I Am Dying

[RINZLER, FOUR WEEKS AGO]

The concoctions he prepared for himself were not working, the headaches kept coming back. He hated that he wouldn't tell anyone that he was dying. How could he?

His father was sick.

Savannah was busy with work.

Beta Tetra?

No. That man was always busy and if anyone asked Alpha Rinzler he would say his uncle was obsessed with his father. If the man wasn't somewhere with a she-wolf goofing around, then he was with Alpha Aspen breathing down his neck.

A smile came on his face as he prepared another concoction, even his kidneys were already singing bloody murder. He shrugged, that wasn't the problem. He picked a spoon and stir the drink, he chuckled when he heard his uncle's voice outside, and then no answer.

He sure as hell that was his father with Beta Tetra. He was the beta and Alpha Aspen's brother. Their bond was as intact, each day growing stronger. But too bad it wasn't enough for his father.

He drank the concoctions as he thought of his goofy uncle.

"Yuck!" He mumbled as he rinsed the cup. He placed it on top of the earthen pot and looked around the office.

"Finally!" He exclaimed. The work for the day was over, if he left for City Blue to see his mate, he would return in no time. No one has to know. He has been doing that since Alpha Marina rejected him.

His visits never changed, once a month. Yeah! Yeah! The rejection always followed after they have mated, but he had to, if anyone asked him, it was the one thing that maintained his sanity.

Alpha Rinzler picked up his coat and walked out of the office. He saw his father talking with someone, it wasn't Beta Tetra, he squinted his eyes and wondered, "what is Alpha Fisher doing here?"

Alpha Rinzler approached them, whenever he saw Alpha Fisher, he remembered his mate, he tried to push it out of his mind but he couldn't. "Oh, come on." He thought as he felt another headache coming. They were getting harder to control.

"Rinzler. My boy." Alpha Fisher said and hugged him. "You seem tense, are you okay?"

Before he could answer him, Beta Tetra came and ruffled his hair. To Beta Tetra it was just a ruffle, but to Alpha Fisher, he felt like someone placed a brick on his head and squeezed it. He winced and untangled himself from the hug.

A frown appeared on his face. He asked, "Uncle, seriously?"

Thinking that he was annoyed because he ruffled his hair, Beta Tetra chuckled and nodded at Alpha Fisher. "Can I steal your pal for a moment, you can hang with the boy for a minute."

"I am not a boy." Alpha Rinzler mumbled and even pouted when the men called him a boy at the same time.

"Sure thing." Alpha Fisher said. They watched as the siblings walked away, he turned at Alpha Rinzler and said immediately, "you look like shit."

"What do you mean?"

"This is the same way your father was when your mother, may her soul rest in peace. Your father was like this when Luna Audra passed away." Alpha Fisher whispered.

"Oh, crap!" Alpha Rinzler groaned; he couldn't see Alpha Fisher. His sight was getting blurry. Leave it to his headache to choose this moment.

As much as he hated that he hasn't told anyone about his bond getting weaker and weaker each day has made him sick, he didn't expect the first one to notice would be his mate's father.

He felt a hand on his right arm, he shut his eyes tight.

Alpha Fisher grabbed his other hand and walked with him to his room.

He hit the door with his leg and pushed Alpha Rinzler inside. Alpha Rinzler pointed at the bottle on the table. Alpha Fisher handed it to him and asked, "why haven't you told me?"

Alpha Rinzler chuckled, "ow!" He exclaimed as he uncapped the bottle. "And tell you what exactly? Hey, ex-father-in-law, wait, am I even supposed to call you that?"

Alpha Fisher closed the door and sat him on the bed. "Rinzler, I am so sorry about that, I promise you…"

"No. Don't." Alpha Rinzler said and drank the water from the bottle. He didn't want to listen to whatever the man had to say to him. He has heard that line from him for a very long time. He even rehearsed to himself once in a while when he was alone.

Alpha Fisher was sorry that his daughter has caused pain to his best friend's son.

Sorry that until now he doesn't know why his sweet child would reject a sweet man like Rinzler.

One thing for sure, that wasn't how he raised his daughter.

He hated that every time Alpha Rinzler saw him, it reminded him of his daughter, yet he couldn't stop coming. How could he? His best friend was still mourning the death of his mate, and he has to be there for him.

Alpha Rinzler rubbed his face and mumbled an apology.

"It is okay. I guess every time you see me, you see Marina?"

"Yeah." He replied softly and looked away with one thought in mind, "if you were not here, I would be on my way to see her, and maybe this fucking headache would stop."

"Now, now…" Alpha Fisher began and paused when Alpha Rinzler's breath hitched. "I am so sorry, uhm…"

"Will you stop apologizing?" Alpha Rinzler interjected, and before the man could say anything else, he blurted out, "I am dying."

"What?" The alpha gasped.

"Yes. I want you to promise me one thing, when I die, protect my father, make sure Savannah doesn't go crazy, and also make sure the pack doesn't go extinct." Alpha Rinzler said, unsure why he has decided to tell the man.

Alpha Fisher shook his head vigorously, that wasn't how he thought the conversation would go. "What are you talking about?"

"The bond has weakened. I have nothing left."

"No. No. You can't die. If you die, your father will die. Your sister will follow. The beasts will return, and the Mountain Pack will go extinct. Rinzler, please tell me you are just mad at me, and this is some kind of a sad joke."

Alpha Rinzler knew that was what Alpha Fisher wished it was. A joke! A sad one in this case. He would have said that, slapped his back, and shrugged. And then the man would leave, and off he would go to see his mate.

But it wasn't and since it was already out, he was glad at least one person knew.

Alpha Rinzler inhaled deeply and repeated. "I am dying!"