I Am the Alpha and the Omega

Visions are a Gift and a Curse

After the meeting between Esme and the Alpha, the once carefree and light ambience in the pack house became serious and stifling almost. All the pack, men, women and children had doubled their weekly training hours, the border patrol became more vigorous and there was a curfew imposed. No wandering out after 21:00 without the Alpha's written permission and no wandering into the forest or isolated areas alone.

Freya, her sisters and Esme convened on a daily basis to train, understand the visions and make sense of what was happening.

Since that last vision, Freya couldn't sleep well. For the week that followed, all she could think about was that poor little girl and her parents. She was determined to find them; she wanted to scour every inch of the pack but that wasn't practical in the time they had. She would keep a close eye out; perhaps she might find them at the town hall meeting that the Alpha announced which was to be held later that day.

Her dreams had been quite disturbed too and as she stopped taking the herbal tea that had been suppressing her visions she had been seeing more. She couldn't always control them and there was always this confused and conflicted state between the fear of seeing something that hurt very close to home and the courage and desire to see something that might help save someone. It was a gift and a curse thought Freya as her mood spiralled downwards after reflecting on a flashback from last night's visions.

It was pitch black and Freya couldn't make out where she was, all she could hear was the pitter-patter of rain and the moon stood there swollen in the night sky. She took a step forward and felt like she was walking on air, the ground below her was invisible. She kept walking until she came to a window that looked like it was hovering in mid-air and through it, she could see the rain. Outside there were fields and a forest. It seemed like she was on the first floor as she peered down at the ground. 'I could be anywhere' she thought to herself.

"Aaaaaaaaaaarghhhhhhhh!" came a scream from nowhere and everywhere as it echoed through the dark space Freya stood in. Freya jumped in fear as she felt the scream vibrate through her. It was definitely from a girl.

"Hello?" Freya called out, immediately realising this was useless.

"AAAAAAAAAAAARGGHHHHHHH! LET ME GO! LET ME GO! HELP ME! SOMEONE PLEASE HELP ME!"

Freya looked around desperately trying to find the source of the scream. Then suddenly, she saw the Alpha from before carrying the screaming girl over his shoulder. Her limbs were hitting and kicking him and flailing but he paid her no mind. Freya called out shouting and reached out for the girl, but the Alpha walked straight through her back into the darkness. Freya tried to follow him, but he had disappeared. As she turned around the scene had completely changed.

Freya now stood in the Felix's study, it was dusk, and the golden pink hued sunlight from the sun setting streamed from the open window across the study giving her warmth. She saw Felix sat at his desk with Guy and Hans on either side of him. Across from the desk sat four Alphas, three of whom she knew. Alpha Tristan from the Iron Mountain pack, Alpha Jacob from the Moon Valley Pack, Alpha Grayson from the Dark River Pack and the fourth Alpha whom she didn't know. He looked very young for an Alpha, handsome but young. He was sat there listening intently while playing with a distinctive cigarette lighter he kept flicking open and closed. It was metallic and had an emblem of wolf's head on it with green stones in the eyes. 'Young ones these days' Freya thought to herself rolling her eyes. As she did that, she saw the young Alpha turn his head and look directly at where she was standing. His intense gaze sent shivers down her spine. She held her breath as though she wasn't sure whether he was looking at her or just gazing around the room as one does.

Suddenly there came a scream from outside the pack house through the open window which jolted Freya awake.

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Despite all the changes around her, Kiona was oblivious as to what was really going on, she only got a sense of trouble when she saw her brothers play-fighting with each other in the garden that afternoon before the town hall meeting. Although the two of them were too young to shift just yet they were practising their hand-to-hand combat. They were shouting and calling each other rogues, tumbling on the grass and mud.

"Come on all of you inside!" Nonna Maisie called out. "Time to shower and get ready for the town hall meeting!"

All three children groaned at this.

"Nonna these meetings are boring!" complained Benjy.

"That's enough Benjy come on! Your father must have a very good reason to call a meeting like this, one day you will be doing the same," reasoned Maisie.

"I will make sure when I'm Alpha there will be ice cream and fun at the town hall!" came the rebellious reply.

"Yeah and doughnutssssssss!" Bryan exclaimed.

"Ok, how about this. If you get ready quickly and behave in the town hall this afternoon, we can all have ice cream after dinner." Maisie bargained.

"And doughnutsssss!"

"Ok and doughnuts but you must hurry now!"

All three children yelled in delight and raced each other up the stairs; Maisie was left at the foot of the stairs shaking her head.

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The Alphas who were coming to visit, came on the morning of the town hall. There were meant to be five originally visiting but only four were able to attend. Alpha Tristan, Alpha Jacob, Alpha Grayson and Alpha Julian were in attendance today. Having discussed the rogue problems with Felix, the recent measures rolled out in the pack seemed to have been timely. These Alphas from neighbouring packs had started heightening their security as they had in turn heard from their neighbouring allies. Something about the whole situation didn't sit well with Felix but he had to think of the pack first, investigate later.

They were talking about the increasingly large rogue problem that their neighbours were having to deal with. Attacks were increasing in frequency and they were calling for help. Felix was honour bound to answer their call.

The five of them walked to the town hall meeting, which was being held in the school gymnasium, Freya was stood there with the children ushering and welcoming the pack members in as they arrived.

"Luna, you look more and more radiant every time I see you," Tristan greeted her raising her hand to his lips.

"Alpha Tristan, you are too kind," Freya replied, blushing and giving him a little bow.

All the Alphas greeted her in the same manner and soon the hall was full to the brim. There were werewolves, faeries, humans, witches and others all gathered in the same hall.

"Good afternoon and welcome everyone to this town hall meeting. I need to share something very important and so I will get straight to it. You all will have noticed the curfew and other new rules that are currently in place. They are for your protection. Our neighbouring packs have been complaining about the increasing frequency of rogue attacks. Please stay well within the pack boundaries, obey the curfew and do not go out alone. Avoid isolated areas where you are not visible to the general public and keep an eye out for anything suspicious. We are only as strong as our weakest and I want our weakest to be strong!"

The Alpha paused and waited for members to ask any questions if they wished. After fielding their questions and reassuring pack members that safety is the topmost priority the meeting was adjourned. People slowly started filing out, some remained to talk to each other. All this while, Freya was searching for her mystery child and parents. She was stood outside the school early enough to be almost the first one there and welcome everyone like she always did but for the first time her mind was obsessed with finding that little girl and her parents. When no-one with the description she remembered was in attendance, the Luna wondered if they didn't come, if so, why so? She drifted off in a train of thought and she didn't realise her sister was mind-linking her.

"Did you find them?" Thea asked.

"No, I can't see anyone that matches their appearance."

"Oh well, it was worth a try."

"It's not enough Thea! I can't forget them!"

"You are not going to let this eat you alive Freya!"

"I can't just do nothing!"

Freya shut off the mind-link straight after her last message. Her sister who was helping stack the chairs on the other side of the hall shook her head at her.

'So much for finding them at the town hall,' Freya thought.

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"Nonna you are the best!" proclaimed Bryan as he munched on his fifth doughnut ice-cream sandwich.

Maisie grinned mussing his hair and looked at him with love. Bryan was such a sweet boy.

"No Bry you are the best," she cooed.

"This is the yummiest!" Kiona shouted, as she held her doughnut sandwich above her head in a mock salute.

Some of the chocolate sauce dripped onto her nose and the four of them giggled raucously, all at once.

Felix and Freya stood by the kitchen doors silently looking on at their litter of pups who were growing up too fast for their liking. Felix had his arm around Freya, and she was leaning into him. They were just mind-linking each other messages of love and affection, of gratitude and of contentment. Freya felt so safe and calm in Felix's arms, it allowed her to just forget it all even if it was for a little while.

After wiping their cheeky, chocolatey faces, Maisie led the three of them to their parents who kissed them all goodnight and then onwards to bed.

"Don't forget to brush your teeth!" Freya called, as they scurried upstairs. She turned her attention to Felix "How are you my love?"

"Not too shabby," came the reply, with a chuckle.

"What's on your mind?"

"It's nothing, don't worry about it love," Felix replied, dismissing his thoughts and leading her upstairs with him.

"Nothing means something, especially where you are concerned," replied Freya, pressing further.

They entered their room and slid into bed after changing their clothes. Felix pulled Freya into his arms.

"This whole rogue situation makes no sense Hun," he explained, running his fingers through her hair.

"What makes no sense?" she asked, snuggling into him.

"Well rogues by their very nature attack for self-gain, it's every wolf for themselves. There's no pack they belong to, they don't function like a pack does."

"What are you trying to say?"

"From the report Guy showed me, these recent rogue attacks, they are meticulous, planned and co-ordinated. Their targets are strategic. There's something more to it."

Freya looked up at Felix and could see the mild worry in his eyes. Freya leaned in and kissed him.

"Let's look into it tomorrow, together," she suggested.

Felix hummed in agreement. As they held each other in their arms, Felix drifted off to sleep. Being in her mate's arms, Freya's eyes also grew heavy with fatigue and as she began to sink into sweet slumber she had one passing thought.

'Will it be a night of nightmares or visions.....?'