The Wolf's Lullaby
1135 Words
" Aaahhh" "Aaaahhhmmm"
Little Hazal had been burning with fever for more than ten nights.
" What do we do? Do we need to take her to the witch doctor? "
Hazal's mother was really worried. She had to stay awake all night tending to her sick daughter. On top of which she was heavily pregnant.
" We might have to. Lets wait for a few more days."
The witch doctors demanded a hefty pay. Hazal's father was just a humble worker at one of the centres.
He was a simple Omega. Very honest, truthful and laborious yet just an Omega who didn't have enough to spend even when his daughter's health was in danger. But he loved her to death. He was even thinking about talking to Frank ,the present Alpha, his distant cousin. And now they were going to be tied in a deeper bond. His daughter was born under the Blood Moon. A destined Luna.That's because she was a girl, had she been a boy it would have been another story. It would have been a definite Alpha.
But that again would have led to infightings and unrest. The Pack's leader already had a son.
Frank's son Frederick , their supposed future Pack leader was going to he his son-in-law.
That was their only hope for the future. A better future that is. Living conditions under the vampire governance was getting worse day in and day out.
" Hira, go to sleep. I will take Hazal around for little bit of fresh air. May be she would then be able to sleep. "
He patted his wife's forehead. Kissed her and then picked Hazal up on his back.
He came out of their home. A make shift one. Put together diligently by all the Pack workers.
He held the little girl securely with both his arms. Then went ahead, walking with slow, brisk steps.
Singing her favourite lullaby in her ears -
The wolf is howling in the forest of the night
She wants to, but cannot sleep
Silence of the Moon fills her little face
She turns to embrace her mother's grace.
Then comes the shadow
The deep , deep, darkness.
With its army of mighty , fierce, ugliness.
Oh! My little wolf don't be sad.
The clouds will float away,
The Moon will shine again.
The wolf is howling in the forest of the night
She wants to, but cannot sleep
Silence of the Moon fills her little face
She turns to embrace her mother's grace.
He had walked into a clearing, a little up ahead from their residence. It was a clear night. There were millions of stars twinkling bright in the absence of the moon. Hazal had been quite still. Her father, Xane, pulled her towards his lap as he sat on one of the abandoned logs by the lake.
She was asleep. Her temperature seemed to subside as well.
" Ah! So thats all you needed my little princess. A
gust of fresh air. Ahh! But your mother doesn't understand. Does she? We are wolves, shifters. Not human. She has always been raising you like one. "
Xane scuffled his sleeping daughters hair and then kissed her in the forehead.
He sat there a little longer. Tapping his feet to give his daughter a sense of motion.
Suddenly he caught something in the sky.
" What on heaven is that! "
He stood up. Walked a little forward to see a group of twinkling stars mobe from their formation. He rubbed and strained his eye to get a better vision. No doubt. The stars were rearranging themselves. He watched at the uncommon celestial phenomenon.
The scattered sparkly objects kept moving from one place to another. Till it was crystal clear that they formed the sign of the moon, the Werewolf Shifters' Evergreen Crescent.
" The sign of the Alpha. Is Frederick finally getting his mark tonight? "
Xane watched with revamped wonder, following the beam that it emitted.
Then suddenly he had to back off.
It was too bright, too hot, too severe. A force pushed him off his station. Then was suddenly gone.
" What the... "
He was about to curse but stopped because he realised he was in his daughter's presence. Then looked around for the thing that almost hit them.
Rather missed them by an inch.
He walked right and left. Looked up. The formation of the stars were gone. He scratched his head then wondered may be his head was all worked up. May be he needed some rest.
" Lets go back my little... "
He was about to flip Hazal over his shoulder. But his hands stopped mid-track.
On his sleeping daughter's forehead was a shiny silver crescent.
" No! No! "
He touched the bump on her little skin. It felt like fish scale. He suddenly placed her down.Then started rubbing it with both his hands.
" This can't be... This can't be... There has to be some mistake. "
He kept mumbling as he kept at it. Scrubbing with the mud, his sleeve, rubbing. Tears flowed down his cheek. One would have thought his daughter had just passed away.
But he had his reasons to be worried. Bearing a Alpha's mark always came with a price. Moreover, nobody had ever heard of a female Alpha who got to be a king.
Given his status as an Omega, he knew this would be met with huge backlash and plotting. It was as good as his daughter's death sentence than a actual cause of celebration.
" Father! Baba! What are you doing? "
Hazal opened her eyes with a start. The mark vanished instantly.
" Uh! "
Xane was flabbergasted. He quickly rubbed his eyes and smiled.
" Nothing Hazal. Its nothing my little princess. Its just that you had been very sick. I brought you here to get little bit of fresh air. "
Little Hazal sat up. She hugged her father with her little arms. Then planted two successive kisses on his cheeks.
" Thank you Baba! Look I am alright now. You don't have yo cry anymore. I feel much better. "
She even stood up and twirled around to show him that she was alright.
Xane laughed. Then picked her in his lap.
" Lets go home and get some sleep. "
" Yes! "
Hazal replied.
Xane spared a glance at the spot on the sky where the stars had taken formation. He knew he needed to hide this fact. From everybody. Everyone. Even from Hazal herself.
The mark was gone for the time being. It would not return till the day of the Awakening Ceremony.
He needed to prepare his daughter to face that day first. Then she could be informed of her destiny.
- Writer
