The Tribulations of a Beta Romeo

December 21, 2121

19:31 pm

The moon was fully out. Shining its brightest, even though it was not a full moon. Down below and basking in the moonlight sat a solitary shed located in a remote part of a vast, beautiful forest. Few meters from the shed ran a stream that shimmered a lovely silver color as it ran slowly across the creek that bordered it. Here and there, were a few rocks that glistened with a mysterious hue, hinting at the possibility of something being special about them.

A light breeze blew, bringing with it a light, soft giggle and a low, much deeper laugh followed right after.

"You can't just do that. It will get you in trouble with the Elders." A soft, feminine voice said.

"I don't care." The owner of the deep laugh replied. "It won't be my first time facing the council anyway."

"Still..." The feminine voice tried to raise a point, but the masculine voice interrupted.

"Relax! Nothing will go wrong this time. I promise!"

"That's not reassuring!"

"What do you mean?"

"You always break your promises."

"No, I don't." The deep voice drawled.

"The second you say, 'you promise', that promise is doomed to be broken."

The owner of the deep voice had nothing to say to that. He looked at Mona's beautiful face, who had just spoken, with deep brown eyes and a small smile that somehow spoke waves of the thousands of mischievous thoughts battling for supremacy in his head.

"That can't be true!" He denied. "I have kept my promises a couple of times."

Mona looked him straight in the eye and made a request,

"Give me a valid example."

"Uh?" He exclaimed, surprised. "Uh......"

He tried to think of all the times he had promised. His very active brain immediately brought him thousands of instances, all of which were made in the short twenty-one years of his existence. Since he was the one thinking it, he could not lie to himself. His brain not only plated back the promises in their thousands within a few seconds, but it also took the liberty of sorting and arranging the times each broken promise was broken. After only half a minute of thinking, he came to a shocking realization. There was not a promise he made that he had not, at one time or the other, broken.

So, he looked straight back into Mona's eyes and replied with a smile.

"I can't think of any right now. But, I am dead sure there are few instances where I actually kept my promises. And even I have never, this will definitely be my first."

Mona looked away.

"How reassuring!"

"Relax! Seriously! What's the worst that could happen? At worst, the plan fails, maybe one or two kids get injured and we all have to face the Council and get punished. It is still not going to affect you and I am way too used by now. The punishments are actually just an excuse to increase our physical strength and stamina while at the same time, quelling the anger of the rest of the pack."

"Is that really just how you see it?" Mona asked, looking at him with a hint of anger. "What about me?"

He immediately shook his head.

"It won't affect you! That I'm sure of."

"That is not what I am talking about." She immediately remarked. "I'm talking about your reputation. Your image in the pack. Your standing."

The man chuckled, muttering under his breath. Mona's eyes watered. She unconsciously raised her voice.

"Nobody respects you. You are at the bottom of the barrel. They don't like you or want to associate with you."

"My friends want to associate with me." He said with a chuckle.

"Those ones don't count! They are useless people, but at least, they don't seem as hopeless as you. They have useful parents."

"It's not my fault I was orphaned because of the last war."

"Nobody is disputing that. That is why everyone has endured you till now. Because of your father was a very powerful defender and your mother was a wise woman and a disciple to a very wise elder. But, you have long exhausted those graces."

"SO, I should work for my grace?"

"Don't you still get it?" Mona screamed at him. She was frustrated. She stood up from the rock she shared with Romeo, fuming and glaring at his smiling, nonchalant expression that she fell in love with two years ago.

Romeo looked back at her, without saying anything. She grunted and turned and walked upstream. She angrily sat down on another rock, her back turned to him and hugged her knees.

Romeo chuckled. Mona was very cute when she sulked. He stood up and followed after her. He stood in front of her quietly for several minutes.

Mona finally looked up at him. She observed his exposed torso; his broad, muscular chest that rivaled that of the Champion Pack Defender, six stable abs that looked like well-constructed blocks were pasted on his body, with possibly one more extra pair that was hidden behind the high-waist leather pants he loved to wear. He had a bronze-like skin color that glistened whenever he sweated or had just taken a bath.

She briefly looked at his legs. Those two legs. Those very fast two legs of his. Trained and specialized in running away from the trouble his energetic hands and overworking brain always caused. She could never forget the first time she tried chasing after him two years ago. He had beaten her for pace. It did not matter how fast she ran, he teasingly maintained a precise distance between them. She still did not know how he managed to calculate it so accurately even through the trees separating them. After some time, she had simply assumed it was due to how much more experienced he was in running and hiding in the forest, surrounding the 'Den'1.

She looked at his wide palms resting on his waist. She remembered how secure they made her feel every time he hugged her and patted her back.

Her eyes slowly traced up his hands to his moderate biceps that spoke of power. She was sure as hell, of how much power those arms contained in them. Sometimes she had the illusion that each muscle in his arms had their own biceps.

The mere thought made her chuckle even now. She didn't understand why Romeo, as good-looking, powerful and creative as he was, would choose to be the bottom-ranking, useless Beta that he was. He was so useless that the Alpha's howl did not even increase his strength. She looked up at his face after and her smiling face turned to a frown again.

That same stupid grin. He was having mischievous thoughts again.

"Stop smiling!" She said.

"Stop smiling!" Mona said, glaring at him.

Romeo immediately straightened his facial expression. He tried to look as serious and as worried as possible.

"Do you know what I heard yesterday?"

"What is it? Who did you eavesdrop on this time?"

Mona glared at him for a moment. She chose to ignore what he said. A wolf can't change its fur.

"The Elders were having a meeting about the troublemakers in the pack. They were contemplating chasing them from the pack for good."

"So?" Romeo asked with a shrug.

"So?" Mona repeated, incredulously. "So? It means that they want you out of the pack. They all voted 'ayes' when your name was mentioned. They are tired of you. All of them. Even your mother's mentor did not hesitate. She has given up on you."

"Had they not given up on me all these while?"

"You... I... what.... Aaaaaaaaahh!" Mona sputtered, pulling at her long hair in frustration.

Romeo ignored it and continued.

"I simply have been very crafty and cautious in my planning. And by the way, it wouldn't change much. I already don't live with the pack, the alpha's howl doesn't stir anything in me, and like you said nobody likes me." He shrugged. "I am basically an Omega already. I've always been. Just that, I had a talisman I could use, who goes by the name, Jake."

Mona opened her mouth but no words came out. Her face reddened as a result. Her chest rose and fell heavily over and over again.

Romeo confidently watched at her. That small smile of his, was back on his face. His most sincere thoughts at that point was how her current heartbeat sounded similar to when they made love. He had come to see it as a sign that she was genuinely worried. And that put a smile on his face. He did not care much for his so-called friends as he could never confirm whether they were actually friends or they were only using him to have some fun because he was different and did not care about being punished. But with Mona, he could easily tell and it sincerely, warmed his heart.

"What is wrong with you?" Mona screamed at the top of her voice. "Can't you ever be serious?"

Romeo's smile widened, exposing his snow-white teeth.

"If I were, you wouldn't have fallen in love with me." He replied. His eyes glinted mischievously.

Mona did not notice the glint in his eyes. She opened her mouth but no words came out. It vexed her badly that he was so right. She closed her mouth and exhaled heavily. What could she possibly say in this case? She dropped her head in defeat.

Romeo's smile fell. He went down on a knee in front of Mona. He touched her left arm softly.

"Mona." Romeo called.

Mona raised her head. Romeo immediately caught her eyes.

"Why are you so hurt? What happened? What changed?" He asked. His eyes had a soft glow to them, compelling Mona to tell the truth.

Mona hesitated.

"Mona! Say it. There is no need to worry. I can take it." Romeo reassured.

Mona too in a deep breath. She held it, then, she exhaled.

"I have been chosen to be the next Luna. It will become official during the next full moon."

Romeo grinned.

"Well, that's good news. That's what you have worked towards all your life, isn't it?"

Mona maintained the gaze. Romeo's grin fell. There was a problem that came with the position.

"What is the 'but'?" He asked.

"I've been betrothed to Jason."

Romeo blinked. He blinked again. He blinked the third time.

"What?" He asked. His voice almost a whisper.

"We will be getting married in the next full moon."

"Why?"

"That's just how it is. You can't become an official Luna without an Alpha. And Alpha Jake is old and more than willing to pass the seat." Mona explained.

"Hold on. Just to be clear. Who is Jason again?" Romeo asked.

"Jason is Alpha Jake's only son." Mona replied.

Romeo's voice rose.

"Hold up! You mean Jason. As in, that proud, fat, bald head that is always pretending to be nice to everyone and smiles lewdly at every lady, young and old, with his bloated lips and misplaced charisma and ego?"

Mona opened her mouth again. She closed it. She shook her head and spoke.

"You know, I have come to know him in these past few days, and he is very much like you."

Romeo laughed a bitter laugh. It sounded like someone grating stones using a manual blender.

"We are nothing alike!" He yelled. "How can you compare me with....."

He paused. A few seconds passed in silence as his brain gears spun at full speed.

"Hold on! I have a rival now?"

Mona looked away. Romeo's voice increased in pitch. Not volume. Pitch. Like from Bass to Tenor.

"Don't tell me you are actually considering that fatty."

"He's actually not that physically different from you either. Just shorter."

"Ah, F*ck!" Romeo cursed and walked downstream. He went on his knees and pounded his fists against each other, thrice.

Bam! Bam! Bam!

Then, he raised his head and yelled at the night sky.

Mona watched him yell out his frustration, worriedly. Not once, had she seen him lose his cool. He always seemed to be in perfect control of his emotions. But, as soon as he thought that she was considering another man, he had to scream his lungs out. It warmed her heart. She smiled.

Romeo turned around and walked upstream again. Much calmer this time. HE stood in front of Mona, his hands on his waist.

"Mona!" He started, catching her gaze again. He looked into her beautiful green pupils. "Let's run away."

It stumped Mona.

"What?"

"Let's elope. Let's leave all these behind. We can even have our own territory. Start our own pack. Just the both of us."

Mona's mouth opened agape. She could never have thought of Romeo saying such. She never even considered such an option. The pack was her life. She had friends and families, both biological and 'adoption-by-pack'. She had never considered leaving them behind and going her own way. She wanted to become Luna and worked towards it her whole life so that she could improve the pack, protect it, cherish I, further empower it. Won't leaving the pack mean leaving her whole life and dreams behind? Could she do that? Could she live with herself if she did that?

Mona looked at Romeo's sincere face. Straight into his intense dark-brown eyes and for some reason, the answer was clear to her.

December 22, 2121

13:01

Romeo woke up. He looked straight up at the sun as memories of the previous night came rushing back like a flood. He closed his eyes, stood up on his feet, and walked to the rock where Mona had sulked. He slowly sat on the rock, his elbows resting on his knees, and his head supported by his large palms. Very quickly, he became lost in thoughts, mindless of the afternoon sun beating down on him without mercy. He did not even notice how sweaty he got, nor did he notice when the rain began toward mid-afternoon.

The rain started as a light drizzle, as if a black baby cloud was merely passing by. The rays and heat from the sun were barely affected. But, the drizzle didn't stop. It slowly wet the ground, the trees, the rocks, and Romeo. As it approached nighttime, just before the sun was completely lost past the horizon, the drizzle turned vengeful.

Wind began to blow, bending the trees, capturing the old leaves and twigs, and bothering the fishes in the river. The raindrops increased in speed, individual size, and density. Dark clouds came out of seemingly nowhere and covered the sky.

Romeo, who had remained in the same position, finally moved. He suddenly stood up, took a look around him at the flying twigs, tree branches, plants, and even some unlucky small animals. He turned around towards the rock downstream that held quite some memories and bore witness to their relationship and breakup. He slowly advanced toward it.

As he approached the lifeless piece of nature, he gathered his thoughts and planned his next line or lines of action. He had been thinking all this while and had decided to leave the forest. But before he did, he was going to let Mona know a few things.

He stopped in front of the rock and went down on a knee, stroking the rock gently as if it were a pet, and then continued towards the forest.

As he walked through the trees under the heavy rain, his thoughts kept drifting to Mona. He recalled the moments they shared, the stolen glances, the tender touches. He remembered the way she laughed, a sound that could melt the coldest of hearts, and the way her eyes sparkled when she spoke of their dreams. These memories fueled his determination.

His walk soon transitioned to jogging. And in another minute, it had become a full-speed sprint. He ran very quickly through the trees, jumping over large, exposed roots and young trees that blocked his way, weaving through large trees and small spaces without slowing down. Every move he made was a testament to his skill and experience and adept knowledge of that area of the forest especially.

The Den was a seemingly disorderly yet orderly mesh of buildings and businesses of different sizes, shapes, and colors. Each house in the Den usually spoke volumes about the personality of the owner of the house. This night, as the rain fell heavily, the interiors of every house in the Den were brightly lit. Two burly men standing at heights of six feet and six feet five stood vigilantly outside the heavy main gate that led into the Den. There were two unlit towers at the edges of the tall, fortified wall whose tops could not be seen through the hazy rain and fog.

In each tower waited three men and women, ready to hit the alarm button and activate the emergency barrier at the slightest hint of an invasion, attack, or any large-scale brawls.

A woman standing in one of those towers was the first to see Romeo fast approaching the gate. All she could see was a fat blur; the distance, the rain, and the condition of the atmosphere prevented her from seeing his face. Before she could call their attention to him, the other defenders had seen him as well.

"Stop!" One of the Defenders outside the gate yelled at Romeo.

Romeo skidded to a stop, right in front of the defenders.

"Oh! It's you!" One of the defenders said.

"What do you want this time?" the other asked. He was the shortest of the three, standing at a height of six feet and being hostile.

Romeo neither liked him nor did he have time for his constant trouble.

"Step aside, Brutus. I don't have time for your nonsense today." He said and tried to walk around him.

Brutus moved to block him.

"Where do you think you are going? Do you think because you are taller than I am, I will be intimidated?"

"Seriously! Brutus! I don't have time for all this. Just let me pass through." Romeo said and tried to pass by Brutus again.

Brutus grabbed him by his shoulder and pushed him backward.

"Romeo, you are not passing here until I say so. Do you understand?"

Romeo was fast losing his cool. His right eye began to show small, almost invisible red lines.

"Brutus! Don't make me beat you up!" He threatened.

"Do you think I'm the same fat kid as five years ago? Take one more step and find out!" Brutus yelled back.

Romeo looked at Daryl, the other defender at the gate. Daryl looked away as if he was not standing merely two strides from them.

Daryl was much older than Romeo and Brutus and was very experienced at crowd control and night watch duties. He had been single all his life and was still single even as he approached old age for reasons most likely known only to the elders. He was one of the most dedicated men to his work and was respected for it. Even Romeo had a little bit of respect for him. After all, not only was he a very patriotic, dedicated defender, he was also one of the few that held no bias against Romeo. That was why Romeo had given him a look to see his stance on the matter before doing anything.

Daryl, as if wanting to ensure they fully understood his stance, spoke, "You both are free to beat yourselves up. Regardless of who wins, you will both learn very valuable lessons. Just don't touch the gate or attempt to kill or maim the other, and we're good. Anything else goes."

Romeo, taking a deep breath, let his thoughts wander back to Mona. He couldn't help but think of the last time they were together, the warmth of her body against his, the softness of her lips, the way her fingers had traced patterns on his skin. These memories, more than anything, fueled his resolve. He needed to see her, to tell her everything he had kept bottled up inside.

Ignoring Brutus, Romeo stepped forward, his mind focused on Mona. Brutus, seeing the determination in Romeo's eyes, hesitated for a moment. That brief pause was all Romeo needed. With a swift, practiced movement, he dodged Brutus's grasp and made his way toward the gate.

Daryl, recognizing the urgency in Romeo's demeanor, didn't interfere. He knew that sometimes, matters of the heart needed to be resolved without external obstacles.

As Romeo walked through the rain-soaked streets of The Den, his thoughts were consumed by Mona. He remembered the night they had confessed their love for each other under the stars, the way she had looked at him with such intensity and vulnerability. He recalled the feel of her lips on his, the way their bodies had moved together as if they were meant to be one.

The rain poured down, but Romeo felt a warmth inside him, fueled by the memory of Mona's touch. He could almost hear her voice whispering his name, feel her arms wrapped around him. His pace quickened as he neared the place where she stayed.

Finally, he reached the small, cozy cottage where Mona lived. He hesitated for a moment, the weight of their past weighing heavily on his shoulders. But the thought of losing her forever spurred him into action. He knocked on the door, his heart pounding in his chest.

Mona opened the door, her eyes widening in surprise as she saw him standing there, drenched and shivering. Without a word, she stepped aside, letting him in. The warmth of the cottage enveloped him, but it was the sight of Mona that truly took his breath away.

"Romeo," she whispered, her voice trembling. "What are you doing here?"

"I had to see you," he said, taking a step closer to her. "I can't stop thinking about you, about us. I know things haven't been easy, but I can't go on without you."

Tears welled up in Mona's eyes as she reached out to touch his face. "I missed you," she admitted, her voice barely a whisper.

Romeo took her hand, bringing it to his lips. "I missed you too," he said softly. "More than you can imagine."

In that moment, all the pain and distance between them seemed to melt away. Romeo pulled Mona into his arms, holding her close as the rain continued to fall outside. Their lips met in a kiss that was both tender and passionate, a promise of the love they had always shared.

As they stood there, wrapped in each other's embrace, Romeo knew that no matter what challenges lay ahead, they would face them together. For in Mona's arms, he had found his home, his heart, and his forever.