The trek further down was gruesome, though the presence of the Omegan wolf beside him, somehow made it easier.

With each paw forwards, their fur brushed together, the Omega gently supporting the Alpha along the way. Yet their pace forwards didn't relent, no matter how steep or treacherous the descent was.

He had already taken a few nasty falls, clipping his shoulder on the rocks and wounding one of his paws. But he pushed past the pain, knowing that Theo was feeling far worse.

Luckily wolves could keep up their lope for hours on end, even though the speed was nothing to a full out sprint. However, nobody with a sane mind would want to sprint down the cliffs they were descending.

The cold was a never-ending presence. Always there to bite at any exposed flesh, clinging onto their fur and crystalizing the vapor of their breath so it clung around their fur.

The Alpha wolf stumbled, feeling a sudden jolt of pain. It had been a while since the previous surge coming from Theo. And while it knocked the air clean out of his lungs, causing the wolf to wheeze and gasp on shaking legs...

It also meant that Theo was still alive. That somehow, the Omega human he had always deemed weak and pitiful, was clinging onto life.

Barely.

Even in the presence of the Omega wolf, there were still the haunting whispers, memories of Theo's past. Memories that the Alpha wolf had always ignored, always saw Theo as the assailant, and not the victim.

But now, watching the slender Omega cringe, ears flattening against its head, the Alpha wolf regretted everything.

Theo didn't deserve the treatment he got. If Theo's sibling had been alive, if Theo's wolf had been alive, The Alpha knew exactly what they would've done.

He would've rushed to his sibling's aid, without further question. Showed the people exactly whom not to mess with.

So why was it so different now? Theo was still Theo. The same good-natured pup, who'd rather obliterate himself than to offend someone.

He had never uttered a bad word about anyone in the pack. Always smiled and always took everything thrown at him with a nod of acceptance.

And the Alpha wolf had been along those that spat their venom at Theo. Used the Omega as their emotional garbage can, without caring what it did to the young man.

The Alpha wolf was absolutely disgusted with itself. No longer was he a proud wolf, standing tall on its haunches, tail curled high to show its confidence.

No. His tail was tucked against its belly, head lowered and ears flat. Because he knew that even with the pack's treatment, he was the one who did this to Theo.

If the wolf had taken over with good intentions, it would've marched Theo straight to the pack Alpha's office and ratted every single pack member out that mistreated Theo.

But that meant understanding and accepting that Theo was innocent, a victim just as much as the wolf was.

'"Maybe less. I'm an attempted murderer, after all..." The wolf muttered to itself, shaking its fur before letting out a pitiful whine at yet another memory.

"What's the meaning of this?" One of the Betas asked with irritation as he moved past the door before backtracking. Eyes widening at the chaos that surrounded Theo.

Several of the Omegas piped up, pointing an accusatory finger in Theo's direction. "That klutz of a wolf ruined several of the dishes made for Leanna's pregnancy announcement! We've been running ourselves ragged all day and that brat decided it's a good time to not watch where he's going and kick over the entire table."

Of course, the Omegas didn't tell the Beta the reason why Theo had tripped. Anyone would trip if their hands were shoved full of dishes to wash beyond their vision, turned around and physically kicked away from the group.

And when the Beta's eyes landed on Theo, covered in different meals and shards of plates... The young Omega apologized, voice thick with tears.

The Beta sighed, shaking his head before calling the rest of the Omegas out of the room so Theo could clean up his mess.

While the wolf knew that the Beta meant well, it simply wasn't the time or place. The man had his hands full with event planning, border patrols checking in and a false report of a rogue approaching the territory.

And in the Beta's rush to get back to work and finish a rough day, it had been easiest to follow the Omegas and take their word for granted.

Yet nobody had come to Theo's defense. Like always, Theo took the blame and did his best to clean up the mess he was always forced in.

Another weight put on his small shoulders. Another toxic voice, whispering in his ear, telling him he was not good enough, would never be good enough.

And as the Alpha wolf paused mid stride, watching the spectral Theo start pushing up with a snivel, it felt its heart break at the dead look in the young Omega's eyes.

Especially so when one of the pack wolf's entered and Theo hid his tormented expression behind a loving smile.

"How far away is he?" The Alpha murmured, picking up the pace as the pain slowly slipped out of his body.

The Omega beside him panted but forced itself to keep up. "Almost there. I can feel them."

Them?

His question remained unspoken as another glow shimmered in the distance. This time, not of a memory, but of a familiar shape.

The semi-spectral young man lifted his head, fingers still gently brushing over Theo's cheek. Expression kind, if not heartbroken as the wolves hit flat ground before sprinting to get there.

"Thank you. You've done an amazing job and I'm so fucking proud of you." The man spoke vehemently, his other hand reaching out to grab the Omegan wolf before pressing their brows together.

The wolf whined contently, licking at the man's face before curling beside Theo.

Meanwhile, the Alpha wolf couldn't move. Feeling sickened at Theo's shape, crushed into the floor of their mind. Limbs twisted in a grotesque manner, showing the physical damage his small, immaterial form had taken.

The damage his soul had taken.

"Come. Please..."

The Alpha wolf couldn't even look the young man in the eyes. Knowing instinctively that this was his true human side. Theo's unnamed Alpha sibling.

Deep and utter shame and disgust twisted and turned in his gut, making the wolf dry heave for a moment. Because it certainly hadn't thought that the sight of Theo would be...this.

He had imagined finding Theo unconscious, yes. But not in this mangled, starved state. Barely recognizable as the kind and sweet boy he used to be.

How can he survive this?

The Alpha wolf approached, head lowered and tail quivering between its legs, deeply ashamed by what it had done. Belly scraping over the floor, lowering himself in anticipation of the anger and disgust he truly deserved.

"It's okay." The man coed softly, reaching out a hand, "You're here now, aren't you? Trying to fix this mess." Fingers gently rubbed through his fur, feeling eerily solid.

"It's both a blessing and a curse." The man muttered as he eyed Theo's fragile form before pushing on his knees beside Theo. "Lay down on your stomach beside him."

The wolf obeyed without question, watching as gently, the man did his best to gather Theo in his arms. He could only imagine the sheer focus and willpower it took to force his arms under Theo's body.

It took a few attempts, fingers slipping through Theo's body several times. But Theo's brother focused, gritting his teeth before his hands finally solidified.

Willing them to be capable of carrying Theo's weight. The wolf barely felt it when Theo was draped on his body, almost as light as a feather.

And even with Theo's lips inches away from his ears, the wolf could barely hear his human breathe. Yet it was there. Soft, rasping inhales, as if each breath was a world of suffering for the young Omega.

A sign that they were running out of time fast.

"Yes. We need to go. Now."

Everyone stood up as one and as the wolf turned, it realized the tremendous, almost impossible task that stood before it.

Descending this ravine was child's play compared to having to walk back up it. Never mind ascending with Theo on his back without restraints.

But he had no other choice. He had to do it, or die trying. There was no other option.

At least he didn't have to do it alone. His siblings were right there beside him, flanking the Alpha wolf to make sure Theo wouldn't slip.

"Say something." The Alpha wolf murmured after a while of silence, of paws finding leverage, gripping onto each rock it could and pushing forwards.

The Alpha male beside him looked down, eyes still gentle. Not at all the accusing, angry glare that the wolf anticipated and deserved.

"I would be lying if I said I wasn't angry." The young man murmured, placing a hand on the back of Theo's head as they moved over a jagged piece of rock. "But I'm more so disappointed."

Ears flattened, a whimper rolling through the silence. "In me?"

"You. Our parents. The pack. Our supposed mate. Take your pick." The man sighed, frowning as he looked ahead, a focused glare appearing on his face before the slopes become easier to traverse. "Disappointed that everyone blamed an Omega, while Theo or his wolf never were at fault."

The Alpha wolf staggered, finding its footing before sending a shocked look at the man beside him. A young man that bore an uncanny resemblance to Theo, yet was more muscular, perhaps even slightly taller than Theo ever was.

The meaning behind the words didn't register immediately but then they clicked. "You?"

"Me." The Alpha nodded with sadness and self-hatred. "I always held onto Theo, wanted to be close to him. He was comforting. Warm. Us twisting around was the reason why our umbilical cords entangled."

The Alpha's eyes brightened with tears. "I put us both in fetal distress, depriving us of oxygen. You and I were strong, but Theo and his wolf were smaller, weaker. My actions murdered his Omegan wolf."

There was no hiding the disgust, the unadulterated venom and self-hatred in his voice.

"I felt what was happening but didn't understand why. At that moment, all I felt was fear and the need to protect him. So I clung to him even tighter, and my desire to protect smothered his wolf and nearly him. Our bond allowed me to keep him alive, at the price of my own." He looked down at the Omegan wolf by their side. "A small price to pay for my crime."

The Alpha wolf shivered at his bonded human's confession. Both of them the same being, yet so contrasting at the same time.

The man beside him had tried everything to save his sibling while still an unborn infant. While he may think he was the cause of their untimely death, they all instinctively knew nobody was to blame.

After all, they weren't even born yet. They didn't understand the world as they did now. His Alpha human and Omega sibling were innocent.

The same couldn't be said about him though. Even as he was trying his best to amend the wrongs he did, the Alpha wolf knew there was no way to repay Theo for everything he had done to the pup.

All he could do right now was struggle and fight to save Theo's life. After that, he would spend the rest of his life making up for what he did, protecting Theo from harm.

As he should've done since the moment they were born. Seeing Theo's sibling absolutely distraught, simply because Fate had condemned them to die, had changed something in the Alpha wolf.

It wanted to make things right. To be an Alpha wolf that Theo's brother could be proud of. An Alpha that Theo would be able to trust and depend on indefinitely.

The body on top of him weighed heavily on his back, each step made Theo's weight slide from side to side. The unnatural, deathly chill emanating from Theo's body made him think the worst, if not for the barely audible, raspy breaths fanning against his ear.

Hang on Theo. Just a while longer. Afterwards, I swear you can rest, I swear that you'll find happiness again.

Just...please, hang on.