Thirty Nine

Chapter Thirty Nine

Jacob's POV

I don't wanna pressure her but I think she was pressured so I opted to change the ambiance between us and go on with the stories I've kept in my head for so long.

"There's nothing I remember of my past but that tragedy. It all began when I opened myself to Roscoe, tell him the things I never knew I shouldn't have said…"

Nine Years Ago…

I run to the training grounds where my brother was scheduled to be at by that time. Huffing and almost out of breath.

I've just seen something I shouldn't.

Roma, the head of fighters under my father's regime of the Shadow pack, has a tremendous reddish smoke-like on his shadow as he looked at my father.

It creep me out, when he looked at me, the red smoke of shadow behind him formed as to what I think was evil. It looked as if it wanted me, so I have nothing to do but run.

Run to someone who always protects me.

"Roscoe!" I called. He was busy brawling with his trainer when I came here.

"Hey kiddo!" he greeted while being straggled by his coach. "Ca-Can we take a b-break?" he asked to the man while trying to be freed.

"Making excuses to run, young alpha?" the trainer joked. Roscoe gave him a blow of punch in the face, the both of them laugh.

Roscoe, on his feet, started walking to me. I'm trembling all over that he noticed it immediately, frowning at my state.

"What's wrong? You looked as if seen by a ghost." he chuckled and slouched down to mess my hair.

"I-I saw a… a…"

"Breath, brother."

I inhaled, exhaling the words after. "Demon!"

Roscoe frowned, baffled by what I said then as if he remembered something, he looked around us for possible ears listening.

"Ros, I saw it! A demon--"

"Shh." he said, looking back to me. "Let's go over there and talk, okay?"

We went to a far corner, almost reaching the forest and he made me sat on a log there.

"Tell me on detail, brother. What is it?"

"R-Roma! He… something was behind him! It's red, like a smoke mixing with his shadow! It wanted to come to me!"

Roscoe's eyes widened, silenced for a moment. I was scared he won't believe me, it's not a normal thing to see!

"Believe me, Roscoe! I saw it!"

"When did you start seeing those?" he asked in a serious and deadly tone.

I was taken aback.

"Wh-What?"

My brother looked different for a second and upon hearing me stutter, he smiled that his eyes squinted together with that smile.

"Maybe you're hallucinating, Jacob…" he said softly.

I shook my head furiously. "No! I've seen it! Roma was looking at father when that--that thing showed up!"

Roscoe hissed and screwed his eyes tight.

"I-I need to tell father! Maybe it's a sign--"

"No!" he yelled, his voice thundering that it echoed in the forest. I jumped, startled by his sudden outburst and I took a step back, away from him.

What's wrong with my brother?

Roscoe seemed shocked with his own reaction that he quickly went to me, bend down and smiled.

"I'm sorry for shouting. Listen, don't tell about it to father, he wouldn't believe you, okay? I'll… take care of this. And you, you and I should keep this a secret. Not one soul should know about what you can see, okay?"

"R-Roscoe… there is something… in your shadow, too…"

His full black shadow has faint red and green in it. I keep looking at his shadow more, to see what else I could see so I can tell him, but he held my face and made my eyes look at him.

"It's our secret, okay? Do you understand?"

There was desperation and frustration in his voice, his hands are cold, and his eyes are… somehow, scared. I'm lost.

One thing I thought of was that something was wrong with me knowing that Roscoe wanted to keep it a secret.

Something must be wrong with me.

I nodded. Roscoe smiled and he headed back to the training field while I quietly observed his shadow having more colors I don't know the meaning is.

"That same day, Roma was punished by father, banning him and his bloodline from the pack and marking them as traitors. And that night, Father held a celebratory dinner for Roscoe."

"Is that the first time you experienced that with the shadows?" Lucianna asked.

I looked at her and nodded. "That was the day my shadow eye was awakened." then I lay on the bed, my head laying on her lap and she let me as she's drowned with her thoughts.

The warmth was quick to comfort me so I exhaled the building tension in my chest upon remembering the past.

"So that thing you saw meant Roma is a traitor?"

"He's scheming an evil plan to father. Red is anger, for it to build an evil like form meant that person has dark intentions."

I was watching Lucianna as I talked and she were just looking upfront. She's taking it well, and I'm glad she does.

"If the shadow eye is inherited by generation, doesn't that mean your father has it too? He was not able to know about Roma? He's head of fighters, they must always see each other, then."

Such good observations…

Lucianna might be slow at picking up at times but her being observant shows her intelligence. I was amazed by her again.

"A week before my shadow eye awakened, it left my father's. Father knew one of his sons will have it anytime soon, and I did."

"And Roscoe?"

I sighed and Lucianna looked down to me. I smiled at her.

"The gift is only for one inheritor. I was chosen instead of my brother."

"He didn't like that." she murmured, dazing out again.

"Yes."

"Why? What's so important with it?" she squirmed and placed my head to a better position, her legs must be going numb. Lucky me, she's not shoving me off, huh?

"The next alpha in line should have the gift to gain the title. It's a sacred confidential rule in our pack. The eye is a huge help, it is why I gained the second rank in the strongest pack here at North. We were third in place a year and a half ago."

Lucianna nodded and pursed her lips.

I suddenly wondered if she's given some thought about my confession but upon thinking about it makes me nervous.

Patience, you fucker.

"You said they celebrated. For what?"

"My brother claimed he saw the evil shadow to Roma. He pretended that he awakened the shadow eye and father was pleased to know that."

"That's… petty."

I shrugged. "He wanted to be alpha, nothing will stop him to have it."

"And… then?"

"Then… after my eye awakening, it strengthens…"

"Roscoe, I-I'm scared…"

I was hugging my knees in the dark corner of my room when he came and visited. Everyone has confusing colors into their shadows that I don't know of, it scares me and so I decided to avoid seeing anyone. Everyone but my brother.

He was the only one I can trust with what's wrong with me.

"Shh. Don't worry, I'm here, brother."

"I'm… everyone… their shadows… as if they are talking to me… I don't want to see… people!"

"I know. I know. I understand."

"Where's mother? I-I want to talk to her and…"

"She's busy preparing the pack. There's a renewal of treaty coming soon and everyone has their tasks to do. Stay here for the meantime, okay?"

I nodded.

"D-Do you know now what the--the meaning of the colors?"

Roscoe was silent for a moment. He looked around, again, every time I talk about this. Like he was afraid someone might hear.

"Not yet. But I will, soon, okay?"

"I… mine is di-different…"

Roscoe went closer to me. I looked up to him with teary eyes. A scaredy-cat fifteen years old, crying in front of his brother.

"What do you mean?"

"I, in the, uh…" I cleared my throat and looked at the mirrored wall on the side where I can see myself. "It's not like everybody else. It's gray… and nothing more…"

Roscoe laughed hard that made me jumped. I looked at him, now with fear and no comfort. His laugh sounded… evil.

"R-Roscoe?"

"I'm sorry, brother. I just remembered something funny. Anyway, don't think too much about it and rest. Tomorrow, meet me at the dungeons at eight in the evening. Can you do that without anyone knowing?"

I nodded.

"But why sh-should I hide?"

"Well," he snorted. "You said you're scared seeing more people. Hiding away from them is better than seeing the scary shadows."

"O-Okay…"

**

At the dungeons…

"Roscoe? I'm here."

It was dark and there's a strong smell of blood in the dungeons. It's suffocating and fueling the fear inside me more.

"Here, brother." Roscoe breathed at the middle of one of the cell. Slowly, I went there.

There was a party held for the young alpha of the Prime pack and it's too lively outside. The noise, the music, people screaming, singing and dancing can all be heard down the dungeons.

"W-Why are we here?" I asked once I'm in front of him.

I can see him well through the darkness using my enhanced sight. His face looked blank, as if no emotion was felt by him. I couldn't see his shadow because of the darkness and I'm glad I don't.

"Jacob. You know, when I was young, father promised that I will be the next alpha and I looked forward to being just that since then."

"I know that, Roscoe, but why--"

"I trained hard, I studied well every nooks and crooks of the responsibilities waiting for me in the future. And I know I'm the best candidate for the position, Jacob." he chuckled. "Not you."

My eyes widened.

Roscoe looked at me with an eye of a predator and I felt small like a prey by that glare. Taking a step back, I'm thinking of running away.

I don't understand what he meant but everything screams danger to me right at this moment.

Before I could move backwards more, Roscoe was there, standing behind me that stopped me from moving.

"Do you know what your color meant, huh, brother?"

"Roscoe what are you do--"

"Do you know?!" he yelled and I closed my eyes tight. Roscoe laughed evilly that I trembled even more. "Gray means weak, brother. You are nothing but a weakling gifted by that nonsense ability! A weak wolf ascending the title that was meant for me!"

I haven't even opened my eyes yet when I felt a strong kick landed on my back and bone cracking and pain filled my ears and mind. My body slammed on the wall and Roscoe was behind me again in an instant.

My screams of pain was muffled inside Roscoe's hand when he tries to keep me silent by it.

"A weakling like you to be an Alpha? What future will the pack have in your reign?!" he tossed me again and this time I was able to see him.

He walked to the room, to me. The small light coming from the moon that rays in a small hole of the dungeon made me peak at the shadow of him.

Red, evil and just like what I've seen with Roma, it was formed in an evil-like silhouette that gawks at me!

"No! No!"

My words was locked in his palm when he grabbed me by the face. I felt my jaw almost cracking, he's breaking me!

I have no strength like him. I am not as strong as my brother. I am… weak against him.

"No hard feelings, brother. But I need to get rid of the threats that will hinder my goal."

My muffled scream was heard by just the two of us. With widened eyes, I saw him take his claws out, ready to strike. I squirm and moved, trying to get off his hold but my limbs were broken to have enough strength.

I'm gonna die.

My brother will kill me!

"You have to take that ability to the grave, brother." he smirked. I screamed when his claws dug deep in my chest, the tip of it touching my pounding heart.

And there was nothing I could do nor my screams can even show any pain.

I know I will die, I can feel Roscoe's hand slowly having a hold of my beating heart. He will kill me merciless.

But then Roscoe flew away from me, he was interrupted by someone. The scent of the man was stranger to me. My enhanced vision was no longer activating and that only means my injuries are fatal.

"My, my, what do we have here?" said a man who came and saved me. I was grateful, I wanted to thank him but I'm slowly eaten by the darkness.

"Who are you?!"

"The name is Aiden. Whoa. I thought I heard trouble down here, didn't mean to intrude your family feud… or not. This seems like a serious matter to me."

"Aiden came to save me. If it weren't for him, I would have died. They fought but I'm unconscious to watch it, I only heard about it days after once I'm completely healed. Roscoe was out of the pack when I woke up, he was banned by father when he found out about his lie and what tried to do to me.

"After that, I trained hard. I don't want to be weak like what he said, or what my shadow showed me everyday. I became the Alpha of Shadow pack."

A drop of water fell on my face and my eyes widened as I saw Lucianna in tears as she looked down to me.

She's crying… for me.

"Hey, don't--"

My words were cut when she bend down and squeezed me into tight embrace. Shocked was far more to define what I feel right now.

I didn't expected this expression, this reaction from her.

Lucianna burst crying more, almost screaming her cries and I started to wonder why. Why was she crying like this for me? Does it mean something? Does she feel something for me, too? Or was it just pity?

But I'm sure I don't want her crying, no matter why it is.

"You must be lonely!" she cried. "That must be painful!" she cries even more.

I know I shouldn't but it brought me to smile.

I pulled away and she groaned from giving us some distance, it made me smile more.

"Hey," I touched her cheek, wiping the tears away. "It all happened in the past, I'm okay now. Don't cry, please…"

She shook her head and I sighed when she wailed once more.

"I hate your brother! I'm gonna kill him!"

I was surprised and I swear the way her words touched my heart overwhelms me. A low chuckle escaped my throat and she pouted at me with her rounded wet eyes.

"Baby, I appreciate that but I hope you stay away from him."

"I know that! Harley told me…" she sniffs. "But if there's a chance, I swear I will do to him what he did to you! And no Aiden will come rescue him this time!"

I laughed hard at that. Damn it. She's so cute!

"Calm down now, baby. Your nails are deep into my skin." it is. She's so angered that she didn't noticed it.

"Oh! I-I'm sorry…"

"It's alright. You can just give me a kiss if you mean it." I joked and chuckled.

Lucianna looked at me as if taken aback. I was about to take back my words but then she grabbed my face with his tiny warm hands and pulled me closer to her.

Our lips met and her eyes was closed while mine was widened. She did kiss me! Initiate this time, without the heat in her system! Damn it!

This was more arousing than when she's in heat!

I kissed her back. Slow, soft and gentle. We shared it silently with soft moans coming from her that turns me on more. I groaned and rounded my arms to her body, pulling her close, closer.