Chapter 4 Hope

Peter walked with Ian in silence as they approached their pack's territory. He took in the air and sighed in satisfaction. No cloud of dust from a thousand shoes walking about, no soot and smoke from factories manufacturing all sorts of things for competitions and no noise pollution. Best of all, there was no angry beta chasing after him. He was home.

"You really wanted to leave Laredo that fast?" Ian asked him for the tenth time since they had started running back home. They half shifted to make it faster, their wolf's individual strengths coming to play as they ran home. Even though there was still two hours left until Laredo was closed off from outsiders, they had set out before the crack of dawn. Peter was usually one to stay until the dying minute before he'd leave but he acted differently today. It was clear that the way he had rushed Ian out of the pack had been suspicious and his best friend sensed it.

"Yes I did. Don't you just want to come back?" Peter spread his arms out, motioning to their pack gates. "It's home after all," He shrugged.

Ian scoffed. That was a really bad excuse.

"Your face might just stay that way," he laughed as he mimicked the funny scrunched up face that Ian had made. His laughter was a guise to hide the fact that he was worried about his discovery. The old fool currently ruling Laredo was tearing holes in the pack lands, all because he was chasing after a weapon? What kind of destruction was he hoping to inflict this time?

They had stopped running a few minutes ago when they got to their pack's border. They had been hiking ever since. The Skywalker pack was in the mountains. It was a city built on a mountain top. The rocks curved upwards while the huge city was at the centre. This gave them a geographical battle advantage.

"Laredo wasn't boring for you. You wanted those lady socks with weapons," Ian said and they both laughed at the description. "Where did you wander off to?" He asked again. Something must have happened to Peter when he disappeared.

Peter couldn't tell Ian about the secret underground tunnel and its shady dealings. He wanted to but he couldn't. "Who knows?" He shrugged again.

Ian shook his head and gave up. Whenever his friend thought it important to include him in the secret behind his disappearing acts, he'd do it. They were currently standing in front of the pack house.

The one that housed the Alpha's family was called the main house. It was beautiful and lofty. It had a large number of rooms to accommodate guests from other packs when needed. The essence was to keep them close to the Alpha so they could easily be monitored. In conclusion, it was a massive building.

"Welcome home!"

Peter's face beamed as he saw his father, Hored Clayton. He stood outside looking simple in his black pants, white shirt and red fur coat with a symbol of a mountain top covered by ice embroidered into it. He walked up to hug the man who reciprocated with a huge grin and outstretched arms. After the hug, Peter stood by the side feeling embarrassed by the smirks of some of his peers walking by.

"Alpha," Ian greeted with a bow. It wasn't a new thing to witness the affection of his Alpha towards his family. He liked how well Peter was treated despite being an adopted son.

"Ian, my boy!" Hored slapped the huge Delta on his back. "Did Peter cause any trouble today?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Trouble? When have I ever caused trouble!" Peter whined and they both laughed at him.

"No, sir, he did not cause any trouble. I was with him as we both explored the market and checked out the food stalls." Ian said as he looked past his Alpha. He dared not look him in the eyes. The man was easygoing and lenient but everyone knew what to do and what not to do. He was a disciplined man underneath his cheerful exterior.

"Ok. You may go, Ian." Hored faced his son and raised his eyebrows. "Let's go in so you can tell me about your day."

"You should've seen those socks, Dad. It had these straps and compartments. She would sell more if those came as boots." Peter walked with his father, explaining the most of his experience in the pack except the part in the abandoned temple. He would tell him later that it wasn't so abandoned anymore.

"Is that so?" He laughed at his son's enthusiasm. Peter was a smart boy and he knew how much he enjoyed viewing those inventions at the market.

"By the way, where's Peniel?"

"Training as usual. He's at the training grounds everyday, one would think he's ready to take over as Alpha," Hored scoffed and glanced at Peter who was already diverting to the side door that led out of the main house. "Where are you going?" He asked with a smile even though he already knew the answer.

"To the training grounds. I have to tell him about those socks!" Peter grinned at his father who had crossed his hands behind his back, prepared to keep walking. "Oh come on, Dad. You can come with me, its just the training grounds." He made an attempt to pull his father who wasn't budging. For his age, Hored was still very strong and agile.

"Go and meet your brother. Don't mind this old man," he sighed pitifully. "They say daughters will leave you but sons leave just as fast," he exaggerated and Peter laughed, shaking his head as he left his father alone and ran out the side door.

Hored Clayton was a multifaceted man. He was very intelligent and smart as he was, he could tell that Peter wasn't telling him everything. Aside from the fact that Ian was his son's best friend, he had his reasons for sending a strong Delta out of the pack to Laredo with him. Ian was his son's guard. He continued his walk down the hallways as soon as Peter left. He loved the relationship between his two sons. It reminded him of his old friend, Peter's biological father. He sighed as he stopped in the hallway in between the two large framed pictures hung there. He smiled at the picture of his wife and turned to the other picture. The man and woman in that picture had a striking resemblance to Peter. Anyone who looked at it would know they were related. "The time draws near, August, Aquila. Sometimes I want to disregard his birth right and keep him with me. I know it is not in my place but he's happy here."

Hored sighed, his shoulders deflating. His posture slacked and with the orange hue of the setting sun surrounding his figure, he really looked old. The eyes in the picture seemed to scold him for his selfish thoughts.

"I understand. The prophecy must be fulfilled." He closed his eyes, trying to fight off the echoing screams in his ears and the memory of his own tears as he cradled his best friend's body in his arms. "I can only hope their fates are different than ours, August."