldn't tell who he was. He walked around until he felt tired enough to try to sleep, going upstairs.

He went to bed and slept for the rest of the day. He was woken by the first bell. The church had started and he was missing it. Not like he wanted to go. He would pray to her in his own time, just not in front of so many people. He was still drowning in self-pity in his room. He took a shower to try to make himself feel better. Enid also seemed to be getting worse. She hadn't shown her face since yesterday during the spar, not moving from her position. She looked dead. He even tried talking to her but she didn't even react. He knew she needed more time. He stayed in his room for a few hours before a knock interrupted his thoughts. He checked the time. Had it really been so long?

"Hey Geno! I have food!" Makaria chimed happily outside. He didn't respond, staying in his bed. After a while, he heard her place the food down. "I heard what happened and I want you to know that it was never your fault. I wish I could've been there for you, Gen. I'm here if you ever want to talk!" She expressed before he heard her walk away. He did feel slightly guilty for ignoring her now. But, he had a feeling he would snap or be a bitch to her if he was left alone with her right now. He just needed time to heal. He grabbed the food outside and ate it, then stayed in his room. He had no plan to leave, just as he had the day before. The second bell rang soon, and training started. After a while, there was another knock on his door.

"Luna, training has started; you should join the pack," Thanatos stated outside the door. He didn't respond. The other waited for a while before sighing. "You do know that when the Alpha gets here, you will not be able to act like this. Just a warning," Thanatos stated and walked away. He growled, squeezing the book he was reading before he closed it and threw it on the bed. He felt restless and stood up, starting to pace the room. Maybe he needed to run?

Enid, wanna shift? He asked her and her ear flicked, and he could tell that she did. He smiled and pulled his cloak on, pulling his hood over his face along with his scarf. He made his way out of his room, sneaking down the stairs. No guards stopped him as everyone was in the training room. He made his way through the castle to the front door. Walking out, he walked around the castle. He walked to the gate entrance, seeing two guards there.

"I'm going to town," he stated and they nodded before opening the gate for him. He walked out and snuck around away from the village. The barrier surrounding the entire pack was gigantic, covering a vast amount of land. It had the village, the castle, and almost half of the space that was empty. Forests lined this area, tended to clearly by the community. He had a feeling magic was involved with allowing the trees to grow up here and nowhere else on the top of the mountain. It was nice. He never got to see it up close; he only saw it from far away. He found a secluded spot that had a bench near the trees. He smelled for any Lycans nearby and found nothing. So, he undressed, shivering at the cold air hitting him. He neatly put his clothes on the bench. Hopefully, no one steals them. He then shifted. Feeling his paws hit the ground, he shook his fur and stretched, as his wolf form had not been out much. He was already hot. He now knows why he hated shifting so much in South Wood. It was so warm that it was unbearable in this form.
But right now, in this form, he has never felt so content.

Do you want to take over? He asked Enid, but she didn't respond until he felt a soft tug. He felt a pang of sadness hit him. Enid was so exhausted she didn't even want to fight for control. He remembered how aggressive she was with getting shift time. He smiled and backed away quickly, letting her take over. When she did, she slowly walked around with her head down. He sighed.

Enid, if you didn't want to do this we didn't have to, we could go back inside? He offered. Though that seemed to set her off, she lifted her head and started to speed up to a trot until she was running around in the forest enjoying herself. He smiled, watching her. He let her run around and he actually felt enjoyment from her. He hadn't let her out in a while. He let her play for a while until he decided it was time to be done and she quickly found her way back to his clothes. Thankfully, they weren't stolen. That happened a lot in the South Wood Pack. He shifted back and pulled his clothes on quickly to get warm again. He then pulled his cloak hood up and walked back to the main village road. He walked until he got to the gate. The guards, upon seeing him, let him in without him even having to say a word. He walked back into the castle and noticed it was around dinner time. He was feeling good for once and he was hungry, but he didn't know if he wanted to sit and eat with anyone. As he was debating it, he walked around a corner and a maid ran into him. His mind flashed with fear. He didn't think before reacting. Pushing her away with a growl, which slammed her harshly into the wall. She let out a cry of pain. His eyes widened as the familiar-looking face stared up at him in fear. Tanada. He swallowed and took a step back. She slid down the wall, holding her shoulder in pain.

"I-" He stuttered before turning and just running away. He got to his room and shut the door. He was panicking. He didn't mean to hurt her. He was going to get in so much trouble. They were going to blame him. He couldn't handle it; the maid's outfit triggered a reaction in him. They took the lock so he couldn't hide safely in his room like he used to. He moved and grabbed one of his chairs, stuffing it under the door handle before moving the other furniture. He then looked around for any form of safety and landed to the space under his bed. He pushed and crawled under it for safety. Enid had gone silent again. He knows she was mad at him. He was feeling okay for once since he arrived and he had to ruin it by doing that. What is wrong with him? It didn't take long before there was a loud knock at his door.

"Geno Hati, hurting an Omega is banned in the castle as of two years ago with the "Protect Omegas Act" made by Keres Fenrir and signed by The Alpha. You have committed a crime in the eyes of the Moon Goddess, but since you had no prior knowledge of this act, it will be just a warning. Otherwise, I would've put you on room confinement. Though, I have a feeling that's just what you wanted. If you do not clean up your act, I will inform The Alpha. Goodnight," Thanatos deadpanned outside of his room. He trembled under the bed, feeling so conflicted. Gosh, he was acting like a child. He didn't come out of bed for the entire rest of the day. His guilt eating him up until he couldn't take it. Pulling himself out of his bed, he pulled his hood over his head before leaving his room. He walked past The Alpha's rooms and to the blessed room. The Moon was still up, about to set, so it was perfect. He reached the door and opened it, looking up the stairs. He swallowed and walked up to them.
Last time he walked up these stairs, he didn't have a pleasant time at the top of them, but he did meet Enid. He walked up them and made his way to the room, opening it. It was empty with the Moon shining down in the center. He walked to the center of the room and knelt down, like in church, and brought his hands together. He focused on the moonlight shining on him.

I'm sorry for everything I'm doing wrong. I'm sorry for breaking rules, I'm sorry for hurting people, and I'm sorry for rejecting the mate you gave me. He calmed himself down and opened his eyes, looking up at the Moon. She didn't respond. He didn't expect a response. He slowly stood up and turned to find Thanatos standing at the doorway of the stairs with conflicting emotions on his face. Geno looked away and tried to walk past, but Thanatos reached his hand, blocking him. He glared looking right up at the other.

"Move your arm." He growled at the Beta. But Thanatos didn't even look phased. He had a very cold look in his eyes.

"We need to talk," Thanatos stated.

"I have nothing to say to you," he snapped. Thanatos glared.

"You think you can just apologize to the Moon Goddess and everything will be fine?"

"Shut the fuck up, you have no idea what I was doing."

"What else could you possibly be using the blessing room for? Looking for answers? The answer is you. Where are you? Where's the Luna who held his head high even when called an Omega? Where's the Luna that protected everyone, even when they were the weakest wolf? Where's the Luna who didn't care about ranks?" Geno couldn't handle it anymore and shot forward, slamming the Beta into the door frame aggressively, holding him by his shirt collars.

"In the South Wood Pack where you left him!" He screamed. Letting him go, he turned and ran down the stairs, feeling tears well in his eyes, but again, he refused to cry. He heard the other chase after him, but he, of course, was faster and made it to his room, slamming it shut and pushing himself against it. The door was slammed into as Thanatos then tried to open it.

"Geno!" Thanatos yelled.

"No!" He screamed back, covering his ears.

"Please just let me in!" Thanatos begged.

"Please Go Away!" He cried out.

"I just want to help!" Thanatos stated.

"I don't need your help. I need to be alone!" He screamed and he felt the other stop pushing on the door. Thanatos sighed.

"Geno, we didn't abandon you. Please believe that." He knew this. He knows this. He didn't even know why he said that. He heard the other leave. Thanatos couldn't even make the decision himself. He was mad at all the wrong people,. taking his anger out on people who never hurt him. But how can he trust they won't? Even if they never did before, wouldn't that hurt even more when they do? He sniffed and smelled the smell again. He growled, bringing his claws down and scratching along the floor in anger. Get this stupid smell out of here! That stupid fucking asshole. He wants to kill him. Maybe then he will stop ruining his life. He wished he had never met him. He wished they had just started a war and never made him shift. There was so much anger. He wanted to kill someone. He stood up and made his way to the bathroom, almost breaking everything. He turned the shower on and it was burning hot again.

Geno let me. Enid forced him harshly out of his head and took control. He didn't even care or want to fight her. He did, though, think about punching her, but he couldn't really punch a wolf in his head. Enid cleaned him up, turning the temperature down and slowed down. She then changed his clothes, taking some time for self-care before feeling tired and going to bed. They both suddenly heard a noise from the window. She turned to look over, finding Hvita opening the window herself and closing it before flying off.

What the fuck he stated, and Enid giggled in his voice.

So that's how she's been getting in and out of the room, Enid commented, snuggling into the blankets again.

When did she learn that?!? She is too smart for her own good. He huffed and took over as they both fell asleep as the morning sun glowed.

He again was woken up by the first bell. Great. He missed church again. Whatever, he didn't care. He stayed in his room, grabbing other books to read, ignoring his grumbling stomach. He was very hungry because he hadn't eaten dinner or lunch the previous day. A second bell rang, and he sighed. Should he go? His mind went to Tanada and he curled back on the bed. No, he can't be trusted. If he got too tired, he'd just sleep, just as he used to do in South Wood. There was a knock on his door.

"Hey, it's me again, Geno. I've brought breakfast! Umm… I've missed you a lot and I hope once you are feeling better, we can hang out like we used to! "Makaria stammered behind the door, placing the food down before leaving. Geno waited a bit before opening the door and grabbing the food, then brought it into the room and ate it. When he finished, the third bell rang. Training started. He wasn't going. He was feeling restless again so maybe instead of training, he'll go shift and run again? He finished his book and decided to do that. Moving, he repeated the same process of sneaking out of the castle. He decided to try to go to the less-trafficked area so he wouldn't run into anyone; thankfully, he didn't. Going through the castle, he got to the gate and was let through again. He made his way to the same bench and repeated the process. Enid was excited to run again. Maybe this time, he could actually try to have a good day? He let her run for hours as he didn't want to be anywhere else. He was growing tired of his room.

During her fun, he heard lots of cheers and yells from the village. He didn't know what it was, but Enid was in her own world and he wasn't going to ask her to go snoop, so he ignored it as she chased after a bug. He couldn't even tell what the bug was. Most bugs can't survive up here; maybe this was another border thing, making the most uninhabitable and challenging place more habitable? He did learn that the whole reason for living here was similar to the church's teachings: you don't get to be this close to the Moon Goddess without sacrificing and proving yourself worthy. She seemed to love their devotion enough to make it easier for them, yet they still made that staircase to continue trying to prove their worth to her. Feels like a middle child wanting to be better than their siblings. He only decided to head back when he got hungry. Maybe he would go get food? Enid agreed as she was also hungry and they both got back to the bench. He changed and made his way back to the guards, who let him in.

He was feeling good until the smell cam around again. He had to pause, feeling himself flinch. He sniffed again, and of course, it was gone. He was still haunting him. He heard Enid whine and curl back into a ball and now he was even more pissed. He growled, squeezing his hands. Turning his face down, he walked along the path to get back to the castle. As he arrived, he noticed a carriage in front. Multiple workers were taking stuff out of it. He walked past them and made his way into the castle. Numerous guards were running around as he passed them in the hallway. He didn't care and just wanted to get back to his room to sleep. The smell put him in a terrible mood again. He is going to have to shower again. He moved to walk down a hall but stopped himself when he heard someone talking.

" He is not the same Luna who left here. I don't know what they did to him in that pack, but he is completely different. "

"How so?" The voice was very soothing

"He's using rank."

"Using rank?"

"He refuses to be called by his name. He refuses to listen to me because I'm the stand-in Alpha. He hurt a maid. For Goddess' sake, the guards told me they are scared of him. You should've seen his face when he first arrived! He looked like…he looked like you after you lost her." He no longer stayed behind to listen. Going a different way to get to his room. He wasn't hungry anymore. Enid curled up again and hid. He made his way to his room. It was dinner time anyway. He didn't want to go there. Great, first he was worried about people looking at him like a failure, now they look at him in fear. He went to his room to find food outside of it. He bit his tongue and grabbed it before going inside. He ate it while Hvita tapped to come back inside. So she can open and close the window to leave, but she can't open it to come in? He rolled his eyes and let her in as she hopped into her little nest. He reached over and petted her. When he was done, he stayed in his room, reading. He was waiting until later. Most Lycans go to bed early when it's still dark and wake up when the moon rises in the morning.

 

So, when 7 a.m. arrived, he got up and pulled on his cloak and scarf. Pulling his hood over his face, he walked out of his room. He wanted to apologize to the Moon Goddess again for rejecting his mate. As he walked down the hall towards the door, he smelled Science again. He growled loudly and brought his hands to his face. He took a few deep breaths and walked forward. It's fine. He's fine. He got to the door and opened it before slowly going up the stairs. He made his way to the top, finding the door closed. He brought his hand to the handle, opened it, and went to walk in but stopped. A familiar silhouette stood in the center of the room. His black cloak flowed slightly. The Lycan turned to him. Enid perked her head up. He looked almost the same as before he left, but something was different. A scent hit his nose. He felt kind of confused. The Alpha moved to say something to him, taking a step forward, but something blew past both of them quickly, making both their hoods fall. Anything that was going to be said was stopped as a familiar feeling hit Geno. Their eyes widened in shock.

 

Mate

 

Geno took a step back. The King also seemed surprised but Geno didn't even want to see the other as he turned around and ran down the stairs. No. No. No! Not this again! Enid was basically dancing while he was having a full-blown panic attack. He felt tears fill his eyes. As he reached his room, he slammed the door and slid down it again, holding his knees close. He wasn't ready. He couldn't do this again. He didn't want to. It hasn't even been a week! Was this his punishment for rejecting him? This was cruel! He heard movement outside his door and he brought his hand up to his mouth to try to stay quiet. He refused to let any tears go.

"Geno." The Alpha's voice spoke. He flinched, his voice. That's why it was so soothing. Of
course, it was nice and deep before, but now it gave him goosebumps. Fuck the mate bound.
"I'm sorry this happened this way." That was all the other said before leaving. And somehow, those words made him feel better. He hated the mate bound so much! He brought his hands up to his face. Should he reject him?

Don't you dare! This is our second chance; some werewolves don't even get those. Enid basically yelled in his head.

What if it happens again? He stated.

It won't. She sounded way too confident.

You said that last time he argued.

This times different

How so?

Because he loved you before we were mated, he froze and his mind felt like it was doing gymnastics. How would she even know that?

That's not true, Enid didn't respond. She didn't have to as it was already haunting him. He sniffed and realized. The smell he thought was Science actually wasn't. It was his. He swallowed. He didn't even notice how different it was from Science's scent. He was too caught up with the familiarity of it being a mate. It didn't even cross his mind that it could be a different mate. Science smelled like firewood, not smoky, but like fresh pine that had been slightly burnt. Reaper though. He smelled like sweet cider and leather. He didn't love him. If he loved him, he would've fought for him. He would've refused to let him go. Geno stood up and walked over to his bed and fell into it. His lower lip trembled. He felt very conflicting feelings. So if he had rejected Science he would've been mated to Reaper? He didn't get much sleep the entire day, especially with the knowledge that his mate was on the other side of the wall. Science didn't even sleep close to him. He slept upstairs in his quarters, which was supposed to be for the Alpha and Luna. Still, Science didn't let him into his room. Was it going to be like that? His mind was rushing so hard that Enid forced him into the background and she fell asleep with his body. He was left with silence. Was this what she felt when he slept and she didn't? Just nothing? He eventually fell asleep as a result.

Chapter Text

He woke up to the sound of a knock on his door. He shoved his head into the pillow more.

"Geno, it's time for church," The Alpha's voice spoke outside his room. He flinched, not expecting him. He leaned into the pillows more. He didn't respond, hoping the other would leave. "If you don't come out in ten minutes, I will come in there." Geno growled out. The other dared to laugh. He growled louder.

"Leave me alone! He yelled out. He heard the door handle get messed with.

"Okay, I guess I'm coming in." Geno panicked and pushed himself up.

"NO!" He screamed, which caused the other person to stop opening the door.

"Then are you going to come out?" The Alpha asked. He huffed and fell backwards on the bed. He was tired. He didn't want to go; he wanted to sleep more.

"UGH!" He yelled out and he heard the Alpha laugh, and he felt his face go red. Fuck the mate bound.

Did you also blame the mate bound before it existed? Enid chimed. He glared at her, forgetting again how she had witnessed everything before she was shifted. She saw the way they were together, but he would never admit there was anything between them. It felt like it would never work. He stood up, moved to his clothes, and changed, pulling his hood up and his scarf to cover his face. He walked to the door, took a deep breath, and opened it. He closed it, not looking back as he walked down the hallway, ignoring the other. The Alpha followed after him. They were the first ones up, it seemed, as the sun was setting. The Alpha got up way too early. He felt the other walk close behind him and bend down slightly above him. Was he….sniffing him? He felt his face go red. He turned quickly towards the other as The Alpha moved away.

"Stop it," he snapped. The Alpha tilted his head with a smile.

"Stop what?" The King challenged.

"Doing whatever you're doing!" he growled and turned away. The Alpha chuckled behind him. He ignored the other. As they walked through the castle, they made their way through the halls and down the stairs, leaving through the back door. The sun shone on him and he groaned, bringing his hand to cover his eyes more from it. The Alpha walked past him.

"You would think you would be more used to the sun living in South Wood," The King commented. He rolled his eyes.

"I didn't get out much." He didn't know what made him say that, but he couldn't help but want to tell him. The other hummed, glancing at him. Geno averted his eyes, annoyed. They reached the stairs and started up them. Geno stayed a few steps behind the other, not wanting to be near him any longer than that.

"Do you want to tell me what happened in that pack?" The Alpha asked. He glared at the other.

"No," he shot out. The other glanced at him a few times.

"Very well, but-" The other finally turned around, catching him off guard. Bringing both his hands up, The King grabbed his chin, forcing him to look up at the other, and then The King yanked his hood off. His eyes, glowing down at him with an emotion he had never seen, looked at him before. The touch tingled against his skin. He forgot how a mate's touch felt as Science refused to even touch him much. Geno's eyes widened. "There. Now I can see your face," The King purred. He didn't even get time to react before The King let go and turned around.

Geno stood there in shock before bringing his hand up to his scarf and covering his face with it as it burned. He followed The Lycan as they arrived at the church. The King opened the door for him and he shot a glare at the other before walking forward. He entered the church and walked through the room, heading towards the chair where he was supposed to sit. Sitting down in the front, The Alpha sat next to him and pulled out his book. He glanced at the other with a glare before reaching his hands down to the chair he was sitting on. He scooted away from The King, moving himself further away from the other. The Alpha, not looking away from his book, brought his hand down to the bottom of the Luna's chair and yanked it even closer than before. Geno jumped hard in shock as he was now closer. The King let go and flipped the next page, and Geno glared at the other. He huffed and moved to sit on half the chair so he was at least a little further away, even if it hurt to sit like this.

You are being stupid. He rolled his eyes at his wolf.

Oh shut up, you! He grumbled. He refused to chase after anyone anymore. He couldn't trust any mate, no matter who they were. If The Alpha wanted him, he had to prove that he was willing to deal with his worst. Lycans began to arrive, noticing him sitting in church since the day he first arrived. The usually loud Lycans were quieter, whispering about him, and he flinched, ready to flee. Getting flashbacks to when he was in South Wood, he went to move, but a hand on his thigh made him freeze. He looked down, seeing The Alpha touching him. Was he trying to calm him down? He stared down at his hand. He couldn't help the way his touch made him so tense. How was this supposed to calm him? It just made him feel…restless. He moved his leg away and the other moved his hand. He slowly sat more comfortably in the chair and looked away, bringing his hand to his scarf to cover the bottom of his face. His eyes went to the familiar art and carvings on the walls. The bell rang and he ignored the priest as he began his story. The King put his book down and looked as if he were listening while Geno stared at a wall.
When it was finished, they moved on to the praying part, which he joined in on, closing his eyes as he prayed.

I'm sorry for rejecting my mate.

 

Gosh, you silly wolf, you were supposed to

 

He had jumped as those words filled his head. He looked around, confused, as everyone continued to pray. He brought his hand out to The King, but stopped himself. He wanted to ask if he had heard that but he decided not to. Going back to pretending to pray, he was too busy thinking of that. What did She mean by that? Was that all planned? She knew Science wasn't the one for him, yet She mated him to Science? For what? He was so confused. The King ended the prayer and Geno was still stuck in his head. He could try to ask Her more in the blessed room, but he didn't know if he could. His thoughts were broken as The Alpha got his attention.

"Come on, let's not be late." He looked around and found almost everyone was gone; the priest was the last person cleaning up. He looked over to The King standing there, waiting for him.

"Late for what?" He tilted his head and The Lycan smiled down at him.

"Breakfast." His eyes narrowed at the other. The priest left through the door. Geno didn't care and stood up, crossing his arms.

"No." The other smirked like he was expecting this. He didn't know why, but the smirk was scarier than the other being mad. The King took a step forward and he took a step back. He realized just exactly how isolated he was with the other. The other kept gaining on him; he hit into the wall as the other slammed both his arms on either side of him. Geno growled, threatening the other. The King moved closer with a chuckle.

"Now, who do you think you are growling at?" Geno's claws came out and he swung upwards, but The King was quicker, catching his wrist before he could do any damage. Geno's eyes slightly widened as the other slammed his wrist against the wall.

"Now that was foolish, pup." Geno felt his face getting heated. He felt his heart going wild. The King leaned closer and Geno retreated towards the wall, flinching backward, but it was hard to move anywhere when he was trapped against the other like this. His legs started to shake. This was all because of that stupid mate bond. If anyone else was even trying this, he would've killed them. Enid won't even listen to him, giving him no strength. She didn't want to hurt her mate. She was also currently loving this, purring so loudly he almost couldn't hear anything other than that and his heartbeat. He felt the other's breath on his neck near his ear and he couldn't help the quiet gasp that he let out. That was no way he marks him in the church like this. He would literally punch him. "Now I'll say this again, let's go get breakfast," The Alpha purred in his ear and he swallowed, glaring at the other. The King smiled. "Words." He felt his face get redder in humiliation and the reminders from the last time. He glared at him. The bell rang.

"Whatever," he seethed. The King used his other hand that was trapping him in to grab his cheeks and squeeze them, yanking his face up to force him to look into his eyes.

"Now that wasn't a yes." The other squeezed his cheeks until he let out a pained noise. He brought his hand up to the other's arm, trying to loosen his hold.

"Y-yes!" He shot out and The King let him go. Geno brought his hand to his cheeks, rubbing it as the other walked to the door, and he slowly followed after the other. He had to regain his composure as he had almost forgotten how to walk. He pulled his hood back on and yanked his scarf to cover his lower face as he felt it heat up, his mind replaying everything that had just gone down. He didn't expect the Alpha to be so…perverted.

Whoa, Enid was swooning. He didn't even know how to react. He had never been treated like that. He would be humiliated and made fun of, but this type of humiliation was different. He followed after the lycan as they made their way down the stairs. When they entered the castle, Geno had calmed himself down enough but now he was on edge around the other. He couldn't trust The Alpha. He followed the other into the dining room. He hesitated as everyone's loudness went slightly quieter upon seeing him. The King walked towards a certain table but paused to turn to him. Geno swallowed with a glare as he slowly followed. The Alpha waited for him. When he got to the table, The Alpha seemed to be waiting for him to sit down. So, he did. The table had Thanatos, Makaria, Eris, Keres, and Azrael. He hated this. He knew they were going to try to talk to him. Eris stayed quiet. She side-glanced him as he pulled his hood up more to ignore them.

"Geno? You're here!" Makaria chimed. He didn't respond and Thanatos tsked. The others were sizing him up cautiously. The King came back, setting down food in front of him and then for himself. The Alpha then sat down, but not without pulling Geno's hood off. The Luna let out a quiet growl and swatted the other’s hand away. The King, though, didn't care and started to eat the food. Geno sent a glare at him and turned away in a huff. He didn't want to eat. His stomach was in knots from the discomfort he was feeling. The King noticed him just staring at it before reaching over and taking his fork and picking some of the food and slowly raising it up to Geno's mouth with a smile.

"You want me to feed you, too, princess?" The Alpha teased and he lashed out, yanking the fork out of his hand and growling at him as he moved himself away, moving his chair to the side and closer to Azrael. The King then pushed his chair again to get closer to him.

"Stop!" He almost yelled out, barely keeping his volume under control. The King was still looking down at him with that stupid, arrogant smile.

"Then eat and I'll leave you be." He huffed and did, taking his first bite very slowly. Leaning on his hand, he turned away from everyone watching them. Thanatos
hummed.

"Seems someone's learning." Geno shot a glare at the Beta, growling. The King, taking a bite of his food, chuckled.

"Careful, a beast in a cage is still a beast, Thanatos." Thanatos couldn't help but chuckle too. He glared now at The King and kicked him.

"Who are you calling a beast!?" He fumed. The King turned to him, raising an eyebrow, but also leaning against his hand, his elbow on the table; this fucking asshole was enjoying this.

"Out of everything I've called you today, that’s the one you have a problem with?" The Lycan commented and he turned his head, ignoring the other. While trying to calm his anger, even Enid seemed frustrated.

How do you even win with him? Enid stated, as if she were in awe, from how well Reaper was beating him with his own game.

Oh, don't worry, I have an idea. He stared at his food as he slowly ate it.

"You are acting weird," Thanatos stated to the King. Makaria was staring at them so intensely that it was making him feel uncomfortable.

"Are you two mates?" She outright asked. Thanatos looked surprised at his mate's thought. But, when The King didn't respond and just laughed, it confirmed the suspicions she had. Thanatos' eyes widened and he slammed his hands on the table.

"No way." Geno let out a growl at them. The King looked amused.

"He doesn't want to talk about it."

"What! You get mated to the strongest, oldest, most sought-after Lycan in the world, and you "don't want to talk about it?" Thanatos criticized his choice. Geno slammed his hands on the table, feeling an extreme rage, and stood up. He moved to walk away but The Alpha stopped him, of course.

"Geno, sit back down," the other stated and he felt himself freeze slightly before his eyes went to the other. He didn't want to; he was done being treated like this. Their eyes had a conversation without Geno even realizing. The King turned his gaze to Thanatos.

"Thanatos, apologizes." The Lycan King stated. Thanatos flinched and made an almost disgusted face.

"Huh?!" Thanatos exclaimed. The Alpha tilted his head slightly.

"Do you not realize your mistakes?" The King's tone was almost daring to the other. Thanatos looked a little panicked at how the tables had turned.

"I-uh," he stuttered.

"You very openly talked down on a Luna's choice, without even knowing the contents of said choice, never mind the rank difference. Would you critique my choices too?" The Alpha questioned. Thanatos put his head down as he realized what he had done was indeed wrong.

"...No, sir." The King took more food into his mouth and swallowed.

"Then apologize." Thanatos stood up and bowed slightly to Geno.

"I'm sorry, Luna, for looking down on your choices." Geno didn't respond and The King glanced at him.

"If that was sufficient, princess, sit," The Alpha teased and Geno bit his tongue before he sat down hesitantly, and then Thanatos joined, sitting as well. The King then looked at Thanatos. "Though I agree, Thanatos, with your opinion. I've never had a she-wolf deny me before," The King stated, messing with his food before the smirk appeared on his face. "It's kind of exciting." Geno felt his face go red, and he glared at the other. He brought his scarf up to cover his lower face. Goddess, he's such a-

-Pervert Enid spoke. He was glad someone agreed with him. He decided that if he ate quickly, he could get out of here sooner. Everyone was watching them, shocked. They also hadn't seen this side of their Lycan King in a while. He didn't remember him being like this. Was it because he was a pup and not yet his mate? The other did tease him before, but it wasn't this much. When he finished, he stood up, and of course, The King followed after him. He dumped the rest he didn't need and gave the tray back to the kitchen, The Alpha doing precisely that as well. Geno only now noticed that the other hadn't pulled his book out once. He was waiting for him to act out so that he could start this. He quickly tried to run out of the kitchen before the other caught him, but he couldn't.

"Now, where do you think you're going? You have training in fifteen minutes," The King said in an almost sickly sweet tone. He flinched and froze, and he turned with a glare at the other’s amused smile looking down on him. Oh, he was going to swipe that smile off his face no matter what. The King walked past him and Geno huffed, following after the other as they made their way to the training room. When they entered, The King walked to the back to start setting up the room. The Luna moved to the bleachers and just sat down on the top away from everyone in the corner of the room. The female trainer soon arrived and began assisting The King in bringing out all the equipment. A shooting area, sword fighting, yoga, weights, and, of course, martial arts in the center. Azrael soon arrived and the equipment was all removed. The three of them talked in the center, behind the martial arts podium. He could hear them talking about plans for training. He also listened to the Alpha instruct the female instructor to focus on Geno, and if she couldn't, to involve him. Lycans started to come in.

Walking to the bleachers to take any of their unnecessary clothes off, and of course, most of them avoided him. His glare was harsh; he didn't even know why he was here. He didn't need to train. He was stronger than every Lycan here. He took down all of the South Wood Pack by himself. He taught himself in every way he could think of. He took down Blood Moon’s Beta. All he needed was to work with his stamina, which he could handle himself. It will naturally get better with time; he didn't need to train. The bell rang as everyone was in the room. The instructors began training while The King's eyes watched them all, but mainly him. He hadn't moved and didn't plan to participate.

The female instructor went through every she-wolf on what they would do for the day before her eyes landed on him. She visibly swallowed before walking over to him with a determined look. She stopped in front of him at the bottom of the bleachers, looking up at him.

"No," he stated and she looked surprised, as she hadn't even asked yet.

"Luna, please-" she started to say, but he interrupted her, standing up and walking down the bleachers to land in front of her, towering over her, causing her to take a step back.

"I don't need to train," he growled and then he closed his eyes in frustration at the certain Alpha who joined the conversation.

"You don't need to train?" The Lycan King questioned behind him. His glare turned to The Lycan standing nearby with a smile.

"I'm perfect, I don't need that," he snapped. The Alpha steps forward.

"You're perfect?" The Alpha asked, leaning in close to his face. He almost took a step back, but he wasn't going to lose. "Thats a very prideful thing to say, wolves do rely on their pride to survive, but to say you're perfect…I thought you had had enough during breakfast, but I guess you can't help but want to be put in your place. So how about it, little pup? Beating my Beta was easy, but can you handle me?" The Alpha challenged and he took a few steps back, actually feeling scared. Could he? Enid had stood up and she looked very confident. She wanted to prove herself, he could tell, especially to her mate. He thought about it in silence as The Alpha watched him fight himself. He then glared up at the other and took a step forward. A cruel smile rode its way up the other's face. The female instructor was shocked. Geno never remembered The Alpha sparring with anyone. The female instructor quickly left and went to Azrael. Geno pulled his cloak and scarf off and so did the Alpha. He was a lot bigger than he remembered under the cloak. Everyone had moved off the podium and when they walked up, everyone was thoroughly shocked. A Luna that took down the Beta of the pack, going against The Alpha. They went to their opposite sides. The Alpha's smile had not left his mouth. Goddess, he was going to get his ass kicked, wasn't he? Well, this was what he wanted, like The Alpha said.

Oh so now you admit it

Enid humored. He mentally rolled his eyes. He needed something to take his anger out on that could withstand him. It had nothing to do with his mate.

Sureee

Oh my Goddess, I'm going to sell you. She laughed, stretching and getting herself ready.

Oh, shush, you'll need me for this one. He sighed, knowing she was right. The King watched him and smiled.

"Ladies first," The King teased, mocking him.

Let's kill him. Enid snapped.

Agreed. He decided to test the waters first. He shot his first attack quickly, which the other blocked as if it were nothing. He quickly retreated. He did it again. He wanted to see if the other had any weaknesses in blocking, but he didn't show any, unlike Thanatos. The King was watching his every move very intently, so he continued, each time jumping back quickly to protect himself. His retreats were part of his strategy. The King chuckled after a while of doing this.

"This is getting a little repetitive, don't you think?" The Alpha questioned and he growled at him. He was intentionally pissing him off; but little did the Lycan know, he fights better when he's mad. He got an idea since the other was watching him so intently that he could try to fake him out, but he needed to be closer. He did it again, his hit-and-run style, but he stopped himself mid-run to try a fake. Still, it seemed like The King had already guessed he would fake-out and caught him, so Geno flipped himself quickly to get out of his grip, landing gracefully on his feet, and successfully retreated. People gasped at that. The King was smiling even more. The thing is, male wolves and she wolves are very much the same, except for one thing: Agility. The she-wolf excels at that where the male wolf does not. Using that to his advantage against any male wolves is how you defeat one. "Didn't know you were such an acrobat," The King chimed and he growled again.

"Shut up," he snapped and decided on a different type of attack. He could use their size difference to his advantage. Most people would think the taller and bigger one would have an advantage. Still, if you have the same strength, it's more of an advantage to be smaller because you can dodge and get into smaller spaces more easily, making it more difficult for them. He shot out again, but when he got close enough, he ducked completely and swung his legs around. The Alpha responded by jumping back and grabbing his leg, yanking him closer. Geno then used his other leg to put him in a choke hold. The Alpha chuckled and slammed them to the ground, giving him a way to escape and he didn't hesitate to take it. He knows he wouldn't have been able to choke the other out, as you would have to be way stronger than he currently is to do that to an Alpha Lycan. He could tell it was just a slight annoyance to the other. He landed on his feet, turning around, but he wasn't fast enough as The Alpha was right next to him. How did he-? Geno's eyes widened and he brought his hands up quickly to block. The other faked a punch, and he attacked his other side. He turned and now the Alpha was attacking, and Geno could barely keep up with his blocks, taking steps back and losing ground.
The thing about this podium was that it was made for the loser to fall off. Now, as he slowly reached two feet from the edge, the other was attacking in specific ways that only made him go backwards. He's doing it on purpose, not letting him go around in any other direction. He plans to win by forcing him off the podium? That's cheap. How would he get around? He tried to think of any other way, but with the other attacking so fast that when he hit the edge with his back foot, he wobbled. He couldn't stop himself; he shot forward at the other, reaching his arms up. The Alpha was confused by the way the move looked, as it was not attacking, but almost resembled a hug. He still attacked, striking the Luna, but Geno grit his teeth and continued with the momentum he had built, using his hands to push on the others' shoulders.

The other was like a brick wall he couldn't push through, so why not over? He jumped his feet, pushing off the floor. He had never done this before so hopefully he could land it. He flipped entirely over the other with his hands on his shoulders, The Alpha looking up, surprised. Geno then landed on his feet with a stumble on the other side of The King. Turning around quickly, knowing the other would already have a plan for another attack, he blocked instantly, but the other faked his shots multiple times before finding an opening and attacking again in the same spot. Gosh, his one side is going to have so many bruises. He didn't even notice the yells from the pack. They probably thought the two were evenly matched, but that couldn't be further from the truth. Anyone with knowledge against sparing The King and sparing in general could tell Geno was just barely holding his ground. Geno was slowly panicking, and so was Enid, as he felt himself growing tired. He took deeper breaths than the other, not getting enough oxygen. The King hadn't even broken a sweat yet. Is this what Thanatos felt like when fighting against him? He felt like he was against an unmoving force. The Alpha chuckled, looking at him as he took a few steps back.

"Seems your stamina needs work." The King smirked. Geno growled, glaring even more. Enid was annoyed. This antagonizing worked and caused Geno to fall right into his trap, unlike before. He attacked the other in a less-than-ideal way without any plan for retreat, so the other blocked him and then aimed for the same spot to hit him. He let out a noise of pain before swinging his arm up with his claws extended. The Alpha caught it and Geno's eyes widened. He broke the rules. The King's dark eyes glowed down on him.

"Now we're breaking the rules, huh?" The Alpha pulled his arm behind his back, making him scream out in pain, before his legs were kicked out from under him, making him slam hard into the ground. The other pushed his face into the ground as he struggled, but each time he struggled, The Alpha squeezed his arm backwards more, making him let out more pained noises. His mind rushed to decide what to do. Did he lose? No. NO! He refused! He wasn't weak! This was all he had! He refused! Then, he did something crazy. He yanked hard on his arm, pulling it out of its socket. The Alpha was shocked and didn't have time to react as Geno flipped his entire body and kicked him so harshly That the Alpha was slammed across the podium. He had used so much of his strength in that move, he could only shakily stand up and bring his other arm to his clearly out-of-socket limp arm. The King moved himself up and their eyes locked as Geno pushed his arm back into its socket like he had done it a hundred times, gritting his teeth in pain as he did. The Alpha soon stood up. Everyone was in horrid shock that he would go so far. The Alpha wasn't smiling anymore. He seemed serious now, sternly looking at him. That was when he noticed the tears going down his face. He took a step back in surprise, bringing his hand up to them. Immediately covering his face. These weren't from pain.

"Wolf run starts now, everyone out." The Alpha stated this and everyone was shocked; they quickly left, rushing out of the room. He didn't move as he and The Alpha were left in the big room. "There. Everyone's gone, we can continue." Geno looked surprised as tears continued to stream down his face. The King then slowly walked over and Geno immediately took a step back. He swung his leg, which the other caught, and Geno then used his other foot, making himself catch himself in a headstand. He swung his other leg, which the Alpha caught as well. He then pushed himself off the floor to force all his weight onto the other, but The Alpha pushed and let go, taking a step back, so Geno flipped and was able to land on his feet. His back was to The Alpha, so he guessed and blocked in a random direction. He successfully dodged him and made his first contact with the other. He felt himself start to get hiccups. His tears were getting worse and soon he won't be able to see, but he kept going. Now he turned to attack the other, blocking him as he kept getting faster, and his own breathing grew faster and faster, feeling his panic attack start. He was trembling as everything flashed in his mind, even Enid couldn't handle it. He didn't realize what maybe keeping all of this in for three years would do to him. When he started to not be able to breathe and his attacks were so weak, The Alpha maneuvered him to fall on his chest, holding him close and tightly. When he felt the comfort, he couldn't help the scream that left his mouth. When was he so weak? He's always crying!

He couldn't stand anymore, going limp as the other slowly kneeled him to the ground and shushed him as he continued to have his breakdown. His panic attack felt like it was just getting worse.

"Shhh, let it all out," Reaper encouraged him. So, he cried and cried.

"I loved him so much!" He screamed out. He felt the other tense up. The other was comforting him as much as he could. "He never loved me!" He cried out again. The other held him tighter, protectively. "I was nothing to him!" "I was nothing to the pack!" "I'm nothing!" He couldn't even understand his own words, but somehow he could.

"You're not nothing, my dear," the comforting voice said. Geno squeezed his eyes and hands.

"I-I hate you!" He cried out and the other chuckled. "I-I hate you for making me feel this!" He yelled at the other and The Alpha sighed, rubbing Geno's back to comfort him more.

"It had to come out at some point, Geno. Sparing is the only way for a she-wolf," The Alpha informed him and he glared his blurry eyes at the others' cloak. He started to swing his arms weakly at the other's chest.

"S-so you did this on purpose!" He accused and Reaper laughed.

"You're only now realizing this?" The other teased and he felt his face go red. He hit the other more.

"You suck! Why?!" He cried out, feeling more tears go down his face. Goddess, he was such a mess; he hadn't cried this much since he killed his first werewolf. And of course, The King was there too. Why does he always see him at his worst?

"I originally did it to prove a point to you, but I soon realized, with how extreme you were willing to go, that there was some underlying problem. I'm sorry I didn't realize sooner how much pain you were in," Reaper apologized and he squeezed his hands against the other's.

"You weren't supposed to," he snapped.

"Yeah, you definitely hid it well behind fake confidence and ego," the other ridiculed him. He smacked the other's chest. Reaper chuckled. "Are you sure you still don't want to talk about it?" The King asked.

"I basically did, you're smart enough to pick up context clues," he snapped.

"So I'm guessing that’s a no," The Alpha hummed. They stayed in silence with an occasional little hiccup noise coming from Geno as he tried to compose himself. He felt so tired.

"...did…Red’s mate…was it…” He couldn't even finish his sentence and The Alpha didn't respond. That was all the answer he needed. He felt more tears go down his face and he squeezed the other's cloak, shoving his face into it. "She's so cruel!" He yelled out.

"Who?" The Alphs asked, and Geno, blurry eyed, pointed at the moon symbol on the banners.

"Her! She did this on purpose! S-she told me! I was always supposed to reject him! I- he was never mine!" He cried out. The Alpha now seemed to understand and he sighed heavily.

"She's always been like that-Though...I think she felt bad about this one," Reaper stated. Geno huffed.

"W-why?"

"Cause she apologized to us this year." This caused him to freeze and look up, a confused expression on his face. Their eyes locked together.

"Us?" His confusion clear on his face.

"She used the term 'you two’ during the Winter Solstice," Reaper explained and Geno looked back down. He was still so bitter. He leaned his head against the other’s chest and they sat in comfortable silence.

"Does this mean I win?" He whispered and The King laughed.

"I think you falling into my arms means it's my win," he teased and Geno's face went red; he then realized how close they really were. He pushed the other and pulled away from the Lycan. Sitting down on the floor further away, now with crossed arms, bringing his hands up to wipe the remaining tears off his face. There was movement and the door to the training room opened. Azrael was standing there.

"Your highness, the run was a success. Will you need help putting the equipment away?"

"Yes." The Alpha turned his gaze to him. "How about you go sit on the bleachers?" The Alpha suggested. Geno was too tired, both emotionally and physically, to fight him, and so he did. He stood up slowly, wobbling, before making his way down the podium and walking towards the bleachers. He arrived and sat down. He put his shoes back on and his cloak and scarf. He waited, watching the two put away the equipment. He waited until they were done. He didn't think they took so long fighting; he must've cried in the other's arms for an hour. There was thirty minutes left before lunch. He didn't want to go eat. The Alpha walked past him and grabbed his cloak, pulling it on, then put on his shoes.

Geno watched the other, which made the other glance at him. He looked away instantly. He got caught staring. The Alpha hummed. "Follow me." Geno huffed and forced himself up. He was tired. Geno followed after the other. The Alpha led him through the halls, up the stairs, and to his office. When he got there, the guards opened the door for both of them. They walked past the two small couches, positioned across from each other with a table in the middle in the center of the room. The Alpha got to his desk. The Alpha turned around to him as he followed.

"I'm inviting you back to the pack. Do you want how we did it before, or to drink my blood? Either way works." The Alpha stated, pulling out a small blade from his desk. Geno shrugged. The Alpha eyes went to him. "Okay, I'll pick." He was remembered when Science invited him to the pack. They cut his hand and the feeling was very different from being invited to the pack as he was his mate. It strengthened the bond between them, almost as if they were marking each other. The Alpha turned to him. "On your knees." Geno blinked at him before his face went red in shock. The King raised an eyebrow and an amused smirk rode its way on his face. "Someone has a dirty mind. It's traditional to kneel when receiving blood from the Alpha." Reaper teased. Geno's face went redder.

"I wasn't thinking anything! You're the pervert!" He snapped. The King chuckled.

"Projecting much? Now get on your knees, Geno. I won't ask a third time," The Alpha demanded. Geno glared and slowly got on his knees in front of the other. The Alpha's eyes roamed over him hungrily, making him shudder, and the Luna looked away. The Alpha brought his blade to his hand. "We won't have to do anything but the blood pack, as you were already once in the pack," Reaper explained and he nodded. The Alpha ran the blade over his hand, causing it to bleed. "Open," The Alpha stated. Geno swallowed nervously, then opened his mouth as the other raised his hand above him, letting it drip a few times in his mouth. The other moved his hand, and the Luna closed his mouth. "Now swallow." Geno sent a glare at the other and did. He flinched hard as the feeling of being connected to this pack overwhelmed his senses, and not only that, but also the feeling of his mate. Once the initial dizziness had passed, he slowly stood up and The King motioned towards the couches. Geno walked over and sat on one of the couches while Reaper sat at his desk to do work. He felt nervous again in a room by himself with Reaper. The Alpha started looking through papers and worked, and Geno glanced at him a few times.

"Why am I here?" He asked.

"Because I can't trust you by yourself," The Alpha stated. He glared.

"What, why?!" He demanded.

"You've been sneaking out of the castle without getting permission," The Alpha explained. Is he meaning going to the village?

"I don't need permission!" He pointed out.

"You've always needed permission. You could get kidnapped again," The Alpha pointed out. Geno rolled his eyes.

"I don't know if you got my letter but I can clearly handle myself." Reaper eyes went to him.

"I got all your letters and I know you can. I can as well, but you don't see me going anywhere without guards, do you?" The Alpha questioned and Geno went quiet at
that.

"Fine, I promise to not leave the castle without telling you. Can I go now?" He exasperatedly asked. He was so tired. The King went back to doing work.

"Where exactly do you want to go?" He asked.

"To my room," he stated.

"Then no."

 

"What, why?!" He cried out.

"Because you have been using your room to get out of doing your duties," The King informed.

"What duties? I didn't have any until we found out we were mated," he complained.

"Did you honestly think I was letting you stay here without any work?" The King's eyes lifted to stare at him while he processed his words.

"Wait, you planned to make me Luna of your pack regardless of being mates?" He questioned

"That was always the plan," Reaper explained.

See, I told you

This doesn't mean anything! He felt his face go red, looking down at his hands.

"W-why?" He questioned, feeling embarrassed, and he heard the other chuckle.

"You're asking why I picked you? Isn't that a little cliché?" The King teased. He felt his face heat up and he crossed his arms.

"Whatever! Fuck off!" He grumbled, basically pouting on the couch.

"Aww, did I make you mad?" Reaper teased again. He shot a glare.

"I will throw this couch at you." The King chuckled and continued to work on his documents. He glanced at them.

"Well, if I'm supposed to do my duties, why aren't I?" He asked.

"Because we need to see how far in your training you are."

"I finished," he shot out. He didn't want to do any more tests.

"Yes, but we would like to confirm. I'll have Thanatos do it with you tomorrow." He groaned. He didn't want to be with Thanatos. The Beta hated him. He sighed, leaning more into the couch. The bell rang for lunch. The Alpha stood up and he didn't. The King glanced at Geno, who was averting his eyes. Reaper walked over until he was standing in front of him. He then reached down, grabbing his chin, tingles forming on the places he touched. The other moved his face to make him look up at him. Tired eyes met deep blue ones. The King hummed while staring at him. He averted his eyes, not liking the attention, feeling his face heat up.

"I'm giving you a choice. You can come with me and eat lunch with everyone in the dining hall and get some freedom for the rest of the day, or you can stay here for the rest of the day and eat both meals here with me," The King offered. Geno thought about it. As long as he doesn't talk or cause any problems, The King will relatively leave him alone.

"Can I get my books?" He asked. The Alpha smiled and nodded, letting go of his face.

"Of course, I can send a maid-"

"No!" He interrupted him aggressively. The King raised an eyebrow.

"No?" The King questioned. He probably thinks he's trying to do something. He doesn't want guards in his room either. His room was his only safe space. No one can go in.

"It's fine, I don't need them, never mind," he stated. The Alpha stared down at him.

"I've never met a she-wolf so protective of their room. Usually it's just the bed once they’ve nested, is there a reason?" The King asked and Geno stared down at his hands on his knees.

"No," he lied.

"Geno, do I need to remind you how I feel about liars?" He flinched; he had forgotten that the other could tell when he lied. Does that mean he's been seeing through everything from the beginning? That's why it feels like the other was always one step ahead of him. The King was waiting for him to respond. He squeezed his hands.

"I-I don't want to talk about it," he stuttered.

"Why?" Fuck him. He panicked; he couldn't lie.

"Cause it's embarrassing! It's not even important, so please-" He was basically begging him. The other grabbed his chin, forcing his face up like before.

"I can make this a lot more embarrassing. I don't enjoy liars, Geno," The King threatened.

"I-I," He felt himself panic.

"Either you can tell me, or since it's 'not so important,' you let me send a maid to retrieve the books from your room and if anything comes up about this again, you will be punished. Choose." Geno's head rushed, trying to decide before he averted his eyes.

"Y-you can send a maid." The King tsked and let him go. He could tell the other didn't like his choice, but didn't probe any further. It will be fine, they won't destroy anything. He tried to calm himself down. The King had moved back to his desk. He stayed tense on the couch for a while until a knock was heard on the door.

"Come in," The Alpha stated. Two kitchen staff members walked in, one placing food on the King's desk and the other on the coffee table in front of him, with drinks for both of them. The kitchen staff bowed and then left. He stared down at the food before sighing. He had reached for the food before another knock was heard. The Alpha let them in. A maid slowly walked in and he tensed up, avoiding looking at her. She slowly placed books on the coffee table, including the broken ones. When the maid left, The King spoke.

"What happened to them?" The Alpha seemed angry and he flinched, staring at the broken pages as tears welled up in his eyes all over again. Was he going to get punished for something he didn't do again?

"I-I," He stuttered, panicking. The King sighed.

"Guessing that something you also refuse to tell me," The Alpha deadpanned and he flinched again. The King stood up from his desk and walked over to them to assess the damage. His eyes were narrowing even more. "I think I will need to start taking the books away, too." The King grabbed one.

"What! No! Please don't!" He pleaded. The King looked at him.

"All you have to do is tell me what happened and I won't."

"But-I" His eyes looked down at his hands, his mind flashed, all three years going through his head. He felt so humiliated. He shook his head. "I can't please, I'm not ready yet," he begged, looking up at the other. The King's stern eyes went soft and he sighed.

"Okay, then answer this. Did you have any control over the damage to these books?" Geno shook his head.

"Words," The King snapped.

"No, I didn't," he admitted and The King placed the book back on the table and patted his head.

"There you go. That wasn't so hard now, was it?" The other purred and he felt his face heat up, and he shot a glare at the other as The Alpha left for his desk. The atmosphere had changed, making it more comfortable for Geno to eat as he slowly did and he gently flipped through his books.

"I can get someone to fix them if you would like," Reaper suggested and he turned to him.

"Can they?!" He asked. The King nodded and the Luna was filled with hope for once.

"Just leave them in here and I'll have them fixed in a few days." He nodded. He ate with The Alpha and once he was done, he read his book, curled up on the couch. Hours passed and soon his crying and fighting caught up with him, causing his eyes to close as he struggled to stay awake until he finally fell asleep on the couch. He was woken up in a few hours with a nudge. He whined and heard a chuckle before he opened his eyes to see The King. Thanatos was in the room to the side and a kitchen staff member was placing food in front of him.

"It's dinner time," The Alpha hummed. He rubbed his eyes and pushed himself up with a yawn. The King smiled, looking down at him. He glanced at Thanatos as The King walked back to his desk. He looked at the food as the kitchen staff left. Thanatos began to discuss a policy with The King. He probably should've been listening to it as he would be their Luna, but he didn't care. He slept for two hours. He was surprised the other didn't wake him. He started to eat. He got through most of the food before Thanatos commented.

"Seems it's going well so far." The Beta glanced at him. The King hummed.

"We are getting there." Thanatos nodded.

"That's good." Thanatos moved to walk out but paused by him. "Oh, right. Geno, we will go through the Luna test tomorrow after lunch." He nodded and Thanatos walked out. They sat in silence until The King spoke.

"Well, you definitely burned that bridge," Reaper humored. His eyebrows narrowed and he turned to face the other.

"Huh?"

"It took you two days to make everyone in this castle your enemy. It's kind of impressive." The King smiled and he glared and looked away.

"Better that than them looking down on me," he deadpanned.

"You think they were going to look down on you? They pledged their loyalty to you before you shifted. I even did that before you left…now I'm starting to think I shouldn't have." He flinched at the harsh words. He squeezed his hands and looked down at them.

"Why did you even do that?" He questioned.

"Because you deserved it," The King stated. Geno glared at his hands.

"No point when you sent me there," he stated bitterly.

"I gave you a choice," The King pointed out. He glared and turned to the other.

"You shouldn't have!" He snapped. Reaper raised an eyebrow at him.

"What did you want me to do? Make you reject him? Cause a war? kidnap you?" The Alpha countered.

"Yes!" He yelled out. The King sighed.

"You were so much more mature before. You understood the conflicting issues at hand and didn't want to hurt anyone else, so you chose that path. But then, you got
hurt at your little pack and now you would rather haveeveryone else hurt," The Lycan stated. Geno glared.

"I didn't get hurt, I lost myself!" He cried out and brought his hands to his face. Silence went through the room.

"If you would just let us help you get it back," The Alpha advised. He shook his head.

"No! I just need to be alone," he shot out. The King sighed.

"Geno, you've been alone for three years. Are you sure that's what you need?" Reaper questioned. He stayed quiet. It was all he knew. He didn't get hurt when he was by himself. He didn't feel like eating while staring at it. He sighed, pulled his hood up, and curled up on the side of the couch. He heard the other sigh again. After about another hour of sitting there listening to the Alpha write on documents, he started to feel restless. Enid wanted to go on a run. She was getting greedy. He pushed himself up and walked to the door.

"What are you doing?" The Alpha asked, annoyed, and Geno got a brilliant idea. He's going to get in so much trouble. He turned around and smiled at the other.

"Catch me," he dared the other. The Alpha, who didn't even get time to register that, watched as Geno turned and ran out of the office. With only three sets of stairs, he could just jump over them.

You're going to kill yourself Enid grumbled and he laughed.

Then I'll trust you to protect us. Enid sighed like a forty-year-old mother. Oh come on, if we get out without getting caught, we can shift peacefully
and deal with our problems afterward! He chimed. Enid seemed intrigued and agreed. So when he got to the stairs, he jumped. It was a lot higher than he thought but he was able to roll the damage. He heard a lot of movement and the guards next to him instantly shot forward. He dodged them both and was able to make his way through the hallway. He mindlinked The Alpha.

Using the guards? That's cheating, he accused the other as he ran down the hallway.

I will not ask this twice, Geno. Get back here. Damn, The Alpha sounded so pissed. He smiled.

No, he couldn't help the giggle that happened after. He cut off any further mind-linking, as he knew the other could command him, and he wasn't going to let that happen.

This is fun, let's get his wolf to join Enid chimed excitedly, her tail wagging. She never could play with Science's wolf as he refused to shift together. He didn't plan for The Alpha to find him, though. He reached the front door and shot out, expecting the guards that would be there, but he was too fast for them. The guards at the gate stood there and they moved to block him. He smiled at them. The gate wasn't that tall; he could use it. He didn't slow his sprint, which made the guards back up nervously. As he jumped, he reached up with his hands to push himself up using their shoulders, causing them to fall. He had pushed himself to the top of the gate, which he landed on and recognized immediately that it was silver, so he quickly but carefully made his way on and jumped off on the other side. The guards there tried to grab him, but again, they were so slow. Didn't they learn their lesson when he beat their superior?

He heard a thunderous growl from the other side of the gate. He knew who that was; he was closer than he thought. He flinched and he didn't need to be told twice as he basically sprinted off onto the path. Maybe he shouldn't have done this? Well, he didn't have much to lose and causing a big commotion on a boring night was very fun. He had never done this before. He sprinted far and glanced behind him to see nothing, so when he finally got to the location he had been shifting in, he took a breather. He didn't think it would be so easy to escape, but it was. Probably won't be so easy in the future, so he should definitely not take this for granted. He brought his hands up to his cloak but suddenly found that he heard footsteps. He quickly turned around to find The King standing there smiling. His eyes widened. How did he- he moved to run, but of course, this is when he loses his footing and slips, falling backward. He looked up and the other looked even more amused.

"Found you," The Alpha mocked him. He panicked and didn't get far as the other stepped on his cloak so he couldn't move. He then shot his hands up to undo the cloak, but the other grabbed his wrists. "Nope, we are heading back." He struggled harder as the other pulled him up.

"No! I want to- "he stopped himself and averted his eyes, but continued to fight against the other. The Alpha had stopped trying to pull him and stayed still. Reaper narrowed his eyes and Geno could basically read on the other’s face that The King demanded him to finish his sentence. He sighed and looked down at the ground between their bodies. “…I wanted to shift…” he muttered. The Alpha loosened his grip.

"Geno, you can tell me your needs, you know that, right? You do not need to cause trouble for the entire castle when you want something." Geno gave a small smile.

"But it was fun," he stated. The Alpha raised an eyebrow before his eyes flashed and he chuckled. Geno had a feeling he had said something wrong.

"Since it was so fun, let's continue, though it won't be me chasing you." Geno looked confused as his eyes went up to The King, finding them all black instead of the usual blue. His wolf.

Oooooooo. Enid chimed

Enid! Shut up! He yelled at her. He waved his hands back and forth in panic, trying to move backwards.

"No, no, no! I wanted to shift, not run!" He yelled out. The King chuckled.

"Then shift. Doesn't change my lesson. Since you wanted to get chased so much, then I'll chase you. And I suggest you run as fast as you can, for when I catch
you…" The voice was weird, somehow deeper, almost demented. This was his wolf talking, alright. The other brought his hands up, taking his cloak off. Goddess Enid was right. He's worse. Geno felt his face go red and he panicked more. The Luna brought his hands to his cloak, quickly pulling it off, and then his shoes, but then he paused.

"T-turn around then!" The Alpha raised an eyebrow and the confusion from what he said even caused his eyes to shift back to blue.

"Turn around?" Reaper shot out.

"Yes! Or I'm not shifting!" He shot out. The King looked at him, bewildered.

"How are you making demands right now?" Reaper stated. He glared.

"Respect my boundaries!" He growled. The King sighed as if it were annoying.

"Do I need to remind you that I've already seen you naked multiple times?" The Alpha pointed out how stupid this was.

"It's different now!" He yelled out, closing his eyes. The Alpha chuckled and leaned down closer to him.

"How so?" The Alpha purred. This asshole is making him say it.

"C-c-cause you're my…mate," he stuttered, his face red, keeping his eyes closed. The other laughed.

"Very well," he purred again. Geno opened his eyes to see The Alpha turned away from him. He nervously took his clothes off, folded them nicely on the bench, and let Enid shift. When she gained complete control, she, of course, barked at her mate. Oh no, he forgot how Enid was. The Alpha turned to her, his blue eyes staring down in interest. He kneeled down and she came right to him. He brought his hand up, petting her head.

"Well, hello, I don't think I've met you before." She rumpled happily, letting him pet her while Geno groaned in annoyance. "You're a lot more obedient than he is." Enid nodded and he mindlinked them both.

Hey! He yelled, and The Alpha chuckled. Enid rubbed herself against him and he wanted to die.

Enid, can you not! He shot out. Reaper tilted his head at her.

"Enid, huh?" Geno realized his accidental mind had linked The Alpha with that one as well. Ugh.

"Almost feels unjustified to make you run when Geno was the one getting in trouble. How about you let him take the reins?" Enid huffed, putting her ears down.

I'd rather not. He shot out. The Alpha laughed.

"Since you want to play so badly, Enid, how about this? You let Death bully Geno and once I deem it satisfactory, you and Death can go play for the rest of the night." Enid looked excited. Death? That's his wolf's name? That's not terrifying at all!

You did not just bargain with my wolf! He yelled at both of them. He felt Enid pull back, essentially forcing him to take control.

Enid, you traitor! He heard The Alpha laugh and he jumped back with a growl; The Alpha's eyes turned black.

"I'll give you a head start." The deeper voice spoke and Geno flinched, turned, and ran.

I hate you so much, you are my wolf! Enid didn't respond, she was feeling guilty. She betrayed herself because she was easily swayed.

Oh my Goddess, I'm weak, she states sadly and he continued to run through the forest before a deafening howl went through the air.

Yeah, I can fucking tell! He's panicking, oh Goddess. Why did he feel like prey? He's never met the other wolf before, even when he was a pup. His paws slammed into the snow-covered ground.

Enid, what do I do? Should I hide? He cried out and Enid shook her head.

He can smell you. There's no point. He needs to cover his scent. How does he do that? His eyes went to the snow.

What if I hide in the snow? He suggested as he bolted into the forest, he had thankfully somewhat remembered the forest from the other two times Enid had explored it.

Seriously? She judgmentally said.

What? We are white! He stated. But before she responded, he heard movement behind him.

He's gaining on you. Those words sent him into a flurry and his legs beat against the snow as fast as they could, feeling himself take in deep breaths. He thought he was going fast until he could almost feel the other one behind him. This is bad, one lunge and the other could…He slammed his paws into the ground, stopping himself abruptly and lowering himself to the ground quickly, making the other shoot past him. He didn't wait to see and started running the other way; he sensed the other abruptly turn and follow him. He got a crazy idea.

Can we climb trees? He panicked, staring at the trees passing by. He would need to jump; he needs one he could easily climb.

HUH?! He rolled his eyes

YES OR NO, He screamed. He didn't have time for this.

I don't know?! I've never done it! AGAIN I'M INSIDE OF YOU, NOT CLIMBING TREES, she screamed back. His eyes spotted a perfect one.

WELL, I HOPE YOU DO He turned abruptly and ran straight for it. He jumped up and landed at the base of the tree. He slipped, but his claws dug in and he climbed up the trunk, making his way to a low branch. Then, he jumped to a higher one that looked more stable. Though once he got up on it, he kept slipping, and his claws were gripping it for life. He never tried to balance in this form before.

This was a bad idea. He trembled in the tree, trying to stay still. Should he climb higher?

YOU THINK? He ignored her as Death stared up at him before slowly circling the tree. Clearly looking for a way to get up. Should he jump?

No. He's trying to bait you to jump. He watched the black wolf jump onto a lower branch as if it were nothing.

ARE YOU SURE? He backed up on his branch and the older wolf watched him. The Alpha then jumped up and nipped at one of his paws, making him jump backwards to an even more unsafe spot, making him slip but catch himself. He yelped. He's forcing him to a dangerous place. He glanced up to see if there were any other branches, but they were not going to support his weight. If he jumped, the other would easily be able to get him. The other jumped up again, nipping at him, and he jumped backwards. As he did, the branch cracked, and he panicked, jumping forward when it fell. However, his upper half caught the branch, but it didn't last long, and he fell, landing harshly on the ground. OW. He instantly stood up, his red eyes meeting the black ones. He backed up fully, cornered in front of the tree. He growled loudly and lowered his head, ears back as his fur fluffed. Death walked forward, not affected in any way by his growling or warnings about getting close. The bigger wolf got too close, so he lunged to bite the other, but it just gave The Alpha an opening, quickly getting his teeth around his neck and slamming Geno against the ground. He whined and tried to pull away, but the other just bit down harder. The other hadn't broken skin yet.

ENID He cried out, scared. The other wasn't going to mark him like this, right? He was afraid; he's never been marked before. Science refused to.

Geno, submit to him, Enid stated. He tried to pull away and The Alpha growled fully over the other now as he was flat against the ground underneath him. He growled back.

No! How? He was conflicted and he growled, pushing back against the other, but he was way too strong. The Alpha then squeezed harder on his neck.

Lick his nose, Enid stated. He knew that was what you were supposed to do. That and show your belly or neck to the other.

No! He swung his head back in a last-ditch effort, but the other then squeezed hard, getting a better hold and slamming his face down into the ground. His body wiggled, trying to get out.

Geno, he will force you to submit. Don't fight him; it will just hurt us. The other finally squeezed down so hard that it was about to break skin, so he gave up, lowering his body. He stayed still and closed his eyes while whining. The older wolf no longer squeezed. Geno kept his tail tucked in between his legs. He waited a little bit before he slowly turned his head the best he could. The Alpha gently let go and Geno licked his nose shyly before averting his head, his ears down. The Alpha above him made an approving noise before scenting him by rubbing against him. He was tense and remained still in his spot. He didn't want to upset the wolf. After the wolf was done, he felt Death get behind him, and that’s when he felt red flags flash through his head. He jolted to run, but the other's jaw wrapped around his neck again, holding him close. Even Enid was shocked. This wasn't a punishment; this was rape. Enid immediately tried to take over, but he couldn't react in time, only doing what he could think to do.

REAPER! He screamed the name in fear, then the wolf above him let go and he heard the other laugh in his head.

Did you really think he would do that? Reaper humored, teasing him. He felt even more embarrassed.

You! You are-such-UGH, he couldn't even get his words out and all he could hear was the other laugh.

I think you learned your lesson. Go rest. Geno growled back and Enid asked again to take over, so he reluctantly did, knowing if he stayed any longer, the other might continue to torment him. Death stepped away from the other as Enid perked up and shook her fur, which was flattened in weird places by the other. She then made her way over to her mate and lowered her head in submission before rubbing against him. Geno felt conflicted. He was embarrassed over how easy she
was, but he also felt happy for Enid, as this was all she had ever wanted. She never asked for much. She's only ever asked for one thing. After everything she's done for him, he could let her have fun even if it's so fucking embarrassing. This wolf just terrorized him, and yet she's here drooling over him. Death was more gentle with her than with him and it annoyed him.

Favoritism, he shot out at them. He heard Death and Reaper laugh. They sounded similar, but there was a distinct difference in the octave.

We would treat you the same if you actually listened, Reaper explained.

No! He shot out and they laughed. He grumbled, upset. He wished Enid had his back on this, but he couldn't expect that from her. He could just sleep and ignore her, but he wanted to see how they interacted. Enid rubbed her tail under the other's chin. She then rubbed against him as Death did the same. They circled each other. Her tail was wagging. She was very excited and she started to prance, trying to get the other to play with her. Death joined in and they play-tackled each other, and while most of the time Enid was on the ground, she had fun. She nipped at his ear playfully before licking his nose. They nipped playfully at each other before she turned and started to run. Goddess, his body is going to be tired. She ran leisurely, wanting the other to catch up. He watched them enjoy each other. He had read up on a lot of body language in wolves, and so far, they have been teasing and flirting with each other big time. Adult wolves don't play unless they are flirting with each other anyway. They stayed in the forest and Geno started to actually enjoy watching Enid actually live for once.

Though, he did have to tell Enid to watch it when the two of them got a little too close. It didn't help that Death and Reaper seemed to be perverts and Enid was so willing. They played for two hours before the sun started to rise, and Reaper interrupted them. They had grown tired anyway and curled against each other on the ground, grooming one another.

Let's start heading back. The Alpha stated. Geno took over as Enid and he almost fell over.

Gosh, Enid, you did a number on this body, he complained as his body ached. He made his way through the forest, the other passing him. It was Reaper now, he could tell from the way he presented himself.

That was you. Remember the tree?! She pointed out and he rolled his eyes.

Whatever, it's Death's fault, he made me fall. He, of course, blamed everyone but himself. He followed after the other until they reached the bench. The Alpha shifted and he immediately freaked out and turned around. Feeling embarrassed over seeing the other naked. He heard Reaper laugh. Then The Alpha put on some clothes.

"You're going to have to get over this shyness. What if we went to war? You would be expected to shift to help." He glanced over, seeing the other fully clothed now.

I'll worry about that when we go to war. For now. I would like my privacy, please, he huffed.

"You didn't used to be like this, what happened?" He didn't respond. He knows precisely why he doesn’t like being naked. And he knows exactly what caused him to
be like this, but again, he was not ready to talk about something that embarrassing. He was the strongest wolf in that pack, yet he couldn't do anything about it. The Alpha sighed and turned around, and he shifted, quickly pulling his clothes on. He wanted to trust the other, but he couldn't. He stood up, finishing putting his shoes on before flipping his hood up and walking past the other. The Alpha walked forward and yanked the hood off and he groaned.

"Why can't I have the hood on?" He complained, bringing his hands up to his white hair to fix it.

"When you are officially Luna, you can," the other stated.

"Ugh, you and your stupid old traditions. How do I even 'officially' become the Luna?" he mocked and rolled his eyes. The other hummed.

"By finishing your training or…" the other grabbed his waist, stopping him and pulling him in close. Their faces, inches apart. Geno's eyes widened. "By marking each other." Geno felt his face go red and he pushed the other, backing away. The Alpha let go and watched his reaction. He looked away, bringing his hand up to his scarf to cover his lower face. "You rejected him, so the old mark shouldn't get in the way," Reaper stated and Geno continued to look away.

"I don't have one." He deadpanned.

"What?" The Luna pulled the scarf down and turned to the other, but didn't look at his eyes.

"He never marked me." He stated. He wasn't even sad about it anymore. But the silence that followed him made him tense up. He glanced over to the other; his eyes
widened as they met black. A growl went through the other.

"You poor little pup." The other growled, moving forward and yanking him into his chest and he gasped. Death's mouth brushed against his neck's marking spot and he felt goosebumps go down him as he gasped again, and he wanted to push the other away, but he couldn't with the strong hold on him. His face exploded.

Oh my Goddess, Enid swooned. The Lycan king's wolf chuckled next to his ear.

"I would mark you right now if Reaper didn't want me to. How about you say yes so I can?" Death leaned his mouth onto the marking spot, his teeth grazing
it, making him let out noises.

"N-no!" He stuttered out a cry, squeezed his eyes shut. A deep chuckle resonated in the air as he moved back.

"Shame." Reaper’s eyes went back to blue and Geno couldn't stop the shaking. He felt the other move his arms around him, becoming more comforting.

"I apologize. Normally, he doesn't fight me on things; it turns out he's developed a liking for you. Finally, now seeing you as his mate." Reaper stated with a sigh. He opened his eyes and continued to stare at the other's chest, trying to calm himself down. He had never been touched there. His eyebrows narrowed.

"Huh? B-but I thought only wolves were the ones that were mated?" He questioned. The other pulled back to look at him.

"Who told you that?" The alpha eyes stared down at him intensely.

"…Science." He muttered. The King sighed and brought his hand down to his chin, pulling it up. He couldn't help the blush still on his face as he tried to avert his eyes.

"Wolves are an extension of yourself. Therefore, Death and I are your mates." That wasn't what Science had told him. That was the only reason the other used to keep his distance; they weren't mates, just their wolves. Geno glared at the other.

"I hate your wolf! He's worse than you!" He complained. The Alpha chuckled.

"He takes that as a compliment," The King purred and he pushed against the others.

"Ugh, you both are such perverts!" The King yanked him closer.

"We've waited 384 years for you. Forgive us if we are a little forward with our wants, but I'm not going to hold myself back because you're having a tantrum." Reaper flirted. He glared and hit the other.

"Tantrum! Do you know how you sound?!" He shouted. The King's eyes looked at him, unamused.

"There you go, having another one. Death had never seen or considered you his mate until your constant trouble-making. You definitely caught his attention, so if you need another reason to be good. Making the other uninterested so he doesn't terrorize you for fun is a good reason to listen." Geno pulled away from the other and turned his back to Reaper as he brought both his hands up to his face to calm himself. He took a few breaths before he turned and started walking.

"Whatever," he grumbled. They walked in silence while Geno tried to process this entire night.

I'm in love, Geno Enid whispered in his mind and he basically had to swat her away. Goddess, can she focus for once?!? Our mate isn't the top priority. Getting the Luna position is.

Then our mate is our top priority. Get marked and mated, boom, we are Luna, he blinked and again swatted her away. Don't come back again! No! He huffed as they got to the guards. The Lycans standing there had just switched shifts; there were fewer guards during the day. He noted that. They opened the gate for both of them. He walked in first, since The Alpha had made him, and the guards were glaring at him. He glared back.

"Gosh, you run away one time and suddenly you're a criminal," he growled. The King smacked the back of his head as they made their way in. He growled and the others' eyes flashed black as a warning, so he shut up, looking away. He had more confidence with Reaper; Death was too scary. They quietly made their way up the stairs and a wave of sleepiness hit him, and he yawned. The other glanced at him as Geno avoided his eyes. When they arrived at their hall, he walked to his room and his mind recalled the maid who had entered. He glared at it, feeling Enid get upset. She fluffed her fur and he opened the door. He sniffed, smelling the intruder's scent, even though it was faint. He couldn't help but let the growl come out. He made his way in and checked that everything was still there. Searching through his room to check on everything, even Hvita, who was waking up. He had forgotten to close the door in his panic, not even noticing The Alpha leaning against his door frame, analyzing him. When he calmed down, he noticed the other. The other’s eyes were on him. There was silence between them.

"Get some rest," The Alpha monotoned out as he turned and walked away. Geno had a feeling the other figured something out. Geno rushed over and shut the door. He sighed and quickly made his way to the bathroom, feeling the ache in his body. He was tired. He took a quick shower before rushing to bed, scared he was going to pass out soon. He wound up falling asleep soon after he laid in bed.

Chapter Text

He woke up to the same knock as before.

"Geno, it's time for church," The King cheered. He pulled his pillow over his head.

"I'll pray later," he groaned back. The other laughed.

"Sadly, you can't do that," Reaper stated. He fake-coughed.

"I'm sick and can't go," he lied. Can the other tell through voice? Or is it through the face?

"Then I guess I'll have to take care of you all day!" The Lycan chimed excitedly and he groaned again.

"I broke my leg falling out of that tree that your wolf made me fall out of." He pointed the blame at the other. He heard a laugh that was a lot closer, making him jump. He had entered his room, standing near his bed.

"Well, should I call the Salutary?" Reaper hummed and he panicked.

"Get out!" He yelled, covering his face with the blanket. The other yanked the blanket off and he freaked out, pulling it back. They struggled and The Alpha reached over to his leg, yanking him toward him. He squeaked and hit the other with a pillow. He heard the other chuckle.

"Geno, it's just church, stop fighting me." The other smiled, yanking the pillow. Geno glared.

"No! I'm tired, I don't want to go," he complained. Enid shook her head, annoyed at him. The other yanked his other leg.

"You are such a princess. You're tired, so you aren't going? I will make you run around this entire castle for the rest of the day if you don't stop this." He rolled his eyes. The other would never do that because he would just run away. If he can't make him go to church, how would he get him to run around the castle?

"Do it then!" He called the other's bluff. His legs were on either side of the other, who was standing beside the bed, while he was struggling against the other holding his wrists. Reaper's eyes flashed black and he realized exactly what kind of position they were in. The other yanked Geno to him, the Luna's legs going around the other’s waist. His face exploded and he panicked. Death stared down at his widened eyes before leaning down to his neck. Geno was only wearing a shirt and loose pajama pants. He knew the other could probably feel him down there, which made him freak out more.

"Okay, okay! Stop! I'll go!" He cried out in fear. He wasn't scared of any standard punishments or such because he had already endured them so many times that he couldn't care. But this? He was definitely scared of this. He heard Reaper laugh, his blue eyes meeting him.

"You fold fast." He felt his face flush red and he tried to push the other off. "Please get off me and leave," he said, averting his eyes. The Alpha hummed before leaning closer and kissing his neck. He squeaked and hit the other, feeling his face flush. "Reaper!" He yelled in shock.

Goddess, please let him **** *** **** *** ** ** **** ** **** For his own sanity, he blocked out all of her words.

"That was your punishment for not listening the first time." He brought his hand to his neck, covering it with a glare. The other turned and left. "Be out in five minutes or I'll do worse." He panicked as the other shut the door and basically fell off the bed. Only five minutes?!?

Smooth, she commented and he growled, running to his clothes.

Shut up, I don't want to hear you anymore, you're as perverted as they are! He threw whatever he could find on, then looked for his scarf and cloak.

Geno, you are literally the only Lycan or werewolf that is like this. We are meant to breed. That was literally the only rule the Goddess gave us. You look weak if you, the Luna, can't take his ****

ENID, I SAID SHUT UP. He pulled the cloak on and the scarf and yanked his shoes on. He slammed open the door to the other, about to open it, and took deep breaths with a glare. He then shot past him.

"See, you could do it!" The other beamed.

"Die!" He yelled out. Thatantos was standing at the end of the hall with an eyebrow raised as he heard them. Geno passed him, pissed the fuck off. His eyes were glowing red, scaring the guards nearby.

"Thought you said it was going well?" Thanatos commented to The King who passed him, following them.

"We are getting there, just a little rocky." The King laughed. They walked to church together. Making their way down the stairs, the two talked and he continued to hate his life. He needed to be away from them.

Only that dumb Beta, he was surprised by Enid's anger towards him. Guess she didn't like Thanatos. They were halfway down the stairs when Makaria ran up. She bowed to the King.

"Lycan King, can I please borrow the Luna. I promise to get him to church on time! It's very important!" She begged. Geno’s eyebrows narrowed, confused. His eyes then turned to The Alpha, who was also glaring at her suspiciously. The Alpha took a step forward and she raised her head, looking at the others.

"Are you prepared to hold on to the responsibilities if he gets hurt?" Makaria nodded. "If you lose him?" She nodded again. "Are you confident you can handle him?" She smiled and nodded again, and he couldn't help the growl he let out. She glanced at him and winked. That made him stop his growl, now confused. The Alpha stared at her, deep in thought. "Very well."

"What?" Thanatos shot out. "You are giving our biggest troublemaker to our other troublemaker?"

"If he gets in trouble, it just lets me punish him." The Alpha said excitedly. Geno flinched. Thanatos looked at the other, now scared. Makaria shot forward and grabbed his wrist, which he had to hold himself back from hitting her for touching him.

"Thank you so much, King, I won't let you down!" She chimed and ran away with him. When they rounded the corner, she let go and bowed again to him. "I apologize, Luna, for touching you."

"Why did you do that?" He questioned.

"You looked like you needed help. I'll get out of your hair now!" She chimed and turned to leave. He shot forward to stop her.

"Wait-your just going to let me do whatever?” He was now even more confused.

"Yup!" She smiled. He froze.

"But if I don't show up to church?" He asked and she smiled even more.

"I'm willing and prepared for any punishment 'losing you' might entail. It's up to you if I get punished or not." She beamed. He was frozen by the kindness. She turned to leave. He took a step forward.

"I-I'm sorry," he apologized. She stopped walking before she burst out laughing. He was a little offended and confused by the reaction. She turned around with a spin.

"I know Geno! You don't need to apologize!" She giggled and turned to run off. He stared off before he shot after her. He no longer wanted to be alone. He turned around the corner, seeing her skipping down the hallway.

"Makaria!" He yelled out and ran up to her as she stopped, turning to him. She blinked at him as he made his way to her. She waited for him to say something more about why he stopped her, but he couldn't find the words and averted his eyes. She studied him.

"…do you want to join me?" She asked and he glanced at her, shyly nodding, and she smiled excitedly.

"Okay! I was just on my way to the Luna office to drop off some documents!" She commented, holding up papers that he hadn't even noticed before.

"Luna office?" He asked as they walked down the hallway, going towards The Alpha's office.

"Yes, the office we have for the Luna. We started cleaning it, but since you’re his majesty's mate, we are trying to speed up the process even more." Geno raised an eyebrow as they arrived at the door next to The Alpha's office, which looked similar.

"Who's we?" He asked as she opened the door for him while also making his way in, only to be greeted by Eris and Keres cleaning and going through stacks of papers. Their eyes widened when he entered and they immediately bowed, and he looked away. Makaria smiled.

"Your Beta, Gamma, and Delta, of course!" She chimed and he was now confused.

"You finished your training? He asked.

"We all did! I'm the Beta for the Luna!"

"I'm the Gamma for the Luna," Keres stated.

"I'm the Delta for the Luna," Eris said next. He was surprised. But, he guessed it made sense. He didn't have any helpers when in Science’s pack. The Alpha got two Betas, two Deltas, and two Gammas. He got nothing. Enid looked very happy. He couldn't help the smile that came on his face. Makaria looked excited. He walked further into the office. They began asking for opinions on various things and he started to help them. They spent a lot of time working in there and they overlooked the time. So, when the bell rang, he panicked and looked at Makaria, who just smiled.

Where are you? The Alpha's voice snapped. He flinched.

I'm coming, I'm sorry for being late. Please don't punish Makaria; he begged as he shot out of the room. Keres, Eris, and Makaria were also running.

We will see, get here now, the King growled. Enid shot forward and he ran faster than everyone. Running to the stairs and jumping down them like he did before. He ran out of the castle and towards the church stairs. He shot up them like they were nothing. Not caring about any strain, Enid forced him faster. He rolled his eyes.

You couldn't have helped like this when we ran from our mate yesterday? He shot out. She looked very serious.

I don't want to get in trouble because of you! She snapped and he was offended.

We are basically the same. What do you mean? He snapped and she huffed. They made it to the top of the stairs and Thanatos was standing there, waiting for him. He walked forward and the Beta opened the church door. Geno caught his breath as he walked in and his eyes found The Alpha, who looked very mad. Geno’s eyes dropped to the floor and he sighed. He wasn't even trying to get in trouble this time. He walked across the room and sat down. He looked away from the other, sighing. Enid was pouting in the corner of his mind. He couldn't listen to the priest as his mind was racing for some reason. Was he going to get punished? Will Makaria get punished? Five minutes went by, and Makaria, Keres, and Eris appeared. This was a shock as Keres and Eris are never late. This made The Alpha raise an eyebrow. Since Makaria was incharge of him, they probably will blame her for him being late. That annoyed him. Maybe he should do something bad to make himself the only one punished. The prayer began and he knelt down, closing his eyes with everyone else. What should he pray for? He didn't really know. His only problem is the pervert next to him. Well, guess he could pray for that, he humored to himself.

Can you calm down your dog? He asked the Goddess and couldn't help the smile on his face. The moon flashed down and the room lit up again. Seriously? He couldn't help but laugh, which made The Alpha glance up at the moon, lighting the church again. The prayer ended and The Alpha turned to him, making him flinch.

"You were late," Reaper growled.

"Just don't punish Makaria," he huffed. The Alpha raised an eyebrow at him.

"Is that all you care about? I might have to punish her just to punish you," The Alpha hummed. He glared and went to answer, but was interrupted.

"Sorry to interrupt, my King, but please do not punish the Luna. It was our fault he was late." Eris interrupted their conversation, kneeling down, Keres and Makaria behind her. The Alpha raised an eyebrow and turned to them.

"And why is that?" He asked.

"We were working on the Luna office like you asked, but we needed help from the Luna in final decisions of where things should be and we lost track of time," Eris explained. The Alpha stayed quiet, which was concerning.

"So he ran straight from the Luna office to here?" The Alpha questioned, glancing at him.

"Yup. Even I was shocked, I've never seen a Lycan run so fast other than you, your Majesty," Makaria commented, definitely sugar coating it. The King stared at him and he looked away, not liking the gaze.

"I'll let it pass this time, don't make him late again," The Alpha shot out. They all nodded.

"Understood, your Majesty," the three said together. The Alpha turned to him.

"Now, what do you have to say for yourself?" The Alpha teased. He glared.

"What do you mean by me?" He almost yelled. The other sighed before he leaned forward, grabbing his waist, then lifting Geno over his shoulder. The Luna yelled out and banged his wrists against the other's back, extremely upset. He yelled at the other to let him go. The others watched in amusement as The King brought him out of the church and down the stairs. At some point, he gave up struggling and accepted his fate, remaining still. The King chuckled.

"Finally, you calmed down. You know you shouldn't take others' faults," The King stated, pointing out how he took Makaria's fall. He sighed, staring at the ground.

"But I also didn't pay attention to the time," he admitted his wrongdoing. The King shook his head.

"That's the great thing about ranks, it still isn't your fault unless you are by yourself. They were still distracting you, so it technically falls onto them," The King explained and he thought it was unfair, but thinking about it also left him feeling dizzy. It was the exact opposite at South Wood. He would get in trouble for making a maid waste time. The Alpha led him through the castle and when he got outside of some door, which Geno couldn't see as he was upside down, the other slapped his
ass before placing him on the ground.

"HEY!" He yelled at the other and The King walked into the dining hall, ignoring him. Geno’s face went red and he glared after the other before slowly walking in. He's really going to kill the man. He huffed and followed after the other. The King went to the kitchen and, of course, started getting stuff for the Luna, which Geno rolled his eyes at. Does he even get to choose? He focused and noticed a certain someone was a little too quiet for his taste.

Enid, you're quiet, he pointed out. She perked up at him.

I'm talking with Death. He watched The Alpha place food on a plate.

You can do that? He was surprised, he thought the two didn't say anything.

Since we joined the pack, I can mindlink with him. Did they start talking immediately?

What do you two even talk about? Wolf things?

You, silly , she chimed and he was shocked. The Alpha filled both their plates.

Huh!?! He was confused. What do they say about him?

And Reaper, oh that's good, not just him. He rolled his eyes. The other handed him his food. They walked to the table and sat down. They were here first out of everyone. The Alpha raised an eyebrow at him.

"You're being less whiny." Geno glared and smacked him.

"Hey!" He snapped and the Alpha chuckled.

"There, that's more like it," the other purred and he rolled his eyes, scooting away. The other scooted closer to him. He ignored the other.

"Did you know our wolves talk to each other?" He asked, messing with the food. The King hummed.

"Yes, I was aware." His eyebrows furrowed, looking at the mashed potatoes.

"How?" He questioned.

"Death will tell me things about you that Enid tells him." The Lycan stated. He glared.

"Why?" What is there to talk about?

"Because you are the only one being resistant towards doing anything mate-like." The Alpha took a bite of food.

"I want to secure my position first," he grumbled, though it was kinda true, but also a lie. He was scared. Scared to get too close to the other and be thrown away
again.

"Which doesn't make sense cause you can just-"He immediately interrupted the other.

"I already know! I want to do it my way!" His face was red. The Alpha turned to him and smiled.

"We understand that, but your wolf and my wolf have needs and it will catch up to you eventually. Just know I'll be here when it does and I promise I will not fully mark or mate with you until you tell me I can. I'll respect those boundaries." He was worried about those. "And as long as you play nice, I will have no other reason to punish you in fun ways." He hated that others used the word ‘fun’. Enid's mind sent him filthy thoughts, taking him back. Is that what the other meant? He won't go fully, but he might do...other things. He freaked, his face red. He didn't get to dwell on it before Eris, Keres, and Makaria sat across from him and called his name to talk to him more about stuff, distracting him instantly. Thanatos arrived with Azrael and soon everyone was here like before. He knows this table is considered the high-ranking table and the pack whispers about it a lot. Everything that happens at the table is essential to the pack, so if Makaria and Thanatos are going crazy, it's a bit of a panic for the pack.

He answered some of their questions slowly while eating, not really super engaged, but enough for them to keep talking. He didn't want to look too excited to speak with them. He had an image of himself as someone who hates everyone to keep up. The Alpha, at some point, pulled out a book to read, which caught Geno's attention, and it was the same book he always seemed to read.

"Do you just always have that?" He asked, ignoring the question the others had asked him, and The Alpha glanced at him, smiled, and moved, revealing a clip attached to his belt. So he always did have it.

"It's a special book written by Grim," The King stated. He looked up, his eyes lighting up. It's probably in Old Norse.

"Can I read it?" He questioned. The other looked down at him and smirked at him.

"Maybe if you are good," the other teased and he rolled his eyes and grumbled.

"Ugh, you suck! Just say no!" He snapped, turning back to his food. The King chuckled. They finished their food and he was the first to leave. The King, of course, followed after him, and Thanatos had gotten involved as well. He knew they were all going to The King’s office. Thanatos was going to test him on being a Luna. He was a little nervous. The two talked about documents behind him as he walked forward, spacing out. He didn't realize he was about to walk onto something that had just been mopped, so a maid quickly reached out to help him, pulling him back.

"Careful, Luna!" His eyes went to the black and white maid outfit. The memories flashed through his head and Enid shot forward protectively as he panicked. His claws shot out, scratching her, as he jumped back in pure fear. She screamed and fell down. Silence went through the hall as he realized what he had done. He took a few steps back in shock, realizing what he had just done, and Enid fell quiet. She was also shocked that they both participated. A loud growl echoed through the hall and Geno felt his legs grow weak as he started to panic. Should he run? He turned but couldn't get far until The Alpha had grabbed his wrist. He was then yanked hard as guards ran to take care of the maid and he glanced at her in shock. He did that? He took a few deep breaths, panicking. There were no words as Thanatos followed them with a dark look in his eyes. They were both mad. Will he get thrown out? This was different from pushing a maid. He fully hurt her. Though, it looks like it just grazed her. He soon found himself at the office. The Alpha basically threw him in. He let him fall on the ground, staring at his nails covered in blood.

Why was he like this? He feels like he's ruining everything, but he can't stop it. He brought his hands up to his arms, holding himself as his claws dug in, his mind going over everything. He was dazed and freaking out. He couldn't even go back to make sure she was okay because he was scared he would hurt her again. He didn't want to hurt her. She did nothing. He wanted fear, yes. But, he didn't want to actually hurt anyone in the pack. She didn't do anything but try to help him.

GENO, The King’s voice mindlink snapped him out of whatever daze he was in, flinched hard, and raised his head fast. Thanatos was looking at him, conflicted. The Alpha was across the room, looking at him. Thanatos moved forward and extended his hand, helping him to get up. He let go of his bleeding arms and hesitantly glanced at the other before standing up by himself, not taking the others' help. Thanatos glared and took a step forward.

"You are so difficult. We both saw how scared you looked. Did that maid hurt you?" The Beta moved forward, making him take a step back.

"No," he responded quickly. They were interrogating him.

"Did she spread rumors or insult you?" Thanatos asked, taking a step forward and getting more aggressive.

"No." He took another step back, feeling a sense of panic.

"Did she do anything to you?" Thanatos glared more, taking another step.

"No!" He backed up again, feeling Enid start to fluff up.

"Then why did you look so fucking scared?!" Thanatos yelled and he flinched hard, falling into the wall, and a growl went through the room.

"Thanatos." The warning made the Beta take multiple steps back and stand to the side, arms behind his back. The Alpha had his back to him, staring off through the window behind his desk. The King then moved a chair in front of his desk and patted it twice before walking over to his seat behind the desk. Geno got the clue and quickly made his way over to the seat, not wanting to make the other angrier. He sat down, staring at his hands, feeling a sense of tension. The Alpha had sat down and was staring at him. Enid started to pace hard. Silence went through the room for a while. It was like the other was letting him sit with his guilt.

"Geno Hati." He flinched hard at that. "Why did you hurt a maid?"

"… I'm sorry," he apologized.

"I didn't ask for an apology, I asked why, that's strike one. You get three strikes. You will not like this punishment and I do not want to do it," The King deadpanned.

"Please don't put me in the dungeon! I'll do anything but that!" He cried out and silence fell through the room.

"Now, why would I do that? I never want to find you in a dungeon like when we first met. Now tell me why," The King demanded. He shook his head dejectedly, feeling hopeless. It didn't matter. None of this did. He will get thrown away now.

"Does it matter? You won't listen; no one does. Just punish me. I admitted it; it was my fault. I'm sorry." He trembled. Silence responded.

"Strike two," The Alpha deadpanned again.

"W-what…huh?" He was panicking too hard to understand. He was staring at his shaking hands. His hair was over his face as much as it could be. He was guilty in
every sense. Why did it matter what the ‘why’ was? Thanatos growled.

"Geno, you will not win this, just answer the question!" Thanatos yelled, causing him to flinch and tense up even more and close his eyes.

"The outfits!" He cried out, feeling a few tears go down his face. Silence followed.

"The outfits? The maid uniform?" The Alpha questioned.

"I-I can't look at the outfits. I just can't." He trembled, not wanting to talk about it. Silence once again followed.

"Thanatos. Change the maid's uniform," The King stated.

"Huh?" Thanatos couldn't believe his ears.

"Go change the maid's uniform," The Alpha growled.

"You want me to change the entire castle maid uniform- that is such a waste of materials-" he was cut off by The Alpha's glare. Thanatos flinched and bowed. "As you wish, my King." The Beta turned and ran out, leaving just the two of them. He felt the tears still streaming down his face.

"It came up again," The Alpha pointed out. "I'm not one to forget a promise. Tell me now, or you will not like the punishment that will come." Geno flinched hard. Remembering the earlier agreement, as long as it didn't come up again, he wouldn't have to tell the other, but now he has to.

"I-b-but-it's- embarrassing, " he stuttered and then shook his head no, making The King growl.

"I can make this a lot more embarrassing. Strip right now." Geno's head shot up in shock. He used a command. Geno couldn't stop his trembling hands from raising and going to his cloak. He took it off, then he reached for his shirt as he watched in horror as his body betrayed him, taking his clothes off. "Stop."
The Alpha commanded as his shirt was almost off, he stopped and immediately pulled the shirt and cloak back on in fear of the other. The King glared.
"Don't test me. And tell me." He panicked even more. The other would go to such lengths, but he understood why. He also couldn't help but notice that Enid actually liked the idea of stripping in front of the other, so he was stuck in a weird, conflicted feeling of horror and excitement.

"Okay, okay! Just please give me a minute!" He cried out.

"Anything you need," The King stated sweetly and he hated that The Alpha could be like that after almost making him strip. He glanced at the door a few times, remembering the guards that are usually outside of it. "You can mindlink me if you are that worried about others hearing it," The King stated, reading his mind. He nodded.

"Y-you promise not to tell Thanatos?" He questioned. The King stared at him.

"I will keep most of the information to myself; I will only let what is necessary." He nodded, swallowing.

If you need help, I can do it, Enid offered. He shook his head. No, he has to do it. He knows he can't hold on to this shame and pain forever. He started when it first started, mind linking the first incident. Slowly, he told The Alpha all the horrible things the maids did to him. They never got far enough to fully hurt him, so they could never be blamed, but the humiliation and emotional distress came from getting in trouble constantly for doing nothing, making everyone hate him. They even tried to get him raped by stealing his clothes, causing him to be naked. He was able to get away, but it left a terrifying feeling of never liking being nude in front of others. Getting starved because of them, his things were constantly destroyed and stolen, ending up in the dungeon because of them, explaining everything he could think of. He hadn't even noticed that halfway through, tears were streaming down his face. He hadn't looked up once, staring at his hands. He hated that simple Omegas, those who were way lower ranked, somehow made him feel even lower. He was treated like a slave in that pack. He should've fought back; he could have, but he didn't. He didn't want Science to hate him. He told him everything, not holding anything back. He was over hiding and he couldn't handle it anymore. Any horrible, weird fear he acquired from his time there, he told. Every incident and Science's reaction, including Red's.

It took him more than half an hour to finish. He didn't say anything else, just sniffing slightly, feeling so embarrassed and ashamed. He was so weak.

Geno, you aren't weak. Death's voice hit his head. He was shocked by this and looked up, finding The King’s eyes to be a mix of blue and black. They were both there. Reaper had a somber look on his face. The Alpha brought his hands up to his face, rubbing it.

"If only I had just kept you here," the other muttered.

"I'm sorry for hurting her. I didn't mean to," he cried out, bursting into tears, and brought his legs up, curling up on the seat as he tried to cry silently into them. The Alpha stood up and walked over. He felt something get draped over him. The black cloak. He continued to cry, but the smell of his mate from the piece of clothing intoxicated him. The King wrapped his arms around him. "I should've come for you sooner. I should've realized a problem immediately when you stopped sending letters back." Geno shook his head.

"N-no, please d-don't say that, I-I only blamed you cause I was m-mad at myself," He cried more and The Alpha squeezed him hard. He heard a deafening growl.

"I'm going to kill that pack." Death's voice was deep and the Luna flinched, scared.

"Sorry, we are both very angry with how they let you get treated. Trust me, Geno. Science 100% knew what was happening. Alphas can basically hear thoughts of their pack members," The Alpha explained and his eyebrows narrowed.

"W-what?" He questioned, "Y-you can hear thoughts?" The Alpha nodded and he had a little bit of fear, which the other noticed.

"Oh, don't worry, I can't hear yours because of your similar ranking to mine. But once I mark you, we will be able to feel each other's emotions." The Alpha explanation was something he remembered reading about somewhere, where Lycans have a stronger connection to their mates than regular werewolves. He tried to calm down, but the thought of Science knowing everything and still playing along hit him hard. Science didn't love him because he loved Red. Science hated him. What did he do?

"D-d-did I do something?" He asked and the Alpha tilted his head. "For h-him to i-ignore all that. He h-hated me! Why?" He questioned and The Alpha sighed.

"I didn't want to say anything to make you worried about him because you sounded so confident about Science. But, his mom was killed by a rogue Lycan." Geno froze.

"There are rogue Lycans?" He asked.

"Yes, when they get kicked out of my pack. I have many enemies, Geno." Silence filled the room. He felt a rage like no other, and almost threw the chair, growling so loudly.

"That's so unfair!" He cried out, "I get to your stupid pack and everyone treats me like shit cause they think I'm a werewolf! Then I turn out to be a Lycan, and then I get treated like shit for that in the other pack! You were even mean to me when I first arrived!" The Alpha flinched at that.

"I'm sorry for treating you coldly in the beginning. I'm not fond of werewolves for obvious reasons. I can't help it. I was in charge of the 200-year war, remember? And now, how can I like werewolves when they treat my mate so horribly? I'm about to start another war," The Alpha growled, holding him close, and he shook his head.

"I d-dont want to see a-any one from that horrid pack again! I missed this pack s-so much!" He cried again and The Alpha shushed him. They stayed there for a while as he cried. Goddess, he was emotionally drained from all this crying. Gosh, he was such a crybaby. He doesn't even know how he got here. He felt his tears slowly dry up about an hour in as he leaned against the other.

"Is she okay?" He whispered. The King shushed him.

"Don't worry about that right now."

"Please just tell me," he begged quietly.

"She's healing with the Salutary. You grazed her and didn't hit anything important. She will be good in two days. She's mostly hurt emotionally. I sent Thanatos to explain the clothing issue to her and apologize on behalf of you-"

"But I want to apologize!" He huffed out, interrupting the other.

"You should probably apologize to the three maids you have affected here. Once the outfit changes, I can call them into my office for you if you would like." He nodded sleepily in his chest.

"W-why are you so nice to me? I hurt your pack member," he stated, his voice breaking.

"Geno, you are also a pack member," The Alpha pointed out.

"No, I'm not, I'm a runt found in a dungeon, half alive," he snapped. Reaper growled.

"Keep talking bad about yourself and I'll force you to stand naked in front of a mirror while complimenting yourself." Geno flinched. He stayed quiet about that, but he also couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement go through him. No. Calm down. Enid, stop being horny. When in doubt, blame your wolf. He laid his head against the other, not being able to hold it up anymore. He yawned, feeling very sleepy. The King then picked him up and brought him to the couch, laying him down.
He curled into the other's cloak around him. It's a comforting smell. He heard the other chuckle as he closed his eyes.

"You always get so tired after crying." He ignored the other and nuzzled into the cloak. The other chuckled again. "If I had known you would love my scent so much, I would've used that to calm you down from the beginning." He again ignored the other. The Alpha hummed, watching him, before bending down to kiss his forehead. He flinched and he opened his eyes. "Goodnight, Geno," The Alpha teased and his face went red; he turned to hide it in the couch and cloak as he heard the other walk across the room. He felt so at peace with the mate’s smell around him. Enid was lulled to sleep and he was barely holding on before fully falling asleep.
Until he was awakened by voices.

"How dare they do that to our Luna!"

"Let's kill them all!"

"Can't we trial them for mistreatment?"

"It's too tricky, The Werewolf King will back them up, so it will be a tough fight, and Geno doesn't want to."

"He doesn't want to?"

"I didn't know how severe the situation was. Lock the dungeons up; I don't want him ever going down there. Don't allow anyone from South Wood Pack in, even if they are of high rank. Send copies to every border wolf and make them trespassers if they cross the border. I want the False King not even able to bring them in!"

"Yes, your Majesty," the voices all stated. After some more noise, they all left.

 

"I feel bad now," Thanatos' voice stated.

"You should apologize. Conveniently, he's awake right now. Geno, stop pretending to be asleep." He groaned and pulled the cloak more over his head.

"No! If I wake up, I have to do a test," he complained.

"Didn't you want to be Luna?" The Alpha spoke.

"Yes, but-" The Alpha interrupted him again.

"If you don't want to do the test, there's another way-" He felt his face heat up.

"Alright! I'll do it!" He yelled, interrupting the other, and pushed himself up quickly. Thanatos walked over and placed a large stack of papers on the table, making him
flinch. The Beta then kneeled and he groaned.

"Stop, don't even," he huffed out, looking away and pulling the cloak more on him. Thanatos blinked, confused.

"Y-you don't want an apology?" He rolled his eyes.

"I fucking attacked a maid, you were just doing your job. Anyway, I'm not the one mad at you," he stated and Thanatos seemed to understand his words.

“…your wolf…” Thanatos muttered.

"She's been mad at you since you tried to control her as a stand-in Alpha. She's traditional, unfortunately. That's the only reason she's so obedient to asshole number one over there." He complained, motioning towards The Alpha.

"Good to hear you're feeling better," The King commented. Thanatos bowed his head.

"I'm sorry, Enid, for my past actions as Beta. I know my place is lower than yours. I'm your Beta, not someone else's." The Beta chose his words very well; he could tell he'd had some practice with Death. Enid seemed pleased but sassily didn't want to respond, so Geno chuckled.

"She forgives you but doesn't want to talk to you," he stated and Thanatos nodded before standing up. The Beta moved to the papers and began organizing them. He watched, not realizing he was nuzzling into the cloak again from the smell, causing Thanatos to glance at him and Reaper to chuckle. He realized what he was doing and his face went red as he looked away. Thanatos cleared his throat, also probably uncomfortable being the third wheel. How's it feel, huh? He felt a sense of revenge from him and Makaria.

"Okay, I will do the standard test and give you some multiple choice questions and then free-form questions with answers you can come up with your own. We can begin whenever." He was nervous. He always failed when he was asked to come up with answers. He always thought he knew what was best, but it was always wrong. He nodded and Thanatos started to read through the questions. He hated doing this in front of Reaper, but it had to be done. It took about an hour of testing until they were done. Thanatos seemed very confused and The Alpha hadn't shown any reaction to any of his answers.

"Well, I'm sorry, Geno, but you failed." He sighed, knowing this was going to happen.

"Let me guess, it was the ones I could make up my own answer for," he grumbled and the Beta looked confused.

"No, you passed every single one of those." Geno's eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"You missed all the multiple choice ones…I thought you went through training?" The Beta asked, confused. Geno then reached over to review the answers to the multiple-choice questions. He stared at them and he felt his lower chin tremble. All his original guesses and choices back in the South Wood Pack were…right, not wrong. He ripped the paper, causing Thanatos to look surprised. He then flipped Reaper's hood up over his head and moved away, curling up to look away. Silence filled the room.

"They taught you them backward, didn't they?" The Alpha's words hung in the air and he made a slight nod in his legs. Thanatos, who was initially taken aback by his outburst, now looked serious.

"They taught you the wrong answers? You didn't ask for clarification?" The Beta assumption made Enid mad. He growled loudly, his eyes flashing at the other, making the Beta flinch.

"Of course I asked!" Their voices said, combining. Thanatos was fully tense.

"I'm sorry, Luna." Geno took back complete control and looked away, clicking his tongue in disapproval.

"I didn't like their answers because I preferred different ones, but they refused to tell me why when I asked." He explained.

"And because you now know the answers, we can't do the test; we would have to make a new one to truly test you if you pass with your preferred answers," Thanatos
said, melancholy.

"Do it." The King's voice rang through the room.

"Huh?" Thanatos stated, fully confused now.

"Make the new test," the Alpha snapped.

"A-alpha, I can't just- that would take-" The man stuttered and The King interrupted him.

"How fast?" Thanatos stared at him like he was crazy.

"I need at least two hours!" The Alpha checked the clock on the wall and nodded.

"That can work, go do it." The Beta was honestly flabbergasted.

"W-what-My King, I have other work to do-" Thanatos shut up with one look from the Alpha and he sighed, "Why is it always fucking me, I do so much for this
pack, and I get treated like this-" Geno ignored the other’s mumbling while gathering the papers and leaving. He watched the door shut before glancing over at The Alpha, who had gone back to doing work. He noticed Enid's tail wagging and it was amusing that every time he looked at The King, her tail would wag, and when he looked away, it would stop. His eyes trailed the other and he didn't even notice what he was doing as he got lost in specific thoughts that only Enid could conjure up.

"Keep looking at me like that and I will bend you over this desk," The Alpha shot. Geno's face exploded and he quickly turned his head.

"I wasn't looking at you in any way!" He tried to defend himself.

"Mmm hmm, keep lying to yourself," Reaper teased. He squeezed his hands.

"I hate you!" He huffed.

"I love you too." Reaper cooed. He felt his face get redder and he pulled the cloak over it.

"D-dont say that!" He snapped. No one has ever said that to him.

"Every time you lie to me, I'm punishing you," The King stated. He glared, letting go of the cloak.

"What, why?!" He turned to the other. The Alpha didn't look up and continued writing on the documents.

"I don't like liars, and you've become the biggest one," The King pointed out and he rolled his eyes. He understood lying is seen very bad here and it's basically their
whole slogan and shit about not lying.

"How does refusing to say something be considered lying?" he grumbled.

"Lying by omission, beautiful," The King purred, "And as you can see, lying can cause huge issues. Grim was the first to put in the rules against lying, so if you're going to be the Luna here, you have to learn to follow the rules." He glared.

"Didn't you lie to EVERYONE about me being an Omega?" He tried to show The Alpha his hypocrisy.

"That also caused more problems for you and didn't even keep you safe like its original purpose. Lying doesn't work and never will." The Alpha did say he regretted the decision and the only reason he continued was because he had asked for it. Ugh, why does it feel like no matter what he does in an argument, he loses? Enid chuckled.

He's too smart for us, Geno. We don't stand a chance, he groaned, leaning into the couch, and The King chuckled at his attitude.

I feel like a kid next to him, he complained. He feels dumb, ignorant, and unworthy.

Geno, we were made for him. Stop being stupid, he rolled his eyes.

You're stupid! He huffed and she stared at him for a while.

Perhaps you are right, as that was rather childish. She sassed and he ignored her. He felt a wave of false confidence wash over him. You know what?
What is he saying? He's way smarter than the dumb Alpha. He pulled the cloak more onto himself, smelling the other. Yeah… He felt like sleeping again. He hated this stupid cloak. The only positive aspect of Geno having the cloak was that he could actually see The King’s face and expressions now. One of the reasons he couldn't help but stare at the other. He looked and grabbed one of the books on the table, pulling it to himself. He started to read and after an hour, the bell for dinner rang, and a kitchen staff member walked in with food for both of them. They placed them down before bowing to them and leaving. He moved forward and ate, feeling better now that he had gotten that entire thing off his chest. He felt lighter. He felt Enid get all restless and start moving in his head. He wanted to run. He finished his food and then turned to the other.

"You want to run?" He suggested.

"I'm busy," The Alpha stated. He sighed.

"Then can I just go run?" He asked. The King's eyes went to him and they stared at each other. He looked at the other, a confused expression on his face. "What?" He
shot out. Why was he looking at him like that?

"I'm waiting to see if you are going to run away again so I can punish you," The Alpha teased and he glared. Why does he want to punish him so bad?

"Ugh, is that a no?" He complained. The King pointed to the papers left in front of him.

"You have a test to do." He leaned back on the couch.

"Ugh! I don't wanna do another test, I'm just going to fail anyway." He complained louder.

"Why do you think that?" He didn't respond, looking away. The King hummed. "Lying of omission." He felt annoyance shoot through him.

"Do I have to tell you everything?" He snapped. The King smiled.

"Yes." Geno blinked at him like he was dumb. "Geno, I want to know every thought that goes through your head, the stuff you never want anyone to hear. Every little
dirty idea or confession, I want you all." Geno looked away, feeling his face go red.

Oh, I'll tell him everything you think when you see him, Enid purred.

Enid, I will never shift again she pouted at him. Goddess, she can be embarrassing at times. He knows she's technically him, but like, why is she like
this?

"Wolves are an extension of ourselves but why does she seem so different from me?" He questioned while playing with a fork.

"Wolves usually manifest as the part of you that you hide away or push down because it's too taboo." He looked over at the other. That made sense why Enid is so horny.

It's natural, she snapped. He sighed and the door opened, distracting him. Thanatos walked in, looking very exhausted. The man sat across from him, slamming a giant pile of papers down. Geno stared at it and Thanatos took a deep breath before handing him a new test that was way longer than the one before. He looked at the Beta.

"Are you wanting me to fail?" He asked.

"The last test you had, you needed 100% to pass. This one, you only need a 95, okay?! I'm trying my damn hardest here, give me a break!" The Beta cried out and Geno genuinely thought Thanatos broke making the test. Thanatos gave him a pencil and grabbed multiple books to pull up the answer key, and Geno sighed. The Luna started to answer the questions in the best way he could. He picked the best choices and overthought a few. The entire process took longer than an hour and when he was done, he re-read it and changed a few answers before finishing and handing it to the Beta. The Beta then began conducting scenarios that he had to respond to and they went through similar but different ones from the previous test. Once they were all done, the Beta was grading the paper. He waited as the Beta went through them. When the Beta was done, he hummed.

"Well, you didn't pass, but an 86% is way better than the 40% you had." Geno sighed. The Alpha hummed, seeming to be impressed, which confused him.

"I'm guessing he failed on the more traditional ones?" Reaper asked. Thanatos nodded

"Yup, like most Lunas." He tilted his head.

"Huh?" Thanatos smiled at him.

"Each pack has different traditional rules for certain things. Ours is very strict with them, so we wouldn't expect you to know the answers." He glared, annoyed with all
the stupid traditions.

"What kind of tradition is it? Like kneeling to do the blood oath?" He asked and Thanatos looked confused.

"Kneeling? No, most people just have the Alpha put it in a cup and give it to them-did you make him kneel?" Thanatos asked The King, turning to the other. The Alpha stopped writing and slowly smirked.

"I can't help it, he looked nice on his knees." Geno blinked and his face exploded. Thanatos couldn't stop himself from letting out a laugh. He turned to the Alpha, pissed.

"You are such a pervert!" He yelled at the other." I'm never trusting you again!" He growled.

"Aww, don't be like that, princess," The King purred and Geno turned away now, so upset. "Let's have Makaria teach Geno for a few weeks and try the test again." Thanatos nodded and wrote stuff down. The Luna rolled his eyes and grabbed some leftover food he hadn't finished, taking a bite." Is the office almost done?" The King asked. Thanatos rolled his eyes.

"Yup, last time I looked in there, Makaria was hanging outside the window trying to see if she could catch a bird. If Keres didn't grab her, she would've fallen," Thanatos grumbled, annoyed with his mates' craziness. The Alpha chuckled

"Sounds like they need a Luna to cure that boredom, huh?" Geno glanced over, seeing both of them staring at him as he was eating. He gave them a look.

"What? Don't look at me, I failed the test, remember?"

"Doesn't mean you can't start your duties with your Beta helping you," The Alpha pointed out and Geno stuck his tongue out at the other.

"You just want to stop doing a Luna's work," he shot back. The King smirked.

"Keep sticking your tongue out at me and see where I'll put mine," The King dared and Geno was at a loss for words, thoroughly shocked by both that and the dirty thoughts that Enid tossed his way.

"Okay! I'll be leaving now! Is there anything else you two need?" Thanatos asked, standing up, clearly not wanting to hear this anymore.

"A less perverted Alpha?" He asked and Thanatos chuckled and shook his head.

"Geno, it's been, like, 300 years for him. I'm surprised you're not locked in his room, tied to his bed." The Beta pointed out and he was even more taken aback.

"I debated that, but I don't think he would like me very much if I did that," The King commented. Geno shot a glare at him as Thanatos laughed while leaving the
room. He huffed and The Alpha stood up when the other left, placing his documents in a folder and organizing his stuff. Geno looked at the time; it was time to go to
bed. The Alpha walked over to him and, before he could react, pushed him harshly onto his back on the couch. Geno's eyes widened as the other got on top of him. The Alpha then reached forward and Geno closed his eyes, flinching, but opened them as The King only took his black cloak from behind him and put it back on. Geno blinked, surprised as The Alpha glanced back down at him and smirked before moving off of him. He was teasing him again. Enid growled loudly and moved around restlessly. He felt some movement down there and he growled in his head at her.

Can you not get horny? Gosh, pent up much? He snapped and he rolled his eyes at her.

Geno, I am you. YOU are pent up! She snapped back. He felt slightly embarrassed by that and chose to ignore it like he always did. He moved himself up and fixed his appearance, composing himself before standing up and following after The Alpha at the door waiting for him. His face was red as he passed the other. Goddess, why is he either crying or blushing?! He walked through the halls, The King following after him. They didn't say anything as he didn't want to have a conversation with the other. He’d probably tease him again. It was only when they got to the floor of their rooms that Enid asked to take over. He was confused.

You better not try- he warned her.

I won't do anything, I just want to talk, she reassured him. He sighed and stopped walking, letting her take over. Both his eyes flash red and she turned around to The Alpha.

"Hi!" She smiled and The Alpha raised an eyebrow. The voice that came from his mouth was higher-pitched. The Alpha smiled with an amused chuckle.

"Well, hello there, we met before, yes?" The King hummed.

"Yup!" She cheered happily. The man smiled and reached out his hand for her.

"Come here," the other commanded and her eyes lit up.

"Okay!" She immediately obeyed, quickly making her way in front of the other. The Alpha brought his hand up to her cheek, touching her.

Hey! Don't let him be weird with my body!

"I'm guessing you needed something from me to be in this form. I know how much wolves hate being human." She chuckled.

"Death and I have come to an agreement, so I'm just going to help with some problems that will come up." She explained and The King raised an eyebrow in
amusement. The Alpha brought his hand down her face to her neck, tracing it. She stayed perfectly still.

"Oh, and what might that be?" He purred.

"When are you planning to mark us?" She asked. The question caused The Alpha to pause, his hand slowly retreating before he stayed quiet.

ENID Geno warned the other

"..." The Alpha looked at her curious red eyes glowing up at him. He leaned forward until their faces were only an inch away. "When Geno wants it." She smiled and nodded. Geno stayed quiet at that.

"Is that the same with mating?" She asked and The Alpha nodded. She took a step back and spun for fun. "Will you prioritize us?" She asked. He felt the stab of pain from that question.

"If you are asking if I would put you above everyone in my pack, yes." It was selfish but raw. He felt himself get embarrassed.

"Do you love him?" She asked and their eyes met; The Alpha stayed quiet. The King's eyes finally softened and he sighed.

Enid, that is too far. How could yo-

"I do," The Alpha admitted. She smiled happily. He stayed quiet in shock. He…loved him? Thats…It's only because of the mate bound.

"Thank you for answering all my questions. I believe these answers will help strengthen your relationship. But to give you a little hint…fear is the only barrier
that’s between us," she stated and The Alpha smiled and nodded.

"I had a feeling." She turned to the Alpha's bedroom and looked at the door, taking a step forward before arms went around her to stop her from moving.

"Now be careful there darling."

"Death!" She cried happily before wrapping her arms around his neck and the male wolf chuckled.

"Hello, Darling."

"Am I not allowed in your room?" She pouted. The wolf pulled her to his body.

"I made a deal with Reaper." She blinked and nodded, seeming to be swooning easily.

Thats it, get out of my fucking body right now. Enid laughed.

"Sorry Death, Geno's mad, so I have to go now. It was great to see you, you better keep your promise!" She smiled and Death chuckled, leaning close to her ear.

"I wouldn't break it for the world." Enid giggled like a lovestruck idiot. He took back control and immediately tried to push the other one away, but
couldn't.

"Alright fucking let go of me." His deeper voice and glare was now preeminent, the red eye shifting back to its original blue. The wolf growled and pulled him
closer, making him squeak.

"I forgot how amusing your attitude is. Would you like to repeat that for me?"

"I-I let g-go!" He stuttered, pushing and yanking himself, feeling his face go red. He looked up at the other in fear.

"Hmm, she was right about the fear, though…it kinda turns me on." Geno's eyes widened and he freaked out more.

"Give Reaper back! I didn't do anything wrong!" He squirmed violently, scared. The other leaned in closer.

"I'm not here to punish you, pup, unless that's what you want?" Death teased and he froze in anger when it went through him.

"You call her Darling, but I get pup?!" He shot. offended. The other smirked.

"Jealous?" His face went red.

"N-no! That’s my wolf, what!?" He lied while he yelled at the other and squirmed more.

"I'm the reason Reaper can tell lies from the truth, just so you know, you little liar."

"I- just give me back Reaper," he muttered, looking away, and the wolf chuckled.

"Is that any way to talk to me?" Death challenged, speaking against his ear.

"Fine! Please?! Alpha?" He cried out and the other chuckled, kissing his neck, making him gasp, before the other switched.

"Seems you two are getting along well." Reaper smiled, letting him go instantly. He shot back a few feet, covering his lower face with his scarf. He sent a glare and The King turned to his bedroom. "Let's go to bed, it's been a long day." But that one thing was still haunting his brain, he took a step forward as the other opened their own bedroom door.

"Wait!" The Alpha turned to him. "What deal?" He asked and Reaper glanced at his room before smiling with a chuckle.

"The deal is: Don't. Go in my room unless you want to be fucked." Geno's eyes widened, taking a step back from the room instantly. "You accept me as your mate fully when you enter this room, you consent to being marked and mated if you enter, and I can not guarantee your safety from me or Death." Geno swallowed nervously before he turned and ran with his tail between his legs into his room, shutting the door quickly.

I promise not to go into that room until you are ready, Geno. He swallowed.

Thank you. At least he doesn't have to ask the other; he can just go into his room and it will happen, which it won't.

Do you honestly plan to never get marked or mate with him for the rest of your life?
Geno didn't respond because he didn't know. He didn't think it was realistic, but he couldn't help but want it. He squeezed his hands. He just needs to feel secure in the pack and then he can worry about love. He needed to feel safe here first.

We are safe, Geno. Enid tried to reason and he glared.

Yeah, which is why you attacked a maid today! She does something like that yet thinks she's safe.

I couldn't help it; when you get scared, I react. I'm protective, he sighed, knowing that was the one and only reason he was still alive today. She protected him every time he needed her to and didn't think twice about it. He took a shower quickly before going to bed. He decided to set an alarm for himself so he doesn't need to be woken up by the other. He wasn't in the mood to fight him. He was woken up by his alarm and he took his time to get dressed. When he was done, he walked to his room door and opened it. The Alpha was leaning against the wall, waiting like he knew he would get ready. The other had an amused smirk on his face and he glared slightly at it before shutting his door and walking past the other. The King moved forward, grabbing his hand. Geno looked surprised at that. He glared, stopping his walking.

"Let go." The Alpha brought his hand up to his mouth and kissed it, making Geno tense up and blush.

"No, my Queen," the other purred and he rolled his eyes, bringing his other hand to use his scarf to cover his blush again on his face.

"Oh, so now it's queen?" He snapped. Reaper smirked, bringing their hands down.

"You will be one, once you're Luna." Geno stayed quiet before turning and walking, their hands still connected. Queen? Like, people would call them ‘my Queen’?
He would be considered a monarch? He would be a tyrant; that is way too much responsibility.

Umm, excuse you, I was made to be Queen. Enid boasted and he rolled his eyes at her.

"I don't want that," he deadpanned. The King laughed.

"Oh, are you wanting my last name now, too? Cause that’s the most Grim thing to say." Geno Grim? He swallowed, but what about his parents? He wanted to visit
his old home. The King would never let him do that. He remembered Makaria saying how dangerous it was. Perhaps he can search for the location of that tunnel and try to go through it. They walked to the church, the other refusing to let go of his hand still, very proudly showing it off to everyone they went by, and Geno was stuck between relief and complete utter embarrassment. He refused to look at the other, just covering his face with his scarf. When they reached the stairs, they made their way up. He heard the other finally laugh.

"You're just adorable, aren't you?" The King teased and he sent a glare at the other, never mind his blush.

"You're only saying that cause you have to!" He accused and Reaper hummed.

"I'm only saying what I've always thought but couldn't say." The King passed the other, letting go of his hand and bringing it up to mess up his hair before walking by. Geno groaned and tried to fix his fluffy white hair so he could see. He looked up at The King walking up the stairs, his black cloak flowing in the wind. He always thought the other looked like a god.

He basically is, remember? He has the blood of Grim in him. Grim, the first Lycan the Moon Goddess ever made, and based on Her lover. Enid stated. He swallowed, remembering the story and the poem written in the church.

Does that make the Luna for Grim based on the Moon Goddess herself? He questioned, and Enid hummed in thought.

Oh my Goddess, are you saying we might be made in the image of the Moon Goddess? He didn't know, but if her story was right, then yes. It would only make sense. Enid felt more prideful, and of course, his ego has been suffering the past few days because of the bastard in front of him. He needed to build it back up. They got to the building and walked in. They both moved to sit down, waiting for everyone else to arrive. He hated being this early, but it only made sense for the Luna and Alpha to be here first and always on time to show expectations. The King then pulled out the book Grim had written and started to read it. Geno glanced before moving slightly forward to try to read it over his shoulder. The Alpha shut the book and his eyes went to him, amused. Geno huffed and glared.

"Oh, come on," he complained. The Alpha chuckled.

"You can read it once you gain my last name." Reaper purred, and he groaned.

"And let me guess, I can only do that once I mate with you," he mocked the other. The King shook his head.

"No, once you get marked, but marking and mating go hand in hand," The Lycan stated and his eyebrows narrowed.

"What do you mean?" He asked. How were they hand in hand? Couldn't the other just mark him? He could hear Enid giggling.

"You really want to have this conversation here?" The King questioned and Geno glanced around the church room as the priest walked in.

"Ah….no," he stated, realizing they probably shouldn't. The Alpha looked back in front of himself.

"We might need to add a health class to Makaria's curriculum for you." Geno rolled his eyes. He was fine; he just wasn't told much in the South Wood Pack. Most of
what he knows was learned through reading, and he explicitly ignored the wolf mating books because it would be embarrassing to be caught reading them. The door to the church opened and Makaria ran in, and she made her way behind him, and Thanatos walked in with Azrael. The Alpha raised an eyebrow but smiled.

"I'm guessing the office is finished?" Makaria cheered happily from the chair, answering his question.

"Also, I got told I'm going to teach you, Geno! I'm so excited; you have to call me 'teacher'! That’s the rule!" He rolled his eyes and groaned, looking away.

"No," he refused.

"AWW! But I had to call Thanatos' teacher cause he was demanding to be called by his proper role as an advanced Beta," she mocked the Beta, bringing her hair like a mustache under her nose with her voice deep and making fun of the other. The Alpha snorted, pulling out his book.

"Advanced? I've met advanced Betas; he is not." Reaper commented and Thanatos gasped.

"WHAT! I have served you for 200 years!" The man shot out. The Alpha sent a glare.

"Yet, you still make mistakes. Know your place, I can easily replace you, so can Geno." He was probably referring to all the disrespect that has been happening towards the Luna.

"Wait, I can remove his rank?" Geno asked the other. The Alpha nodded, reading his book.

"When you are Luna, yes," he said, not looking up. Geno smiled evilly.

"HA! Count your days, Thanatos." He shot out at Thanatos, who looked horrified.

"Y-your majesty he’s drunk with power, he can't be our Luna!" The man stated and The King chuckled.

"I'll allow it." The Alpha cooed.

"YOUR MAJESTY!" Thanatos cried in horror. The Alpha's eyes went to him.

"Though, you'll have to give me something in return, beautiful." Reaper purred quietly to him and Geno’s face went red, and he groaned, turning away.

"Ugh, never mind, Thanatos, you're safe forever." Thanatos cheered and the Luna ignored the King's laugh. The bell rang and the church service began. Everything
went like it usually did, but this time the story was something he hadn't heard before, so he actually paid attention for once. He really only had a few things he enjoyed and the Moon Goddess, even though she's cruel, is someone he can't help but love. It's engraved in them. They finished with the prayer and now it was time for breakfast. When they stood up, he noticed Anubis with Eris in the corner of the room, talking with each other. He was clearly flirting, and Eris, of course, had a nonchalant expression. She was always one to barely smile and show no emotions, working only. Anubis seemed like a troublemaker who was a dumbass. They looked good together. Anubis had multiple golden piercings in his ears and on his body. They made their way down the stairs, Makaraia running down them and tripping and falling, making Thanatos curse and chase after her, calling her an idiot. He sighed and Keres walked next to him. He glanced at her and she smiled, bowing before walking past. Geno stared off after her in surprise, she seemed very mature now.

"Different, huh?" The King asked and he looked at the other.

"You say you don't belong to this pack, yet you have made such a lasting impact on us for only staying two months here in the past. Now you have only been here
almost a week and you already are changing everything. You, Geno, are change." Geno's eyes widened and he felt his face explode even more than ever before. He had to completely stop himself, bringing both his hands to his face. The King seemed to falter in his steps. "I apologize if I said something that offended you-" Geno shook his head rapidly to get the other to stop. He had never had such a poetic compliment before.

"N-no it's f-fine! I- just…never had a compliment like that before I-" He stuttered, trying to calm his beating heart. The King’s words were like art sometimes and it was hard to handle them when they were directed at him lovingly.

"Ah," the other chuckled softly, "Well, I'll make sure to give you more of them." Geno huffed and walked past the other, really wishing he could bring his hood up. Or was he lying about that tradition, too, just to be able to see his face? Who knows? They barely made it to breakfast, as Makaraia didn't survive the stairs, lying her face down on the table, not eating. Thanatos started to balance forks on her head and impressively managed to get four until Keres purposely knocked them off, and Thanatos complained. The two then began to fight. Though, he could tell there wasn't any maliciousness like before. Keres had changed a lot and so had Azrael it seemed. Those two are the only ones so far who haven't disrespected him since he arrived. Breakfast went by quickly, with The Alpha reading and the obvious two causing havoc, as always. Training was about to start, so he got up and made his way out with The King. The Alpha chuckled, amused,

"What?" He asked, annoyed at the other’s happiness.

"I'm not having to ask or fight you anymore," The King pointed out and he glared at the other.

"Do you want me to fight you?" He snapped. The other stopped walking and turned, bringing his hand up to force Geno's chin up to look at him.

"I'd love to see you try. It's cute when you try to put up a fight. Just know, no matter what, you will end up in my arms at the end of the day," the other purred and he swallowed, feeling his heart skip a beat. It's been increasingly difficult for him to calm himself down recently, especially when he's around the other like this. He turned aggressively, walking away.

"You wish!" He shot out and The Alpha just laughed at him. When they arrived, Geno again moved to the bleachers, not helping as the instructors started to move things. Halfway through, The Alpha walked over to him. They made eye contact and The Alpha raised an eyebrow.

"What? Can't you go annoy someone else! You have the biggest whole fucking pack in the world!" He growled and The Alpha laughed almost in disbelief at his attitude.

"Yeah, you definitely need to let off some steam-" The King commented and his eyes widened.

"Huh! NO I don't-" He fumed out, but his tantrum was interrupted.

"I'm thinking of making you a martial arts instructor for the she-wolves." He blinked at the other

"...What?" The King smiled.

"You heard me, do you want to teach them today?" The Alpha asked. He was taken aback.

"I-I never taught anyone anything before-" He stuttered. The Alpha interrupted him again.

"You'll do great." He shook his head.

"Are you sure I'm even qualified-" Again, the other interrupted him.

"You held your ground against me, unlike any other she-wolf or male-wolf in this pack. I also believe they can learn a thing or two about commitment and not
accepting defeat like you hold yourself to." Geno huffed, looking down sadly. He wished those words were true. Is that how the other saw him?

"What do you mean, all I do is fa-" The Alpha quickly cut off his self-loathing.

"Geno, you are the strongest fighter I know and I don't just mean physically. Now, do you want to or not?" Geno was almost shocked by how the other knew what he was going to ask or bring up. He glared.

"Did you like rehearsing this?" He shot out and The Alpha sighed.

"That's not a yes or no." Geno groaned and swung his arms in the air.

"Ugh! Fine!... I'll try," he muttered that last part and The Alpha smiled, moving his hand up. The Luna tried to dodge it, but he couldn't. Reaper patted and messed up
Geno’s hair as the Luna groaned and swatted The Alpha away. The Alpha chuckled and walked away. The bell rang and people came in. He sighed and took off his shoes, scarf, and cloak. Stretching, he walked over to the female trainer who smiled at him and brought him in front of the other she-wolves.

"Hello, class, I know you know of Luna Geno. He will be helping with the martial arts section of today's training," she stated, and everyone gasped. A few whispers went through, 'Is that why he fought the Beta and Alpha, to prove he could teach?', 'Do you think we can survive him? ' 'This is so cool, I want to learn how to flip like he did!' 'I wonder how good he's with weapons?' He ignored them as she gave everyone some training to do before the martial arts section. He wonders how he will do it. He probably would tell everyone to have a quick spar with someone they never or barely fight with, it needs to be as unpredictable, and he will give tips for both sides. He watched everyone go off on their own and he had felt eyes from across the room on him, but he knew who they were, so he didn't look. The she-wolf instructor, who was definitely older, smiled at him.

"You were really impressive the other day, Geno. I'm glad to finally have another instructor. I'm getting a little old for this job," she humored and he hummed. She looked a little nervous with him, but also happy to have someone else. He liked that he didn't have to join the training. He stayed there as she talked about all the Lycans she had trained, and she remembered when he first arrived here and how different he was; he was now significantly bigger and looked healthier. After half an hour of watching, everyone got back from their warm-up and training. The quick thirty-minute pack run was scheduled for the castle. He had learned that only high-ranking people lived in the castle; the rest lived in the village and walked to the castle for work. Guards, hunters, warriors, and other essential pack members were required to be here for church and training. Not all guards, though, as they train at a different time. The Alpha called for the run to begin and everyone made their way out of the training area. He couldn't join before, so he was excited to finally be able to do this. He's always watched them from a distance. They run as a pack as a way to show unity and it's also a way wolves go into battle.

He made their way outside the castle and through the gate leading to the forest between the castle and the village. He realized most likely everyone was going to get naked, so he panicked and then he broke off from the group as everyone started to strip. He walked further into the forest, away from everyone. Once he was out of sight, he undressed quickly. He folded his clothes neatly into his cloak, which was apparently waterproof. Made sense. Placing it on the snow, he stood barefoot on it and shivered from the cold before shifting. Enid took over, smelling for the pack and running back towards them. Everyone was shifting or had already shifted when he arrived. They were all a little smaller than he was, which made sense, considering he was a Luna. A brown she-wolf Lycan ran up to him quickly, very excited to meet him. His wolf hadn't been introduced to the pack yet. So, he realized the curious gazes from the wolves in the pack, wanting to meet Enid. Enid stood firm, showing her Luna status. The brown wolf leaned down in submission and rolled on her back while Enid started to groom them.

He thinks he knows exactly who this was, rolling his eyes with a smile. Makaria. Two other female she-wolves came up, showing their submission by leaning down.
One was back and white and the other was gray. Keres, Eris. He regained some control as he looked at the other pack members, spotting a familiar giant black wolf in the front next to two equally large Lycans. He was about the same size as the two male Lycans. There was a brown striped wolf with the same colored eyes as Thanatos and the black and white wolf next to the Alpha. Azrael looked just like his sister, but bigger. He walked through the pack and the she-wolves ran off, Eris going to an all black, smaller Lycan that probably was Anubis. As he made his way through the wolves, they sniffed, greeting him before leaning down, showing submission. When he arrived, Beta Thanatos sniffed him, greeting him, and of course, Enid took over, nipping at him, causing the Beta to put his ears down sadly. The Alpha moved forward, scenting him as he walked by.

Line up, Alpha commanded,and everyone moved to their designated spots, with the Alpha positioned in the center of the group of wolves. Geno stayed still, not knowing where to go.

Where do I go? Geno questioned, mind linking the Alpha.

Always next to me, My Queen, he huffed at the nickname but made his way through the wolves to stand next to The Alpha. Thanatos, Azrael, Anubis, Eris, Keres, and Makaria circled them. Enid was begging him to scent The Alpha, but he ignored her constant need for attention from her mate. Once everyone was settled, The Alpha barked, and everyone started to run perfectly. He had a slightly late start, so The Alpha slowed down to match him, correcting the run instantly and getting everyone on the same wavelength. It was impressive how The Alpha could do that. He seemed to plan and control every wolf in the pack and where they ran and how fast. He noticed all the wolves were very tuned in to The Alpha. It took The Alpha flicking his right ear to make everyone turn right perfectly. How did the wolves in front of them know?

He mindlinks them. Enid explained and went on to tell him what to do, as he had never done this before, but apparently, she knew. Telling him the directions the Alpha was telling the other wolves. He didn't know how she could tell what the Alpha wanted with just suble movement.

We read it in a book, you idiot. Enid rolled her eyes and he scoffed.

Rude! Don't call me an idiot! Idiot! He yelled back, The fact that she remembers everything he read is insane. She might be more intelligent than him. She giggled happily until The Alpha nipped at them for not paying attention. Geno’s tail swished and he concentrated on following The Alpha more closely. They ran for a bit before The Alpha led them back to the center. He had concentrated hard with Enid helping him slightly as he learned all the movements. Once they arrived back in the area, the wolves stretched and seemed to break off to socialize with others. He sat down, swishing his tail in annoyance. The Alpha rubbed against him, causing him to flinch and stand up. The Alpha then moved off to the center of the pack. Geno kept his gaze on The Alpha as he did.

Run is over, back to the training room.
The Alpha mind linked everyone and they all began to shift. He moved quickly, running back into the forest, trying to find his clothes. After a while, he finally found them and shifted quickly, changing his form. He pulled his cloak and scarf on.

Where are you? The Alpha voiced, slightly angry and panicked.

I'm almost back! Shoot. He turned and ran back to the area and Enid rushed him. He noticed they had waited for him. Everyone glanced at him as he made his way to The Alpha, whose eyes had narrowed. The Alpha sighed and looked to the side.

"We need to fix this shyness; it's dangerous to be away from the pack like that," The Alpha voiced. He was right, but he didn't want to.

"What! No!" He glared and The Alpha looked down at him.

"At least let me accompany you," The Alpha voiced and he sighed, finally nodding. The Alpha smiled and turned to lead the pack. When they arrived back in the training room, he walked to the other she-wolf trainer and stood with her. The group of she-wolves all sat down in front of them and they waited for him to start. He felt their eyes on him again. He told them to find a pair they barely fight with or never have, even if they are very weak or powerful, as fighting in a weight class is dumb. The instructor next to him was surprised by that.

"If we went to war, you wouldn't scout the army for someone in your weight class, you would fight whoever you could find." She was surprised by his lesson, but it also made sense. "I took down Thanatos, who is three times higher than my weight class" he pointed out. "It doesn't always come down to strength and weight," he stated and the she-wolves watched him with awe, nodding before finding a partner. He sent two groups walking up to the podium. He watched the four girls get ready and he started the spar, watching the way they fought. He circled them and yelled out different ways they could have done an attack differently. He told the smaller one to focus more on her agility to make the other lose stamina trying to catch her. Then, when they slow down their movements, is when she should strike. He then told the one using strength to focus more on where the other is going and if you know the other is going to dodge, to fake out or try to predict where they would move.

Some of the easiest ways to win are to: quickly overpower someone, make it last so long that help arrives, or they lose stamina. If you aren't strong, focus on stamina and agility. He walked up on the podium and helped them. After ten minutes, he swapped them to different groups and continued to give them tips. He was pushing them pretty hard, making a few of them extremely tired before sitting down afterward, so he was worried that he was being too harsh. Halfway through the training, he glanced over and saw that The Alpha was joining in and training with the others. He couldn't help but stare as the other had taken off his cloak and shirt. His eyes scanned the other’s muscles and scars. The Alpha was training with Thanatos and Azrael and beating both of them very aggressively. He couldn't stop staring, even when he noticed he was openly staring. Enid was basically drooling. The Alpha glanced his way and smirked before winking, which made Geno immediately freak out and turn away. Whispers from some she-wolves about how attractive he was made Enid immediately get very aggressive in his head.
He had to calm his glare as the pack didn't know they were mates yet, it had only been told to the higher ranks and some guards. The rest just know he's a Luna in the pack that beat their Beta and could stand toe-to-toe with their Alpha. But, he also knew how bad a reputation he had here for hurting pack members. He can tell that the view on The Alpha could be going down, as they didn't get to see any punishments, but the people he hurt didn't seem to hold any malice towards him, which made it even worse. He glared at the girls sitting down, talking about his mate.

"If you have time to talk like that, then you have time to spar, go up there," he demanded and they looked shocked, immediately standing up and going to spar. He ended up working the four girls way harder than the rest and then only stopping them when one was so tired she couldn't keep up. He told her she needed to work on stamina. The four came down and he did the last two groups. This group had Makaria, Eris, Keres, and a she-wolf he hadn't met before. Makaria was with the she-wolf and Eris and Keres were against each other. He was surprised, but it made sense that Keres and Eris had never spent time together. He watched them as Makaraia completely destroyed the she-wolf. He had to give the she-wolf some more tips and only gave Makaraia one.

"Stop sparing to teach and spar to kill," he stated and Makaria looked very surprised at being caught holding her punches. Makaria was too scared to beat her too fast, but that was the whole point. He needed her to go down quickly so he could show the she-wolf what she was doing wrong. Makaria apologized first and then basically body slammed the younger she-wolf. The girl was shocked and he smiled, helping her up and brushing her off, saying she might be too novice to handle a Beta. He then told her what to specifically work on, which was a lot, as the entire stance she had was incorrect; there were numerous openings. The two left and he actually decided to focus on Keres and Eris, who actually looked to be very evenly matched, which was a red flag to him, but he knew Eris had always been really strong. It's just that his Gamma should be stronger than this, so he focused on what Keres seemed to be doing wrong. Keres was strong; she was very much like Azrael, so she focused more on strength than agility and strategizing, and that is where she would get absolutely bodied by Makaria. He told her she was relying too much on her strength, which he said she wouldn't be able to survive in a real fight. Keres looked surprised and slightly glared at him.

"I'm sorry, Luna, but I disagree," Keres stated.

"Okay. Eris, get off the podium. Makaria, you're up next. Remember: Kill," he reminded his Beta and her eyes lit up; she seemed to smile and look at him, amused, knowing she was going to wipe the floor with Keres. They started and Keres didn't even last a minute before she was on the floor. He walked over to her and leaned over her.

"Makaria is below your weight and strength group by two, yet she beat you with strength because her agility and planning were stronger than yours. That is why you need to start relying on building those up, or you will always get beaten by those who focus on that instead." Keres swallowed and nodded, now completely believing him, and he smiled and pulled her up, and then they were done. The bell rang for lunch. Seems his training lasted too long, but every she-wolf stayed, so entranced by the way he was correcting them. He didn't expect that. Maybe because he didn't feel like he was part of the pack yet? Everyone started to leave, all very excited, a few she-wolves coming up to him and thanking him. He didn't really know how to respond, so he just nodded, and when they left, The Alpha walked up.

“Someone's popular. Seems it went well," Reaper chimed. He sighed and looked away.

"I don't know why they are thanking me," he stated. Reaper looked at him.

"You are a Luna, one of the strongest fighters I've seen in a while, and even if they don't know it, their wolves know you are my mate." His eyebrow furrowed.

"What? How?" He turned to the other, forgetting he didn't have a shirt on.

"They can sense it. Meaning everyone might treat you like my mate without realizing it." He blinked, turning away immediately, his face going red.

"Put a shirt on," he snapped. The King moved closer to him.

"Oh, can you not focus?" They purred.

"No! I just don't want to see it!" He yelled, moving away.

I wanna lick his chest

Enid, what the actual fuck. He didn't get far running from the other before The Alpha grabbed him, wrapping his arms around his waist and lifting the Luna
up. Geno swung his legs back and forth and tried to squirm out of his hold. Geno’s entire back touched his chest. He could feel his muscles and he couldn't stop his
blush as it traveled to his ears.

"Let me go!" He cried out, trying to get out of his hold. The only people in the room were the trainers, Thanatos, Eris, Keres, and Makaria. They watched them in amusement. "You're sweaty!" He yelled out louder and The King laughed. He elbowed the other, finally getting him to let him go. He glared, turning around. The older one smiled at him and he couldn't even glare for long before his eyes went to his chest and he turned again, and the other chuckled.

"Seems like you're having a hard time there, liar," The King teased

"Shut up! I'm going to go eat!" He snapped and walked over to the bleachers and put everything back on, refusing to look at the other, even with Enid begging for it. The Alpha followed after him. They finished around the same time and started walking to lunch, everyone else in the room chasing after them. He began to realize how much you get followed around when you are higher-ranked in this pack. He never got followed around so much. He knows Reaper is following him just to annoy him and make sure he can't run away. The others, though. He glanced at Makarai and Keres following him. Azrael and Thanatos followed The Alpha. He glanced at The King.

"We should run and see them panic," he whispered to Reaper and the other laughed. The King shook his head with a smile. Geno looked away, kinda embarrassed that he made the other laugh from his own joke. When they arrived at lunch, Geno moved to stand in line, wanting to pick his own food. However, The Alpha didn't let him reach for anything and took over immediately to do it for him. The Luna smacked the other.

"I can do it! Stop!" He complained and The Alpha laughed, continuing to do it, which made him cross his arms and pout, upset with him. He's treating him like a pup! Enid shook her head and laughed.

Geno, he's providing; it's in their nature to want to give us everything, especially food. Honestly, if you said you wanted a moose, he would order one or go out and
get a moose for us. Enid explained, and he did kind of know this, but also, he was independent! He didn't need anyone's help! They made it back to the table and then he sensed it. He froze and glanced across the room. His eyes roam across all of the Lycans in the room. Enid stood up, completely frozen and on guard. Her fur fluffed up. The Alpha next to him turned to look at him.

"There's an intruder." He stated.

Chapter Text

The Alpha immediately raised his head in the direction the Luna was looking, analyzing the room before Geno noticed that The King had found the intruder. Geno had no idea what or who but that there was one. The Alpha placed the food down and pulled the Luna closer as Azrael, Thanatos, and every guard in the room immediately turned in that direction. The Alpha must’ve mindlinked them. Then he saw a guard walk up to someone he hadn't noticed until now. So that was the intruder that he sensed. He knew Luna's had a very close connection to people in the pack, but he never felt it until now. Is that why he could sense the other intruder before who had tried to kidnap him?

The intruder aggressively stood up and threw something at the Luna. Geno immediately jumped back, but he was also pulled hard by The Alpha away from the silver dagger that flew across the room and almost hit a kitchen staff member, who screamed, slamming into the wall. The guards immediately secured the intruder and yanked him out of the kitchen. Azrael and Thanatos immediately went into action. The Alpha pulled him along as they quickly made their way out into the hallway. The King looked furious. Geno let him drag him. He was pulled into The Alpha’s office before being brought to a hidden door behind a bookcase. Opening it, it was a small little room. There were numerous unusual artifacts in here, including the slab he had used last time. The king then used a crystal to light up the room before shutting the door on the Luna, leaving him in there. Are you kidding? Geno then heard a yell and scream outside. He realized the intruder had been brought into the office and was being interrogated. The Alpha didn't want him out of his sight but had to interrogate the person. Enid hummed while cleaning herself.
He turned to the artifacts, don't mind if he does. He immediately started to touch all of them. One of these better turn him into a goblin or something. Enid sighed. He didn't appreciate being put in here like some treasure, so if something bad happens in here, he can blame The King. He paused when he noticed the books and reached up to grab one, then opened it. His eyes widened. The first Luna. Grim's mate. Mary. She was a young-born Lycan, as she had shifted early due to the drink. Being mated to an older and most powerful Lycan at 15.

That’s all he knew about her from the stories, but this was her diary. Could he be snooping through this? If he gets cursed, it's Reaper's fault. He started reading through the first few pages, ignoring the sounds happening on the other side of the wall. He jumped hard as the door slammed open and The Alpha walked in with blood on him, covering some of his black cloak and trailing his hands. Geno tensed up and shut the book, putting it back before the other slammed him against the wall. He gasped as the other aggressively kissed him. Geno's eyes widened. He was kissing him like he was going to lose him.

Geno couldn't help but let out some noises and tried to push the other off, but his hand trembled and his legs became weak. He didn't use any strength and ended up just holding onto the other's cloak for dear life. His eyes closed. The Alpha had his hand on the side of his head to steady him in the kiss; the other was on his waist, inching dangerously close. He didn't even realize he gave them room to use his tongue. He squeaked and tried to pull away again, but couldn't as the other chuckled against him. Geno was lost to the other until The Alpha used his leg and pushed them in between his legs, raising it. His eyes widened as he felt it against his crotch. He bit the other's lip and went after the other with more strength this time, forcing him off of him by a few feet. Geno brought his hand up to his mouth, looking at him like the other was crazy.

Reaper licked the blood off his lip from him biting it, staring at him hungrily. The king then walked out of the room, leaving the door open for him. Geno took a few deep breaths, trying to calm his blush. Enid was having a field day sending every dirty thought she had and he couldn't help but also think of a few himself. That was the best kiss he ever had. Science could never. The Alpha kissed him as if he were going to vanish; it was intoxicating, like the sacred water. He almost lost control and let the other do whatever they wanted. My gosh, he needs to keep his distance again. He nearly got hard, just from a kiss. He never had someone so hungry for him before. After a few minutes, he calmed himself and walked into the room. Azrael, Thanatos, Makarai, and Keres were in there trying to figure out how an intruder got in and was able to get into the castle so easily. Where did the man come from? The Alpha had his back to them, looking outside the window, and Geno could sense the dangerous aura coming from the other. The king was in a terrifying mood and he knew he needed to be somewhat cautious. He sat down in one of the chairs by the side of the wall. The Alpha turned his head in his direction, clearly acknowledging his presence. Makaria sighed,

"Let's go, Geno, we can do some training while they figure it out," she stated.

“No, ”The Alpha commanded aggressively, making everyone flinch. Makaria was surprised and Thanatos was shaking his head no to her, but of course, she was going to fight.

"My King, you tasked me to train him to be Luna. I cannot do that if we don't train. We will just be in the room ov-" She didn't get to finish.

"Did you not hear me the first time, Beta?" The Alpha's deep, terrifying voice interrupted her. Makarai looked scared and Geno growled at the other. The Alpha growled back. Geno turned to the other.

"I'm fine! I can handle myself! I legit killed 17 of them by myself. You don't need to act like this," he snapped and the Alpha sighed.

"Geno, I can't help it when my mate is targeted," The Lycan growled.

"Well, mind it! I'm strong, you even said it yourself, it makes me feel insulted when you treat me like this. I don't need protection! I didn't even get hurt! I can't train when you are acting like this and getting in my business! The Luna office is literally on the other side of this wall!" He snapped, The Alpha sighed and turned away. The King thought it over. Thanatos, Keres, and Azrael watch in disbelief. The Alpha finally let out a big growl.

"Fine. You can go with Makaria to the Luna office to train, but I'm doing the second half of your training," The King stated and he rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, yeah, dog" he grumbled and the others gasped as Geno stood up and grabbed his papers.

"Excuse me?" The Alpha's voice sent a chill down his spine and he tensed up.

"Yes, sir," he corrected himself and the other hummed. The Luna walked out while Makaria looked at him, impressed, and brought him into the office. It was nice and
it was his. He couldn't help but feel happy when he saw it finished. He placed the papers on it and explored the office more as Makaria explained where everything would go. He found out that the second half of his training with The King was actually doing his duties, so he will be doing it with The Alpha, while Makaria will just be doing Luna training him such as history and health. He needed it to focus on this pack and his sex, as apparently, he knew nothing about health. He didn't know much about marking either. He knew it involved his mate biting a specific part of his neck that would leave a mark for an entire month until he needed to redo it each month. You can't bite over a marked she-wolf. Makaria explained the holidays they celebrated. Winter solstice, Equinox, and the Summer Solstice. The Summer Solstice is the day of sleep. Everyone gets off work and mostly they all sleep and don't even eat for the day and night. He asked why and she explained that since Lycans have a strong connection with the Moon, this is the day the Moon is out the least, causing all Lycans to become exhausted and weak. It's the worst day to be attacked and the worst day for any invasion, so the day before the Summer Solstice, The Lycans put up forts and protection around the pack.

Apparently, during the 200-Year War, they were attacked the most on the Summer Solstice, but the fort and border protection kept them safe each time until they could actually fight. He was not excited to experience this. Then, the Equinox was the day when the Moon and sun are visible for an equal amount of time; there are two days when this happens. This celebration is primarily used to mark the passage of time, signifying that a quarter of the year had passed. The Winter Solstice counted as a near year, while the Summer Solstice counted as halfway through the year. It was a tradition of how they kept time while living in the mountains as they didn't have distinct seasons. They used the Moon and the sun. He studied with her for three hours as they went over everything about the pack. He learned that there was a hood tradition, but it wasn't too important to follow; if he were a Luna and wore his hood too much, everyone would start to assume he might be the actual Luna, the mate of the Alpha. So Reaper, who knows he didn't want it spread around too much until he feels confident in being the Luna of the pack, has been stopping him from accidentally outing himself.

He just liked his hood being up and it made him feel more secure. Makaria was thrilled to be with him and he ended up learning a great deal from her. She may be crazy, but when she actually has something to focus on, she's not as crazy. He learned a great deal about the essential duties of Luna and Alphas. He discovered that they used to hold public mating ceremonies in front of the pack for the Alpha and Luna as a display of connection and proof of their mate bond. They stopped this requirement 300 years ago. Thank fucking goddess. Though apparently they still suggest mating in the church during conception as a way for the pups to be blessed by The Goddess.

"You are so impressive to be able to talk back to The King when he's like that," Makaria stated and he shrugged.

"He was only being that way because he was feeling protective of me," he huffed and Makaria nodded.

"I understand. Thanatos was the same way until he gave up on trying to stop me from doing crazy shit." Geno laughed and nodded; he had seen the crazy things she had done and Geno felt nervous before he asked his question.

"T-this is going to be a little bit of a hard and invasive question, so you do not have to answer…" Makaria nodded and looked up at him as he tried to form the words. "U-umm, do you and Thanatos have you…like…you know…mm," he stuttered hard. Makaria raised an eyebrow before finishing his sentence for him.

"Have sex?" He felt his face go red and he looked away. She laughed. "You don't have to be so shy about that, and yes, we have sex a lot as he can't keep his hands to himself, but we both agreed to use protection as we don't want pups yet until our Alpha and Luna have one." Geno's eyes widened and his face went redder.

"What?!" He almost yelled.

"Yup! So you two better get to it." She winked and he shook his head rapidly. "No," and she looked kind of surprised.

"Why?" She asked and he felt his face go redder.

Yeah, Geno, why? Tell her Enid egged him on and he huffed, covering his face.

"I….just never done that and I'm not comfortable with…" He faltered and she giggled.

"Yeah, I can tell with the way you can't even talk about it. But don't worry, everyone's like that the first time and the mate bond usually erases any fears of that during it." He knew what she meant and he kept the real reason why he didn't want to himself, as he didn't want to talk about it. It's not the act of sex that he was scared of, even though he kinda was; it was the act of falling in love. He was scared to do that. Makaria checked the time and groaned. "Ugh, you have to go now! This sucks! Thanatos is probably too busy to hang out with me! I'm going to be all alone now!" He laughed and patted her shoulder.

"You'll be fine. Thank you for teaching me," he thanked her and she beamed.

"Of course! We can focus on some health next lesson, as The King said, you didn't know much about it," Makaria chimed and he shrugged.

"I know enough to get by but not enough for certain…things," he mumbled that last part and she raised an eyebrow before wiggling them suggestively.

"Oh~" he groaned and she laughed. They both stood up. He rolled his eyes before walking to the door as Makaria cleaned up the office. He shut the door and walked four feet to the right, raising his hand to knock, but the guards there simply opened it for him. He walked into the room and it was only The Alpha in there. The door shut and The Alpha's eyes met his. He swallowed and walked into the room, sitting on the couch. The Alpha snapped his fingers, catching his attention, and he pointed at the seat in front of him. Geno stood up and made his way over to the other. He sat down in front of the other. The Alpha made eye contact before he spoke, placing papers in front of him.

"Read these and come up with ideas on how to fix them, and I will look through them and critique them," The Alpha stated and he nodded. Right into it, huh? He grabbed the first paper and looked through it. It was another domestic issue. It was Astrid's daughter, who was now causing problems for Erik, as she believed she was his. A blood test would take three months, so there is an entire custody issue to resolve. He placed the paper down and stared at it in disbelief.

"That is the messiest drama I have ever read," he stated. "And I was in that stupid King newspaper so many times!" He exclaimed. The Alpha laughed. He read through the fine print and wrote his answer on the paper stapled to it to respond with for The Alpha to see his answer. He didn't know much about the legal process of this entire thing, but he knew that if they wanted to make it a legal issue, they could. However, if they didn't, they had no right to claim things like that and cause problems for a bread maker. He's a bread maker for The Goddess's sake. When he finished, he placed it next to The Alpha. The King glanced at it but continued working on the one he was on, so Geno grabbed the following paper. This was a problem with certain crops that were mixing with those of other farmers and destroying them. He read through them and, surprisingly, he had read about both of these crops before in his Old Norse books, which actually provided a solution, so he answered them using the solution he knew. He then noticed that The Alpha had taken the other one he had written on and he slowly placed it where his last paper was, looking nervously at the other, who was critiquing his work. The Alpha wrote a few things here and there on the paper. Geno then grabbed the following paper and the other gave him the domestic issue back. He looked through the others' updates, but he didn't understand a few of them. He stared at it for a little bit before the other glanced at him. He had almost figured it out.

"Do you want an explanation?" The king asked and he shook his head, no. The idea of the other actually teaching him this was embarrassing; it was literally the easiest thing. The Alpha clicked his tongue.

"Lying, take your cloak off." Geno's eyes widened at that and his hand went down to his cloak and unclipped it, letting it fall.

"Huh?" He yelled out. The King smirked.

"I warned you, every time you lie to me, I will punish you. Your punishment is an article of clothing," The Alpha chimed. He glared.

"Why? That's so fucked up!" He accused.

"Oh, hush, Lycan and werewolves didn't start wearing clothing until like 200 years ago, we used to just wear the cloaks here. You need to get comfortable with your body and if it has to be like this or in front of the mirror like I suggested before, then so be it." Geno glared.

"Thats unfair!" He whined. The King smiled

"I can strip with you if it would make you feel better!" The other offered and his face went red as Enid screamed yes.

"NO! That’s worse!" He cried out. The Alpha laughed and shrugged.

"Just don't lie, it's not hard, Geno, you can make that decision yourself. So if you lie, that just means you want to take off your clothing," The King stated and grabbed the paper he had critiqued. The King then went over every detail and reason for each critique. Geno listened even though he was mad at the other. When The Alpha was done, he placed the paper in the "done" pile and grabbed another paper. Geno started working on a different one, before a knock was heard from the door. The Alpha smiled and glanced at him. "The maids are here if you want to apologize; otherwise, I will." Geno shook his head no and stood up. "Come in," The Alpha spoke and three maids came in. The one he hurt looked better than he thought, but they all seemed very nervous, and they were all wearing different uniforms. They bowed to them. The Alpha stood up and walked with Geno closer to them. "Thank you for coming here today. I hope you two are doing well. The Luna wanted to have a word with you two" The King stated and directed their attention to him. Geno swallowed.

"I apologize for any pain I may have caused you two. It was not intentional, Tanada, Lorelei, Aliza, I had some…unresolved issues-" The Alpha laughed.

"Had?" He interrupted and Geno shot a glare at the other.

"I HAVE some unresolved issues that had nothing to do with you personally that I am working through currently. I'm sorry for any trouble I caused you three…" he apologized and the three bowed their heads. Admittedly one, he only growled at, the other two he actually hurt so two were wronged a lot more.

"We appreciate the apology, Luna," they stated in unison. Geno furrowed his eyebrows; he didn't like that they had to accept it because of his rank. He glanced at The Alpha.

"I wish I could give them compensation or something," he muttered to the other. The King took a step forward.

"A paid week's vacation," The alpha stated and the three maids looked shocked. They bowed their heads again.

"Thank you, Luna, Alpha!" They all stated it very happily and Geno smiled, but still felt bad. The Alpha dismissed them and went back to his work. Geno sighed and sat back down with the other. Reaper's eyes went to him.

"Was that not satisfactory?" The King asked and Geno kept his eyes on the paper.

"It was fine," he monotoned out, trying to ignore the other and actually work. He heard the other huff a laugh.

"Lyinggggg," Reaper sang and he glared at the other.

"Oh shut the fuck up!" He yelled. The Alpha pointed down.

"Shoes are next." He smiled and he glared again.

"No!" He shot out.

"Either you take them off or I command you," The Alpha huffed. Geno groaned before reaching down and unzipping them, letting them loudly fall on the floor so The King could hear it.

"You suck," he grumbled.

"And you're a liar, now tell me why you're displeased. I thought this was what you wanted?" The Alpha asked. Geno looked away before sighing, trying to find his words.

"I hate the ranks and roles in packs. They make it hard for anyone to apologize, because, of course, they had to forgive me. I'm their Luna! But if they did something, I could not forgive them. It's dumb." The Alpha hummed.

"It's just how pack-life is. I can understand that you may not understand it because of your…roots. But, it's something that can't be changed. All we can do is show we are sorry and give compensation like you said." Geno nodded; The King's words comforted him and he went back to work. They quietly went through documents together until a bell rang for dinner time. Geno was getting easy documents that were just complaints.

In contrast, The Alpha seemed to be handling a lot harder ones requiring regulation, which he knew he definitely wasn't ready for yet. The Alpha probably has every regulation memorized by now. Should he read those three textbooks Makaria showed him, which contain the regulations, so he doesn't have to look things up and make it longer for him? A kitchen staff member came in and put food on the table for them. Does the Alpha mindlink them every time?

Sometimes I asked Death to add more meat, Enid chimed in and giggled. He smiled at that and The Alpha seemed to finally take a break, stretching with a sigh. Geno glared at the pile of unfinished work.

"Why don't we just burn them all and say it's an accident?" He stated and The Alpha laughed.

"Then we would have double work for next week," The King pointed out and he groaned.

"Ugh, is this why you're always in your office?" Reaper hummed, eating some of his food before answering.

"Most of the time, yes, but usually I can get them done quickly; it's when situations occur that leave me unable to leave." Geno knew what those meant. Must've been a lot of paperwork when The Werewolf King basically broke in. He still remembers it like it was yesterday; he actually has big stretch marks that are almost scars on his back from the drink, which were another thing that made him ugly. All the scars and marks that covered him. The only places that are mostly clear start at his waist and down. He started to eat and looked at the following paper as he did so. He knew how to answer most of these questions, as he had done a lot of this in South Wood Pack. However, he never had anyone to offer helpful tips on fixing anything he wasn't sure about, so it was nice having someone with this much experience explain why he did certain things. He remembers hearing about the outcomes of his choices and they were not what he wanted. The Alpha hummed and looked through the pile before nodding. He then put the pile away and started cleaning it up. Geno was surprised.

"Are we done? But there's still more?" He questioned. The Alpha glanced at him while putting them in folders.

"Not everything has to get done immediately; most paperwork should take 2-3 days to get done." Geno was surprised. He was always told to get it done immediately and would even lose sleep and skip meals to complete them.

"They won't get mad?" He asked, since he was told by South Wood Pack's old Luna that they would. The Alpha raised an eyebrow.

"No? Who said they would?" The King asked and Geno looked back at the table and glared, feeling upset. He really was tricked and lied to the entire time in that pack. Werewolves really do hate Lycans. Reaper sighed and walked over, putting his hand on the desk and leaning on it, next to him.

"You have been wronged a lot, my love." Geno felt his face go red at that nickname and he looked away.

"D-don't call me that," he stuttered. The Alpha tilted his head.

"Why? Do you not like it?" They asked and he glared.

"No!" He shot out and the other laughed. Fuck.

"Lying again, scarf this time." Geno couldn't help the whine he let out as he basically stomped the ground like a toddler. He hated this stupid lie thing; just let him hide behind his mask! He pulled his scarf and threw it at the other. The King hummed, grabbing the scarf before it hit him in the face and he shot forward to wrap it around Geno's neck, then yanking it forward towards himself like a leash. He almost gagged and gasped as he was forced to stand up to avoid being choked. "That wasn't very nice, pup," The Alpha purred and his face went red as he brought his hands up to the scarf to try to stop The King. The other let the scarf slide off his neck and walked around to sit at his desk. Geno brought his hand up to his neck, rubbing it, and sat back down. The King started to eat, so Geno glared at him before he ate too. He hated how the other felt so comfortable with him, yet he felt so awkward next to The King. The Alpha hummed, glancing at him, and he looked away, avoiding his gaze, causing the other to chuckle at his shyness. You would think after everything, he would've gotten over this by now. He glanced anywhere but at the Lycan in front of him. His eyes went to a map hung above the fireplace, showing the mountains.

"Can I visit my family's house?" He asked.

"Absolutely not, end of discussion," The Alpha snapped at him so hard that Geno was shocked. He glared at the other.

"Why!?!" He exclaimed. The King sighed.

"Geno, I said 'end of discussion'."

"Well then, aren't you lying!? 'Lying of omission!’” He mocked the others' words. The Alpha rolled his eyes.

"Geno, you know exactly why. Makaria told you back when you were a pup," The Alpha stated.

"…h-how do you know that?" He stuttered, surprised. They were alone in the library.

"Geno, do you really think I don't know everything that happens in this castle?" The Alpha stated and Geno was surprised. Is that how the other finds him so fast? Does The Alpha hear every conversation he has with others?

"Stalker," he deadpanned and The Alpha chuckled.

"Only with you~" Reaper purred. Geno's face went red again and he turned away. He decided to just focus on eating.

"Well, I don't care, I still want to go! I want to see my home," he demanded and the Lycan sighed.

"Geno, this is your home," The King stated. Geno gave his best puppy dog eyes.

"Please?" He begged The Alpha, who glared.

"No! We just had an intruder try to kill you today," The Alpha snapped.

"Psh, as if I could get killed that easily, I've been through so much worse," he cockily stated and The Alpha didn't look amused. Geno looked away, bored. He couldn't think of any way to get the other to agree. He'll just have to find an alternative approach. He reached forward to his fork, spinning it as he looked at The Alpha drink some red wine. "What even happened to that guy?" He asked nonchalantly.

"I killed him," The King deadpanned, spinning the alcohol and looking at it. Geno's eyes widened slightly.

"You didn't try to interrogate him on how he got in? Or trial him for his crimes?" He pointed out that he was confused. The Alpha placed the wine glass down.

"I did trial him. That’s why he's dead." Geno raised an eyebrow, more confused.

"But did you find out anything?" The King stayed silent and he realized he hadn't found out anything. "Reaper!" He stated this in shock and The Alpha shrugged.

"I was upset," the man stated and Geno felt his heart skip a beat. He never had someone kill for him. Enid swooned again and he looked to the side, seeing they had thirty minutes before bedtime started typically. He was about to finish eating, as The King had already finished and was lazily drinking. He glanced at The King; he didn't really know how to ask for this, so he stuttered when he did.

"C-catch me?" He didn't move and stayed still, waiting for the other to answer. The King raised an eyebrow.

"Are you asking me, this time?" The Alpha asked and he looked away, embarrassed.

"I'm bored, I want to play," he grumbled. The Alpha leaned against his hand, elbow on the table.

"You want to get chased by me again?" The King asked, amused. He scoffed.

"You only caught me last time cause Death is a wolf! That's very clearly an advantage, I would win against you." The King had a very amused face, almost as if he would laugh at the idea, and that’s when Geno realized that maybe he should've kept his mouth shut. Reaper stood up.

"Okay, let's go then." The Alpha's cloak swished as he walked by. Geno grabbed his shoes, pulling them on, and then his cloak, snapping it back into place. He then stood up, looking for his scarf. He glanced around the other's chair, trying to find it before he heard a whistle. He turned to The Lycan, who was holding it, and held it up to him. Geno walked over and grabbed it from the other with a half-hearted glare. The King chuckled. "Let's see if you can keep that attitude when I'm done
with you."

"Ha, you wish!" Though, Geno was a little nervous because he had forgotten that he might actually end up fighting the other in wolf form. The other thing he was never taught was that. No one wanted to face him in wolf form and he didn't join the pack for their pack run as he knew everyone would avoid him. South Wood hated him no matter what. Enid began giving him some tips on how to attack as a wolf and how to utilize his senses more effectively. He never really took over in his wolf form much. He followed The Alpha as they went down the stairs; they both walked through the hallways and he could sense the confidence and competitiveness emanating from the other. They arrived at the gate in front of the castle and the guards let them through. The Alpha brought him to a different forest in the pack and it was a lot more secluded than the last one. It was also very dark. He appreciated his night vision in times like this.

The Alpha pulled his cloak off and placed it high in a tree before starting to get undressed. Geno turned away quickly and The Alpha chuckled. He huffed and waited for the other to finish. Enid was begging him to catch a peek, but he refused. He waited until he felt fur against his legs, making him almost jump. He turned to look down and the gigantic black wolf stood about waist height to him. His blue eyes were glowing up at him and he nervously brought his hand down for the other to sniff. The wolf rubbed his head against his hand. He was so soft. He kneeled down before sitting fully down in front of the wolf. He was never this close to one. No one ever let him this close. The wolf tilted its head, indicating confusion and Geno seemed to snap out of it.

"Sorry, I've never seen a wolf up close like this," he stated, and the wolf leaned forward and licked his face. He flinched back. "EW!" He cried and the wolf looked amused, and he could almost hear The Alpha’s laugh. He wiped the slobber on his sleeves and stood up, the moment officially over. The wolf finally barked aggressively; it was a low growl and he rolled his eyes. "Okay, okay, turn around!" He snapped. If the wolf could roll its eyes, it definitely did, as Reaper turned around. Geno quickly pulled his cloak and the rest of his clothing and stuffed them in a tree like The King did before he knelt and shifted fully. His paws hit the ground. Enid didn't try to take over; she watched, interested in whatever they were doing. Geno slowly crept up against the other, but as he stepped closer, he saw the other's ear flick back before The King turned quickly and their faces met. Geno's crouch body straightened up as the other was bigger than him. He hadn't noticed the height difference before, but he was definitely a she-wolf. It was subtle but he was a little smaller. He nipped at The King before turning and running. It felt less terrifying with it being Reaper chasing him; he didn't know why, but he felt excited. Maybe this is what Enid felt with Death. That would make a lot of sense. He actually didn't get far until he was tackled by the other. He used his teeth to attack the other, but Reaper seemed to be just messing with him as he fought for his life underneath him.

Where's this winning against me? The Alpha mindlinked him. He growled and was able to get the other underneath him.

Shut up! He growled in the other's face before The Alpha growled back and quickly somehow flipped them, and he found himself on his back underneath the other again. This was the pose that would make you fresh meat. How did the other do that? He was becoming increasingly embarrassed. They continued to 'fight', but it was mostly him getting his ass kicked and his ego bruised. He had escaped a few times, but would eventually get caught. After a few attacks, he always ended up underneath the black wolf. He was currently on his back for the 100th time underneath the other; he had finally felt like giving up. He couldn't fight as a wolf and he felt embarrassed even trying. Enid had stopped watching him, ashamed to be associated with him. He didn't know how to be a wolf. He stopped trying to attack the other, looking away. The Alpha growled loudly in his face and he needed a way to end the fight, so he leaned forward and licked the other's nose in submission. Reaper's aggression vanished instantly.

Have you ever fought as a wolf before? Reaper asked and he didn't respond, and just looked away. He heard the other laugh in his head 'You talked big for what pup? 'You thought you could beat me on zero experience? I'm kind of insulted. Their eyes meet.

I thought I would at least be able to match you… I've never had to fight anyone, as Enid did for me. He complained and The Alpha wolf started to groom him.

Now, that’s princess treatment. You know you need to learn how to fight without relying on wolves. We used to drink wolvesbane just to practice fighting without them. The Alpha explained, tilting his head.

Doesn't that kill them? He questioned

If you do a little, it only puts them asleep,Reaper stated and he shuddered.

I never want to eat that again,he cringed and The Alpha hummed back, continuing to groom him, and he couldn't help but like it. He moved on to his side, turning his back to the other, as he tried to stand up, but teeth went around his neck again as he froze.

Reaper? He questioned and the other let go before licking his neck, making him jump with goosebumps going down his body.

Don't present your neck to me unless you want to be marked. Death almost took over and marked you. The King growled and he shot forward to get away from the other, and he turned to face The Alpha.

How is this my fault? Control your wolf! He growled back. The Alpha took a step forward, towering over him.

Do I need to remind you how long we've been waiting for you? Geno swallowed and he felt slightly guilty. Should he be treating his mate like this? He's acting like Science. He didn't respond for a while and The Alpha sighed in his head and walked past him.

Don't overthink, you'll just hurt yourself somehow. Let's head back, Geno gasped in shock.

Hey! What does that even mean? He was offended; was the other calling him dumb?

It means you are someone who will end up insulting yourself without reason when you think about something too long. Reaper stated and he couldn't even argue with the other, because he was right; he immediately started blaming himself. Enid was laughing at him.

Why do you think everyone else understands you more than you do? Enid chimed. He glared.

You are also me! He accused.

Yeah, and I can't understand you! She stated that, like it proved her point, which it…did. He followed after The Alpha as they had run very deep into the forest during their fight, which was basically him running and getting tackled for twenty minutes. The Alpha barely used his teeth or strength against him. He was so open to attacks. He walked up to The Alpha, walking alongside him. The King turned his head to him and he licked his nose again.

Keep doing that, and you will end up in my room, The Alpha growled in his head and he took a few steps from The Alpha wolf towering again over him.

WHAT! I thought I was supposed to do that? He stated, confused, bringing his ears down. The Alpha scoffed.

You don't know wolf etiquette. The Alpha pointed out another flaw; he was starting to feel like a child.

Enid told me to do that. He tried to defend himself, but the other laughed.

That's your first mistake, and your second was challenging me in the first place. Do I get an award for winning, My Queen? Reaper purred, taking a step forward, causing him to fluff up and growl.

No! He shot back and The Alpha then turned away, and he was surprised the other wasn't going to do anything.

Aww, such a shame, Reaper stated and Geno chased after the other as the Alpha trouted away.

We were just letting off steam? He tried to point out that it wasn't an actual competition; there was nothing at stake.

We? I barely broke a sweat, The Alpha teased and Geno felt enough shame and ran past the other.

Then go find another Luna then! He yelled in the other's head before blocking the other's mindlink, and Enid chuckled.

One way to make him chase you, She laughed and he didn't care, running further away, feeling his frustration fueling him, making him faster than before. He was such a mistake; he couldn't be a Luna to something as great as Reaper. Enid growled in annoyance and he ignored her. Why can't he be great like…he didn't even know. He couldn't think of an impressive Luna until his mind drifted to the others' first mate. Enid growled even more. He felt a pang of jealousy and pain. Was she better? He didn't get to dwell on it before he was fully tackled, falling on his back, the beautiful black wolf on top of him, his deep blue eyes boring into him. The other growled in his face, essentially saying, "Unblock me!" He sighed and did it. Silence went on until the other spoke.

Geno, The Alpha growled.

What he snapped.

You're perfect, the Alpha stated.

W-what?! He stuttered.

Why would I want anyone but you? Reaper asked

Y-You're just saying that cause you have to! What about his last mate? Would he pick him or them? The Alpha licked his nose and he jumped at that.

My cute Luna, the other purred while scenting him and Geno couldn't help but get embarrassed.

Okay okay! I get it! Let's go back now! The King laughed and moved away from him as Geno stood up, shaking the snow off himself before they walked back, they were closer to their clothing, having ran part way there. The Alpha shifted and he turned away. He waited for the other to finish. He watched the snow slowly fall as he waited. He didn't hear the other get close before they touched him, causing him to jump aggressively and turn around, growling. Reaper laughed at him.

"You really aren't in tune with your wolf senses, are you? We should fix that." Geno growled, upset at the other for scaring him, and The Alpha turned away,laughing. Geno shifted and grumbled, upset as he put on his clothes. Once he was done, he turned to the other and The Alpha glanced at him. The snow falling onto the Luna’s nose made him scrunch up his face. The King walked over to him and pulled his hood onto his head. Geno blinked, surprised that the other put his hood on him and did not yank it off. Did he do that because of what he said before about finding a different Luna? The King read him too well. He needed to find a different way to mask. He didn't feel comfortable with the other knowing his next move before him. He followed The Alpha from a slight distance, his mind wandering among the trees. When they got back to the main road, they made their way up it as the sun started to rise; they had been out for too long. He couldn't help but yawn. The Alpha glanced at him. He looked away from the other and his mind went back to the other waiting for him. The other refused to take on a chosen mate, hoping for a second chance. And he did, but unfortunately, his mate doesn't want to mate with him. Was he neglecting the other? The King actually sounded so tired when he spoke about waiting for him. Geno squeezed his hands. Reaper has never wronged him. Even when it seemed like he did, it was always for his own good. He was nothing like Science. Why couldn't his mind understand that? They made their way through the gate and silently through the castle, going up the stairs. He watched the other's cloak flow behind him. He watched The King, thinking about all he does for him. He was helping him find himself.

He had never been this happy in a while; no one else could do this. No one could force him out of bed and actually make him socialize for his own good. The King had sabotaged his self-destruction. When they got to the fifth floor, The Alpha walked to his room.

"Goodnight, Geno." The other didn't even expect anything and Geno felt a pang of pain hit him.

"Wait!" He cried out, and The Alpha paused and turned to him, curiosity in his expression. Geno swallowed and walked over to Reaper. He stopped in front of the
other, feeling his face go red, before he got the courage to bring his hands to the other's hood and pull him down. He kissed the other quickly before taking a step back, covering his face with his scarf. Enid had gasped, shocked that he dared to even do that.

"T-thank you. Please continue to be patient with me," he thanked the other, averting his eyes before he glanced at The King. Reaper looked thoroughly shocked at that, not even moving. Geno blinked, concerned now. "Reaper?-" He questioned before The King shot forward himself, slamming him against the wall and kissing him deeply. Geno's eyes widened and at first, he went to fight it, but slowly, he melted, stopping himself. He'll let him have this one. He kissed back, closing his eyes. Feeling the other kiss him like he hungered for it, Geno could barely keep up trying to match the passion, but he couldn't. The Alpha wasn't kidding when he said he waited 300+ years. My Goddess, Geno couldn't even catch his breath. He let out a whine, pushing slightly. The Alpha finally pulled off, taking in deep breaths as Geno panted. Their eyes met, Geno's face exploded, and he turned aggressively, going under the other's arm and running to his room.

"Goodnight!" He cried out and ran into his room, shutting and leaning against the door, bringing his hand to his rapidly beating heart. He just did that.

Woooo look at you, hot stuff! Keep getting brave! Death was swooning back there; you have them wrapped around your finger! He couldn't help but smile at his little cheerleader.

 

The next day continued exactly as before, with him waking up early and going with The King to church, where he sat bored, bringing a book. Still, The King took it from him, saying it wasn't appropriate. He then pointed out that The King had done it, and the Alpha claimed he could as he was "400 years old" and had heard all of them before. They ate breakfast together and he watched Makaria try to balance a tray on her hand and drop it on Keres. Which then turned into a full-blown fist fight. Apparently, Thanatos and Azrael were the same way when they were younger. He's glad the people he works with are young like him. He's so over old people. Primarily, old acquaintances who act as if they know everything as he side glanced Reaper. During training, he was asked to train the she-wolves again and they had somehow already started to improve, which made him happy. Keres started to actually listen to his advice, unlike before. He watched them spar and couldn't help but enjoy teaching. Though he's pretty sure he's the youngest Lycan here. He wondered why his family had waited so long to have him.

Did Reaper ever look for them? They were part of his pack. Why did no one ever find the carriage? He tried to ignore his thoughts and continue focusing on his pack. They were about to finish and start a pack run when a guard ran in and started talking to The Alpha. He watched the two talk and Reaper glanced at him. Reaper then spoke with Azrael, and Reaper, along with a large group of guards, left. Thanatos made an announcement on the martial arts podium that the pack run was canceled. Then Makaria was talked to by Thanatos before she, Keres, and Eris made their way towards him. He narrowed his eyebrows.

"What's happening?" He asked. The three swallowed before looking at each other, then Makaria took a step forward.

"Nothing too serious, we just think we might have found where the intruder came in." She smiled and he narrowed his eyes.

Lying, Enid voiced and he was surprised.

You can do it too, and you never told me? He asked.

It's hard. Death taught me, but I can only tell with friends right now, he hummed and he kept his suspicious look, and Makaria smiled like she wasn't. He scoffed.

"I know you're lying, but I'm guessing The Alpha didn't want me to know. Am I going to know at some point?" Makaria seemed taken aback before she sighed and looked to the side before she spoke.

"Yes, he can't keep it a secret forever; he just wants to see if he can deal with it without freaking you out. Right now, we just need you in the Luna or Alpha office for the rest of the day if you are fine with that," She explained and he glared.

"I'm not, but I don't have much of a choice." He crossed his arms and her eyebrows furrowed as she gave him a pitying look before telling the she-wolves that he had to go and Makaria started to lead him, accompanied by Keres and Eris. They brought him to the Luna office. When they entered, Geno moved to pout at his desk. He didn't like being caged in a room like this. The three glanced at each other with worry before Makaria took a step forward.

"We could do some more training, if you would like, Luna? Keres and Eris can be in here to help, as well!" She chimed. Geno thought about it before he nodded. Makaria smiled and got out her books from the cabinets. Keres and Eris grabbed different ones as well to hand to him. Geno began to listen as they explained some of the traditions and regulations they had in place. He asked to read the three giant books with the rules then mark it with sticky notes to indicate the parts he didn't understand to ask her about later. Makaria exclaimed that it was a great idea for homework. Geno didn't have anything else he needed to do; he knew Enid could possibly memorize it for him as well, but he would still like to try to understand them all. It's the least he could do for the pack. They discussed The Moon's influence on the pack and how much The Moon Goddess protects and blesses them.

"She has always told us right before something bad could or would happen to our pack. She will turn blood red, warning us. Hence, our name, Blood Moon Pack," Makaria stated. Geno nodded in shock and he remembered the few times it did turn red…for him. That was like a second before it happened. How was that a warning? He huffed but continued to look at the book, which explained the history of wars that had happened in the pack. When this pack was first made by Grim, who had a vision to get as close to The Moon Goddess for a reward, he and a group of Lycans joined him as they made their way up the tallest mountain in the land. When they arrived at the very top, they howled at The Moon. She then blessed them with a gigantic border around them and warmth seeped through them. Food appeared and trees started to grow, then the dirt within the border became fertile for crops. Grim quickly made his home here, with his Lycans following. Soon, more and more Lycans heard of it and made their way to the top of the mountain to join Grim. Eventually, the Werewolf King was picked and the world went into darkness, except for the Lycans with Grim.

Grim and the Lycans built the castle, the gate, and the walls around the border. The border killed humans who tried to attack them and kept them safe from The Werewolf King. More Lycans showed up begging for safety. Once Grim heard of the horrors, he left in the middle of the night and single-handedly killed The Werewolf King, then handed it down to the other’s Lycan brother, and left to go back to his home. When he arrived, everyone had already heard what had happened and they saw him as the True King, and after being with him so much, elected him Alpha. He reluctantly agreed to be The Alpha, but not The King. They continued to build their pack and sometimes werewolves would show up, but they were only allowed in if they would let them turn them into Lycans. They ended up having more and more blessings until Grim met his mate and had pups. When the pups were born, they spent their days teaching others until they died of old age. Ever since then, the group had been living on Grim's legacy: his connection with the Moon Goddess that he never explained, his love and righteous heart, which had driven him to help his fellow Lycans, build his home with them, and eat with them.

His humble attitude and modest view of himself made him a beloved figure. He showed that he saw himself as nothing more important than a fellow pack member, which caused the entire pack to rally around him, seeing him as their perfect leader. Finally, the history lesson slowly turned to health as Geno's head was being fried with all these dates he had to listen to. He had a lot more respect for Grim. He heard that Hati was Grim's Beta and right-hand man and he immediately believed him when he told him about his vision to get to the top of the mountain. Then, the blessings, such as the snow and food that randomly appeared as they went up the mountain, proved more and more that he was correct, and everyone believed him more and more. Makaria asked him what he didn't know about health and he sighed.

"I asked The Alpha why we would mate if I got marked. I didn't think those two went hand in hand?" He asked. Makaria blinked and the other looked slightly shocked as well.

"Geno, were you never marked before?" Makaria asked. Geno shook his head.

"No?" The three gave each other glances but never said anything else.

"Okay. Well, when you get marked, especially for a Lycan, you kinda lose yourself to the mate bond, and nine times out of ten, it results in mating." Makaria stated. Oh. Geno looked down and sighed. "Oh, don't look like that, wolves are very sexual in nature, we have to be to reproduce enough to not get killed out by humans. It's nothing to be ashamed of; I sometimes need some attention from Thanatos from time to time. Your mate is supposed to help calm that for you." Makaria went on to ask him more health questions, wondering if Geno knew how male she-wolves did it. Geno admitted he didn't know. Apparently, if he wanted pups, he would have to have Enid and Death go at it. That raised a few questions, but he didn't ask more; he had already mentally decided he wasn't mating, no matter what.

Heh, we will see about that, Enid chimed mischievously. Geno glared.

Don't you even think about it, He snapped and turned his attention back to Makaria. She explained more about normal health things that he had already learned before the bell rang and lunch started. A few kitchen staff walked in with food for all of them. It had already been three hours and he was getting extremely annoyed. He ate his food quietly while the others talked and joked, laughing together. Geno finally took a deep breath when he finished.

"Is it at the border?" He asked and they all paused before glancing at him, then at each other, and back at him. Makaria swallowed.

"Yes." Geno nodded and didn't ask more before he took one of the regulation books and sticky notes and started to read through the rules. Another hour passed and Geno's thoughts wandered to the question of why he was supposed to be the Luna if he was hiding in his pack. Why were The Alpha, Beta, and Gamma all protecting him as if he couldn't protect himself? Something is at the border regarding HIM. He is currently hiding from a fight. He doesn't do that. He tried to cut through his aggressive thoughts with the fact that he should trust Reaper, listen, and stay put. Enid agreed with that. He chose against his better judgment and continued to read. Another hour passed and still there was no word or sign of anything. Geno glared at the following rule he read regarding the Luna and their place in the pack. Geno couldn't read it anymore. He slowly shut the book, stood up, and started to walk out of the office.

"Geno?" Makaria asked.

"Tell The Alpha I'm going to the border," he deadpanned and walked out of the office and down the hallways, flipping his hood up and fluffing up his scarf to cover his neck more. He walked down the hallways until he reached the stairs and went down to the first floor, then walked towards the front door, leaving it open.

Remember who you belong to. The King mindlinked him. Geno paused and blinked in confusion. The fuck? He doesn't belong to anyone! Why is he staking his claim right now? You kiss a man and suddenly you're married. That's The Alpha's reaction to him coming to the border? Enid seemed to start getting restless, which meant nothing good. Geno made his way through the gate and the guards didn't stop him. He walked quickly towards the village until a carriage pulled up, telling him to enter. He did, sitting in the carriage by himself. The Alpha probably sent this. He looked out the window as the carriage drove through the village and familiar buildings passed by him. He realized he should visit the village more often to become familiar with it. The carriage soon moved away from the village and towards the border. He waited longer until the carriage arrived, slowing down to a stop. Geno moved, but the door was opened by a guard letting him out. He stepped out angrily. The border guards led him to a tower, opening the door and letting him climb the spiral staircases all the way to the top of the border.

The door opened at the top and he stepped out into a cold wind, It hit his hood off. He blinked, seeing almost every guard in the pack on the top of the border. Reaper, Azrael, and Thanatos were all in the middle. They glanced at him and he could see Reaper’s sigh as he outstretched his hand for him to come. Geno glared and started to walk and then glanced over to see exactly who was at the border. Geno paused his walk as he saw who it was. His eye turned red as Enid growled loudly. Only the guards heard it and tensed up. Geno marched over way quicker to where there was a little amplifier that amplified your voice so it was easier to talk to whoever was down there. He passed Reaper and grabbed the amplifier.

"WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU WANT?" He all but screamed into the amplifier. The three behind him burst out laughing, but Geno was way too pissed to see any humor in this situation, as he was so mad that if Science thought he could just walk his way back into his life, he had another thing coming. Science had flinched with his guards looking shocked, as did The Werewolf King, who was standing next to him. "IF YOU THINK YOU CAN JUST WALK BACK INTO MY LIFE AFTER WHAT YOU DID, YOU HAVE ANOTHER THING COMING! REAPER UNLOCK THE DOORS I'M GOING TO GO MURDER HIM! IF I SEE YOUR FACE AGAIN I WILL RIP YOUR-" He was yanked back by The Alpha. Thanatos and Azrael were covering their faces, turned around, trying not to laugh to anger the Luna more. Reaper smiled and spoke into the amplifier.

"So that's the reason I don't want to have them meet. Maybe we can schedule a meeting in a few months, as we are very busy people, just send me some letters, we can figure it out, end of discussion. Leave," Reaper passive aggressively stated that last part.

"Geno! I'm sorry! Please let's talk this out-" Science yelled back. Geno moved and took the amplifier that The Alpha was holding and yelled back into it.

"OH WE ARE SO FAR PAST TALKING." The King chuckled and moved it back to his mouth.

"As I said before. Geno is currently a member of my pack. He has left yours and rejected you. Go back home; there is nothing for you here," Reaper shot back.

"With all due respect, executioner, it's in our right to be able to document who's who's Luna. We just would like an audience with The Luna, nothing more!" The Werewolf King smiled. The Alpha narrowed his eyes and Geno sighed.

"How long have they been out here?" He asked, staring at them.

"Five hours," The King responded.

"And they refuse to go?" He asked, turning to His Alpha. The Lycan sighed.

"They believe they can just talk you into going back," The Alpha deadpanned, clearly very upset at the idea.

"Then let them in so they can have the rude awakening they have been wanting," He
growled and turned to walk across the gate towards the door.

"You heard your Luna, get ready for a visit from The Werewolf King." Reaper shot out. Geno would've smiled at that, but his anger and rage against Science were too intense for him to care. The Alpha followed after him and they went down the spiral staircase. A carriage slowly drove up for them. Reaper opened the door and turned to him, outstretching his hand for him. Geno knew they were going to have the meeting with The False King in the castle. The Luna huffed and took The Alpha's hand and was led into the carriage. Geno sat across from Reaper. Geno glared, his eyes flashing harshly as he stared down at the floor. A subtle movement of The King's legs got his attention as he raised his eyes to Reaper. His eyes were black. His wolf was upset.

"Remember who you belong to." The deep voice spoke. Geno glared, but he could feel Enid swooning.

Geno, he's just nervous you are going to pick Science-

Well, he should know already! He snapped back and Enid went quiet before she huffed and fluffed up again.

I don't like that he's back, Enid deadpanned and Geno couldn't agree more. He was just about to start healing, and he came back into his life like this. Geno had a slight fear that this might happen. How Science thought he had the right to come back into his life was outrageous. Three years of nothing, just wasted time. Geno let out a growl before a hand touched his knee. The sparks of comfort running along him from his mate's touch grounded him. He looked over at The Alpha, breaking from his thoughts. Their eyes met in an intense conversation. Geno took a deep breath and sighed, calming himself.

"I will protect you this time, no matter what," Reaper deadpanned. Geno stared into his eyes as they both swam with emotions and a feeling he didn't quite know. He gave a slight nod and turned his eyes out the window. Enid huffed. He doesn't care what he says; he doesn't care what is threatened; he refuses to go back to that hell. The carriage moved through the village as he watched everyone run around happily. Reaper's eyes were not moving from him. Geno had been digging his claws through his skin. His anger and rage, which he thought he had calmed down, were put on fire; he was ready to fight anyone. He was ready to kill. Ready for blood, ready for vengeance, revenge, justice.

Careful there. Death's deep voice mindlinked him. He blinked and turned to The King, who was still watching him.

"No hurting anyone physically, unless you are planning on starting a war, which I would prefer to have at least a say in," The King stated. Geno swallowed and took a deep breath.

"I will try not to," he stated. Reaper smiled.

"I can hold you back if necessary. I understand this is a very sensitive situation. I'm also feeling…restless over this," The King voiced and Geno nodded, understanding it was probably a weird feeling to deal with your mate's rejected lover trying to get them back. They stayed in silence until the carriage arrived at the castle. He could see two carriages in the distance, one was closer, the other further behind. Reaper led him through the gate and into the halls, going up stairs towards the meeting room. Guards were moved around the castle, directed by the King. They both sat down on the far side of the table next to each other. Geno leaned his chin on his hand. He was worried that if he saw Science's face up close, he would do something. His mind went through the three years: every time Science didn't believe him, didn't care for him, wanted nothing to do with him. Enid got more restless; they were still scarred from the rejected mate bond. Eventually, the door opened, Thanatos and Azrael moved to stand behind him, not The King. Geno didn't look, but he knew they were also feeling protective of him. He had a feeling that Azrael had been told, vaguely, by Thanatos, what he had told Reaper.

There was silence until the doors eventually opened to the person he never wanted to see again. Science and The False King walked in, going to the other side of the table, sitting across from them. Geno avoided his eyes, not wanting to look at him.

"Thank you, you two. I appreciate the understanding-"

"Let's get this done quickly. He's my Luna, we are mates. Now, you two can go back," Reaper outright shot. Geno smiled into his hand, keeping his head turned. There was silence in the room before The Werewolf King hummed.

"Okay, show us the mate mark and we will go." Geno tensed up with The Lycan King. There was silence before Reaper spoke.

"He is my mate, he is a Lycan Luna and was always supposed to be my Luna; your Alpha was made to be rejected by him," The King snapped.

"So, from what I'm hearing, you haven’t marked him. So how can we take your word that he is your mate? Either of your words." The False King smiled falsely.

"Geno, I know what I did was shitty-" Science started.

"Shitty? You left me in the dungeon for three days while you went to a party with another Luna," Geno snapped harshly, not looking at him, worried he would leap across the table. Enid was growling loudly, her dark red eyes glowing harshly. He felt the normal, beautiful snow around her slowly turning into dark smoke as her anger worsened.

"Yes, I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have done that, my pack forced me-" Geno finally turned to the Alpha, his eyes red and his claws and teeth coming out.

"Don't even fucking start that shit. Or so Goddess help me, I will lunge across this table and try to murder you. You knew exactly what was happening in your so-called pack. You heard everything they thought and said about me! You let it happen. YOU DID NOTHING. YOU LET ME SUFFER. I HOPE YOU AND RED HAVE AN AMAZING TIME TOGETHER." Science looked shocked as he tried to talk, but Geno cut him off, "To have the nerve, for either of you to think we can try to mend this. I would rather kill myself. You made me leave everyone I loved for your fake care. You are lucky I didn't decide to kill everyone in that worthless, stupid, horrid pack of yours when you were gone. I hope you declare war so I can go back and mur-" Reaper covered his mouth and shoved him back into his seat, which he hadn't even realized he had stood up from. The table also now had a new crack in it. Science looked horrified and The False King seemed very nervous. Reaper smiled.

"I haven't marked him to give him time adjusting to our pack. He hasn't finished his training yet because Science's pack was training him in the wrong way, intentionally, so we are trying to correct what they did wrong. I will not mark him if you ask as I will not force that upon him, but we are second-chance mates; he has picked me, and I have picked him. You have your own Luna if I remember Science-"

"I rejected him," Science shot. Reaper went quiet. Geno yanked the hand off his mouth. How dare he!

"You fucking bastard, I hope you die in the most excru-" Reaper covered his mouth back up. Red didn't deserve that. He's ruining both of his relationships for... him? Why?!? You would think Science loved him, but he showed no signs of love in any way. This was about control.

"If I remember correctly, both parties have to reject each other for the mate bond to be severed." The False King smiled.

"Lycans can break a bond with a werewolf with just their rejection alone," The Lycan King stated.

"Still, there are ways to mend it after it's been broken. Come on, Geno, you need to go back home." Reaper let go of his mouth this time. Geno slammed his hand on the table and met the King's eyes.

"I will never set foot back in that pack for the rest of my life. And if I do, expect everyone to be dead. I will lose my Luna status and ruin that pack until it's nothing but dust. I do not care about your feelings or thoughts. This is my home now, and I will be damned if I belong to you or anyone else. I am the Luna of Blood Moon Pack, and you will know my wrath." He didn't want to hear anything else, so he turned and marched out of the room. Slamming the heavy door harshly, almost cracking the rocks around the door. He took deep breaths in anger, and his teeth were fully transforming. He couldn't stop himself as his clothes ripped, other than the scarf and cloak, and soon his wolf form shot through the hallways. He was so angry that tears were streaming down his face. He ran through the hallways and down the stairs. He needed to be away; he couldn't even handle the thought of going back. He never wants to leave again. He knows Reaper would not allow that to happen. But the fact that Science thought he could mend their relationship, fucking rejecting Red to get him back. He never cared about him; he only cared about owning him, having him. Geno now realized that when Reaper said 'belong to', he meant his pack, not him. He thought the other was being a shallow asshole, but he was just reminding him of his birthplace.

He will forever be a Lycan in the Blood Moon Pack. He was born here, and he will die here. He shot through the gates. Why was he so fucking upset? He ran past guards who glanced at each other as he ran through the forest. He ran to run, his eyes blurry from tears. Why is everyone always telling him what to do? Why doesn't anyone let him decide? Well, Reaper did. He gave him choices, always gave him choices. He shot through the snow-covered trees.

GENO, WATCH OUT. Enid screamed in his head and he was almost kicked out of his body as she pulled him back, narrowly missing a silver arrow that went past him. Geno turned to a familiar mask. A werewolf was in a tree with an arrow. Geno growled loudly and shot forward after the intruder. Another one? Geno was so angry, upset, and frustrated that he couldn't think straight. The fact that he had been attacked again was concerning. He jumped up, climbing the tree after avoiding a few more arrows. The shooter was shocked and moved to get out of the tree, jumping down, but Geno was right on his tail, having climbed trees before he knew how to do it in this form. He ran after the man, gaining on him faster in his wolf form. When he got close, he lunged at his leg, ripping it and making him fall. He then lunged on top of the werewolf. The werewolf brought out a silver dagger and Geno quickly transformed into his human form, grabbing the man's wrist holding the knife. Geno then used his other hand with claws to slice his throat. The man struggled in panic, using his free hand to try to squeeze his neck. Geno made the man drop the knife before the Luna grabbed it and slammed it into the intruder's chest.

Enid soon took back over, turning into their wolf form to roar in the man's face before the werewolf slowly started to die in the snow. He had to tell Enid not to eat him alive like she wanted to. She pulled away, wondering if she should tell The Alpha. Still, for now, he didn't want to talk or inform him, so he took over and walked further into the snow before finding a place by a tree and curling up by the trunk. He had let out all his anger and energy by running and killing that intruder. He knows he should be more worried about how more and more intruders are breaking in; it seems they have changed from trying to kidnap him and bring him back to trying to assassinate him, which can happen in a second with silver. He thanked Enid for noticing when he did not.

You just need to learn your wolf senses. I could feel someone watching us, She responded meekly. She was tired and frustrated as well. Not to mention, he could almost feel the rejected mate bond aching still. He thought he was over the hurt from the mate bond, but he guessed it could still hurt when the person he had rejected was trying to come back into his life. He curled further into himself before he heard some steps. His ears flicked and he glared, looking in the direction of the noise, expecting another intruder but to instead find a brown wolf. A familiar female brown wolf. Makaria. She moved forward, putting her head down and slowly walked over, cautiously seeing if he would snap or tell her to go, but he stayed quiet before curling back up. Makaria straightened up and made her way to him before slowly lying down next to him, curling up next to him to try and comfort him. It worked. Geno knew he had blocked mindlinks, so she probably was telling everyone she found him. They cuddled together in the forest. It wasn't cold even when they were in the snow. Geno could still feel the betrayal of this entire situation. He decided to ask Makaria.

Are they leaving? He mindlinked her quietly. There was silence that held a promise but also a dread.

They stated they are not leaving without you, she whispered back. Geno tensed up. Of course. They just want to ruin his life. They don't want him to find happiness. He slowly stood up and Makaria moved out of his way, watching him as Geno then howled in anguish. Howling to voice how sad and upset he was. Makaria stood up and rubbed against him. He howled a few more times but calmed down, curling back on the floor, where Makaria joined him. He didn't move from there before Enid kinda came forward in a playful way to try and have fun with Makaria, who reacted well. They played a small bit in the forest before Makaria barked at him and led him through the forest a bit. He followed the other. She led him back to the castle, where he hesitated, but slowly joined her. She led him through the hallways. Maids and guards watched the two wolves walk through the hallways. Makaria led him up the staircases. Geno was worried he would run into Science or the King, but he thankfully didn't, and Makaria led him to her room. She transformed back into her human form before opening the door and letting him in. He walked in before she shut the door and he made his way to a corner of the room. However, she then walked over to her vanity mirror chair, pulled it out, and tapped it for him. He made his way to the chair and jumped onto it in his wolf form. He was way too big for this, so he transformed into his human form, curling up on the seat, his arms around his legs. She went through her dresser before walking back out to him with one of her cloaks for him. She wrapped it around him. He pulled the hood up and she sat down next to him.

"I'm right here, Geno." She smiled softly, reaching her hand out to rub his. Geno's eyes moved to her and he squeezed his hands. He didn't feel like talking, so he mindlinked her about how he was feeling, all of his frustrations. She listened, didn't say anything, giving him a lot of time before he fell silent; even then, she let him sit in silence before responding.

"Well, trust me that no one would force you to leave and go back to that pack, and if we have to fight it, then we will fight it," Makaria stated. Geno squeezed his arms around his legs as he debated all his choices.

"Should I just ask The King to mark me so they will leave?" He asked and she shook her head.

"Geno, he doesn't want your marking and mating to be like that, trust me on that. He doesn't want it to be forced upon you like he said. So no. You just have to hold strong and keep reminding them you are not budging, no matter what, and you are the Luna of this pack, even if you are not formally the Luna yet." He nodded; he needed to be strong. Prove more and more that he is not Science's Luna anymore, not like he ever was. He should've brought up the fact that Science never marked him, so he wasn't his mate either if they are only considering mate bonds to be a claim. She started talking about other things to help him and made him laugh a few times, recounting the mischief she had gotten into over the three years he had been away. She brought up all the pranks she's done on Thanatos. He loved hearing them. He laughed and uncurled himself, but kept the cloak wrapped tightly around him. She eventually asked him if he wanted food. He nodded and agreed that he did. She smiled and led him onto her bed, saying she would also mindlink for some clothes, as she saw what he had done to his. Geno chuckled and averted his eyes. She then showed him around his room, handing him photos and other items she had in there. He realized he had never really been in her room before. She showed him everything very excitedly. Eventually, there was a knock on the door. Geno pulled his cloak more tightly around him as a kitchen staff member walked in with food, placing two plates with drinks for both of them and bowing before leaving. Then, a maid walked in with a change of clothes for him before bowing and leaving as well. Geno stood up and made his way to the clothes, changing into his clothing, along with his cloak and scarf, which they had grabbed. He handed the cloak back to her and she thanked him. Then, she put it away as they both grabbed their food and started eating while talking. She asked for more details about what happened during the meeting and at the gate. He explained thoroughly what they said and what happened while he was still there. She was surprised by his outburst and the violence he displayed. Then he finally admitted to her what had happened in the forest.

"What! You were attacked?" She exclaimed in shock and he shrugged.

"I killed him and almost ate him from rage, so I was fine, but it was an intruder from the Black Blood Pack; he had on the same mask as all the others did," he admitted.

"Why are they still going after you?!?" She exclaimed. He shrugged and sighed.

"I don't know, but they are wasting resources if all they are going to do is send pack members to their death," he grumbled.

"You say that, but if they keep doing it, eventually one will…reach the target, it's how normal war works." Makaria fretted. Geno sighed.

"I will be fine, I always am," he muttered as he ate more of the food. After a bit, there was eventually a knock on the door, which she opened. The Lycan King walked in quickly with Thanatos behind him.

"There was an intruder?" The Alpha asked. Makaria must've mindlinked them immediately when he told her. He sighed, putting his food to the side. Turning to the stressed-out Lycan, he explained what happened in the forest and where Reaper could send some guards to retrieve the body.

"Geno, you need to tell me when these things happen! Not to mention, leaving a corpse in the forest where kids like to play is not what we do," The Alpha lectured. Oh, he didn't think about that. He looked down and Makaria moved forward.

"Alpha, I'm sure he didn't mean to; this situation was difficult for everyone," she voiced her concerns, trying to defend her Luna. The King sighed, Geno pulled his legs up to curl up, and The Alpha watched him.

"Do you want to stay with Makaria or would you like to be with me for the rest of the night? I don't want you by yourself; it's a safety hazard," The Alpha asked. Geno swallowed as he thought about it.

Him, Him, Him, Him, Him, HIM!! Enid chanted in his head. He could feel her stress and fear, and he knew he would like to be with him. Geno glanced at Makaria, who motioned with her head to go with The King. Geno then turned back around to The Alpha before putting his food on the nightstand and standing up to walk over to The King. He stood in front of him and The Alpha then turned, his arm going to the Luna’s lower back while he led him out of the room. Thanatos stayed behind with Makaria.

"Are you still hungry?" The Alpha asked as they walked through the hallways to find the stairs.

"Have you even eaten?" He shot. The King chuckled.

"I have not, which is why I am asking," The Alpha stated.

"I don't want to run into-" Geno voiced, but The King cut him off.

"We won't go into the kitchen; we can eat in my office," Reaper stated and Geno swallowed as they walked in silence before he asked the question that he was dreading.

"Are they really not leaving?"

"They don't trust my claim that we are mates. They believe we are both lying. They think I'm using you to have a Luna and to strengthen my pack, when I haven't even marked you and haven't even made you Luna," Reaper grumbled, clearly finding the situation weird. Geno stared down at the floor before he spoke.

"So it would be easier if you just…marked me?" He asked. The King paused and turned to him aggressively.

"No. I am not marking you because you were forced to be marked, okay?" The Alpha snapped and Geno nodded. They move on to continue walking. Geno thought about it.

"So when will they leave?" He asked.

"They can stay as long as they want and watch you become The Luna of this pack. I don't particularly care if they plan to waste their time on something so stupid and childish; he never even marked you. You were not claimed," The Alpha voiced his uncaring attitude over this situation. Geno smiled and nodded; he decided to try to ignore them as well, letting them get under his skin like this wasn't going to help. Still, he also needed to tread the line carefully. He didn't want Science to think he had a chance. They made their way down the stairs to the second floor and to The Alpha's office. They entered and Geno moved to sit down on the couch, but Reaper pulled a chair out next to his desk. Geno sighed and stood up, walking over to the desk. He sat down and The Alpha placed a few papers in front of him.

"I'm not going to ask you to do much, just these few papers," Reaper stated. Geno tilted his head.

"But aren't you behind on work because of the border situation?" He asked. Reaper nodded.

"I am, but I know you had a rough day, so I don't feel nice putting you to work," The King stated. Geno nodded and sighed, moving forward to grab a paper. He looked through them and started to write his answer. When he finished, he handed it to The Alpha. The King looked through his paper; after a while, there was a knock on the door. Reaper voiced for them to come in, and it was the kitchen staff that walked in, placing food for The Alpha and something smaller for him. They left as Geno turned to the food that was in front of him.

"I didn't need food." He snapped.

"You didn't answer, so I got you something small," The King deadpanned, placing a paper down. Geno swallowed and glared at the table, feeling still so conflicted and now very tense being in the pack because Science was here.

"Are you okay?" The Alpha asked. Geno froze and looked up at Reaper. He swallowed and didn't respond. Reaper sighed. "Geno, it's okay to say you are not okay," The Alpha voiced. Geno gritted his teeth.

"I'm not weak," he snapped. Reaper shook his head.

"You are the strongest Lycan I know," The King stated. Geno flinched and then glared.

"Stop sweet-talking me!" He yelled. Enid sighed.

Here we go again, She grumbled. He ignored her.

"This again, I'm not ‘sweet-talking you’, I'm saying how I really feel," Reaper voiced softly and that just made Geno more upset at himself. He wasn't thinking clearly and yelling at The Alpha when he hadn't done anything. Geno looked down, feeling guilty. There was a lot of silence for a long time.

"I'm sorry," he muttered softly, keeping his eyes averted. Reaper looked up at him and went to respond before he paused and almost flinched.

"Science and The Werewolf King are heading to my office right now," Reaper warned him. Geno tensed up as he thought about where to be safe; he looked around. The Alpha placed another paper in front of him. "Don't be scared. You are safe with me," The King voiced and Geno wanted to snap back that he wasn’t scared, but it slipped off his tongue with the uncertainty he felt dealing with Science; he did want Reaper to protect him. The door was knocked on and Geno turned his attention back to the papers to ignore them. The door opened and he heard footsteps. Geno continued to focus on his work. He heard them take seats on the couch. There was silence for a while as Geno handed The Alpha one of the papers he was working on for the other to go through.

"Well, this is an amazing atmosphere!" The Werewolf King chimed. Geno glared but didn't look. Science sighed.

"Geno, please, give me another chance, the pack misses you," Science begged. Geno almost snapped the pencil he was using. His eyes moved to Reaper, whose dark eyes drank him in calmly. The Alpha offered his hand across the table and Geno stared at it before taking the King's hand in his. He felt a little embarrassed about letting The Alpha do this, but he wanted help calming himself, and it worked.

"No," He shot back.

"Geno, I didn't mean for any of that to happen. I deeply regret the way my pack and I treated you. I can see that now-" Geno cut the Alpha off.

"Science, I am currently working; unless you have work-related issues, I will not be talking about this further," he deadpanned aggressively. He watched Reaper's lip twitch and he squeezed his hand in praise. Geno blushed, looking down at the paper. He didn't lose his cool and he successfully shut up Science.

"Well, I do think this could be considered work-related; diplomatic issues are important." The Werewolf King stated.

"Dream, in all due respect, you are not a part of my pack. I'm working on my pack and diplomatic situations get handled through The Alpha, as I'm not trained for that yet," Geno shot, using The King's name. Reaper smiled falsely.

"You heard him, leave us alone if you are going to interrupt our time together," The Alpha snapped.

"I just need to talk to him," Science deadpanned.

"You have been. All I see is someone begging to fix a broken, beyond-repair relationship. Not to mention, he already moved on. He has a mate and it's not you. You never even marked him." Reaper stated.

"You never marked him?" Dream shot at Science, who was quiet. Oh? Dream didn't know?

"So if we are going by who marked him, he doesn't belong to anyone," The Lycan King shot. Dream stammered.

"S-Science and him were mates!" Dream exclaimed.

"Were. Now we are." Reaper deadpanned. The Luna placed the last paper for The Alpha to look through.

"No, proof. He could be Dust's." Dream shot. Geno slammed both his hands on the table. He couldn't handle this.

"I would reject him as well. Now that everyone is done arguing over who is my mate and never asking me if I even want one after my last disaster of a mate. You once again disregard what I want and my safety, Werewolf King. I am done listening." Geno walked past them and opened the door, then slammed it shut. He's just going to go to bed; he can't handle them. He glared, rushing through the hallways, hoping no one chased after him. He finished all his work; he didn't want to deal with those two idiots. The Werewolf King is either ignorant or he needs him to be Science's mate for something; there's nothing else to it, to ignore Reaper and his claim to this pack. Enid fluffed up, pacing in his head.

What is your problem? Geno asked. Enid looked at him and huffed.

It's not sitting well with me, Geno. Something is happening, She admitted. Geno swallowed and stared down at his hands. That wasn't good. He then heard footsteps running after him. Geno didn't even need to turn to know who was chasing after him and he wouldn't be caught dead talking with them without anyone else. He rushed quickly, running through the hallways to the stairs, where he rushed up the five flights of stairs. The guards still protected that level, so he shot into it, and the two guards stopped The Alpha chasing after him.

"Sorry Alpha, this area is off bounds," the guards deadpanned. Science then looked between them.

"Geno!" The Luna shot a glare at him before going into his room, which he then realized still didn't have a lock. Normally, he wouldn't be scared of that, but with Science here…

Alpha, can I have my lock back on my door, please? He mindlinked him. He wished he could've stayed longer and helped The Alpha with more work.

Yes, The King responded immediately. Geno moved around his room, checking on Hvita and grabbing a change of clothes to take a shower, before there was a knock on his door. He placed them down and walked over, feeling nervous. He slowly opened the door, peaking out into the hallway. Reaper smiled at him, raising a lock to add to a door. Geno relaxed and backed away to let him in. The Alpha walked into his room before shutting the door and turning to attach the lock.

"Now I will take this off if you use this to not go to church tomorrow," The Alpha deadpanned. Geno scoffed, crossing his arms.

"Oh, come on, that was so three days ago," He shot. Reaper smiled as he continued to work on the door. Geno felt a little nervous when he realized that The Alpha was in his room with him. Just the two of them. He flushed as Enid sent some dirty thoughts. Geno looked away, rubbing his other arm. The Alpha finally clicked something, opened the door, pressed something, adjusted the door handle, and then pressed the lock again. He fixed it. Reaper smiled and turned to him, pausing and raising an eyebrow. The Alpha then walked over to him. Geno tensed up and shot a glare.

"What are you doing?" He exclaimed, taking a step back.

"Getting my goodnight kiss," Reaper purred. Geno blushed. Did he think he was going to get a kiss every night now? The Alpha gained on him quickly as he took a few steps back and then tripped, falling onto the bed. The Luna's face turned beet-red. Reaper's eyes flashed black as he shot forward, pinning him down. Geno gasped and brought his hands up in a defensive position, his heart racing. The Alpha, though, didn't move, staying still. Geno slowly opened one eye to the other. Reaper watched him with a curious look. Geno slowly moved his hands down.

"If you do not want a kiss, tell me," Reaper stated. Geno swallowed and stammered.

"I-I I don't know," he admitted. The Alpha leaned down, moving his hand to lift his chin as Geno squeezed his eyes shut and grabbed the covers, tensing up.

"Then let me decide for you~" Reaper chimed, taking his lips. Geno was tense, but it soon melted as the mate bond was just so sweet. Tingles of comfort and pleasure sparked from where he touched. He almost got lost in the other, not knowing where he was. Right now, it was just them. The King's leg went in between his, causing him to gasp, rubbing against his privates. Geno blushed as the kiss deepened. The Alpha added on tongue to distract him. Geno trembled against the bed; he barely registered when the other pulled away. Geno opened his eyes, catching his breath. Reaper's blue and black mixed eyes stared down at him. The other had a cocky look.

"Never seen you look like this," Reaper whispered out the tease, which broke Geno out of his daze, and he glared, then kicked The Alpha hard. Reaper flinched and then chuckled, moving off The Luna. Geno pushed himself up and shot harsh glares at The Alpha, who walked to the door. "Goodnight, Geno." The words were purred before the door was opened and shut. Geno stared off where the other had left before his face exploded again, bringing both his hands up to his cheeks as Enid was melting into the ground in his head. Geno then moved to get his clothes and then shower. He made his way quickly to the shower, feeling extremely restless. He got hard. That asshole. Geno cleaned himself quickly, as he felt so… heated. When he finished, he dried himself off, changed into soft pajamas, locked the bedroom door, and got into bed, setting an alarm. Geno lay down in the bed. The Luna tried to go to bed, but the problem was his heated issue between his legs. Enid sighed. Geno finally gave up and decided he needed to deal with it if he was going to get any sleep for the next day, which he would need. He bit his lip and brought his hands down to work himself to completion.

 

It took him so long; a few hours had gone by. He only got through it with his thoughts of Reaper, clouding his mind, his voice, his eyes, and how strong he was. Everything about Reaper attracted him. He wanted him badly. He hated this; they weren't even marked, yet he was acting like this. He blamed the other; he did not need to get so heated with him during that kiss.

You never pushed him away~ Enid chimed and Geno growled, glaring at her.

Shut up, you! He snapped.

Just go to bed, it's so late! She yawned, and he agreed. He got up to clean himself and changed into some fresh clothes before getting back in bed, feeling content and comfortable, yet, oh so tired. Sleep took him quickly.