The Alpha's Siren: Song of Mating

Tears, Howls, Hidden

Briel POV

The dry world hurts. My body ached in ways I hadn’t remembered were possible. I felt sun scorched everywhere, though it was the moon who had been awake to see me leave the water for the shore. I had to wonder if my skin was beginning to crack open with as much pain as I was in. My eyes seemed to be full of sand and it hurt to try to open them. How did the land walkers do this their entire lives?

When I was young enough to barely be capable of remembering, I had once played in the tide pools while my mother gathered healing things that lived or grew along the shore. I'd laughed with the starfish and tried to catch the shore crabs that peeked out from their hiding places to watch me. I’d chased the small fish abandoned to the little pool while the tide was away and hummed with the birds that sang over head.

The little alcove I was playing in was well hidden, so my mother left me there for a while as she searched out the more dangerous places for the last things she needed to find. I don’t remember how many seasons I’d seen at this point, but I was still very young. My scales and fins were still very pale, the colors of my body only just beginning to show. My hair was still very short, maybe just past my ears. I grew tired quickly from all the excitement of a new place to play, and the warm sunlight was so new to me that I couldn’t tell that it felt more than just nice.

My tail was still mostly in the water, but I fell asleep while playing as young often do. I woke when my mother came back, she had become worried that she didn’t hear me playing and splashing from a short way off. I woke to my mother’s calls, and was trying to sit up when my skin began to crack open and bleed. I remember feeling as if the sun itself were raging in my skin, as if it were trying to consume me. I wept as my mother lifted me from the sand and stones, her very touch causing me more pain. I’d begun to resemble the sea toads that lived in our waters, my skin a bright red, and growing redder in the places where I’d begun to bleed. Great bumps of blistered skin had formed everywhere the sun had been touching me. The blisters were filled with liquid and were bursting painfully as my small body shifted, causing me to whimper in pain. Mother’s lavender eyes had filled with water that was falling like a soothing rain down to me. The little droplets felt cool everywhere they landed on my skin, and mother hummed a soft, soothing sound.

My own eyes had begun to leak water, as if to cool and heal my face, while I tried to hide away from the cruel sun by moving closer to my mother. The movements caused more blisters to burst painfully and made me cry out again. Soon, the water my eyes had made was washed away as we sank back into the cool and welcoming waters. My mother’s pearl pink hair with it's random streaks of purple had billowed around us as we sank ever lower, far from the reach of the dryness and heat.

Never had I wanted to break the water’s surface again after that, never had I been willing to trust the dry world again. I'd told Shelli how badly the waterless world had hurt me, how I had endured so much pain that my mother had to have the Elder sing me into a sleep and keep me there as she sang to heal me because even the healing process had been more than I could bear quietly. I had shrieked so loud and so long that the sharks had begun to come, and my mother had had to seek out the Elder’s aid or face them alone while trying to heal me. I remember the pain in her voice as she swam with me and tried to soothe me as she searched desperately for the Elder. I remembered her voice urging me to just hold on, just don’t scream, that we'll reach help soon. And even though my voice had betrayed that long ago remembered pain, Shelli had still gone ashore. Now here I was, aching again in a way that I’d forgotten the reality of for more seasons that I wanted to think of.

The memory of the sound of my mother’s voice, of the pain I had caused her by letting myself get hurt while she’d been away, flooded through me and seemed to settle in my eyes. I felt her love for me and my loss of her so strongly that her power reached across the barriers of life and death and brought the spring of water back to my eyes the way it had happened all those long seasons ago. The healing liquid washed the sand from my eyes so I could try to blink them open and still the water came. It was hot, and seared paths down my face. The lines where the liquid had trailed felt somewhat better, and I knew then that they were healing me slowly.

I smiled knowing that my mother had blessed me with this gift. I could help heal myself somewhat, even if only a little. Healing is one of the most revered talents, perhaps there was more healing that I would grow into. I whispered a quiet thank you to all those who came before me who were sharing this gift with me, but especially to my mother.

The feel of the world shifted again, and the Heat reminded me that I was forever changed, that I was in the dry world for a reason. I shrieked in pain as my body began to try to consume itself, and my voice changed almost as soon as the sound had begun. The sound was a manifestation of all I was feeling in that moment. The pain sounded like dolphins in distress calling for the rest of their kin, the urge to mate sounded much like the whale songs, and the absolute terror at the realization that I was not alone found it’s way in there as well with an unfamiliar high pitched note that was almost a shriek. More and more layers wove their way into my voice, my sound. It was a mating song, but I had never heard anything like it before and I didn’t seem to be able to stop the sound now that it had begun. A scent filled my nose then, and my mouth filled with the venom that would mark my mate as mine, forever.

Garry's POV

Setting my mate down on the hospital-type bed in the pack house had been nearly impossible. My wolf had tried to burst free in rebellion and I had to remind him, she's in DANGER. Her pale skin seemed to glow with moonlight while she lay against the deep red duvet. A sound came from the door that shifted both of our attention to this territory's Alpha who had arrived shortly after we had. He's a tall man, somewhere over 6 feet, with salt and pepper hair and a look of pure hostility set into the serious lines of his face. His jaw was squared and his nose had clearly been broken a couple times in his youth before his wolf had emerged to heal injuries he recieved. The giant scar on his left cheek was ragged, however, and held the scortched look that silver scars our people with, and stood out starkly from the dark tan of his skin. Everything about this alpha made my hair stand up, but then I realized he was seething with a rage that was palpable in the air.

"My scouts have caught an odd scent from where your mate was found. We will find this man and bring him to you quickly, Great Alpha." He addressed me formally with his deep voice, and his anger seemed to be directed at my mate's attacker. I suddenly liked him a lot more. "I don't know how this person slipped our people, but we think they must have some sort of training to avoid detection. I have former Seals in this pack, 4 of them, and they are damn good at what they do, which means this is no untrained civilian."

"Seals? As in Navy Seals?" Ty asked from the doorway while running fingers through his messy blonde curls.

"Exactly," he responded, his voice dripping with rage. "That means we likely have professional human traffickers in our territory. Your mate is not the first attacked. Others are missing, three of them local girls. The youngest is only 15, and she is a member of our pack. She will be 16 only two days before the next full moon."

His furry made so much sense now, and I felt my own rage grow even more. Someone had tried to traffic my mate! Someone had stolen one of our young wolves right before her assention to her wolf! Humans were hunting other humans, in our Territories... My wolf was so near the surface I could feel my teeth elongating again. I could feel the claws pushing and stretching my nails, demanding to rip the bastard to pieces.

"How many do you know of that have gone missing in the area?" I growled through clenched canines. "And Why the f**k am I just now hearing about this?!"

"We have 2 local teens that were assumed run always until Sohpie dissapeared. Another 4 tourists whose families have reported this as their last known location. Your mate is the first ever to be found in an in-between state. Our pack patrols and tries to find justice when we can, but we haven't even known what to look for. We've begun setting up stings since the disappearance of one of our own, but none have ever taken the bait. We have a full report that was going to be submitted upon your arrival because we knew our territory was next to be visited. Sophie was taken only last night," he growled with frustration. At that moment the short, aging doctor came back in with instruments and syringes. My wolf let out a roar that was impossible to contain in my already aggitated state. The doctor froze and moved only his soft blue eyes to watch me with extreme caution.

"Great Alpha, please, we need to know what is in her system and if it may be lethal," he said holding up the implements slightly. "She may be more than human, but she is also not wolf and whatever is in her system is causing an unprecidented reaction that causes me to fear for her life. I will only take a small blood sample, with your permission." I roared again in pure frustration and agony. I nodded my head once and headed to sit near her. Just being closer to her calmed my wolf. Her face was flushed again and her lips were so dry they were cracking. I moaned my agony at seeing her in this state, knowing full well that I had to let the doctor do his job or We may loose her.

"Alpha," Jess said softly from right beside to me. I tore my gaze from my mate to see there was concern in her gold brown eyes that bordered on fear. "I know this is a terrible predicament for her, and an awful feeling for you... but if you attack that Doc again, you may be risking her life. He is only here to help, and he may be the only one who can help her at all. I have never smelled anyone or anything like her before, have you?"

"Just do it, Doc," I growled. The doctor nodded and cautiously moved to the other side of the bed. He moved quickly with practiced movements and very gently cleaned the bend of her arm and set gauze under her elbow. Jess moved to the other side to gently secure her arm to prevent her from jerking in her unconscious state.

"Jeez, she is burning up," Jess muttered under her breath and she shifted down some to sniff the air around my mate's hair. "She smell like a warm day at sea, and something wild but not familiar." I merely nodded, that wasn't how she smelled to me at all. The doctor moved forward with a needle that looked way to big for collecting a small amount of blood and I flinched. I hate needles.

Unable to bear the sight of the needle entering her flawless skin, I turned to face her instead. She was humming off and on again, and the sound tugged on my heart. It was there in her voice, she was in pain. After a moment her eyes began to leak tears and I knew I wouldn't be able to stop myself from harming he doctor if I looked at him. When she opened her mouth, I knew what was about to happen, but I didn't think to warn the others. The whole room gasped as her angelic voice began to punish me relentlessly.

Her voice wrapped around me and pierced straight into my soul. I could feel everything she was experiencing in this new tune of hers. Pain, lust, and pure terror. Unable to take the sound any longer, I scooped her upward as she began scream her song in earnest. I roared with her, but everything changed when our skin met.

Xandryn's POV

The change had hurt, but it was endurable. The two new land fins that had replaced that one large one were odd, and made in such an unfamiliar way. The new fins were a dark and unfamiliar ebony unlike my body had been in the water, and while they were smaller than my tail had been, they were still much larger than the imprints of my Queen's new fins. Shifting my body to stay atop them was more challenging than I'd ever dreamed possible. I focused on the sand and the events it had recorded while finding my balance enough to stay upright. The land beast had a companion it seemed, but it was impossible to see where they had approached from. The companion had to be a land walker. The prints were similar to the odd appendages at the end of my new fins, and surely it had to be one of strength to carry her away as quickly as it had. With a hiss of frustration, I struggled to move forward. Finding my balance was tricky, but after a few circles and falls I was able to manage a wobbly assimilation of the land walker's movements. As I followed the trail of prints and scent I noticed that the scent was far weaker than it should be if she were still close. Furious, I smashed my fist into a tree.

The thick trunk gave with a groan, and I had to quickly and akwardly move out of the way of the falling plant. My hand throbbed, but it wasn't my own pain I felt. The tree could feel, and it could transfer it's feelings. It could only mean the plants in the dry world are as alive as the plants of the sea. My heart filled with loss and regret. Never had I dreamed the dry world would be so like our own, and I had harmed one who didn't deserve it. My skin had just begun to feel tight and uncomfortable in the dryness of this world when I heard the sound of the beasts. They sounded like many, but how powerful are they? If they overpower me, who will save our queen? These questions without any answers made me uneasy... it was too much to risk. Climbing atop the fallen plant was easier than navigating the sand had been. I used my hands to pull me up and along the fallen plant until I reached the green life at its top near the water's edge. Smearing blood from my busted hand across its green parts in offering was required for my terrible mistake, and it was also a promise. I whispered my vow to use all its parts and thanked it for its sacrifice and then jumped from it into the water as the sound of the beasts drew nearer.

The plunge into the water was cool relief on my too dry skin, but the relief was only momentary as the land fins grew together again to form my powerful tail. My colors had changed, and I was struck at how unfamiliar my own body was. I felt heat sear through my new, second heartbeat and felt a stab of fear. My Queen was in trouble, and I needed help. Hopefully the Hunters I'd knocked unconcious were willing to help me, because our Queen was now a prisoner of the Land Walkers. Heading for the Tribe, I prayed to the Long Lost for aid... Please, don't let me fail her.

Briel's POV

My mouth was reaching for the scent instinctively, and I had to clamp my jaws closed to stop myself. My finally moist eyes flew open, and my jaw dropped again in shock. Beautiful brown eyes looked down at me reflecting the shock I felt deep within, piercing through to my very core. My heart was singing, rejoicing, this was my mate! My mind was seething its warnings, but my body seemed to want to ignore it as my hands tried to reach for him. It took every ounce of self control to stop myself just before I could touch his partially opened lips. My eyes drank in his ink black hair, the strong yet sharp features of his face. There was an odd scar near his left eye, but it only served to make him more handsome. His eyes were filling with emotion; relief, joy, and something that utterly terrified me... was that love or lust? I realized I was pressed against his chest and that he was cradling me gently, but the power in his arms was making me tremble. He has true power, and I could feel it. Our skin was pressed together as closely as we could be, and everywhere we touched the fire was more intense, but oddly pleasing instead of the pain I had so far experienced. He was making the Heat bearable by touching me skin to skin, how was that even possible? My breath escaped me in a soft sigh of relief as I realized this was somone who could bring me relief without the risk of making young.

It was then that the song began to bubble up into my chest, and I could feel it would be impossible to stop this time. This song was more than a simple mating song, it was the song of True Mates. I was in the arms of my True Mate. The look in his eyes was one I had never seen before, but I'd heard of it. The Elder sang sometimes of the loss of her True Mate...

She'd been the last of our tribe to find her True Mate. Most find a Mate, and that is an intense and near imbreakable bond. Finding a True Mate was so much more than that. True Mates are part of each other, they are able to hear each others thoughts, feel each other's needs, and they shared each other's power. True Mates were only possible between equals, very powerful equals. My mate is already a King in his own right and every part of my being demanded I Mark him and ensure that no other could ever claim him.

I let my mouth fall open and the sound came forth. It was a song like none I had ever heard before. His eyes widened and he began to pant softly. I took his breath in as my own between notes, the taste of him sweet and salty at the same time. Our faces were mere inches apart when the song changed to a fever pitch mirroring the heat in my core. He let out a roar that somehow matched my need and blended perfectly with my song. I knew we were going to Mark each other and I no longer wanted to stop it. Then there was a sharp pinch in my neck and my head began to swim.

"Alpha!" the foreign sound rang in my ears as I heard my Mate roar again, this time in pure furry. For the second time my world went black.

Garry's POV

The second our skin touched her eyes flew open. Never had there been a more beautiful jewl found anywhere on this planet. Eyes don't glow like that, yet hers do. The deep purple was the most impossible color, and I felt my wolf melt in a way he never had before. This is our mate, and she is going to be ok! My wolf had never before submitted to another, but I could feel his desire to submit to our mate. I felt all my tension melt and be replaced with relief, joy and love. Reaching forward, she stopped just before she touched me, but I let her take her time. When her song began I knew I was going to be happy forever because she is home. My soul almost felt as if it were trying to merge with her, and my wolf didn't even try to resist. 'Mark her' he urged with contentment. We were so close, I sighed in happy relief. I wanted to kiss her, but I wanted her song to last forever. I opened my mouth and my wolf and I roared our victory in tune with her song. Then she winced and her head lolled. The other alpha was behind her puling a needle from her neck and my wolf reacted without hesitation.

Roaring with furry I spun to move her away and planted my foot in his chest to send him flying across the room. Ty rushed to grab the Alpha as Jess threw the doctor bodily from the room. There was a loud cracking of wood as she slammed the door and Ty was slammed into the floor simultaneously. Jess foot swept him as Ty recovered and they jumped on him together. The Alpha struggled against them, but to no avail. These two were my best, and I shared blood and power with them. They are my enforcers and no Alpha save for a King could take them on when they work together.

I looked down at my mate who had gone limp in my arms and roared again in furry. She breathed, but was definately unconcious. My wolf howled with pain and anger inside me as I lay her down gently back on the thick comforter. Turning back to the scuffling and growling I saw them pressed against the door and restraining our enemy on the floor. I leapt over the bed without waisting time to walk around and his eyes grew large. My fist flew out to connect with his chin just as his mouth had opened to try to speak and his pack began to beat against the door. Ty and Jess released him to secure the door as I continued to beat him into the creaking wooden floor. Blow after blow landed on every part of his body so fast he didn't have the time to fight back, and he sure as hell didn't have time to speak. Never had I been so grateful for the power afforded a King. Even once he fell unconcious I continued to beat him mercilessly with a speed and ferocity I hadn't known myself capable of. For the first time ever, I unleashed my full power without holding anything back.

"Alpha!" Ty yelled again as he had earlier trying to warn me. I roared, incapable of words in this rage. "They're breaking the door Alpha!"

My brain began to register that there was a new threat right as they split the door nearly in half. I could hear the howls and growls now from the offending pack and moved in front of the bed to keep them from my mate. Ty and Jess fell in beside me in unison and the door fell to pieces and 3 bodies fell inside. The new comers fell forward, none quite able to catch their footing in time to stop themselves from falling and being off balance. The center most man was the largest, and his hand fell directly into the puddle of blood that was slowly forming around his fallen alpha, who was now completely unrecognizeable.

"Tanner!" the large man said as he wept as he threw his arms around the fallen alpha. The man looked oddly like the alpha, almost an exact replica, just without the scar. Somewhere in my brain I remembered that this was the pack that had the anomaly of their alpha being a twin, but I didn't care as I took a defensive stance in front of my mate. Ty and Jess mirrored my actions flawlessly and we growled in unison.

"I am your KING," I roared, my voice taking on the timbre that all others had to submit to. The two on the floor cowered and the ones in the door way lowered to one knee. The one weeping flinched visibly but didn't lower his twin.

"P p p please, G g g g great Alpha, " he wept in the same deep voice as his brother, " L l l let him l l l live. P p p please let ussss h h h heal h h him." The man stammered and sobbed brokenly. My wolf raged and a power filled roar escaped me that made even Ty and Jess flinch.

"He Attacked MY MATE!" I roared causing the man to disolve into broken sobs. All knew the law. All knew what it was to attack the mate of any Alpha, but I was also King. They all knew he would die for his crime.

"Kill m m me instead!" he wailed and shook with racking sobs. "Let me p p p pay his debt! L l let my b b b brother live!"

"She only sleeps!" I heard the doctor squeak behind the bodies now piled in the doorway. "She is completely safe, Great Alpha! Please, let me tend to our Alpha before he dies of his wounds!"

"Why did he DO this?!" I roared knowing full well the good doctor here was in on it. I began to move toward him and the others tried to block me. My roar caused them all to cower in sheer pain, such was my power, the power of a King. Never before had I thought I would want or use this power, but here I was, capable of ensuring my mate's safety because of it. The small man cowered, his balding head beading with sweat and his face flushed with the pain I was inflicting upon them all.

"Because we know what she is," he said softly, almost fearfully. I reached out and snatched him up by the scruff of his strarched and pressed collar, yanking him none too gently up off of the ground until he was directly in front of my face.

"And what is that," I growled low into his terrified face while barring my teeth at him. He paled and blanched back as far as he could in the limited space he had of his pale blue shirt and whispered...