Chapter 6: A Birthday to Celebrate


    2 yearster


    It was cold on the mountain top as the icy wind was dominating the entire region. Can stepped every


    foot cautiously. After walking a few distances he could clearly see his destination. Two g posts on


    either side of arge cave. This ce was home to a small poption of grizzly bears. It was Can''s


    favorite ce in the world. As soon as Can crossed the gs he was crushed by a hug and he fell


    down.


    "You are finally here. I had told Mother that you will visit today but she said that you would rather spend


    your day with your pack and I told her that you can never ditch your best friend but she said....."


    "Can''t breathe." Can said in almost a whisper, it was difficult for him to speak. His face was red as his


    best friend had bottlenecked the air supply.


    "Ohh! Pardon me. Sometimes I forget that you are a non-shifter. Here you go." He released his friend


    while Can exhaled arge breath he was holding up thanks to his friend. He got himself up and


    dusted all the ice from his clothes.


    "You really should stop doing that Archer. By the way Happy birthday my dear friend" Can twitched


    his nose and hit Archer on the back of his head yfully.


    "That hurts." Archer groaned.


    "Exactly my point." Archer and Can continued their yful banter as they rolled over the ice and


    wrestled each other. Archer''s ears perked up when his father whistled from inside the cave.


    "We should go inside, Father is calling us. By the way happy birthday to you too." Can smiled and


    followed his friend inside the cave.


    The cave inside resembled a dome structure. It was essentially carved out to fit a family of eight bears.


    The Kemps resided to the nearest boundaries of the western region of the blue moon pack. After


    Can moved to his new home he was finally able to make some new friends who were uncritical and


    less concerned with his inability to shift. One such dear friend was Archer who stumbled upon Can


    when thetter was returning home after fishing while Archer in a pang of hunger had consumed all his


    catch on his way home. Archer had no time to go back to the river and catch any fish. It would require


    tremendous effort and his precious time. So Can selflessly gave away all his fish to Archer so that his


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    family could feed and Archer be saved from the scolding of his father. That was the beginning of an


    affectionate confraternity between the boys.


    As soon as he entered the cave, Can was assaulted with the aroma of delicacies which were served


    on the table for everyone to eat.


    "Can my boy. How have you been?" Can was again squeezed tightly in the arms of Archer''s father.


    Archer was a true copy of Lancelot, the only difference being that the father was buff and hirsute while


    Archer still had his boyish charms. Anothermon thing with the family was that they were always in


    their bare essentials to cover themselves. They hated clothing.


    "I''m fine thank you. Mother has sent her wishes and has asked you to visit us someday." He quickly


    grabbed a box of berries from his pocket and handed over to the chief of the house. Lancelot


    appreciated the gesture and set the box on the table besides all the food.


    "You are finally here. I hope the ice has not bothered you much, soon it will be winter and the weather


    up here can be severe." Can was greeted by ady of his height. She closed the gap between them


    and embraced Can." I wish you a very happy birthday dear Can. I hope your special day brings


    you lots of happiness and fun. You deserve them a lot." Can could see the merry and delight in


    M''s eyes.


    The table was decorated with different kinds of cuisine ranging from hare, deer, boar and fishes to


    puddings, tarts, custards and patties. It was a lot of food on the table.


    After a whileter the other members of the family joined in. Archer''s grandma, his elder brother and


    his mate with their toddler and Archer''s elder sister. They all wished Can on his birthday. It had only


    been two years but the Kemps were already fond of the boy. Lillian, the elder sister of Archer was


    nervous and fidgeting.


    "Are you all right my child?" M asked her daughter with concern.


    "Y-yes mother." She could not help but look at Can every chance she got. When Can returned her


    gaze she blushed red, bowing down looking at herp. Can looked sideways to his friend and raised


    an eyebrow as if to ask what was happening. Archer just shrugged and pursed his smile. Can knew


    that Archer was teasing him and made a point to broach the subjectter.


    "What are you your ns for your birthday celebration?" Lancelot asked striking a conversation.


    "This day is never about me. It''s about the future Alpha of the pack. We have a feast in his honor and


    we all cherish the fact what a great Alpha he is going to be. The man born with a silver spoon." Can


    was nonchnt and sarcastic in his tone.


    "That''s too bad. Surely your parents must have had celebration ns for you. After all you are their


    only child." M sympathized with the boy.


    "My father is the head of the security while my mother is assisting our Luna all day. Since it is a big day,


    both of them are busy and don''t have much time even for each other. So even if they want to be with


    me they really can''t. They alwaysete that day; usually I get to see them the next morning. Most


    of the times I have celebrated my birthday the day before or the day after, but it''s not the same. I feel


    like the essence of one being special is missing. To be honest this is the first time when I have


    celebrated my birthday on the exact day." Can could see pity andpassion in every face on the


    table.


    "Don''t worry Can, you are always wee to celebrate your birthday with us."


    "Alphonse is right we could celebrate ording to your likes and wishes from next year onwards. You


    could bring your friends if you want." Can appreciated the gesture by the elder brother and his mate.


    "Oh you poor thing! I did not realize when I asked Archer to invite you today. You must be feeling


    terrible to share your special day with someone else even today." M was regretful that Can had to


    share his birthday with her son. She thought that Can needs to be treated special, like the day was


    meant for him.


    "On the contrary, this has been the best birthday of my life! I can''t express in words how happy I am


    today. And no, I don''t have any problem to share this day with my best friend. At least I get


    acknowledged here unlike my pack." Can''s eyes had been glossy at this time.


    "What do you mean?" Lancelot was perplexed.


    "What he means father is that very few people in his pack remember that its Can''s birthday as well. It


    is strange, but only Can and the Alpha''s son share the same birth date in the entire pack. Which


    means that only these two should have a special asion to celebrate. Yet they neither acknowledge


    him nor do they appreciate it, they simply ignore him. It''s always his parents and a few elders of the


    pack who bless him. Rest of them surround the Alpha''s son and try to please him as if he was the


    king." Archer was furious on how the blue moon pack treated his friend. He had advised Can


    countless times to stay with him in his cave, but the boy loved his parents too much and knew that he


    can''t escape his responsibilities. Can weakly smiled and patted the back of the palm of Archer to


    assure that he was alright and that Archer should calm down.


    ****


    After the feast the family presented gifts to the birthday boys. Archer presented a new Axe made from


    the strongest wood in the forest while Can gave a pot of freshly harvested honey to Archer. Honey


    was difficult to get in this season but Can managed to arrange some from his human friends just to


    see the delight and excitement in his best friend''s eyes. Archer was ecstatic when he sniffed the honey


    and straightaway attacked the pot. Lillian presented Can with freshly baked muffins which she made


    herself. She seductively touched Can''s hand while gifting him the muffins. She giggled and moved


    strands of her hair to the back of her ear. Can was ufortable with this gesture; he nervously


    pulled himself back and sat besides his best friend.


    "What has happened to Lillian? She is behaving strange."


    "Not just Lillian my friend, the girls in these mountains are swoon over by your charm. They want to eat


    you alive." Archer could not control hisughter when Can''s expressions were as if he could die of


    embarrassment any moment. "The Be''s daughter had visited our home three times today, just to


    know if we need any assistance with the preparations. Her real motive however was to join us because


    YOU were our guest for the feast. Fun fact; she and Lillian had a girl fight over you yesterday. Oh! I just


    loved it!" Can was baffled with all this information.


    "Oh Luna! Not Lillian please. I have always treated her as my sister. This is definitely awkward. What


    has happened to the girls these days? Fighting over something like this is just too much."


    "You must be joking! Have you seen yourself in a mirror? You are the best looking man I have ever


    seen in my life. You have the hair, the face the body which a girl desires and a boy envies. Don''t take it


    otherwise but had I been a girl I would''ve definitely mated you."


    "Stop exaggerating. This has be a serious issue for me these days; the girls have been behaving


    odd around me. They stammer, they don''t look my way and some keep giggling when they pass me."


    "I am not exaggerating my friend. Don''t tell me that the girls in your pack are not hitting on you.


    Everyone wants a piece of you Can." Archer winked and smacked Can''s arm yfully while


    devouring the sweet taste of honey.


    Can was pensive at what Archer had said. He surely was getting all the attention from the girls and


    more of ire from his male counterparts. He never asked any of it, it was already difficult to be the odd


    man in the pack and now his looks have only strained his bond with his coetaneous members. Can


    was jaded with these thoughts and decided to call it a day. He departed from the cave thanking the


    Kemps and mostly avoiding Lillian while Archer apanied his friend to his house.


    The weather outside had been severe. The wind was harsh and chilly. However Archer noticed that


    while the wind was attacking him left and right Can was unfazed by the ambush as the winds made a


    straight pathway for Can to follow. This was strange. It was like Mother Nature was helping the boy


    find his way back home. Archer did not think too much about it, he considered this a fluke and was


    behind his friend taking advantage of the situation. On reaching the house, both the boysid the


    presents on the table and went straightway to the human settlement to meet their other friends there.


    The boys celebrated their day with merriment and enthusiasm. Can felt like he belonged somewhere,


    where people do care about him and he is not burdened to prove himself to anyone.1


    At twilight however Can realized that he had to visit the grand feast at the Alpha mansion and


    participate in the celebrations. He bid adieu to his friends and was on his way to the center of the


    vige. The birthday celebration in their pack has never been a happy moment for Can. Everyone


    surrounded Einar and blessed him, wished him to be the fierce and the most dominant wolf in the


    world. As if he needed any of it. While Can would be avoided as if he does not belong there. Einar on


    the other hand enjoyed all the attention he used to get. People glorified him; put him to a pedestal like


    he was meant to be.


    Can also hated the fact that Einar had be cold towards him. After the day following his recovery


    Einar stopped showing himself abruptly. There were days in a stretch when the boy did not see or hear


    anything about the Alpha''s son. When he finally showed up; he was cold and different towards him. He


    used to re at Can with a scowl every time they crossed paths. It even happened once that his wolf


    lost control and was about to attack Can but was saved by the Alpha.


    The boy however did not know what had caused Einar''s fury.


    The Alpha''s son was punished for the act and Can was med for the entire incident by his fellow


    pack mates. From that day onward Can had maintained a safe distance from Einar and his friends.


    He only focused on his training and his routines and was back home when it was all done. He avoided


    the boy like a gue. Even during breakfast at the Alpha house Can used to sit to the farthest point


    away from Einar. It was not that he feared him, in some proportion he did but mostly he wanted to avoid


    any conflict as Einar was going to be their future leader and he had to be in good terms with him. The


    only time he regretted was times like this when he had no other option but to face the Alpha''s son. Not


    only did he have to face him today but also wish him for his birthday by presenting him with a gift as


    was the tradition.


    Can knew that Einar despised him as thetter appreciated every gift he used to get in some way or


    another except his. He would use the gifts for their meant purposes or as a decoration, but Can''s gift


    was never to be seen by anybody. This was the case every year.1


    Why do I even bother to present him with a gift. Can thought. Even if I give him a present that


    imbecile will be thankless and throw it away like he always does. I would have appreciated even a


    single gesture of gratitude for investing my time and effort for the gift. But no, he has to feed his


    gigantic ego. As always, I have no other option. Had it not been for father I would have never visited


    this ce today. Ever.


    Can scowled at that thought and exhaled with exasperation when he saw the Alpha house in sight.


    ****


    "You have been pacing around and looking outside the window the entire day. You even missed the


    hunt. Who does that? Are you even listening to me?" Garrick patted Einar''s shoulder who was lost in


    his own thoughts never leaving his gaze off the window. Garrick had his attention atst when he finally


    spoke. "You have avoided every one of us from the time when sun showed up." Einar was in no mood


    to argue with his friend and was out of his room straightaway.


    "Where are you going?" Garrick asked his friend, trying to understand the state of his mind. Einar


    blocked Garrick and went for a run alone.


    He was furious.


    He expected his rtives and friends to be there as his parents were ostentatious when it came to


    celebrations, so the entire vige had been invited. But he eagerly awaited the arrival of his favorite


    countenance. Since his departure from the alpha vige, Einar had been on his toes for his arrival in


    the pack house. He eagerly awaited his entrance everyday while equally dejected when he leaved the


    premise. He used to secretly watch Can train. He watched the boy doing his various other tasks as


    well. But he always turned a blind eye when the boy was in front of him or looked at his side, as if he


    never existed. His wolf however was in dispute with him over the issue. His wolf wined and wed his


    way out to catch a glimpse of the boy, to touch him, to feel him, to be near him.


    One such day when the boy was training; another wolf was touching Can bare. It was a part of their


    training but Einar was still agitated. His anger knew no bounds when in a fighting state the other wolf


    was lying above Can on the ground, with their bare chests in contact with each other. Einar lost his


    cool and his wolf came out, but when he was about to attack the other wolf Can was in front of the


    boy shielding him. Einar''s wolf growled and snorted not at Can but at the other wolf that he could see


    over the shoulder of Can. His father''s timely intervention saved the other wolf from his wrath. It took


    Garrick and a run to the woods to cool his temperament and return to his normal state. After that


    incident however everyone thought that Einar was furious over Can for some reason. Even Einar did


    not refute those rumors.


    The feelings for Can had grown within the two years'' time span. When Can did not show up for


    training, Einar would have a sour mood while his temperamental wolf wanted to go find him. He did not


    know the reason for this behavior, but he concluded that his wolf cares for the boy.


    Einar thought that these emotions were just a phase or it could happen that Einar was attracted to


    Can. And why would he not. He was breathtakingly gorgeous. His stature, his built, the way he


    carried himself was all beautiful. Einar always wondered what it would feel like to have a taste of his


    scarlet lips. Einar brushed aside these thoughts. He had to control himself. The Lycan code proscribed


    a same gender mating. Those found guilty would be disciplined by thew makers. Einar was an alpha


    wolf who had to lead by an example. He had expectations and responsibilities to his pack. Being the


    only child of the Alpha he had no option to quit. He was sure that the tryst with Can was just a phase.


    But what if it was beyond that. What if he loved him and wanted him to be on his side.


    What if he wanted Can to be his. Forever.