Fantasy Life at White Creek [CLOSED/AnimeGenork]

[This Is Me]

Weston Ayers ~ Omega
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Weston was cold and uncomfortable, but his head was somehow cushioned and there was a wonderful smell invading his nostrils as his senses started coming back to him. It was quite a confusing sensation to wake up to, but as soon as his eyes blearily blinked open and he saw Cana staring down at him with hope and worry in her eyes, everything came flooding back to him, along with the pain. He groaned and squeezed his eyes shut again, trying to block everything out and barely hearing Cana talking to him. There was a dull ache all over his body, intensified in places he was sure were either bruised black and blue or grazed. The worst pain was in his arm, made more unbearable when he tried to twitch his fingers, and across his abdomen, making breathing a little more laboured than normal for a recovering werewolf.

With a deep, staggered breath, Weston blinked his eyes back open. Cana was still staring at him and despite his current condition a soft smile spread across his lips and his cheeks heated up from the way she was staring at him. "Hi..." He mumbled, too busy looking her over for any signs of pain or distress. "You mentioned elders, parents and alphas. I'm a little lost but I'm guessing I have to go and face their drawling voices for my fate?" Weston tried to chuckle but it just turned in to a cough as he clutched his stomach.

With his good hand, Weston pushed himself off Cana's lap and into a sitting position. "Y'a know. You as an alpha heal faster. So why the hell aren't I? Would be real nice right about now." He grimaced as he used the bars of the cell to force himself into a standing position. "Because if I just get the power bit every now and again and have to deal with the consequences of being brash then I want a refund." He looked over to Cana, seeing her watching him and grinned. Exhaustion gave Weston a strange perception on life and his cynical humour definitely came to the forefront. But it was a side of him he'd never had an issue showing to Cana; especially when one evening, just as exhausted as he was from staying up with her for hours and hours on end after Christian died, that'd she'd mumbled to him, half awake and half asleep, that his cynical side always gave her a good old chuckle.

"Come here you." Weston's grin turned into a soft smile as Cana walked over to him. He lifted his good hand up and cupped her cheek, dipping his head and kissing her softly. "I don't know when I'll get to do that again... Shall we go face everything?"
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AnimeGenork​

 

[AnimeGenork]

Cana Lowell ~ Alpha of the White Creek Pack

Cana smiled as Weston fully woke up, his cheeks flushed (from a fever? Was he sick now, too?) and a chuckle turning into a rather concerning cough. "Don't push yourself," she warned, holding him down gently until the coughing fit passed. She watched silently as he pushed himself into a sitting position. A grin flickered over her face as she muttered, "I wish I could tell you. Seeing you heal faster would be much more preferable to this." Standing, she joined him by the bars of his cell, looking him over to make sure he would be able to make the walk to the attic, where the elders were. If he couldn't make it, she would have to summon them down here--she was not risking Weston garnering further injury just so they could sate their curiosity over his strange power surge.

His joke didn't register until too late, and she snorted despite herself. Cynical humor only seemed to work when he was the one using it, but it had worked best when she was grieving. He didn't use this humor around the others, however, as they didn't understand it, nor did they want to understand. It was a secret they shared, and one she had taken for granted, like so many other things about Weston.

Reaching out, he cupped her cheek with his hand, and Cana leaned into the touch. She smiled as he kissed her, realizing he was right. Who knew when they'd be able to do that again? But instead of reverting back to Alpha mode, Cana gently tugged him closer and said, "Not so fast." She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him again, making sure he knew how much she wanted to stay here with him and not have to leave the dungeon and be the Alpha of the pack who was supposed to be persecuting him, the Omega, for a treasonous act.

After a few minutes, she let go with a smile. "Now we can go." Taking out a short rope, she gave him an apologetic look before tying his hands together. "They still don't trust you, even though I've made it clear you're not the enemy anymore. Still, they're jerks, so this is what we gotta do." Making sure the knot was tight (to keep up appearances), she turned to lead the way out of the cell. "Time to face their 'drawling voices,' I guess."

On the way up to the attic, Cana recapped the situation, since he hadn't fully heard her earlier explanation. "They're bringing your parents up here, too. They want to know why you suddenly had an Alpha presence in the fight. Since you saved my life, they're considering forgetting the 'kidnapping' charge, but only if they get an explanation to why we may suddenly be able to call you an Alpha as well." She didn't voice the thought niggling her in the back of her mind: if Weston was an Alpha, could they openly be together? Could she avoid Garett's advances for good? Instead, she said, "Just tell them the truth. I have a feeling the answers are really up to your parents." She bit her lip before she said anything more.

They reached the door to the meeting room, and Cana gave Weston an apologetic look. "I'm sorry." Then she pushed him roughly into the room, meeting the steadfast gazes of the elders. "Here is the Omega, as requested, ready for questioning." Once at the front of the room, she took her seat, noticing that Weston's parents were glancing nervously at each other and at their son. What could they possibly be hiding?

She wasn't sure she wanted to know.

This Is Me​

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[This Is Me]

Weston Ayers ~ Omega
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Weston grimaced when Cana stopped kissing him; he grimaced when he tied rope around his wrists, especially given the fact one was fairly mangled; he grimaced as they trudged up the stairs from the basement and all the way to the attic. In fact, despite him having been conscious for less than twenty minutes, he’d grimaced an awful lot. His grimaced however turned into a painful groan as Cana shoved him through the doors. He knew they were tough on criminals, rogues and the like, but the force Cana used on him made him feel somewhat sorry for those that were truly a threat - they’d never stand a chance.

The majority of the walk to the attic Weston had remained in silence, trying to fully digest the news Cana had given him. It all seemed rather ridiculous if he was honest. He was an omega, or he definitely felt like one in his current battered state. And to drop charges, when they had been so keen to carry out his death sentence, just seemed illogical from such medieval and bigoted people. He didn’t have an explanation for it, however much he tried to come to one, and knew Cana was right in that it was more than likely down to his parents to explain what the hell was up with him.

Facing the elders once more didn’t seem as daunting as previously. Last time they issued his death, this time it couldn’t exactly go any worse and Weston was, well not happy, but settled within himself with that notion. He'd protected Cana, and subsequently the pack, and that’s all that mattered. Weston, rather ungraciously slumped into the chair seated in the middle of the room, not bothering to thank the elders pre-planning for an injured wolf to sit, but instead sent a meaningful look towards Cana. To the side of Weston were his parents and they looked more sick to their stomachs than Weston had when he’d been in the same situation earlier on in the day. To himself he wondered whether it was because they were somewhat on trial or because they were terrified of the elders not revoking his untimely ending. If he was honest, Weston knew it was a bit of both. Both were omegas through and through and they all had such a loving family life, it would shatter them if any of them were lost forever (running away didn’t count).

After such a long, exhausting and painful day Weston’s patience was very thin. He shot a comforting smile to his parents before respectfully bowing his head to the elders, even if his tone was somewhat snappish and grouchy, “So, are you going to start with interrogation once more today or did you drag me up here for nothing? Because that stone floor was doing wonders for my battered self.” Never in his lifetime would he had imagined standing up for himself to someone with a higher rank than him. Weston’s heart was beating a mile a minute and for good reason with the growl that sounded from the other side of Cana. Garrett. Weston held his own growl back, knowing it would get him very little in the great scheme of things.

“You’d better watch yourselWeston Ayres. You’re walking a very thin line. Do we need to remind you of our previous decision?” Weston shook his head, not needing to remind them more of their desire to kill him for his trouble. “Then good. We’ll start.”

“Disregarding your previous actions, we’re here now to discuss your apparent alpha nature that appeared during the rogue attack. Whilst you may have saved our alpha’s life, it is a concerning revelation that you have potentially been harbouring and concealing this for your own gain; to cause damage to this pack.” How ridiculous... “Therefore, please explain to us what happened today during the attack.”

Weston sighed. He wondered if there was a point as they were very unlikely to believe him at all; their minds were already set. But he explained, in his own words, the best he could. How everyone just left him in the attic when the rogues attacked, how he was going to actually use the time and distraction to run away, but then how, upon hearing Cana’s wolf whining some strange power overtook him to the point most of the fighting remains a blur.

“And how long have you been harbouring your alpha abilities? You must’ve known, but it is more concerning that no one else realised.”

Weston sighed again. Have I not just explained all of this? Is it not obvious I’ve no clue what the hell’s going on?! “I just explained that I had no clue what was going on. And for the record I still don’t have a clue. I mean c’mon, if no one else knows what I am, how am I supposed to?! I don’t even heal like an alpha, ... but man I wish I did.”

This conversation somewhat repeated back and forth, the elders adamant it was him hiding things and Weston trying to make them see reason others. He was losing his cool, getting frustrated, but luckily not only Cana, but his parents piped in, “If you let us elders, we can explain it all. Our Weston is no deceiver.”
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AnimeGenork​

 

[AnimeGenork]

Cana Lowell ~ Alpha of the White Creek Pack

Cana had become accustomed to rooms full of tension, tension so palpable she could choke on it. This situation was no different, and she knew it wouldn’t get better, even if, somehow, she found out why it was that Weston had suddenly had the strength to help her defend the pack from those rogues. She caught the look he sent her way when he sat down, silently thanking the elders for having the mercy to allow him a chair this time. In the course of one day, their thoughts had changed drastically, but she couldn’t tell if this was for better or for worse.

After acknowledging his parents, Weston finally faced the elders and addressed them. Had Cana not been the alpha and instead simply been a member of the audience, she would have smiled at his tone. Before, he wouldn’t have spoken this way, but the day’s events and his injuries had clearly affected him. Garrett, however, wasn’t amused, and he growled at Weston’s attitude. Cana stared him down until he shut his lips, her own growl locked deep in her throat. Glancing at the elders, she watched their expressions. None of them were amused.

If the elders knew how to have an attitude, then this was surely it. They reminded Weston of their death sentence earlier in the day before finally getting to the crux of things. Crossing her arms, Cana squeezed her arms to prevent herself from doing anything rash as they accused Weston of harboring his “apparent alpha nature” to cause harm to the pack. Did they even realize what they were saying? If it was indeed Weston’s goal to harm the pack, then why would he have bothered to run away? Why didn’t he do anything before now? Not that he would want to cause them harm, but even if he did, she couldn’t blame him. Considering how awfully the omegas were treated by the betas and other pack members, it wouldn’t surprise her if at least one had considered overthrowing the pack or breaking it apart…

Weston told the story from the beginning of the attack, but the elders didn’t seem to realize the point: he had not known anything about his latent abilities. But they were the elders, and it was their job to be paranoid, so perhaps they couldn’t be blamed? They were awfully annoying, though… Weston seemed to think so as he told them that he had no idea what had happened.

The bickering continued, and Cana sighed and stood up. “This is getting us nowhere! Pestering him is clearly not going to help; he knew nothing about his abilities before the fight today. Shouldn’t being the council that makes all the important pack decisions mean you listen to whomever you’re interrogating?” Some of the elders looked peeved by the tone she was taking with them, but a few looked embarrassed, realizing perhaps for the first time today that despite their position, they could indeed look foolish.

Weston’s parents finally chimed in, and Cana sat back down, listening attentively. If they were so determined to set the elders right, then there was definitely something they were hiding.

Weston’s mother glanced at his father, who nodded somberly, before explaining, “It’s common knowledge I was not originally from this pack. But I wasn’t… exactly… telling the truth when I came here.” The room stirred, and Cana growled to silence them before nodding at her to continue. “In my original pack… I was mated to the alpha. Unfortunately, I wasn’t powerful enough for him, and so… when I got pregnant, I ran away. And that’s when I found this pack.” She looked at her mate, who was holding her hand tightly. With tears in her eyes, she glanced at Weston. “My son is an omega—it’s in his blood, my blood—but he is half-alpha. I thought that part of him was suppressed, but I was wrong. I’m sorry.”

Silence followed her explanation. Not even Garrett had a comment for all that.

Cana wanted to sigh in relief, but she couldn’t. She wanted to cry, but she couldn’t. A part of her was even tempted to say “I told you so” to one of the elders, but she couldn’t. Instead, she stared at Weston, who definitely wasn’t exuding any of the alpha traits he had as a wolf… which made her wonder…

“Weston. Change into a wolf.”

This Is Me​

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[This Is Me]

Weston Ayers ~ Omega-Alpha
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Weston's eyes remained wide long after his mother had finished speaking. He knew she was no liar, especially so given the circumstances they were currently in, but he felt as if a huge part of his life was now a lie. He wasn't who he thought he was. If anything, Weston realised, he was a bit of a freak of nature. Werewolves were already different from the normal human lifestyle, but now he was a weird mix of lineages. He was sure having a suppressed alpha nature wasn't common amongst their kind. He sighed, running his good hand through his hair, giving it a slight tug; his tell tale sign that his mind was in overdrive.

It felt as if things were somewhat in slow motion. He looked up to his mother and his - well not my birth father, but the father that's raised me his entire life - and just stared. Both of them looked sick to their stomachs, and usually that would make his stomach churn and he'd do everything he coud to alleviate their burdens, but all Weston could really concentrate on was the swarm of questions fighting for attention in his mind. He wanted to know so much, but at the same time he wanted to go back fifteen minutes and not have his lief upheaved in such a way. He was currently under enough scrutiny.

Cana's voice shocked him out of his internal chaos, and his automatic response to her question was to groan. His eyes grew wide, showing his obvious omega nature, when the elders started grumbling about his attitude and Garrett started to rise from his seat. Somewhere deep within Weston disliked Garrett's action and his groan turned to a subdued snarl in his direction. Of course, the elders were about to completely lose their cool at that action. "Weston... Please, darling, just shift." His mother's voice broke through the bubbling anger inside him, and he turned to look at her, the sight of her completely snapping him out of it.

Nodding his head, Weston sighed. "Alright, alright. You do realise this is going to hurt like hell right?" No response from any of the elders, and Garrett just smirked. "Of course none of you care..." He grumbled to himself, flicking his eyes to Cana showing her he didn't include her in that sentiment. Standing, albeit rather shakily, Weston closed his eyes and tried to search within him for the deep and dark powerful surge he'd felt during the attack and in the brief moments before his mother had called to him. The feeling rippled through him, his pain subsiding as he gave in to the shift, the rope wrapped around his wrists snapping with minimal effort.

It was a different feeling to how he'd shifted his entire life. Before he hadn't known what was overcoming in, he just had the need to protect Cana. This time he could concentrate on it and not only was it his body shifting, but it was his own nature shifting. Suddenly his presence in the room was stronger, and as he rested on his four dark paws (albeit one held slightly above the ground in injury), shaking his fur out, before everyone no longer stood an omega, but an omega-sized wolf with the presence of an alpha. Opening his eyes, he looked around the room, before settling on Cana. More gasps followed, as again his eyes glowed, a giveaway of an alpha and concrete evidence now that no one in the room could question. He truly was an alpha in an omega's body.
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[AnimeGenork]

Cana Lowell ~ Alpha of the White Creek Pack

Cana looked back and forth between Weston and the elders the longer he stalled shifting. Of course, she sympathized - he was injured and shifting wasn't a walk in the park. She silently pleaded with him to do what she said, but it was his mother who finally convinced him to shift. Relieved, she nodded to Mrs. Ayers, who gave her a shaky smile back.

He couldn't refrain from making a snarky comment before he shifted, and Cana had to bite back her grin. Of course, he didn't think she didn't care, but she was a little miffed to see Garrett smiling like a dumbass. When was he going to learn how to be a real leader?

The room was rapt with attention as everyone watched Weston shift. This shift was different from all the others, and Cana took a step forward when Weston's omega wolf was standing with an alpha presence. His eyes were glowing, and in response, Cana instinctively shifted to her own wolf form. The elders kept a close eye on her as she approached Weston's wolf, sniffing cautiously. His scent hadn't changed, necessarily, but her instincts changed. Instead of wanting him to follow her, she felt like... she was with an equal.

Still, she couldn't be too certain, so she circled around him a few times, inspecting every inch of his "omega" body that somehow radiated "alpha." This was the most confusing thing she'd ever seen. And yet... she loved it. This meant many things, one of which being that she finally had an equal in the werewolf she found herself loving despite herself. It also meant that Garrett could finally lay off.

Coming to face Weston head-on, she inclined her head the slightest bit. The room was silent as she acknowledged Weston's newfound alpha status. Shifting back to human form, she rested her hand gently on the top of Weston's head. Then, she stood, facing the elders and addressing them. "It's true. I think you all have an alpha to apologize to."

The elders all exchanged glances before standing and bowing their heads to Weston. Garrett seemed ready to refuse this, but after a glare from Cana, he finally knelt and bowed his head as well.

Finding Casper and Rylie elsewhere in the room, she nodded to them. "Escort Alpha Ayers to one of the empty bedrooms. He needs to rest and recover from his injuries. I assume that's alright with you all?" she said to the elders, who all nodded. They would probably reconvene tomorrow, but for now, they were done.

Thank goodness.

Cana followed Rylie, Casper, and Weston out the door and to the room that used to belong to Christian. It was fitting, really, but at the same time, it was the only room that was free and was even close to the level of comfort hers was. Really, they should change that.

Now that they were out of the attic, Cana sighed in relief. "Finally, that's all over."

This Is Me​

 

[This Is Me]

Weston Ayers ~ Omega-Alpha
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It was a strange feeling when Cana shifted and stood before him. The last time they've been together in wolf form he'd been so focused on protecting her hind from rogues the differene in him wasn't really noted. The two of them had grown up together and whenever they've been wolves together his had always wanted to bow and follow orders, even if he was sometimes the more agile of the two when on a run. Now though, now it was completely different. Never before had he stood in front of Cana as his wolf, and felt her equal. Of course he still had to look up at her a little, being an alpha now didn't mean his wolf had grown in statue. 'Bloody typical.'

Being inspected and watched should've been something he was used to. He'd been judged his whole life upon his performance as an omega - especially from Garrett. This time felt different. This time he stood proudly, daring to watch Cana as she looked him over whereas before he'd have avoided eye contact. When she shifted back to human form he wanted to lean into the hand that was on his head, he would've before, but now pride took over and he shook away, shifted back to human form himself. He breathed deeply and shook his head, he just wanted to sleep.

It was no surprise that the elders were yet to apologise, but before he was escorted out of the room, the look of utter horror on Garrett's face gave Weston energy enough to smirk. It probably would come back to bite him later, but for now he would reveal in the fact he was a higher rank than him...sometimes. He left his parents sitting in the attic, not sure if they followed him he'd be able to actually face another mind blowing conversation with them. Knowing his dad wasn't his birth father and he had another alpha father somewhere was news enough for one day. It didn't go unnoticed to Weston that the room he was taken to used to be Christian's, and it made him feel slightly uneasy - he was Cana's true mate, Weston was a bit of a fake.

Ryle and Casper stood guard outside the bedroom door as Cana followed him in. He collasped in the arm chair by the window, head in his hands, sighing. "Is it really all over? I'm sure there's many more questions to be asked. I'm too much of an unknown - no one will respect that so nothing really changes Cana. Or alpha, I don't know right now." Another sigh as he slumped further in the chair. "Are you really sure this room is alright...?" He mumbled. Cana could never bring herself to enter for months after Christian's death, and then he'd found her crying herself to sleep in the bed more times than he could count before she just stopped coming. He was no Christian - it felt wrong.
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[AnimeGenork]

Cana Lowell ~ Alpha of the White Creek Pack

Cana watched Weston as he settled into the armchair by the window. She’d often found Christian sitting there, too, having fallen asleep while reading or thinking about pack affairs. But the way Weston had sat in it… was he still hurt? When she joined him, she perched on the sill of the window, watching him closely. If he was still hurt, she might need to tell Rylie or Casper to get the first aid kit, or at the very least some painkillers.

“As far as I know, it should be over. There will be some other affairs to take care of, maybe further questioning of your mother. But that should be about it for you, so you can heal up from before, finally.” She frowned at his comment that nothing would really change. As much as she wanted to deny it, he was right. Garrett would have no choice but to respect him now that Cana herself had acknowledged Weston’s new status, but it would take a while to convince others that he was legit. “That may be, Weston, but I think they’ll change their minds eventually. You were the one who saved me during the rogue attack, after all.”

Of course Weston had noticed what room they were in. She’d been a frequent visitor once upon a time. That time was past now, but not forgotten. Still, if he could stop being insecure for five seconds… “Of course this is alright. Christian’s room hasn’t been used for far too long, and if anyone deserves to use it, it’s you. I’m certainly not going to let Garrett use it—he doesn’t deserve to be in this room at all.”

He was definitely going to have some sort of inner monologue about this, so she sat on the arm of the armchair and wrapped her arms around him. “Don’t worry too much about it, okay? Just worry about getting yourself all better. You’re no good to me when you’re injured and whiny about it.”

Standing up after kissing the top of his head, she put her hands on her hips. “Now I know we’re sort of equals right now, but as your fellow alpha, I’m telling you to get some rest. And not in this chair, either. If I come back with food and you’re not sleeping in that bed, you’ll be in big trouble, mister!” Giving him a grin to let him know she was kidding (mostly), she leaned down and kissed him on the cheek. “I’ll be back later. Get some sleep, dummy.”

She left the room, closing the door behind her. Rylie and Casper nodded and smiled at her, and she nodded back at them, letting them know to keep their posts here. Who knew what others would do if Weston was left unattended?

Now. She had some things to take care of. Including making Weston a proper meal! With that thought, she started toward the kitchen, wondering if she’d be able to work the microwave properly.

This Is Me ​

 

[This Is Me]

Weston Ayers ~ Omega-Alpha
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On the outside, Weston didn't have too much to say in response to Cana, but inside his mind was whirring - a mess of overthinking thoughts and what ifs. A soft smile and sigh automatically took hold when she perched herself on the arm of the chair with her arms around him, his head leaning ever so slightly into her embrace. These actions weren't so different from how the two of them normally were behind closed doors. Both knew each other and their minds as if they were their own, so the reason behind Cana's message was clear. A soft chuckle escaped him, pulling him somewhat from his own thoughts, "I think I have the right to have a whiny allowance right now thank you."

He didn't have much chance to say more before Cana switched back to her usual flurrying self, concerned with sorting things out for her pack members rather than herself. He was sure as soon as she left the room she'd switch right back into alpha mode and no-one would be any the wiser to this soft natured side to her, but again it eased Weston's mind a little that nothing had really changed between them. They were still as close as they ever had been, except the kisses were obviously different. 'Jeez Weston you sound like a love sick fool...'

Still, once Cana's presence had completed left him, his mind began swimming once more. His whole life was now questionable and even though he knew the man who brough him up, the man he called 'dad', loved him, his world had been shaked and Weston wasn't quite sure he knew who he was anymore. He felt uneasy in his own body, not just from the news but from his shift in nature. He was now apparently an alpha, albeit a rather pathetic excuse for one being stuck in an omegas body, but an alpha nonetheless. He was a mystery and it didn't sit right with him. Even Cana being the one to somehow make him dinner made his inside twist. He didn't want to admit it, but right now in his unease, the thought of just going back to being one of the pack's omegas and being pushed around by Garrett was preferable.

Looking around the room, Weston's unease grew ten-fold. It felt like a betrayal to Christian for using it. He guessed it would feel different if he was simply using it because of his new potential change in pack status, but he didn't feel like it was that genuine. Cana and him were...well they weren't mates. Christian was Cana's mate - her true mate. It was rare for wolves to ever find their true mates, and generally only alphas did, so to be sat in his old room whilst he harboured feelings for her just felt wrong. Then again, he'd had feelings for Cana for a long time, but now she somewhat reciprocated them, it felt like a betrayal. He didn't know what Cana was to him or what he was to Cana...

Weston sighed, pushing up from the chair and wiping the tears that had formed in the corner of his eyes. He walked gingerly over to the mirror, his body protesting as it ached with every step. Looking at himself he couldn't see anything worthy of being an alpha, he still looked like an omega - he had no obvious precense to him and his body was littered with scars. He sighed, wanting to see his shift for himself - see what everyone else supposedly had. Groaning he forced his shift once more, feeling the overpowering sensation that even injured felt more powerful than before. Now standing on three paws, the fourth held slightly above the ground still, he braced himself as he flickered his eyes up to the mirror. Weston physcially jumped. Just like Cana's eyes, his glowed and there was no mistaking what that meant. But, once he managed to look away from his eyes, the rest of him was still the same - he was still an average size wolf, shifting from black up top to grey at his paws and apart from the power that seemed to radiate from him, nothing was different. In a way he was finally thankful for his colouring - he'd always thought black wolves were either a sign of power or to hide in the shadows. 'Guess mine works both ways now.'

Once Weston shifted back he remained crouched on the floor, gulping in air. He felt light headed and achy all round. Pulling himself up using the bed frame, he stared at the mattress longingly - wanting to feel it's softness beneath him so he could just crash compeletely and wake up feeling better. But he just couldn't. So, despite Cana probably scolding him when she eventually returned, he gingerly made his way back to the chair by the window, slumping down. It didn't take him long and exhaustion completely took over, his head slumping to the side as he fell into a deep yet uneasy sleep.
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[AnimeGenork]

Cana Lowell ~ Alpha of the White Creek Pack

Cana fortunately managed to work the microwave just fine, but she finally broke down and asked the third omega to help her out. With a smile, [NAME???] helped her make something besides microwaveable rice. The two of them made a grilled ham and cheese sandwich (or two or three—who knew how hungry the poor guy was?) with a side of Cana’s possibly over-salted rice. Cana wasn’t sure what kind of drink to give him, so she grabbed an energy drink out of the fridge. Electrolytes, right?

No wonder she wasn’t able to survive outside of the pack. She was terrible at this.

Carefully balancing the tray with the interesting meal on it, Cana went back to the room she’d left Weston in. Rylie and Casper were still guarding the door, playing rock, paper, scissors, and other games to keep them occupied. Nodding to them, Cana told them, “Go get something to eat. Find someone you trust to replace you here in about thirty minutes.”

The two exchanged a glance before stepping away from the door. Casper leaned down and whispered something in Cana’s ear, and she widened her eyes. Grimacing, she nodded. “I’ll look into it. Thanks, Casper.”

There was no time to worry about that bit of news. First, she had to take care of Weston, who was her top priority… mostly because she couldn’t look into anything with a tray of food in her hands.

Really, she should have been surprised that Weston wasn’t sleeping in the bed, but she wasn’t. Instead, he was in the chair, and she was pondering whether or not to slap him. Placing the tray on the nightstand, she walked over to the chair, her hands on her hips. Kicking his leg gently, she growled, “Wake up, dummy, and go lay down on that bed or else you get no food.” Pulling a bottle out of her pocket, she shook it gently, smirking at the rattle of the tablets inside. “You also won’t get these painkillers.”

She sat on the bed and patted the space next to her. “C’mon. If you lie and tell me you’re not hungry or in pain, I’ll punch you.”

Though she radiated candor and her usual snark, she was worrying over the bit of information Casper had given her. If he was right, someone in the pack was a traitor, and she didn’t like the idea of suspecting any of the wolves she’d grown up with. Please let it be a lie. But she’d have to deal with that a little later, when all the hullabaloo surrounding Weston died down a little bit.

Hopefully it wouldn’t be too late.

This Is Me ​

 

[This Is Me]

Weston Ayers ~ Omega-Alpha
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To say the sleep Weston had manage to drift into was peaceful would be the overstatement of the year. It wasn't a deep sleep, but more his body forcing him so it could recover, which meant he was uncomfortable and his mind wasn't resting as it should be. Images swirled around behind his closed eyes, but eventually settled and he was just let with darkness, his injuries aching away. The kick to his leg disturbed him a little, but the voice growling at him started to awaken him fully. He didn't recognise the voice in his current state, and his instincts clearly kicked in as he let out an involuntary growl directed at the voice that dared to wake him. Whilst he didn't know the effect his warning had on the person, it certainly had an effect on Weston. His eyes shot open, searching the room, as he jumped up from the chair, proceeding to curse as his whole body protested from the sudden and quite vigorous movement.

His eyes landed on Cana sitting on Christian's bed and he sighed, sheepishly running a hand over his face, a soft growl escaping him with his instincts still on high alert as his heart rate calmed. "You're a cruel woman Cana..." He frowned in her direction, but once his body realised he wasn't in danger, his shoulders slumped and his cheeks tinged a soft pink in embarrassment. 'You just growled. At the damn alpha Weston. Sort it out.' Just to sate her, Weston slumped down into the space next to her on the bed. Luckily, at the moment he wasn't quite awake enough to feel awkward about their arrangment.

"Now, give me the damn painkillers." He grumbled, his nose sniffing as it picked up the scent of food. In response, his stomach growled. "Ham toastie?" He sniffed again, "No, ham and cheese." He sighed happily, his stomach grumbling once more. "Now, I know you went to such effort to make me this glorious meal, so am I allowed to eat it, or are you going to continue being cruel?" He raised an eyebrow, his dry sarcasm coming through once more. It was always the same when he was groggy; even if a ham and cheese toastie was his go-to lazy meal. "And Cana, painkillers. Now." His brow furrowed, she seemed slightly out of it, but he'd cross that bridge when he was ache and stomach grumble free.
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[AnimeGenork]

Cana Lowell ~ Alpha of the White Creek Pack

Cana rolled her eyes. “Yeah, yeah, I’m a monster. Save it for later.” Nevertheless, he joined her on the bed, immediately demanding the painkillers in her hand. She kept them just out of his reach as he inspected the food she’d made for him (with help, of course). With a smile, she gestured at the sandwiches. “Go ahead and eat. If you don’t, I’ll take it as a personal offense against your alpha.” For someone who was in so much pain, he sure was laying the sarcasm on thick.

He demanded the painkillers once again, and she shrugged and handed him the bottle. “Fine, fine, just stop pestering me about them.” She watched him eat and take his medicine, her thoughts bouncing back and forth between Weston and Casper’s news. Finally, she leaned her head on Weston’s shoulder and shut her eyes tightly. She had to get better at managing her stress. When had being the pack’s alpha suddenly become so difficult? It was like this just wasn’t her week.

“Weston, do you think any of the pack would make a deal with those rogues?” she asked, keeping her voice quiet enough that none of the other wolves would be able to hear her. Cana glanced at the door, thankful at least that a half hour hadn’t passed yet and so nobody would be outside just yet.

With a sigh, she admitted, “While he was guarding the door, Casper heard some rumors that one of our own led the rogues here. Nobody knows who, but all they know is that there must have been something in for the both of them.” She shuddered. “I don’t know if that means someone had it in for me or what. Who knows what would have happened if you hadn’t helped me?”

Lifting her head to look up at Weston, she said, “I really think you saved my life, Weston. Thank you.” She kissed him, being careful to avoid his injuries. It wouldn’t do to have him yelping and causing a scene when she was just trying to thank him.

This Is Me ​

 

[This Is Me]

Weston Ayers ~ Omega-Alpha
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Once Weston had taken the painkillers Cana finally handed over, he ate. Despite how hungry he seemed to be, he was still incredibly groggy so his movements were slow, occassionaly chewing with his eyes closed. Cana's words echoed through to him, but if he was truly honest, it felt as if she was shouting at him from the opposite end of a tunnel. He hummed in thought every now and again, pretending to pay attention. It wasn't as if he was doing it to be blatantly rude, but Cana should know better than to talk to him when he'd just woken up - this behaviour was a common occurance.

If had been paying full attention, he would have noticed the slight shift in atmosphere and he'd have properly registered Cana moving closer to him. Instead, and it was lucky he'd just finished his last mouthful of sandwich, he jumped slightly when her lips were suddenly on his. He pulled away, frowning when he saw what he could only describe as a meloncholy look on her face and vaguely recalled a 'thank you' being spoken. Despite it being uncomfortable to move so quickly, Weston pulled Cana closer and with one hand cupping her cheek, he kissed her in return with a fervour he'd never before mustered whilst being sleep deprived. When he pulled away he rested his forehead against hers, "No need to thank me for anything. Sorry, I'm awake now."

He pulled away from her completely, although now ended up sitting closer to her than before. Weston picked up his plate of sandwiches again and continued munching. Between mouthfuls he managed to have a somewhat conversation, but understood the silent plea to keep his voice down. "So, what were you whittering on about when I was trying to carry out basic functions?" He smirked, but upon seeing the look on Cana's face he felt a sheepish grin was more appropriate, "I'm kidding. I heard you, just about. But c'mon, can you blame me? You know what I'm like."

Finishing with his plate, he placed it back on the tray and set it on the floor, groaning as he got back up and leant against the footboard. "If it's something Casper overhead, it's bound to have some truth to it. He's only recently been trusted by you because of the whole situation with me. Before that, he tended to fall into the shadows, so it makes sense if he heard something." He thought for a moment. "Whilst concerning we need to think about this logically, and I may not be the best person to suggest names considering as an omega there are people that actively dislike me, and I actively dislike them..." He chuckled softly, "I think we, I mean you Cana, sorry. I think you need to have a formal meeting with Casper with a few trusted advisors and find out more details. There's no use getting caught up on it until you know more." He sighed, reaching over the entwine his fingers with hers, "I'll be by your side as long as you'll have me."
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[AnimeGenork]

Cana Lowell ~ Alpha of the White Creek Pack

Cana supposed she should have made sure he was paying attention, rather than rambling on and just assuming. A part of her was a bit peeved that he wasn’t listening, though. She was his alpha, dammit! Apparently, kissing him brought his attention back to her, as he pulled her closer and kissed her again. It literally took her breath away for a moment before he pulled away, his forehead on hers. A goofy grin spread over her face despite herself.

He went right bac to eating, and she noticed that he was sitting closer to her. Rolling her eyes at his interesting way of apologizing for not listening to her, she explained again, “Someone in our pack is working with the rogues, but I don’t know if it was to take me down or not. Does that sum it up for you?” She listened as Weston put his two cents in, taking his words more into account than any of the other wolves would have. Still, he was technically an alpha now, so his words had to be met with as much respect as hers. Not that she’d ever disrespected him before the whole alpha thing.

She smiled as he laced his fingers with hers. “Thanks, Weston, but you need to focus on getting some rest for those injuries of yours. I’ll call Casper into my quarters with a few others and see what we can figure out.” She was about to say something else when there was a noise elsewhere in the house. Cana stood and went to the door, opening just in time for a messenger to hand her a slip of paper. She quickly read it and growled. Turning back to Weston, she said, “I’ll be in my room. They caught one of the rogues.”

Stalking to her room, she opened it to see the betas (including Garrett) and other higher-ranking wolves surrounding a rugged man tied up with ropes. “Has he said anything?” They all shook their heads, and the man turned to her and scoffed. So. It was going to be like that.

She kicked him to the ground and placed a foot on his throat. “What the hell was that attack about? Why were you trying to kill me?”

The man snorted. “You thought we were trying to take you out? Please. We weren’t going to hurt you. Much.”

That was… not what she was expecting. “What the hell do you mean by that? Why on earth would you attack our pack if it wasn’t to take out the alpha? Isn’t that what rogues are into—taking out alphas?”

“Certainly not one as pretty as you,” he sneered, and the other wolves in the room growled in unison at that. Cana increased the pressure on his throat, and he grumbled, “Fine… fine. Someone was supposed to save you… but it didn’t go as planned.”

Then there is a traitor, Cana thought. “Who was supposed to save me from you bastards?”

As the rogue considered his options, the wolves in the room all glanced at each other, probably having caught on to the traitorous edge in this tale. There was a palpable tension and air of suspicion in the room, but Cana kept her narrowed eyes on the rogue. Now was not the time to falter, even if she didn’t want to think about any of her pack betraying her. Finally, the rogue lifted an arm and pointed, presumably to the culprit.

When Cana turned around, she found he was pointing at Garrett.

This Is Me ​

 

[This Is Me]

Weston Ayers ~ Omega-Alpha
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Weston had grumbled a response. He didn't want to be left behind whilst she went to sort things, however much he really needed a good nap. He begrdugingly went along with her idea, hoping to have Cana by his side a bit longer. A cuddle would definitely make me feel better... But the knock to the door disrupted his attempts to bring her down fully onto the bed. Yet, the outcome of that knock disturbed him even more. They caught a rogue? After how many hours since the attack? He couldn't quite believe it. Had what Cana been talking about be true? Was the rogue waiting for someone inside the pack? He shook his head, his mind whirring with possibilities. He didn't know if it was his instincts to protect Cana or the strange alpha side of him brewing, but he could no longer rest.

Standing, a little shakily, but considerably better than before for having eaten something, he went with as much purpose as he could towards Cana's office. Once there, the door was already long closed, but he trained his hearing into what was going on in the room. This time he definitely knew it was the alpha brewing deep down within him. They were after Cana after all, but he couldn't really understand from the rogue's words why. Then, all of a sudden, it went deadly quiet and Weston almost worked the courage up to barge in and protect Cana once more. But there was no need, after a short scuffle of what seemed to consist of table and chair legs being scraped across the floor, Cana's voice rang through. She's safe.

The door opened in haste and Weston stepped back against the wall, leaning to both get out of the way and support himself. First to exit Cana's rooms were her betas with who he assumed must be the rogue. The man was a bit bruised and ruffled, but the two betas holding his arms in a vice like grip seemed to have him under control, most likely even without the lashings around his wrists. As the three passed by Weston, a chill went down his spine at the manic grin that seemed plastered across the rogue's face. He wasn't in any position to be joyful about life, if anything his life was over, so to be looking as he did raised a number of suscpiscions. Next to exit were a group of the higher ranking pack wolves, mixed in with some of their pack warriors. Weston's eyes grew wide as he looked to the wolf being restrained by them all.

Garrett.

As soon as Weston and Garrett locked eyes, Garrett starting struggling. His eyes wide, his hair a mess and a rather bloody nose causing his already crazed grin to seem even more delusional. "You'll pay for this, you runt! You f***ing traitor. You and *that mother* have disgraced the wolf name. We'll bring everything down around you!" The wolves around him finally got him under control, opting to just drag him out of the pack house. His calls of "You're all scum!" echoing down the corridors.

Weston couldn't move. He didn't understand. He knew Garrett hated him and if anyone was a traitor it would be him. But Weston was biased in his opinion; the two of them had hated each other since the very beginning. He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts as Garrett's obscene yelling got further away. Cana... With a heave, he pushed himself from the wall and without knocking walked straight into Cana's room. Thank god there's no one here. He walked, well limped, right up to her and wrapped his arms around her as best he could; his damaged one didn't have enough strength to hold her tightly. "Don't yell at me for not following your orders and resting." He kissed the top of her head, "If you can, talk to me. I know you might not be able to given pack protocol, but I'm here. You're safe."
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Cana Lowell ~ Alpha of the White Creek Pack

Cana didn’t really register the next few moments. Even with the higher-ranking wolves suddenly tackling and pinning Garrett without a second thought as he started shouting obscenities at them, she didn’t know what to think about all this. What did it mean that Garrett was willing to endanger the entire pack on his own selfish whims? How far was he going to take this plot of his?

More importantly, why was she such a big part of his plans?

Clenching her jaw, she realized she knew exactly why. And she hated that she’d indirectly caused all this trouble for the pack.

So numb was she to everything around her that she hadn’t realized Weston had come into the room, not until his arms were around her. Her face crumpled, and she let herself shed a few tears in the shelter of his arms. The guilt, now that she’d registered it, was overwhelming, and she wasn’t sure where to proceed from here. Maybe the elders would know what to do, and if not them, maybe one of the betas would have some idea. Shutting her eyes tightly, she returned Weston’s embrace, hoping that, for a few seconds at least, she could forget.

It didn’t work as well as she wanted it to. Stepping away from Weston, she hastily wiped a hand across her face. With a sniffle, she explained, “Garrett was working with the rogues. I was never in any danger, because he was going to save me at the last moment. Probably some sick, twisted method of getting me to fall for him or something.” She rolled her eyes and grimaced, the idea of his plan working (though it definitely wouldn’t have) making her nauseous.

“But why would he endanger the whole pack for this?” she growled, angrily clutching at her temples. “He couldn’t have possibly thought a plan that stupid would give him what he wants. If he’s that desperate to be alpha, he could try being a decent beta!”

Her anger subsided, replaced by the guilt roiling around inside. She sat down heavily on the edge of her bed, covering her face with her hands. “It’s all my fault. If I hadn’t kept rejecting him so outright, maybe he wouldn’t have resorted to this. Or maybe, if I’d stayed away from the pack with you, we wouldn’t be in this mess.”

Finally, she looked up at Weston with wide, sad eyes. “What good am I to this pack if I keep putting it in danger?”

This Is Me ​

 

[This Is Me]

Weston Ayers ~ Omega-Alpha
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Despite his current state, the more Cana spiralled, then angrier Weston got. He had a good understanding of the stresses an alpha well enough, after all, he'd somewhat been Cana's go to before and after Christian when things had got too much. The job of an alpha didn't just stop at running a pack smoothly, it came with the need to protect every wolf in her care, from both big and small threats. It wasn't just like a standard 9-5 job either. Cana, and generally the higher ranking wolves (Garrett previously included), where pretty much working 24hrs a day, 7 days a week. There was no scope for time off, and over the years, whilst he'd seen Cana flourish and help the pack succeed under her care, he'd also seen the strain it put on her. Then again, the life of an omega, could be somewhat compared with the early starts and late finishes with the added abuse from higher ranking wolves, yet he'd hidden the majority of his strains and issues away from Cana. Omegas generally did - it wasn't in their nature to feel strong emotions and speak up. 'Why do the mid-ranking wolves seem to have such an easy life?'

Now though, Weston wasn't just an omega. Heck, he didn't know what he was classified as anymore, and in all honesty, he'd never been a shining example of an omega. He was outspoken, to certain people, and he wasn't always as diligent as some of the others in their pack. Maybe, even after all these years with thinking there was just something wrong with him, it had actually been his alpha side fighting for some form of recognition. 'Hmm...' Nevertheless, in the current situation it didn't matter. He'd always spoken his mind with Cana and now was no different.

"Please tell me you're joking Cana?!" Weston didn't sit with her after she'd pulled away from him, and instead opted to choose pacing, albeit more like a shuffle, back and forth. "I know you take everything on your own shoulders, but this is on Garrett. I'm sure you remember, we spoke about this when you followed me. This pack can't do without you and that's why you chose to come back - because you're the best damn alpha we've had! And what would've happened if you'd stayed away huh? Those..." He took a deep breath before growling the following word, "Rogues would've attacked the pack no matter what. And you think it wouldn't have gone ahead it you weren't here? I'm bloody sure it would have and Garrett would've been given the shining glory, taking over and running it his way. Now, you really think that's the best thing for this pack - your pack?"

Weston stole a deep breath, slumping into the chair across from Cana's bed. He ran a hand over his face, every part of his body protesting, his head now included. "We're wolves. I doubt there's a pack in the world that isn't in danger at some point or another. It's our nature I suppose." He leaned his head back against the wall, closing his eyes briefly before opening them and fixing Cana with a tired stare. "Garrett isn't the kid we grew up with Cana. I stopped seeing him that way a long time ago, I think you might need to recognise it properly too..." He wasn't trying to insinuate that she'd been blind to how much Garrett had changed from when the three of them were childhood friends, but something had switched in him one day and it wasn't hard for Weston to realise. But he'd always been destined to be Cana's beta, whilst Weston fell behind the both of them into his omega role. Cana trusted him, and the fact she was so distraught now proved to him she still did have a lot of faith in him.

Leaning forward this time, he rested his elbows on his knees and held his head in his hands, thinking over the happenings of the past day. And that's all it had been really - a day, and the whole dynamic of the pack had switched with a complicated omega-alpha combination, trespassing rogues and a traitorous beta. Weston's eyes grew wide and his head snapped to the door as a thought struck him, "Cana...? Would you say I'm crazy if I said I think Garrett knew about me before anyone else did? Me included?" 'He didn't look too shocked compared to everyone else when my mother told her story, not even when I shifted. And his words as he was marched away...'
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Cana Lowell ~ Alpha of the White Creek Pack

Cana's eyebrows shot up as Weston scolded her. They'd had talks like this before, but she didn't think he'd ever sounded so intense before. Still, the way he explained it, it sounded like this entire situation was a Catch-22. The pack was doomed if she was there, and the pack was doomed if she wasn't. What a role she was setting herself up for. She wasn't without help, sure, but she was still pretty convinced that perhaps someone else was more suited to this job than her. Besides, she highly doubted she was the best alpha this pack had ever had. In fact, she was highly convinced her parents had been better at this than she was right now.

Oh, man. What would they say to all of this?

Her eyes tiredly followed Weston as he sank into a chair. He was right; wolves like them were always in danger, whether she liked it or not. Still, it was hard to believe that Garrett had changed so drastically on his own.

"It's not like I didn't see that he'd changed. But... I dunno, I guess I thought perhaps he was just trying to do what was best for the pack. He treated you horribly, but I thought it was because he thought he was protecting me, and by extension, the pack." Oh, how wrong she'd been. Her thoughts swirled over and over with the look on Garrett's face as the other betas had led him away. The crazy glint and how his lips had pulled back from his teeth. When had that happened? Had Weston always seen this side to him? How could she have been so blind? Had Christian's death only made her less observant than before?

Her head shot up as Weston asked her if she thought Garrett knew about his alpha nature. For a moment, her eyes searched the carpet, wondering if somehow, those threads had the answer to that question. As she slowly looked up, she mused, "It's... possible. Garrett always has been good at finding things out. I don't think he purposely found out, though. Maybe he overheard your parents talking about it?" Was that the reason the rogues had attacked now? Because they knew she was back home, and Weston was imprisoned?

If that was the case, this whole plan of Garrett's was entirely more elaborate than she thought.

Cana had that affectionate urge she got whenever she really wanted to give Weston a hug. So she did exactly that. She stumbled a bit as she crossed the carpet to him, and she fell a bit onto his lap, but she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "Even if he does know, you'll be safe here. Nobody will be able to hurt you, not while they have instincts to keep alphas safe." A part of her roiled doubtfully, a sense of foreboding spreading through her even as she reassured him.

Pulling away so she could kiss his cheek, she glanced out the window. "It's getting late. We should get some sleep; things will look better in the morning." Her cheeks were probably tinged pink as she added, "Um. Are you... going back to your room, or, uh... do you want to... maybe... stay here?" She hated the hopeful note in her voice, the one that was begging him to stay here. The last time they'd done that, they'd been in their wolf forms, and it was because of her nightmare. Now, she simply wanted him to stay because she didn't think either of them should be alone. For pack reasons, but... also for personal reasons.

No matter how you looked at it, she was in too deep.

This Is Me ​

 

[This Is Me]

Weston Ayers ~ Omega-Alpha
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Weston slowly dragged his head back to look at Cana, doubt evident across his features. He didn't really think on the same wavelength as Cana and it was clear, no matter how much her trust in Garrett had been thwarted, he would always be her beta. She would never be able to truly see how much he'd changed, how the little boy they'd grown up alongside was no-where to be seen. Which was why, the more the thought played on Weston's mind about him being in the know-how, the less he trusted Cana in her belief it was simply by chance or accident. He agreed, maybe the initial coming across of information could have purely been through being in the wrong place at the right time, but, to Weston, he could only imagine his actions from that day onward being purposeful.

Too much had happened in the day for Weston to be able to think quickly enough for the conversation, so before he knew it he let out a grunt as Cana suddenly appeared in his lap. Nevertheless, and no matter if she was slightly crushing the parts of him that still hadn't healed, his wrapped his arms around her waist with a sigh. He smiled softly up at her as she kissed his cheek, huffing happily at the comfort being in contact with her brought. "We... I mean you, or maybe me too, need to talk to Garrett and the rogue. There's no point speculating any more now." He found himself having little motivation to rebut her mentioning of the pack protecting alphas. No one, not even himself, knew what he was, so to ask a pack that he had served his entire life, to now protect him as an alpha, was absurd. Hybrids weren't supposed to exist, yet here he was, sitting with the woman he loved, questioning his very existence.

As Weston's own doubt started to consume him once more, he buried his face against her chest, heaving a deep sigh. Just a few days ago he'd given up on pack life, running away for a new start - a life in which he could control. Yet, here he was now, having lost control of everything he'd understood. Now, not only was he an omega-alpha to the pack he'd grown up in, he was apparently the son of another pack's alpha. 'What the hell does that make me? I'd go back to just being lil' old omega me.' He was, however, stirred from his own inner turmoil as Cana mentioned sleep and he chuckled softly. "I doubt my body wants me to shuffle on back to the room you put me in." He refused to call it his room, it would always be Christian's. "Besides," he looked up, smiling softly, "I think us and our wolves could do with keeping one another company."

***

Weston woke with a start the next morning, sweat beading on his forehead from the dream - nightmare - he'd had. It hadn't been anything too sinister, just re-runs, over and over, of the past day or so's events, but each time with a twist and the last one leading him to rot in the cells for the rest of his life. It was too close to what actually could've happened for Weston's liking. Luckily though, his body felt a lot better, a quick inspection showing most of his bruised body fading to yellow, yet his hand still remained rather tender. 'Clearly, the omega in me is still fairly dominant. If this was Cana she'd've been fine already.' He glanced to his side, smiling softly as he saw her sleeping beside him, lucky to not have woken her. He pulled his arm out from underneath her as gently as possible so as to sit upright on the bed, with a grunt here and there. The sun streaming through the gap in the curtains promised a lovely day, but the feeling of utter dread he had at what knowledge would be learnt from questioning Garrett and the rogue sat heaving. Weston swallowed over the lump in his throat, if he was supposed to now be an alpha, he had to try and channel that - he had to keep Cana going after all. Whatever he was, first and foremost, he would always be there for her.
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Cana Lowell ~ Alpha of the White Creek Pack

Cana had a weird dream that night. Her parents were there, telling her they were proud of her, but then they were replaced by Garrett, who sneered sarcastically and said she was an idiot. Then Weston was there, telling her he’d always be there for her, and then Christian was there, saying the same thing. Maybe her subconscious was on the fritz or something, but it didn’t really help with her already pressing concerns about everything that was going on.

When she woke up, she feared for a moment that she would be alone, but he was still there, sitting upright and staring at the window. From his posture, it seemed his body had healed a bit more, which was good. Still, it was a bit inconvenient that his alpha blood didn’t help more with that. She wished she could help him figure all this out, but… hybrids were virtually unheard of. At least in the White Creek pack. Maybe another would know more…?

Well, that was neither here nor there. Cana stretched her arms above her head and sat up, yawning loudly. She then crawled over to Weston and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. “Morning,” she mumbled, kissing his temple. For a moment, she sat there, hugging him, glad to have a moment to themselves—not on borrowed time—for the first time since they’d returned.

But just as quickly, she had to get back to business.

“Well. Let’s go talk to the jackass and his lackey, shall we?” she said, moving to stand up and stretch once more. “The sooner we find out what Garrett knows and what the rogue knows, the sooner we can maybe stop worrying about our lives.” She would have changed her clothes, but Weston was there, for one, and two, she didn’t see any need to change when the only thing she needed to do to intimidate was shift into her wolf. Ah, well.

She was still a bit tired as she led the way down to the dungeon. “Are you sure you want to do this? I can always do most of the talking, if you want.” Cana had full faith in Weston, but he and Garrett… that could end badly if they weren’t careful. The last thing she needed was a fistfight. But maybe that would make this all a little less stressful.

As long as the pack didn’t get attacked again or anything. Again.

This Is Me ​

 

[This Is Me]

Weston Ayers ~ Omega-Alpha
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Weston could have stayed right where he was - Cana’s arms around him, the sunlight warming their faces, a morning kiss to his temple. It all temporarily made him forget the gut wrenching concern he had around what he had to face today. Understanding any future threats to the pack and getting to the bottom of why Garrett wanted rouges to attack was key, but that wasn’t what was causing the worry. Finding out more about why and how he was a hybrid, and how that affected his future in the White Creek Pack, was the thing making him feel quite sick. A big sigh escaped him and Weston rested his head on top of Cana’s briefly. “No better time than the present I suppose.”

Standing, he felt rather creeky but with each step he felt a little more lithe. Omega Weston would never have dreamed of the position he was currently in, walking side by side with Cana through the pack house. Before, despite being close friends, any time they’d spoken or met had been on the down low to follow pack hierarchy protocols. Now, even though it definitely didn’t feel normal, there was a sense of relief accompanied with it, compounded by the fact that it was still early so most of the pack weren’t awake and wandering about yet.

As they got closer to the cells, Weston’s omega traits started shining through, causing him to hang back in his stride somewhat. Cana’s voice brought him back and he shook them off a little, “As Alpha, you should lead the way. It’s your pack. But… I’ll do what I can to support, somehow.” He furrowed his brow a little as he tried to think exactly how to do that. In his new wolf form protection seemed to be instinct, but in this strange hybrid-human form, he was a little muddled.

Weston’s mind became clearer as they entered the cells, however, somehow the smell of Garrett really set him on edge and the alpha in him became a little more prominent. They rounded a corner and there he was - already standing to attention and leering at the both of them.

“Well, well, well. I wondered when the Alpha that can’t run a pack without their runt of the litter sidekick would make an appearance.” Garrett spat on the ground, “Pathetic.”

Weston growled, taking a step forward, letting that riled up instinct start to take over. This definitely was no longer the kid Cana and him were friends with all those years ago. His eyes darted to the rouge in the cell next to Garrett, not looking quite as smug as the last time Weston saw him, but still equally as vile.

“So what, hear to question me? Oh my, whatever tactics will you use…”. The sarcasm was thick, with no hint of fear in Garrett’s voice at all. “I’m sure you won’t be able to repay the favour little runt.” Garrett chuckled and Weston faltered. He was hinting at the beatings Garrett had given him when he was being held no less than two days ago. And it was true - in that jibe, Weston’s alpha presence started diminishing, knowing he wasn’t cut out for interrogations in the same forceful way that the ex-Beta was (not that that had been regularly with being, what they thought, was a fairly peaceful pack).

Weston’s eyes flickered back to Cana, and realising he was actually standing in front of her, bowed his head briefly, taking a step back. Garret laughed, the eerie sound echoing around the cold brick walls of the cells. Not much has changed really then has it Weston? Still being mocked by him…

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[AnimeGenork]

Cana Lowell ~ Alpha of the White Creek Pack

Cana supposed it was too much to ask for this newfound alpha blood of Weston’s to make its presence known more often. Regardless, she frowned as Weston hung back. Though she was used to this sort of deference from everyone else in the house, it hurt a little more when Weston did it. Funny how just a few days changed just about everything in how she felt about him and about her own position. So long as she didn’t somehow let everyone know that she was starting to regret being alpha, it should be all right. She just needed to readjust, like she always did.

She gave Weston a solemn nod. “Alright, if that’s what makes you comfortable. But if he does anything to hurt you, all bets are off.” It was about time she stopped putting up with Garrett’s special brand of crap. Before she and Weston had run away, she’d simply ignored it, but it was impossible to ignore now. Not when he’d up and betrayed the pack itself.

Her lips instinctively pulled back in a snarl when she saw Garrett was ready and waiting for them. “Oh, can it, Garrett. You couldn’t run an ant colony.” What right did he have to question her leadership abilities? She’d been doing perfectly fine until she’d thought she was going to have a pack without Weston… not that the ex-Beta needed to know that particular fact. Considering he’d felt the need to bring in a rogue to take over himself as leader, well. That didn’t exactly reflect well on his confidence, did it?

Another sly comment from him, and Weston was retreating. Cana hated that power Garrett seemed to hold over him. It came from years of untold abuse. If she’d been a better alpha—a better friend—she would have noticed these things. No wonder Weston had wanted to run away. She was starting to think she never should have stopped him. By now, he would have been far away from the sniveling excuse of a Beta in front of them. He’d also be far away from her. Damn, this was a hard thing to balance.

That was it. Garrett was getting a taste of his own medicine, whether he liked it or not. Opening the cell, she said over her shoulder, “Hold me back if I go too far.”

“Oh, whatever will you do to me, Alpha?” Garrett sneered. Cana gave him a sweet smile. Then she grabbed his collar and slammed him into the ground. He sputtered and tried to fight her, but unfortunately for him, she’d gotten the drop on him. She had her knee pressed into the middle of his back, preventing him from lifting his body off the ground, and her hand pressed his face into the floor. Even the rogue in the cell next door seemed terrified. Cana didn’t like exhibiting force like this; she wanted to be a kind alpha, one who took care of everyone in the pack, including the omegas. So when someone like Garrett came in and messed all that up, well, she had some built up anger to let out.

“Garrett, I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I am real sick and tired of your level of idiocy. I was willing to give you the benefit of the doubt for a little bit there, but clearly you’re not a good fit for this pack if you turn to rogues to achieve your ends. Not to mention torturing a prisoner for no reason.” Raising an eyebrow, she spat, “Do I make myself clear?”

Garrett nodded, and out of the corner of her eye, she saw the rogue furiously nodding as well. Good. Fear-mongering wasn’t her favorite tactic, but it seemed to work here, with the jerk beneath her.

“Here are the rules. You’re going to answer all the questions we have. If you don’t, I’ll knock you around a bit. Starting with the balls you had to attack your own pack. Sound good?” Another fearful nod. “Oh, and one insult levied his way—” and here she gestured at Weston—“I’ll hurt you even more. Insulting him earns you the same punishment as insulting an alpha, understand?”

Looking back to Weston, she nodded. “Go ahead and ask him. If he tries anything, he’ll regret it.”

This Is Me ​

 

[This Is Me]

Weston Ayers ~ Omega
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Weston watched in awe as Cana righted the situation at hand, putting Garrett back in his place – that now being of a traitor instead of her beta. She only had to exhibit an ounce of her power and strength to get one up on him, something he knew she wasn’t always proud of doing. 'But man does it produce results...'. He envied her ability to control situations, no matter what they were, it was natural for her as a true-born alpha. Him? He could only wish to find a slither of that powerful calm and control, especially when right now it was taking everything in him to fight his omega-nature.

The look in Cana’s eyes helped though and he found the strength to square his shoulders and shift his hardening gaze to Garrett – fuelling himself with the look of utter helplessness on the ex-beta's face. “Let’s go back to the beginning, shall we? My beginning. I’m not stupid Garrett, no matter how much you’ve treated me like I am – I know we’re in the dark and I know you’re going to love every moment of this even though Cana has you, practically, by the balls.” A deep chuckle escaped Weston, once again, his dry humour getting the best of him in what should be a serious situation. 'Eh, better than cowering like an omega.'

Even though Cana had the upper hand and despite his current predicament, Weston’s small amount of confidence seemed to give Garrett the audacity to smirk. But this time, rather than Weston second-guessing himself from that one simple look, it riled something up inside him; something he now knew was the alpha in him and he allowed it to the surface as a deep growl rumbled in his chest. He crouched down to Garrett’s level, ensuring he made eye contact – his gaze for once steely as he stared at the man that had found fun in tormenting him for years. “How is it that you knew about me before I did? Something my own mother didn’t even seem to know?”

Garrett snarled, “Give over Weston, you know exactly what you are, you have done ever since that day we all wanted to toy with the pack boundary in the west forest. You can stop the act.”

Weston didn’t understand. That was the day the three of them had been attacked by rogues and had to be saved by the warriors. Being young kids who’d only just got their wolves, they hadn’t stood much of a chance despite Cana trying – them all somewhat trying. Weston never remembered much of that day, other than Cana getting hurt, and besides that and being carried back to the packhouse by the warriors, everything else was foggy. He didn’t understand why that had anything to do with his past, and his face conveyed the confusion as his brow furrowed.

“You’re fucking kidding me. You really don’t remember. Ha, what a joke! And here I thought you might actually have a semblance of power. I thought you were a threat...” Garrett chuckled darkly, shaking his head, “You are a runt.”

Runt. Weston despised that word. He’d heard it one too many times over the years, a word used to try and demean those of the pack considered less than, considered worthless. A deafening growl bounced off the walls and this time, Weston didn’t leave the tough act to Cana. It was as if the word tripped a switch inside of him and he had to show he wasn’t worthless, that he was far from the pathetic omega he’d been led to believe he was all these years. He was an omega. But he was also an alpha. He was more than anyone else.

Weston gripped Garrett’s neck, his claws extending slightly as he tried to keep control. “I’m tired of you Garrett. You hold no control over me anymore, so stop with the pathetic name calling and tell me what I want to know. Or shall I let Cana break something to make you more willing?” His wolf was bubbling at the surface, something alphas only contended with when their emotions ran high. He tried to ignore Cana’s expression, this wasn’t him, he knew that, but it felt too good. He felt powerful.

“Fine, fine…” Garrett wheezed, having the common sense to at least finally look at little concerned about his current predicament. “If you let go - I’ll answer - your bloody questions.” Weston obliged and smirked himself as Garrett took a few deep, raggedy breaths in. “That day in the forest you did exactly what you did during the attack the other day when Cana was in trouble – you shifted, and your wolf wasn’t an omega. You were a damn alpha, a stupidly small alpha-“ Garrett whimpered, Weston assuming Cana dug her claws in at the insult. “You were small, but there was no mistaking those eyes and the power that rolled off you despite us all having only recently shifted for the first time. Cana was out cold by this point and by the time the warriors arrived you’d collapsed, and no one was any the wiser, apart from me.”

Weston shook his head; he didn’t remember any of that. He knew he’d been worried about Cana, he vaguely remembered Garrett doing absolutely nothing to help, and he knew they’d all been in danger. But all he could remember was being carried back to the pack house by a warrior. “And you didn’t think to tell me? Your friend?!”

Garrett snorted, “Friend? We might have been when we were much younger, a friendship forced by our godforsaken parents, but as soon as you showed no signs of being a higher ranking than your parents, you weren’t worth the effort. You were just Cana’s pathetic tag along; I could never shake you…until that day. I thought you’d remembered what had happened that day and you were keeping it at bay to use to get ahead one day. Who wouldn’t when no-one else like you exists? You’re a freak.” Another whimper, followed by a low growl.

The more Garrett kept talking, the harder Weston was finding it to keep steady. He’d known their friendship had changed after that day in the west forest, but he hadn’t realised it had started before that. 'How much more of my life is a lie?' And it was all because his rank wasn’t higher. His cheeks heated in embarrassment, conflicted within himself at having been made to feel pathetic and worthless over something that should’ve made him feel empowered – omegas had their own strengths, they weren’t always just a weakness to pack.

“You’re a threat Weston, whether you want to admit that or not. You throw the balance, and I wasn’t going to have you threatening my position in this pack.”

That snapped Weston out of his head, and he laughed, darkly, “Your position? So, I might have been a threat, but the actual pack wasn’t something you cared about?! Just your position. Figures.” He sat back on his haunches, hands clasped in front of him. “I assume from there on you did some digging? Carry on then, what did you find?”

Garrett shook his head, not in defiance, but in disbelief that after all this time, Weston actually had no idea. “So, so much Weston. It’ll make you question everything, and I can’t wait to see that look in your eyes-” A huff, a wince – Cana’s ministrations. From where Garrett was now sitting partially upright, making it easier for him to talk, Weston could see her claws extending into his arms where she held them tightly behind his back.

“Garrett, do you not remember me saying that if you don’t tell us what we want to know, I will let Cana do whatever she wants to make sure you answer us.” Garrett grumbled under his breath and Weston had a feeling he was figuring out which parts of his life he wanted to tell him. He knew, deep down, that he wouldn’t get the whole story out of him, and if he was honest, he didn’t want to – it would be forever tainted that way. He needed to know the basics, that was enough…for today. “Now, tell me – who am I?”

“You’re the son of Clarise Wilder and Balor Draven, alpha of High Ridge Pack.” Weston felt a cold chill run down his spine, he’d heard that alphas name before – and nothing good had ever come from it. His eyes flickered over to Cana, hoping to not catch disgust in them at who his birthfather was. “But your mummy-dearest is the really interesting one. Oh my, isn’t she just.” Garrett’s eyes sparkled, swirling with something akin to insanity as he continued, “She’s from a long, long line of true omegas, but then one day, something abominable like you came about.” Weston’s eyes grew wide, and Garrett manically laughed, “There’s that look!” He continued laughing, his shoulders shaking and tears coming to his eyes. “How I’ll miss seeing that tormented look you little runt.”

That word. Weston’s eyes glowed and he growled, his emotions a trainwreck as he tried to make sense of everything Garrett was saying and whether there was an ounce of truth in it. He knew he shouldn’t get riled up, he knew he needed to get answers, but all he could see was a haze as his fist landed square on Garrett’s nose. He barely felt it, but he saw the blood and he heard the garbled scream. Broken, definitely broken. Weston stood, “I’m done with you.” 'For now.' Turning around, Weston flung open the cell door, growls coming out in between each breath as he tried to control himself.

Garrett seemed to pull himself together quickly, keen for one last stab at the hybrid losing control. “But you haven’t heard the best bit!” He spluttered, wiping the blood on the back of his hand, “Don’t you want to know about daddy-dearest? Don’t you want to know that he knows about you?”

Weston growled loudly once more, whirling back to glare at Garrett, his shoulders heaving as he tried to keep some semblance of control. “I said, I’m done, with you. Rot in hell.” And with that, Weston stormed out of the cells, taking a deep breath as soon as he was in the fresh air. He looked down at his knuckles, red and throbbing, the pain coming through ten-fold from still not having recovered fully from the rogue attack. Not waiting for Cana, he ran, shifting mid-air and running – able to ignore the pain he was in and the thoughts racing through his head as his alpha wolf took over.

Weston kept running until he reached the boundary in the west forest, where it had all apparently started. An anguished howl broke free from him just before he collapsed in a heap on the floor, shifting back into his measly human form. All the power, all the strength, it had vanished, and for the first time in years, Weston cried, exhausted from trying to keep this new part of him in check.
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AnimeGenork​

 

[AnimeGenork]

Cana Lowell ~ Alpha of the White Creek Pack

Cana glared down at Garrett as Weston finally spoke, keeping her knee and hand firmly pressed into his body so he wouldn’t move. She did, however, allow herself a smirk at the “by the balls” comment. “One toe out of line and I might have to literally have him by the balls.” Nor would she hesitate to actually do it—she’d had it with Garrett’s bullshit, and though she knew it wasn’t quite over yet, she wanted it to be over with already.

Naturally, Garrett didn’t let the fact that he’d been beat faze him. And honestly? Screw him for that. At the very least, Weston didn’t let this faze him either, and Cana’s eyes shot up at the sound of a growl from the former omega. Her lips parted in surprise as he crouched beside Garrett to question him, rather than remain standing. Knowing Weston the way she did, she wasn’t sure how long this confidence in him would last. But for now, she was kind of enjoying it. A lot. There was, somehow, nothing quite as attractive as Weston kicking Garrett to the curb. (Although if he did that for real, she would enjoy it much, much more.)

“Why the hell are you bringing that up?” she growled, unsure what the rogue attack all those years ago had to do with the present. Of course, she probably should have expected that they would be interrelated—such was the way of their lives lately—but no matter how fast the gears turned, she couldn’t quite connect the dots.

That day had been a mistake. Not because she regretted the happy-go-lucky childhood of a future alpha and her future beta and omega friends, but because of what happened after. They had just been playing around, exploring the forest around the house. Then, out of the blue, rogues attacked. Cana had tried her best to fight them off, for the sake of Weston and Garrett, but she was just a kid, and of course she got hurt. Had she been training more, perhaps she would have actually been able to drive them off without the rest of the pack getting involved. She’d passed out from her injuries. Was Garrett talking about something that had happened after that?

Cana’s knee pressed harder into Garrett’s back, a low growl erupting out of her throat as a warning. She was not going to put up with his stupid name-calling. And it seemed Weston wasn’t going to, either. Cana jerked back as Weston gripped Garrett’s neck. Her eyes shot up to his face, a little surprised by the ferocity she found there. If he lost control, would she be able to stop him, she wondered. Would she even want to, after everything Garrett had done? After putting the entire pack in danger for his stupid agenda?

She was briefly distracted by this line of thought and nearly missed Weston’s invocation of her name and authority. As her gaze refocused on Weston, she furrowed her eyebrows to see something stirring underneath it all. It wasn’t something she was used to seeing—that is, the wolf stirring beneath the skin. If this was what it looked like whenever she was especially angry, no wonder the others seemed afraid of her wrath. The power of an alpha was something to behold, for certain. Not that she liked the idea of Weston using that power for something like this. Even if it was Garrett incurring such anger.

Finally, finally, they were getting information out of Garrett. Although Weston let go of Garrett’s neck, Cana didn’t move away from him. She let up on the pressure on his head, but if anything, she let her knee dig into his back a little harder. As he told the story, however, Garrett seemed intent on still insulting Weston, and she wasn’t having it. She dug her claws in, relishing in the whimper that came from her former friend.

As hard as she tried to remember, she didn’t recollect anything about Weston shifting into an alpha either. The first time she’d seen it was yesterday. Digging her claws in again at the sign of another insult, Cana spat, “If you were really our friend, you wouldn’t be saying such nonsense. I can’t believe I ever thought you were good for this pack.” If she didn’t have her emotions in check, she’d punch the everliving snot out of this idiot. How could she have been so blind to let someone like him so close to her all these years? Thank God for Weston running away. Perhaps she would have never seen this side to him if Weston hadn’t tried to leave.

As for Weston, Cana’s concern for him grew. There was no way this was good for him. Stay strong, Weston. Please. At least until this conversation was over. She wanted to reach for him, wrap her arms around him, but every part of her body was preoccupied with keeping Garrett in check. To ease with his explanations, she pulled him into a partially upright position. It was helpful, sort of. Unsurprisingly, she had to dig in her claws—harder—to get the former beta to stop blowing smoke. Could he go more than five seconds without insulting Weston?

“I’d listen to him if I were you. At this point, I’m so done with your ass I’d rather beat you up.”

So the truth was finally revealed. Cana’s eyes widened at the name of the High Ridge Pack’s alpha. Her hackles raised, and the hair on the back of her neck rose. She had always feared that name, not that she’d ever let anyone but Christian know that. But—that man was Weston’s father? That made no sense in the least. Weston was sweet, caring. Nothing like Balor. Cana lifted her head to look at Weston, but he just looked scared. Garrett, in her grip, started laughing like the true villain he was. Next thing she knew, Weston was punching Garrett squarely in the nose and walking away.

Pride or confusion. She couldn’t tell which one she was feeling more. Probably pride that Weston had finally stood up for himself. And that he’d landed such a good blow on Garrett. Though the former beta tried to regain control and power over the situation, Weston was done. And, frankly, so was she. Tightening her grip on his arms, she threw him against the wall, using as much force as possible. “Like he said. Rot in hell, asshat.”

Thankfully, she had the wherewithal to remember to lock Garrett’s cell before hurrying after Weston. She hadn’t liked the look on his face as he’d left. Now that she didn’t have to keep that jerk under control, she could finally comfort Weston the way she’d wanted to in the dungeon.

“Weston!” she called, just catching sight of him shifting and running away. Idiot! He was still injured! Sighing in exasperation, she quickly shifted and ran after him. Whether it was because his own alpha wolf had come out or because she hadn’t been expecting to run today, she wasn’t quite keeping up with him the way she should’ve been. Her ears twitched at the sound of his howl. Then, she realized: the west forest boundary. Damn.

Cana slowed to a stop near him, gently nudging his shoulder with her muzzle. He was crying. She hated when he cried. Shifting back into her own human form, Cana cupped her face in his hands. “Hey. Look at me. Weston. Please?” She moved closer to him, leaning down to kiss his cheek. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what’s going on with this new alpha wolf thing, but I’m sorry. It’s not very fun.”

She sighed, brushing some of his hair out of his face. “I wish I knew what to say to make it better. Really, I do.” With a small smile, she added, “But can I just say I’m so proud of you for punching him like that?”

“Come on. Please. You need your rest, dummy. Don’t want those injuries reopening themselves before they can heal.” Cana kissed the top of his head, hoping that would convince him, at least a little bit. They both needed time to process. It was going to be a long night of lying awake wondering what the hell was happening to their pack. To them.

Little did Cana know that Garrett was going to exit their lives much sooner than she could’ve wished for.

This Is Me ​