A Father's Guidance

The huge cluster of boulders sat deep inside the forest opening; Brayden searched for almost an hour before stumbling upon them. Just as he had been told, the cave-like opening was wedged between two oversized rocks; had he not used his newly found skills as a werewolf, transitioning his eyes to his wolf side, he would not have seen it.
Although in the past his instincts would have warned him not to enter without solid evidence of what was beyond the opening, Brayden knew deep in his soul he must trust what his mother had told him and embrace the ancestral spirits for guidance.
Keeping his eyes set in the glowing bright red of his alpha status, Brayden walked slowly into the opening; the path was slim and some parts were hard for him to fit through; but he continued on until he came upon an opening that was dimly lit by the moon that shone through a hole in the top of the cave. Reaching the end of the path and noting there was no further he could go, Brayden found himself standing alone surrounded by the cold damp walls of the cave.
What now; he thought to himself. He followed the path; just like he was told, but nobody told him what to do when he reached the end. Turning in a circle, he found himself scoping out the entire cave; nothing gave a clue as to what his next step might be. As he was taking in his surroundings, he caught a glimpse of a bright aura-like sphere floating high above him just in front of the opening. Taking a few steps back as he watched the bright figure float downward coming to a stop just a short distance from him.
Squinting his eyes from the brightness he raised his right hand to block part of the rays that shone through as he tried to make out the figure before him. It was a glorious sight; the bright rays of glitter and golden flakes began to take shape in the form of the most beautiful creature he had ever seen.
Massive in stature; the intimidating size of the wolf now standing before him had Brayden in awe of what he was seeing. Long silky black fur covered the beast with the rubiest of red eyes as the creature stood proudly at full stance. Never has Brayden ever cowered or backed down from anyone or anything in his entire life; certainly not out of fear, but an overwhelming sense of respect came over him as he found himself dropping his head and falling to his knees before the alpha that stood towering before him.
“Rise my son; knees are no place for a prince to be.” His voice was deep and commanding; yet soothing to Brayden’s ears. Could it be? He raised his head slowly up to look into the eyes of his father; he knew it the moment he heard his voice, a feeling of sad comfort came over him as he rose to his feet as his father had commanded.
A mist of golden dust began to swirl around his father as Brayden watched him transform into his human body. As immensely beautiful as he was in wolf form he was equally as intimidating and beautiful in his human form; his stance and aura commanded respect without him even having to utter a word.
Brayden felt his body begin to shake; his soul stirred with so many emotions, all he could do was stand there and stare at the man in front of him. “Father,” was all he could muster. “My son, I have waited a lifetime for this very moment,” he responded as he placed each of his hands on Bryaden’s shoulders and stared at him affectionately right before embracing him.
Tears began to build as Brayden let go of all his anger, all his sadness and fully embraced his legacy; for once in his life he understood what the meaning of belonging truly felt like.
“You have grown into such a remarkable man,” he said as his smile beamed with pride. Brayden’s head began to drop as he did not feel he was worthy of his father’s praises; all this time not knowing who he truly was, what the truth behind his lineage was, the horrible battles he had generated at the hands of Hennis.
Placing two fingers on his son’s chin, Roan gently guided his head back up to look him in the eyes. “You have a lot to learn; but what you must understand from this moment forward is this: you are a Moroccan Prince, son of Roan and heir to our lands and kingdom…we do not drop our heads in shame,” he told him sternly; making it clear to Brayden to keep his head up. “Come. let’s get some fresh air, shall we?” Roan said as he turned back towards the opening as Brayden followed.
Taking a deep breath as soon as they reached the outside of the cave, Roan continued, “I miss the smell of the woods; it’s not often I get to enjoy it,” he smiled as he turned to his son. Pointing to a large fallen tree stump, Roan directed his son to sit.
“I’m sure this is all very confusing to you; there is so much chaos around you right now your mind and emotions are spiraling out of control. But know this, tomorrow eve will be a test like no other. You know what is coming; and how you handle it will determine the outcome.”
Roan knew the anger his son felt; the betrayal that stabbed through him like a double bladed sword, but he could not allow his son to fall at the hands of the man that stole his heritage. “Hennis is many things; but stupid is not one of them, he keeps the half breed near him for protection and guidance. This will not be easy; his intent is complete annihilation of everyone but you,” his voice dropped at the last part of his statement. Noticing the change in his demeanor, Brayden asked, “Why? Surely he knows now that the truth has been revealed; why would he want to keep me alive knowing I will kill him the first chance I got?” Brayden felt his rage begin to build again; this time he felt an uncontrollable heat consume his body and his eyes began to glow brightly.
“He does not know; and this can be used against him. A protection spell has been cast over you to keep Luka from seeing you; to the best of their knowledge you are being held against your will by the witches,” Roan told him. Brayden stared at the ground before him; trying to take it all in; thinking clearly was a must, controlling his rage was going to be a challenge.
“Being a Moroccan Alpha comes with both privilege and responsibility; you must maintain the balance, which is no easy task,” his father continued. “Strength comes from heart; not war. Everything has purpose, my son, everyone’s destiny has been laid out long before now and interference with that could lead to detrimental consequences. Shifting balance puts everyone, both supernatural and humans, at risk.”
Brayden rose to his feet; taking in what his father was telling him. “How am I to maintain balance, father, when I do not yet know what the balance is? I have just discovered my true identity and have no time to learn all I need to before Hennis’ arrival. I cannot control my anger, I cannot control my rage; all of this is too new to me. How can I stand before you, a proud Moroccan Alpha, when I fear my actions will bring destruction amongst the people I have just come to know as mine?”
Smiling to himself, Roan stood and walked next to his son, “Controlling your shift means controlling your anger. Your biggest challenge is also your biggest strength,” Roan began as he walked a few feet from his son. Turning back to face Brayden, he continued, “do not fear your powers, allow yourself to give in to your supernatural side; let the rage build but focus your energy on what you are angry about.”
Brayden watched his father as his words began to sink in; his heart began to race as he continued to listen to his fathers words as they took life in what was happening now. “You don’t cower to your anger, Brayden, you embrace it.” As Roan continued, Brayden watched as his features began to change. His arms began to extend as claws replaced fingernails, his neck stretched out as his fangs and powerful jaw began to protrude. His voice became a low intimidating growl as his breathing became more rapid, “you allow it to take over you and then you roar!!” With that Roan let out a deep intense howl so loud it brought Brayden to his knees; grasping his ears as the vibration of his fathers growl was so intense he shifted immediately into his full wolf form.