Tournament of Alphas

I was ruled over by dim crystals against a canvas of blue and black. It was cloudless, and the full moon took its opportunity to hover gracefully in the sky with a radiant and misty glow. The aroma of pine and that earthly dirt became entangled in my fur, brushing against me as I ran across the vast terrain that was shrouded by trees, and the course was neverending with uneven grounds. When I reached the forest grove, I saw rays of white had broken through the gaps of the tree branches, casting patterns of shadows, some that were evenly spaced and others that weren't. The pads of my elongated fingers strummed against the forest growth beneath me. My fur rustled against the crispy wind, the crunching of strongly built dirt echoed in my wake - filled with excitement and freedom.  Nothing could corrupt the serene music of the woods, no other than myself could travel this plane of existence of euphoria. This unresting night was beyond the hold of sinful temptation and tainting.  Hold a moment; something stirs in the undergrowth then all flows into the music of silence. There it is again... Another stir. A gripping sensation, a whimsical flutter of knawing teeth, the killing stealth of a master uses crafted speed with agile claws ready to snatch me. Poisonous red punctures through the pitch dark and sets upon its mission, roaring and clawing after me. My heart drummed the beat of panic against the vibrating bones of my ribcage, urging me to escape from the nightmare.  A world full of monsters and this one, I feared amongst them all.  Left, to the right. Right to make a sharp turn to the left. Jump over the clump of jagged rocks, duck under the log only to have broken splinters flying at me like darts. I couldn't keep a straight line, that would do nothing. My mind was blank with no idea how to outsmart this beast on my trail. Melodic horrors breathed down the silk fur of my back and hind legs. Chomping at my ankles I flinched, again and again, jumping to avoid the trap ensnaring me. Suddenly my chaser broke away and left me bare in the middle of a clearing. The trees circled me like a sacrificial lamb, for an area with open spaces, and my breathing became heavy and what air I had was now left thin. Every which way I turned to the striking snaps of twigs was thickened clouds of mist, showing me an eerie shadow in the distance. On all sides, I was left unprotected and I could not do much against an attack.  But through the misty thicket, I trekked to come to a dead end. A large cliffside and cave were present, the entrance dripped with overhanging vines. However, the mouth of the cave was suddenly lit by two orbs of red. I was frozen in my place and the shadowed form pounced. I fell back and the knawing canines clamped shut on my leg and dragged me toward the cave opening. I arched up and clawed the predator's muzzle to no avail.  The growling rumble of his chuckle erupted up and down the chain of my spine, while he turned me over. Mounting me, I felt my world shake and the moon was swallowed by the darkness. My head sprung up from the cramped position it was in. For a moment my head felt like it was spinning and I couldn't figure out where I was until the moving road ahead made it clear to me. I had fallen asleep during our drive to Mount Olympic, a long and tiring journey of over nine hours. My breathing fell into an erratic pattern, a state of slight panic washed over me until a gentle hand clapped my shoulder. I spun around quickly with my hands raised, tightly clenching the sleeve hems of my sweater. A familiar, calm face fazed into a clear image and I sigh in relief at the sight of Alice. Alice is the older secure line, a deity to be worshipped for her sisterly duties. That's what she called it, sisterly duties. Despite being the only pup of my parents' litter, we had that comfortable bond that allowed us to be open.  "Hey, look who's finally awake! You left me alone with my brother." I couldn't contain the relaxed huff that imitated a giggle. Alice had this humour of making the one beside her, sound like the worst person on earth. Like she was going to die of boredom or because of his strict behaviour. "Alice, come on... she hasn't slept well for the last few weeks," Rowen huffed. Between clenched teeth, he exhaled a heavy wave of breath. The scent of mint clouded my nostrils, and I soaked in the aroma. This small dose of serenity, however, lasted only a minute. I sat up properly, cursing myself for curling into such a painful position. After adjusting myself I finally I rubbed the sleep from my eyes. "Where... how long was I asleep for?" Alice quickly sat forward and perched against the back of my seat, peering over the leather corset of the seat.  "Half an hour, maybe a little over that?" she hummed her assumption. "Either way, are you okay, Zara? You were acting strange." "What do you mean?" I could feel the crease in my brows grow more jagged with confusion. Rowen answered for his sister, "You were mumbling and writhing around in your seat." I fell silent, but I guessed that my dream had caused me to attract concern from the two siblings in the back and my mum, who was driving. To cure the silence, I finally answered although the voice I used sank into a shaking mess. And let me tell you, the last thing you want to do is have a voice of insecurity in front of these two siblings.  "I... don't worry, I'm alright." Both had narrowed eyes piercing my soul. Even when I sunk further into the leather, their eyes burned through the bone of my skull. I clear my throat hoping to strike a conversation with my mum. "How long until we get there?" "Not too long now," mum replied. Her eyes were trained on the road.  Thankfully we didn't have traffic in this part of the trip. My throat became tight, and all I could do was squeal my words like a mouse. Mum removed a hand from the wheel and rested her palm against the back of my hand. "Hey, don't worry yourself too much, dear. I know what you're feeling, but I promise, it's just a phase. When you get into the tournament, you will start getting that... wild rush, especially when you can sense that wet feeling between-" "Ah, mum! I don't need to know that detail!" I quickly cut that conversation short. My eyes would either pop out of their sockets, or I would scratch them out. I distracted myself and indicated that I wanted that conversation over with, by winding the window down and allowing the breeze to carry my hair. I pressed the button again to watch the windowpane rise up, and I continued this pattern for some time. Five minutes, maybe ten I grew bored with my window game. I edged my face to see Alice staring out the window, and her brother catching up on his sleep. I did admit, I felt a little guilty for keeping him up so late...  "Mum, before the tournament, did you have any strange dreams?" I ask. "Mm, what sort of dreams?" mum inquired. I could see her brows slightly dip and her lips curve outwards. I became hesitant, unsure if I should dare step into that direction again. I couldn't handle another brain meltdown from a female hormone lecture. "Oh, come on, Zara! You can tell me." I swallowed and prayed my mum wouldn't derail the conversation and spoke, "Dreams that started normal and then... turned into a nightmare. Mum, I have a gut feeling something is going to happen in the tournament-" Mum was quick to cut me off. "Sweetie, your father and I have told you over and over, and I'll say it now: "There are no true dangers in the games," I answer with her in unison, clearly using a mocking tone. I crossed one leg over the other as I watched the trees speed past my passenger window. The hues of green and brown were an abstract blur. Alice spoke from her spot behind me, "You'll be okay, Zara. Rowen and I will be there for you." "Yeah..." Rowen agreed. I snuck a quick look in the rearview mirror and pretended to knock it off its arranged setting to see Rowen, rubbing the nape of his neck. His cheeks were slightly flushed, and I smiled. Mum scoffed and adjusted the mirror.  "Zara..."  We continued to drive for about another twenty minutes and we had finally arrived. Mum parked the car and turned the engine off, rattling the keys onto her finger she got out and we followed. As I stepped out to get my bag from the back, Rowen pushed himself out of the door and not thinking I would be there, he bumped into me. I gasped when his weight collapsed onto me and we both fell to the ground, a couple of cackling fools. Sharing smiles, our eyes stared held contact and the fluttering parade in my stomach came back. "Do you need to hoist yourself a meter when you exit a car?" I joked. Mum interrupted us, and we shuffled to get up from the ground. "Alright, let's get what we need and head to the campgrounds. We want to get up there before nightfall, there is much to do." We grabbed our bags and with mum leading the way we followed the trail. Rowen walked alongside with me, carrying my bag after numerous attempts of swiping it out of my hands. From Rowen's next question, I could only assume my silence was a sign of mental trouble. "Honestly Rowen, I don't like this at all." I couldn't lie to him about how I felt.  Rowen snaked an arm around my shoulder. "Zara, you know I will always protect you, no matter the risk." We had both paused, and I hadn't realised we were standing still. Rowen's arm that was once around my shoulder had now encircled my waist, his thumb caressed a part of my skin and the tingling started once again. His touch brought a wave of calm over me. It was only a week ago now that Rowen and I established a connection that could prove problematic if anyone found out.  I must have been in a daze of some kind because Alice's voice broke me away from that. "You both coming or what?" I nodded quickly and rushed up the slope ahead. Rowen had called out but silly me had to endanger herself to try and get her troubled mind to settle. My foot slipped against a loose mound of dirt and I fell backwards and I waited for the impact. However, Rowen's fast reflexes reacted on time and he caught me. I breathed out loudly through my mouth with eyes wide like a deer in headlights. "Whoa! Careful there, Luna." Luna? Rowen... what is happening to you? Rowen assisted me when I straightened my posture and continued up the trail until we reached the figure, waiting for us. The wind blowing downwind brought the familiar scent of an Alpha. My father. Mum and dad greeted each other and without anymore slides down the hillside we made it to the valley where the campgrounds were. I gazed down into the valley I felt whatever courage I had just deflated like a balloon and I turned my stare of horror to my parents. Both gave me questionable looks. "I know, I just didn't want to freak you out..." mum grimaced with a sweet and innocent look in her eyes. Still, I was speechless. I thought my Luna training graduation was bad... Dad spoke over the uncomfortable wall I had made. "Honey, let's get this tournament ready for tonight. Zara, why don't you have a walkabout, mingle with some of the Alphas while we sort out a few things?" I nodded obediently, my head sank low and my eyes glared at my shoes. I felt powerless and unable to decide what I wanted to do. "Keep her safe." mum's voice became stern. Her Luna coming to life. "Will do, Luna." Rowen's hand cupped one of mine, out of view of my parents.  That little gesture brought a sense of security to me. A little boost of confidence entered my soul. When my parents wandered off and down the valley to do who knows what, Alice pinched her chin in thought. "So, where should we start?" She asked.