Reject (mxm)

EPILOGUE

9 years later...

"Are you ready?" I asked my son and from the look he gave me, I guess that was the wrong thing to say.

At thirteen, Cale is small and looks a bit feminine for his age. Ciaran and I are not worried since he hasn't hit puberty or his growth spurt yet. But it bothers him that most of the other male wolf his age have already acquired hairs in places that apparently on his still remained hairless. He's not bothered with his small size or girlish looks and since both Ciaran and I made sure he could properly defend himself none of the taller and bigger wolves had the guts to bully him for his appearance.

Cale has been recognized as the heir to throne of wolves and everyone has been watching his progress since we introduced him at court. I'm glad that his position doesn't seem to put much pressure on him but there are times, like the one we're having now, when I wish I could provide him a normal experience instead of a royal one.

"I still don't understand why I have to undergo my first shift under the scrutiny of the high council. The other wolves at Moonscape just had Dad and beta Lorcan during their first shift. Why do I have so many people on mine?"

"Your first shift is treated as a part of your coming of age and as my heir the high council has to be present for it." I explained for the nth time.

We've had this discussion for over a dozen times over the past months. I know it bothers him that in some respect he's treated differently from the others but we've been trying hard to keep his experiences close to that of a regular child than that of someone who's expected to rule in the future.

Cale had always been smart and it didn't take long for him to understand that his position comes with a lot of responsibilities. Sometimes he whines but despite his grumbling he still do and act as he's supposed to. I keep reminding him that he doesn't have to always bend. He could say no if he wants and if there's anything that makes him uncomfortable he should speak to me or his Dad about it.

"What is it you're really afraid of Cale?" I asked. He's usually sure of himself, over-confident even due to Ciaran's influence. That's why I don't understand why he's being skeptical right now. "You know every member of the high council and you often ask me to sit in on meetings so I know you're comfortable being around them. Tell me what it is that's really bothering you."

He shifted from one foot to another before running a hand through is curls.

"Dad told me Nyree's shift was the fastest first shift he saw in years. He said she made it look effortless and her wolf was beautiful too." He said in a low tone.

Nyree is the great granddaughter of elder Tysane, the woman who taught me how to read and write the old language of wolves. Their pack didn't have an alpha since it consisted of Tysane, who acts as the elder, her daughter Maurel, Nyree's mother, and two other youngsters, Kaya and Liya.

When I invited them to live in the palace so the court historians could meet elder Tysane, she requested that they move to Moonscape instead. She heard of the pack and thinks that they'd be more comfortable there than living in court with the royals.

Ciaran had no issue absorbing another pack into Moonscape and since Nyree and Cale were the same age they formed a deep bond and friendship. Ciaran and I believe they could be true mates because of how they're both act when they're far from one another and how they interact when they're together. But we won't know for sure until they reach sixteen when most wolves start to scent their true mates.

I know for a fact that Ciaran told the story of Nyree's first shift to Cale not to intimidate him but to ease his worries. Cale wasn't able to travel with Ciaran to Moonscape during the shift and he have been very upset about not being there for Nyree. He had to stay in court with me to welcome an envoy from the French court.