04

" Let her continue Chief, there could be clues hidden in the story..." The King said.

Khun Achi continued her tale.

" The healer was stubborn, but the prince chipped his walls day by day.

And a day came when the healer finally accepted the alpha Prince as his lover but not before putting a condition.

" If it ever comes to choosing between your duty to your people and your duty to your love, promise me your majesty that you will always choose your country and people first. "

" If I don't accept this condition , uou won't accept me ? " The prince asked.

" No. " The healer was adamant " this is not my condition but a request sire."

" Aren't lovers equal , healer? Why are you using my titles ? "

" After you grant my request, I shall try to use your given name sire. This is not a lover's request, but a request of a subject to the King, Choose the country and it's people and your duty towards them before choosing love. "

" I promise you my brave healer, now can you call me by my name ? "

" Khun— "

" Drop all the draping , all the titles, my healer...I have come to you bare. You too come to me as Pracahya, the man I have fallen in love with...see me without all the formalities, all the weights of duty and crown."

" Perawa....perawat" The healer stuttered.

" Sing " Perwat said. " Brave like a lion, my Singto ..."

"Can I give you a name then ? "

" You are just trying to escape out of calling me by my given name."

The healer blushed " You are very observant sire...It is just that, it will be easy for me if I give you a name and call you by it, rather than calling you by your given name. I have always associated Prince with it, it will be hard to see you as my ..."

" As your? "

" Lover. And I would like to think, I have a part of Khun that no one can ever have"

Prince nodded " I like your subtle way of staking your claim Singtuan."

" Kit..." The healer said" I will call you Kit since You are very thoughtful and your thoughts are what made me fall for you. "

" Not this ? " Prince jested, moving his hand over his body " Why do I even train so hard, if my lover just want my brain? "

Healer chuckled, red rose to his cheeks

"Your thoughts caress my brain, your physique soothes my eyes and your beautiful words tickles my heart. "

The prince smiled " I like this side of you...

.........

Their whirlwind romance continued while the prince trained and healed in the companionship of the tribe. People had taken liking to the easygoing prince.

One day, the prince was hunting for the tribe when a lion attacked a young boy. Prince jumped between infront of the boy, transforming mid air. A huge wolf landed infront of the lion, whose claws stuck straight in to the prince's thigh.

The healer screamed in horror, seeing lion's jaw clamping over wolf's neck.

The pheromones clouded the space, people were awed to see the lion withdraw his claws and jaw from the Prince's wolf.

The blood poured freely out the clawed wound, any other alpha would have been writhing on the ground but the Prince Stood before the lion and commanded " Go back and never come again." To everyone's surprise the lion did go back. And never turned back.

The prince and the healer were hero of the tribe. Prince was liked before, now he was accepted.

He had won the hearts of moon tribe. The people already call him King. They were happy having a formidable pair of moon blessed and moon touched as their leaders.

Getting their tribes blessing, the healer presented the prince with a crown made from flowers of wolfsbane, belladona and nightshade. As that symbolised devotion death and life.

The healer promised the devotion to the King for this life and after. The prince presented the healer a cloak made of winter Leonard's skin that he had hunted and boar for food as was customary in the tribe.

Additional, he presented the healer with a sun pendant. " Even though you are moon blessed, you are sun of my life. " he had said.

Thus, they were mated in the eyes of nature, moon and their tribe. It is said that the night they united and the healer surrendered fully to his King, the flowers bloomed at night as the sweet breeze sang melodies. The stars twinkled brightly while the moon hung full in sky as if whole nature was rejoicing in their union.

The prince and the healer were happy in their little bubble of the world.

The rest of world wasn't so happy.

When the prince returned, people could feel his power. Especially the crown prince Gamon.

When he came to know about the healer, he sent his best warriors to kidnap the healer but when they came to attack the healer, the healer released the pheromones which annihilated their aggressiveness and blissed them out so much that they forgot the reason they were attacking, taking benefit of the confusion, the healer escaped.

Mention of this pheromone is again in a skirmish, where the omega saved his mate, Khun Perwat without using any weapon.

Finally, Gamon had enough. He collected a group of soldiers and camped near their village.

He called the healer by pretending couple of his soldiers fell I'll.

The healer went with two of his bodyguards. The soldiers ambushed them.

The bodyguards fought with all their might and skill while their chief, the healer stood in the midst of thousand men, releasing torrent of pheromones. The battle stilled for several minutes bur one wolf no matter how powerful wasn't match to hundreds of warrior wolves.

Blood trickled down the healer's nose as he exhausted himself to save his bodyguards.

The bodyguards saw Gamon sneaking behind the healer with a dagger in his hand, he threw his own dagger which stabbed Gamon's wrist. The spell was broken, the healer was magically exhausted, the bodyguard sensed that.

" Chief , fight " he threw his own sword towards their moon blessed.

" I came here in capacity of a healer and it is against healer's honor to harm or injure a life" The omega answered " I , chief of the Shinawatra tribe, the moon blessed Prachaya Ruangroj order you to find your way back to the tribe and warn them. Nothing shall come in your path till you reach your destiny. May the moon guide your path with her eyernal light. Blessed be. "

" Blessed be " echoed his guards.

" Tell your King, I shall meet him in another lifetime," The healer pulled a dagger out his waist belt. " Tell him to wait for me... I shall meet him bare of all the duties and code of honor binding me in this lifetime."

" Blessed be " The guards shouted while they ran as wind.

" Follow them" Gamon snarled.

The healer closed his eyes and smiled " Prince Gamon, my heart, services and body is already someone else's. I have nothing that you seek. "

" Magic " Gamon sneered. " You have magic. If you want to save your trive, you will work for me. You will release your pheromones abd render the enemies still while we finish them. You will be my ultinate weapon."

Prachaya smiled " How ironic is it that I have chosen to become a healer and never raised a sword in my life , yet at the end, I have become s weapon." Saying this he stabbed his heart. The moon shaped on his palms glowed bright while with each stream if blood released torrents of pheromones that asphyxiation the entire army including the prince..

The healer who vowed to never harm a life laid choking amidst hundreds of dead and soon to be dead bodies.

As his eyes were about to close, he saw the King of his heart running to him.

" remember your duty " he whispered before laying his life in the lap of his love.

And the prince mourned like no other, his howls tore open the chests of cloud. In the midst of heavy rain sat the King of the tribe, holding the deadbody of his mate.  The storm railed and thunder howled for days until the prince remembered last words of his lover.

" Remember your duty" From that day, the Long ruled the land for half a century, without a consort at his side. Later, he passed it to his nephew and went to live with the tribe. The leaves fell and grew anew, tribe flourished in his care, many born many died bit the King remained, wandering, guiding the lost ones.

It is said that he will leave his old body and will be reborn when  the moon goddess will send the  blessed one to unite with him." Achi wiped her eyes.

" So there are three mentions of the pheromone weapon" the Army chief grunted

Achi just glared at the laser focused general.

" Indeed " the chief healer interupted " The epic has inspired the idea of a pheromon bomb that would help to annihilate aggresiveness thus prevent war. We have tried many times to synthesised this pheromone as a weapon to stop war, but failed " Chief healer said " it is a good chance , High alpha. We would like permission to conduct tests and experiments."

The King looked at the advisors, many looked eager, many appalled. He drummer his fingers lightly before reaching to conclusion " Mankind had invented dynamite in hopes that the  weapon would install a fear of immense destruction in the hearts of men, yet it was biggest instigator of war. History teaches us, a weapon can not be an instrument of peace, dear advisors. Thus, I cannot permit this experiment, besides, those who will be found to do it unofficially will be executed without any mercy."

The murmur of agreement and whispering of rebellion died as the howl rose above the night sky, spreading it's grief in each soul listening to it. The stabbing pain of wait pouring in to souls like liquid silver. The sweet anguish of unfulfilled wishes made them crumple for a moment.

It was call of a soul to another, just like mentioned in the books, how Khun Arak would call to his lover on full moon, only to get no response back.

The howl kept rising in crescendo, the grief entwining the love, the questions thrown at moon goddess could be easily understood.

" Khun Arak" Someone whispered and knelt on the ground, head touching the floor of the palace.

Then another bow and then the next, paying their respects to their legend and protector.

Soon, the wolf responded back, with the howls of their own. Releasing their grief , pain and love. Tears rolled down their eyes collectively. And although they heard him first time, without a doubt  every listening  heart knew, it was Khun Arak, calling to his moon blessed, weeping for the wounds of his lover.

.......

As the howls subsided, a wolf rose " Khun Arak has returned "

" So must be the moon blessed." Someone Said.

The mention of Khun Arak alarmed the King. He marched out the halls , mindlinking Arthit. along with him went his advisors.

" Stay back" the King ordered. " No obe is to follow. "

King tried to mondlink Kongpob, all he could get was weak but steady breathings of both. All his attempts of mindlinking failed so he just ran along the straight line, sensing the sound of breathing getting louder.

There, under a tree near the lake laid the largest and most unique alpha wolf King had seen. The wolf's pelt glowed golden under the moon light, under his belly was laying Kongpob. Faint scent of blood clung in the air.

The King tried to go near but the wolf opened his eyes as the King was a feet away.

" Go back" a command floated in his mind, his hackles raised, alpha instinct in him rose to challenge the perpetrator challenging him in his own territory.

But he reminded himself that this was their legendary guardian KhunArak probably protecting his mate.

" Khun Arak, Arthit and Kongpob..."

" The kids will wake when the moon descends " the wolf replied in his mind. " Have no fear, I will defend them from predators. Fetch them at the dawn."

The King nodded. Taking a deep breath, he knelt on one knee and bent his head

" How may I be in service of you, Khun Arak? "

" Reveal no one my identity and taht of my blessed one."

" So, Kongpob is — "

The wolf growled " Do not reveal, even the wind carry the secrets."

The King nodded.

" May you get united with your blessed one. May the moon bless your union. Blessed be."

" Blessed be." The wolf replied " Protect my mate until my human grows up."

" Your word is my command, Khun Arak." The King knelt once again and then slowly receded.