Gideon's Love

Finn

Finn stood in front of his bathroom mirror, and along with his wolf Lyric, they pumped themselves up for the day with affirmations. "We are kind, we are smart, we are brave, we will escape, we will find love, we are special." He pumps his fist in the air. "We got this!" he stood looking over his face in the mirror before reaching for his concealer to hide the bruises left there by his dad. He's had to cover his face up on more than one occasion, so he knew his way around a makeup brush. He expertly hides his bruises and adds a little color with blush and tinted lip gloss.

He stood looking over his latest masterpiece and smiled to himself. "Almost as good as new". Lyric whimpered, feeling ashamed that he couldn't better protect his person. "Sorry, Finn".

"It's not you, buddy. Don't apologize". They have never been allowed to shift, and because of that, it stunted their ability to do so. His dad was part of the warrior class, so even if they did, they wouldn't stand a chance against him.

Finn hums a tune to relax his wolf, the same song his mother used to hum to him before she died. He never blamed Lyric, and he never would. Lyric was his best friend. He was a social pariah; his family was the most hated clan in this pack. Just his last name closed almost all doors to him, and as a gay omega, even his family hated him, especially his dad. No one was more disappointed in him than his dad.

He dried his light brown hair until his brown locks sparkled under the bathroom lights; he pulled his medium-length hair back with a headband, letting it puff out behind while smooth around his face. He gave his appearance one last check. He had round, chubby pink cheeks, pouty lips, sky-blue eyes, and dark brown eyelashes. He looked like one of those cherubs you see in old paintings.

He looked down at his squishy belly and poked it with a finger. He was a bit chubby since he ate his emotions. Looking around his room, you could find snacks stashed in hiding spots and empty wrappers strewn across his desk.

He walked back to his room and picked out a complete outfit. Today was a special day, and he wanted to look his best. He grabbed a black pair of skinny jeans and a dark grey button-down shirt he ironed last night. His crush turned eighteen today. The grey made his eyes pop, and he hoped his crush would notice. Dade Harker at one time was Finn's best friend in elementary school until Dade found out what Finn's last name was. Since then, Dade has made a point to ostracize Finn and Finn. He tried his best to show Dade he was different from his family. Every year, for Dade's birthday, he made him a present, hoping that it would be accepted, and every year, Dade tossed it in the trash without opening it and usually punched him in the face. But he didn't give up. He honestly and truly believed that one day, Dade would see him and not his last name.

The Alderates were the enemies of the Harker's. Finn wasn't sure why since no one told him anything, but from what he heard, at one time, his uncle was mated to the Gamma's mate, Emma, and his uncle Jake rejected and hurt her. He's unclear about the details, but it resulted in Jake and his grandpa Luca's death. His dad, Jimmy, was Jake's older brother, and he still blames the Harkers for losing his dad and brother.

He gets dressed and looks at the time; he always gets up super early to avoid his alcoholic dad and leaves two hours before school even begins. He doesn't mind since it allows him to start the day every morning with complete awesomeness. He has his own morning ritual that's about to begin in ten minutes.

Finn puts his gift in his backpack and opens his bedroom door. He groans, seeing his dad on the couch passed out. He knows if he steps in there, his dad will wake up, and the last thing you want to do is wake up James' Jimmy' Alderate. He closes the door and turns to his bedroom window. Sliding it open, he begins to climb out when he hears a loud THUNK from the living room, followed by curses. He panics and scrambles quickly out of the window, getting his foot caught in the blinds and falling face-first into the shrubs below his window. He reaches back up to slide the window closed as his dad slams his bedroom door open. He ducks down low, hoping his dad didn't see him, and grabs his backpack before running as fast as his chubby legs can carry him.

He rounds the block, stops, puts his hands on his knees to catch his breath, and straightens his shirt as he stands. He walks a couple of blocks to the open-air market. Every step closer gets him more excited.

Finn was a people person. He loved people. He loved chatting with anyone, anywhere and at any time. He adored people watching and sitting on a bench in the park, creating his own fun narrative about what they were doing. He also liked the attention of the little old ladies who told him the latest gossip. He rounded the next corner, feeling his soul wake up and his heart come alive. For the next two hours, he'll be able to feel free. He stops and helps Mrs. Bartlett stack her apples before moving on to Mr. Cassiers to help him unstack chairs for the outdoor café. He stopped in a dozen places and had small conversations, asking everyone about their families. He remembered everyone's names, including birthdays and children's. And they were kind to him as long as he kept his last name a secret.

After waving to the last shop owner, he turns towards his next destination. He always went to the Oracle of Selene every morning to light candles and say prayers, hoping they would be heard someday. He adjusted his backpack, now full of snacks from various shops that the owners always insisted he take, and skipped down an alley that would lead across the street from the oracle. He started coming this way about a year ago to feed an orange cat that was always there. That cat absolutely hated Finn, but he still tried. Today, he brought chicken pieces, hoping the cat would let him pet her without attacking him.

She did not let him pet her. Finn walked out of the alley, rubbing his arm with a pout. Deep, long scratches stood out on his pale pink flushed skin. He moaned as he looked down at the long trails of blood. Tomorrow, he'll have better luck. Lyric cackles at his attempt and dances around, excited to enter the oracle. Lyric always hoped the Moon Goddess would hear their prayers and help them. He never gave up on that hope. He was optimistic she would listen to them this time.

Finn pushes the door open and heads off to the right of the alter, where candles are set up to light. After you prayed, you lit a candle so the Moon Goddess could follow the prayer. He couldn't tell you how that worked but blindly believed it anyway.

He claps his hands together twice and begins his prayers. He prayed for Ms. Martin and her sick hamster and then lit a candle; he prayed for Jessica in third-period math because she was worried about passing her test. She had no idea who Finn was, but he prayed for her anyway. He lit a candle and moved on to the following prayer. On and on, he went until he got to his last two prayers. He prayed his dad would stop drinking and learn to love him. As he was lighting the candle, the flame went out, and the candle fell from its perch and rolled away. Lyric shuddered. "That was an omen". Finn rolled his eyes, picked up the candle, lit it, and then moved on to his last prayer. He prayed for Dade to have the best birthday ever. He lit the last candle and clapped his hands twice before turning to leave.

He slams into a tiny figure and bounces back. "Gosh, I'm so sorry. Are you okay?"

The cloaked figure smiles, revealing elongated fangs. "I'm fine," and then he points to his arm. "No means no."

His face heats, and he hides his arm behind his back. "I was just trying to help a cat; I thought she could use a friend."

The cloaked figure snorts and steps closer to Finn, forcing him to back up against a pillar. "It doesn't look like the kitty needed your help."

Finn chuckles nervously and tries to slide to the side to make a getaway, but the cloaked figure anticipates his move and places herself in front of him.

He gasps and whimpers slightly in fear. She's smaller than him, but he's pretty positive she can take him down. He's not exactly known for his fighting skills. Is she a robber?

He gulps nervously, "I'm Finley, but my friends call me Finn. Do you work here? Are you a priestess?"

The cloaked figure smiled again before answering. "Something like that, Finley. Are you done praying, Finely? Can you pray for me, Finley? No one ever prays for me, Finley."

Gosh, why does she keep repeating his name like that? It's creepy. "O-okay.... yeah. I'll pray for you. What's your name?" If praying for this terrifying lady gets him out of here, he'll give her the best damn prayer ever.

She moves closer, and he catches a hint of death and sulfur. His nose wrinkles in distaste as he slides to the candles without taking his eyes off her. What is she? He's scared she might kill him and sell his organs if he blinks.

"Achlys. Pray for me, Finley. Pray my kills come easy, Finley." Finn chirps an odd sound and visibly quakes before he trips over his feet, landing on his side. He pops back up and squeaks "OK" before quickly turning around.

He takes a deep breath, clapping twice, and prays, "Please let Ms. Achlys kill easily." Finn lights a candle and double-claps his hands at warp speed. He jumps away from the candles and grabs his backpack while running towards the entrance. He doesn't look back as he slams into the door, making it and himself vibrate while making his escape.

Achlys snorted and cackled loudly as she watched him run away. He's a funny kid, and she's going to have a lot of fun messing with him. Finn... now she has a name; he's growing on her. If only he would stop trying to pet her. She's been watching him for a while on the market street. He's a sweet kid with a kind heart. Watching him was like watching a burst of color against a black-and-white film. She takes a deep breath, inhaling the purity of his soul. It's odd that a kid his age still has a pure soul. Usually, they become tainted by life by now. She turns around and squeals, running into an ancient woman in a matching cloak.

The priestess raises a wrinkled, gnarled hand and beckons her to follow, "You have a kill." Achlys sighs. When doesn't she have a kill?

Finn runs to school, looking over his shoulder every few seconds. He hears the ding of the first bell, letting him know he has a few minutes before his first class starts, and he picks up the pace. His wheels spin as fast as he can make them go; he slides into his first class just as the second bell dings for the start of class. He dramatically falls into his chair, gasping for breath and looking out the window, hoping the scary lady didn't follow him.

Finn twitched for the rest of the class, thinking about the lady at the oracle. Who was that? Will she be there tomorrow? He earnestly hoped to never see her again. He was lost in thought for the remaining hour of class. When the bell dinged, releasing them, Finn jumped up to bolt out of the room. He needs to find Dade so he can give him his present.

He walks to Dade's locker and waits. He looked down at his carefully wrapped gift. It would be nice if Dade remembered his birthday, too, but he would not hold his breath. He turned seventeen last month. No one knew or cared except for Lyric. He should be in the grade below but was bumped up back in elementary school, and he was grateful because he got to meet his crush. He hears a growl and looks up; Dade is glaring at him, but the look in his eyes differs from the usual hostility. This look is deadly; Finn panics and runs. He has no idea why he's so chubby when he spends the vast majority of every day running away from one person or another.

He feels Dade grab the back of his collar and yank, falling back onto Dade. He growls at Finn again and shoves him down and off him.

Finn lifts his gift up. "I-I made you.." Dade kicks the gift out of his hands, and Finn watches it skid across the floor with a sad look. Maybe next year...

Dade drags him to an empty room by the back of his shirt and shoves him in. The irony of the situation isn't lost on him. Years ago, at this same school, his mom was rejected by an Alderate and assaulted, and here he was, looking down at an Alderate, his mate. He leans his head back and lets out a string of curses. He's not even gay. He runs his hands through his hair, looking down at Finn. Deep down, he knows Finn isn't a bad person, and that pisses him off because it makes it hard to hate him, but he still manages.

Dade drags in a deep breath, "I, Dade Harker, reject Finley Alderate as my mate." He steps closer to Finn and watches him scoot back on his butt.

Finn's eyes are wide in shock, mate? He was still too young to feel the mate pull, but he still felt that rejection. Large tears pool out of his eyes, sliding down his pink cheeks. "Wait, please wait. Please give me a chance. I promise I'll be good; I promise to do my best. Accept me!" Hard sobs rack his body as he crawls to Dade. "I just need a chance; I can show you I'm not like my family. Just one chance is all I need, just see me and not my name". He doesn't look up as he bawls at Dade's feet.

Dade looks down in disgust. If he kicks the s**t out of this mutt like he wants to, his family will never forgive him. He'll be no better than an Alderate. Attacking his rejected mate in the same school his mom was in will leave repercussions he doesn't want to deal with.

He kneels down and jerks Finn's head up by his hair. "Just accept the f*****g rejection. I will never insult the Harker name by mating an Alderate, especially not with you. You're f*****g gross." Dade releases his hair and stands back up. "Do you want me to be unhappy? Will you force me to take a mate I don't want? We'll both be miserable. Make me happy, Finn!"

Finn curls up into a small ball and shakes his head. He doesn't want Dade to be unhappy. He prayed for Dade to have the best birthday ever. Still, if his existence made Dade this miserable on his birthday or any day, he had to fix it, even if it crushed his hopes and dreams. With his head tucked into his lap, he cried, "I accept your rejection." Waves of energy shoot out from both of them as the mate bond is broken. He stays on the ground crying with Lyric as Dade walks to the door.

Dade turns back one last time. "Don't f*****g tell anyone about this." The door slams closed, and Finn stays in the same position, crying without looking up.

Hours pass, but Finn stays in the same spot, his eyes long dried out. For a brief moment, he wished he was dead. Every hope and dream he's ever had has slowly been chipped away and destroyed. Finding his mate was one of the last few wishes he had left.

He slowly gets up off the floor and groans. His body feels like it took a beating. He looks at the time and sighs. School ended an hour ago. He works his way to the door and leaves the school. He slowly trudges home, dragging his feet. His heart burned, and the knot in his throat made breathing difficult.

He just wants to crawl into his closet and sleep. It was his safe place when he was scared or hurt; right now, he was both.

He stops at his front door, unsure how he got home; he made it here on autopilot. He stares at the door for a few more minutes, trying to decide if he really wants to step into that hellhole.

With resignation, he turns the handle and slowly sneaks into the house. He quietly makes it to his room and lets out a little breath of relief. His dad hadn't caught him yet; he just needed to stay silent and hope he didn't come looking for him.

He sits down on the bed and reaches for a pillow to hug. He just sat there in a daze until his bedroom door slammed open. His swollen red eyes swung up to his dad, and he knew the alcoholic fumes wafting towards him screwed him.