37. Trophy

Alex's POV

I sprinted away with the tears still leaking out of my eyes. I loved him, but I needed to do what was right whether or not he agreed. As it turned out, my father was standing on the edge of the territory waiting for me. As soon as I entered his vision, he opened his long arms for a hug. I sprinted into him and ended up knocking him onto the hard ground with a thud. The fresh tears that I didn't realize were still falling landed on his face, so he wrapped his calming arms around my shoulders.

"What happened in there, son?" he questioned, very concerned.

"Papa, he... uh... I tried to get him to see my side, I really did, but he wouldn't. I had to leave him behind, and the only way to do that was to hurt him, Papa. I hurt my own soulmate," I wept sadly.

"Shhh..." he cooed, "Everything will sort itself out eventually."

"I won't be able to go against him, Pa. It will kill me," I murmured.

"I know, I know."

We walked back to the house together, and he opened the door for me to enter. "We need to make a plan not only to achieve peace without violence, but also one for when that fails. As part of your training to be an Alpha in the future, you need to help me with that."

"Well, I know how the camp is organized, and most of them think that I'm dead so if I go and tell them that they need peace it might make them think that it's a divine message?"

"Or they would get upset and try to hurt you, which I will not allow to even be a possibility if we can help it.''

"I wish I could use Ash as a messenger, but I can't therefore we'll have to figure something else out. Do you know anyone on the other side?"

His eyes glossed over just slightly enough that I could see the difference which prompted me to remember that yes, he did know someone. "Never mind."

Our planning went long into the hours of the night until we were ready to present it to the pack. Since it all revolved around tomorrow and the whole pack was still awake with adrenaline, we took it in front of them. As it turned out, none of them hated the other species enough to risk a massacre of our kind over, so we all agreed to take the peaceful route and use the violent route as a fallback. In the morning I made sure that metal was touching my skin before departing. God, I hope this plan works.

***

Allystar's POV

I had tried to run after him, but his scent meddled with another one then disappeared. I then proceeded to wander the forest aimlessly trying to catch it again. Suddenly, a young man came out from between the trees and grabbed me faster than I could run away. I tried to wrestle out of his grasp however I was weak, and he basically had me pinned to his body. I was whisked into a rather large house that I could have sworn I remembered from somewhere but couldn't think of where. The sun was rising, and I was met by an older man. He looked at me like he recognized me, but then he shook his head and breathed, "Why were you wandering around our territory?"

"I was looking for my brother, sir," I answered honestly.

"Papa, how long is it until we depar- Allystar!" Alex came around the corner and shouted.

"Do you know him?"

"Do you not know him, Papa?"

"Well I feel like I recognize him from somewhere, but I cannot remember where for the life of me."

"Pa, this is Ally. He is my twin... your other son."

The tension in the air could have been cut by a knife. "I had... two sons?"

"You did."

I felt extremely awkward standing in front of him without him knowing me, but I could tell through his eyes that he believed Alex.

"Your mother told me I had one... I wasn't allowed in your birth."

"That's true, now that I think about it the only time I ever saw you was when dad wasn't present..." Alex inserted quietly.

My muscles were tense while I waited judgement. It was possible that he would decide I wasn't worth his time and reject the very idea of having another son... A disappointment. However just looking at him I could see where I got my looks from. While Alex only had his eyes, I had his hair and figure.

Suddenly he stepped forward and hugged me tightly. I felt everything in my body relax into his hold. It made me feel safe; it made me feel home.

"I may not know you... At all... But that won't stop me from loving you as if I raised you myself," he reassured me. I knew I was probably crying, but I finally had a father; a person that loved me more than anyone else.

***

Ash's POV

It was morning, and I was more torn up then ever before. It was different before; he was dead, I could move on. Now, however, he was alive and had just left me behind in a fit of rage.

It may sound sad, but I'm used to people leaving me behind. I'm used to constant rejection... Loneliness. It just hit me hard that he left me for the bitch, his father, the one that almost -did- kill him. The atmosphere didn't feel right... Something was coming.

All of us were up all night preparing for an eventual attack. We were milling around the camp when one of the guards called out for us to get into position. Two figures walked in the sunrise towards us, and we all knew who it was. Not exactly, but we knew they were our enemies.

Their hands were clasped with the other two clearly visible as a sign that they carried no weapons. I sighed quietly before stepping forward. My father tried to grab me back, but I held my ground. I knew Alex was one of them, I could recognize his scent in the air and feel his presence. Based on the situation, I assumed that the other figure was his father. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, and before I knew it they were directly in front of me.

"I knew you would flip eventually, you filthy bastard," my father hissed at Alex with a lot of malice.

Alex's father was visibly distressed at his comment, but Alex ran a tender finger over his knuckles that calmed him instantaneously. I longed for him to be doing that to me, however I knew it would never happen now that I had given him proper reason to hate me.

"We wish to negotiate peace," his father spoke for both of them.

"Oh please, do you even know what that is Antony?"

"Refrain from being a bitch, Jackson," Alex interjected.

"You do not speak to me using my first name, vermin," my father snarled lowly, his posture showing aggression.

"Enough," I chimed in attempting to end the petty argument.

"Shut up Ashton, I was not done talking." He walked right up to them and got right into Alex's face before murmuring, "Wonder what it would be like to have your head on a stick as a trophy."