Finding My Alpha

We Were Nomads Part 2

Beta Markus’ face shifted from one of confusion to realization. I easily sensed the excited mind link he’d sent to Alpha Kingsley. It was clear that they were not nomadic werewolves, which meant they weren’t pure-blood, but hybrids. We’d never encountered hybrids before, but they looked and smelled much like any other werewolf. But pure-blood or not they were werewolves and we needed them. Even though these wolves were no threat to us, I couldn’t help the uneasy feeling that’d crept into my gut. I took a few deep breaths and shook off the unease. Beta Markus looked back down at us with a soft smile on his face and took me by the hand after putting on his shirt. He knelt down so that he was eye level with us.

“I think I know where you two came from. You are from one of the nomadic pure-blood packs aren’t you?” he asked.

We nodded.

“I am even sadder to know that we lost such great warriors to the veratus. You are safe here, though we do not travel, the veratus rarely travel this far north. Even if they do, they’re usually small in number and easy to take care of. Come let us go see Alpha Kingsley,” he said as he stood to his feet. 

I remembered the mounting anxiety I’d felt as we’d made our way down the hall to the Alpha’s suite. He would ask us many questions we weren’t ready to answer. I was concerned about what would happen to us once they found out that not only were we pure-bloods, but also Ahroun wolves. According to the stories from our elders, Ahroun wolves were so rarely seen that over the years we became a myth. As we neared his door I checked my emotions and mind linked my sister telling her to let me do all the talking, she replied with a small nod. Beta Markus didn’t even get a chance to knock on the door before Alpha Kingsley McArthur swung it open. I was surprised it didn’t come off its hinges.

“Good morning Beta Markus, pups,” Alpha Kingsley addressed us in a false casual tone. I could tell he was trying to reign in his excitement.  “What brings you here this early in the morning?”

“It would seem that these pups are way more precious than we initially thought,” Beta Markus replied.

“Is that so? It looks like the pups are preparing for a trip. Where are you girls on your way to?” Alpha Kingsley asked us.

I squeezed Annette’s hand, reminding her not to speak and gently pulled her closer to me. As she got closer I hid my face behind Beta Markus’ large legs. I wanted us to look shy and nervous.

“Now now, girls, no need to be afraid,” Beta Markus coaxed. 

Success! I peered around his leg and looked up at Alpha Kingsley and then up at Beta Markus, before hiding behind his leg once more. I heard them both sigh before I sensed Alpha Kingsley’s presence in front of me. He’d squatted down low enough to be as close to eye level with us as possible. This gave me some comfort and I relaxed a little. Alpha Kingsley’s blue-ish grey eyes were kind and disarming. Deep down I felt I could trust him and the others in this pack. He placed a russet brown hand on my shoulder and squeezed gently. I looked up at him and smiled softly. I’d noticed a terrible looking scar that began between ring and middle finger and stopped at the top of his shoulder. With werewolves having regenerative capabilities, it would take one hell of a wound to create that kind of scar. That kind of wound would have only been inflicted by a veratus. He caught me staring and smiled.

“Was it a veratus?” I asked.

“Yes it was,” he answered.

“Did you kill it?”

“Yes I did.”

I opened my mouth to ask another question and thought better of it. Any further details would be etched into my memory and I didn’t need that imagery at the moment. If he could defeat a veratus he was indeed a strong alpha that could protect us. At that moment I decided that we would be safe with this pack, but I was still very wary of giving them too many details about our origins. That bit of uncertainty made me shrug off his hand and retreat back behind Beta Markus.

“It’s ok pups. You don’t have to be afraid of us. We are going to protect you. Is it true, are you from a nomadic pack?” he asked.

“Yes,'' I whispered.

“Only pure-blood packs are nomadic. Was your pack pure-blood as well?”

“Yes.”

“And you’re sure that you two are the only ones that survived the veratus attack? There’s nowhere we can search for other survivors?”

“Yes we’re all…. we’re all that’s left. Everyone else…. is…. They’re all gone,” I replied, my voice cracking a bit as the memories from that night popped into my tiny head.

Annette had less control than I and started crying. I released Beta Markus’ hand and enveloped my sister in my arms and cried with her. It had been the first time we’d cried since we’d been taken in by the Evermoon’s. The weight of our losses had finally hit us. Attracted to the sounds of our cries, Luna Misha McArthur came running out the door, wrapping us both in her arms. Her lavender scent engulfed us in a sea of calm. Her light brown curly hair fell around us in waves, helping to block out any and all light. In that lavender darkness we cried. She shushed and cooed at us, trying her best to calm us. Our behavior before may have been an act, but the despair we felt was real. Our family was gone.