I was pushing food around on my plate. I peeked through my dark brown lashes to see my alpha hadn't even taken a bite of his own. He had lifted up his fork to eat and that was as far as he had gotten. I bit my lip again, knowing it was puffy from my constant biting. Callan hadn't said a word at all this morning. Nothing. My heart was pounding in my chest. The radio was off, there were no spices in the food. The old ceramic cups and plates were out. Onions and cut up potatoes were all that was for breakfast.

Callan hadn't gone to get wood or chop the logs we already had. He was just quietly sitting there. It was scaring me. Tears were starting to prick at my eyes. What was wrong? I was getting scared. My strong alpha shut down. I couldn't take this anymore! I needed to help my alpha. I needed to do something.

"Callan?" My voice a whisper, almost scratchy. Callan hadn't moved at my voice. I swallowed dryly.

"Callan, honey?" I called louder this time, touching his hand that was holding his fork. Callan's head whipped over at me, his fork clattering loudly onto his plate in the quiet house.

"Omega? Hungry? Get more food," Callan said quickly, standing from the table. Instead of heading for the kitchen he headed towards the front door instead. I scrambled after him, holding onto his hand and forearm tightly with both of my hands.

"Callan!" I shouted, my alpha freezing in his steps, looking at me with a wide amber eye.

"Alpha, I can't help you if I don't know what's wrong! Why are you sad? Or are you worried? What upset you from last night? Did you not like dinner? Did I do-"

"Can't have shop!" Callan yelled, making me stop my questions.

"What?" I whispered, not understanding what he just said. Callan looked frustrated, easily breaking from my hold to comb his fingers through his hair. He started to pace in front of me.

"Can not have wood shop! Do not want Tod to give," Callan said loudly. I blinked in surprise.

"Callan, you wouldn't have the furniture store now. You still have a lot to learn from Tod," I said gently. Callan only snarled angrily. I didn't even jump at the sound, knowing my alpha was only venting. His pacing grew faster.

"No! Don't understand, omega!" Callan shouted. I jumped at his voice.

"Then explain it to me, Callan," I said, my voice stern but not raising it. My alpha was already riled by this. For what reason I had no clue.

"I am not smart! Not smart like omega or Tod. Can not have shop. Will make shop bad if I have it. No one will come! No one will want wood I touch. Store will close and have no money. Tod will be angry he gave to me. Wish I was never there! Wish never teach about wood. I can not have shop. I am very bad and will make everyone go away. Omega teach me words but I will never sound good. C-Customers will be mean to me because not smart. Will not want to buy chairs or tables I touch or make. They will be mean to Tod. My friend," Callan's eyes were red-rimmed, blinking quickly to stop tears from falling. His chest was heaving like he had been running, cradling his hands against his chest.

My own eyes were damp, having covered my hand over my mouth. How could my alpha think like that? That he wasn't smart or that he wasn't good enough.

"Alpha, my alpha," I whispered, feeling a tear leave me as I reached for him. Callan shook his head no, running from the house and into the woods. I bit my lip to stop a cry from leaving me, hugging myself. My heart aching in my chest.

————————☆—————————

I rubbed at my tear stung eyes, curled into a ball on the window sill. I was looking out over the forest, the last rays of light illuminating the deeper golds of the pine trees. My alpha, my sweet, sweet alpha had been gone the whole day. His words had shocked me. I should have realized that even with loving words from both myself and Callan's grandfather, it would never truly erase the insecurity my alpha had of his own abilities. I didn't know how long he had been shunned as a child, what was said or what was done to him fully.

The best thing I could do now, was wait for my alpha to come home. Talk to him. Have Tod talk to him too. Give him as much encouragement and love as I could. I knew it would be hard work and it would take years to build his confidence, but I wasn't going to ever leave his side.

I slapped my hands against my cheeks, moving away from the window sill. Perhaps if I wasn't looking out, my alpha would appear from the forest. I busied myself in the kitchen, deciding that I would make sweet bread for my alpha since he had liked it so much.

I heard the door to the house open, my heart calming. I covered the bread with a cloth so it could rise for at least an hour. When I turned, a hand clamped over my mouth. My blood ran cold in my veins as a hooded Elder stood before me. Their silver eyes thrumming.

"My, my, my. What is a little omega doing here, we have been wondering," the woman's voice was aged, her strength not. My instincts snapped to the forefront, swinging wildly at the woman only for her hand to clamp harder over my mouth, pressing just under my nose; making it difficult to breathe. I could feel blood dribbling down my cheeks from where her nails had sank into the fleshy parts of my face.

"None of that. I'd snap your neck, but I need you alive, for now."

The old woman dragged me by my face easily, feeling my jaw bone ache under her strength. I knew that I would have dark bruising all along my jaw, desperately trying to get air in through my nose. I didn't see the car that the Elders had normally come in, my fingers digging into the woman's hand that was over my face. She was tall, most of her body cloaked. I dragged my heels through the ground, my heart pounding in my rib cage. Snarls were quieted by her hand, my nails turning to claws, desperately trying to damage her hand. It was like trying to cut into stone.

If she took me, if she took me alpha would lose it! I didn't know what this evil woman was planning, but I knew that it was going to be nothing good. I tried to scream for my alpha, trying to let fear and hurt get through our bond bite. Why couldn't she bleed?

I tried biting her hand with my fangs, swinging out one of my hands to hit her. I didn't even see her move. I was suddenly on the ground, the wind knocked out of me, gasping desperately for air. My eyes were swimming, seeing the Elder walk away from me as she headed back to the house. I couldn't see what she was doing, trying to stand only for a lancing pain to make me realize she had broken two of my recently healed ribs. I could see drops of my blood fall onto the ground from my face, having gotten onto all fours.

If I couldn't hurt her, then I would have to hurt myself. I saw her swinging her arms up and down, not understanding what the insane woman was doing in front of the house through my blurred vision. Her back was to me though. I dug my claws into my calf, letting some of my blood seep into the ground.

I suddenly heard her laugh, cackling, as she walked away from the house and back towards me. I snarled at her, opening my mouth to call for my alpha. She was right there again, her hand around my throat. I snarled through clenched teeth, throwing dirt into her face. She howled at me as I struggled away from the area where I spilled my blood. She was right there though, feeling my eyes roll to the back of my head, not able to get any air down to my lungs.

My vision was swinging back and forth, dark one moment, then seeing the Elder's black boots on a dirt walkway. I think my head was swinging. Was I being carried? I heard the snap of a car door opening, my body being flung into something; like a sac of flour. The deep rumble of a car echoed in my ear, trying one last time to get through our bond that something was wrong. My vision going dark.

————————☆—————————

Did not mean to yell at omega. So angry. Omega did not think I was bad. I knew his words to be true. I knew Tod's words to be true. His mate Julie's words to be true. But I could not believe them. So hard to believe. Always told was a monster. Always thrown away or forgotten in old pack. No one wanted. No one cared. I was so sad. So alone. But now had omega. Had Tod as friend and his mate.

I did not deserve wood shop. I did not want to make Tod sad by being bad it. Liked working there. Liked to use my hands to make! Even if bad, omega thought was perfect. Loved my omega.

I sighed deeply knowing I needed to head back to the house. It was getting dark, my omega very worried by now. I walked deep into the forest, shifting into my wolf. I longed for my omega to run beside me, but pushed on harder. I had let the wind take away my fears. The light of the sun warmed my fur, my body, my mind.

Omega loved me. Loved me lots. Made me happy. I tore some wildflowers from the ground, having spotted them. Their soft colors reminding me of sweet omega. Grandfather's words suddenly echoed into my mind.

Do not worry what others think of you, Callan. Those who only want to give you love and loyalty will always stand beside you. Will always listen to you and help you without ever wanting anything in return. Through good times and bad. They are the ones to keep close to your heart, Callan. And remember sweet child, you are good! Anyone who can not see that, are not worth the words that come from their lips.

I opened my eyes, feeling my heart ache. I should not have forgotten Grandfather's words. I hurried home, desperate to see my sweet omega; clutching the wildflowers in my hand. As I ran through the woods, the mark on my neck began to pulse. My heart sped up with adrenaline and fear. It nearly shocked my system, everything coming into sharper focus around me. I ran faster, not caring about the tree branches that whipped against my body or the rocky ground beneath my feet. Something was wrong. My claim bite from omega was throbbing hot against my neck.

The house was not far, suddenly smelling smoke in the air. Like when too big of fire was lit. Heat was coming in waves through the trees, a roar I had never heard before breaking the silence on the mountain. All I saw were flames when my body tore out of the trees to where the house should be. My body froze, my fingers going numb, dropping the wildflowers onto the ground.

The house was in flames. Smoke billowed as the wood creaked and cracked from the fire.

"THEO!"

I ran into the flames. They licked at my skin as I tried to see through the smoke and fire that was consuming all within the house.

"Theo! My omega! Where!?"

I looked desperately, the cracking and popping of the dried wood and books being consumed. I could scent nothing but burning, not seeing my omega in the kitchen or dining room. The banisters of the roof were on fire, sweat streaming off of my skin. I couldn't make it into the bedroom to find him, a beam falling and blocking my path. I ran to the front door again, desperate to make sure omega was not in the bedroom or bathroom. I would run to the back of the house, smoke blinding me as I ran, feeling some of my skin start to blister on my feet and arms. My back and trunk.

I heard the scream of something snapping, feeling myself get knocked out of the house by a fallen beam. I had not seen it in my panic, the beam falling in my blind eyeline. I was gasping desperately for air on the ground, my fingers digging through dirt and ash.

"Omega!" My throat hoarse, crying for my omega. The house seemed to collapse inward, no longer strong enough to withstand the flames. In a whoosh of fire and smoke, an inferno was all that was left of our home.

It must have been hours. The moon was low in the sky, making way for the morning sun. My body had healed of the blisters and burns from the fire. I could breathe the cool mountain air once more.

I wish my heart would stop beating. Tears hadn't stopped falling from my eyes, having crawled through the dirt and ash with my wounds to get to the back side of the house. There was nothing that I could do, the burning wood too hot for me to touch and move. To try to find my omega's body within. Our home billowing smoke into the cold night air. Ash was falling like snow, my sobs echoing within the forest.

I should not have left omega. Should not have fought. My omega was gone. I did not want to be alone. I did not want to live without my omega. Omega loved me.

"My omega," my cries racking my body. I shoved myself up to my shaking feet, not caring at the heat that seared into my skin as I walked through what was left of Grandfather's house. All the books were burned. Nothing was left of the kitchen but a piece of wood from a drawer or cupboard. The dining room table was burned and not but ash. Tears streamed through the caked gray powder over my cheeks, walking into the bedroom. The sheets had tattered burns, hardly anything left. No clothes or dresser.

My feet stumbled through charred wood and smoke, carefully opening what was left of the bathroom door. I was not ready to fall to my knees. To scoop my omega's small body into my arms. To bury anything that was left of him with Grandfather and Grandmother. He was not there.

He was not there! My eyes desperately looked harder, lifting and moving charred furniture that burned at my hands and blistered any skin it touched, until I had easily broken through the floor where the dirt ground was. I did the same to every room in the house, my breathing picking up faster. My eye throbbing.

If omega was not in house, where was he?

I stepped out of the smoking remains of the house, looking carefully at the surrounding trees. I sniffed the air. I walked to what was left of the vegetable garden. Only one post having remained standing where omega hung clothes to dry. I went to the shed where our meat was held until I could skin and gut. I rubbed the ash from my face, starting to circle further out from the house.

Then I found it. The tang of my omega's blood in the air. Not the Bleed Day kind omega had said, but one from being hurt. My lip curled in a snarl, getting onto all fours. My fingers dipped into the red dirt. It was my omega's.

I looked down the dirt path that lead up to the house, my eyes narrowing. I followed the path, my eyes trained on the ground; my ears trained on the forest. I knelt down again, finding another drop. There was the smallest marking of a heel print in the ground. I tracked it further, freezing in my steps.

There were two tracks that lead down the dirt trail. Sniffing the air, a snarl ripped from my lips. Elders. If omega's blood was here too, then Elders had omega. My omega. I felt my claws dig into my meaty palm, my eye pulsing in my head. My chest was heaving in my anger, feeling a shift in my body.

I closed my eyes, brushing the tips of my fingers against the mark on my neck. It pulsed there, a warm and sweet feeling squeezing around my heart. My omega must be alive. He must be. I would make sure. I would not live in this place without him. Not until I was sure.

My eye saw the markings of what a car makes, shifting into my wolf. It would not be hard to follow at all. It was time I faced the Elders. To not be scared anymore. Omega needed me. Was meant to protect omega and I would. Even if I got hurt. Even if Elders were stronger than me. Omega never left me alone. I would not leave omega alone.

I love him.

————————☆—————————

My head was throbbing when I woke up. My fingers felt the gritty ground of stone. A cell. I hoped to never find myself in one again. There was light coming in from somewhere outside of my cell. I wheezed out a breath, my body throbbing from pain. It hurt to move my jaw, my face feeling bruised. It was painful to swallow, grimacing as I tried to stand. There was a metal bucket in the corner, nothing else.

"Well look who is awake far earlier than I had anticipated."

My body shot backwards from the cell bars, seeing the old woman who had taken me from my home. The shadows from a lantern she was holding made her smile look like a twisted nightmare. My still injured calf made me stumble, but the glee in her eyes told me she either didn't know or didn't care. More likely the latter.

"Why have you done this?" I croaked, wincing at the pain that lanced through my vocal cords.

"That is far beyond your intelligence. In laymen's terms, why I do the things I do, is to better this pack. To keep it safe from that monster you decided to pity," the woman's lip curling.

"I only see one monster here," I nearly growled through my straining vocal cords. The old woman scowled before scoffing at me.

"If you understood its power, you would deem it a monster. I have trained for many years to gain the power I have. I am the only one who can protect wolves like you from things like it."

"It is a him and you fear him. Jealous of his natural born power. It blinds you, therefore you are the weak one," I said, smiling with my fangs bared. I did not care if I could taste blood in my mouth from having talked too much. She was not allowed to bad mouth my mate. Ever. The woman slammed her hand against my cell bars, the metal creaking under her strength.

"Your words do not matter! Come nightfall, that beast will be killed. You think I have anything to fear from it anymore? I made sure that thing could never use its power. I would be surprised if it was anything more than a stunted little demon with a retarded brain at this point."

"Then you aren't just weak, but an idiot," I snapped.

"Enough of this!" The woman waving her hand in the air, "scream if you like. No one will hear you down here. This is where rogues who have lost their sanity are kept before execution. I thought it would be a fitting place for you after tonight. Do try to keep it down though, you might hurt your throat."

With a swish of her pitch colored cloak, she was gone. I eased myself onto the ground, curling into a ball.

I prayed my alpha would not come for me. I knew that wasn't going to happen. Alpha loved me. The moment he found I was gone, he would move heaven and Earth to find me. But if it cost him his life, I never wanted to be found. I felt tears prick my eyes, unable to wipe them away well on my drawn up knees; the bruises on my face throbbing.

I barely had a chance to breathe out a sigh, a shadow evident even in the poorly lit cell gliding over my curled form.

"And here I thought some demon had been captured. Low and behold it's that cute little omega I had seen in the town."

My head snapped up at the voice, seeing the beta that had flirted with me in town; that felt like a lifetime ago. Even with little light, I could still make out his features. He was a few inches taller than I was, his brown hair trimmed short on the sides with longer hair on top of his head; the thick hair on his head combed over looking tussled. He was stocky in build wearing worn jeans and a dark colored t-shirt; it was difficult to tell the exact color. His eyes were a warm brown though, like cinnamon.

"Wha—"

The beta held up his hand to stop me from saying anything.