love&Hate

The quiet peace of the night is disturbed by the eruption of the truck engine, and the overwhelming smog that hindered my senses. It was that time of the month again, and I could feel my toes wiggle in the small confines of my shoes as my posture mimicked my fathers. Stoic personified. The way his features never even hinted at the disgust of the smell or the ache of the noise was something to idolize. Since I was very young, I have been taught to be just like him. To control my emotions under any and all circumstances, to make the best decision for the family, and above all think of the family before the individual. I have yet to reach half of my father's greatness, but in time I will exceed him. A grin tugged on the corner of my lips as my chin raised high as my chest swelled. My thoughts are quickly reeled back to the truck as its red brake lights hit my eyes to soon fade as the truck sat idle.     "Unload the strays!" My father's voice boomed to the others getting them to follow the procedure they knew well. The metal clanks rang out as the heavy squeal of the doors opened to reveal the prisoners it held inside. One by one, until all nineteen are out and lined up, the bagged and chained strangers are brought out. The diversity of the nineteen shines as they stand next to each other; age, race, gender, and even personality. I looked over each one carefully accessing each of them for their level of threat to us. I was almost done when I could feel my father's eyes upon me, and I realize he wants to hear my report. He wants to test me to see how much I am learning and how much I need to learn.  "Fourth from the right, second and sixth from the left are of the highest level." I speak heavily pulling on my voice and making it deep and rough in an attempt to sound like my fathers. Of course, I could never achieve it, but at least it sounded more masculine than my normal voice. My father gave me a nod of approval washing over me with more than relief, but a joy of accomplishment. He stepped forward moving effortlessly within his suit looking like the proper CEO that he is.  "My name is Isaac Morrighan." He walked in front of each one stopping at the three I pointed out. The fourth from the right being unusually calm whereas the others are on a level being of showing distress for being taken, the sixth from the left being terrified on a level that we would not be able to depend upon, and the second from the left even with the chains has to be held by two of the men.  "From the moment you were born under the moon you became my responsibility," He continued going to each one and started to remove the bags that covered their eyes. "You became alone, scared, and powerful with no knowledge of how to handle it."  "What the f**k do you know?" Smarted off the raging bull as my father continued to the last of them to remove the bag. The bull is large, larger than my father as if his life depended on building his muscles with no room to learn how to utilize them. "I have brought you here to ask you, if you wish to become a part of something bigger. It is your decision to stay or go." Father continued, ignoring the bull. "If that is all you wanted then why kidnap us?" Asked the calm one grabbing my father's attention as the other eighteen pair of eyes went to him. They all wanted to know why.  "Would you have come if I asked you to?" Father retorted with a question of his own.  "No." His words came out short and tight as if to say, 'That's the point'. This one is smaller than my father. He still had muscles of his own, but it seemed he focused on proper training. He is a fighter, not a builder.  "Would any of you came, if my men asked you?" Father asked turning his attention to the rest. All looked away from him knowing their answer is the same.  "I needed you all to see. It is desperate of me, I admit, but it is imperative you see."  "See what?" Asked the youngest one of the group whose eyes are red and swollen. The once thought of freckles smudged from the tears showing that this poor boy with brown hair had not bathed in days. Long before we got a hold on him. “Look next to you. Look around you.” As he spoke these words the others whether they realized it or not did as he told. He continued after giving them a moment to look around, “We are the same. I wish to offer you not only sanctuary and safety, but a life. A life of love, career, and a family that can understand.” A few women began to cry as a man struggled not to do the same. “What is the cost?” Asked the calm one. My father gave a smile. One he allowed to show so that the calm one could see his bemusement. “There is no cost. This is not the mafia. We are more than that. You should know the price of us just existing. I will not ask more from you.” My father walked to the man that already believed his words and touched his shoulder. The man swiftly replied to the touch. “What do I have to do to stay?” “Those of you that wish to stay. Please, step forward. There is a tradition none of you know about and a tradition I am willing to teach and show you.” Stepping back to give them room. Three women, two men, and a teenager stepped forward. By the appearance of the teenager it is possible they consider themselves to be non-binary but can’t be too sure until we talk to them. “Listen carefully and say what I tell you to exactly as I do.” My father pressed firmly to make sure they understand. They nodded their head or mumbled compliance. “Will you join us to hunt, to fight, and to live?” He started guiding them on what to say as he takes out the ceremonial knife. The knife is comprised of elk bone from blade to handle with only leather wrapping around the handle. “Under the moon, I will hunt, fight, and live with you and yours who shall be mine.” They all spoke in an awkward unison. “I claim you,” He spoke with no hesitation as he sliced open his palm letting the blood pool in his hand, “with my blood you shall be.”   He offered his hand individually to each one letting them take a small drink of it and individually he spoke when they finished the drink. “From this night onward, mine to me and mine.” And they would respond before he could continue, “Yours to you, mine to me.” Once all six finished my father wrapped his hand in a rag and called for the ones that joined to be taken to a temporary home. “I want to go home.” The child cried his voice speaking of the tears that wanted to fall but couldn’t. The poor thing so worn he couldn’t even cry. “Is your mommy and daddy taking care of you back home?” My father asked kneeling to the child’s eye level. Even a leader should know how when to be intimating, and when to be sympathetic. The boy unable to answer nodded his head. “Are they like you?” He asked getting the boy to answer no. Questions swarmed my mind wandering how a child like him was with human parents. One of the men came and whispered into my father’s ear surprisingly gaining a fraction of an emotion in my father. “Take him with the others. See if any of them will take responsibility for him. At least for the time being, and I will give him some time here before making him decide.” The generosity of such an offer astounded me. It wasn’t safe to bring one in without the ceremony, but with the child being of such a young age, possibly nine, I could see why he made the decision. “What if we don’t want to stay?” This time it was a woman, ones whose glare could kill an army. “Then you are free to leave.” My father spoke frankly looking to the thirteen left. “Before you leave there is something you should know. Something that may make a difference for you.” He looked to me and stuck his hand out to bring me forth. I walked to the front and looked to each of them. “You are not a human anymore. You are more than that. You are a-“ “Werewolf. We know. I do not want to be a slave too.” Snarked the bull. “If you had listened to the words you would realize they said with you, not for you.” I snarked right back. “Werewolf, for the lack of a better word, is what you are now. It means half-wolf. You are now not fully of one thing or the other. With all the pros and cons that come with it there is one that many such as yourselves even know about. You are meant to be in a pack. It is so ingrained into your DNA now that without one the wolf half of you will go insane. You will lose all the humanity you have left, you will kill any innocent you cross, before in the end ripping yourself apart. Therefore, my father must take the desperate actions to bring you to him. He needs to try to save you.” A few gasped, some didn’t believe, and others looked unbothered, which was a reaction I wasn’t expecting. It could possibly be a poker face. “If you understand this and still wish to leave, then go.” My father finished motioning the two that were holding the bull to let go and unchain him. Once the chains fell, he motioned his body as if his muscles sighed of relief. Looking to the tree line closest to him, he didn’t move. “You know, I was looking for a good place for me to take a nice piss.” Stated the bull in a crude manner and with a smirk. He stepped forward followed quickly by the woman with a glare, and the calm one. I looked to the calm one curiously. He was one I suspected of turning us down. He saw my eyes on him and didn’t look away. The color was light and almost iridescent, but it wasn’t honey. I could feel irritated for not knowing the name of the color that is his. It was not until my father stepped between us did, we break eye contact. The other two had their ceremony complete as father finished up with the calm one. The three were beginning to be led away when the calm one stopped, “What happens to the others?” He asked my father looking directly in his eye. He held it a fraction longer than he should have but still he looked away. “They will be returned home.” He said and there I saw it. I saw the calm one’s demeanor break. There beneath his cool was rage. Something that caught my breath and take a step forward. But as quickly as it appeared it disappeared. “Okay.” He muttered before going on. I looked to my father and to the others. “Leto.” He called my name grabbing my attention from watching the back of the calm one. “Yes, Father.” I stood up ready for any order to be given. “I want you to go with the new ones. Help them get settled in and get comfortable.” “But, Father, this month I thought I was going to get the honor of-“ “This is not an honor, Leto. This is a duty that I wish I didn’t have to do. You must realize that they are still human and what we have to do is still monstrous.” He scolded me taking me back. I sucked in deeply getting infiltrated from the horrid smog. The stench helped draw back in the hurt. I nodded my head muttering a barely coherent yes, sir. Walking away to parked cars it wasn’t until a rough hit to my side did, I break from my dark thoughts of scolding myself. “What did good ol’ father say?” Asked the familiar and very welcome of Lennix, my best friend. His huge and warm smile comforted me and reminded me I was still learning and needed to give myself time. “He said to take care of the newbies.” I chuckled keeping my voice to go as deep as possible. I held my ground as he threw an arm around me and put some weight on me. His scent reached me becoming my salvation from the smog. “Aw, don’t worry, pup, he’ll give you more responsibility when it’s time. You are still in fact young, and your birthday is coming up isn’t it?” He asked shaking me as I grinned back. “Going to Aunty’s?” I asked elbowing his side hard to get him to stop shaking me and leaning so hard on me. “That’s the best plan, isn’t it?” He said with a grunt as we approached the group. “Welcome to the Morrighan Pack!” I started as Lennix walked off to the side giving me room to have the entire spotlight, “My name is Leto Morrighan, son of Isaac Morrighan. We are going to give you a place at a Shooting Star Motel until we can go over what you would like to do in the future and find a more permanent place to live. There we will bring you food, and clothes. If there is anything from your old life you need let me know and we can make arrangements for you to either get it yourself or have one of us bring it to you.” I announced looking to all of them and stopping on the child noticing it was the woman with a resting b***h face have him in her care. I made a note of this as I continued with procedure guiding each one into a vehicle. One by one I settled them in when I realized one is missing. The calm one. The one I didn’t expect to join. I looked to Lennix getting him to come over. “What’s up? What’s wrong?” He asked coming next to me and doing well to keep his voice low to not alarm the others. “One is missing. That calm male. He has light creamy cocoa color skin, browns eyes that are light and almost iridescent, square jaw, a beard, black hair that is flat on his head, six foot one, and approximately one hundred and sixty pounds get two others and start scanning the area. There’s no need to pull my father in if the nitwit went to the woods to take a piss.” I instructed quickly sending him off. He rushed over grabbing two of his favored and began to start a perimeter and expand it until they came upon him. I looked to my father who is subtly trying to convince the others to stay, but they look rather stubborn. This haul was one of the biggest we pulled in and I wasn’t sure if I was happy about it or scared. More wolves equal more risk. Taking a deep breath to brush off the smog and get the desperately needed fresh air I catch something else. Something more and it stood right behind me. I turned out and looked up to see the one I sent Lennix off to find right behind me. Breathing hard and quivering with the same feeling I felt. “Why?” He muttered staring intently into my sky-blue eyes. I wanted to look away. I wanted to pull back and not let him see what was in my soul. Hesitant and feeling my stomach knot a thousand times over I swallowed what little courage I had. “We just want to help integrate you back within the humans so that you may live peacefully among them without bringing harm to them or yourself. Now you can either back down or prepare for a fight.” I tried to not growl out making my voice coming out softer than I desired. “Don’t you feel it?” He asked stepping to me. My eyes narrowed and this time a growl slipped warning the stranger that he is out of bounds. “No.” I snarled and finally he looked away. Through his beard I can see his jaw tense and loosen up multiple times. “Do you have a sister?” He asked looking to the ground and clenching his fists tight then releasing them. “No.” My heart pounded in my stomach, my throat, and at the base of my brain. I wanted nothing more than to reject him. To tell him to go away. To tell him the absolute truth and accept him and have him accept me. “Then why you?” He asked striking hard and deep into a crack in my heart. A piece of me that I wish I could let free but am never allowed to. “There you are!” shouted Lennix reminding me I forgot to let them know that he came to me. I looked away to Lennix relieved and looked back to the calm one. “Please get in the vehicle, sir, it’s been a long night for all of us.” I held my arm out towards the vehicle that has a spot for him and watch him hesitate. He began to walk to the vehicle then stopped and looked back to me. “My name is Romulus.” I nodded my head and watched as Lennix take over and lead the man that is my mate away. This is something that should have never happened. I should have never found my mate. It was rare now for one to find theirs. Why, oh why, did I have to find mine?