A Blond Man

He had cried for a while, letting go of all his disappointment. He had twisted and turned on the huge bed, fought with the sheets that kept getting tangled between his legs, and kept back his scream. He was disappointed, something he hadn't been in a while. Back in the compound, he knew the hell he lived in, for nineteen years he had walked all the paths, felt all the thorns underneath his feet, and stared at the bloody sky with no anticipation of ever seeing heaven. 

But now he had been tempted, shown a little part of the blue, and suddenly his heart was beginning to beat again. Maybe this could have been a better place, maybe here he could have a life and yes in a sense he probably wouldn't get beaten or starved but once again he would be a nobody, with no family, no friends. That thought suffocated him and as if he was running away from something he opened the double glass doors of his room, letting in all the night air as he stepped into the small balcony. 

The lights of the city were too bright, the sounds in the night, the smells in the air. Everything was so unfamiliar, so scary. He was truly away from home, Astor thought as he realized that if he stepped outside this house he wouldn't know where to go, the idea that he was walking towards a cliff terrifying him. 

"Your eyes are puffy." Ren's voice reached him and he gasped, jumping like a scared cat from the unexpected invasion. He hadn't heard him enter, nor walk towards him. Standing right behind him and not phased at all by the fact that he had entered someone else's room uninvited he stepped outside, looking at him and his puffy eyes, as he had said. 

"I…what…what are you doing here?" he asked him, avoiding him. He was conscious of his looks. 

"You will not be treated badly here." Ren stated. 

"Alright." The white-haired werewolf said.

"If I had asked you to join my pack would you have come?" Ren asked him. Astor blinked, turning his head, curious to see his expression but once more his face was blank. He had laughed back there though, he could only describe it as lovely. The way he had smiled, how carefree he looked and happy. He seemed like a whole different person. Astor liked that side of him, that little glimpse he was lucky enough to witness. People with genuine smiles, he had never been that familiar with. 

"No." he replied. 

"Why?" 

"Because I know what your pack does. No, that's not the reason. The truth is I would want to leave, in every angry moment I would wish to just disappear but I couldn't. If given the choice I know I would have chosen to stay back."

"Why? Because of your stupid brother?" His face hardened as he spoke what was on his mind. His pure hatred for Zeth had always been there, Astor never bothering to ask why he felt that way. He didn't even know him, not that his feelings for him were that far off. 

"Yes."

"Why the fuck would you want to be around that crap?" Ren yelled his palm landing on the rail of the balcony, making it swing from his strength. Astor was caught off guard once more.

"You are needed downstairs." Nash said. He stood at the door. He looked bored as he faced his boss. He too had been awfully quiet, Astor thought, wondering if it was some kind of skill they had.

"What?" Ren asked rudely. "Didn't I tell you not to bother me?"

"They are from the elders." Nash added and Ren let go of a loud sigh. 

"Fuck." he swore rushing downstairs without a second word. 

"Sorry." Nash said still standing at the door. 

"You can come in if you want." Astor told him and the blond man obeyed. His demeanor had something calm about it, like the water of the lake. He walked lazily, his movements slow but captivating. Nash was very different from his sister in every sense. 

"Thank you. Sorry for what I said downstairs." 

"It's alright. You just told me the truth."

"It's not that. I am aware I made Ren look bad. I made it sound like he wants to exhibit a trophy or something but it's not like that. He is not like that. The problem lies with our pack."

"Your pack?" 

"Yes. The Nightcrawlers are ruled by the Alpha, which now is Ren. The thing is though we have a function called the Elders. They are the ones who took the big step bringing out here and unfortunately, they are still alive. We do respect them and honor them but they are old and like wealth. They like to show off and they want the Alpha to be on their side or else they create problems for everyone. Ren has to be like that, to show off it's something that is needed in our pack. The stronger you are the better." 

"I don't really understand." Astor told him honestly and Nash slightly smiled, seeing him like a child that was now learning of the world. 

"It's okay. You will see it I guess. They will be there, this whole thing is for them. They have to approve of Ren's every move. My advice to you is that you stay quiet that night, you don't provoke them or do anything, just stay with me and Niss and it will be fine. That's all I wanted to say, sorry to bother you." Nash told him, turning his back and deciding to leave him alone. 

"No, wait." Astor called him, wrapping his fingers around his wrist in an attempt to stop him. His body was warm his skin soft and Nash didn't seem to be bothered by their contact. He turned his head, looking at him. "Thank you, for trying to explain to me all this. I will take your advice. I feel safe close to you anyways." Astor said and Nash smiled, seeming to be proud of hearing that. 

"That's good." he said. "Goodnight Astor."

"Goodnight Nash."