Chapter 210: Unique
Ashton thought of many ways on how to interact with Connor. Usually he was not so bad with kids, or at least that was the case when he met the twins. But now? Things seem different. Connor literally ran away the moment he saw him.
Speaking of which, the more time he spends here the more things seem different to him. The people are older, the place is the same and yet so different. But meeting Connor, changed something. He is literally a new person to him. And seeing how grown up he is, it was hard not to feel stuck. It was as if someone shoved him in a time machine and made him travel to eight years in the future.
He wanted to explore more, to see what else has changed. Caleb had piled up work to attend to so he left and even though the twins were available, he didn’t want to disturb them. He wanted to go somewhere quiet. Somewhere secluded and therefore he headed off for his old house.
Not having the key made things tricker, but he knew the alternative way to the basement, which in turn was connected to the main house. Taking that route he gazed at his barren apartment as the cracks on the wall became apparent. It didn’t really look like those haunted houses with all the dust and spider webs, but it just felt a bit... lonely.
He lived in this house for a few months, but all those memories had a certain warmth to it. Looking around the living room he recalled all those hours of playing with the twins, how he used to pester his mother. How Caleb used to pester him whenever he made a visit. .
He headed upstairs to his room and noticed how it was still kept neat. He still remembers the day Caleb slept over for the first time. He also remembers the day they slept together in this same room. Yet all those memories felt so... distant.
He was lost in his own thoughts, when he heard a metals clunk. He headed out of the room and looked around everywhere to detect the source of the noise. After a while Ashton heard the same noise once more and headed out to the terrace. His anxiousness vanished when he spotted an anxious kid throwing some metal pipes at the wall.
.....
He was so engrossed in his activity that he failed to notice that he was being watched. The lack of any scent from Ashton was a huge benefactor for himself. The more Ashton observed, the more he realised that this kid was way more different than others, and not just biologically. Ashton also realised that Caleb was right, that Connor was a lot like him.
When he was younger he always liked to throw stuff here and there, and it was evident that Connor was angry too. What helped him calm down was a significant amount of damage and a pineapple shake. He wished he knew what calmed Connor down.
After a whole minute of throwing nothing when it seemed to Ashton that Connor was done he spoke, “Connor”.
The moment he noticed Ashton he froze. “Don’t come near me” Connor threatened as he recoiled back.
“Okay... I won’t” Ashton raised his hands and promised. The kid looked angry and yet frightened and he had no idea why. He did want to figure out what was happening though. After a while of silence, Ashton asked, “Does your Dad know you are here?”
“He is not my Dad!” Connor screamed. As soon as he uttered those words Ashton’s eyes widened. How did he know? Did he overhear them? Ashton remained quiet for a while as he didn’t know what to say next. He was not the one who is good with words, and this was definitely a complicated situation. Should he call Caleb?
“Why do you say so?” Ashton asked him.
“Don’t pretend! He told you. I saw he told you, he is not my dad”! Connor fought his tears as he screamed the truth out loud. “They are dead. My parents are dead, because of me...because I am a freak”! He sobbed.
Ashton pursed his lips as he saw the little boy break down in front of him. He knew a news like this wasn’t going to be easy on a kid. But he didn’t know what else to do. So he decided to be honest instead. “So are mine,” Ashton declared.
Connor looked at him in between his sobs, “You are lying! Just like my D...Dad” Connor insisted.
“I wish I was,” Ashton whispered. “When I was nine years old, I was excited to return home from school. All I found were dead bodies of my parents waiting for me... and a killer waiting to kill me” Ashton mumbled.
“Then how are you... alive?” Connor asked.
“I guess someone must have protected me,” Ashton shrugged. “I wish I knew who”
“Dad protected me,” Connor declared after a minute.
“Yes, he did. And he will continue to do that. Do you know how much he loves you?” Ashton crouched down and asked.
“He is barely around,” Connor mumbled.
“That’s... my fault. I... left years ago” Ashton mumbled. “But that doesn’t mean your Dad doesn’t love you” He tried to convince.
“You... You are Ashton. This is your house?” Connor asked. A smile appeared on Ashton’s face as he nodded. Turns out Caleb really did tell Connor stories about him. “You are terrible”! He declared.
Ashton’s smile faded and after taking a moment to recover he asked, “Why?”
“You made my Dad sad! He was very sad that you left! I do not like you!” Connor declared. “Stay away from me”! Connor bared his infamous fangs. That’s right, he was the only wolf in the entire Crescent Point who possessed fangs. The one of the many features that made other kids of his age label him as a ‘freak’.
“You are not the only one who is unique” Ashton raised his eyebrows. Soon, his scent started to emanate from him and his eyeballs turned to a glowing shade of red. Connor being half-alpha werewolf and a half- vampire, the scent of a pureblood definitely irritated him. It was enough to trigger his fight or flight instincts. But he held back.
Soon Ashton’s demeanor returned to normal and he started to feel bad about scaring the kid. Connor was still less scared than he anticipated to be which kind of made Ashton feel proud. So what if Caleb wasn’t biologically related to Connor, Connor was definitely Caleb’s son.
“I am sorry. I have trouble... controlling my powers sometimes” he declared. “I am also very sorry for abandoning your Dad. And I get it, if you don’t like me. I deserve it. But don’t be mad at your dad for not telling you all this before. He was just trying to protect you”.
“But I deserved to know,” Connor teared up.
“Of course you did. But he was just trying to do his best.” Ashton sighed. “He was afraid you would hate him, because he loves you a lot.” That prompted Connor to think but he still couldn’t stop hurting. “Tell me something, don’t you love your Dad anymore?” Ashton asked.
“I do”! Without skipping a beat he declared. Ashton smiled at him. “I still don’t like you”! Connor huffed. Ashton ended up chuckling at his words.
Suddenly Ashton heard a voice in his head, [Have you seen... Oh. Okay so he is with you?] Caleb asked.
[Yeah, I got him don’t worry] Caleb was yet to see everything that happened with Ashton and Connor and before Ashton could recall it Caleb disconnected the link himself.
To Caleb, it appeared as if his son and his long lost mate bonded, and therefore he was glad Ashton found him. In fact, that is the main reason why Caleb decided that it was probably for the best not to interrupt.
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