Night and Day: The Alpha Nomad

Night’s Tale

Day-

I can’t get my mind off a complete stranger who never even said a word to me. Am I going completely soft? Who was that mystery she-wolf? What is she doing at our pack’s ceremonial pond?

“Who was that? I’ve never seen that wolf around here before. Why did you let her go, aren’t we supposed to escort rogues to your father?” Delphie questioned as we returned from our failed hunt.

“They are going to suspect something when we return empty handed, we were supposed to provide the main protein for the Harvest Feast that’s coming up this weekend.” Fen added sounding annoyed and frustrated. “I wanted to sink my teeth into my first real prey. I’m tired of retrieving rabbits and small game like a pup.”

“Well that will work in our favor then. We will just explain the deer ran off, I mean that isn’t a lie, and we won’t mention the wolf we found. There’s no need to anyways, she didn’t feel like a rogue. Maybe she’s just traveling between territories for some simple reason.”

“Travelers are supposed to announce their presence and submit to our Alpha while they are in our territory. If nothing else why hasn’t she sought out our hospitality. It can’t be pleasant sleeping out in the rain every night. It’s hunting season too, she should be holed up for the night, right? Why was she just out in the open without any protection?” Delphie interrogated.

“She wouldn’t say a word to me, she seemed terrified of you two. Maybe she left an abusive pack, but like I said she doesn’t seem like a typical rogue, “ I defended her but I have no reason to defend her.

“My son has returned from his hunt!” My father greeted jubilantly. “Where is your bounty?”

“Well, Alpha father, we nearly had the doe, but Fen did what Fen does best and rushed in without warning and scared the beast off.”

Fen glared at me, “I thought we were all ready for the chase.”

Sorry buddy, it’s more believable this way, I linked Fen.

“Fen, son, we’ve talked about this before. You link with your hunting team before bursting out of the bushes so you are all on the same page,” my father chided with a smile on his face. “No worries young ones, there are still four days for you to present the pack with your first big game.”

The Harvest Feast was a celebration for the maturing pups in the pack. It was a kind of initiation to see if we were ready to join the ranks of the adult wolves. If we came back successful we would present our prize to the pack and it would be skinned, barbecued, and the whole pack would celebrate with a run to Crescent Pond where we would be “baptized,” as the humans would say, or initiated into the pack with our new roles. Obviously I would be named heir to the Alpha should he step down, or perish, I will replace him. Delphie would be expected to find her mate, or she may choose to become part of the Pack Patrol for a year before settling down, and I would name Fen as my second or Beta. My father’s Beta would train him in the meantime and teach him what is expected of his duties.

“It’s been a long hunt, I should probably head off to bed,” I announced although I already knew I would barely get any sleep tonight. “We’ll begin again before the break of dawn tomorrow. Meet me here at first light.”

Fen and Delphie headed off to their respective homes, and my father and I went inside. We were greeted with the smell of my Luna mother’s famous cooking. My mouth salivated as I had not had any food since yesterday.

“Made your favorite boys, prime rib with a beef drippings gravy and mashed potatoes,” my mother beamed radiantly.

I can see why my father was the happiest wolf in our pack. They had the strongest mate bond between any of the mates in the pack, her smile lit up a room, and my mother was the best cook too. I hope my mate will cook like this some day. There was nothing they couldn’t talk about with each other, and they would do anything and everything for the other. They would literally kill for the other. I hope my mate bond is just as strong as my parents’.

“So how was your hunt? Find any good game out in the woods?” Mom inquired with a genuine smile.

It took everything I had not to tell her about the she-wolf we found, “just a scared doe, maybe we’ll bring back a buck tomorrow.”

“Speaking of tomorrow, it will be a long day of pack business. I’m going to hit the hay, and you should probably get some sleep as well, son,” father advised affectionately as he pushed his chair back from the kitchen table when he was finished with dinner. “Good night my beautiful and talented Luna, good night future Alpha. Sleep well my perfect family.”

As he was climbing the stairs mother turned to me and surprised me when she asked, “is there anything else you want to mention about your hunt today?”

My mother and I had a special bond, and she could always sense when I was hiding something or not telling the complete truth. I shrugged and said bashfully, “I don’t know what you mean, Mother.”

“Nothing else happened out there? You and Delphie have been spending a lot of time together. You would tell me if you found your mate, right?” My mother pressed on.

My eyes widened, “Mother, you know Delphie and I grew up together and are practically siblings…besides I think she has a thing for Fen. You know I have to make my mate choice wisely since the one I choose will ultimately be our Luna. Not that I don’t like Delphie, but I don’t believe she would be a good fit as a pack leader. She would made a much better Patrol wolf than Luna.”

“I was just checking,” Mother stifled a laugh. “I know she is not your mate, but I a mother could hope. She is a nice girl, very intuitive, plus she is very pretty.”

“I guess,” I groaned rolling my eyes. “I’ve never noticed that last part; she’s like a sister to me.”

“I know you said nothing else happened, but I feel like you’re not telling me everything,” Mother sighed sounding a little hurt. “But I can’t force you to tell me if you truly don’t want to.”

“I would tell you if there was something to tell,” I tried to lie.

“Son, you are a terrible liar. It’s nearly midnight, now off to bed with you before your father tans your hide for staying up any later.”

I left the table and descend the basement stairs to my room. Mother thought it would be a good idea to set me up in the basement so I could have more independence and privacy seeing as I’m practically a grown man. It also gives me a spacious room to pace when I am restless, like tonight.

You should go to her, my wolf pushed me.

“I can’t just go to her, she would be terrified. Plus I don’t know anything about her, or if she will still be at the pond.” I argued.

This will give you a chance to break down that barrier she put up around your friends, he reasoned earnestly.

“But what about the hunt tomorrow morning?” I tried to find reasons to settle in for the night.

What if she is gone by tomorrow? He insisted.

I shook my head knowing this was a terrible idea, but could not resist being alone with this mysterious she-wolf. I packed a small bag of snacks like venison jerky, a couple apples, and some bottles of water. Thankfully there was a cellar door to the backyard from my basement to make sneaking in or out almost undetectable.

“She better be at the pond still, or I am going to ignore you for the next three months,” I scolded my wolf then whispered more to myself, “I don’t know why I’m doing this.”

Night -

The night air was chillier now since the rain passed through, but I decided to shift into my human form to clear my head with a dip in the pond. As the former Alpha’s daughter my blood ran hotter than most wolves so the cold water was refreshing and not too chilly. I dipped my pitch black hair under the water and emerged flipping my wet hair back. Although the moon was a waxing crescent, the moonlight shimmered on the ripples of the water and my soaking wet hair, creating a silvery sheen to my locks.

“Oh-“ I heard a male voice exclaim behind me which caused me to sink beneath the water instinctively. “No please, I’m sorry I snuck up on you again. I wasn’t even sure you’d still be here. I was certain you would have disappeared after your encounter with me and my friends.”

I turned around while still mostly submerged. It was that handsome wolf that was called Damon. This time he had a pair of athletic shorts on and a backpack in his hand. He must have returned home to get some clothes before returning. Even his athletic torso made me blush lightly and my eyes widened when I realized I was staring. He looked like he was straight out of some superhero movie.

“What are you doing here?” I mumbled as I turned my head away from the mesmerizing sight before me. “I mean I know this is your land, but what are you doing back here tonight?”

“I wanted to bring you some snacks for your travels. Also as the future Alpha, I wanted to welcome you to my territory,” he grinned. “So…welcome to the Red Feather Pack’s territory. We control everything on the northern quarter of the state from the foothills all the way through North Park and extending down to Grand Lake. My name is Damon, but my friends call me Day. I see you are enjoying our Crescent Pond-“ he smirked. “Oh, I should turn away it isn’t respectful to gaze at strangers in the nude…”

This almost made me giggle. He is kind of cute when he is flustered. I swam deeper a little and motioned for him to join me, maybe I could make him blush enough to glow in the dark. This thought alone made me giggle audibly.

“The water is a little chilly, but it shouldn’t be a problem for a strong wolf like yourself,” I beckoned playfully smiling wickedly I added, “I promise I won’t bite hard.”

He laughs briefly, “I see what you did there, using my own phrase against me. I would join you but then I’d have to mark you,” he winked when my eyes widened. “This is our ceremonial pond. We initiate our maturing pups into the pack and perform our mate union ceremonies here, so if you want to I can arrange that.” He produced another deep laugh.

I blushed and stammered, “I-I didn’t mean to dirty your ceremonial waters. I didn’t know…”

“Of course you didn’t, so it‘s okay. I’m sure you needed to clean up after your travels.” He reassured me.

“How did you know I’ve been traveling?” I asked wearily.

“Well you had foreign smells on your fur, so I assumed you had been traveling. May I ask why you are traveling alone?” He asked with what sounded like a worried tone.

“I am a rogue, I do not have a pack,” I explained. “…or a mate…”

“You don’t act or present yourself like a typical rogue,” he pointed out.

“It was not my decision to become a rogue, I was exiled by my Beta. I’m sure he is probably Alpha by now…” I trail off lost in a distant memory. “I don’t like to talk about it much.”

“I won’t push you if you don’t want to talk about it,” he reassured me gently. “My pack welcomes travelers into our territory and pack home during their stay if you would like a comfortable bed to rest in. The rain means the colder weather will be here soon. I’m not sure how long you plan on being here but we would be more than happy to provide shelter for you. We even have a couple empty houses you could crash in until the winter passes. Our winters can be brutal and even the most seasoned wolves need to den up during the worst of it. You may want to take me up on the offer, the surrounding packs are not as welcoming to strangers in their territory.”

“Yeah, I found that out the hard way,” I thought about the crazy pack north of here that jumped me for no reason only a couple weeks ago. “I prefer being outdoors I’ve been traveling for the last two years so I’m used to sleeping on the ground or out in the rain and I know snow wouldn’t bother me,” I quickly remembered my manners, “but thank you for the offer. Would you be willing to go for a run tonight? It’s been a while since I’ve ran with another wolf, I thought it might be nice.”

He seemed to light up, “Of course I’ll run with you. Remember what I said earlier, keep your senses sharp. The humans around here are blood thirsty and would give anything for a trophy wolf.”

I smirked, “I’m not afraid of any hunters, in fact I’ll tear them apart if I sense them, so you’re safe with me in that aspect.”

He laughed then shifted to his beautiful wolf. When we met earlier it was still mostly cloudy and dark so his fur appeared to be a deep burning red, but in the moonlight it was more golden, like the color of daybreak. His fur glowed like the sun rising over the horizon and hypnotized me.

“I can see why they call you Day, your fur is glows like the sun,” I admired and was drawn to him.

“My mother is really just a fan of the actor,” Daemon snickered. “But I guess the nickname fits.”

I was still in my human form as I waded out of the pond and towards him. Something inside me compelled me to run my hands through his fur. He stood still as my hand brushed through his silky soft fur along his back, then he leaned into my touch. Invisible sparks flew between my finger tips and the ends of his fur and I felt an unfamiliar warmth that coursed through my entire arm. It was soothing but unsettling at the same time. I pulled my hand away as if I had touched a hot coal from a fire.

“What was that-?” I asked startled.

“From what my parents have taught me, and what my wolf is telling me, I think you’re my mate. I didn’t think it would happen with a complete stranger, let alone a traveling rogue,” Damon explained. “Didn’t your parents or your pack teach you about the bond? Should be part of every young wolf’s training before they come of age.”

I blushed out of frustration. I didn’t want to have to tell a complete stranger about my home life, or lack there of, but I felt compelled to tell Damon about it all.

“My parents died when I was 8. Actually they were murdered during a night run by human hunters. The hunters used my parents tracks to lead them to the pack and they murdered the Beta’s mate and pups as well as a few others that stayed behind. There was turmoil in the pack after that incident and they didn’t know what to do with me. My parents were Alpha and Luna, so there was still a still a sense of loyalty among the pack, but at the same time they labeled me a traitor and wanted to exile me then and there. If it wasn’t for the Beta’s mate, who happened to be my aunt on my mother’s side, he would have made me a rogue as a pup if he could. He knew he had a duty to at least keep me until I was mature enough to fend for myself. He distanced me from the rest of the pack for years, neglecting my wolf while the other pups would abuse me and harass me at school. When I was 17, about to turn 18, my uncle held a pack meeting to decide my fate. I was either to inherit my role as Alpha, become my uncle’s mate so he could officially gain the position of Alpha, or leave the pack as an exiled rogue. I think you can figure out what happened…” I turned away ashamed of my story.

I never even heard or sensed him shift back to his human form, but felt his strong arms wrap around me sympathetically which not only startled me but soothed me unexpectedly. I leaned into his embrace and felt the warmth emitting from his chest. He smelled like a mixture of pine sap and smoke, like barbecue or campfire smoke, which was incredibly intoxicating. I turned to face him and melted further into his arms with my nose buried into his bare chest.

“I will protect you, no matter what,” he made a promise, which I wasn’t sure he could keep. “I won’t let anyone reject you, my pack respects me and my family so they have to obey me when I am Alpha.”

I should have realized when we first met that he had Alpha blood in his veins. He definitely held himself like a leader; strong, brave, and putting himself at risk for the sake of his friends. He was so warm the chilly fall evening felt like a summer day.

“Can we still run tonight?” I asked hopefully.

“Anything for you, but first things first. I never learned your name,” he realized.

Why didn’t I think to introduce myself when he told me his name? “My parents named me Night. It wasn’t very original.”

“I think it is beautiful. My Nightingale,” he smiled softly.

I broke free of his embrace shocked at what he called me, that was my Mother’s pet name for me, so I suggested surly, “let’s run, Day.”

We shifted and leaped into the woods enthusiastically. I’ve never felt so natural and free in my life. I felt practically invincible with Damon and I finally felt like I belonged somewhere. I finally felt whole.