The Alpha’s Bald Luna

Morning walk

~ KELANI ~

The next morning when my eyes fluttered open, it took a minute for me to remember where - and who - I was. Sunlight poured into the room from a half opened window and I could see my surroundings better than last night.

The room was beautiful and lavishly furnished - definitely not a slave’s room. It also had a personal touch to it, like it used to belong to someone else. I wondered who that was and why the princess decided to put me in it.

Rising from the bed, I stretched long and hard. Even without a good night's sleep, I felt a lot more energized than I had ever felt in my life. My body felt stronger, my mind felt sharper. Like I could take on the day. I never used to wake up feeling like I could take on the day. Dang, sometimes I used to wake up wishing I didn’t.

Was this really what it meant to be alive? Was this what I had missed out on all those years of living with a curse of sickliness? If it felt this good just to be basically healthy, I could only imagine what it would feel like to get my wolf.

Every werewolf is born with a wolf but it stays dormant until we have our first shift, after which our wolf would come alive and we can communicate with it. Before then, we would already have some wolf qualities like a scent, unnatural speed, heightened senses, quick healing, but they would be very slight. Nothing compared to getting our wolf and living in the full werewolf glory.

All my life, except for a scent, I didn’t have any of the basic wolf qualities. But since my meeting with the Moon Goddess, things were different. Better.

I was able to run from the Shana warriors (even if it ended up being in vain). My senses were sharper than I remembered. I looked at my wounds and noticed they were already healing; it would usually take weeks.

As an Alpha blood, my wolf qualities would be much stronger than most if I got my wolf. If - I could only hope.

Feeling excited, I decided to take a quick tour around the building. Beta Dane, my father’s Beta, always said to know your surroundings.

I carefully slipped out of my room into the long corridor. It was empty, quiet, and both sides seemed unending so I randomly chose my left and started walking forward.

The corridor ended in a large cozy balcony with two swinging chairs. There were lots of flower pots lined by its walls and figurines placed on nearly every surface. A soft white curtain covered the rail from ceiling to floor so very little sunlight filtered in. The balcony was idyllic in every sense of the word.

I walked to the flower pots. I could recognize some flowers that grew in the forest at home; lilies, orchids, magnolia, viol-

“Kelani.” a voice called from behind me.

My heart jumped into my throat as I swiveled to face the person who startled me. It was Princess Orlanda and she looked mighty amused. How long had she been standing there watching me?

In the morning light, without the vacuum in her eyes while she acted her madness script, she looked like the princess she was. Regal and elegant. She wore a simple blue gown, a far cry from the extravagant dress she adorned when she barged into court yesterday to save me - and herself. Her curly red hair made her look fierce and her oiled lips stayed in a firm line, ever ready to curve into a smirk.

“Hail your Majesty.” I bowed my head knowing she would like that.

“It’s a new day and no word from the monster yet. I couldn’t sleep all night.” she commented.

I sniggered inwardly at the name calling. If she wanted to see a monster, she should look at her father.

“The sun just rose, princess. I say you give it a few more hours.” I offered.

She took a deep breath. “I should take a walk to clear my head. I’ve actually not been out in a while. And you, you could use a little tour of Shanakoi. If you’re going to be a competent slave, you need to know your way around. Walk with me.”

She started walking out of the balcony and I fell into step first behind her, then beside her.

“We are in the Grand Opal. That is what the palace is called. It is only accessible to the royal family, royal guests, lords and other members of the royal court.” she started.

We descended a flight of stairs to arrive at a large compound littered with opulent buildings.

“There are many quarters on the palace grounds. The king’s, the queen’s, the prince’s, the princess’s - mine, the guest quarters,” she pointed with a raised hand as she spoke, “And of course, the royal court where the king holds court.”

As we reached the imposing gates of the palace where two guards stood, she started laughing hysterically. One of the guards attempted to follow but she raised a hand. “Can’t you see? I have a chaperone. It’s just a little walk. And no, I don’t need a carriage.”

He bowed and stood back. When we were out of their sight, she returned to sane Orlanda. How exhausting it must be to live like this.

The road outside the palace was deserted for a while before we started seeing signs of living.

Shana males.

And they stared. Oh, they stared. Brazenly. Not even trying to be sneaky about it. I wondered if the object of interest was their mad princess or her bald slave. I found myself wishing the princess had taken a carriage. At least, I could hide myself in the privacy of the vehicle. To see and not be seen.

Suddenly, I felt a rush of wind so strong, my thick garments were flapping like silk. I could literally hear the breeze. Confused, I looked to Princess Orlanda whose red hair was now a ruffled mess.

“Bullsh*t! They’re at it again.” she cussed as she struggled to rearrange her hair.

“What was that?” I asked.

“Shanas exploring their gifts.”

My face must have been a question mark so she continued, “We are elementals. Most of us are born with power to control one of the four elements. Water, fire, earth or air. These are Aero Shanas being naughty. Aqua Shanas control water. Terra Shanas, land and Ignis Shanas play with fire, literally. You’d have to get used to things like this if you’re going to survive here.”

The wind returned stronger; this time, nearly sweeping me off my feet. A merchant’s table toppled over and his wares - ornamental cookware, clattered to the ground. Thankfully, they were steel and not ceramic.

“Crazy Aeros! Come here, you two!” he barked at the culprits; two boys who looked like they had just become teenagers. They ran off laughing, leaving him to take care of the mess himself.

It was one thing to hear about Shana's gifts from the well travelled wolves in my pack who exaggerated their stories so much that they became lies. It was another thing to witness their gifts for myself. The experience was both fascinating and terrifying.

“Which are you? What gift do you have?” I asked as we continued our walk.

Princess Orlanda cackled. “Why do you want to know? You want to know if I would burn you alive, or cause the rivers to drink you up, or bang your head repeatedly against the wall without even touching you, or command the earth to open up and swallow you whole?”

I swallowed hard as my hyperactive mind conjured gore images of the things she mentioned. None looked good.

“What’s the fun in telling? You’d have to find out. One day, when you make me angry enough.” she smirked.

“Are there Shanas who don’t get any gifts?”

“Very rare.”

I grimaced. If I was a Shana, even if it was a one in a million chance of being born without a gift, I had no doubt I would be that unfortunate one. I mean, werewolves had a singular gift and I didn’t have that.

We arrived at a junction and Princess Orlanda stopped, looking to the far right at the highest stone wall I have ever seen. “Over there is the Pumice where the slaves live and work - where you should have been. Well, it was actually going to be there…” she turned to her right and pointed at a dome looking structure in the distance, “…the Onyx.”

The way she said it made a shiver crawl up my spine. And even if I already thought I knew, I asked, “What happens at the Onyx?”

She gave me a small smile. “Games. You escaped being the performer, you can attend as a spectator. In fact, there is a show being held tonight and I’ll be attending with you as my chaperone.”

I nodded, forcing myself to dismiss the bad feeling in my gut.

“We have to go back now. I don’t want too many people to notice my absence.” She turned and I followed.

We walked in silence back to the palace or as I have been told it is called, the Grand Opal.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

When night came, I joined the princess - in a carriage and with a guard this time - to the Onyx.

It was a large stadium with a steel caged dome as its roof. I had never seen such a massive crowd in my life. Unlike the people I saw in the morning, this crowd was a mix of both males and females. Werewolves and Shanas and humans. And unlike in the morning, everyone was too busy to notice us. There were no funny stares as many people were trying to secure a comfortable seat to get a good view of the event.

I didn’t need to worry about a good view. There were reserved seats for elites at the highest row of the arena and that’s where I stood, beside Princess Orlanda. She gave her weird laugh occasionally, pointing excitedly in a direction nothing was happening, putting on her show of madness.

“Hail Shana!” a loud booming voice broke through the chaos, the sound echoing through the arena.

“Hail Shanaaaaa!!!” the crowd chorused back to him and the stadium went quiet, save for the hum of half a thousand people breathing.

Princess Orlanda leaned into me. “Let me warn you. Whatever you think you’re going to see here tonight, it is much, much worse.”

The loud voice boomed again. “Let the show begin!”