Alisson's Escape

When Old Flames Burn

Henry had known Melody since they were children, their parents being friends cemented that bond so they grew up with each other. In his childhood, she had been a constant and natural presence in his life and being without her had seemed impossible. Where there was Henry there was always Melody lurking nearby.

They both came from an alpha family and both had responsibilities they were expected to fulfil which isolated them from the other werepups who were carefree and naive and drew them closer to each other. It became natural for them to let go around each other and tell the other about their fears, worries and dreams, without feeling judged or pandered to.

Henry could remember his six-year-old self regaling the redhead with tales of all the adventures he would go on once he left the pack and travelled the world, seeing sights and people he never knew existed. That childhood dream was quickly crushed when he was placed in warrior training at the ripe age of ten; five years before other wolves would start if they aspired for such a position, and forced to train for endless hours. It was there he met Hunter who he quickly struck up a friendship with, to the joy of both their parents. Hunter was carefree and joyful like Melody which was what drew him to the other boy, but unlike Melody, he knew when to set the jokes aside and be serious; which was something he appreciated.

He found himself drifting away from the girl and immersing more into the affairs of his pack, it was an exhilarating thing to have so much power and control in his little hands and he quickly became high off the feeling. People tripped over their feet to meet his demands, other kids started instinctively bowing to him when they met him and the adults jokingly followed suit; though he could see the reverence in their eyes.

Melody had suddenly become obsolete to him, only drifting back into his attention when they hit puberty and were on their way to adulthood. In their teenage years they suddenly could not get enough of themselves and discarded their duties to spend time with each other. He tried desperately to separate his duties from Melody; who he saw as his guilty pleasure, which was why Hunter never met her. He wanted his big scary alpha self to be a completely different person from the lovesick boy following after a giggling Melody.

He got so used to switching between the two personalities that certain behaviours relegated themselves to one personality. He found it harder to smile when he was Alpha Henry and could not find it in himself to take control and lead when he was Henry. More often than not he was Alpha Henry, being Henry only when he was around a select group of people like Hunter, Melody and his parents.

As they reached the end of their teenage years they were confronted with the reality of mates. Melody insisted they would be mates with a frightening surety and Henry simply agreed each time. On one hand, he loved her and could see himself spending the rest of his life with her, but on the other hand, he could not imagine being with someone so crazily happy and grotesquely optimistic.

He wanted a mate who was calm and level headed not someone who was constantly giggling and laughing at stupid meaningless things that he could not understand no matter how hard he tried.

It was to his hidden relief that when he turned eighteen she was not his mate while she was devastated, she cried and raved and cursed the Moon Goddess, and Henry just stood to the side and watched the madness. He felt a small flicker of disappointment but did not dwell too long on it, he was to travel away for his training which was his only chance to explore outside the pack, and he did not want anything ruining it for him.

He left with Hunter and the well wishes of his people, not once looking back, excited and mad with the joy of freedom.

His return was a reluctant but necessary thing, he could not stay out in the wide wonderful world he had yet to fully explore, so he returned with half his heart and the other half scattered to the wind and exploring the world in the way he could not.

It was a painful yet beautiful feeling when he found his mate. She was beautiful and everything he ever wanted and did not know he needed. Alpha Henry's temper had grown more destructive over the years so when he saw the flash of pain in her eyes from the grasp he had on her arm he retreated into the comfort of conversing with Hunter and ignored the guilt he felt and the apology at the tip of his tongue. Out of sight, out of mind, he repeated stubbornly to himself.

They spent years in their not-so-peaceful union and over time, he found Henry presenting himself to Alisson more than Alpha Henry. It gave him hope that someday things will get better and they could live without the violence and pain.

Melody's reappearance had burst his little bubble and showed him what he could have had. He saw her and her bubbly smile, and could not help it when the lovesick boy of yesterday emerged for her, begging for just a bit of her attention.

He knew he should not have done it and he knew he should have set a clear line, he was a mated wolf to a wonderful woman who he truly cared about but he was also weak.

Giving in to Melody's persuasions and taunts was a mistake that he regretted making when he saw the look on Alisson's face. For the first time in his life, he found himself frightened of her as he watched her stalk out of their home and away from him.