The Half Breed Luna

8. Star Island

IRAH POV

After my morning classes were done, myself and Tina headed to the canteen for lunch and that's when I saw Ares, my charmer, sitting near the car parking with his gang! 

I saw him smoking!!

“Again?? He always seems to have a cigarette in his hand!! "

“What Happened?” Tina asked me.

“Nothing Tina! You go ahead I'll catch up with you” I said. 

I was really upset with this behavior of his. I see him most of the time smoking. As I was getting near him, I sensed something was different. He looked at me and stood up immediately.

“Babe….. I have been missing you so much. ! Where were you??” He said hugging me tightly with his cigarette in one hand! 

“I'll not be here for the next week. 

I'll really miss you, my little baby! 

Tell me you will also miss me! 

Tell me.. Tell me…”  he said pulling me closer, holding my hip tightly!

Watching his behavior except Ryan, everyone walked away from that place.

“Ares stop!” I said and pushed him immediately.

I can sense that he was not stable.

His bright eyes were restless and I could smell alcohol in him! 

“Seems like someone's been drinking heavily ” I said to him with my eyes narrowed. "And you are always smoking Ares. Being in the medical profession you should know better. "

His expression changed cold. He threw the cigarette down and walked away.

“What's this Ryan? He always seems to smoke and I think he is still reeling from the alcohol he has been drinking??”

“Irah!! Yesterday he threw a party and I think you know why! He was drinking without control AS ALWAYS!” Ryan said.

I still couldn't digest what he said!

“And Irah, we are going on a trip  next week so we will not be around! Don't worry about him! He will be okay” Ryan said and left me in a vague state of mind!

ARES POV

I was sitting on the deck of the Star Industries ship with a cigarette in my hand looking at the ocean. 

Ryan and I with some other members of the pack had to go to Star island a week earlier to arrange for the ceremony that was going to take place on the full moon day. 

The island was about a two hour journey by ship from Onai city bay. We visited it to take part in the Pournami ceremony which was done every three months on the full moon day. 

I personally didn't know or care what was so special about the function but the alphas and the Hakan made it a big deal. But I liked going to the island. 

I had heard many rumours  and tales about the history of the land. I liked the island as it was a place where I could change into my wolf form and roam about without making an effort to hide from humans. Humans never seemed to come to the island as they couldn't locate it. Only the werewolves knew the exact location and only they could enter it. Some old wolves had told me that the island was protected by magic. It was a big mystery to me as to how the humans with all the technology at their disposal couldn't find this island. 

I gazed at the horizon and remembered what all I knew about the mysterious and divine island. 

It was a large star shaped island. The shape of the island had given it the name 'Star Island'. It was beautiful with rich flora and fauna. It had a lake Situated dead centre of the island and it was the place where the ceremony took place. Only the alphas and the Hakan took part in the ceremony while the rest of the pack members remained in their territory. 

Each pack had its own separate territory and each territory was triangle shaped. There were five ancient tribes which made up the population of the Star island namely the LYCAN BLOOD pack, SHADOW PACK, 

DARK WOOD pack, OCEAN HOWL pack and the WHITE CLAW pack. 

I belonged to the WHITE CLAW pack and my father was it's alpha. Everyone believed I was poised to take up the position of my father as he had become rather old. But I didn't want it. I just wanted to finish college and continue my studies and travel the world. Responsibility was not my strong point. And now that I had found Indu I wanted to stay by her side all the time and I knew it would be impossible if I became the alpha of my pack. 

Only four packs visited the island for the ceremony now-a-days as the SHADOW pack had vowed never to set foot on the island on that unfortunate day seventeen years back. 

No one talked about the SHADOW pack or about it's members since then and I couldn't get any reason as to why Alpha Leomark had taken that decision. 

"I have to find out why Alpha Leomark took Indu and his family out of the island that day. Was it because of me?? Was it because I got imprinted on Indu.!! " I questioned myself. The same questions which I have been asking all my life. 

"You don't seem to have a glass in your hand. That's really a surprise. " 

I turned to the direction from where the voice came from and saw Alpha Martin walking towards me. He gave me his glass which contained whiskey with a rock of ice in it and signalled to a servant nearby to bring him another glass. 

Uncle Martin was also coming with us to oversee the work. My father had not believed that I would do the work properly and he had sent uncle Martin with us.

He pulled a chair and sat. He also grabbed me and made me sit near him. 

"There is still about an hour of journey left. Let's not waste the view Ares. Cheers " He said raising his glass and gazed at the ocean. 

I raised the glass in silence. I was irritated with this trip and I never really cared much about the stupid ceremony either. I wanted to spend more time with Indu and I missed her a lot. I didn't know how I was going to spend a week without getting even a glimpse of her. The ocean was silent and both of us sipped our drink in silence. 

"I can see that you don't fancy this trip Ares. Are you missing your girlfriend already?! " Uncled Martin asked me laughingly. 

"You know that I don't much care about the ceremony, uncle. I think it's just a waste of time. "

"How did your father ever convince you to come then and that too a week before the ceremony?? "

"He told me that the Hakan requested my presence at the ceremony and the Hakan had wanted me to make the arrangements before the ceremony. "

"Hmmm.. They are just making you learn the customs and rituals of our kind before you become an alpha Ares. If Hakan himself has told this then it will not be long before you take up your father's position."

"I don't want it uncle. You know that I don't want it one bit. And why do we even take part in this stupid ceremony!!? "

"Don't mock the traditions, young wolf" It was the first time I had seen Uncle Martin angry. He quickly composed himself and told me " Every practice and every tradition has a reason why it's being followed Ares. You just need to know why. We are not fools to follow something blindly without any reason."

"Ok.. Then tell me why this ceremony takes place every third month!!. What's the reason?? " I asked him curiously. 

"Wow seems like I am just in time for a good story!!" It was Ryan. He sat beside me with an eager expression on his face. 

"Well then listen closely boys. " Uncle Martin emptied his glass, kept it on the floor and took a big breath. 

"It's not every three months, the Pournami ceremony used to take place every month until the Shadow pack left the island. "

I opened my mouth to ask him what had happened to the Shadow pack and why they left. But he knew what I was about to ask and cut me short. 

"The star island was the native land of our forefathers. The history of our kind dates more than a thousand years back Ares. 

We needed to protect our land from the enemy eyes and that's why this ceremony takes place. This ceremony makes the island invisible to non-werewolf eyes and it is believed that the ceremony is also the reason why the island remains fertile and green all through the year. It's magic, young wolf. "

"Previously, the island was ruled by five fiery, fearless alphas who were righteous and ruled the land with exceeding strength and fondness. All the five packs lived as a family but each pack had a separate territory which we follow till now."

"Have you noticed that the divine sacred pond is also star shaped? "

Both myself and Ryan nodded our heads. We were listening to the story with great interest and concentration. 

"Legend has it that On every full moon night, during the Pournami ceremony the alphas of all the five packs used stand at the end of the star shaped sacred, pristine pond. The whole pack members used to stand around the lake and as the wondrous moonlight fell on the pond, the alphas used to get inside the pond where they changed into their wolf form. As the autocratic alphas transformed into their wolf form and walked majestically to the centre of the pond an eminent rock emerges from the centre of the pond and towers above the island. As soon as the rock emerges, the all powerful alphas used to howl together in unison and the powers of our forefathers in the form of aura emitted from the sacred lake. "

"It is said that the aura takes the form of a large wolf. The largest anyone has ever seen and it runs covering the whole island leaving the aura all over the island, which makes the island fertile and green. Finally it runs around the island on the sea so as to make the island invisible. The large wolf then disappears going once again into the pond. "

"The whole island is said to be filled with the sound of the howls as all the pack members change into their wolf form on seeing the aura and start howling. It is believed that the howls could be heard till the moon and it is a sign of worship to the moon god who is the source of our power!! 

I was now listening to the story with my mouth open. I never knew about this. I didn't know how to react.

The pack members still used to howl as a custom during the ceremony but it was not as prominent and deafening as what Uncle Martin told, it was definitely not loud enough to reach the moon.

It was Ryan who broke the silence

"But why isn't it happening now. Why has the ceremony been changed now? Why can't we see the aura now??? "

Uncle Martin poured himself another round of whiskey. We were eagerly looking at him for answers but he took his time to drink and once he finished he put the glass down and looked at us. The ocean was getting a little tremulous now and the ship was dancing on the waves. We were getting near the Island. 

"The island remained inaccessible for many years until about a couple of centuries ago when the inquisitive human intruders decided to check their curiosity. 

They somehow managed to locate the island and enter it. It was too late when the news reached the alphas and the other werewolves. 

They were hugely outnumbered and the humans had modern weapons which our kind didn't have. It would have been a close battle and many of our kind would have died, if not all. The great alphas wanted to avoid this and devised a plan. They sought the help of the Hakan!! 

The six of them went to battle against the whole human army and they won. But the victory was not without sacrifices. All the five alphas died valiantly protecting their land. 

The packs were in disarray after their leaders died. It was the Hakan who brought order among the packs and chose the new leaders of each pack. Then the packs unanimously chose Hakan as their king and he has been leading us ever since. "

"Is Hakan his his real name?? " Ryan asked with a shaking voice as though he was afraid to ask questions about the hakan. 

"No one knows Hakan's birth name. Hakan is a sign of respect with which the werewolves called him ever since he saved our kind. " Answered Uncle Martin. 

"Where was he before the battle?? Was he a member of the star island?? Why did the great alphas seek his help?? " I asked with burning curiosity. I had never known nor cared to know about our history but now that I knew bits, I was eager to know everything. 

"No one knows about his past Ares. All we know is that he saved our kind. He is the reason we are all alive. He has ruled formidably and has taken care of the packs. 

He is immensely powerful, more powerful than any werewolf I have ever seen. " Answered Uncle Martin with a sign of respect in his voice. It was clear that he had a high opinion about Hakan. 

Hearing the stories, I also got a feeling of respect and awe towards the Hakan. 

"It was Hakan who guided the werewolves in expanding our territory and in coming out of Star island. " continued Uncle Martin. 

"You still haven't told us why the aura stopped appearing and encircling the island now-a-days. " Interjected Ryan. 

"After the death of the valiant alphas, the newly appointed alphas couldn't complete the rituals as their ancestors previously did. The power was too much for them to handle and from then on the Pournami ceremony started taking place with the Hakan in the centre of the pond from where the eminent rock emerged and with the newly appointed alphas surrounding him. The aura started spreading towards the Hakan and from him it went skyward towards the moon. 

The mystical Wolf which appeared before spreading the aura throughout the island was never seen again after the death of the alphas." 

Yes. I vaguely remembered seeing a beam heading towards the sky once when I was a little boy. But that must have been many years back when I was just a toddler. I never saw anything special during the pournami nights these days. 

"But.. But..  We don't see any aura going towards the sky in these ceremonies. Should we be at the sacred pond to see the aura?? Or can only the alphas see it??" I asked in confusion

Uncle Marvin's expression changed to that of sadness and he said " For the aura to appear we need all five alphas to be present. Since the alpha of Shadow pack has not been participating in the ceremony, the aura has not been seen for the past seventeen years. We still continue the ritual in hope that it still keeps the island safe and invisible from the human eye. "

"Uncle why did alpha LeoMark leave that day?? What happened?? " 

"That's enough questions and history classes for one day Ares." Said Uncle Martin with a tone of finality in his voice. 

"But uncle… . " I looked up at him and I could see his eyes gleaming as he saw something. I turned to see what he was looking at. 

"We have arrived at Star Island!! "