He Hates Me, He Loves Me Not

Once upon a time, when the land had yet to earn its name, there were two wolves who were the opposite but each other's equal. One was black while the other was white.

The black wolf shined hope during the day, dancing under the light. The white wolf protected the peace, singing to the darkness.

The two wolves, although different, knew that they were one and the same. They heard about the stories; they knew of the legends.

They were told that when The Gods became so powerful, they had to split into pairs to maintain the balance of the world. Life cycled from creation to destruction. Time bent into a beginning and an end. Destiny arranged itself through chaos and harmony.

Naturally, when the Rulers of Everything turned into two, their children soon followed.. Space divided into light and shadow while the sky bore the sun and the moon.

In the beginning, the two wolves did not know this. They only felt as if there was some part of them that was missing. Unsatisfied, the wolves roamed the lands in search of what would make them whole.

The first time they saw each other, it was because the white wolf's fur was shining brightly in the darkness. Like a beacon, it called upon the black wolf.

The black wolf did not know where he was going but he knew that he had to chase the white wolf. When they touched—when they finally saw each other's eyes, it was as if every question they had was answered.

The pair found each other, finally convinced that the legends were true.

Upon knowing that they complete each other, the two wolves always met near a small pond whenever the sky turned orange. As long as the sun and the moon share the same sky, they promised to walk on the same ground.

They ate together, they slept together, and they played together. Mates, they called each other—partners for life. Bonded, the two wolves were happy, grateful to be living alongside their equal half.

That was, until one day, the white wolf did not appear.

The black wolf waited patiently by the water, even as the night turned into day and the day turned into night. He sang in place of the white wolf, hoping for his mate to hear his call.

The black wolf tried to be strong; he still danced during the day. By night, he came back and waited—never sleeping, never eating. He was scared that he might miss the white wolf if he closed his eyes.

However, no matter how long he waited, the white wolf never appeared again.

The black wolf no longer danced, no longer shined hope upon the land. The black wolf, now mateless, continued to sing. With every night that passed without the white wolf, the black wolf's howl became more sorrowful.

He cried and he cried until his tears flooded the land. The small pond that held their memories turned into a lake, but it was not large enough to drown the black wolf's grief.

The sky bore witness as the black wolf shriveled up, slowly dying in its loneliness.

When the black wolf had no strength left to cry, the sun could no longer watch.

The sun came to the moon and asked for help, begged for something—anything that would save his child. The black wolf was no sinner; he did not deserve to die like this.

The moon knew that as well, but there was no way to bring the white wolf back. The white wolf is gone; no amount of pity could change that.

The sun pleaded for mercy. He would do anything to ease the black wolf's pain, even if it was only at the wolf's last moments.

The moon had an idea, a solace that might work, but it would require borrowing something from the sun. Desperate, the sun agreed to whatever the moon needed.

That night, the sun lent the moon some of its power. That night, the moon shone for the first time.

On the surface of the lake made from the black wolf's tears, the moon reflected its brilliance.

It was not the song that the black wolf wanted to hear, but for a moment, it was as if the white wolf was by his side again.

The black wolf followed the moonlight. He did not know where he was going but he wanted to chase that light. He ran as he did during that first time he saw the white wolf. It was all he could think about.

The black wolf ended up at a high cliff, standing where he could see the moon at its fullest. There was still no white wolf waiting for him.

And so, when he stared at the moon shining brightly in the night sky, the black wolf took it as a sign.

He was alone, yes, but he was not abandoned. The white wolf was gone but they would meet again someday, like promised.

Now, until then, it was up to him to howl to the moon.

--

"The end."

Kaiden takes a few deep breaths after he finished reading the last line.

It feels as if he has been deceived. The cover of the book 'Howling to the Moon' is an illustrated art seen mostly in children's stories, yet the story doesn't seem to be age-appropriate. Truly, never judge a book by its cover.

No, it's fine if this is anywhere else, but why is this book in the kindergarten room?

Kaiden closes the book with a nervous smile, preparing himself for the worst.

After reading for the kids like this, there is usually a barrage of questions that follows. It's typical for children to be curious, because when is the end truly the end? Surely, there's more to it, right?

(What happened to Cinderella's stepmother? Will the Little Mermaid turn into a fish again? What are the Seven Dwarves going to do now? What does 'happily ever after' mean?)

If not that, then it's multiple requests to read the book again, starting from the beginning.

He holds a hand to his belly, subconsciously protecting the little bump while trying not to make himself nervous. Perhaps, the story is too complicated for the children to understand. After all, nothing is explicitly mentioned, so maybe they won't ask what happened to the wolves in the end.

It's all hopeful thinking, but he has been advised not to dwell on negative thoughts. Stress is not good for the baby, they say.

However, no matter how many excuses he gives, he knows that he should have been more careful. It's too late, but he regrets not checking what the book was about before reading it to them. Once he starts, he can't stop, or else there will be four children crying at him to continue.

No one warned him of the contents, so what is he supposed to do now?

He readies himself to come up with answers that will hopefully satisfy their curiosity, but it never comes. Instead of hearing small voices trying to fight over each other, he is met with large, unblinking eyes. Some of which, to his panic, have started tearing up.

/Oh/, he thinks. Oh /no/.

--

"I'm sorry," Olivia apologizes to Kaiden again, "I'm really sorry."

Kaiden pats the anxious teenager's shoulder while saying, "It's okay. It was an accident."

Even from the next hallway, the loud cries of the children seep through the walls. The noise is souring Kaiden's mood, and it must have been obvious through his scent because Olivia is bowing in front of him again.

"I'm sorry," she says once more. "I didn't mean to leave the book there. It was a gift from a friend."

Kaiden has already heard her explanation, yet he patiently listens to her. After all, Olivia has just started volunteering at the hospital's kindergarten. It's already quite noble of her to spend her winter break at the hospital instead of with her friends, so this small blunder can be easily forgiven.

Aside from that, Kaiden has no authority to reprimand the teenager either. It's not as if he's officially working at the hospital. It's more accurate to say that he's a patient himself.

However, Kaiden is oblivious to Olivia's worries. On her first day, Olivia was warned not to cause any problems for the only male pregnant Omega at the hospital, unless she wants the wrath of the hospital director raining down on her.

Olivia took that warning to heart, yet look where she is now.

"Really, it's okay," Kaiden says while retracting his scent. "You should go back and help them."

Olivia has stopped lowering her head, but her eyes are still full of worry when she asks, "Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine." Kaiden gives her a small smile, hoping that it's convincing. "It's just the hormones messing with me."

He doesn't know why, but his heartbeat has been speeding up sporadically since yesterday. He's also been anxious for no reason. Still, the teenager doesn't need to know that.

Before Olivia can offer to escort Kaiden back, the Omega says, "I'll go ahead first. If anyone asks, say that I'm taking a nap."

Olivia nods, and Kaiden leaves it at that.

It is true that he plans to take a nap, he just isn't being honest about where.