SHADOW
Four Days Earlier: Interview
“My name is Tyler Jackson Larson. I am the Obsidian pack’s Alpha of the LS, Territory Five, and the fourth-born son of the retired Alpha, Tobias Larson. Like my father and his father before him, as well as my brothers, I am also a lawyer and head of the Larson firm. We are well known for our belief in fairness and seeking out the truth. This is why many of our pack members pursue a career in the justice system, and Territory Five’s main source of business is through the Larson firm.”
“You’re the fourth-born son?” the production manager, Carmen, asks.
“That is correct.” I answer, anticipating her follow-on question.
“How did you become the next in line for Alpha?”
I jerk my chin in a curt nod. “My eldest brother Toby died several years ago. It should have been my brother Troy, who is the second-born. But my father’s Beta couldn’t sense an Alphasignature in him or Trevor, the third-born. Somehow, he did, however, sense it in me.”
When she realizes that I won’t elaborate, she glances at her clipboard and moves on to the next question. “Tell us a little more about your pack.”
“The Obsidian pack migrated to the LS immediately after the Great War and has been established in the LS for two centuries. Our pack is an extension of the original Obsidian pack. Some of you may be familiar with the history of the original Blackguard Alpha.
“The story passed down from generation to generation is that there were two Alphas in the Obsidian pack when there should only be one. The two Alphas were friends. Instead of challenging each other to the death, they came to an agreement, and the Blackguard Alpha extricated himself from the pack. The Blackguards, much like the Larsons, believed in fairness and honesty, but they also believed in protecting the pack. They were the warriors of the pack.
“When the Blackguards left, the pack felt their loss, and the other surrounding packs who wanted the Obsidian pack’s territory knew, without the Blackguards, they were weak. When the attacks started, the Larson Alpha reached out to the Blackguard Alpha to find a way to reunite the families again to save his pack and territory. They both identified one solution—to bind the two families through a mating bond. That is how the betrothal contract between the Blackguards and the Larsons came to be.”
“But the Larson pack moved to the LS.”
“Yes. The attacks were too great. Little by little, pack members were dying. Without a female child born on either side, hopes of reuniting the packs grew dim. The Blackguard Alpha couldn’t stand the idea of losing his best friend and the pack he once thought of as family, so he extended an invitationto the Larson pack to rejoin packs here in the LS. However, when the Larson pack reached the LS, the Great War occurred. A monarchy was established, and the Emerald Pack’s Alpha was named King. By then, the Blackguard Alpha relinquished his reign and joined with the Emerald Pack. The Alpha King liked the Larson Alpha, because of the betrothal agreement between the two packs. He awarded the Larson Pack Territory Five and appointed the Larson Alpha a position on his council.”
“So, as the current Alpha, were you obligated to honor the betrothal contact?”
“Yes. There was a time when I didn’t want to be in this position, and I tried to remove myself from becoming the next Alpha. Yet I was forced into this role, given the current circumstances. I honored the contract and married Emily Blackguard until her death three years ago.”
“Why did you try to remove yourself from becoming the next Alpha?”
“It’s a long story and no longer relevant.”
“Humor me.”
I gaze vacantly at the camera, as I decide how and where to begin.
“When I was twelve, I got into an accident. After the incident, I wasn’t the same boy everyone recognized. I lacked personality—the humane side of myself completely vanished. I didn’t have the capacity to respond socially or reciprocate and respond to emotions. I basically became a living, breathing robot that functioned on autopilot. Through an arrangement made between Elias Blackguard and my father, I came to stay in Territory One. That is how I met Anders Knight. Through his guidance, I navigated life, observing and mimicking normal behavior responses.
"Sometimes I wonder how I would have turned out if he hadn’t been in my life. If I had any emotional capacity at thattime, I would probably feel that sort of kinship and affection toward him that one feels toward their father. I valued his advice and guidance and have an immeasurable respect for him. With that said, I didn’t expect to fall in love with his daughter.
"The first time I saw Jessica was nearly nine years ago. She was hiding in the shadows, trying to make an escape from the clinic. This bright white and lightning blue aura radiated around her. I’d never seen anything quite like it before. Intrigued, I stood back, watching her. I didn’t think she would get far because I could smell blood on her and hear her wet raspy breathing.
“I underestimated her. Despite her injuries, she moved with a grace and speed that I had only ever seen in trained fighters. She managed to outsmart two commanding officers and two of the top recruits, including me, and was up and over the gate. Once she hit the ground, she was gone like a blur. She knew how to avoid us as if she could hear our thoughts. Within minutes, she entered the Whitemore territory.
“Despite our orders to leave her, I followed her into the home and stayed with her that night. She couldn’t see me, couldn’t sense my presence. When she fell asleep, curled up into herself, I gently laid her down and covered her with a blanket. Satisfied that I knew she would be alright, I took to the shadows and disappeared before the dawn of the new light appeared.
“The second time I met her, she did something to me. She walked into Anders’s office. Her aura was three times bigger than when I had first seen her. It filled the entire room. Her light connected with my shadows, and she realigned my souls. She put me back together. Everything I lacked gradually started to return.
“But something else occurred I didn’t fully understand until our paths kept crossing, and I had gotten to know her better. Even though I knew I was betraying Anders’s trust andthe betrothal agreement—not to mention our problematic age difference of five years—I broke a cardinal rule in the Emerald Guards bylaws. None of that mattered to me. I just wanted to be with her. She’s more than my true mate. She’s my soulmate. She was and still is the love of my life, despite what my actions have led her to believe.”
Chapter 10
Celebrating Milestones
SHADOW
May 05, 2017
