An Alpha's Tale

Darius POV

"It's been a year. One year since you left me," Darius wrote for the first time in a year in his journal. He had stopped writing in his journal ever since she left. He just couldn't anymore. She was his inspiration, his muse. But not anymore. Death had claimed her when he took her from him. Not just her, but his whole world. Their baby. His baby.

The weight of that loss had been unbearable. Each day was a struggle, and the nights were even worse. He could still hear her laughter in the wind, feel the warmth of her touch in the sun's embrace, but she was gone. All he had left were memories, and they were slipping away, fading like an old dream.

Darius had never known pain like this. It was a relentless ache that gnawed at his soul, a void that could never be filled. He had tried to drown his sorrow in alcohol, seeking refuge at the bottom of countless bottles. It had become his way of coping, or perhaps, his way of not coping.

In the early days after her death, the burn of whiskey had provided a brief escape. It dulled the sharp edges of his grief, numbing the pain for a while. But it was a dangerous path he had walked, and it had only led him further into darkness.

'Thank God for Damian', he thought, his thoughts drifting to his Beta, his friend. Damian had been a steady presence in his life since that fateful day, when Darius had lost not only his Luna but also his sense of self.

He glanced at the door, where Damian had been waiting patiently. Damian had seen him at his lowest, had witnessed the once-mighty alpha reduced to a shadow of his former self. But through it all, Damian had never wavered in his support.

"You can't keep doing this to yourself, Alpha,"Damian had told him more times than he could count.

Darius sighed, acknowledging Damian's wisdom. "I know, Damian. I just... I don't know how to be the alpha they need anymore."

His voice was a mere whisper, a reflection of the hollow man he had become. Darius felt as if he were adrift in a sea of pain, unable to find his way back to solid ground.

Damian's hand on his shoulder was a comforting presence, a reminder that he wasn't alone in this journey. "You're still our alpha, Darius. Your pain is real, but so is your strength. You just have to find it again."

Darius couldn't find the words to respond, but he gave Damian a grateful nod. The pack needed him, and he needed them. That much was clear.

He rose from his desk and moved to the window, gazing out at the moonlit night. The full moon was a painful reminder of what he had lost, of the love that had once filled his life.

"What am I now?" he wondered, his voice a mere thought in the stillness of his mind. "Without my wolf, my Luna, and my soul mate, what am I?"

He closed his eyes, trying to connect with the part of him that had once been fierce and unyielding-the part that had been Toha, his wolf. But there was nothing. In the past year, Toha had fallen silent, leaving Darius feeling like a mere man, stripped of his primal connection to his wolf and his Luna.

"Toha, where are you?" he thought, sending a silent plea to his wolf. "I need you now more than ever."

As he stared out at the moon, a profound sense of loneliness washed over him. The once-constant presence of his wolf, even in silence, had been a source of comfort. Now, it was as if he had truly lost a part of himself.

The moon that had once been a painful reminder of his loss now held a glimmer of hope. He knew that he would never stop missing her, but he had learned that life went on, and so did love.

"For you, my Luna," he thought, gazing up at the full moon one night. "I will be the alpha you believed I could be".

And with that promise in his heart, Darius embraced his role as alpha, his connection with Toha, and the love of his pack. His journey was far from over, but he was determined to face the future with strength, resilience, and the memory of a love that would never fade.

But there was a void that still remained unfilled-the silence of his wolf. Despite Toha's return, their connection remained broken. Darius had hoped that with Toha's presence, the bond between them would be rekindled, but it was not to be.

As the night wore on, Darius remained in the den with the pack, but a palpable sense of loneliness lingered. He longed for the days when Toha's presence had been a constant, even if they didn't speak. Now, the silence felt deafening.

Damian continued to watch him with concern, but Darius couldn't find the words to convey the depth of his isolation. He had lost his mate, their child, and now, the connection to his wolf. It was a triple blow that had left him adrift in a sea of sorrow.

He excused himself from the den and ventured outside, the cool night air providing little relief from the weight of his emotions. The moon, once a source of solace, now seemed like a cruel reminder of what he had lost.

"Toha, why won't you respond?" he thought, his voice a silent plea into the night.

But there was no answer, only the rustling of leaves and the distant howls of the pack. Darius felt a tear slide down his cheek, a stark reminder of the pain that still gripped his heart.

He returned to his empty room, the silence echoing around him. The loneliness was suffocating, and he longed for the days when he had felt whole.

As he lay in his bed, staring up at the ceiling, Darius couldn't shake the overwhelming sense of being alone. It wasn't just the absence of his mate and their child; it was the absence of the very essence of who he was-his wolf, Toha.

Darius was enveloped in a profound sense of loneliness, the weight of his losses pressing down on him like a suffocating blanket.

The beginning

Rebecca's POV

Today marked four months since She lost her mother. Nothing really made sense anymore to her.

"God had taken her from me, the one thing I cherished in the world. I was alone. No father and now no mother." Rebecca thought aloud. looking around her dusty apartment, cans of beverages and wraps of snacks laid littered on the floor.

Not paying attention to her surrounding, She heads for the fridge. That would be the umpteenth time she was taking a trip to the fridge. Opening it She sees she's almost out on snacks. The vegetables were spoilt.

"I guess we're taking a trip to the store" Rebecca says to herself. Picking up the keys to the worn out truck her dad left to her mum when he upped and left them. She heads for the door of her apartment but not before taking a second look in what used to be home. Immediately after her death, she removed all pictures. It was just an apartment now. A bland one as it had no taste to it anymore. That had been her mother's job. Always wanting the house to feel like a home, a home they didn't have. Jokes on her she thought. Now it was just a house.

Not wasting more time she heads out. The sun almost blinding her eyes. When did it get so sunny? Her neighbor Mrs Parker waves at her on seeing her.

" Rebecca! Good to see you. I didn't know you still lived here" Mrs Parker says.

Rebecca couldn't really blame Mrs Parker. She took a little time off after the burial and decided to lock herself up in the house. The only reason she was out was for the sake of Food. Scratch that. Snacks! In the past four months she hasn't eaten real food.

"Uhh. I umm... got in last night. Just wanna run down the store to get groceries" she lies smoothly. Mrs Parker doesn't buy the lie as she takes a look at Rebecca, studying her as if trying to solve a math problem.

M "You've lost weight" Mrs Parker let's out. To be honest, the woman could shove up her obvious discovery where the sun doesn't shine. Rebecca just wanted to be left alone.

"Really. I didn't notice" she bits out dryly to Mrs Parker. It was time to wrap this conversation the fuck up. "I gotta go now. It was lovely running into you" Rebecca says to Mrs Parker giving her a quick hug and hurrying to the truck. Mrs Parker doesn't relent, she hurries after Rebecca. Hot on her heels.

"Tonight is game night. Why don't you swing by? I'll be preparing lasagna" Mrs Parker says with pitiful eyes. Rebecca hated it. She didn't need anyone's pity but lasagna. Hmm. When was the last time she ate a proper meal. She eyes Mrs Parker for a while, then gives a nod

"Time?"

"7pm. Aiden's gonna be home today too. Maybe both of you could catch up" Mrs Parker says. Her eyes lighting up as she mentions her son to Rebecca.

"Sure thing Mrs Parker. I gotta run now tho. Groceries"

"Oh don't let me hold you up. Be on time. 7pm Rebecca or Aiden will come get you" Mrs Parker says the last part. Maybe a joke? Rebecca didn't find the humor in it. She didn't ring humor in anything. Ignoring her nosy neighbor she gets in her truck and drives out. While driving her mind drifts to Aiden. Her neighbor's son.

Aiden and her were more than friends in high school. Then college came and things went south. It's been quite a while she had seen him. Not like she had been seeing anyone in months. No wait. Shit. Dylan. Her boyfriend. Or was he? After the burial she had shut everyone out, including Dylan. He didn't have her house address so he couldn't well come find her. She's subjected herself to no technology too. The only thing she needed was her big flat screen tv and a lot of snacks. Life was way more simpler when it had defeated you. She loved it here. Lonely and mentally fucked up.

Rebecca was at the store in no time. Taking her time to park because she didn't want a ticket, she heads inside. The amount of people in the store shocks her. When last did she see at least 10 humans in a minute?

"Definitely not in four months" she whispers to herself. While picking a pack of toilet paper and dumping in her basket

" it's almost so scary how comfortable you've become talking to yourself" she hears a voice from beside her say. Turning immediately, her sharp eyes piercing the person beside her. It was Aiden. Think about the devil and he shall appear.

"Aiden" it comes out as a whisper. "You're he..here" she stutters. It's been way too long. Too long since she saw him. He had changed. He looked different. In a good way. His blonde hair was now brown, his nose ring was no where to be found. Her eye trailed down to his right arm where tattoos were drawn all over it. Aiden was different. This made her conscious of her look. She was putting on a baggy shirt that she had taken from Dylan, pairing it with a pair of shorts and flip flops. Her blonde hair wasn't so blonde anymore as the roots were turning back to her original chestnut brown. She made a mental note to get hair dyes.

"It's been what? A year?" Aiden says to her showing off his boyish smirk. " I'm sorry about your mum. I couldn't make it to the burial" he continues.

"It's okay. Your mum was there" was she? Rebecca didn't know and couldn't even remember. That day had been like a blur for her. "speaking of your mum. I thought you were coming home tonight" Rebecca asks. The last thing she wanted to do was talk about her mum. Or his mum.

" yeah. I got in early and decided to drop by t pick up a few things" he says holding out his basket. Rebecca could see a condom was part of his items. She raises an eyebrow at this. Aiden burst into a fit of laughter at seeing her expression.

"What's funny?" Rebecca asks. Crossing her arms on her chest

"Okay okay. It's for Ethan. He asked me to get him some"

" you approve of your younger brother having sex? Don't you learn?" Rebecca says. Wincing immediately the words were out her mouth. Recalling the reason she and Aiden didn't really work out wasn't solely about college. He had gotten another girl pregnant. Unfortunately, the girl wasn't keen on keeping the baby.

"I'm sorry Aiden. I shouldn't have"

Aiden just watches her with tender eyes and chuckles. He pushes a strand of hair away from her face.

" you don't ever have to be sorry" pulling away abruptly, " well I gotta go. See you around?"

"See you tonight rather" he just gives her a quizzical look. " dinner at 7pm and might I add that if I'm not on time, you'll be sent over" Rebecca clarifies.

" Good. because I was gonna send myself over. Uninvited I might add" Aiden says. Surprising her with a kiss on the cheeks he says goodbye. Heading to the counter to pay.

It was refreshing talking to someone so freely. Getting the required things she needed alongside cleaning supplies, Rebecca heads out to her truck and drives home. It was time to clean up her house, her life and also get ready for dinner at the Parker's house.

It wasn't until past 6pm Rebecca finished cleaning up her house. It looked more habitable than before. She was hungry. Dead ass hungry. Cleaning had taken all of her energy and a little bit of her depression away with her energy. Now it was time to prepare for dinner.

Taking out the hair dye and laying it out on the table, she begins to apply it on her hair. Seeing Aiden at the store today pulled something in her. Yes she was depressed and lonely but it didn't mean she had to look the part. Recalling the eyes of pity Mrs Parker had given her made her shudder. She hated when people took pity on her. It made her feel like they knew something she didn't know. Thirty minutes later and Rebecca was back to her old self. Blonde hair, pink lips, her eyes on the other hand had a hollow look to it but she didn't care. The light in her eyes died a long time ago when her dad abandoned her.

Rebeccas' POV

Checking for clothes, Rebecca found out she had indeed lost a lot of weight. None of her clothes fitted her. She settled for wearing a hoodie and some jeans. After all she was going to her neighbors. Not like some fancy place. Her doorbell ringing snaps her out of her train of thoughts. Who could it be? She wasn't expecting anyone. Hell she didn't know anyone. Peeping through the door hole she sees it's Aiden.

"You didn't need to come pick me. Your house is just next door" she says as she opened the door for Aiden. He lets himself in.

"I know. You're wearing that?" Aiden questions her "I know your hair didn't look so blonde earlier"

"Yes I am. Got a problem with it?" She says eyeing him

"Wearing your boyfriend's hoodie to dinner at your ex house?" Aiden counters. He was right, but it wasn't her fault Dylan let her take whatever hoodie of his she wanted. Aiden used to be like that.

"Fuck off. And it doesn't belong to my boyfriend. I don't even know if I have a boyfriend" Rebecca says walking into her room to get her flip flops. Aiden follows her. He completely ignore her comment on not knowing about her relationship status. She hoped it stayed that way. She loved Aiden and all but she didn't want him ever thinking something could happen again between them.

"Ready to go?"

"Are you gonna bitch about my hoodie?" She asks back. Aiden gives a hearty laugh as a response.

"My mum was right. I have missed you. More so this side of you. I promise not to tell my mother the hoodie belongs to the guy you're in a situation-ship with" Aiden says holding his playful grin. For a moment she wished things were different. Quickly dismissing that thought from her head, she leads them out of her house.

Aiden was her neighbor so it didn't take a minute they were at his front porch. He stops at the door abruptly, almost making Rebecca trip on her foot. She gives him a quizzical look as he turns to her.

" just for future purpose. My dad is in and umm, you know how he is"

Mr Parker. Rebecca knew him well, maybe too well. She didn't like the man and he didn't like her either. One of the reason she didn't like coming to the Parker's house was because of her. He hated that Rebecca couldn't keep her mouth shut. She was too loud and too bold to him. When Aiden had gotten another girl pregnant, he blamed it on Rebecca. She remembered his words

" when a woman neglects her man. He has to take in another" he had defended Aiden. Snapping herself back before she dug in too deep and found more reasons to just go home and lay on her couch, she says

"I think I can handle your dad. This isn't my first dinner" with this she gets into the house. She's greeted with a big bear hug from Ethan. The boy was taller now.

"Becca! I thought I'd never see you" Ethan says to her. She couldn't lie. She had missed the little not so little Ethan too

"E. You're so much taller now" Rebecca says to Ethan which earns her a chuckle from both brothers

"Runs in the family, my love" Aiden says from behind her.

"Where's Mrs Parker?" She asks Ethan

"Really Rebecca. Mrs Parker? Call me Isabella. My name." Mrs Parker says coming from the kitchen with a hot bowl of lasagna. Rebecca couldn't lie. It smelled delicious.

"Ethan. Could you get your father downstairs now. Dinner's ready and he shouldn't be keeping us waiting"

Ethan dashes upstairs, only getting halfway before calling out on his father.they all took their seats on the dining table with Aiden seated close to her. It was just like old time and Rebecca hated the wave of nostalgia it gave her. She didn't like the familiar feeling. Just a few hours ago she was all alone in her now clean house and now she's having dinner with this family like she was a part of them.

The sound of someone coming down the steps makes Rebecca turn. She didn't need to turn to know who it was but still she did. It's been more than a long time since she saw Mr Parker. He wasn't even at her mum's funeral.

"Good evening Mr Parker" Rebecca greets, an attempt on her part to be polite. He takes his seat at the head of the table.

"Rebecca. It's been quite a while. (Turning to Mrs Parker) the grace?" Mr Parker says. Everyone joins their hands together to share the grace. The way Aiden holds Rebecca doesn't go unnoticed by her. Dear Lord, all this should just be in my head. Rebecca steals a glance at Aiden and find him staring at her like she was some million dollar price he had just won. She knew that look all too well. Now all she wanted to do was eat and run out of here before Aiden confirmed her suspicion.

"So Rebecca" mr Parker starts as they dish out their food. " how are you coping with the loss? Must be tough for you"

"It's really not that bad. I'm doing just fine" damn the man Rebecca thought. She wasn't going to let him see her break. If he hadn't bothered to know how she was then why ask now?

" Aiden. How is Cheryl" Mr Parker continues. Who was Cheryl. Intrigued too by the topic, Rebecca turns to Aiden. Eager to hear what he had to say.

" Dad. Not now" Aiden says a little bit clipped

"Well you did say she'll be coming with you and my grand son too to see me" mr Parker says giving Rebecca a sly eye. Grand son. So Aiden had a woman.

"Cheryl couldn't make it" Aiden replies. The table going silent. Everyone could feel the atmosphere had changed. Rebecca wanted to know. She needed to ask.

"Is Cheryl the girl you cheated on me with?" Rebecca asks Aiden. " I mean it's funny because you said she didn't want to keep the baby... It's a boy... How does it feel to be a father now?"

"Becca..." Aiden starts but is shut down by Rebecca

"No Aiden. You lied. Again. But that's in the past now. For real. How does it feel to be a father?"

Aiden looks at his mother and she gives him a slight nod to go on

"First of all. I got to know about my son being alive after he was born. And it's nice. It's a beautiful experience and something I'm proud of. His name is Presley. I... It's sometimes challenging. Kids can be uhh quite a lot you know but apart from that it's an amazing thing. To have a child I mean" Aiden says.

He had matured indeed. The old Aiden would've side lined the question and tried to prove his innocence but rather she could see how happy he was being a father to his son Presley. She gave him a slight nod and a smile.

Dinner went smoothly after the awkward conversation. Mr Parker had excused himself to go upstairs, Rebecca was sure the sight of her irritated him but she didn't care. She got time to talk with Ethan and how he was preparing for college life. She and Aiden both having learnt a lot gave Ethan a few advices. Not like she felt the boy needed him because he was smart and wise. He knew what condoms were and was willing to use them. What could be more smarter than that?

It was now late. Quite late. She and Aiden had sat on her front porch, sharing stories and experiences. She got to know quite a lot about Aiden. How he had to go for counseling to be a better man for his son.

Rebecca couldn't lie, she was proud of him.

"You're a great father Aiden. Don't ever doubt that" she says to him

"I don't doubt it. At least not anymore" Aiden replies. "Rebecca I know it's too soon, but you know I'm still very much in love with you right?"

"Love has never been enough Aiden. And I fear I don't have anymore love to give in me" Rebecca answered truthfully. Maybe that was the first truthful and sincere thing she has said ever since. She wasn't okay. She didn't feel okay. She felt dead inside and Everyone around her knew that.

Aiden stares into her eyes and just nods in understanding, pulling her in for a hug. Placing a kiss on her forehead.

"I'll always be grateful I met you Rebecca".

They stay in silence as the night goes away and it gets darker.