Wrath of the Goddess: A Silver Plains Pack Story

Each morning, I drive with the rising sun to the land just east of our pack lands, into a contested area we call the "lost region." It is a beautiful area of rolling hills, deep timber, and creeks and streams. But the beauty conceals a bitter history - it is currently rogue territory, an area designated for those cast out of our pack, the Silver Plains pack, and our neighboring pack, the Emerald Hollow pack. So why on earth would I, the future Luna of Silver Plains, drive willingly into this area every single day? Why would my mate, the Alpha, allow it? Well, for starters, no one tells me what to do. Not even my Alpha mate. Secondly - well... I'm a teacher. I teach students at the School for the Lost Wolf, a school for rogues. It was agreed upon by the Elder Council and the Alphas of Silver Plains, Emerald Hollow, and Mountain Ridge that those cast out of their respective packs would live in the Lost Region and Children would attend the School for the Lost Wolf. Later, we expanded to include classes for young adults, with the hope of educating and rehabilitating them so they may be able to eventually rejoin their original pack, or to join another pack. It has helped to stem the number of random rogue attacks, and has kept the rogues in this area to a manageable number. It also allows the packs to oversee the valley and watch to ensure any rebellion is stopped before it starts. But, back to me. I've been a teacher here for about two years now. I teach Wolfen History to middle and high-school aged wolves. It's hard to look at them all as outcasts, and my heart swells with pride each time students move on from the system and are able to rejoin a pack. Most times we also group up and help them through their first shifts. We celebrate milestones for these students, because they deserve it. They didn't make the choice to be rogue. I pull into the school parking lot and make my way into the building. "Good Morning, Luna," a small group of students greet me as I approach. "Good morning," I reply as I continue on to my room. "Make sure you go get breakfast," I remind them before opening my classroom door and flipping on the lights. I walked to my desk and grabbed my coffee cup and headed to the mess hall to find caffeine. Yes, I'm a wolf. Yes, I drink coffee. I'm a bit of a caffeine addict. The cafeteria in our school very much resembles a packhouse dining hall. Here, we call it the "mess hall," because let's face it - younger wolves can be sort of messy. But we have an amazing group of Omegas from the packs who take turns making meals for the students and staff. It was currently full of smiling students chowing down on a full breakfast. I'm guessing that some of these students only get a fresh meal and a shower here at the school. The Elders and our packs have talked about building dormitories for the students who attend, but it hasn't happened yet. Right now, we are thankful that we have a couple large apartment buildings where some of the rogue families have taken up residence. Change, and positive change at that, takes time. Soon, the students filed in and filled their seats, and it was time for the day to begin. We started with announcements and the school pledge, which reminds all students that rogue status or pack affiliation don't matter here. At The Lost Wolf, we are all the same, loved children of the Moon Goddess herself. As the first class of the day started, I settled into my daily routine. Today's history lesson for the high-school aged students was about the largest pack war that had occurred. We have already covered the originals and their evolution through past generations, the alliances and hostilities and occasional disputes that may end with pack takeovers, but nothing like the bloodshed and destruction of the Great Dark War. It was my most difficult lesson of the whole year, because it was personal. It was the day my parents and brother died, and my pack was wiped off the Earth. My friends died or were captured, or were branded rogues. My world changed in the span of a few hours, and I still carried some of those scars. But I had to push that aside for now. I had always promised my Alpha, my fated mate, that I would not let it show it was personal in front of the rogue students. So I taught it by the book. "In this war," I started, putting up slides on the screen, "the Blood River pack was wiped out because of their wickedly cruel Alpha. Alpha Cade was merciless, bloodthirsty, and evil." I paused for a moment before continuing. "He was rumored to be possessed by a demon which fueled his dark thirst for wolfen blood and his quest to take over all of the packs." I watched the students' faces change as they watched the slides. "It took the combined might of the three largest packs, Silver Plains, Emerald Hollow, and Mountain Ridge to put an end to his reign of terror. But the Alpha wasn't killed, he managed to disappear through the use of dark magic." "But Luna," one of the boys asked, raising a hand slowly, "Isn't dark magic a crime punishable by death?" "It is now." I responded quietly. "Dark magic was what gave Alpha Cade his power and enabled him to move so quickly, and cause so much destruction." "How did he disappear?" Another asked. "He vanished from his holding cell while the Alphas and Elder Council were discussing what his fate would be. To this day he hasn't been found, and no one knows if he is dead or alive." I showed pictures of the different pack houses of the fallen packs which were burned to the ground, along with statistics on the number of dead. Pictures of statues to the Moon Goddess, our deity, destroyed or defaced. "Alpha Cade and his army carved a dark, bloody swath through the region, with the goal of bringing all packs under his control, or crushing them under his power." I concluded. The students were silent. They all listened intently as I explained that tomorrow we would discuss the aftermath of the war and its ramifications. As the bell rang and the students left for their next class, one student lingered. "Are you alright, Mina?" I asked, approaching her desk. "Yes, Luna." She replied, wiping a tear from her face. "It just makes me feel terrible being a rogue. What if another pack sees me just like those rogues? A spy for an evil pack?" My heart squeezed in my chest a bit. "Mina, I'll be honest. It is a risk, but in this valley, with the three packs around here, one of them would likely accept you if you wished to join. You don't have to be a rogue forever unless you choose to." Mina left, and I leaned against my desk for a moment, trying to collect myself and pushing the memories that threatened to overtake me to the back of my mind.