The Beta's Inner Alpha

Chapter 4

The Alpha ceremony went off without any major issues.

Myself and my family had been up on stage with Donovan as the Elders swore him under oath as the Alpha of the Monkshood Pack.

I did notice that most of our pack members were wearing our pack's colors, which are brown, gold, and white. I, along with Donovan, were the only ones to be wearing green.

It made me feel like I stuck out like a sore thumb. It also seemed to feed fuel to the rumor that I may be Donovan’s mate.

Anyone that asked me or my parents were told the same thing, that we were wearing green in honor of his late father, Alpha Bronach. I could tell that some people weren’t buying this story, but I really didn’t care, as it was more true than rumor about us dating and I didn’t want to get into how I was basically being forced to wear a dress.

For myself, the party was causing me more stress than I needed, but Donovan looked like he was finally chilling out. As the night went on, he was able to connect with many partners that his father had already established and, from what I could tell, was making a good impression.

Everyone I heard that was talking about him said they were amazed at how well he was leading his pack at such a young age and how it was so thoughtful of him to give proper time to mourn for his father rather than rushing the Alpha ceremony.

I was glad to see him being the sociable and friendly guy that I was used to seeing. I felt like I was starting to see a piece of his old self.

It is currently 15 minutes to midnight, which is when the pack run will start. I'm currently beyond ready to be done with this party. Luckily with me being unable to shift, I'm not expected to join in the festivities. I'm so excited about finally getting out of this costume and going to bed.

Before I could make it to the stairs to follow my other siblings that were also too young to shift, I was stopped by Donovan.

“Hey, where are you going? The night’s not over yet.”

I'm confused, as I have yet to be part of any pack runs. I would understand if he was asking my two older brothers, as they are 21 and 19 years old, but no one had ever expected me to stay up for a run I couldn’t participate in.

“I’m going to bed. It’s not like I can run with the pack yet.” I say, genuinely confused by his question.

He shyly rubs the back of his neck while looking away, “Oh yeah, I forget how old you are. You always act so mature for your age.”

This is something I’ve heard before, so I'm not surprised but was again surprised when he continues.

“Anyway, you already have Zayla, so I just figured you could already shift.”

Now I'm really thrown off. I had never heard of anyone by that name and had no clue how that was even connected to me.

Before I could question him on this Zayla person, he asked, “Do you think you could stay up a little longer? Just to watch the start of the pack run?”

Intrigued now, “I mean, maybe. I would have to ask mom and dad first.”

His smile grew so large that I thought his face would crack. “Okay great, I’ll see you in a few.” Then he ran off to talk with someone else who was leaving for their home pack.

I'm almost certain my face is going to become permanently fixed in a confused state. I hadn’t said I would stay up for the run, just that I would ask. I was honestly planning on just walking up to bed without asking, as I was really tired and had no desire to see the start of the run. However, that no longer seemed to be the case, so I went off to find my parents and older brothers.

They were surprised to see me and asked if everything was okay.

“Yeah, everything is fine, but Alpha Donovan asked me to see the start of the run, so I came to ask if that was okay?”

Normally, I would just call him Donny when talking about him with my family, but since we're in ear shot of many pack members and he had always been clear that he did not want anyone else to call him Donny. Unlike him, I can be mindful of what others prefer to be called.

“That’s fine by us, my love, but did he say why? It’s not like you can join or that you would be waiting up until after the run.”

I just shrugged, as it was beyond me what Donny was thinking. They didn’t push any further, and Donny came into view moments later.

He gave us all a nod before he walked in front of the rest of the pack, who all turned their heads to their new Alpha.

“Thank you, everyone. I want to start off by greeting our guests who have stayed for our pack run. Though we may be small in numbers, our lands are vast and beautiful. We are very proud of our lands and hope you will enjoy their beauty just as we and many generations have before.”

A few pack members started cheering at this point. Our land is and has always been a great source of pride for our pack. Many packs focus on the number of people they gain, but the Monkshood Pack has always focused more on protecting the land.

We live in a gorgeous area that is naturally hidden from the human world by many hills and valleys. The pack land itself has rolling hill after rolling hill with plenty of vibrant wildflowers and natural springs.

The original founders of our pack were so mesmerized by the land, that they almost didn’t settle on it, wanting to preserve its splendor. However, the Alpha of the original pack had a vision where the Moon Goddess had told him to stay and protect the land with his people. That him and his pack were destined to keep others from destroying it.

Since then, generations of our pack have focused more on maintaining the land and keeping others from industrializing it. We barely have any luxuries, such as bars, clubs, cinemas, etc. Instead, we go to another pack that is about 45 minutes away if we want anything beyond the basics of modern life our pack has to offer.

After giving a moment for the cheers, Donny continued, “And for all here now, I want to personally thank you for your time to come celebrate with us. For all my pack members, thank you for believing in me. I couldn’t be an Alpha without every single one of you and I will continue to show my gratitude for as long as I am breathing. I want my father's legacy to continue through not just me but in all of you. Now, as the full moon rises, let us send thanks to the Moon Goddess and let our wolves run.”

He then let out a mighty howl, the kind of howl that can only come from a leader who is showing pride in his pack.

Many howls follow with the shifts of almost all who are present into their wolf counterparts.

I look over to my family in anticipation of seeing them shift. I have seen them shift many times before, but it was always so fascinating to see.

However, out of the corner of my eyes, I see Donovan. He has not started to shift like everyone else but is just standing there, watching me.

When our eyes locked, he removed his clothes before shifting into his wolf. I had never seen his wolf up close before and was amazed at how large he was.

His black fur glistened in the moonlight, and his green eyes glowed. The green was similar to Donovan’s but they had a redish ring around his pupils, like he had fire in his eyes.

As large and intimidating as he was, I could hear Zavier scoff in my head, “I’m so much bigger than any of these Alpha’s” before rolling over and falling back asleep.

Donovan’s wolf, Balor, began to walk towards me. Balor stops just short of me before he lowers himself to the ground, as if waiting for me to join him.

I was unsure of what to do, so I just stare at his eyes.

He made a small huff noise when I continued to not move. He nudged me with his big head and looked over his shoulders to his back, indicating he wanted me to get onto his back.

I have never gotten onto another wolf's back before other than my parents and don't feel right about it. It feels too intimate and wrong for me to do. Plus, I had not talked to my parents about joining the run.

Normally, those who can’t shift don’t join the pack run, as it can easily become dangerous. Our wolves have heightened senses, but even that hasn’t prevented tragedy from striking before.

Young children have attempted to find their parents during the run only to be trampled on. People have been thrown off the backs of other wolves, ending up with permanent damage to their bodies. There is so much that can go wrong.

This does not stop Balor from continuing to nudge me in an attempt to get me to join him, though it's hard to tell if it's Donovan or Balor who is pushing for this. Even Zavier has woken up, telling me this is a bad idea. He can't come forward to protect us if something were to happen. I do heal faster than my peers, but that doesn't prevent becoming mutilated or killed.

I try to say no and walk away, but he just gets back in front of me every time I attempt to turn away and block me from leaving.

I know it's a losing battle, as he is a stubborn Alpha in his wolf form while I was just a child in human form. If he doesn’t take the hint and leave me alone, I have no choice but to do as he wants.

I'm pretty sure my parents will be upset, but they are no longer in sight, as they have already run off with the rest of the pack. It was only me and Balor.

I finally give in and proceed to climb onto his back. Once he felt me on, securely gripping his fur, he bolted towards the rest of the pack.