A Firm Decision

“You are the Master.. You are the higher being.. You are Zaccai; the Elemental Supreme..!”

Aurora’s eyes desperately searched Callan’s as if she was waiting for something.

Callan knew he had to say something.. anything. His lips moved but no words formed. His mind froze at that moment. He willed his mouth to utter any meaningful vocables but his heart thumped as his capability of thinking was shrinking.. Finally when he got hold of himself he exhaled briefly as his lips quivered and he shockingly whispered “It-It cant be..! H-How..!”

Aurora again pointed to one of the parchments wherein a man was raising his arms towards the sky as if embracing the heavenly body. The clouds were angry and were painted dark as a hollow cylindrical air body, tapering towards the end was bubbling its anger to the ground whereas the dazzling white lightnings were cracking the airspace, adding to the horrors of the sky. The image was chilling, horrifying yet magnificent. The image was greatly impactful and in a way it showed the mightiness of the being. It captivated Callan greatly..

“What differentiated the Elemental supreme from the others was that he was the sole master of the sky. He was the only one who had control over the heavenly bodies.”

Callan slowly nodded when he registered what was being said. The person in the picture was actually commanding those disasters to descend on the earthly beings! It was insane! “The black color is for sky?”

Aurora nodded in affirmation.

The gesture silenced the man as he stood from his place and gently oscillated his foot near the large tree. His face was inscrutable while his thoughts were contemplative. He frequently exhaled long deep breaths and fisted his hands in and out.

The stillness in the environment unnerved Aurora. It was to the point that she could hear her own heart beat. There was a slight tremor in her hands as she looked at the unreadable face of her friend. She was not accustomed to this side of Callan. She desperately wanted to know the reaction of the man or perhaps know what he was thinking right now.

Unable to control herself anymore, she stood from her place in a jiffy and desperately pleaded “Say something please!”

The words halted Callan in his tracks and he scowled at the witch “What do you want me to say?” he almost whispered “My brain has stopped working altogether. This is all too much to handle. As if me being the unknown, unacknowledged mate wasn’t enough now you are saying that I am some sort of a magical being who was extinct or some Master who has been born again! This is making me crazy..!”

Aurora cautiously stepped towards the man “I know it is a lot to handle but this is who you are and you cannot escape it.”

Callan lowered and raised his head briefly before resuming his journey to the pensive world. Up until now his main concern was to find a place of respect in the pack. That dream was long crushed. He never had high hopes from his mate. On the contrary he never even imagined how his mate was going to be. The only thing he was sure of was that the mate if any would be a female. Even that hope was squashed! And now when he realised that he was destined with the moons blessing he was clueless about everything... He never had any relationship with a man. Hell he never even imagined his better half to be a man!

Callan’s cause of concerns were only mounting when he suddenly remembered that he was a part of the legend. A past life which he doesn’t recollects anything about. Moreover he has been bestowed by some mystical powers which were beyond his understanding. He did not know why he was given those powers or how to use them in the first place. He mindlessly palmed his metal and revolved it around his wrist “What happens if I don’t wear this bracelet?”

“You still don’t know how to use your powers or more importantly how to control them. A flicker of emotion can cause a disastrous natural calamity. The metal you are wearing is enchanted by ancient verses. It was made by the elementals themselves. Its main purpose is to keep your emotions at check. In a way it warns you by glowing.”

Callan nodded as he sat on the wooden log again and looked at the moon with keen interest. A day had changed his life forever. He was not the man he thought he was. Moreover after knowing the truth about Einar he did not know how to react. The bond did not affect him any which way. This also meant that Callan was free to choose if he wanted to be paired with the alpha or not.

But did Einar leave him any choice?

Einar had already chosen a female as his Luna. If he wanted Callan in his life he would have acknowledged him way back. Furthermore Rosaline’s life would be jeopardised by any interference from Callan’s side. If she had agreed to mate Einar it meant she knew what was at stake. She knew the dangers of a forced mating. Even then she took the risk and hailed Einar as her alpha, her mate.

Callan realised there was no point making things more complicated than they already were. The damage was already done..

“What are you going to do now?” The healer startled Callan. He turned his back to look at a hopeful Aurora.

Callan stood face to face with the healer and with determination in his eyes he said “I am going to stick to my plan Aurora. I will be leaving this pack forever. My resolve to escape this place has become more stronger now.”

Aurora’s stance faltered as she gasped “What about Einar?”

“What about him..?”

“He is your mate Cally..”

Callan huffed “I bet he doesn’t think that. He has been living his perfect life for years while I was searching for my true love like a fool! I wouldn’t have a need to find solace in other arms had he come clean. I wandered aimlessly, deprived of any hope when the one who was made for me was right there in front of my eyes!”

Aurora’s eyes became glossy as she begged “Give him a chance... please..”

Though he felt bad for his friend Callan was undeterred from his resolve “Why should I?” he scowled “He never gave me a chance! On the contrary, it was me who overlooked the miscreant for his deeds. Forgiving him every time for how he made me suffer. I tried to forget everything and start afresh but every time I did that, he crossed a line and made me hate him even more.”

“He is the one chosen for you Callan. You cant disrespect the moon.”

“AND HE CAN..!” Callan’s raised voice startled the witch as she whimpered “Why me Aurora!? Why should I pay heed to what the goddess wants? I don’t have any feelings for him whatsoever. I am not affected by the bond in the slightest; but him...” Callan huffed in petty annoyance “He is the alpha! His body has two beings inside of him who must’ve been craving for their mate for all those years. Yet he is so adamant to fight his own self and chose someone else over me; his fated mate...!”

Aurora’s lips went dry as her excuses to shield the alpha were compressing against the principle reality in front of her “There must be a reason for his behaviour Callan..”

“What possible explanation do you think there is?” Callan glared at her. Aurora was speechless for a moment as she lowered her eyes in defeat. “Either he is afraid of the people for what they would say or he must be really disgusted to have me as a mate..! Whatever the reason may be Aurora, one thing is for sure that he doesn’t want me..” He ran his hand through his hair in frustration as he blew out the angry air in him “And what behaviour are you talking about!? He knew about me being his mate for a long time yet he was cold, cruel and unfeeling towards me since I can remember. He even humiliated me in front of the entire pack! In front of my parents..!”

There was a pregnant pause which followed the outburst of Callan’s anger. The witch was wordless again. She knew that every word uttered by the man was true indeed. But what choice did she had! Callan and Einar were part of a prophecy which had to be fulfilled in order to save countless lives.

With nothing but sadness in her eyes, Aurora’s posture slumped a little. She knew how stubborn the male could be but she had to try “I know he has hurt you. I know he has neglected you Cally but I’m still requesting you to forgive him. Give him another chance please...”

“He doesn’t deserve any more chances Aurora and you know it...”

“You are right..” she fervently nodded as she gulped, cleansing the tear drops which were dampening her cheeks “Einar may not love you but his beasts do! From what you have told me the demon has only been nice to you while the wolf has saved your life a number of times.”

Callan was bemused by the resoluteness in the healer “Why are you firmly determined to pair me with that alpha?” He scowled as he shook his head “I want to be far away from him as soon as possible.”

“Don’t say that..” Aurora gasped in trepidation “It will kill us all..!”

“What do you mean..?”

“Didn’t you learn anything from the story I just told you! Daragor and Orcus were so shaken by your death that they formed an alliance and wiped out thousands and thousands of earthlings in vengeance. It was devastation galore! Carnage everywhere! Your separation had blinded their vision for right or wrong. There was no end to their slaughtering... If you leave they wont held back... They will follow you wherever you go. Their sole purpose to chose Einar was you! They will destroy everything that comes between you and them..”

There was an aching hollowness inside of Callan. His mind became numb when he heard about the probable actions of Einar’s beast. He could be the cause of peoples death. He was always kind and gentle to people yet all that was negated by him being different from the others. Though people never liked him he always tried to be on their good side. Whatever treatment they meted out to him, he was never vengeful. But now everything was at stake. If he refused to stay in the pack, the beasts may go insane and wipe out the entire pack. He was in a dubious mind, contemplating his further course of action.

Aurora kneeled besides the man and palmed her hands on his knees. The constant flow from her eyes had bulged them a little. She snivelled and pleaded again “Please just give it a thought Callan. Now you know whats at stake. A wrong choice could expunge the entire pack.”

It broke Callan’s heart to look at the wretched state of the healer. However he knew that his life was leading to healing with new ways onward. Archer and Fayette have been encouraging the man to do things which make him happy and not be a people pleaser. Thinking about others had always led him to misery and pain. For once he wanted to think about himself. He wanted to do what was right for him and not what was expected of him.

Einar had already selected Rosaline as his Luna. There was no point barging in and creating chaos to the already settled life of the couple. Besides it was Einar’s choice and not his. Einar was the one who distanced himself from his mate, who dishonoured the moons blessing. Why should Einar’s doings be laden on Callan’s happiness as a puzzle? Like his every move depended on what Einar wanted or what he decided. Callan had a life of his own and his existence did not revolved around that of Einar’s.

The only way for Callan to be happy was to be free from the hassles of the pack and circumvent the obstacle once and for all.

Callan stood from his place oozing bundle of confidence. He narrowed his eyes and intently looked at Aurora “I am sorry Aurora; but I have made my decision.”

****

Random sounds came sailing in the breeze. Birds in the sky flocked their feathers in a rhythmic motion. The sky had been bright while the atmosphere around was cheerful. The serene environment added joy to the already gleaming face of Callan. He cheerfully hummed as he marched towards the Alpha house.

Callan’s happiness reflected in the way he walked, the way he looked as also the constant smile that colored his face. He knew that after today everything was going to be alright. His smile grew even brighter when he saw the newly designated gamma right in front of him. He bowed in acknowledgment.

Arthur reciprocated the gesture with a smile “Hello there Callan?”

Callan’s smile never left his face as he nodded “Is the alpha here?”

“Yes. He is in his office doing some paperwork for the upcoming meeting with the pride.”

Though Callan was in his own world he did not miss the sour look. Arthur’s face was dull while his shoulders drooped a little. The clothes he wore were unclean while the harsh strands on his chin area was making him look sick. From the dark area beneath his eyes one could discern that the man had spent sleepless nights on a stretch.

“What has happened to you?” Callan asked with concern.

Arthur pursed his lips and exhaled a deep breath “I meant to talk to you about it for a long time but I just wasn’t able to get hold of you.”

Callan mouthed an ‘o’ and awkwardly smiled “I was busy clearing some things.” he paused for a moment “I wanted some time alone.”

“I understand” Arthur greeted in understanding. He lowered his eyes to look at his shoes as if something interesting was lying beneath. “I think even I should take some time alone.” he said in a low voice

“Why is that?”

Arthur slowly raised his head. He turned his skull all around and exhaled air to calm his emotions; to hide his tearful face from Callan. He gathered his courage and cleared his throat to utter in a dreadful voice “I don’t know how to explain but since the death of your bird I have been restless. I haven’t slept a single day since the trials.” He fisted his hands as his once upset features transformed into the one of rage and vexation. “There is a surge of anger and hatred whenever I see the alpha. I just want to lash out at him.” He gritted his teeth. After taking a few long breaths he calmed himself and looked at Callan in helplessness “There’s anxiety; there’s boredom and all of a sudden I am upset for no reason. Am I making sense to you?”

Callan agreed with everything that was said by the gamma. In fact he had suffered the same ordeal when he came out of the battle that day. The memories of his bird, of his friend had haunted his imagery for days to come. He cried in bereavement, he cried because he could not give an interment of honor to the bird. Even thinking about him would make his heart constricted. It was a mute, harmless animal after all. An animal who could have been saved but was mercilessly slaughtered just to prove one’s authority.

Callan wiped the now formed tears through the back of his palm and smiled encouragingly at Arthur. “Cornell was dear to my heart as well. I cant forgive the alpha for what he did to my friend but ultimately it was a fight without rules. Holding someone responsible would not be in the best interest of your sanity. You have to make peace with yourself.”

Arthurs lips quivered as he could no more hold the storm of emotions within him. He embraced the man in the next instant and cried his heart out. All this while Callan patted his back and tried to soothe the man of his distress.

Arthur leaned back and snivelled every now and then. When he was himself again he looked at Callan with regard “You are certainly not what people think about you. I really want to be friends with you.” he extended his right hand.

“I thought we were already friends Arthur.” Callan curved his lips and eventually giggled before shaking Artur’s hand and unexpectedly giving him a hug. “Whenever you feel like talking about Cornell, you can come to me.” He whispered in Arthur’s ears.

It was the creation of a new bond. The first wolf ever to be friends with Callan! The happiness within him surged when he realised what he had achieved today. His resolve now became even more stronger as he looked at the entrance of the alpha house with determination.

****

Callan entered the gates of the alpha house with enthusiasm. He stormed his way to his destination to the place where the alpha dwelled most of the time. He reached the office while jumping and bouncing all the way and stood besides the door. He looked inside and saw Einar standing near a shelf with a book in his hand. Einar looked so immersed in reading that he probably didn’t notice the arrival of his mate.

Callan knocked on the door to gain Einar’s attention.

Einar dropped his gaze to the floor where the plain surface beneath revealed an approaching shadow. He carefully raised his eyes to look at the man standing in front of him. The alpha was transfixed, standing before him was his mate who he longed to see for eternity. Callan was looking magnificent today. His hair was perfectly combed. He wore a dark blue shirt with his sleeves rolled up a bit while his pants resembled the shiny black color of his hair. However what made Callan more captivating today was the joy in his face. He seemed happy, he seemed elated he seemed like the one without a care.

The delighted feature of his mate carved a beatific smile on the face of the alpha.

Einar was out of his trance at once when he heard the knocking of the door once again. Callan eagerly awaited the response from within the room as the alpha was perplexed as if he was caught cheating. Einar slowly raised his chin and gestured the man to step in.

Callan was jaunty as he stepped in with a smile and screeched a chair across the main table. He sat there comfortably and drummed a melody on the wooden counter with his fingers. He hummed, he looked every where around as if he was liking even the dust which submerged itself with the suns rays and entered through the window.

Einar was bemused by the abrupt and never before seen attitude of Callan. He kept a straight face and cleared his throat to gain his mate’s attention “Why are you here Ashton?” he asked nonchalantly.

Callan smiled and leaned his body backwards “Why do you think I am here alpha?” he was complacent in his reply.

Einar frowned at Callan as his new found behaviour was irritating the alpha. He slammed the book on the table with a thud and rested both of his arms on the counter, leaning his body forward as he glared at Callan with hurt and accusation “You didn’t show up for twenty days! You left your Luna unprotected. Did you even know that the pack was under attack! That you put your Luna’s life in jeopardy! How much more reckless can you be! I am really glad I did not chose you as the head warrior. How thoughtless can you be in performing your...”

“But I never accepted the post of the luna’s guard.” Callan interjected as he shrugged “I am still a normal member of the pack.”

Einar gulped for this wasn’t the answer he was expecting. On the contrary he was a bit more fearful than he liked. Einar stood next to the table with his back straight and slowly made his way to sit on his big chair. His heartbeats raised as he frantically looked everywhere other than his mate. Bad thoughts crept his mind as he wanted his assumptions to be fallacious.

Einar clasped his fingers and fidgeted his thumbs under the table. Though Callan could not see the hands beneath the table he could easily deduce that the alpha was nervous and hiding something. A knowing smile formed on his face.

“Well if that’s not the case than why are you here Ashton?” The look on Einar’s face amused Callan. He chuckled a bit. He slowly retrieved a covering made of a flat paper and pushed it towards the alpha.

“What is this?” Einar palmed the envelope and slid it in his direction. However his actions were abruptly halted when the sweet voice of his mate shocked his ears.

“It is a formal request from an ordinary member. I wish to disassociate myself from the pack and leave this place as early as possible.”

********

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