Rejection Trials

Alone with his thoughts

BELVEDERE POV

The water fell down my body, and I was trying to release the tension from my muscles. This whole situation was ridiculous. Everything about Syrus was absolutely ridiculous. Always has been. I couldn’t help but sigh as I looked down to see how stiff I was, and yes, stiff there as well.

Mate is annoying. Tobi’s deep voice interrupted my thoughts. Tobi was a quiet and stoic wolf. He didn’t like to talk much and didn’t like others talking either. I could only smirk in response. Syrus always got under Tobi’s fur.

Tobias is an enigma to me. An enigma I haven’t tried to figure out. Like all of my mother’s line Tobias is a wolf from the Moon Goddess’ original pack. They were originally humans who worshiped the Moon. When they were attacked and their homes destroyed, the Goddess turned them into wolves to survive in the wild. For hundreds of years, the clan existed as wolves. The Goddess had created wolf shifters and decided to give the original clan the ability to shift to human form. That means tying the existing wolves to humans.

The wolf spirits of our clan were always different from the new shifters created by the Goddess. They were much stronger, had better instincts, better senses, better everything really. The biggest difference was that our wolf spirits reincarnated. Instead of joining the Goddess in her hunting grounds for eternity like other wolf shifters, upon our deaths only our human sides join the Goddess. Our wolf spirit’s join until they are reincarnated.

This means I am not Tobi’s first host, so to say. I also will not be his last. My mother’s clan eventually became the ruling force among all wolf shifters. It made sense, our wolves are stronger. They became the royal pack. Those of the blood were the wolves of the original wolf pack. Our mates were the reincarnation of our wolf's mates, though not from the original pack. All of this is to say that even among the royals, Tobias is different.

Tobias doesn’t talk much and rarely explains things he doesn’t find necessary. But throughout the years, I’ve picked up things here and there. Especially when we met Syrus. Even more when we scented them as our mate. It was the first full conversation I’d ever had with Tobi. He told me it was impossible for him to have a mate. In all of his lifetimes he has never had one. Tobias said it was his choice not to have one. That made it easier for his role in the pack. However, he was adamant and positive Syrus was his mate.

Did you sense their wolf? I asked Tobi expecting him not to answer.

No. he scoffed. A wolf of many words.

Unlike other werewolves who don’t have their wolf at all until they are around 16, the royal clan can communicate with them in our heads from birth. I still wouldn’t be able to shift until I was 16 and Tobi could not control me or use me to scent things, he could speak with me. It is like that with all the wolves in my mother’s bloodline. In that way, our wolves serve as a parent figure when we are pups. So the day Syrus was brought into our pack, Tobias was immediately ruffled. He didn’t know Sai was our mate yet, but their presence had always affected him.

What annoyed him the most about Syrus was his inability to sense their wolf. Despite witnessing Syrus shift multiple times, he has never sensed their wolf. Upon finding out Syrus was his mate, he was enraged that he couldn’t contact Sai’s wolf spirit. I understood his frustration. Syrus was the human half, in a way my half. It only makes sense that Tobias would want his wolf counterpart.

The water had become cold by the time I removed myself from my own thoughts. I got dressed and opened the door only to see Syrus on the floor of the hallway…sleeping. I picked them up, reveling in the sensation of having my mate in my arms.

Unsurprisingly, Syrus did not stir. This was not the first time he has had to transport a sleeping Syrus. He smiled, reminiscing on their brief childhood. The one Syrus doesn’t even remember. It was much easier for him to carry them now.

As I carried them to the main room of the cabin, I realized there were two sets of bunk beds. One set was already taken by the two monks. There was no way I was going to hoist Syrus into the top bunk. That would mean I…the big bad Alpha would have to crawl up the little ladder and sleep on the top bunk. I would need to make sure I woke up before everyone else. Syrus would never let me live this down.

I set Syrus down as gently as possible. The moment I set them down, they wrapped their arms around my neck. Syrus nuzzled into my neck where I would soon bare their mark. My whole body went rigid as by d**k hardened. Goddess. I gritted through my teeth. It took all of my mental strength to wiggle out of Sai’s grasp. I climbed into the top bunk and laid down.

“SQUACK!” The sound scared him more than it should have.

Steve had nestled onto the pillow meant for my head. He looked intent on defending his territory as well. I settled myself in a compromising but sufficient position to appease the bird.

I think Syrus is a lone wolf. Tobias barked out right as I was on the brink of slumber.

I had to think about what he was implying. If I respond with my first thought, Tobias will lecture me on being impulsive.

Lone wolves are different from rogue wolves. Wolves, being pack animals, don’t survive well outside of one. When a normal werewolf is banished or leaves their pack, they have a limited amount of time to find a replacement pack, or they lose their minds and a monstrous bloodlust takes over. They become cursed by their own spirit. They are cursed by their own blood. Their wolf spirit dies slowly from the madness.

Lone wolves, however, are usually an Alpha-ranked wolf that does not require a pack bond. In fact, they thrive in solitude. Other Alpha auras don’t affect them. Some wolves that are banished unjustly or are running for survival have sometimes transformed into lone wolves. Able to protect themselves and survive on their own in the wild.

Considering their solitary lifestyle, it is very rare to meet a lone wolf. Most things we know about lone wolves are from those who have become lone wolves or encountered them briefly in passing. If Syrus was a lone wolf it would make sense, but they probably don’t realize it. Syrus has always been the oblivious type. Syrus has also always hated studying or paying attention in general.

It would explain how Syrus survived all of these years on their own. I spoke to Tobi lazily. I had always assumed Syrus had found another pack or pack hopped even.

My mate is good at surviving. Tobias grunted. I could tell he was trying to sound annoyed, but he was proud he had such a strong mate. Scrappy. My mate is scrappy. Tobias added before finally letting me sleep.