"My one condition is... say you'll remember me." – Wildest Dreams

Rain sighed for the third time in as many minutes. "What's gotten into you?" Sky asked. "It's been three months since I met P'Phayu," Rain replied, looking absolutely downcast. "Oh Rain, you know how it is. Their secondary genders were to be revealed soon. And it must be done in seclusion and under the guidance of the elders. We will also have to do it," Sky said. Rain looked at Sky then put his head back on the couch. He didn't know how to explain it to Sky. It was true they had been friends forever and there was nothing he hid from his best friend, but this time, his words were not forming themselves in his head. His skin felt tight and itchy, his breath stuttered in his lungs, and his heart beat too fast for him to control. Most days, he was able to put these thoughts aside and focus on the routine his P'Phayu had set out for him before leaving, but there were some days, days like these, that really brought all his energies down.

He loved his parents, and every single person who lived in this huge community, his best friend was the bestest, and his other friends were amazing, make no mistake about that. But Phayu was as essential to him as breathing. Without him around, Rain would sometimes feel suffocated and depressed. A lot of people, including his Dada and Papa, had commented on how dependent he was on Phayu, but for Rain, Phayu was a faith, his own person, someone who had nurtured and protected him unconditionally. Something inside Rain had acknowledged from a very young age that Phayu was his and it was a matter of great pride to him whenever Phayu would say that Rain belonged to him. He knew very well that Phayu didn't mean it in a degrading manner, it was more of a possessiveness that friends had and Rain had absolutely no hesitation in accepting that with complete happiness and adoration.

Rain remembered the days before Phayu left as some of the worst of his life. He knew this was a journey every wolf had to undertake, the presenting of the secondary genders, and the first meet with their wolf. While the wolf would insist on coming forward and completing the transformation only when the human turned 18, the journey would begin sooner. The six years, between the presentation of the gender and the actual transformation, would be spent in studying and learning about their people, and most importantly, what were mates. The knowledge about mates was considered the pinnacle of their education. And that had been one of Rain's biggest fears. Even in his wildest dreams, he could not imagine being separated from Phayu. But when he would find his mate, Rain would lose everything. "Phi, if you want me to let you go, then my one condition is you say you will remember me," was what he wanted to say, but all he said was a goodbye, with a heavy heart.

Then Phayu had left three months ago with Saifah and Prapai, and Rain had felt the emptiness clawing within him. It was becoming harder and harder to bear the weight of his helplessness, but he knew that he did not want Phayu to see his weakness. He was overbearing and pushy to begin with, but knowing Rain missed him to the point that it was a physical ache? The man would walk around like damn rooster crowing with arrogance. So Rain took his absence silently. Soon, Atom and Fourth came running inside with shouts of 'Hia Rain!' and 'Phi Sky!' and Rain was distracted enough as he continued to play with them. Couple of hours later, Rain was alerted to possible disturbances in the air when loud noises could be heard from downstairs. He glanced at Sky and furrows formed between both their eyes. "Let's go and see," Rain said, standing up, Sky following him quietly.

He could not believe the sight that met his eyes. Phayu stood there, looking even more handsome than before, his hair longer and blacker, his eyes sharper, taking on the bright blue hues of what were probably his wolf ones. But the most strange thing was the way he had suddenly filled out, his body bigger, taller, the very way he held himself had changed, his aura blooming with strength and vitality. He was very clearly an Alpha, maybe even beyond. Rain's eyes were riveted on him, but Phayu had not seen him yet. He wanted to go running into the older boy's arms, but something stopped him. A voice inside his head told him that Phayu was not the same person who had left three months ago, and he probably would not be as welcome as he had been then. Just as Rain thought that and decided to take a step back, Phayu looked up, his eyes locking with Rain's, who stood at the threshold between the two houses. Rain shook his head at the clear question in Phayu's eyes, making the older boy frown, and Rain turned around and left.

He rushed up his room and fell face down on the bed. He was being stupid. It was not like he was pledged to Phayu. It was not even like Rain was sure he was going to end up an Omega. Phayu had changed, become someone better, brighter, more wonderful than he already was. He was an Alpha, from a powerful lineage, and there would be hundreds of families lining up the doors of the family for their Omega daughters to marry one of the heirs of the most powerful Clan in all of Thailand, maybe even Asia. Rain never stood a chance. Actually, he knew about himself. He knew that he liked boys, that he liked Phayu, but Phayu? There was no guarantee that Phayu would like boys too, right? He would fall in love with some beautiful Omega someday, and have beautiful babies who would be a perfect blend of the two of them. The more Rain thought about it, the more he felt his heart hurt. He was being unnecessarily stupid and sentimental. He had simply run away from meeting Phayu when he was the one who had been desperately waiting for his return. What would Phayu even think of him? He shook off his lethargy and decided to go down again. He needed to stop making a fool of himself.

Later that night, the whole area was lit up with lights to celebrate the return of the eldest three. Rain had come to know later that Pai had presented as an Alpha as well and Fah as an Omega. But that did not change how the family looked at him. He was just as loved as the day he had left. Everyone was in high spirits and enjoying themselves. Rain was sitting with Sky and Dao. Atom, Fourth and Team were sitting on the floor with him and playing as he talked to his friends. "So Rain, what do you think about P'Phayu being an Alpha?" Dao asked. Rain looked up at his question and sat back as he considered. "Well, it's a good thing right? Being an Alpha means he can take good care of his family, of this family. He is the heir to such a powerful empire, as an Alpha, it would help him best," he said, shrugging, as if it didn't matter to him whatever happened.

"Rain?" Rain turned around. Even Phayu's voice seemed different. It had taken on a slightly deeper quality that were mostly associated with Alphas, and Rain felt a shiver run through him. "Phi," he said, as he and Sky stood up and waiied. "May we talk Rain?" Phayu asked. Rain nodded and then said something to Sky before going to where Phayu was standing. "Come, let's take a walk," Phayu said, as he led the boy out. They walked for a few minutes before Phayu stopped under a tree that they used to play under. Rain started feeling antsy at the silence, but he didn't say anything. It was not he who wanted to talk. So he was willing to wait, however long it took. "Why didn't you come and talk to me when I returned Rain?" Phayu asked, startling Rain, who had been lost in thought. "You came back after three months Phi. I am sure your family really needed time with you," Rain said, looking at Phayu as if he had asked a really stupid question. "You are just as much family to me as them Rain. You are my Nong, right?" Phayu said. Rain stared at him for a moment, as if thinking of something. Then he nodded and smiled. "Of course Phi Phayu. No doubt about it," he said.

Rain walked back to where Sky was sitting and one look at his face, and Sky knew that there was something seriously wrong. He looked at Dao and Aew. But all of them refrained from saying anything, knowing that this was probably not a great time. Rain would just retreat into his shell. It had started happening more and more often than they liked, but Rain would talk when he wanted to, and they held on to that. Later that night, as they lay side by side, they wondered how to broach the topic. Sky was just formulating his words when Rain spoke up. "He considers me his Nong," he said. The others kept silent, knowing there was more on Rain's mind. "I don't know what I am going to present as, but I know it's not as an Alpha. But whatever it is, I don't even know Phi likes guys or not. Just because I do, doesn't mean he has to. And with his lineage, his parents would want him to be bonded with someone who is just as powerful as them, right?" Rain said.

"Rain, first of all, our bonds are not determined by our primary genders, but by our secondary. Second, I think you know his parents well enough to know that power is not their first thought. Both P'Pai and P'Phayu's Papas were bodyguards before they married into the family. And third, I don't think you should have such low opinion of yourself sweetie. You are an amazing person, and never forget that, okay?" Sky said, a little reprimand in his tone. Rain sighed. Trust Sky to always put things in perspective. But Rain knew it was not as easy as that. P'Phayu would always consider him a younger brother, a Nong, Rain thought, rather sardonically. How his life had been reduced of just thinking about someone who was not even in his league. He was just 9, and had a long way to go before he had to start thinking or worrying about such things. It was better to just sleep than worry about a certain blue eyed Alpha.

Rainwould have been very surprised to know that he was occupying the thoughts ofsaid Alpha. Phayu stood in the balcony of his room, looking up at the stars. Whenhis wolf had first made an appearance, the first person Phayu had thought ofwas Rain, his sweet Pumpkin. He had been super excited and had waited withbated breath to see what reactions Rain would have to the changes in him. ButRain.. he had been expressionless, almost indifferent to Phayu. His wolf hadwhined plaintively, wanting nothing more than a lot of attention, and maybe lotof petting, from the sweet little boy in front of him. Phayu had been surprisedwith that reaction. Yes, it was true that he was close to Rain, loved Rain likehe cared for Dao, but his wolf's thrill at seeing Rain had made him feel weird.And the utter desolation he had felt when his wolf had stalked offafter he had called Rain his Nong. Their wolves would speakto them only at 18, when it was time for the first transformation to takeplace. Until then, he had to just rely on his own senses to figure out what hiswolf wanted. He sighed. It seemed like his senses refused to work today,because he could feel almost nothing from the fellow. And had no clue what todo to be able to find out!