"And she'll never know your story like I do" – You belong with me

Rain and Sky exited the car and stood waiting for the rest of their gang to catch up. "You egomaniacal chits!" Oh-Aew said, as he stepped out of the car in which he and Dao had been driven up and found Rain and Sky leaning against theirs. Their guards were standing around as well. Rain laughed, his eyes sparkling with mirth and happiness. The three years they had been away, a lot had changed, but the friendship between the boys had never changed. They had kept in touch on a regular basis and knew pretty much everything about each other's lives. Which is why it had been a very easy decision for Rain and Sky to join their besties in the same high school. Even their parents were only too happy with this decision, because this meant that their sons would always be protected as well.

"Ooooooooo, someone has been brushing up on their English," Rain said, mocking Aew, who immediately stuck his tongue out. "You are mean!" he said. Rain only laughed. "Okay, okay, let's go. We don't want to be late for homeroom," Dao said, as he pulled Rain away, and Sky pushed Aew in, all of them laughing. Every single person around them turned around to look at the four boys, whose happiness created such a beautiful aura that people couldn't help but stare. "By the way, Rainy, you know that P'Phayu also studies here, right? He is in his final year," Dao said, looking at his friend. Rain simply nodded. "It doesn't bother you?" Aew asked, walking backwards, confident that Sky would warn him otherwise. "Can I change anything that happened three years back? No right? And moreover, I have also changed as a person, so.. no expectations," Rain said. "So you are ready to meet him?" Sky asked, looking back, but keeping an arm behind Aew. "I am," Rain said. "Well, that moment seems to be coming sooner than later," Dao said, gesturing with his head. All of them stopped and stared, first at the sight in front of them, then at Rain, to note his reaction.

Phayu had stopped to talk to one of his classmates when his wolf sat up, sniffing the air. Although his transformation had not occurred yet, the restlessness in him as he approached his 18th birthday had made it pretty clear that it was fast coming. He looked around to see what had his wolf so alert, and his eyes fell on one of the most beautiful person he had ever seen. The boy was fairly tall, had gorgeous ashy-blond hair, slightly long, styled back, sharply defined nose, and although he could not see the colour of his eyes, the shape was beautiful, large and doe eyed. But it was his pouty lips that triggered a vivid memory in his head. "Rain?" he whispered, but Fah, who was standing right beside him, heard him clearly. "Rain? Did you say Rain? Where is Rain?" he asked, looking around. But Phayu was clearly not even listening. He began walking towards Rain, almost as if he was in a trance.

"Rain?" he whispered again, and the boy looked up at his voice. The two of them stared at each other and it was like time stopped. Phayu randomly wondered why Rain had dyed his hair, but as he stepped closer, he could see the elite grey eyes that usually belonged to a higher order Omega, and that's when it struck him. Rain's hair was not ashy blond; it was the true silver of a moon wolf. His feet faltered, especially when he saw Rain step back in some kind of agony. He immediately understood why, because Jane stepped into his line of vision, and Rain's eyes swung between Phayu and her, and turned around and walked away, Sky, Dao and Aew following him, their expressions promising retribution of sorts.

The weird part was that he had refused Jane time and again. In fact, he had even forcefully removed her from being in his periphery. But there was something seriously wrong with her. She just wouldn't take no for an answer. Few people even believed her when she told them that Phayu was her Alpha. But most people knew that until the transformation occurred, mates wouldn't know each other, unless there was a cosmic connection between them. Rain was the last person who he didn't want seeing him with Jane, and now. He had been waiting for Rain for three years. When the boy had decided not to return from Korea at the end of his designated period, Phayu had somehow managed to get through that time, with the hope that he would meet his Pumpkin soon. But now that he was here.. what Phayu had seen on Rain's face had been indifference, something he had never expected, or wanted, to see. He could feel his heart breaking into a million pieces.

Rain sat, looking out of the window, his eyes focused on the football field down below. He could see Phayu play with his friends and he was reminded of the matches they used to play as kids. Even though Phayu had always been excellent at the game, he had always been gentle when playing with his younger brothers and with Sky and Rain. And even now, his love for the game had not diminished one bit. He could see the energy and enthusiasm from this far. Then why couldn't the girl standing on the sidelines? He watched her trying to distract Phayu from his game. He knew how important this was to him, then why didn't she? Hadn't she known him long? 'She will never know your story like I do,' he thought, his heart clenching at the sight. But he didn't utter a word, knowing there was no use. He simply turned his head away. It was better this way. But in his inner musings, he missed the looks that passed between Sky, Dao and Aew.

Phayu looked at the calendar on his phone, as he lay on the couch in their private salon. Just three weeks left for his birthday, and he hated the feeling that crawled all over his body. It was like his whole skin wanted to burst open at the seams. He could feel himself getting annoyed and irritated for the smallest reason, and everyone soon learnt to keep their distance from him when they saw him coming. And he was okay with that. But what really got him worked up was the fact that even Rain was staying away. And that got his gander up like nothing else. Why was Rain not meeting him? Why was he keeping his distance? If Rain wouldn't talk to him, how would he explain who Jane was, and that he had no relation with her? He was exhausted and fed up of whatever was happening. And he wanted his Pumpkin. He sighed. He was becoming a mess, and the only person he could blame at this point was himself.

Vegas and Pete looked at their older son, worried out of their minds. Phayu had been becoming worse and worse, and although they had some clue of what was happening, knowing Phayu, they couldn't be the ones to start the conversation. Only one person could tackle Phayu in this mood, but the problem was, from everything they knew, was that Rain was not really willing to talk to Phayu quite yet. Which meant, they were stuck in this conundrum of trying to figure out how best to help their son. Phayu's birthday was literally around the corner, which was Phayu's mood was going from bad to worse. He had almost gotten into a fight earlier that day at school, something unheard of. It was only his reputation as an excellent student, and the family's name, that was what had pretty much kept him out of trouble. "Should we meet the Elders Vegas?" Pete asked, his voice a mere whisper. Vegas nodded. "Let's discuss with family first," he said, as both of them slipped out of the house.

"Have you seen the colour of their eyes?" Kinn asked, as all the members settled in. Even Tharn, Type, Leo and Fiat were present, invited by the Theerpanayakuls, as they were also connected directly because of Rain. "Yes. It worried us when we went to Korea to meet the boys. But our Clan Elders said that that, along with the silver hair, it was a sign of a moon wolf," Leo said. "What does that mean?" Pol asked, surprised. "Well, as you know, the moon has two sides; one that sees the sun and lights up at night, and the other is the dark side of the moon, which stays without sunlight. Rain is a child born of light, or that's what we were told. A child that belongs to the bright side of the moon," Type said. "So basically, a child born on a full moon?" Kim asked. Fiat nodded. "Anything else?" Porche asked. Tharn and Type looked at each other, not sure what to say. But then Tharn spoke up.

"They said that Rain's mate can only be one that is born to the dark side of the moon, a child born on the new moon," he said, albeit a bit hesitantly. "Wasn't Venice born on a New Moon day?" Chay asked, his words creating a ripple effect around the room. Everyone looked around in shock. "Are you thinking what I am thinking?" Pete asked, his voice stunned, trying to digest what was going on. "You mean..?" Khun sounded just as shocked. "Is that why Rain was able to calm Venice down when he was nothing but a baby?" Vegas asked. Pete nodded. "What do you mean?" Pol asked, confusion lacing his tone. Pete explained what Vegas and he had seen of Venice, and how the very first day that Venice had met Rain, his very presence had brought about a drastic change in Venice's behaviour.

The silence that followed Pete's words was loud and oppressive and the tension could be cut with a knife. "So, what are you going to do now?" Khun finally broke it. "Venice's transformation is right around the corner. If what the Elders of your Clan mentioned is true, then Rain might need to be there for that. He would probably be the only one who will be able to control him at that time," Kinn said, looking worried. "He is just 15," Type said, tears pooling in his eyes. "Type, no matter what happens, you know we can never hurt our mate, right? You can be rest assured that Venice will not hurt Rain," Vegas said, reaching out and putting his hand on Type's, trying to comfort him. "But how can you be sure that Rain is the one who is Venice's mate? There could be other children who were born on full moon," Tharn said, his voice tight with worry. Everyone fell silent again, considering his words.

"Tharn is not wrong. There could be others, right?" Leo said. "Who can we ask? Who can clear any doubts that we have?" Pete asked. "We will need someone who will be able to read the signs and portents within, someone with knowledge of these kind of things," Khun said. "We can ask the Clan Elders..," Pete trailed off when Kinn picked up his phone. "Let me call them right away," he said. He dialled and put it on speakerphone so that everyone could hear it. "Hello? Khun Kinn?" a voice spoke up. "Elder Taem, Swasdi Khap. We had some questions, if you could please help us," Kinn said. 'Of course Khun. Tell me what I can help you with?" Taem said. Kinn explained the entire story, and all the circumstances leading to it. There was utter and devastating silence for a few minutes. "I am afraid I cannot help you. The only person who can do that is Lee Jianyong from the Korean Clan. You can contact him. His daughter was Rain and Sky's trainer and teacher, so I am sure their parents would be aware and would be able to help," Taem said. "I see. I thank you Elder Taem," Kinn said, as he cut the call.

He looked around the room. "I will contact Jianyong right away," Fiat said, as he immediately picked up his phone. After a quick conversation, he looked around at everyone. "They will come here, Jianyong and Eun-Bi. They will need to meet Venice and Rain, separately and together," he said. "That sounds dire," Pete said, looking worried. "I don't think we should worry before it is actually time to do that P'Pete," Leo said. Pete sighed, then nodded, knowing Leo was right. All they could do was wait.

"So? What do you think Jianyong?" Tharn asked, his voice worried. "Let me explain in detail how this works. You must have a bit of an idea, but you don't know everything. We, as wolves, are considered children of the Moon Goddess. However, most people don't know that there are two of them," Jianyong said. "Two Moon Goddesses?" Vegas asked, shocked. "Yes. One is the one we usually see, the one who visits Earth is the Goddess of the bright side of the moon. The other is the Goddess of the dark side of the moon. According to legends, once every millennia, the Goddesses come down to Earth, and choose a worthy Omega to carry on their legacy. Once these Omegas are chosen, they are blessed, and an equally worthy Alpha is chosen as their mate. The Goddesses put a lot of effort in finding the perfect pair," Jianyong said. "Then?" Khun asked. "The Goddesses then choose the time when their true legacies will be born in the world. One would be born on darkest night, and one on the brightest, and they are always mates. Always. Together, they create a generation that is much stronger and brighter," Eun-Bi said.

"Are you saying Venice and Rain are those Omega and Alpha?" Type asked, looking shocked, like everyone else in the room. "No, Pete and Type are the Omegas they chose, which makes Vegas and Tharn the Alphas. That means, according to our calculations, Venice and Varain are those children, the legacies. When Rain came to Korea three years ago, and Eun-Bi started training with him, she came to me with a doubt. So we decided to watch. When his hair and eyes turned, we knew for sure," Jianyong said. "And how do we know if Venice..," Kim trailed off. "Does he have blue eyes and jet black hair which shines almost blue in the light?" Eun-Bi asked. Everyone nodded almost as one. "Then yes. He is it. The child of the dark side of the Moon. And Rain's perfect other half," she said. The silence was back, as everyone sat back to digest all the facts that had been given to them.

"Venice's transformation is nearing. Rain would need to be there with him. But in no way must Rain know he is Venice's mate. Venice will find out as soon as he transforms, but he too must not claim Rain until the boy is of age," Jianyong said. "Why?" Chay asked, speaking up for the first time since this whole discussion started. "Because it has to be Rain's own choice. Venice can protect Rain until he is of age, but he cannot tell him anything. When Rain turns 18, and transforms, he will find out in any case," Eun-Bi said. "Okay, that makes sense," Vegas said, and everyone nodded in agreement. "We will stay back for the event. It is too great an occasion for us to miss. Plus we may be of help," Jianyong said. The relief on everyone's faces was totally palpable.

The day of Phayu and Saifah's birthday, was a beautiful one, with clear blue skies, clouds floating by, and a pleasant breeze, a rare good day in the heat of Bangkok. Preparations were on in full and everyone was running around like crazy since there were two major events happening. In the afternoon, there was a party for all of the twins' friends, and later in the night, there would be the pack transformation, welcoming the two new wolves among them. The older children were helping the adults, and the younger children were at Rain's room, playing. Fourth was lying on Rain's bed, his head in Rain's lap as they both sang 'God's Menu' at the top of their voices, especially rapping out Felix's part. "He is so awesome Hia Rain!" Fourth said, happily putting the next song.

"Oh God Fourth! Can we stop listening to this group? Put on some Thai music or some other band, for God's sake!" Sky finally shouted, as Dao, Aew, Team and Atom rolled on the floor laughing. "Felix is sexy P'Sky! And Hia Rain looks like him. So that's why I like him more," Fourth pouted cutely, making Rain blush and everyone else laugh again.

"Well, I think we all should go get ready for the party now. Team, take Fourth and Atom, go on! Hia will be there soon to get you all ready," Aew said, gently ushering the boys out before turning towards Rain, who was hunting for something in his closet. "You know I can feel you guys, right? I know you are staring at me. What's up?" he asked, turning around. "Today is Hia Phayu's transformation, the day a mate is scented. Are you worried?" Dao asked. "Worried about what? That it won't be me? I already know that," Rain said, shrugging nonchalantly, but his three friends could hear the underlying thread of pain in his words. "Rain, no matter what happens, you know that we have your back, right?" Sky said, and the other two nodded. Rain smiled. "You guys are the bestest friends a body can ask for. And I will be fine," he said.

Once the party was concluded, just the family moved to the secluded lands behind the community that they had created. Elders from the Theerpanayakul and the Korean clans were present as well, to oversee and hope that nothing went wrong. Unlike the myths, they did not have to disrobe to transform, and would come back with their clothes intact. Everyone was present, and Fourth and Atom were seated the farthest from the group, along with Rain, Sky, Dao and Team. Usually, Omegas transformed first and Alphas later, but Phayu was supposedly special, so would that change the order? That was the question most of the older wolves had. Vegas and Kinn changed to their wolves, followed by the rest of the Clans, except for Pete and Porche, who stayed human, to be able to help their sons better. Pete hugged both of them, whispering words of encouragement in their ears. "No matter what happens, don't lose control of your wolf Ven. You need to rein him until it is time," he said, and Phayu looked at him in surprise, not understanding what his father was getting at.

The younger children watched, entranced, as Saifah transformed first, his pale brown fur coating him, as he shook himself out and flopped on the ground, limbs trembling. Pete and Porche helped him as Vegas nuzzled his younger son, giving him courage to stand. A tiny whine escaped Saifah, his body shaking with need and adrenaline. All the wolves howled as one when he finally stood up, steady and ready. Suddenly, a large cracking sound was heard, and everyone jumped back a step as Phayu's transformation started. His body rippled and pain crossed his face as he doubled over with it. He fell to the ground, his body contorting and convulsing. Pete was about to step forward but another figure was already there before him. "Rain! Step away baby!" Type shouted, transforming immediately, his fear palpable. But before he could step forward, Eun-Bi had stepped up and stopped him. "Let him," was all she said, as they watched Rain run his hands through Phayu's hair.

"Phi, this is Rain," he said, calmly enough that everyone knew it was okay. He was okay. "You need to snap out of it. Don't let pain lead you, you lead it away. C'mon! I know you can do it!" he said, conviction lacing his tone. Phayu's wolf sat up in delight. "He has scent of mate," he said. "Rain? Rain is my mate?" Phayu asked, his voice carrying all the joy in the world. He was already completely smitten. His wolf's face fell though. "What is it?" Phayu asked. "Must not tell mate yet," his wolf replied. "Why not?" Phayu asked, the happiness quickly changing to anger. "Transform first. I will tell you everything," his wolf said, and Phayu reluctantly agreed. All of a sudden, Phayu's body started shifting and Rain stepped away, moving back to where his friends were waiting. Once Rain had touched him, it seemed like something inside him had quieted down, and his shift was relatively easier, although it did take some time.

Everyone waited with bated breath as the jet black wolf stood on trembly legs, but he managed to balance himself before he fell completely. He was huge, almost the size of a full grown wolf, glossy fur, and eyes sparkling a bright blue, as he raised his head in the air and howled towards moon. Pete and Porche quickly transformed and the Clans did the mandatory run before coming back and changing back to their human forms. Phayu wanted to stalk over towards Rain and claim him then and there, but his wolf's words were ringing in his ears. It would be better if that stupid wolf of his gave him a legitimate reason why he could not shower his beautiful mate with all the love in the world!