Hunter POV

"Come on.. you can do better than that" he yelled in a taunting manner as the sweat dripped from his forehead.

I walked around in a circle manner, locking eyes with Jake looking for his weakness, the problem was, he didn't have any! He stood there unfazed as if I didn't just give him a couple of punches. I silently cursed his alpha blood!!

I gave up and lunged forward as he took a step back and had me falling on my stomach. He laughed and bent down , knocking my forehead slightly.

"Distracted aren't we?" he said as he got up seeing his mate coming our way.

He wrapped his arms around Henry's neck and kissed him deeply and he leaned into him. Henry smiled and pulled away, kissing the mark he made on his neck and sniffed him.

" You smell nice" he said as he took in his scent. Jake laughed and pulled away.

"I smell like sweat" he said shaking his head.

"I love it anyway.." he said, touching their noses.

"Let's call it a day.. I'm exhausted " I said getting up and dusting myself off.

"Don't be mad I kicked your ass! Again! " He yelled as I walked away. I showed him the middle finger without looking back.

Over the years, I wouldn't say our relationship was peachy, but we did sort out our differences, and by that I mean, yeah he beat me up when he found out about what I did to Drew, knocking me right unconscious, that Henry had to hold him back before he killed the future Alpha. I wouldn't say he's forgiven me, but at least we tolerate each other, and he didn't tell Drew's dad about me, saying it's not what Drew would want.

Henry however was a whole different story. I found out that from the very beginning he hated what we did to Drew, but went along with it because I was his Alpha, however when he realized he was in love with Jake, that's when he drew the line. We were still friends, but not the same as we were before.

I was not the same kid I was before. Back then, I was fueled by my anger and did very unthinkable things. I had the foolish notion that I was above everyone else, simply because I was an Alpha. That I could do anything I wanted and not suffer any consequences for it. That because I was an Alpha, everyone would naturally submit to me.

That foolish notion had cost me the one person, that I never knew, or maybe I never wanted to accept, was so very dear to me, until it was too late.

I still hadn't gotten over my anger issues, but I was slowly coping as each day went on.

A month ago, when I turned eighteen, my Dad stepped down and named me Alpha, as per pack tradition, however Drew's Dad was still my Beta, until Drew came home and took his rightful place.

I couldn't believe he would be coming home tomorrow. It had been three whole years since I saw him. Every time I asked about him, Jake would always tell me it was none of my business or why did I even care and eventually I stopped asking all together and just waited, waited for the day I could see those innocent blue eyes again.

I did a lot of thinking these past few years, about my sexuality, and everything else I did. I realized that my problems all lied in me trying to hide who I was from everyone else, especially him.

I came to the conclusion that I too was gay, probably the reason why I hated Drew so much, because he was happy with who he was and accepted it. I on the other hand, hated myself for it and took it out on him. I furthermore, hated the way he looked at Elliot in all the ways I wanted him to look at me.

I made him feel weak and like he was nothing. I made him hate himself, enough to leave his homeland and his pack. I regreted every single thing I did to him, so much so I wished I could go back in time and undo it all. I was ashamed of the kid I was, and of the desires I had every time I saw him.

However, all that ended the day I saw his body laying on the floor drenched in water.

When I listened closely and couldn't hear his heartbeat any more, when I kissed his cold lips for the first time, when I breathed my air into him. I knew in that moment. I had accepted it.I loved him and and I wasn't ashamed of it anymore. I embraced it, but I never got to tell him that. More than anything..

I never got to tell him how sorry I was, and he left thinking that I hated him, when in fact, the only person I truly hated was myself.

***

I sighed as I came out of the shower and threw myself on my bed. I was so exhausted that my eyelids felt like they weighed a ton. I glanced at my calendar and looked at the date circled in red, my heart skipping a beat just by looking at it.

His birthday.

I wondered what he looked like now. If he was still so thin and cute. If he was still so short and clumsy. I had overheard Jake telling Henry how handsome he'd become once he shifted. I closed my eyes and imagined what he would look like.

Did he look manlier? Had he grown? Was he taller?

I turned to my side and thought about what his reaction would be like when he saw me.

Did he still hate me? Would he forgive me? Would he listen to what I was going to say? Would he allow me to apologize?

These had all been thoughts that had plagued me for three years and kept me up on numerous nights. I wondered if.

He knew who is mate was already.

Jake and Henry knew from a young age, even before they were mated. Something about them knowing the second their eyes met for the very first time, and Henry had been just fifteen at the time. Jake being older than us by two years, confirmed it when he turned eighteen. I guess that was the most fulfilling feeling in the entire universe.

The feeling of being mated to your childhood love..

I would spend the rest my life proving to him, how sorry I was starting tomorrow.I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep..