Blinded by rage, Gale launched at his father, grabbed the hand holding the weapon and snapped it. In a heartbeat, he shifted to human and shoved his father from the room, buying time. He didn’t think, only reacted. He kicked the door shut and moved the desk in front as his father beat the door from the other side.
He lifted Yosi, tiny and scared, and carried him out the bedroom window. Within minutes, he was banging on Callum’s bedroom window.
Gale didn’t speak, and Callum didn’t waste time asking questions. He passed Yosi through the window, shut it and walked away. His last view of Yosi was of him crumbling into Callum’s arms, crying hysterically.
Covered in blood from Yosi’s injuries, Gale walked home without shame, entered the house, and stood behind his father. A tap to his shoulder made him turn, and Gale didn’t allow time to think or speak. He punched, knocking his father into the wall, then grabbed his shirt and dragged him through the house, tossing him outside for the whole pack to see. Shouting threats, warnings at his father.
He rambled like a lunatic. Letting his father know if he laid a hand on Yosi again, Gale would bite it off and shove it down his throat. Nothing felt real anymore. Hadn’t since he’d found Yosi lying in a pool of blood, a victim at the hands of the one person he trusted most.
Alpha Grier appeared with a group of guards, and Gale expected to be taken away and disciplined, relieved he’d taken Yosi to safety first.
His life changed when Grier had the guards remove his father, then suggested Gale return to Yosi. Dazed, he walked to Callum’s house, terrifying Callum’s parents. They demanded to know why he was covered in blood, but Callum’s dad gave him the benefit of the doubt, suggesting it was from his hunt. He couldn’t remember speaking, but Callum came running, shouting his name, hugging him, and thanking him for protecting Yosi.
While Gale stood speechless, Callum told his parents Yosi was hurt and needed help, was scared, and couldn’t go home. Callum and his mum disappeared into the bedroom, soft voices and tender care was dished out to Yosi without hesitation.
Callum’s dad pushed Gale into a rocking chair by the fire, put a glass of scotch in his hand, and congratulated him on becoming a man.
“Because you are,” he said, tilting Gale’s head to make eye contact. “No hunt can make you a man. Killing and capturing prey more than half our size isn’t what makes you a man. What you did today—protecting Yosi at the cost of your safety, at the cost of your family—made you a man. I will never be prouder of you than I am tonight.” He patted his arm and walked away, leaving Gale emotionally shattered.
An hour later, Callum was drawn in by his parents, moaning about them acting weird, hugging him too tight. He was too young to realise they were showing their love because they didn’t want him to forget, becausetheydidn’t want to forget.
The same feeling sat in Gale’s chest when Callum walked to where he sat, holding Yosi’s hand, and said goodnight. He’d raised them, taken care of them, fallen in love with their pure love. Gale kissed Callum’s forehead goodnight and thanked him for taking care of his brother. The sweet kid blushed and hugged Yosi, said goodnight, and walked to his room, leaving the brothers alone.
“Can I stay with you?” Yosi asked, tugging at the sleeves of his borrowed clothes. As if he could say no.
As soon as Gale held his arms out, Yosi climbed onto his lap and curled against his chest. He talked until Yosi fell asleep, promising to always take care of him, to keep him safe. He didn’t ask what had sent their father into a rage, but during the night, between the tears and the shaking, Yosi confessed he’d come home and told his parents he would marry Callum.
Silly nonsense, because of a book their teacher had read at school. They’d been told, and believed, that people who loved each other got married in Dnara, and mated in Vihaan. Because Yosi loved Callum, that was the future he dreamed of. Of never having to be separated, of never being without him.
Because a boy didn’t want to live without his best friend, he’d been beaten bloody.
*
Present Day
To this day, Gale wasn’t sure what would have happened if he’d been late. If he’d taken longer to hunt the rosson. He never wanted to think of alternatives, but he dreamed them: how he might have saved Yosi that pain, the lingering memory, if he’d been quicker, faster, better at hunting.
He’d sat in the rocking chair in Callum’s house, unable to sleep, afraid to take his eyes off Yosi. He’d watched his baby brother sleep and taken comfort in his scent, promising he would never hurt again.
“I want to be with him forever,” Yosi had cried, snuggled against him by the fire.
Gale had shushed and held him. “You will, cub,” he’d whispered, brushing fingers through his hair. “I won’t let anyone take him from you.”
When Keon announced his new laws, Gale had made a new promise. One just as important, as special. As soon as he got home, he would see Yosi and Callum mated. He would keep his promise.
*
During the evening, the thunder and lightning returned with a vengeance. Jude went from reading his book to curled in Gale’s arms, snuggled under the duvet. Then the door squeaked open, and Isaac poked his head in.
Gale nodded him in, as Jude lifted his head to greet their visitor.
Isaac’s relief was worth another sleepless night. Isaac rushed to Jude’s bed and crawled in to cuddle into Gale’s side. He made sure to tuck the cover over him and shift into the centre of the bed to accommodate the three bodies.
“We need a bigger bed,” he teased, glad to hear Isaac snuffle in laughter. As a distraction, he carded fingers through Isaac’s hair. “You’re not like this during the rain seasons. Why is this different?”
Shivering, Isaac kept his head bowed to avoid the flashes of lightning. “I saw the news. Houses are flooding. The ground slipped from under a house and pushed it into the sea,” he explained, describing events they rarely experienced in Vihaan. When catastrophic events happened, it was during the rain seasons and usually when a pack was unprepared. “They showed pictures of people buried in water, trying to find their families.”
When he sniffed, Gale nuzzled the top of his head. “It’s fine,” he soothed, not knowing what else to say as they huddled close. “We’ll be home soon.” He let Isaac take what comfort he could from being close, tucked tight, taking in their familiar m’weko scent. Whatever he needed to feel safe.
