Sixteen-year-old Cael stood, hiding behind an oak tree, his heart heavy with longing as he watched the group of teenagers his age playing soccer. Laughter and screams filled the air as they chased each other, their energy contagious and wild.
Since he was a child, all he has ever wanted to do was to join them. To belong, to play, to just be a kid. But that has happened, and now at 16 years old, he really couldn't because they all saw him as the weird loner.
He had been raised with one main goal and focus: to be strong, to lead, and to protect the pack. His own desires never mattered.
"Cael!" The voice of his father's beta, Rowan, sliced through the air, pulling him back to his reality. "Where are you? It's time to train!"
"Can I have a few minutes of rest? Just a few minutes, please... I just finished studying!" He yelled back at him.
"Young man! You have more important things to do and be than kicking a piece of rolled leather! Get your ass over here! Now!!"
Cael looked back at the field and saw that the teens had stopped playing and had noticed him where he was hiding. As he caught their eyes, they bowed to him. None of them smiled or even looked at him with familiarity or friendliness.
Sighing heavily, he pushed himself off the tree and walked back to the training area. "Well, the moment is gone now," he thought to himself.
He disliked the way the pack members treated him, but it was a familiar feeling. This had been his life since he could walk. Training, then food and rest breaks, then studying, and then more training. He was trained in shooting, sword fighting, and almost all martial arts one could name. He also had a batch of top professors as his private tutors. He was 16, but his learning level was already that of a second-year university student. All he did was study and train, even though all he ever wanted was to play with the others, to be one of them, since he was a child.
Sighing, he looked up at Rowan as he got to him, bracing himself mentally for the lecture he knew was coming.
"Why are you still being so sentimental... so weak?! You can't afford to waste time watching them play or wanting to be a part of them. This is the same problem I have with your father. Alphas are above the pack members; stop seeing them as peers. You are going to take over from your father once you turn 20. You'll have to protect and lead them one day, and that requires discipline and logic, not feelings and useless emotions. You still have so much to learn."
Cael's breath stopped for a second. "He is to take over when he is 20?? , when had they made that decision?!" he thought in panic
"You are the future of the pack! Stop being so weak, or you'll be eaten up. Most of the members you want to mingle with so badly will even be the ones to take the first bite."
"The future of the pack..." The words felt heavy on his chest, pressing down on him, suffocating him. It was a life he never asked for. A life he wanted to escape desperately.
Sometimes, Cael could swear he heard hate in the man's voice when he spoke about his father, but he was sure it was just his mind playing tricks on him because he disliked Rowan.
The training area was always so cold and too bright, like it was made purposely to make sure he was overstimulated and uncomfortable. It was filled with practice dummies, gym equipment, and all kinds of weapons. As Cael practiced, tears burned behind his eyes, but he refused to let them fall. Rowan would probably pick on it and add extra hours to his training. He could already hear his sneering voice say, "An alpha crying? pathetic."
He swallowed hard, anger swirling inside him. Everyone was right; he had responsibilities. But what about his happiness? He never even got to be a kid.
As the hours dragged on, his coaches pushed him harder, demanding perfection until Cael could barely move. By the end of the session, he was drenched in sweat, his muscles screaming for rest.
Finally, the session was declared over because his Spanish tutor was around. As he walked past the field on the way to the pack house, he caught sight of the teenagers again. They were playing handball this time around with more people gathering around, watching and cheering the match. He spotted his soon-to-be beta was one of the players now. He knew if he stopped to watch, they would feel uncomfortable, and it would ruin their fun.
Cael felt a sense of finality settle over him. He could never join them completely; he can never actually feel free here. He was trapped in a world of duty, isolation, and expectation. The only one who's ever treated him a little normal and tried to include him in activities was his future Beta, Jason, and he was sure he was doing it out of duty, not because he wanted to be his friend.
That night, as he lay in bed, he made a silent vow to himself: "I'll leave." He told himself, "The night I turn twenty, I'll leave. Find my mate, live and enjoy freedom a little. Then I'll return back to the pack, take over, and prove myself. But until then, I'll endure. My father is still strong enough to lead until I'm ready."
If only he had known that just a few years later he would never have the chance to leave.
The memory of those years filled him with bitterness now, as he sat in the bar drinking. That moment seemed so far away.
He had no idea that in a few moments, he would meet Elisa, the omega whose presence would disrupt everything.