Alpha's Fate

The shift from man to wolf seems endless, with my need to follow Kat urging me forward. My heavy paws pound across the damp ground, following her by scent and sound, her gut wrenching, her sobs filling my head. She is by far the most stubborn and infuriating female I've ever encountered. All these years, doing my best to protect her and look out for her at her parent's request has nearly been the death of me for two reasons. One, she's an absolute pain in the ass, always needing to be in control and do as she pleases; that will be even worse now that she's Alpha. Two because I am head-over-heels, no-going-back, I-can't-live-without-you type in love with her. It wasn't planned or intentional and it damn sure isn't right. As commander of the guard, it’s my duty to ensure the wolves that fight and protect us are ready at all times. That means I am one of three that answer directly to the Alpha. She outranked me before, but now, for lack of better terms, she is my boss. There’s never

Theo and I are quick to find some clothing stashed in a tree trunk before returning to face the pack. More than once I catch him looking at me as my fingers drift up to my swollen lips that only moments before had been firmly pressed against his. He says nothing. I don't want him to. I don't know what that kiss meant or why my insides seemed to stir to life at our naked bodies pressed against one another in the streaks of moonlight licking against our flesh. I wanted more than that kiss and I have no doubt Theo would have given it to me. That's a dangerous position for us to be in. A position I refuse to put him in. We've nearly cleared the treeline when a crippling feeling pulls at my insides, making me double over. The fibers holding the muscles, tendons and ligaments tight stretching and reforming as if controlled by a puppeteer. My wolf's voice echos loud in my head, the normal timber having an odd baritone to it, as if mixed with a males. I tell myself it’s the curse of being Al

Preparing for a Lunar Gate ceremony with less than a day until the full moon has the pack in a frenzy. It’s not often a wolf dies, and nearly unheard of that many will pass at once, all being guided back to the moon goddess. That’s the purpose of the Lunar Gate, with the full moon shining bright above our heads, it’s our direct doorway to the goddess that looks down on us from the craters above. It’s supposed to allow the spirits of our departed to join her once more free of the turmoil of this earthly world.Though the ceremony itself isn’t a complicated one, it’s a time suck for Seiko, the pack’s Seer. Each pack has one, an elder blessed with visions of the past, present and future. The visions that come are specific to the phases of the moon. Waxing being the future, waning the past and a full moon, the effervescent present. Seiko’s gift will help guide each wolf spirit, in its own time, back to the goddess.One by one she’ll touch each departed brethren waiting for the signs of re

Protect. Protect. Protect.Stop her. Stop Her. Stop Her. Find. Find. Find. My wolf’s voice erupts in my head, pulling me from deep sleep, my body jerking upright. For the second day in a row, I’ve heard him. Disbelief sinks in. Shaking the shackles at my wrist, convinced they somehow loosened in the past few days, but they haven’t. They still hold firm, the heavy iron chafing against my bare skin. Idly, I wonder what the skin will look like beneath if these ever get removed. If my wolf will help me heal or if I’ll remain a marred man for life.Throwing myself back into the pillows, the cold sweat that blossomed across my skin doesn’t evaporate, without my wolf to heat me as he used to. I will never get out of these shackles. Someone wanted me locked away. I only wish I knew why. I am no one special. I never have been. My father and mother are just regular pack members from Upstate New York. No special roles. Not a bloodline worth much. I guess that’s why my dad was always so disappo

Avoiding the stares that will surely come with what Theo and I just did, we choose to stay at my parent’s house tonight. The whispers and speculation will still be the first things we hear in the morning, but for now I want to avoid any and all questions. Not failing to ignore that I allowed Vampires into our territory. That will raise suspicion, unease and tempers. All things my exhausted mind is not equipped to handle at the moment.The silence and emptiness without them filling the massive house, pulls at my insides. I can tell Theo wants to ask me a million questions too, but at the same time, he’s focused on something else entirely. He trails me as we make our way through the hallways filled with photos of me as a child and our pack mates. Where the office is decorated in elegance, the walls of our home with love and memories.My fingers trail over one of my favorites, from a time when Nia and I were small enough for my father to hold each of us in one hand. He had us hoisted hig