SOLOMON

I was chopping some wood to put on the fire. We had moved up into the mountains. People have split off into different groups in the caves. I quickly grabbed the chopped wood and put it next to the fire. Winter had finally past and now it came spring. 

Once I finished with the wood I went to grab more blankets from the basket for Mia. She had said her and her pup was getting a little chilly. 

Mia gave birth to a beautiful baby boy named Thomas...Tommy for short. However, because of her previous injuries, birthing the pup was a challenge that came with complications. Mia lost a lot of blood during labor. She almost died. But she hung on. Her body has had a hard time coping. Mia has only rested ever since Tommy was born. Noah has been good to her. He is always around her, making sure she was comfortable and that she's okay. 

I grab the blankets and make my way to Mia's tent. 

"Hello?" I called out. 

"Come in!"

I crouch down and get into the tent. Mia was lying there holding Tommy closely to her chest. she greets me with a gentle and tired smile, "Soul. It's good to see your face."

I smiled back, "And it's always good to see yours."

I spread the blankets over both her and Tommy. 

"Thank you for bringing the extra blankets. Noah was going to but then he got called by Xander."

I shake my head, "don't worry about it. I haven't seen you in a while so it was a good excuse to come over."

She pats on the spot close to her, "Why don't you sit down and stay for a while."

I looked over my shoulder to see where the sun was at in the sky. I had to leave soon. I turned back to Mia and shrugged my shoulders, "I guess I could stay for a little bit."

I sat down, leaned back and sighed, "It's been a while since I've actually rested," I chuckled, "It feels good."

"What have you been up to lately?" She asks.

I look up at the roof of the tent and shrug my shoulders, "Nothing really. Just patrolling and traveling."

Mia's eyebrows raised in surprise, "We live in a cave together, how could I not know you've been traveling?"

"I'm quiet I guess. I've volunteered to travel around the area to form allies. Xander thinks Kendrick has a lot of wolves on his side. It was time we did the same."

Mia nodded her head, "Sounds like you've kept yourself busy."

"Yeah well, no use doing nothing. We're in a war."

"Do you ever have a break? You seem to always be on the go. Don't you just want to, I don't know, stand still?"

I shook my head, "Nope. I'm happy with what I'm doing. I like being busy. I like knowing there is something to do."

"But you've been doing this for six months now. Don't you want a break."

"There is no such thing as a break in war."

"But we haven't been attacked since that time in the woods."

I began to get irritated by her pushiness, "Does that mean the war is over? No, it doesn't. There will be another battle. We just don't know when."

"Have you thought of Ayla or Milo these past months?" She asks cautiously. 

I shook my head, "I'm too busy to think about them," I've thought of them every minute of every day. 

"You haven't spoken of them in so long."

I shrug my shoulders carelessly, "What's the point of talking about them. It's not going to bring them back and it's not going to make me feel any better."

Mia sighed, "I know you're annoyed. I just don't want you to harden your heart, that's all."

"My heart isn't hard, Mia," I said tiredly, "I have accepted the fact that they won't come back. I've made my peace. Now it's time to move on."

Mia reaches over and grabs my hand, "Don't lose hope Soul. They will come back to you."

I chuckled humorlessly, "They might...they might not. it's already been six months. I am sure they prefer wherever they are now than be here."

"But-"

I snap, "Drop it, Mia. I appreciate your concern. But there is no need for it. I'm fine. Let's just leave it at that."

The curtains to the tent open and reveals Noah. He glares when he finds me in his place, "What the bloody hell is going on here?"

I roll my eyes, "Don't worry big guy, I was only here to deliver the blankets for Mia and Tommy. Nothing more." Noah glares at me but then looks at Mia and he becomes a giant teddy bear. He crawls on the bed next to her and gathers both her and their son in his arms. I envy him. His family was with him. They were right where they were meant to be. Mine was halfway across the world.

I walked away, getting ready to go down to the forest when my name was Called. I groaned in annoyance.  I did not want to talk to him right now.

"Solomon. I need to talk to you."

I look over my shoulder at Xander. I make my way towards and stand straight.

"What do you need?"

He nods to a place behind him, "Follow me."

He turns and walks and as he said, I followed. 

I didn't know where he was taking me. We went inside the cave and have been walking for a while now. It was dark and damp inside.

I grunt in frustration, "Where are you taking me, Xander?"

"Shut up and just trust me for once in your life."

I roll my eyes. Having a big brother as an Alpha is profoundly frustrating. And everyone's wondering why we Nightwalker boys have anger issues.

We finally got to the end of the cave where there was light. Funny...it was the light at the end of a dark tunnel...I wish my life was the personification of this metaphor. But it wasn't. 

My breath hitched when we came out and found ourselves on a cliff. But the view was out of this world. It looked like an endless ocean, but really it was the forest. Because we were so high up...everything was extremely small. The sun was setting over the place. I couldn't believe we lived here.

The wind blew against our faces. I looked at Xander and saw his eyes were closed.

"Why did you bring me here, Xander?"

He turns to me and places his hands on my shoulders. I was slightly startled. Xander has never shown such affection to me. 

He looked at me straight in the eye and says, "I'm so proud of you."

I was taken back. I stood there staring at him in confusion. I clenched my jaw because I couldn't believe what was coming out of his mouth. 

Xander squeezes my shoulders, "I have watched you this past year. You have grown so much," My brother's eyes became glossy, "I was never a good brother to you. I have, in some ways, ruined your life. I have wronged you in so many ways. And then it just got worse when you found Ayla and Milo. You went through so many trials in such little time. And yet, you fought through like a champion," Xander looked down and I saw he was blinking away tears. In a shaky voice, he says, "You are what being a man means. You might even be more of a man than me. But that's the best thing that any big brother would ever want for his little brother."

I felt my own eyes sting slightly from tears. Xander has never ever in my whole life been like this with me. Seeing him in such a vulnerable state is so foreign to me. But it felt good. I felt like by him doing that, he was releasing me from my past. 

I casually shrug my shoulders, "I mean, you're not exactly a terrible brother."

Xander chuckles and shakes his head, "Thanks."

I take a hold of his shoulder and I said, "But thank you, Xander. Just know that I don't blame you for anything. I forgave you a long time ago. so there's no need to hold that burden anymore."

Xander gulped and nodded his head. And then he pulls me in for a hug. He holds me tight and I do the exact same to him.

https://youtu.be/7RyI6vxHNwQ

A/N: For some reason, this whole Xander and Solomon moment reminds me of Stefan and Damon. Check out this video and skip it to 2:03.

Xander whispers in my ear, "You're going to be okay, Solomon. You and I will both live a full and happy life."

And for the first time in a long time, I believed it. I just might be happy again.