In the previous chapter:
"Really?" Louis squeaks and raises an eyebrow, "I cannot run very fast and I have not been my wolf in months."

Harry laughs through his nose. "Of course, we can start tomorrow."

"I cannot do this!" Louis exclaims in frustration. The boy falls to the grass and lets out a pitiful sob, "this is so hard."

Harry holds out a hand to the Omega, "Get up, Blue. It is not even noon yet." He hides his smile as best he can, unsure if Louis will take lightly to his teasing.

The blue-eyed boy is lifted from the ground like a feather, and he fiddles with the flower he picked. He looks up at Harry, their size difference still shocking. "Oh, I think my mom is calling me. Got to go!" Louis sprints out of the forest, and of course; he barely makes it a couple of feet before he tumbles to the ground.

A warm body pushes against him and turns him onto his back. "Are you trying to avoid hunting?"

"Me? Avoid hunting?" Louis scoffed, "Never."

The Alpha laughs and slips one of his hands from above the boy's head to his waist, "Hm," Harry hums, burying his face into Louis' neck because he was happily addicted to how to boy smelt. "I have a feeling that you are lying to me, my sweet."

A few beats pass. "Do you?" The boy challenges.

Harry lets out an appreciative sound when Louis scents him lightly. "I do-"

In the blink of an eye, Louis frees his hand from Harry's grasp and flips them around. His knees on either side of Harry's hips, his nimble body a delicate petal over the Alpha's muscular frame. "What about now?" The Omega sasses, taking Harry's hands and holding them above the Alpha's head.

Harry fish mouthed, visibly surprised of the boy's sudden confidence, "I-You..." he gulps, "uh."

Giving Harry whiplash, Louis stands. "Why are you lying on the ground?" Louis frowns in false disappointment, "Are you slacking?" The younger boy props his hands on his hips and Harry rolls his eyes fondly.

As the day goes by, the two train together. Before anything, they warmed up; with racing each other. Louis was a little reluctant at first, but after a few sweet words of encouragement from Harry, he finally agreed.

They stand side by side, Harry hunches over. "I will give you a head start, darling," He smirks, taking his bandana off his neck and tying it around the Omega's head.

Louis nods, taking a deep breath. He counts down from three in his head then he bolts. He doesn't know how fast he's going, but he feels the dirt beneath his shoes. As expected, Harry catches up to Louis in a matter of seconds despite the younger of the two having a head start. The blue-eyed boy ground his teeth and pushes himself to run faster. They zoom past trees and leaves, everything looking like a blur. As if time was being fast-forwarded before their eyes.

Louis lets out a small squeal when he is swept off his feet. Those same tan and tatted arms hold him close, a nose nuzzling against his own.

"You did good, Blue." Harry praises, taking a deep breath. "I can hear your heart racing."

Louis is still panting, lying limp in Harry's arms as the Alpha takes them to a small clearing between the trees. His eyes are drawn to Harry's. The colour so deep, and almost begging Louis to stare for eternity.

Harry's lips part, "it is speeding up." His voice is deep yet soft. He listens to the close thump of Louis' beating heart, his gaze lingering on the Omega's pink lips. He wanted nothing more than to kiss those lips, but it was all too soon. A part of Harry was still frightened that Louis would run.

"Show me your wolf."

A small furrow appears on Louis' brows. "Why?"

"I would like to see if it is possible for you to be more beautiful."

Cherry red paints over Louis' cheeks as he is gently released from Harry's arms. His movements are timid, slipping off his shoes, sweater, and pants. He stands with his arms covering his small, squishy body. The heat radiating off his skin into the open forest air. Between taking off his clothing and standing with his knees bent inwards, Louis never noticed Harry also undressing.

Louis felt self-conscious about his body but willed himself to not burst into tears. Harry stood tall and confident, though he smelt the nerves melting off the teenage Omega.

"It is," Harry confirms with a glaze over his eyes as they scan over Louis' nearly nude body. Louis was like a perfect day that just got better, continuing to astonish Harry with the warm sun rays and butterflies. He was like an endless pool of beauty.

Harry doesn't blink when Louis transforms into his wolf, the boy's skin growing a thick coat of white fur and his blue eyes growing large. His hands morphing into paws with small sharp claws. Harry watches the process continue until Louis' size was almost twice of his human form and his white tail swooshes behind him.

There he stood. In all his glory and youth.

Soft pure white fur that out-beat snow covered his form. Small patches longer than others but that didn't lessen his perfection. His eyes were ones that made Harry's heart skip a beat. The bright blue held him captive under the boy's gaze. Louis' small button-like pink nose twitched before he sneezed cutely.

The Alpha follows suit, transforming into his wolf. Forcing his bones to break before molding into stronger ones. He bears his teeth before sitting before the patient Omega and that was a sight. Two wolves sitting opposite from each other; one as dark as night and more skilled than the Omega who is a blinding white, smaller and delicate. It was like a painting waiting to be auctioned off for thousands of dollars.

The contrast between the lush green grass and both wolves would be a dream for any artist searching for a muse.

Giving in to his desire, Harry steps toward the smaller wolf and gently lays his head on top of Louis'. It was quite easy considering that Harry was significantly taller than Louis, not to mention warmer.

It was a few hours past noon and the sun was hiding being the trees of the forest. Despite wanting to bring himself and Louis towards the open field of tall grass and flowers where they would lay together and soak up the warm rays of the sun; Harry knew he needed to train the younger boy.

The black wolf pulls away from the embrace and gently pushes Louis away when the latter attempted to snuggle back under his neck. The white wolf whines, following after Harry when he walks off.

A few moments later, the two find themselves deeper in the woods. The trees were taller and animals roamed carelessly. It takes one glance and a soft nudge on the Omega's behind before Louis is trotting past the trees, following a new-found scent. Not wanting to hover the younger boy, Harry walks quietly behind Louis. Not a minute later, Louis halts his speedy steps and shoots a look at Harry.

In front of the boy sits a small rabbit—not a first prey Harry would've chosen but it's a star— with a pink nose and brown fur. The eyes were dark and seemed to be looking everywhere but where Louis stood. The animal was enjoying a bundle of greens and completely unaware of the wolves that were a few feet behind it. Blue meets red in a questioning manner before the Alpha nods and Louis lunges at his prey.

Unfortunately, the rabbit has faster reflexes than Louis and hops out of the way before the wolf could crush it. Not wasting time, Louis begins to chase after the rabbit. His paws squash the grass stems with every step he took as he follows after the smaller animal.

After running passed trees and shrubs for what felt like an hour, Louis lets his body fall to the grass. Exhausted, hot, and thirsty; Louis concluded that he will never choose a rabbit for any hunt.

His legs were aching and beginning to feel numb, and he feels a strong pressure building up in his chest. Louis couldn't even bring himself up to get a sip of water from the lake a couple of feet away and just when he was about to allow his body and mind to rest, he felt a weight lay over his head. The Omega doesn't need to open his eyes to know who had fallen against him, the same comforting smell traveled up to his nostrils.

Before his heart rate slowed down and his eyes were about to shut; Louis squeaks out a sneezed when a grass stem went up his nose.

Harry let Louis nap, simply watching the small wolf twist and turn in the bed of grass. He gently licks Louis' fur, showing his affection even when the boy was asleep. He never felt like this before, all these feelings paired with tender touches and longing gazes had him confused but happy.

"If I remember correctly," The two shape-shifters walk together through tall trees and grass while the moonlight shines bright, "Is that I told you I could not do this." Louis huffs.

The boy was and has been complaining about how the whole day had gone. The beginning wasn't as horrible and sweaty as he thought and just when he mustered up enough confidence; he ends up getting out-ran by a small rabbit.

In short, Louis was tired and a bit cranky.

"Blue," A voice as comforting as a warm blanket and as smooth as caramel made Louis huff again. This time taking a small twig off the ground and snapping it between his fingers. "I refuse to allow you to put yourself down. You've just started and who knows," Harry chuckles before wrapping his arm around the Omega's shoulder, "Maybe you'll become a better hunter than me."

"Thanks for the boost, Mr. Pack-Alpha-who-was-born-with-more-skills-than-I-have-gained-in-all-the-years-I've-been-alive."

Harry cackles, tossing his head back in the process. Oddly enough, it took several minutes of the wolves standing on Louis' porch for the Alpha to finally calm down. Harry wipes the tears from his eyes and grins, "I have yet to introduce you to my own jokes."

Louis hums, "Definitely." The younger began to untie the bandana from around his head until Harry frowned.

"Keep it, Blue." His charming smile could outshine the moon and every star that surrounded it. Harry leans towards Louis with his arms open, without any verbal communication; the Omega snuggles into the Alpha's shirt.

"Louis," Harry says pulling away from the boy before nodding his head towards Louis' house, "your siblings are staring at us."

With bright red cheeks that were visible even in the darkness, Louis whips his head around only to see his sisters rush to shut the curtains with wide eyes and small mischievous grins.

"Sorry." Louis apologizes, shaking his head in embarrassment.

"Do not be." Harry licks his lips, "They are just curious."

"Lou! Just bring Harry inside before it gets too late!" A voice shouts from an opened window.

Without needing to look back at his house, Louis already knows who it was. "Yes, mum!" He replies holding his hand out for the Alpha, "You do not have any choice but to come inside; mom said so."

Harry could only smile softly at Louis' words.

Before they both knew, it was nearly twelve in the morning. They had spent the last two hours in a deep conversation from the moment they sat on Louis' bed. Laughs, giggles, and details about their lives were exchanged. Both had smiles brighter than the sun on their faces and the cutest crinkles by their eyes. The blue and green fairy lights illuminate as their only source of light in the room and to Harry; that was enough to see Louis' remarkable beauty. When his eyes would widen before giggles tumbled from his lips or when he would ramble on and on about his CD collection, Harry would be completely entranced by the boy.

"And this one is Lana Del Rey's-"

"Lou?" A knock on the door followed by his mother's voice, "Is your friend staying the night?"

The blue-eyed boy shoots a questioning glance to Harry, "Are you?"

Preparing himself to see the disappointment and sadness in Louis' eyes, Harry shakes his head.

"No." Louis calls out and a few seconds later he hears his mother shout an 'okay!' through his door before her descending footsteps.

Louis did hope to see Harry again tomorrow, but even that seemed too long to wait. He felt lighter and like he was floating around the Alpha. Like nothing else mattered other than the two of them. If anything, Louis felt more himself around Harry, even if it didn't make any sense. Against wanting to bury themselves in another two-hour conversation, the two went downstairs of the quiet house to the front door, with decreasing spirits.

"I do not know when I will see you again, Blue." Harry feels Louis' chest deflate and his arms tighten, as he secured his arms around the boy.

"It is okay," Louis bites his lip, "You are an Alpha—pack Alpha. You have duties."

"I am sorry, Blue." Harry gave Louis one last squeeze before freeing the boy from his arms, "I promise you that what is supposed to be tomorrow's session will not go ignored." He says sternly but flashes a sad smile, "I will see you soon, Darling."

Sadness begins to sink deep into Louis, his smile vanishing just like the Alpha did into the woods.

It was dark and silent. Louis can only hear his own beating heart and the blood flowing through his body.

Like a light switch was flipped, a small and faint glow catches his attention from a few feet away. As curious as he is, Louis' feet bring him toward the yellow light. Sat atop a dark brown table, a candle. The single candle had wax dripping off the sides slowly. The heat of the flame adding a small amount of comfort to the boy with an unknown abyss was beyond him. Taking the handle of which was a small tube, Louis realized how he was dressed.

It wasn't his boxers and a loose t-shirt but was something different. Over his figure were baggy, and torn clothes. The shirt that seemed to once be white was now a beige with red splatters scattered across it. His legs were in long pants that looked to be too large with green and red stains that made Louis gag. Covering his bare feet were torn shoes with holes at the toes.

Not only did his own appearance make Louis disgusted but also his smell. he reeked of garbage, dirt and raw meat. The smell was choking him, tears pooling in his eyes before he lets out the contents of his stomach out onto the floor. As well as dropping the candle when he fell to his knees.

Louis whimpers and shuts his eyes, praying he would wake up from what has already been a nightmare. When reopening his eyes, Louis is stunned to see trees. The never-ending darkness was gone and replaced by tall evergreen trees and white snow.

Before Louis could take one more breath, what felt like a force stronger than God himself shoved him roughly against a hard surface. His cry of pain was heartbreaking. Louis' face began to redden from the cold and his eyes watering before tears started to fall down his pink cheeks. Louis squeezes his eyes shut, hoping he would awaken before anything worse happens but luck wasn't on his side.

A growl that rattled the ground and the trees made Louis scream in fear. Not only had the force held him harder against the tree but it had begun to push its nails into his skin after ruthlessly tearing through the thin dirty t-shirt. The pain from the fresh bloody wounds on his shoulders. The agony was enough for Louis to wish he would die that second.

It took one peek through his eyelids for him to feel like a child again. A child who was afraid of the dark and everything that lurks within it, a small innocent child that fears mythical monsters. It was the same exact creature from before. The same sickeningly face with the same jagged teeth and, same eyes that gave Louis shivers everywhere.

When Louis awakens, he was exhausted. As relaxing as a sleep should be, Louis' was the complete opposite.

In the dream, he was non-stop running with the same haunting monster who was just a few steps behind him. It was different scenes, different stories but they all ended in the same way. With Louis dead.

Like a blessing, Louis woke up after he was murdered by the terrifying creature about four times. He refused to go back to sleep and chose to grab a glass of water from the kitchen. The house was silent as everyone was sleeping—it was 4:30 am to be exact.

Louis didn't know what to think or believe. Maybe I am going crazy, Louis thought to himself Or got bit by a poisonous beetle and now I am loosing it.

"Stupid boy."

Unaware of the thin figure standing in the dark corner of the kitchen, Louis flips on the tap and holds his glass underneath the stream.

"What the hell is wrong with me.." Louis whispers, shaking his head in confusion before nearly chugging the whole glass.

The wicked woman quickly disappears into a cloud of dust then reappears in the boy's bedroom. She scoffs at the strong Alpha scent that drenched the entire room. "Ugly boy, ugly room." She grunts, "Seems understandable." Her hair was matted and dirty, her boney fingers snooping through the boy's things. She opens drawers, looks through his closet, and even searches through the bookcase until she grins maliciously, and her eyes filled with evil.

It was as a small book made from white leather and smelled of pollen. The witch didn't waste any time before she flips through the pages. Scribbles of words, drawings of flowers were all that she saw at first. Until she reached a sketch at the end of the journal, it wasn't drawn in pencil like the other ones were; but instead, it was completely finished, coloured and all.

If she weren't blinded by spite, she would've admitted that the sketch was amazing. The intensity of the eyes that was transferred from reality to paper, the texture of the wolf's fur, contrasting with the beautifully illustrated flowers. The wolf was black, but standing in a bed of flowers.

Even though the focal points were polar opposites, there was harmony between them. The wolf was strong and board, definitely an Alpha. His stance was as straight as a sunflower stem and showed power and dominance. Just when she heard footsteps going up the stairs, her eyes were drawn to the very corner of the page.

'I do not know why, but I do not want to be without you.'

[if you're confused: So, Louis wakes up from one of his dreams that's controlled by the witch - where he was continuously murdered by the monster (of which we don't know what they truly are). It was a nightmare. Then, he is completely oblivious as to the witch being in his house and doesn't know how much danger he is in. As wicked as the witch is, she snoops through his things; and eventually finds Louis' journal that tells her all about his life and relationship with Harry.]

"Where were you yesterday?" Harry looks up from his plate.

"Nowhere." The Alpha answers before stabbing a piece of bacon and bringing it to his mouth.

"C' mon," Liam rolls his eyes, "You left before I could say goodbye and came back when everyone was sleeping." The brown-eyed man smirks at Harry's defeated noise. "That is obviously not just nowhere."

"His name is Louis." A smile crawls on to his face from the bare thought of the small boy, "And that is all I am telling you." He said, waiting for Liam's overdramatic reply.

Overdramatic it was. The man fake sobs before calling out, "What has the world come to?! My own best friend refuses to gush about his boyfriend!"

Harry laughs until there were tears in his eyes, "Oh, shut up."

"So, he is your boyfriend," Liam wiggles his eyebrows.

"Well," The Alpha begins, "We have not actually talked about what we are yet."

"And yet, he has you wrapped around his pretty little finger."

"You do not know that." Harry's lips are in a thin line.

"Oh really, then is it not him who you have been sneaking off to see?" Liam teases, "But, all jokes aside; is he the one?"

That was a question to keep Harry up at night. Was Louis truly his other half, has the answer to all his problems been in front of him the whole time, Harry didn't know. Soulmates were every wolf's dream and Harry has waited long for his to come. Love wasn't the same for everyone, some felt the electricity, others felt a wave of calm wash over them, and others felt a magnetic pull.

"I do not know." Mutters the Alpha, feeling more vulnerable.

"How do you feel about him?" His brown-haired friend asks.

Harry thinks for a moment, "he makes me happy and whenever I am with him," He grins softly, "I cannot help but hang on every word he says."

"And?"

"His eyes are prettier than any ocean that I have sailed across. Oh, and his laugh; more enchanting than any bell-chime." Harry feels his thoughts come together in words he can't explain. "It is hard to say, how I feel like I am being pulled towards him. Yesterday, when I had to come back here—I felt tied to him." He remembers the smell of Louis' sadness when he announced his departure. "And leaving him was like I had sliced the rope that held us together."

A red-haired Beta ran up to them, reminding them about the patrol that was scheduled in ten minutes.

Liam gathers his plate and utensils, "I will not tell you how to feel but love is one of the most powerful emotions anyone can feel. And it does not show itself directly, you need to look a little closer, look deeper into the past few weeks you've known Louis."

WARNING: mentions of assault and attempted rape.

Another sneeze pushes its way out from his body, his bright blue-eyes now a grey like clouds ghosting over the blue sky. Louis blows his nose and tosses the tissue into the trash bin next to him. He had woken up that morning feeling hot and sweaty and when he shoved the covers off himself—he was freezing cold. After waking up his mother with his constant coughing, she declared that he was sick and wouldn't be allowed to leave the house.

Louis didn't always get sick, but when he did; it was horrible. He would get a bit moody too because his mother insisted on leaving his bedroom window open to "Let the air in," claiming that his room was too stuffy. He always gets moody when he was cold. With the cold wind blowing at his curtains and making the birds outside seem a little louder, Louis couldn't sleep a wink.

It was nearly eleven and Flora had already given him two bowls of soup and about three cups of tea.

After having a short coughing fit, Louis continues to sketch in his beloved journal. Since he finished his old one, Louis stuffs it into his bookshelf along with his past ones. He stares at the faint lines decorating the blank white page and rubs his eyes. It didn't help that his blues were watery but his vision wasn't improving by all the rubbing either. Sighing to himself, the Omega opens his bedside table and digs through the countless useless knick-knacks that overfilled his entire drawer. After finding the familiar brown case, he shuts the drawer and slipped on the things he hated with a passion.

He hadn't worn his glasses in years and he definitely despised the way they perched high on his nose and made his eyes look a little bigger. How the thick frames brought more attention to him as well as making him look a bit 'dorky', as he called it.

Humming to himself a tune he couldn't remember well, Louis colours a pretty rose. He chooses yellow and pink for the flower, making the little nub in the middle a light wash of yellow and slowly getting bold and pink towards the outer petals of the rose.

That probably wasn't how someone was supposed to colour a flower as beautiful as a rose but Louis didn't really care and decides that if it turned out looking like an odd circle, that he would rip out the page and forget he ever drew it.

Downstairs of the Tomlinson household, Flora was about to begin cleaning up her toddlers' mess when a knock on the door made her jump. Walking towards the front door, she grinned upon meeting someone that she hadn't seen in months, "Niall James Horan, quite some time. Hm?"

And that was how Louis' terrible sick day turned into one of the best days of the year. After not seeing his dear best friend since nearly a year ago, Louis was ecstatic but then eventually pouted. He was still a bit angry at the bubbly blond for leaving him all that time ago. From childhood, they were inseparable. Having sleepovers almost every week, to the point where they kept clothes and toothbrushes at each other's houses. Flora said they were attached at the hip. Wherever Louis went, Niall followed.

It didn't take long for Niall to explain Louis everything. How he thought he met the one and only, then how the man turned out to be nothing like Niall imagined. It had been an emotional roller coaster for the blond Omega from the time he left their town.

"He was so different, Lou. Over here, he was an angel, everything I ever wanted." Niall says, grimacing from the intense memories, "But when we left, he turned into this monster. It started when he was so snappy and refused to go out on dates with me. Then, one day we got into a fight—he tried to hit me." Niall feels Louis' arms tighten around his torso, "I cannot believe I still stayed with him after that. It was not until one night when he got drunk and he tried to force me to have sex with him." The blond's voice cracks, "That was a few weeks ago."

Louis shivers at the thought of Niall going through such a thing. "Why did it take you so long to come back?"

"I needed to get away from him, erase myself. I needed to find a job, get money get and myself back here." The blond faces Louis with watery eyes. "Back to you."

It took a while for the two friends to defuse the tension but with a few jokes and a bunch of catching up—Niall was already asking Flora if he could stay over. Louis' mother didn't hesitate to give Niall a pillow and a few blankets. Despite her warning of Louis' health and that he might get sick too; Niall still insisted on sleeping in the blue-eyed boy's room.

NOTE: whale, it's been a long time. i'm hoping to do a good chunk of editing for this story before september. i believe in myself
😤