The Evolution Chronicles

The groups of just over sixty demi-humans left the territory of the Zelan pack the next day. Han and his escort from the Belmun pack were among them, along with Mian, Daniel and Dion. Surprisingly, Dion's name was first on the list of the members of the taskforce that was sent from the Zelan pack to assist in the mission.

They made quick progress and were able to go quite far by the end of just the first day, covering almost a fourth of the distance between the two packs.

"At this speed, we will get to the Belmun pack's territory in a bit less than four days." One of the Werewolves from the Belmun pack spoke to another from the Zelan pack.

Other members of the taskforce were having similar conversations. They were eager to see what the Belmun pack looked like, as they had never gotten the chance to directly interact with other packs. Only their scouts made contact with the neighboring packs once in a while.

While the various demi-humans were busy discussing about the upcoming mission, the leaders of the taskforce were also going through a similar discussion.

"I can't thank you enough for making this possible, Mian." Han smiled at Mian as he, the high ranking members of his pack, Dion, Daniel and Mian sat around one of the many fires that were made so that the members of the taskforce could spend the night in warmth.

"It's nothing, Han. I couldn't just stand by and let the humans do whatever they wanted to my kind." Mian humbly replied.

"There's no need to be humble, kid. I'm pretty sure that if it was me who found out about this plot, my head would have been bloated with so much pride by now that I would barely be able to think." A member of the Belmun pack patted Mian firmly on the back let out a hearty laugh.

"I need some fresh air." Daniel abruptly shot to his feet before walking away from the group. He soon vanished from sight and blended into the darkness of the forest.

"I'll make sure he doesn't get into any trouble." Mian stood up and followed in the Beastkin's direction.

"I'll watch them both." Dion sighed and trudged after the two younger boys, disappearing into the darkness and leaving the adults shaking their heads.

"Kids these days..."

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"Daniel, hey slow down!" Mian called out to Daniel as he weaved between the trees.

"You are walking too slowly if you think you can catch up with a dominant." Dion's voice suddenly whispered beside Mian's ear before Mian was hoisted over the large dominant's shoulder.

"Wha-!" Before Mian could react, the black furred boy broke into a run, dashing past trees and hoping over short bushes. In a matter of moments, they had already caught up with Daniel, showcasing how fast Dion could move, even with obstacles on his path.

The dominant Beastkin sat at the edge of a cliff, letting his legs hang over the edge.

"That's dangerous, you know." Dion commented as he lowered Mian to his feet. Mian made sure to flick his ear in retaliation for not warning him before lifting him and running through the forest with him.

"Ow, that's sensitive." Dion mumbled and rubbed the ear as he took a seat at Daniel's side. Mian mirrored his action, sitting on Daniel's other side.

"Care to talk?" Mian asked while looking ahead into the sky. The gray moon that hung in the sky looked especially bright at that moment.

"About?" Daniel replied with a monotone voice.

"About what's bothering you. We are your friends, we will always be willing to listen to what's bothering you so we can help you." Dion answered the question.

Although the two of them had known each other for a short amount of time, they had already established their stances and found mutual ground where their goals coincided with each other. Aside from that, with Mian there, there was little chance that they would be anything but friends, especially when they both wanted to make sure that they stayed on his good side and protected him.

"What's bothering me..." Daniel muttered and let his head hang low as he sorted through his thoughts.

"I want a bit of recognition..." He finally spoke after a while of silence. "I spend years trying to figure out how to get my pack back, yet no one recognizes all the work and effort I put in. I don't feel appreciated. It's not fair." A single tear made its way down Daniel's cheek and dropped onto the back of his had that was folded on his lap.

When they heard his words, Mian and Dion finally understood what Daniel had been going through for the past few days. They even felt a bit stupid for not noticing it earlier when they spent most of their time together.

"Dan..." Mian whispered and placed a comforting palm on Daniel's shoulder. "I'm so sorry."

"You shouldn't be sorry. It's not your fault I feel this way." Daniel shook his head.

"I should have still known. Recognition is something I've been denied all my life. I've always been seen as the worthless omega who managed to catch a stroke of luck and be found by the Patriarch of a powerful pack. The scorn I received for my weakness was something that pressed on my so much that the moment I got some proper recognition, everything else faded to the background. I've been taking all the credit for something that would not have been possible if it wasn't for you. I'm sorry for that. I'm sorry for ignoring how important what you did for me was. I'm sorry for stealing all the recognition for your hard work."

By the time Mian had finished speaking, he was holding a vulnerable Beastkin in his arms who was on the verge of a breakdown. Daniel was barely holding himself together. He didn't care about getting recognition from everyone.. All he wanted was some recognition from his father.