Chapter 32: A New Role


    When the metallic taste hit the senses of the wolf he was out of his daze at once. He slowly retracted


    his canines from the shoulders of Can and took a few steps back. The sight in front of him broke his


    heartpletely.


    Can was a disaster.


    A deep piercing wound was marked by the grazing of the wolfs canines to Can''s flesh. The muscles


    from the back of his legs were tore open and protruding in an unusual manner. The scars and wounds


    which decorated his ribs, arms and entire body made him moan in pain. His eyes; the most beautiful


    feature of the man were brutally attacked. He was barely able to keep them open. The organ bulged


    abnormallyrge while the side of one of the eye had a long deep cut extending from the eye to the


    side of the ear. His jaws were swollen while his bruised lips exhaled air to soothe his body.


    Remorse. It was the first thing which crept through the veins of Einar. What had he done? He was


    supposed to protect his beloved; keep him out of harms way but all he did was to bring him on the brink


    of endangering his life. Can was left bruised; battered; destroyed just because Einar had to do his


    damn duty. With a heinous deed as such, how was he supposed to face the moon?


    Thispelled Einar to have a moment of weakness before giving up his control entirely to his wolf.


    The blood shot eyes of the wolf gripped its entire body in a faint red mist. The animal was ted. It had


    been years since he was this close to his mate. He sniffed the aroma and a smile made its way as he


    snickered. However, the wounds and bruises all over his mates body made him worried. He was


    agitated, infuriated when he saw the state he was in. He quickly stuck out his tongue and decided to


    lick Can''s wounds and heal him. He stepped near his mate the next instant but out of fear of his life


    Can flinched and slid his body backwards.


    This action only made the wolf more determined. However when he stepped ahead, he growled in


    jealousy. Can''s body was reeking of a mixture of different smells. It was the smell of all the people he


    had been in fight today. It brought the possessive side of the wolf to the fore and he decided to mark


    his mate then and there.


    He growled in annoyance before circling his mate; sniffing him, licking him on asions. All the while


    Can was in pain and was mostly unaware of his surroundings. The wet snippets of the wolfs saliva in


    between were embarrassing him and he wanted to stand on his feet and leave the ce at once. Just


    as he thought the worst was over, he could feel the wetness of a hot liquid with putrid smell dampening


    his body. The fluid started from his legs and was now reaching his torso before gargling his mouth. The


    wet hot liquid was burning his body while his pain intensified.


    And then he took a whiff.


    Can was mortified, frozen to the spot. He felt traumatized. He couldn''t believe it had happened to him


    and in front of everyone too. He could hear the screams, he could hear the cruelughter soaked in his


    embarrassment.


    He was being humiliated.


    For the wolf it was nothing out of the normal. He was marking his territory in the most barbaric way


    possible. The way he knew. It had been the way of the wolves before they civilized. What he failed to


    understand was with changing times, urinating on a person was considered as an act to defame


    someone; to degrade him, demean him to the lowest.


    Can''s head was spinning. It was a painful new memory rooted deeply within the depths of his mind.


    People would never forget this, he would be reminded of this moment till the day he died. A thousand


    unpleasant thoughts ran through his mind right now; from settling to anothernd to ending his pathetic


    life.


    Can closely gripped his eyes for he was too ashamed to face the world. His unshed tears were


    burning his soul. As if his pain was not enough the skies cried, bawled the agony inside of the man;


    pouring drops of relief, washing his scars, washing his blood and washing away the putrid smell of the


    demeaning liquid.


    When the rain drops touched the wolfs fur, he regained hisposure. Einar finally had his control


    back but after seeing what he had done, he wished he disappeared forever. With a howl to the sky


    Einar changed into his human and slowly but hesitatingly stretched his hand out to reach for his mate


    and help him get up.


    The ground beneath was drenched in crimson red while the clouds bellowed as if they were in pain.


    Can just looked keenly at the hands of the man standing in front of him. How can a man be without


    any shame! After putting him through this misery, entering the match purposefully and squashing his


    dream, disparaging him in front of the entire society; how could Einar still stand tall and expect him to


    give his hand!


    Can turned his face to his right in disgust "I want Aurora." he said nonchntly.


    Einar shamefully nodded his head and agreed at once. He linked his men to call for the healer. The


    crowd in the meanwhile was overjoyed as they cheered and hailed their alpha in great respect. They


    believed it was a fitting reply to the non shifter of the pack to show him his ce.


    Momentster Aurora arrived at the scene. She kneeled besides her friend and carefully uplifted Can


    to her shoulders. She desperately hugged him and sobbed her heart out for Can''s pain. She looked


    to her side at the alpha and shook her head in anger, disagreement clear on her face. She knew that


    what Can went through was not justified. The entire pack had conspired against him, berated him,


    humiliated him.


    "Take me to the cottage." Can said at once.


    "But Cally the announcements are yet to be done."


    Can closed his eyes shut as the wounds on his heart were aching more than those on his body. "I


    don''t care anymore. Just take me away please. I beg you."


    Einar could see no more as he went ahead to take his seat with a bowed head and a broken heart.


    Can managed to stand on his feet, he whirled his eyes to the audience and looked at the two


    distraught figures who would have to share his burden of shame for their life- his parents. They were


    devastated, they were broken. Can mouthed a sorry to them and went ahead with Aurora amidst the


    booing and taunting of the people.


    ****


    The cold rock around Can was stationary, yet sometimes he felt that they were closing in on him. The


    air which breezed through the river refreshed his thoughts a bit until he was dragged to the shameful


    memories of the horrible day. He had been aloof from everyone since a week. He had been


    recuperating alone with only Aurora knowing about his whereabouts.


    Can was distant; reserved; detached from the world. He felt like a clump of dirty moss that could


    never go out in the sunlight. The events of the trials had maligned his honor. His entire life he was


    tormented, secluded and torchered through various ways. Yet he faced it all and came out as a


    stronger man. The only happiness he felt was with Vi but even that source was taken away from


    him.


    Since his birth he was fed with dreams to one day follow his fathers footsteps and be a leader in his


    own right. However his aspirations were brutally strangted when the top leader cheated his way to


    kill Cans dreams.


    Up until this point he wasn''t even surprised by the on and off behaviour of Einar, but to reach such a


    low so as to defeat a human by any means was not the quality of a good alpha.


    He was a bad leader. A bad man.


    Can''s ears perked when he heard the rustling of bushes behind the rock. He looked to his side and


    saw Aurora with a bowl and a spoon in her hand. She quietly kept the food in front of him and put her


    hand on his shoulder. "How are you feeling?"


    Can dejectedly shrugged.


    "You cant be here forever. Some day or the other you have toe out in public and face the real


    world."


    Can deeply sighed. "I have nowhere to go. The only purpose of my existence in the pack is now


    taken away from me. I really don''t care about the pack anymore."


    "How about your parents then." she looked intently at her friend "Mary has been worried sick about


    you. She has been constantly enquiring about your health. Your parents miss you Cally."


    Can stood up from his spot in a jiffy and pressed his palm to the nearest rock "You don''t think I know!


    I just don''t have the guts to face them. They have been embarrassed because of me in front of the


    entire pack. I always try to make things right but somehow my actions take them on a guilt trip. I wish I


    was never born."


    Aurora gasped in shock with her hand on her chest "Don''t say that Cally. You don''t know what you


    mean to us." she almost whispered thest part "Besides your parents love you no matter what. They


    have cared for you then and they care for you now. You will always have their heart my boy." She


    carefully held his hands in her own to pacify him "Enough of this. I have a special surprise for you in my


    cottage"


    "I am not in the mood."


    "Ohmon. You have been struck for over a week here. Juste with me, I promise you wont be


    disappointed."


    Can shrugged dejectedly while Aurora caught hold of his hand to make him follow her. She dragged


    him to her cottage and stood near the entrance of the door. She then requested a confused Can to


    walk inside alone.


    When Can opened the door, his legs halted and his lips quivered. He was shocked to see his smiling


    father standing right in front of him. Without wasting any of the time he quickly ran to embrace his kin


    and cried profusely; letting go the burden of his shame, the burden of his disappointment, the burden of


    his loneliness.


    After what seemed to be like hours Can finally found his voice as he apologetically looked at his


    father "I am really sorry father. I am sorry for you have to bear witness and be a part of the


    embarrassment."


    "You don''t have to apologise my son. I don''t me you for anything."


    Can swept away his tears and stood firmly "Why are you here father?"


    "To take you home." Justus narrowed his eyes when he roamed his eyes over the body of Can. His


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    once fatal injuries were almost healed while what remained now were the scars from the battlefield


    "Auroras care has done wonders on you. You don''t look that bad."


    Can just faltered for a second there. Mostly because Aurora had convinced him that his bracelet


    yed an important role in his recovery and so his return to health was faster than usual. To avoid


    getting caught Can just changed the subject "I don''t know father. I don''t really want to go with you."


    "Listen here Can." Justus ced both his arms on the shoulders of his son "I wont ask you to forget


    about everything cause it is not possible. But being here all alone will only haunt your memories.


    Instead be with people who care for you. They will aid in your healing process."


    "I have dishonoured the family name. The legacy our forefathers is destroyed. No more Ashton will be


    the head warrior now.''''


    "Yes. No Ashton will be a head warrior now." Justus chuckled.


    By the looks of it, Can could see that his father was not affected by the news at all. He presumed that


    maybe his father finally valued his son more than the pack. He brushed his thoughts aside and


    curiously asked his father. "You don''t seem upset by it.."


    "Because I am not. I am really happy."


    "I don''t understand." Can asked in bemusement.


    "The alpha promised to make some changes and he did! For the first time in our pack history the alpha


    chose people based on their skills or how they have performed and not the fact that they have won."


    A small ray of hope lit Can''s face "This means that I have been..."


    "No my child. Peter''s son Aldous has been chosen as the new head warrior."


    "Yeah. It is a good news indeed." Can chuckled sarcastically. "You seem really excited about Peter


    and his family."


    "I am more happy about you."


    "Why?" Can narrowed his eyes.


    "When you left the arena that day, Einar announced all the champions and allotted them their positions.


    Garrick was made the beta and Arthur the gamma. in addition to that the alpha created some more


    positions for handling the administration, border patrol, dungeons and so on. He gave chance to all the


    worthy members of thepetition."


    "Then did I get any of the above."


    "Unfortunately no. However when the announcements were done the alpha asked Luna Rosaline to


    demand a gift; a wish of any kind in front of the entire pack. Can you imagine what the Luna asked


    for?"


    Can was more baffled by the glint in his fathers eyes. What was making him so excited? "I have no


    idea."


    "The Luna expressed her wish to be granted a guard and do you know who she chose"


    Indeed who? Can saw the happiness, the joy in his father. He surprisingly looked at him and


    whispered "Me...!"


    "Yes! Both Mary and I have been so happy since then. I could never imagine your hard work been


    finally paid off this way."


    A Luna''s guard was never heard of. In the packs that he had encountered Can could not recall any


    such position as a Luna''s guard. More importantly why was this news making his father all glee "Why


    are you so happy? I mean how is this any different? Is there even such a thing as the Luna''s guard"


    "Yes my child. In the entire hierarchy the closest you can get to an alpha is by being the beta. However


    the Luna''s guard is a rank even higher than the beta. An alpha never trusts anyone when ites to


    his mate, not even his own kin. So to be able to serve the Luna is the greatest honor anyone can ever


    imagine. This means that the Alpha trusts you more than anyone in the pack."


    "But I never wanted to be a guard."


    "I know my son. It may seem tough for you because I never prepared you for anything else. A head


    warriors post was the least I was expecting of you. Yet you outranked yourself and made my


    forefathers even more proud."


    Can sighed and took a deep breath. This was too much to handle. He wanted to be the head warrior


    from the start. He had to fight tooth and nail to make his way to the trials. Even after making a mark in


    the fights, the alpha intervened just to make sure Can was defeated. If Einar wanted he could easily


    give him the rank of his choice. If he trusted Aldous he could have easily trusted Can for the job.


    Then why make him the Luna''s guard?


    Unless, it must have been Rosaline to force her mate to ept Can.


    He remembered the day when he was leaving the arena and saw the glossy eyes of the Luna amidst


    the happy faces all around. Rosaline was concerned for Can. Her good heart must have propelled


    her to do a good deed. This meant that Can''s new job was nothing but a charity, a pity for him. This


    was even more embarrassing than Einar peeing on him. Can wanted to live a dignified life and not


    the one handed over by some charity.


    With a firm resolve he looked to his father "Father I know you are excited and I know you are really


    looking forward to it. But the fact is, I just cant ept it."


    "Don''t say this Cally" Justus'' face fell "This is what we always wanted. A ce in the pack. People will


    finally respect you and recognize your worth my boy."


    The fact was that people would never ept him. Everyone follows the leader and when the alpha


    himself detested Can for no apparent reason, how could he expect the pack to behave differently. "I


    don''t care about respect anymore father. The pack can never give me happiness."


    "Its not true.."


    "This is the truth and you know it father." He rose his voice as he expressed his tears of helplessness


    "Even if I be the Luna''s guard I wont ever be respected. I am tired father. I am tired of my life. For


    once I want to be happy. For once I want to do what I want to do. Explore the world, find love, settle


    down and start a family."


    Can facepalmed as his sobbing intensified. He wanted to relieve himself of all the misery and


    misfortunes he had to suffer in this pack. He wanted to be free, to be happy. He wanted to be in a ce


    where people were not judgemental, where there could be eptance. He was tired of being told how


    to live and how to behave.


    Justus knew that his son was different.


    The constant pressure put on Can to fit in, mould himself into a wolf was not justified. He was a


    human and Justus had to ept that. The pack was making him miserable while his own greed was


    putting his son through so much of suffering. For once he decided to be a father and braved his heart.


    "If this is what you want... I promise that we wonte in your way my child. We will always support


    you in your decisions." Justus almost choked.


    With tears dripping profusely, Can slowly lifted his head and looked at his father. He could see the


    sincerity in his fathers eyes. He knew that whatever decision he makes his father would support him.


    He weakly smiled at Justus "I appreciate that father. After giving it much thought I have decided to


    settle somewhere else and leave this pack for good."


    ********