Chapter 19

~Malcolm's point of view~

I stared at the excited person in front of me, his gray eyes gleaming. "Teach me?" Augustus repeated, patting the spot next to him on the bench.

I sighed. Augustus was one of those people who didn't stop asking until he got what he wanted; it would be pointless to refuse.

<That's your excuse? Really?> Apollo said, bouncing back and forth. <I thought you would've at least been honest with yourself. . .>

I shushed him and sat next to Augustus, our thighs brushing the slightest. He flinched but didn't scoot over. As a matter of fact, he seemed to move closer, a mischievous grin on his face.

I lifted up the fallboard, placing my fingers on the keys. "C, D, E, F, G, A, B," I said, tapping each key, moving from left to right. "Then, it repeats. You can play many simple songs by just using these seven keys."

Augustus replicated my movements, repeating the scale. "What song should we play?" he asked, brushing his a strand of hair from his face and twirling it around his finger. 

"Twinkle Twinkle Little Star," I said after a moment. "These are the first few notes." I showed him how, watching as he clumsily pressed each key, somehow getting one wrong. Still, he grinned despite his inability to play, and snorted when I told him he won't make it far in the music industry. 

"Then you show me how," he challenged, gesturing to the piano, a daring glint in his eyes.

"Of course," I said, running a hand though my hair. "Watch closely, now."  

I purposely played the song faster than usual, enjoying Augustus's confused expression--his eyebrows were furrowed, his bottom lip tucked in slightly, his leg bouncing up and down. The music stopped, and Augustus looked at me, the piano, then back at me.

"How am I supposed to be able to do that?" he finally burst out, still alternating between me and the piano. "It seems so simple, and it is--well, you make it look simple-- but it somehow sounds easy, too!" 

I listened to his rambling patiently, an eyebrow cocked up in amusement. The first time I met him, he was scared and anxious, too afraid to even look me in the eye and jumping at every little touch we shared. I never would have guessed that he would warm up to me so soon. It was a surprise, but a welcome one; I didn't like seeing him hesitant.

The image of Augustus hyperventilating flashed though my mind. His body shaking uncontrollably, tears streaming down his cheeks, pained whimpers.

<We will treat him right,> Apollo said fiercely, <better than he ever could imagine.>

Apollo rarely, if ever, got angry. He is a patient wolf, kind and easygoing. It was unnatural for him to lose temper, so it was a shock to hear the venom in his voice. <I agree, but. . .> I looked at Augustus, who was still trying to play the piano. <He needs to heal first.>

<Then we wait for him, until he is ready.>

<Mhm.>

"I think I got it!" Augustus exclaimed, nudging me in the side. "Here, listen to this." He played a short string of keys, a concentrated expression crossing his face. 

"Surprisingly, it's not too bad," I said. "Good job, Augustus." 

"August."

"Pardon?"

"Call me August," he repeated. "My nickname."

I paused. Nicknames are what friends call one another, people who are close. "As you wish," I said, a bit pleased that he though of us acquainted enough to have pet names. Apollo thought so, too; he was purring, wagging his tail like the lovesick dog he was.

<What? He gives good belly rubs.>

I snorted before I could help myself, causing August to jump. "What's so funny?" he asked, studying my face. "Are you lying about my amazing piano skills after all?"

I waved a hand. "No, no, of course not. Apollo just wants you to pet him again."

His face brightened. "Really? If you want, I could. . ." he trailed off, a faint blush creeping up his neck.

<He's offering to pet me again, isn't he?> Apollo jumped around, barely containing his excitement. <Let's shift, let's shift, let's shift!> he howled, running rampant in my mind.

"Are you sure?" I sighed, turning to August. "You just got him riled up; he's not going to calm down until you actually--" 

"Yes!" His face burst into a smile. "Yes, of course! Apollo is very nice to cuddle with."

"Well, if you're sure. . ." I rubbed the back of my neck. "The couch, then?"

August nodded vigorously, his shoulder length hair flopping in front of his face. "Meet you there!" he called, running out of the room, nearly tripping over his own feet.

Apollo watched him, amused. <He's just as excited as we are.>

<We?>

<Am I wrong?>

<No.>

<That's what I thought.>

I undressed quickly, Apollo wasting no time in taking over. We shifted, and soon I was looking though the eyes of a wolf, standing on four legs, muscles gliding as we stalked toward the door, nudging it open with the top of our head.

August was waiting for us, lounging on the couch like he owned the place. He perked up as he saw Apollo, who took a running start and jumped in his lap. August let out a half-laugh half-grunt, immediately reaching over to rub golden fur.  

Apollo sighed, melting under his touch, leaning closer to him. August started scratching around his ears, slowly moving down the neck and shoulders. My wolf wagged his tail, thumping it against the couch and giving August's hand little kisses and nibbles.

<Be gentle,> I warned from my place in the back of our mind.

<Jealous?> Apollo said smugly, turning on his back to receive belly rubs. I wouldn't admit that I was a bit envious of their rather intimate contact with one another. I simply rolled my eyes and retreated, watching August giggle as Apollo snuck a lick under his chin.

Perhaps I was more than a bit envious.

I spaced out as Apollo gained control. One week he would be staying with me; maybe even longer, if Naja and Ramona's moon week lasts more than it usually does. I was embarrassed at how fast I jumped on the chance to see August more, even offering him my extra room to just simply be around him.

It was strange. He made me feel weirdly safe, in a way no omega ever could. As an alpha, omegas have always flocked to me, only to leave after learning I wasn't the kind of alpha they wanted, but I couldn't really blame them. Still, it hurt me knowing that the only reason why they left me was because of something I was not able to control.

Submissive. Dominant. Alpha, beta, omega. It was all to tiring, always having to decipher ranks and hierarchy within the pack. 

That was the reason why I left my home pack, but that is a story for another day.

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Home pack: the pack you are born into; biological pack