CHAPTER 03

It would forever be considered a wonder how they had managed to survive, the boy in particular, over the days that had rolled by, quite numerous in fact but none cared about it as they couldn't count.

Though quite comical in nature, the boy and animal had come to a conclusion after their first debacle in which they silently agreed that none would get food for the other since they couldn't eat what the other ate. 

The boy had stayed with his companion for a few days but decided to continue walking to who knows where which apparently, didn't sit well with the furry roomie. 

It held the boy with its teeth by the hem of his shorts and dragged him back despite the pitiful fights the boy tried to put on. There were also quite a few bite marks all over his body and the only reason such a thing wasn't visible on its body was that the boy's teeth wasn't as strong as its own because the boy had for sure paid back every bite with one of his own. 

Seeing as none would compromise, the animal let go of the boy and went to its abode, not intent on dragging back the unwilling boy no longer. 

The boy on his own had ventured deeper into the woods, not caring about anything as the only thing that had registered into his newly formed danger sense were the angry growls of his companion. He would start his walk by night, aware of the fact that he was quite weak and mostly sleepy when the shining ball was up above the blue sky. 

It had also taken him a few days to realize that he was not alone in his walk, why? Because his furry companion would trail him at night for some time before disappearing altogether. 

Without any care for how far he'd walked and finally forgetting the reason why he even started the impromptu journey in the first place, he crashed against the familiar stump of a tree and slept. 

… 

A woman was seen walking through a forest with a cloak over her body under the dark sky of the night. 

She had felt it even though she had been away from the town. It felt like something was drawing her here – a prelude of something that was to come. 

She was as recluse as a monk, heavily due to the fact that she practiced the same, and in some other veins similar belief as the old masters. 

The town was still quiet so maybe none of them had felt the call or they were just too far away to realize the pull that was subconsciously pricking at the deepest recesses of their mind. Whatever it was, all she wanted to do was check what it was that made the tree cry out and then she would be gone. She was not needed and she was also too old to participate in whatever storm was brewing. 

As she contemplated the changes whatever was coming would bring, she felt something entering the scope of her senses and keeping track of her. Turning around, all that could be seen beneath the cloak was a pair of scarlet red eyes that seemed to terrify whatever was lurking in the shadows but the moment the eyes fell on the intruder, it just as quickly lost its ethereal glow. 

It was an animal, a coyote in fact, which was supposed to be really rare among these parts. Like a few animals she's seen in her long and old life, this one emitted an aura that was unlike other 'natural' animals. 

"No need to scamper and lurk behind, I know where you are." She said to the darkness and waited for a few seconds before the frenzied growl of an animal could be heard. The coyote walked, a slow step after another, until its entire body was illuminated by the moon light which contrasted beautifully with its bright blue eyes. 

"Well then, I'll try not to intrude on your practices." She nodded at the coyote, not at all bothered by the clearly not normal creature, and continued on her way even as it trailed behind. 

It continued like that until the woman stopped in front of a clearing where a giant stump laid cleanly cut and at its foot was a boy. Before she could take a step further, the coyote who had placated itself by trailing behind her rushed forward and stood in front of the boy defensively while growling at the woman not to come near. 

The woman was quite surprised when she saw this but the actions of the coyote didn't impede her steps. 

Seeing the intruder not heeding its words, it snarled in anger and pounced on her, faster than any normal animal could react to, only for its snout to be held tightly before she threw it away. 

It roared in anger, clearly not a fan of been thrown aside and proceeded to rush at her once more only to have its steps falter as it once more came across the haunting red eyes of the cloaked figure. It shook its head in a bid to shake away the creeping fear it felt while roaring out its hate on the figure but the figure didn't flinch the slightest in fright and continued to stare at it. 

It had wanted to take another step towards its enemy but its legs went weak and its belly touched the ground in submission as it heard the roar of the red one. 

The roar of a king. 

Most predators roar, they do so in the case when they confront something that opposes them but there is one known consensus of a roar that every animal of the jungle knows. 

The roar of an Alpha. 

A call to submission. One sounded by the one who ruled above others and at its call, all those under it were bound to submit… and submit it did. 

"You are rabid. An unbefitting state of any such as us. I am not here to harm the boy." She spoke to the quivering coyote who lay sprawled on the ground in fear. "It is a miracle that something like this can even exist… an unfettered supernatural and a human boy. I would have thought you would've have ripped him to shreds at the very first moment you met, but no. You'll even go as far as to protect him from something you have no hope of facing… even now." She said and stopped where she stood, a few meters from the boy, and watched as the coyote dragged itself on the ground to place itself between her and the boy. A very commendable act, and one so pure that it could never be attributed to something that was next to an animal of the wild. 

The coyote stood in front of its charge, head down in fear but with a growl in its breath, doing its pitiful best to keep the boy safe from what it considered a threat. It wanted to run, it wanted to flee with the fastest haste it could muster but at the end of it all… it wanted to protect. It wanted to have something to hold onto even if it faced a sure death at the Alpha's hands. 

It let out a pitiful whine as it felt the Alpha coming closer. It seemed as if the force on ground suddenly became thicker as it found it hard to continue standing in its pitiful form as the beast of all beast took another step forward. It had been ready to risk it all for a lunge at the neck the moment the Alpha came within its striking zone but all those thoughts were washed away as soon as her hand met its head. 

"I'm sorry, little one.. I guess even the supernatural world still can't escape the vast unfairness this world has to offer. I'll protect the boy if that's what you wish." She said before withdrawing her hand and going for the boy, whose danger sense was completely nonexistent that he didn't even stir awake due to the noise and growls they were making, and picked him up. 

She started going her way but had to stop when she looked back and saw the lifeless blue eyes of the coyote. The beautiful sky blue of an Omega was dimming, leaving it with the darkened eyes of any typical animal. It was only then she understood why it stood its ground against her to protect the boy. [A/N: For clarification, blue eyes don't symbolize an Omega, it symbolizes a Beta who has gone through a severe traumatic experience that scarred them or a Beta that has taken an innocent life. Omegas are lone wolves, a status that is either by choice, member of a fallen pack, or one kicked out.] 

The boy was its anchor.. And she almost took that away. 'Truly, we are the most unfortunate.'

The coyote looked at the ground, unable to bring its head up and check if it had truly protected the boy because it knew, not instinctually but quite possibly, that it had failed. He was its to take care of but its strength failed -!! 

"Follow me. Wallowing in self pity won't help your current state." It heard the voice of the Alpha and was prompted to look up and find the boy cradled in one arm while the other beckoned in it to follow. 

Having nothing to do, and also besides itself with the possibility of losing its charge, it followed behind the Alpha to a destination unknown. 

…. 

Noah Stilinski was hit with a huge dose of depression after his recent failure in securing back the child that he had had to drink more than a few pint of bottles until Stiles took it away from his drunken hands. 

Simone had even opted to retire on her own since they couldn't find the child after the first few weeks of his that it was taking a huge toll on the young woman's psyche. 

Noah could understand where she was coming from so there was nothing he could do to convince her when she handed him her resignation letter. They had tried their best in locating the child, even going deep into the preserve but they couldn't find its trail, almost seeming as if they were walking in circles. 

The worst part of this whole messed up scenario was that no one, not even a single person, had reached out in lieu of the boy. 

Even all the way to the borders, none of his contacts had received a call claiming to know who the boy was. It was as if he was actually abandoned by his parents, or whatever mistake of a parent they could be, and maybe he was also re-kidnapped by them. There were a lot of scenarios running around his head with one of it being 'why the amnesia?' It was so intense than any other amnesiac case he'd seen, one so deep that he couldn't even remember his own name. 

Another worrying part was that the boy didn't speak a single word for the whole duration he was with them. Maybe he had lost his ability to express himself in words due to trauma? Whatever it was, there was one thing he knew would never change – he had failed again, and to an innocent child no less. 

Sometimes he would wonder what if something like that happened to his own son and someone else were to fail him. It wasn't the thought of the failure that scared him the most but what Stiles would have to go through in the event of the failure and that fear shook him to the bone every time he thought of it which inversely increased his depression as he had let the same thing happen to the boy. And that was a thought that no alcohol could erase, only time could. 

He had kept the file in the 'unsolved' pole but he knew that unless a miracle happened, not one of those piles would ever be solved, only forgotten. It was a pile of his failures and they were getting larger by the year. 

"I need another drink. Stiles should be at Scott's place and spending the night there so there should be no problem in taking a small sip."

========================

Patr3on is already up to chapter 20.

Gimme your stones, or I won't give you the bite.

Patreøn.com/Draul_TheOminous