MY 18th BIRTHDAY (BOOK ONE)

Chapter fourteen

Hade's pov

I've always wanted something to call my own. From a young age I've had things and people  taken from me. My parents, my sisters and brothers. My pack ranks snatched and been demeaned. Treated like a lesser being. Treated like a mutt. I hated that.

It becomes tiring. You then get this urge, desire to take back what was initially yours. You only see the end but not the means. You don't care what happens along the way, as long as you get what you deserve. You don't take into account the risks, just taking back what was yours.

And that's how Hades came to be. But back  then my name was Gabriel.

Gabriel Black.

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I was very young, seven maybe, when our alpha said that all children were going to be recruited for training. Apparently there was a prophecy, one that promised our pack, Mufulia a reward for eternity.

A miracle child. One whom would deliver us into victory and prosperity, this way overtaking other packs and hopefully becoming more powerful. Apparently the seers of the pack  received a vision from the moon goddess, predicting that during a war that child would be our saviour.

No wonder they are always so eager for war! What was it with men and war? Showing strength where there would definitely be casualties.

My siblings and I were taken for the recruitment sessions. They would lay off the 'lazy' ones and assign them different roles. I considered myself lucky to have remained in those classes.

It however became tiring. Working us to the bone, restricting our visiting hours and sending young children outside of pack lands to hunt and fight along side trained warriors.

The alpha was relentless to find that miracle child that would reward the pack with unbeatable strength. Would be our sole protector, a gift from the moon goddess. To me it sounded like a curse. Why would they even use a child for gain and it wouldn't even be for a good purpose!

They included witchery in the training. They wanted to find those with extraordinary abilities. I knew I had to leave. I could not let the witch find out my secret. I knew the herbs would stop working if another witch caught on my secret.

So one night, I packed my bags and planned to leave the training grounds and go home. They only allowed us to visit home two days a month. I had to inform my parents of the new revolution.

"Gab, why are you home?" My mother was so shocked to see me. "If the guards find you here, they will arrest us."

"I know mom, they brought a witch to the training grounds, mom. They'll know the truth. We need to leave."

My mother was scared, she screamed to alert my father of the new danger. "We need to leave Markus, if they discover our identity we are as good as dead."

"No we can't leave Angela, we have worked so hard to get where we are right now. Besides we still have the potion, it is made in a way no other witch can break the spell." Dad sounded so naive right now. Our lives were in danger.

"Markus, if the council knows we lied to them about what we are, we will get killed. Please think about our children. We can always start again in another land. One that is safe. One that doesn't threaten our existence and our children. We don't even know if that prophecy is true. They might be lying."

Dad looked so conflicted. He was ready to give up everything to make his mate happy. However, you could also see the hesitance in his eyes. We have shifted and moved from many packs. We were nomads but decided to have permanent residence here.