The Hidden Alpha

Chapter 5: The Family Meeting

Kael woke up early, feeling a sense of dread wash over him. Today was the day he had to face his parents. He had been putting off this conversation for weeks, but he knew he couldn't avoid it any longer.

Emily noticed his tension and wrapped her arms around him. "Hey, everything okay?"

Kael sighed. "I have to meet my parents today. I'm not looking forward to it."

Emily's expression turned serious. "Do you want me to come with you?"

Kael hesitated, tempted by the offer. But he knew he had to face his parents alone. "No, I'll be okay. But thanks for offering."

As he got dressed and prepared to leave, Emily handed him a small note. "For luck," she said, smiling.

Kael smiled back and tucked the note into his pocket. He took a deep breath and headed out the door, ready to face whatever lay ahead.

Kael arrived at his parents' house, his heart racing with anticipation. He had no idea what to expect, but he knew it wasn't going to be good.

As he sat down in the living room, his parents exchanged a nervous glance. Now He was certainly sure they knew something, and he was having none of their secrets today.

Kael confronted his parents, his heart racing with anticipation. "I know something's going on," he said, his voice firm. "Something to do with my transformations, my strange powers... everything."

His parents exchanged a nervous glance, and Kael's mother fidgeted with her hands. "Kael, we've been wanting to tell you something," she began, her voice hesitant.

"But we didn't know how," his father added, his eyes filled with a mix of sadness and fear.

Kael's mind raced with possibilities. What could they possibly tell him that would explain everything?

"What is it?" he pressed, his patience wearing thin.

His mother took a deep breath. "It's about our family, Kael. Our history."

Kael's eyes narrowed. "What about it?"

His father hesitated, then spoke in a barely audible whisper: "We're not entirely human, Kael."

Kael's heart skipped a beat. What did they mean? Were they aliens? Robots?

But before he could ask any questions, his mother continued: "We're...different. We have a certain condition, passed down through generations."

Kael's mind raced with possibilities. What condition could they possibly have that would explain his transformations and powers?

And then, his father dropped the bombshell: "It's a condition that affects our shape, our form. We're not always human, Kael."

Kael's mind raced. "What condition?"

His father leaned forward, his eyes locked on Kael's. "We'll explain everything, but you need to promise us one thing: you must keep this secret."

Kael's heart raced. What could his family be hiding? And why did it feel like his whole world was about to change?

His father's eyes locked onto his, filled with a serious intensity. "Kael, you're turning 21 soon. You need to know the truth about our family's condition."

Kael's heart raced as his mother continued, "When you turn 21, you'll fully transition into a werewolf, our wolf side becomes...unpredictable. It's like a switch flips and we can't control it. It's a curse that's been passed down through our family for generations. Your grandfather, your great-grandfather, they all had to go through this. And now it's your turn."

Kael's mind was upsidedown. A werewolf? A curse? He couldn't process it.

Kael's mind reeled, his vision blurring. "What...what are you talking about? Werewolves aren't real. This is some kind of joke, right?"

His mother's voice was soft, but firm. "It's true, Kael. We're werewolves. And you are too. You come from a long line of werewolves."

His father's voice was firm. "Kael, you need to go into the forest on your 21st birthday. You need to let your wolf out. It's the only way to control it. If you don't, it could destroy you. It could destroy everything."

Kael's disorientation turned to shock. "No...no, this can't be. I'm a journalist, not some monster. I don't believe you."

Kael's heart raced as he thought about his strange symptoms, his transformations, his powers. It all made sense now. He was becoming a werewolf.

And then his father's words hit him like a ton of bricks: You need to go into the forest, Kael. On your 21st birthday. You need to let your wolf out. It's the only way to control it.

His mother reached out, her hand grasping for his. "Kael, we know this is a lot to take in. But we're here for you, and we'll help you through this."

Kael pulled his hand away, feeling a mix of emotions: anger, fear, and confusion.

Kael's frustration simmered just below the surface. "You're telling me this now? After all these years? I can't believe you didn't prepare me for this."

His voice was tight with emotion, his eyes narrowing at his parents. "How could you keep this from me? Did you think I wouldn't notice something was wrong?"

His parents exchanged a nervous glance, their eyes filled with regret. "We thought you'll never wolf out Kael," his mother said softly. "We didn't want to burden you with this until you were ready."

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Kael's anger boiled over. "You're telling me this now?! After all these years?! You knew this was coming and you didn't prepare me?! You didn't even warn me?!"

His parents exchanged a nervous glance, their eyes filled with regret. "Kael, we thought...we thought you might never wolf out," his mother stammered.

"What do you mean?!" Kael's voice was fierce. "How could you think that?! I'm a werewolf, just like you!"

His father's eyes dropped, his voice barely above a whisper. "We never showed you our true forms, Kael. We thought you might never experience it yourself....."

"And now is the time to tell me, on the eve of my 21st birthday." He added sarcastically.

"Kael, please try to understand..."

"Understand what?" He retorted. His anger began to simmer, he felt a strange sensation coursing through his body. The feeling felt familiar but at this point, he didn't care.

Right before them, his eyes flashed with a fierce yellow light. His pupils narrowed, his irises transformed into a piercing golden color, and his eyes seemed to glow with an inner fire. They could see the wolf's anger burning in them, and they knew they had to tread carefully. He could feel his wolf's anger building, its fury directed at the secrets and lies that had been hidden from him for so long.

"You should have told me," Kael growled, his voice low and menacing. "You should have prepared me."

His parents exchanged a nervous glance, their eyes fixed on Kael's.

"Kael, calm down," his father said, his voice soothing. "Your wolf is trying to come out. But it's not the full moon yet. This isn't normal."

But Kael's anger was beyond control. His wolf was also angry, mirroring Kael's emotions. It was a fierce and primal force, fueled by Kael's sense of betrayal. His wolf began taking over, its power coursing through his veins like liquid fire.

"No!" Kael snarled, his voice no longer human. "You kept this secret from me. You lied to me. You hid the truth!"

His parents stepped back, their eyes wide with fear. They had never seen anyone's wolf so angry, so powerful. They knew they had to act fast to calm him down.

"Kael, stop!" his mother cried. "You're scaring us!"