A Ray Of Hope

The flow of the tip of the feather smoothly carved writings in a definitive manner. Parchments one after the other were cleared from the table in a hurried way. Alpha Ragnar immersed himself with heaps of paper and looked at the pending work in dismay. The days since his return, he was burdened both emotionally and mentally to persuade his people to not leave him. He rest his case and even pleaded when necessary to assure the pack wolves about their safety. On the other side he was slowly starting to lose faith in his own flesh and blood.

Einar was one of the strongest beings in the entire world. Moreover the knowledge and wisdom he possessed to administer the pack excelled even the veteran leaders from around the world. However Ragnar was left stranded when his only son led to the downfall of the pack. He was clueless for Einar’s behaviour. He was worried for he did not know the road ahead.

He needed help.

Just as the feather tip was dipped in the black adhesive, Ragnar turned his attention to the main door. He smelled a familiar aroma and slowly rested the feather to its place.

After a few anxious breaths Justus arrived on the main door and knocked “May I step in alpha Ragnar?”

“Please come in.”

Justus bowed in acknowledgment and marched his footsteps towards the large table. Ragnar gestured the man to sit and Justus obliged willingly “What can I do for you?”

“Wait a moment.” Ragnar stood from his place and reached for the main door. He looked outside on both the fronts to assure himself of being solitarily cloistered. He carefully closed the door and sat on the couch which was parallel to the chair on which Justus sat. The alpha took measured breaths before looking at a puzzled Justus. “Einar’s female Rosaline has a lineage of witchcraft blood.”

“That is unusual.”

“In fact it is. I have been monitoring the Idris pack’s movements and history since the day Einar told us about his mate.”

This information was not new to Justus. In fact he himself had helped his alpha to chase details about some members of the Idris pack.

The man looked at the alpha sternly “To be on the safer side.” He nodded in understanding “I get it.”

“Precisely. One of the very crucial information which I collected was that the ancestors of the beta in command had a witch as a mate; back when inter species mating was not forbidden.”

Justus furrowed his brows “So that means Rosaline is a descendant of the witch. Does she know?”

“I am sure she knows nothing about it.”

Justus’ feature reflected that of the alpha because he knew if the information holds any truth, the future of the pack would be jeopardised. “Are you worried that the girl will show the signs of awakening?”

“I have no answer to that.”

Being a descendent of the witch implied that there were chances, though miniscule that Rosaline may inherit the powers. If that happens than by law the mate pairing will be held invalid and Einar would have to sever his ties with his luna to save the honour of the pack.

However when Justus carefully looked at his alpha he discerned something else “This is not the thing you are worried about..”

Ragnar smiled weakly “You know me well Justus.” He slowly stood from his place and sighed a long breath before oscillating his steps in a fixed path “After the coronation ceremony I entrusted the pack to Einar with a heavy heart. I looked into his eyes and I knew he was afraid of something. Though he has all the knowledge in the world the thirst inside of him has died.”

“He has not challenged you yet.”

“Exactly.” Ragnar nodded “Had it been any other alpha wolf, he would have retaliated aggressively and sprung to the challenge to save his position but Einar didn’t do that.”

“It seems the wolf has no affinity to be the leader.”

“Yes but why?” Ragnar shrugged in confusion and surprise. The worry lines on his face were becoming more prominent.

“The question seems to baffle me as well. If Einar’s wolf is not after the alpha position than what does he wants?”

Ragnar halted his strides at once and stood in front of the former head warrior “We need answers Justus and we need to get them the right way.”

Justus pursed his lips in confusion. Though he was happy that his alpha considered him worthy to share all his worries as also appraised him a task but he was still not sure why he was needed at the moment. He had resigned from his duties and someone equally capable had been chosen as his replacement. This meant that alpha Ragnar should’ve asked the current people in power to help him out “Pardon me alpha but how am I involved in any of these? I mean how could I be of any help?”

Ragnar ran his hands through his hair in frustration and sat on the couch looking underconfident. He gathered his strength with a sigh “Some unprecedented recent events have sparked rumours about Callan which have unfortunately caught my attention.”

Justus’ chest was heavy. He knew exactly what his alpha meant. It was already heartbreaking that Callan was treated unfairly in the pack. He had been deprived of his rights from the start and now he was being accused of being the bringer of some bad omen. It was just too much to take in for the father..

“He is not evil alpha Ragnar.” Justus almost choked while his glossy eyes displayed his pain for his child.

“I know my friend. How can a noble soul like Callan have any evil in him? However to this day I refuse to believe that he is just a human.”

“What do you suggest we do?”

“I have found someone who could help us.” Alpha Ragnar leaned back and crossed his arms to his chest “I have something planned for our families. Be ready to go on an expedition.”

****

Beneath the noble starry black night, Callan sat on a long marvelously carved stone to admire the beauty of the moon. The array of stars were singing in infinite patterns while Callan hummed in rhythm to match their song. It was the simple gesture from his mate which was causing the sheer pleasure jouncing inside of the dark figure who calmly observed the scene in front of him.

The faint aura surrounding Daragor mystified itself and the demon in the next instant was transported to where his mate was. He carefully arranged himself besides the handsome man and kept gawking at him as if he was the most precious thing in the world.

The frequent smiles and giggles kept Callan inattentive to the presence of someone else for a long time. However when he saw the dark fog engulfing his space he was alert at once. He cleared his throat in embarrassment and kept a straight face looking at his guest.

“You are late.” Callan said raising a brow.

“I had some.. interruptions on my way here.”

Callan straightened his back and to Daragors surprise closed the distance between them by a little “What was it?”

“The wolves; especially the beta.”

When Callan heard about Garrick his eyes flew wide “What was he doing there? Did he caught you?”

“He was following me I suppose..”

Callan at once realised that the real reason Garrick was following the demon was because he wanted to know about his whereabouts. It was also a certainty that Einar knew about this. However Callan’s face become tensed when he realised something “Did you harm him?”

“I had a strong urge to do so but I did not want to make you sad.”

The handsome man nodded “Where is he now?”

“He is following me.”

Callan opened his mouth to speak but then ate his words as the demon was making no sense in his talk “I don’t get it.”

Daragor smirked and sighed a little in mischief “He is following a dark fog. It would be a long time before he realises that his efforts are in vain.”

Callan rolled his eyes to the sky and half bit his lips before he could contain his laughter no more. The jaw muscles of his mouth extended to its finest as the man laughed through his heart. “Poor Garrick..”

When Daragor looked at the blissful mirth of his mate he was elated from within. The handsome man was trying hard to contain his laughter as his lips pursed and frequent giggles left him.

“You look happy.”

The laughter soon turned into a widened smirk as Callan’s smug look amused the demon “Yes. I am”

“May I know the reason for it?”

Callan nodded and childishly turned his upper torso towards the demon “I went to Auroras today and while I was practicing on using my powers the magical book came alive.”

“Hmm?”

“It is a special book she has. It tells you things.” Callan uninterestingly gave the description as he was finding it difficult to be calm. The excitement in him was refusing to die down. Daragor smiled again and gestured Callan to continue.

“So as I was saying, when I was at that place the book prevised a possible outcome.” Callan smiled with his sparkling eyes and happily spoke “I saw the future! It is like the foreshadow of what is to come in the days ahead.”

“If you say so.”

Callan kept his smiling face intact for a long time hoping that the demon would be eager to enquire about his secret but soon his patience waned “Won’t you ask why I am happy.”

The enthusiastic features of the beautiful man amused the demon. On one hand he wanted to tease him a bit more while on the other he wanted his mate to have his moment “I will. Though I don’t like the question” The demon chuckled “But why are you happy my love?”

The handsome man soon turned his entire self to his right and crossed his legs across the stone to get a clearer view of the demon “I saw me and Einar holding hands. We were happy and together.” The smile that cracked his face was brighter than the shining stars. The hope and delight within him were erupting like volcanoes “Do you know what this means..!” Callan spoke with excitement “This means that I am going in the right direction. Soon Einar will give up his tenacity and accept me with open arms.”

The jovial nature of his mate was an encouraging sign for the things to come. Daragor smiled at Callan lovingly before turning his head to the front and silently watching the waterfall. Callan waited for a positive response from the demon but he was disappointed. He waited for a long time before breaking the silence “What are you thinking?”

“Nothing as such. I am happy to see you happy.” The demon exhaled a long breath “Though a part of me still believes that the human cannot be trusted.”

Callan’s smile faded and he nodded in agreement “Hmm I know. He does things to hurt me but it is only because he is afraid to accept what he is. I am sure that once he overcomes his own fear than we would be the happiest couple in the entire pack.”

Daragor smiled at that statement but soon his smile turned into a grimace as he clutched his chest painfully. He grunted annoyingly and breathed heavily to calm himself. Callan however was worried for Daragor’s state. It was like the pain suffered by his mate was clamouring through his heart.

“What is it? Tell me please.” Callan desperately pleaded.

“It is Orcus.” Daragor took two anxious breaths “He wants to meet you.” He closed his eyes as the faint mist around him grew stronger and suddenly vanished. He slowly opened his eyes and turned to Callan “Somehow his persistence to rise has vanquished the somnolent behaviour from the past two full moons.”

Callan pursed his lips “Ohh! That is me actually.” He giggled a bit when he saw the confused face of the demon “I have been secretly giving Einar the fake decoction. It tastes the same but it is utterly useless for its purpose.”

“Intelligent I must say.” Daragor smirked “However are you sure about Orcus?”

And that was the question. Was Callan ready to face the wolf? In the hindsight the handsome man knew he was obligated to face the wolf at some point or the other while a big part of him was worried for the outcome when it finally happens.

To begin things, Callan wasn’t pure as the custom of the wolves dictated besides in a way he neglected the wolf for so long even when he knew about being mates. However the more worrying factor which haunted Callan was the aggressive nature of Orcus. Since he was an ancient wolf Orcus would surely try to dominate the man in every way possible. Even after facing adversities his entire life Callan had never compromised with his dignity and he wouldn’t begin the trend with Orcus either.

However the more pressing matter right now was the mental state of the wolf. One cannot imagine the amount of pain he had to go through just because he had Callan as his mate. Einar had no solution for his demon and so Daragor was resilient enough to make his way to his beloved but the poor wolf had been trapped inside the human and was tortured time and again just so that he could not overpower Einar. The mighty wolf had to face the brunt of ignorance and hate.

It wasn’t fair to Orcus.

Callan empathised with the wolf and decided to go with the flow. He was sure that he would calm the beast in the coming days and fill his heart with love and compassion. As of right now it was necessary to face the situation head on without thinking about oneself “I just want to know more about Orcus. I met him the other day and was moved by his pain.”

“Orcus is unique to his species. Its a shame that the human is forbidding to connect with him.”

Callan understood the reason for Einar’s unassertiveness. Orcus was violent and belligerent. He hadn’t seen the wolf in good terms with any other wolf in the pack. He was aggressively defiant and always ready to fight.

“Einar fears that Orcus would unleash his animalistic behaviour and go on a rampage.” Callan tried to reason.

Daragor snorted “Does he thinks so low of the wolf.” he narrowed his gaze as his jaw muscles tightened. Callan was speechless for a moment but he slowly palmed his hand on the hands of the demon. Daragor’s anger melted right away and he looked at Callan in assurance “Has it ever occurred to you that a mighty wolf like him took charge of the losing side in the war of Jodatain? When he became the leader he made sure that his side had minimal casualties. He was bold enough to march with his army to the enemies doorstep.”

The demon turned to his side completely and looked at the handsome man with adoration. He cupped his hands to Callan’s face and slowly rubbed his thumbs to the upper chin of the handsome man “He is not deranged.” he lowered his voice “All he needs is you.. Just like me..”

In the next instant Daragor leaned ahead and kissed the forehead of Callan with a light touch. It was the touch of affection; the touch of love! Never had any of his former partners kissed him on his forehead. The simple act felt special; it felt divine.

Callan’s heartbeat raised while his cheeks flushed “Now how do I make Einar understand this.”

Daragor smiled at the clever behaviour of his mate. Callan once again dodged the subject when he felt shy or embarrassed. The demon slowly retracted his hands “The human is quite stubborn. Probably he has mastered his inner strength.”

“Why do you say that?”

The demon sighed “On every full moon day I give him a little surprise. Which I am sure he remembers in his nightmares for the following days. Surprisingly my tactics doesn’t seem to weaken him like I thought.”

The calm feature of the handsome man turned into a pensive one. He could not understand what possibly the demon might have been doing to harm Einar. However soon he gasped in shock as his brain registered the horror Einar goes through every full moon. Callan knew about this power of Daragor but he never imagined that he would use it to torture his own mortal self. “Why would you do such a thing?”

“To make him suffer.” Daragor kept his gaze static “Orcus is very possessive of you. If he has his way, he would probably kill every person who even looks at you. Me on the other side, I am protective of you. I cannot bear anyone hurting you in the slightest. Even someone thinking of it makes me furious beyond measure.” He gritted his teeth in anger “The human has aggravated us time and again. He knew what you meant to us for a very long time and still he had the audacity to keep you apart from us. Moreover he let you get hurt over the years while he did nothing but simply watch. He needs to be taught a lesson.”

Callan was at a loss of words. It was a dangerous thing to do. The constant nightmares could render Einar’s brain ineffective in the long run. This could also mean that Einar may soon lose control over his sagacity. Had it been a few months back Callan would’ve been alright to let Einar suffer but today he was skeptical. He wanted Einar to come to his senses but not in in the way which would harm him physically.

Callan breathed a long sigh and kept his focus ahead. He could not understand how the demon could go on this destructive path. Einar’s loss could never be Daragors gain. They shared the same body after all. “Can you feel what Einar is feeling?”

“Are we connected?”

Callan nodded briskly waiting for an answer.

“Not exactly. On the coronation day when our powers were summoned it was a choice if we would like to coalesce with humans body.”

“I missed the coronation.” Callan huffed derisively.

“Orcus and I agreed as it was expected of us but the human never kept his end of the deal.” The handsome man furrowed his brows in confusion “He did not accept us. It is like we are forcefully laden on his body. Like if he had a choice he would get rid of us at the earliest.”

Callan pursed his lips while his fingers jumped rhythmically. He gave a weak smile to the demon but deep inside he was upset by the behaviour of his mate. Callan was aware that Einar rejected his beasts only because he wanted to distance himself from his fate. However the fact still remained that Einar knowingly or unknowingly had caused great pain to himself and his beats “I don’t know what to say. It is making me sad.” Callan raised his head with a little hope in his dejected eyes “But you have to understand Einar as well. Centuries have passed and a lot has changed in this world. Things are different and Einar has obligations to his pack and to his family.”

“What about his mate?” Daragor retorted quickly.

The hurt in his eyes was clear but Callan kept a brave front knowing that he had to bring the demon closer to his human. He had to act strong, else Daragor would continue to punish Einar as he deemed fit. The handsome man looked sideways as his lips quivered “He has obligations to his mate too.” He almost whispered. He braved a fake smile and gazed at the pained eyes of the spirit “Though he is prejudiced as of now I am sure he will come to terms with me being his mate.”

The features of the demon changed drastically. He knew that the beautiful man was trying hard to contain his emotions. Einar was threatening their hopes and aspirations to be together. Unlike his mate the demon could not turn down his emotions. He held Callan’s hand and kissed the back of the palm. His face softened while his lips stretched out of love for the Elemental “I dont want him to accept you just because he was forced to. I need him to understand how lucky he is to have you in his life.”

Those sweet words from the demon made the handsome man speechless. His heart fluttered and a genuine smile overshadowed the painful glitters of his eyes. He gasped in short wavering breaths, smiling and crying all at once “You always say things as such for which I have no response.”

“Then don’t respond.” The demon wiped the tears from Callan’s eyes and closed the gap between them. He slowly pulled Callan in his arms and let the head of the handsome man lay on his shoulder.

As if instinctively Callan snaked his arms around the spirit and pressed his body firmly against the muscular torso. His accelerated heart beat dwindled with a few calming breaths. Daragor on the other side stroked his mates back to soothe him of his pain.

However, the flames of requital ignited his gut and his heart was stern with determination. “As far as the human is concerned; his resistance wont work for long.”

“Why do you say that?” Callan spoke lowly without bothering to look up.

The demon was unforgiving. It was as if Einar had torched his insides. Witnessing Callan crying in front of his eyes was making him callous; deranged. The thought of hurting Einar appealed to his twisted and dark nature. For days up until now he held himself back for the sake of his beautiful man but now he was at the brink of losing his patience. He narrowed his gaze while his jaws hardened “If he doesn’t mend his ways; I will take over his body FOREVER.”

********

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