Child of the Forest

After arriving at this place, David informed them that Nathaniel would stay with them for the time being, saying there was nothing for omega to walk alone in the woods. The guy was sent to a house on the beach, according to Abby, she, the twins Minyard and their cousin Hammick temporarily lived in it. They explained to him that the three of them's house had been damaged by a fire that Nicky had set when he was cooking dinner. They're wonderful after all. Nathaniel got up from the bed, still dressed in his white mourning clothes. His shirt was a little dirty, but he didn't seem to care. He walked quietly down the wooden steps, smelling the aroma of coffee coming from the kitchen. Although he hadn't been able to sense anyone's scents yesterday, he couldn't identify the cinnamon scent, but he could tell it was an alpha based on the pheromones. As he entered the kitchen, his blue eyes met those of a hazel-eyed man who was studying him with interest. This is one of the Minyard twins, but which one is still a mystery. — I got up early… It's still a couple of hours before we get up," the blond man said in a hoarse voice after sleep. His hands were covered with black bandages, which attracted attention and interest to find out what was under them. The alpha was standing in his loose pants. He grinned when he saw the omega hovering over him. Clicking in front of his face, he continued. "Look at the time and go back to sleep until Abby's mom comes to wake you up." Nathaniel rolled his eyes in annoyance and chuckled. This alpha was definitely irritating him. Walking over to the window, the omega pulled back the curtains to check the weather outside. It was still early in the morning, with fog due to the proximity to the lake and dew glistening in the first rays of sunlight. Without responding to Andrew, Nathaniel headed outside. He wanted to go for a run and think about everything, or maybe just run away. As soon as his feet touched the cold grass, the guy shuddered, but he just smiled at the happiness that filled his heart. At first, he just walked quickly, and then he started running, enjoying the cool morning air and the silence. Somewhere in his head, there was a sense of unease that he wanted to ignore. He ran without paying attention to anything. The cold wind from the lake blew against his face, caressing his curly hair, which shone like fire in the morning sunlight. Usually, people in the village were already working in the fields at this time, but everyone was still asleep. Nathaniel ran and ran, paying attention only to what was around him. He continued along the shore of the lake, not turning into the forest. In the distance, he could see the fields that were soon to be sown. He watched as the sun rose above the forest, illuminating everything around him. He had no idea how much time had passed since he left his house. His lungs were burning from a lack of air, and his legs ached from running on sand, rocks, and grass. After catching his breath, the omega looked around. Nathaniel was standing on the opposite side of the lake from the village. There was a nearby stream that seemed to be humming a melody. The smell of freshness filled his lungs as he approached the water. He looked down at his feet, which were immersed in the cold, crystal-clear water. Suddenly, he felt a tickling sensation and burst into laughter. It was quiet, peaceful, and so different from home. Chuckling at his own description, he sat on a huge rock by the shore, basking in the sun. Now he had to figure out what to do. Considering the fact that he didn't stay lost in the forest and was met by werewolves, he must be one as well. However, this is impossible, as his family consists solely of humans. It's strange. Abigail mentioned that if he wasn't one of them, Andrew wouldn't have found him, and the omega would have been lost in the forest, searching for a way out. Now, there's no turning back, as the forest won't allow its child to return to humans. Nathaniel found himself laughing at these thoughts. Is he dreaming? The guy pinched himself and yelped. Everything that's happening around is real, and there's no doubt about that. His thoughts were interrupted by a strange voice somewhere behind him. "Nathaniel?" — When the guy wanted to turn around, the owner of the voice quickly said, "Wait a minute, don't turn around. There was a scuffling sound behind Nathaniel, followed by the soft growl of a wolf. — Al, it's okay, Kevin said he knows this guy, I'll come back with him. — Now a pretty girl with blonde hair and dyed hair tips came up to the guy. She smiled and waved. "Hi, I'm Renee." She wanted to sit on the rock next to omega, but stopped until he moved a little. Nathaniel didn't make much room for the girl and turned around. The silhouette of a light wolf was slowly moving away from them. It is not known who exactly it is. He stared at the figure for a few more minutes. Renee, on the other hand, waited patiently for someone else's attention to return to her. Ginger finally looked at her. "It was Alison. Wymack said we'd meet you today, but when we got to Abby's, Andrew said you'd run away. She smiled, looking out at the water. "Was he right or not?" Nathaniel chuckled softly. Fled? Where would he go if he couldn't leave the forest? He thought about it, resting his head on his bent knees. Perhaps staying here wasn't such a bad idea. At home, he was only expected to marry some baron. And if his father, a hunter, found out that his son had seen werewolves... He would be killed. Right away. Or they'll be ordered to show this place so they can kill everyone here. As a true son of his father, the omega should do this, but the thought made him feel sick. They'd accepted him, wanted to get to know him, and he'd bring those who would kill them. "I have nowhere to run, so he's wrong," Nat replied quietly, now looking in the same direction as René. The girl nodded thoughtfully, contemplating something. Surprisingly, she didn't annoy or interfere with her presence. Her interest was intimidating, but not repulsive. Who wouldn't be curious about learning something new about someone? "You know, when I came here... I tried to escape, but the forest wouldn't let me go until I accepted who I was... My parents sold me for some kind of potion... I was raised as a professional killer," she paused, lost in thought. Why she decided to share this story is unknown, but Nathaniel was willing to listen. "And when I was pregnant with one of their children, they beat me and left me in the woods, hoping I would die. Dan found me." You don't know her yet, but she's the next in line after Wymack and his son. Of course, there are also mini packs, such as Andrew, Aaron, Nicky and Kevin, but there is also the main leader Devin. The girl talked, and Nathaniel listened to her every word, trying to accept, understand and remember. It was difficult because he still didn't fully believe in the reality of everything around him. Omega drummed his fingers thoughtfully on his knee. — Why is Kevin on a par with David? — this question was really interesting. If Wymack is the leader, then what does Kevin have to do with it? Renee chuckled softly, hugging her knees as she pondered. She didn't have a definitive answer herself, as everyone believed it was a sign of respect for the alpha. She sighed and finally responded. "I don't know, it's just what everyone says. In any case, it doesn't matter, as werewolves have long lifespans, so we won't have to worry about power shifts anytime soon," Renee said with confidence. For Nathaniel, not knowing what would happen tomorrow was too hard to figure out. Even living in the village, he did not know what would come into his father's head and what would happen. The guy sighed, on the one hand, he wanted to ask more questions, but on the other, he didn't care about all this. Still, he suddenly asked. "Could it be that I came here by accident?" "He doesn't believe it. And he'll say it a thousand more times. He can't be a werewolf. Renee thought for a moment, looking out at the same lake, which now reflected the bright sun. They had been sitting here for a long time, but they had not discussed much. "I don't think the forest or the moon made a mistake... It doesn't happen like that. They know who should be brought here and who shouldn't," she replied on horseback and turned to Nathaniel. "Shall we go back? There are people you should meet." The omega girl gave him a hand as she stood up. And Vesninski finally realized that he couldn't smell anything again. It was... It was ridiculous. Apparently, the medications his parents had given him had already seeped into his blood, causing him to lose his sense of smell from time to time. His father had once used this to prevent his son from guessing who was around him, as his son had a highly sensitive sense of smell. The boy took the girl's hand and stood up. They slowly walked back. Only now did Nathaniel look at Renée's clothes: she was wearing a light dress and some kind of slippers on her feet. In the village, people would have laughed at her. That was not the fashion anymore. Large, fluffy dresses, bright and heavy jewelry, but here, it seemed, fashion did not touch anyone. Vesninski began to look around again. Pleasant silence and the sounds of nature enveloped and calmed. It was like to lie somewhere on the grass and sleep... These beautiful thoughts were interrupted by a howl that came from somewhere in the side of the village. René froze, looking at one point and listening to the message from her kind. Looking at Nathaniel, the girl turned pale. Her eyes darted from the red curls to the eyes and back. "Run..." she commanded, and the redhead took off towards the village. The closer they got, the more people they saw. All the residents of the small village were crowded around someone. The metallic smell of blood filled their noses, and there was a lot of it. Someone was whining softly on the ground, and Abby, whom Vesninsky recognized first, was trying to help the poor man. Andrew's group was standing off to the side, more interested in Nate than the injured person. "Red hair and blue eyes, is that how he described him?" The omega heard a foreign language that he understood, but he didn't show it. It was Aaron, who was staring at his hair. "And he supposedly won't cause any problems..." The guy rolled his eyes and went to help Abby. He was her apprentice—the only one, and obviously the best. Two doctors for all of them was a small number, but it was something. Some packs didn't even have that, and neither did human villages. When she stepped away, the omega's eyes were greeted with a horrifying sight: the spotted wolf was covered in blood, its legs occasionally twitching, and its eyes rolled back in its head. "He's not going to make it..." Nat's mind raced, but he couldn't understand why he was involved. However, the realization slowly dawned on him. He staggered back, falling against himself. His father... His father was a hunter. He hated werewolves and hunted them for public amusement. Butcher was his nickname for his love of knives, which he used to torture his victims. Nathaniel's empty stomach turned, and he coughed, doubling over, but a warm hand stroked his back. When he straightened up and looked up, not everyone was looking at him, but most of them were, and Renee was stroking his back. Does she seem to understand him?.. "I... I didn't do anything."… I didn't go anywhere.… And I didn't signal to my father..." he began to justify himself quietly. He didn't do it, it's not his fault. Probably not my fault. "We believe you," Renee said with gentleness and tenderness in her voice. She looked up from the omega that was sitting at her feet and looked at everyone, speaking again. — We believe it. — Your kindness and faith in God are sometimes inappropriate. Kevin complained, watching as they were still trying to help the wolf. Nathaniel let his head fall to his feet. Everyone was talking, discussing, and worrying, but he didn't care, but he felt guilty. He didn't know this werewolf, but now everyone thought he was to blame. He needed to leave. He had to leave. "René, his head is about to explode." Andrew, who had been watching the omega, suddenly spoke up. His words sounded concerned, but his indifferent gaze suggested otherwise. After taking one last look at Seth's body, he turned around and went back to Abby's house. It wasn't his pack, and he didn't care about these people. Nathaniel didn't understand it. They lived here like a big family, but some of them were hurting and crying, like Allison, who was holding the wolf's body close to her, and the black alpha and omega couple, Matt and Dan, as Nathaniel later learned, who were also crying. Even Nicky was sniffling. And then there were people like Renee, who was reading a prayer for the soul; like Abby and David, who were keeping their emotions in check even in this situation. But there was a third group: Nathaniel, Andrew, Aaron, and Kevin — they didn't care about Seth. What was there and what wasn't was the same. If Vesninski didn't know him, he didn't care, but the other three had questions. The rest of the day passed in a haze. Nathaniel barely remembers it. He helped Abby with the cooking, but she kicked him out when he almost spilled boiling water on himself. Aaron, who was also an omega, made a sarcastic comment about how no one would want an omega as clumsy as Nathaniel. These words stung Nathaniel's heart, as his father and mother had also expressed similar sentiments. Meanwhile, the alphas were attending Seth's funeral with David. He was right, it wasn't a live one. You couldn't survive with wounds of that magnitude. Most likely, the father used one of his blunt cleavers, which could break bones and inflict the most damage. Ryzhik didn't need to examine the body to know what wounds it had, and perhaps he had experienced some of them himself. It's already evening, and Aaron and Abby are finishing up cooking when the rest of the group arrives. Dan and Matt are cuddling by the fire, René is embracing and swaying with Alison, and Kevin is sitting alone, with Nicky by his side. Once again, Andrew is missing. He didn't join the others, and no one knew where he was. He was doing whatever he wanted. Nathaniel sits next to Nicky, and the omega seems to have regained some energy. He started trying to talk to everyone, as if ignoring the death of one of the pack members. The elders realized this quite quickly, but they decided to support him. Everyone tried to engage him in conversation, but he mostly ignored what they were saying. While there was no "abnormal" twin, the entire Minyard pack sat next to the elders. David brought several cases of alcohol from somewhere, resembling homemade wine. Everyone except René and Nathaniel began to drown their sorrows. They continued to drink, eat, and talk. It was a peculiar wake, but for a religious person, it would be blasphemous, as someone had passed away, yet they were joyful. The conversations in the house abruptly ceased when the door opened and a short figure with blond hair entered. Of all of them, only Kevin continued to drink, and Aaron continued to eat. The others seemed to be waiting for something. Andrew looked around at everyone with a disinterested look and chuckled. He didn't stay with them, but just went to the second floor. It turns out that a nice woman, about Vaymak's age, came for him. Renee whispered softly to Natu. "This is Betsy."… She's... kind of a shrink, she lives alone in the woods... sometimes she visits us. She is considered the mother of the twins. Nathaniel chuckled at that, taking note and nodding at it. All these people... no, werewolves. Quite interesting personalities who obey their own laws and rules. Nathaniel watched them and felt calm. Suddenly, Alison, who had been sitting and talking quietly to Betsy, pointed at Nathaniel. — Let him change his first and last name after the appeal. It's only fair. I don't want anyone with the killer's last name here. She looked expectantly at Nate, who had gone a little pale. David wanted to stop the two, but Ginger quickly responded. —Okay...— he agreed and said the first name that came to mind. — Neil Josten. David sighed wearily and nodded in agreement, perhaps making it easier for everyone to accept this guy into the pack, but something told him that this was just the beginning.