Welcome home

Saved by The Alpha

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Chapter 2: Welcome home

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What do you do when complete strangers, especially when they live in the middle of the dense forest, offers you a place to stay? Would you decline?

Of course you would. They're strangers, right?

But how about strangers who took you in with open arms, treated you for your injuries, fed you, and gave you clean clothes. Would you decline then?

Iandor felt like he's the stranger now.

"Frankie?", he called out for the elder after swallowing the rice he chewed on earlier.

"Mhmm?", Frankie hummed in response.

The spoon clanking against the sides of the bowl every so often.

Iandor was positively sure that he didn't want Frankie to feed him himself. Its embarrassing! The elder sure was stubborn when Iandor told him that he could eat fine without any assistance, yet he still grabbed the bowl from the younger and started babying him.

Oh well, who is he to go against Frankie? 

"Why did you let me stay? I'm clearly a stranger..i mean..i was found on the verge of dying. Christopher could have just walk away and leave me to die. Instead all of you chose to help me.", the younger eyed the elder curiously, cocking his head a little to the side. 

"Oh Ian. Listen to yourself! He couldn't just leave you out in the open, not when your blood was streaming like a creek. Jay would take you in in a heartbeat too.", Frankie smiled, feeding Ian the last spoonful of rice with meat on top of it.

Swallowing again, he looks at the elder. "Jay?"

"Yes, Jay. He's our youngest in the family.", he informed.

Placing the empty bowl on the bedside table, he took the glass of water and handed it to the younger.

"But i thought there were only four of you."

"Six. There are six of us actually.", he stated, crossing his leg and adjusted himself on the plastic chair.

Iandor’s eyes went wide for a brief moment. "Six?"

"Yes little one.", he brought his thumb towards Iandor’s mouth, wiping the excess fluid from the corner of it and takes the empty glass from his hand. "Six. There's me, Alfie, Nick, Christopher, Zachary and Jay."

"Why haven't i seen Zachary and Jay though? and that includes Christopher too."

Frankie smiled. "First of all, Jay is training, Christopher and Zachary are his mentors. They are combat training in the far up north of the mountain. Its been almost a month since they've come home, so that explains why you don't see them from the start but they should be back in a few days, Jay’s training is almost over. As for Christopher who found you, he had to come home to get some supplies. That's when he came across you.", he explained.

Iandor nods. Understanding more about the little family that's taking care of him.

"I-"

"Ian!", the door slammed open and a hyper Alfie comes in, leaping on the bed. "Ian..", he cooed, pulling the smaller one into his embrace.

Ian slightly winced at the pressure that was directly over his wound but relief washed over him when Alfie finally pulled back. "Lets go out. Its snowing!"

"Alfie..", Frankie warned. "You know Iandor is still not fully recovered yet."

A pout instantly appeared on the younger's face and if Ian wasn't hallucinating, he definitely heard whimpering coming from the former's lips.

Moving himself to the other side of the bed, Alfie snuggles in closer to Ian.

Resting his head on the latter's good shoulder, he then interlocks their fingers together. His other hand later pulls the blanket over his head, a sign of rebelliousness towards Frankie.

Iandor giggles. "I don't mind, tho. Maybe its time to get some fresh air. I don't mean to be rude, but i've been staying in here for four days straight and the room's getting stuffy."

The big lump under the blankets instantly sprang up after hearing Iandor wanted to leave the room. "Dad! Can we go out? Can we? Can we?", Alfie pleaded as he bounces up and down on the bed causing it to rock with Iandor letting out a string of laughs.

Frankie eyed his 'son' wearily. Letting out a defeated sigh, he smiled lovingly at the younger. "Okay. But make sure Iandor is wrapped up in warm clothes. I don't want him to get sick again.", Frankie reminded. "Oh wait! Let me just check on Iandor’s wound alright? Then i'll let you boys out."

After applying the chamomile and aloe mixture, Frankie uses a patch bandage rather then the roller bandage since Iandor’s wound is about to close completely. Even though he could still feel pain if pressure was applied, it was still recovering fast.

And so, after 45 minutes of battling with a picky Alfie on which scarf Iandor has to use, or which coat he doesn't want to wear, Alfie ended up settling the auburn-haired male in a light brown sweater over a puffer down white jacket with a soft faux-fur hoodie.

Oh, also not forgetting the red woolly scarf wrapped cosyly around his neck.

"Awww. You're so fluffy!", he cooed.

But then..

"Can i eat you?", his monotone question literally gave Iandor chills from head to toe.

For a minute there Iandor was absolutely dumbfounded, that was until Alfie pounces on the shorter and gave him a bear hug but still gentle enough to not press his body too much on the healing wound.

"You're so cute!", he cooed again, this time with the additional of pinching on both Iandor’s cheeks.

What the..this kid is really something.

Iandor just stands there in the middle of the room with his hands in his jacket's pocket as Alfie continues to pinch his rosy cherubic cheeks.

"Alright! come on!", the auburn-haired male was about to say something but they were already halfway through the hallway with Alfie pulling him by the wrist.

As they stopped at the front door, Alfie tightens the scarf on Ian after it came loose from the running. "Okay. Put on your boots. I'll be right back.", Alfie said as he disappeared into the kitchen.

Making the last loop of the boot's lace, a pair of feet with fuzzy socks was in front of him. Looking up he saw a grinning Alfie with a baby blue thermal cup flask and two mugs in his hands. "Dad made us hot chocolate."

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The puffs of warm breaths coming out in clouds flew through the air.

With the chilly breeze mixed with the hot chocolate, Iandor never felt this good before.

Pine trees stretch wide across to the mountains, the green branches were covered in patches of snow but with the rays of sun piercing through them, it looked almost like they were crystallized.

The dove-white mountain standing tall behind them completes the ethereal scenery. 

"Ian..", Alfie started. They were sitting on the quilt covered bench just at the front yard of the house, deciding it was too cold to sit on the snowy ground.

"Yeah?", he answered, holding the mug closer to his body.

"You were probably wondering why was i the only one calling Frankie 'Dad', right?", the honey blonde male moved his mug in a circular motion making the hot chocolate in it swirl like a mini whirlpool, not looking at Iandor.

The said boy was looking at him, he was caught off guard by the sudden question but his expression immediately relaxes when Alfie finally looks up at him. His lips displayed a small smile towards Ian.

“I thought it was a nickname since he does have that motherly side to him, but when i noticed nick only called him 'Frankie ', that was when i started to wonder."

Alfie looks up to the blue sky, delicate patterned snowflakes danced around them and a stray one landed on his raw pink cheek till it turns into a bead of water which rolls down carefully to his chin. Even from sitting beside him, Ian could see that his eyes were hooded with something sorrowful. 

Something painful.

"Just like you, Frankie found me lying lifeless, dying.", he said above a whisper.

His eyes were closed, as if he was too scared to open up letting old wounds emerge. 

"My parents were killed by these heartless creatures who called themselves 'human'.", he scoffs. "Would a human do that? Killing another live being?", Ian could hear his voice wavering against the cold wind, opening his eyes, Alfie kept going. "They were killed in our own home, i was fifteen at the time and i witnessed how my own parents died, how they suffered. I was crying, no, i was bawling my eyes out running for dear life after dad yelled at me to escape. Blood was dripping from his chest, and he still has the power to protect me. Mom didn't even move anymore. I ran and ran, kept falling to the ground but i tried my hardest to run again. I-i didn't even get the chance to breath properly when a sharp pain buzzed throughout my whole body. I slammed to the hard ground, i could literally feel the arrow digging even more into my back. When i woke up, i was wrapped in bandages and Frankie took care and love me ever since."

Ian didn't know when, but Alfie was already in his embrace crying his heart out as they rock together from side to side. The elder got close to Alfie over the few days, and when he decided to share a deep and desolate part of his life he couldn't help but cried along with the boy.

They stayed there for a while, having warm embraces with each other untill Alfie lets out a soft laugh.

He retracted his body back and looks at Ian, wiping the latter's wet stained cheeks with his chilly finger. "Frankie taught me how to be strong and how to be happy again. That's why i'm more attached to him and he cant stop babying me like how he does to you. I'm practically a twenty year old with a mind of a three year old child.", he laughs, this time it was more of a fruity laugh. His deep and sultry voice came in more powerful then before. 

The auburn-haired blinks at the other. It took him a while to digest everything but then he lets out a howl of laugh, they ended up laughing together.

After a couple more rounds of hot chocolate, they started to pack everything up.

Along the way of folding the quilt, a noise of crunching snow suddenly caught their attention and Alfie snapped his head quickly, looking for the source of the sound.

Iandor can't even registered what just happened when Alfie drops the heavy duvet to the ground and runs towards a group of three men. "Welcome home!", he shouted excitedly and threw himself into the small group.

The taller one of the trio with dirty blonde hair ruffles Alfie’s bangs. His dimples was so deep that you could poke your finger into it till it completely disappears. "Its good to be home Alfie."

Alfie’s voice was probably loud as ever because he swore, since when did Nick came out?  he was already clinging himself like a baby koala around the mint-haired male's waist.

"I'm so glad you're safe!", tears of joy were running down his cheeks. "Hey..its not like we're fighting bears. Stop it.", he said in a hoarse and low voice with a tinge of irritation in between but he still wipes the tears away from Nick’s cheeks with the base of his palm. 

Iandor was gazing at them, something warm and fuzzy lights up at the bottom of his heart. The quilt he was holding before was still tangled up between his arms tucked closely to his torso.

"They're finally home.", Iandor almost dropped the quilt from the voice beside him. "God. Frankie! Don't sneak up on me like that.", the younger said, trying to calm himself. "Sorry.", the elder sheepishly said, rubbing the back of his neck.

"So our little boy here is all healed up ey?", the male with the dirty blonde spoke as he came closer, holding Frankie by his waist. "He's getting there. So, this is Iandor. And Ian, this is Christopher."

Ian stood there for a while. "Oh! Hai, Christopher! I'm Ian. Thank you for helping me."

Chris laughed at the younger. "Its no big deal. Come on, it must be cold in here. Lets go in."

Ian nods at him, Chris and Frankie entered the house first. 

"Frankie took good care of you, kid.", this time the mint haired male spoke, with Nick on his back. Assuming it was Zachary, Ian gave him a smile till his eyes morph into crescents.

"Yep. Frankie is the best!", Nick interupted.

"Yah..would you get down? You're heavy.", Zachary nonchalantly speaks.

"No! You've been gone for a long time. I miss you.", Nick said in hushed tone, tightening his hold around the elders neck.

"Fine.", Zachary grunted. "See ya, kid.", he then trudge towards the house, squabbling every now and then with the male behind him till they finally walk into the threshold.

Iandor places the quilt down back on the bench and he fondly smiles at the couple.

Frankie mentioned earlier about them together, that includes himself and Chris.

A gush of wind blew around him and the hoodie that was on top of his head falls back down, ruffling his auburn hair. When he heard Alfie called out for his name, he quickly pulls the hoodie back up and turns around.

He was expecting to meet a pair of chocolate eyes but what he doesn't expect was a pair of rich dark brown ones that resembles the colour of coffee beans were gazing intensely at him.

Even when they were walking towards him, Ian cant help but shudder under his scrutinize stare.

They stop right in front of the auburn-haired male with Alfie’s arm slung over the younger's shoulder. "Ian..this is Jay.",

Alfie’s voice brought him back from his reverie making him broke his eye contact with Jay. His brown hair was dancing in the wind, making a messy mop of hair.

"Ohh..uhm..hai.", Ian shyly speaks.

He averted his eyes anywhere, not wanting to look up at Jay. His chin was digging in the scarf, feeling small at the brown-haired male's presence.

The younger didn't utter a single word, and for what Iandor felt like an eternity of silence he boldly looks up.

Big mistake..

Jay was still staring at him. His jaw was tight, the coffee bean eyes looked like they have been roasted making it look like black holes. Iandor instantly ducks his head lower.

"That's my scarf.", He finally spoke. Voice so orotund that Iandor felt intimidated and a little wobbly in the knees. 

Calm yourself Ian.

"Oh! I'm sorry. I didn't know. Alfie told me to wear it, so..i just wear it?", Ian was nervously fidgeting with the ends of the scarf. "I'll take it off if-"

"No. Use it. Its cold.", his voice came out so authoritative yet it was still calm at the same time.

Ian timidly nods.

Alfie suddenly cleared his throat. "I'm still here. Hello?", he teasingly said, with a grin on his face. "Come on. Lets go in, i'm sure everyone is waiting for us."

Jay and Alfie walks at the front with Iandor on their tail.

The auburn-haired male dared himself to look at Jay again, he sure was tall, broad shoulders, has a very strong built, gorgeous eyes..wait..shit. 

The younger apparently caught Iandor checking him out, and what it seems to be, the corner of his lips tugged upwards into a small but no doubt was a smirk. 

Iandor’s heart thrum even harder then the day he was chased.

Oh God..

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TBC