Son’s Promise

When I'd picked him up from the cabin that morning, I barely recognised the boy standing on the porch. He'd had another growth spurt that summer. The voice of a man left his mouth when he greeted me, "Morning, Dad," and when he stepped down onto level ground, he was barely an inch shy of my height.

My little boy Elijah was gone, and in his place stood a man. Seventeen years old, with awkward stubble and pheromones strong enough to put pups in a belly from a yard away. I commented on the shabby-looking beard. I'd already taught him how to shave a couple of years ago, but he explained he was trying to grow it out; it was just in that weird stage between shaves. I couldn't disagree; he looked like nobody owned him.

The talk of facial hair inspired an unwelcome passing thought. Hayashi. The night he shaved me. The poised look of concentration on his face. His deep brown eyes fixed on me. The steadiness of his hands on me. His lithely muscled arms, in his tank top… The thought was spiralling, growing seedier, so I pushed it aside.

I called out the whiff coming off of Elijah. It was natural; his body was gearing up to attract a mate. He chuckled boyishly and blushed. Apparently, he was enjoying the fawning on not one but three girls from our pack. I was glad to hear that my excommunication was causing him any unpleasant social hurdles and that he was still a handsome mating choice in the eyes of the pack's young women.

"Jessica Laylea," I nodded, posturing my lips in understanding. She was a typically pretty girl. "Leanna Moore, too, though? She's John's third girl, right."

"Mhm," Eli nodded but had little to say about either girl.

"And Amelia Brydon? Hmmm, didn't see that coming, but she's a nice girl."

"Yeah, Amelia…" a warm, shy smile tugged at his lips. "She's nice," Eli blushed, looking at the ground with sudden fascination.

"Oh yeah? I bet." I nudged his shoulder with a smirk. "You sweet on her, huh?"

"Knock it off, Dad!" Eli's blush deepened as he pushed me back. He was a strong boy. It made my chest swell with pride. "Maybe I am. But she's gotta choose me. I've gotta wait at least another year yet 'cause she's younger than the other girls."

"You're gonna really have to fight 'em off this season if you're stuck on Amelia. Waiting for her will be hard when the heat comes." I patted his back in comfort and understanding. "But good Goddess, my boys got three girls, huh?"

"No," he whined, embarrassed.

"Damn it, I'm gonna be a grandaddy before I'm forty-five."

"Dad! Knock it off!" he screeched in alarm.

"No way this is my privilege; I'm gonna milk this f'all it's worth."

We spent the day discussing all sorts, just wandering around the woodland, tracking this 'n' that, and spending quality time together. It warmed my heart to have him by my side; his smiles were still as bright, and his eyes still filled with fondness—he didn't see me any differently, despite how I'd broken our family.

Studying had been challenging since we moved to the Compound, but we talked about his schooling, and he was doing well. Neither he nor I were particularly academically gifted, but I never had issues as long as he gave it his best shot. Anyhow, he'd already found his calling. When he was six, he'd taken an interest in mechanics. His Grandpa had taken apart an old generator, and Eli sat and watched him tinker with it for hours on Sunday and even went back a second day to help him fix it up. Together, they shopped for parts and got it working again.

We talked about girls some more. He planned to ask Amelia on a date. He sought my advice, which I tried not to wince at; I was no relationship expert, afterall. That's how we got talking about his mom and how things were at home. That wasn't an easy conversation. There was no point going over old ground; Eli was old enough to understand the situation, and even though it killed me that he knew what I was, somehow, it was easier that I wasn't lying to him.

"I know you're not coming home. I know it won't ever be like before, but you could stop by more, couldn't you?"

"Only if your mom says so."

"Mom's not the issue… she misses you like crazy. It's just… Uncle Aiden. Y'know, he's a real controlling jerk,"

"Whoa, easy buddy…" For his sake, I couldn't risk anyone hearing him bad-mouthing his uncle; we were near enough back to the cabin in Lycan territory. "That's you're Alpha,"

"No Alpha of mine, Dad. You jus' wait 'til I'm eighteen."

"Eli—"

"That's a promise, Dad. An' I'm not alone either. There’re about ten of us, unmarked guys, and I haven't counted how many cappas and deltas; even a few betas hate how he's running things. Anyway, we're ready to take 'em on. When the time is right, I'll challenge him. I'll take him down. Then, you can come back to the pack."

It didn't matter how I might caution him; the look in his eyes was one I recognised. Man to man, he told me his plans, so I respected that and just nodded and smiled weakly. Still, the Boss wasn't going to be happy about another Lycan war in his Compound.

A small coppice of trees stood between the cabin and alternative quarters. Alison stood on the cabin's porch, looking as beautiful as ever with her hair tied up, messy, and catching the breeze, wearing that pink floral summer dress that did all the right things for her figure. I'd been one lucky son-of-a-bitch, in more ways than one. We shared an amicable smile, while Eli surprised me with an embrace before he made off up the steps to his mom's side. We'd been about to share a few words, the first in almost a year, when I heard a chorus of mocking chuckles behind me.