Missing Ring

Cain.

The sun rays greets me 'morning' after waking up from what seems like a long slumber and I groan. It seems I've been waking up to nothing but the sun these days. I roll to the other end of the bed, reluctant about leaving the comfort of the bed yet.

"You're awake?" That voice leaves me astounded for a minute and makes me confirm that what I would've loved to conclude as part of the dream is nothing but reality. Last night...I can barely remember anything aside from ending up in bed with him, getting a good ride and being cuddled up. I can't even say the rest of our conversation and to start with, he's the same person I've always despised for five years until he disappeared, concluded to be dead and gone for good! Well, at least he was as good as dead but until the last twenty four hours. 

"Good morning, Cain. "He greets as I sit up, the duvet draping down to below my chest. He's naked and I'm no better except for the material covering my abdomen and below. And damn...I must say he has really good physical and facial features. Damn good, it's great and especially that lil man down there.

'Oh, fuck. Get your senses back, Cain.' My subconscious scolds and I take my eyes away. 

"It's no good morning, " I retort, picking up an argument already as I brush my strands away from my face. "It's the worst morning ever. I wouldn't believe you didn't enchant me to end up being fucked by you." He barely chuckles at this and gulps down the water in the cup he holds. It's not funny.

"Everyone thinks you're dead." I tell him, curiosity starting to burn in me again... curiosity that I'll love to get rid of if I can. 

"Surprised? Don't tell me you are." Really?

"Well, I am!" I snap my eyes back to him only to be reminded that he is still naked and this causes me to fume. Seeing him so good and better than dead or poor brings back the memories of childhood when dad always regarded him better than me and it hurts that even now, I'm seeing him to be better than me. Fuck, he's more attractive and fucks better. 

My sharp reaction seems to surprise him as he stands there, speechless and with no motion. I might have sounded too emotional and rude and all but I can barely give a fuck. I hate this man standing before me and seeing what he has become even makes me want to hate him the most. Want to? No, I fucking despise his good looks and manhood right now and it makes me imagine what I would've become if the attack hadn't come up and he and dad didn't disappear. I would probably still be oppressed by his relationship with dad and not even be able to face myself. Each day would be just another long session of being depressed and frustrated. 

"Tell me, who else was supposed to be dead during that fight but isn't?" I ask, sarcastic about him being a survivor.

"Just me." Of course, everything I hated has always been just him.

"Good, then feel free to take the sex as a present for being the only survivor of such a disastrous attack. "I say to him but it's not a nice remark.

"About last night..." He begins and I roll my eyes.

"Last night was nothing but a mistake. "I complete for him, wrapping the duvet around my waist as I get off the bed to leave, sick of staying in the same room with him. 

"You still have a grudge against me?" Well, according to him, I have no right to hate him because I don't know who he is. No cause or reason to despise him because he has never done any harm to me. Although it isn't physical, he has inflicted so much pain on me that led me to start hating. First was when he rejected me and called me childish. But it got worse when father started treating him better than me and when he started fulfilling my wishes for himself. 

"The only one who doesn't hate you is dad. But if you can just shut up and excuse me."I stop him from talking but as I leave, I listen to the words he says, "Last night was great." Funny though, as much as I hate to admit it, I find myself saying that too and with a foolish grin.

I stay longer in the shower than would've thought as I try to tame my emotions and tell myself to forget all about last night. It didn't happen and I wouldn't have sex with my rival even if I did. I tell myself to conclude it's all a delusion and it isn't real. When done, I pick a random towel from the rails and wrap it around my waist while I dampen my hair with another.  When I return to the room, there is no sight of Jude and I find that amazing. Really, I hope he doesn't appear again. Not even in the next five years anymore. I pick my former clothes that lay on the sofa and wear them. I should thank him that he hasn't made a mess of it all. I have no idea where this place is but there's a large window that has no burglary and is twice the size of every average window, hence making it possible for someone to escape right through it. It's just good and I'll rather skip embarrassment caused by fucking Jude than to apologise for it all. 

"How did your night go, alpha?"Aunty Pam wouldn't stop smiling at me during breakfast and I'm starting to become sick of it already. 

"Not bad," I tell her, managing to give her a lip tight smile but she still doesn't stop smiling and that only tells me she isn't planning to quit the interrogation the way I would love it. 

"Do you mind sharing?" Now, can someone tell me what has gone wrong in her brain?

"No. And don't ask about it anymore. "I warn, almost too stern but I can hardly give a big fuck about breaking her mind right now. It's clear (that) if I don't stop her, she won't stop herself. 

"Alpha," An omega walks in to us and bows, seeking permission to deliver his message. 

"Talk on," I order and he looks up.

"The elders are in a meeting and they ask that you come already. " He informs and takes my permission to leave. 

Those bloody bastards..! They only see themselves and never care about how the other person would feel. All they want guaranteed is that they would be fine with the belief that they're the pillar of the pack. I turn to aunty Pam, holding a questioning look and she shakes her head, knowing what I'd mean. 

"I swear Cain, I know nothing about the meeting. No one informed me about it earlier. "I don't doubt her words and it's not like I do have a choice. 

"Be careful and good." Aunty Pam cautions after me as I exit the room. 

I enter the courtyard and find them really going on with the meeting with my arrival unnoticed, not until I take the first step. 

"You're already here, alpha. Please, take a seat." Elder Malik says and a few turn to look at me but I just pretend to not their burning gaze and walk to take the first lead. The aura soon returns back to the way it was and elder Malik sees to readdressing the rest.

"Since alpha Cain is here already, then we would just get on with our former discussion." He says. Former discussion.

"There's a letter for the elders and it is from Jude, your brother. It's a good thing he is back and since he was mostly with the late alpha before he died, he can be of help and assist you to manage the pack affairs properly. " They sound just like dad; giving him all the praise and indirectly saying he's better than me. Fuck, Jude, what's so special about him? And brother... Who ends up being screwed by his brother? 

"Jude isn't my brother. He's just a stranger dad brought in and has no origin. " I protest, though I can't tell where exactly this is leading to. 

"Late alpha has always treated him as your brother and so he remains. He has written to us that he has nowhere to go and we've decided to give him the chance and let him stay with us as part of us. " If he can just stop referring to him as my brother. And he's going to start living with the pack? What smarty pants! I'm sure he still has a lot of games to play. 

"I'm not letting him stay, " 

"We've already decided that he stays in the late alpha's chamber since it's the only available room." Oh, wow. What am I alpha for? Since they've decided, why then invite me over to discuss the matter? 

"Well then, is that it? I've got something more important to attend to." I tell them, disgusted by the stupid gathering already.

"You'll mind where you are, Cain. "Elder Abel cautions but my anger has gone past that already.

"And you'll mind who you refer to as Cain. " I growl at him, my wolf hankering to lift him up and snap his neck already. It really sucks to be them!

"If I may ask, who are you?" He dares to challenge me and that makes me lose control over to my wolf.

"I'm your alpha, Abel!" I growl as I grab him and without thinking, I lift him up and toss him away carelessly. This surprises them but I only enjoy watching him thresh about on the floor, painfully and cursing. I turn to elder Malik who looks too stupefied to talk, "Next time you call me to a meeting, make sure it's something meaningful. I didn't complain to you about the letters except for the fact that your writing sucks. " I say and turn to leave, ignoring his call after me.

"Alpha," Aunty Pam furrows her brows at me, her hands wrapped around her chest as she waits for me beside my desk, "Did something go wrong in there?" Did something go wrong? How come I don't remember something wrong happening in there? I'll bet the only thing that went wrong was them deciding what happens in the pack without my permission but asides that, all that I think happened was me putting the dog back in its cage.

"No." I take my seat and lean back on the backrest, "Jude is coming to stay over. Prepare dad's chamber for him." For all I care, he isn't dead and that makes me worried. Definitely, there's got to be a pen behind these plots. Plus buddy's a witch, absolutely not something to be trusted. 

"Is he living in?" I nod to her irrelevant question and ask her out. Finally tasting the feeling of being alone, I close my eyes and relax into the comfort of the seat as I try to reminisce over everything. I'm alpha Cain of the Backwoods Pack at just twenty four years old. That I succeeded to be alpha is a bigger miracle than it looks. I would've thought dad would pass his crown unto his favorite Jude but something unfortunate had happened that had led to my coronation but even now, the elders don't think I'm worthy enough to be their alpha and they would rather have decisions made among them. About a day ago, someone who I didn't really consider to be my enemy tried to kill me and a few hours ago, I had ended up in bed with my childhood rival. That's it and I'm trying to think it's all but a big deal.

And that's when I feel it, the emptiness around my right hand. I snap my eyes open and find my right hand bare. My ring...

"Where the fuck did it go?!"