The Myth of the Wolves

Chapter Eight: Stella

It had been several weeks since Bryce was executed. Halo was training hard every day with either Sess, Ezra, or Damius himself. They had traveled their camp further south, making their way slowly to The Darkmoon Pack’s territory, but stopping at many villages along the way.

Halo had demanded a tent of her own after waking up several times to Damius holding her close. She wasn’t in the right place, mentally, to admit to herself that she enjoyed being held by him. She also did not want to develop a dependency for his affection when she wasn’t sure she could forgive him, despite all that, their bond grew stronger every day.

“You’ve changed quite a bit already,” Sess commented one sunny afternoon. They were practicing defensive takedowns when, for the first time, Halo was able to overpower him. She was straddling over top of him with a huge grin on her face.

In that moment, with the sun beating down on her recently tanned skin, Sess found himself in awe of her beauty. His hands lightly grabbed her hips with the intent to remove her, but he found himself pausing, lightly caressing her hips while growing hard.

Halo looked into his eyes, shocked to feel his arousal beneath her. She could see the desperate and heated gaze in his eyes, and she watched them trail down to her lips with curiosity. This was how she often dreamed of Damius looking at her.

She was swiftly pulled away from him, into the hard chest of Damius. Damius’s voice was cold, devoid of any emotion. “I think you need to find a new training partner.”

Sess sat up, shaking his head to seemingly clear it. “That’s probably for the best,” he agreed. He knew that he would allow her to overpower him like that in the future if it meant he could have her on top of him.

Halo didn’t know what else to add other than that she agreed. That was awkward, and even though she was curious about such topics, she would rather not explore that part of herself with Sess for fear of ruining their budding friendship.

Damius took hold of her hand, dragging her back to the camp. “I almost took off his head, Halo.”

She imagined that if she had seen his eyes, she would have seen the pastel greens glinting with murderous intent.

“Sorry,” she felt the need to apologize. “I don’t know why that happened.”

Damius growled in frustration, still not looking at her. Once they reached the alpha tent, he closed the flap behind them. He turned to her, pulling her to him. He held her face up to meet his eyes, his thumb caressing her cheek. His other hand was wrapped possessively around her waist.

“I am more than willing to show Sess his place at this camp if you push me.” His eyes were a raging inferno, the forest green was no longer there. “Halo, I need to mark you,” he commanded.

She put her hands on his chest and pushed. He did not even budge, but he did step back to respect her wishes. His eyes still looked wild.

“I don’t understand what marking would do, but I know that’s something I don’t want you to do to me while you’re this upset,” she declared.

He closed his eyes, leaning into her neck. He breathed in her scent deeply, calming down in her vanilla and lavender scent. He moved away from her, opening his eyes again. They were back to their forest greens.

He looked at her expectantly. “May I mark you now?” He asked.

She couldn’t help but laugh. “No,” she commanded. “I still don’t know what that is.”

He explained, “I will bite you right here,” he trailed his fingers gently over her marking spot, and her knees almost gave out. She wanted nothing more than for him to touch her in the soft flesh between her shoulder and neck.

“Will it hurt?” She asked.

“Only for a second, but then I hear it is the most pleasurable experience one can have.” He moved closer to her, moving his mouth down by her marking spot. She could feel his hot breath on her. He continued, “especially when done with your mate, and especially while coming.”

She felt him lick the soft flesh of her shoulder, dragging his lips up her neck, ending in a soft kiss.

She was done for. She was absolutely hot, and she knew the second he looked into her eyes, he would know he had her.

One of his hands trailed to the other side of her neck, his thumb making its way to her lips. His other hand had a firm grasp of her hip again. She would let this man do anything he wanted to her.

She felt herself growing slick with anticipation, and he finally moved his lips away from her neck to meet her eyes, and in them he read exactly what he wanted to see; he knew the power he had over her.

His thumb trailed over her lips, and he leaned in to capture them with his own when they heard a painful howl close by, as if someone had been wounded mortally.

Damius swore, adjusting himself as he moved away from her quickly. “Stay here,” he commanded.

His eyes glazed over the same way Ezra’s did when he was mind linking, and Halo began to understand that maybe there was something more to being a werewolf than she thought.

He went to leave the tent, turning once again to her, “stay here,” he repeated, seriously.

She nodded this time. She didn’t want to be a distraction to him while he was fighting. “I promise I will,” she replied.

He nodded, trusting her compliance, before leaving the tent.

The Attack.

Halo sat on the cot while she heard several howls close by. It became glaringly apparent that they were under attack.

If only she had more training. She wished desperately she could help defend the camp, but she knew her presence would only create a liability for those she cared about. She had to fight the urge to peak outside the tent.

A voice broke into her mind, as clear as her own thoughts, “Halo, are you safe?” She heard it repeat itself several times, unsure if she could hear it. She recognized that voice as Sess’s.

She didn’t know if she was losing her mind, but she did have to try replying to it. She kept yelling back, “I am safe in the alpha tent!”

Seemingly not hearing her reply, Sess’s voice kept filling her mind with questions about her safety and location. She focused internally on the sound of his voice, on the channel he opened within her mind, and she replied loudly once more. “I am safe in the alpha tent.”

She heard Sess sigh in relief in her mind. “Ezra seems to be defending the tent without trying to make it obvious to the enemies. I will join him. Talk to me like this again if you need me. Please,” he responded.

“Where is Damius?” She asked.

“He went to take out the leader. It seems to be a rogue pack, as odd as that sounds,” he answered.

Halo shook with nerves. He went off on his own to take out the leader? “Go help him! Forget the tent,” she screamed at Sess through her mind.

“Absolutely not,” he replied.

She commanded him, “now, Sess!”

She heard him growl in anger and frustration, attempting to deny her command, but for some reason she was able to alpha command him. He took off toward Damius, intending to not only help him, but to warn him of Halo’s disregard for her own safety at the moment. Since he was not a part of their pack, he was unable to mind link any other them except Halo for some reason.

Halo could hear the growling and guttural noises of fighting all around her. She was terrified.

The noises got louder until she heard a ripping of the tent around her. She stopped in her pacing, looking in the direction of the tearing.

Someone she did not recognize entered the tent through the side they had ripped through. The man was large and very fit. He had a thick dark beard and short dark hair. His eyes were the colour of the sky on a very bright day. They were just a little too light, making him look unnerving.

She screamed, mind linking Sess in fear. “Sess, someone is here.”

Sess yelled back, “we are on our way back. Damius can’t get through to Ezra.”

Before she could reply, the man had lunged at her. She attempted a defensive move, but the man was simply too heavy for her to push off. She felt the familiar feeling of a needle entering her neck, feeling the ice-cold liquid push its way into her bloodstream.

“Sess..” she mind linked him, deliriously, “his eyes.. very light. Hair dark.”

Just before she passed out, she heard Damius’s panicked voice enter her mind, “Halo, please be okay. Please hold on. I’m almost there, baby.”

Injections.

There was a bright light. She heard loud beeping, and her head felt heavy and confused.

“She’s awake,” a woman spoke.

“Great,” she heard a rough and deep male voice respond. “Start the injections,” his voice was commanding. He was an alpha, and she could feel the power rolling off him.

Halo felt an injection in her arm, and her confused and heavy head soon turned more confused. Her thoughts were running away from her. The second she tried to hold only one thought, it would slip away to never be seen again. This was terrifying her, and she tried hard to hold onto one single thought, only to lose every single time.

Every day was the same. She didn’t know how many injections she had gotten, nor how many days it had been, but her thoughts became more and more muddled. She found herself repeating basic facts to herself, fearing to lose herself completely.

“My name is Halo. My mother’s name was Rosemary. My Father’s name was Jack. They died in a fire when I was eight.” She repeated this over and over again in her mind. “Angela is my best friend. Timothy is her brother.” Without realizing it, she started repeating this aloud to herself.

One day when she was repeating these facts, having only these facts left in her brain, she heard a deep laughter. “Oh honey,” it cooed. It was the voice of an alpha, but she could no longer remember what an alpha was. That information was long gone from her mind. “Soon you won’t even remember your own name, and then I can mould you into whatever I please.”

His voice was cold, and she felt herself shiver. Nonetheless, she kept on repeating these facts to herself.

The man sat at the end of her hospital bed. She could smell the antiseptic of the room around her. His unnerving light eyes bore into her moon-grey ones. He reached out, tugging her ash brown hair behind her ear. She tilted her head in confusion, still repeating these facts to herself out loud.

He leaned in and kissed her forehead. His lips were cold against her. She felt him smirk just before moving away. “You really are beautiful, you know,” he said, looking her in the eyes.

“My name is Halo. My mother’s name was Rosemary. My Father’s name was Jack. They died in a fire when I was eight.”

“Yes, honey, they did.” He smiled, “and I was the one who killed them.”

He stood up and left the room. Halo was too far gone in her own mind to register what he had said.

“Angela is my best friend. Timothy is her brother,” she continued.

Stella.

Stella smiled, watching the children play in the packhouse’s vast gardens. It had been about a month since she was found unconscious just outside the pack’s territory. Alpha Dome had taken her in without asking any questions, and he had taken good care of her. She was in such a shape that she had to have intensive medical intervention to keep herself alive.

Every week she would go back for more injections, but she was told that she eventually wouldn’t need them anymore.

Stella felt very comfortable with Alpha Dome. There was something familiar about him. There was something she trusted about him.

He had brought her flowers every day for weeks, promising to be there for her personally while she recovered. He worked very hard with her to retrieve her memories, but nothing seemed to help. He had told her that her name was Stella and that she was a werewolf from the south. None of that sounded familiar to her, but she trusted him enough to believe him.

She was thankful to have the alpha of such a large and successful pack, The Darkmoon Pack, to be helping her so personally.

“Hi sweetheart,” she heard his rough voice call her.

She looked up to see Alpha Dome approaching her. She could smell the sweet scent of the flowers from the gardens, and she could hear the laughter of the werepups as they squealed and chased each other.

She smiled brightly at him, opening her arms to hug him tightly. They had grown to become close friends in the short time she was here. She viewed him like a father-figure.

“I have something I wish to give you tomorrow night. Will you accompany me for dinner?” He asked, his light eyes conveying affection.

“Of course!” Stella was ecstatic at being favoured by such a wonderful man.

He grinned, kissed her gently on her forehead like he always did, and left her there to enjoy the cool breeze in the gardens.

Soon enough it was time for training, and she left her comfortable bench to join the other werewolves in warrior training. She was so lucky that her alpha had suggested intensive training for her. He did not want to see her get hurt again.

She imaged the sight of her unconscious body haunted him today, given how close they were growing.

Her close friend, Kiera, greeted her happily in the training room. Kiera was a tall beautiful shewolf with long chestnut hair and bright blue eyes.

Kiera’s shiny hair was in a high ponytail, and she jogged over to meet Stella, her ponytail swaying back and forth with her gait.

“Stella!” She greeted.

“Kiera!” Stella replied, happily.

They joined arms, chatting lightly as they joined the rest of the group.

They had long been banned from sparring with each other since every time they tried sparring, they would end up rolling around on the floor laughing every time they made eye contact. They could not be serious with each other, and Stella loved it.

Since they were banned from sparring with each other, they had spent the majority of the time finding new ways for Kiera to spar with the warrior she crushed on, Samson.

Samson was a boyish warrior with blonde hair and blue eyes, and Stella couldn’t help but think him and Stella should be mates. They wouldn’t find out until Kiera turned twenty-one in a month, though, as this was the age that werewolves could turn under the first full moon.

Stella didn’t know how old she was, but she assumed she was not yet twenty-one since she was also unable to shift.

Kiera had been trying to set up Stella with the warrior trainer, Yanni, who was also the beta of Alpha Dome’s son. His son had disappeared a while back, and Stella was careful never to mention him to Alpha Dome.

Yanni had ordered them to complete ten laps around the packhouse grounds, which was no small feat, and then return there to spar after the run.

Stella loved running every day. Sometimes she would run alone, either running way ahead or behind the pack, or she would run with Kiera, doubling up in cramps from laughing too much the entire time.

This time when she began to run, she found Yanni matching her pace, looking at her from the corner of his eyes.

She blushed, feeling vulnerable under the stare of the beta warrior. Was he here to give her some pointers? She looked up to see Kiera glancing at her with a mischievous glint in her eye, and she swore silently to herself. This was definitely Kiera’s doing.

“Hey umm…” Yanni scratched the back of his neck, his dirty blonde shag sticking to the sweat on his forehead. “We are having a party tonight by the south-east pond if you wanted to come.”

Stella didn’t know how to talk to attractive men. She stuttered a little, answering with her eyes cast down, “sure, but could I bring Kiera with me?”

He flashed her a happy grin, his eyes crinkling with the smile. “Of course,” he replied. “I guess I’ll see you two there.” To her relief he jogged ahead of the pack, leaving her to her thoughts.

She was excited for the next two days. Alpha Dome had a surprise for her at dinner tomorrow night, and she had a party to attend tomorrow night.

The Party.

Kiera had joined Stella in her room prior to the party. They both giggled while applying make-up and trying on the many different outfits that Alpha Dome was kind enough to gift her when he took her in.

Kiera had applied a bold red lip to Stella, pressuring her to try on black fishnets with a short skirt. She had just changed into the outfit to appease Kiera when they heard a knock on the door.

Stella was embarrassed about trying on that outfit, but she didn’t have time to change before answering. She knew by the way he knocked, that it was Alpha Dome, and she didn’t want to keep him waiting. Kiera disappeared into the walk-in closet to put together several other outfits, with music on, allowing her privacy to answer the door.

When she opened the door, a shocked Alpha Dome stood there staring at her. There was anger and coldness in his eyes. She had never seen that there before. His gaze seemed heated as he looked at her outfit, stopping to stare at her red lips.

He seemed to collect himself before answering, “plans tonight?”

She tilted her head, confused at his reaction to her. “Yes, there is a party by the pond that Beta Yanni invited us to.”

He seemed to think for a moment, scratching his beard. “You can’t attend.” He commanded.

Stella wasn’t surprised by his overbearing behaviour. He has acting like a doting and overprotective father since they met. She pleaded at him with her eyes, “please! Kiera and I have been looking forward to this all day!”

“No,” he answered, letting his alpha command slip.

Unaffected, she continued to plead, “what if we let Jeffrey come with us?” Jeffrey was Alpha Domes beta.

Alpha Dome grabbed her face, smudging the red lipstick. He stared at her with a need she wasn’t aware of, assuming him to care for her in a paternal way, but she was naïve.

“I said no, Stella.” He replied, “and that is final.”

He closed the door on her face, and she groaned loudly in annoyance.

Kiera escaped the closet, looking sheepish. “I didn’t mean to overhear, but I heard the last bit of that. What’s his deal?”

Stella sat down on her bed, defeated. “He is overprotective, and as much as I appreciate his care, he just frustrates me sometimes!” She yelled the end of her statement, exasperated.

Kiera sat beside her with a smirk on her lips. “You know,” she began. “We could sneak out the window here and be back before he knows we’ve left.”

Stella looked at her. Normally she wouldn’t consider such a proposal, especially since this man had taken her in, but she had told Beta Yanni she would be there. She didn’t want to disappoint him.

“Okay fine,” she gave in.

Kiera stood up, extra excited at the prospect of sneaking out. Stella was beginning to feel the excitement as well.

“You know what?” Stella had made up her mind. “I’m going to wear this damn outfit.”

“Yesssss!” Kiera encouraged, “you look sexy as heck, girl!”

Kiera fixed Stella’s lipstick, they applied more mascara, and they climbed out the window. They were on the top floor of the pack house, the alpha’s floor. Alpha Dome had put Stella on his floor, a few doors down from his own room. It was three stories up, but because they were werewolves, they could make the jump easily without injury. Getting back up would be a problem, but they would worry about that later tonight.

***

They reached the pond when the moon was glowing brightly in the sky. Stella could feel its power on her skin, making her glow light enough that it looked as if she was a radiant gem among the others, although not light enough to draw confusion. Her dark ash brown hair was loose on her back, and her grey eyes were large and luminescent in the night.

“Your skin is so perfect, Stella,” Kiera complimented her. “It almost looks like you’re glowing with a halo around your whole body.”

Stella laughed, but she felt uneasy, “I feel like I’ve heard that before.”

Just then Beta Yanni approached her with a drink in his hands, offering it to her. “There’s wolfsbane in it. It makes alcohol more effective,” he explained, not wanting to offer her something without her knowing what she is drinking.

“Thank you.” She accepted the drink, sipping it gingerly. The taste was bitter, but the cold feeling she felt as she swallowed it felt oddly familiar.

“I’m gunna go look for Samson, mind link me if you need me. Unless you get too sloshed and can’t mind link, then I’ll come looking for you,” she winked and disappeared into the crowd.

There was a large bonfire beside the pond. There was music that played loudly from a few wireless speakers that were connected to someone’s playlist.

Stella wrapped her arms around her body, feeling the chill of the night. It was wintertime, even though the snow seemed delayed this time of year. There was still a bite to the wind. The trees had just finished shedding themselves, the wind playfully shuffling the dried leaves around them.

She could smell the wood from the bonfire, making her head ache. There was something about fire that made her uncomfortable. There was something she was trying to remember. She found herself staring uncomfortably at the bonfire, deep in thought.

She felt Beta Yanni drop his jacket over her shoulders. “As much as I love your outfit, you must be cold,” he stated.

She smiled at him softly, “thank you Beta Yanni.”

“Just call me Yanni, please.”

“Yanni, then,” she replied, and she saw him smile brightly at her.

“Want to go somewhere else to talk?” He asked her.

She was nervous. She had never been alone before, according to her recent memories, with a man who had interest in her.

“Umm… okay.” She replied.

Yanni smiled at her. His dark blue eyes taking hers in, “we don’t have to, Stella. We can stay here.” He didn’t want to make her uncomfortable.

“It’s okay,” she explained. “I’m just nervous, but I would love to talk with you alone.”

He nudged her playfully, “nervous about what?”

She blushed and looked down. “Are we going or what?” She asked, flustered.

He let out a laugh, and she noted how handsome he looked when he laughed. He saw her looking at him and smiled. “Let’s go,” he stated, holding her hand in his.

They quickly finished their drinks, replacing them with another one, before finding a comfortable spot away from the party. They sat on a large log that had fallen during a recent storm.

The night was dark, but thanks to the moonlight and their werewolf sense, they could make out their surroundings with little difficulty.

“I wanted to ask you,” Yanni began, “if you remembered anything about your past at all?”

Stella thought for a moment. “Every now and then some things seem familiar; certain words, phrases, or things that I see, but it’s like I can’t grasp onto anything long enough to remember.” She frowned.

“Do you find it odd that Alpha Dome has been so nice to you?” He asked

Stella smiled at that. “Not at all,” she began. “It feels almost natural. He feels like a long-lost father to me.”

Yanni smiled, looking relieved. “I wasn’t sure… it seems sometimes that he has deeper feelings for you. He warned me to stay away from you before.”

“He’s just very overprotective,” Stella reasoned, a little angry at the thought. She wasn’t willing to let her love and respect for Alpha Dome be tainted by rumours.

“Okay, I get it.” Yanni held up his hands, surrendering. “I just wanted to make sure you were safe.”

She smiled at that, meeting his deep blue eyes. Yanni’s eyes dropped to Stella’s red lips, drawn to them. He had thought of her late at night on several occasions. Who wouldn’t? Her beauty was almost otherworldly.

He leaned forward, gently taking her lips with his, his hand tracing her jaw, softly gliding down her neck and over her marking spot.

She moved away from him, having assumed the kiss was complete, and not wanting anything to go further for right now. She smiled at him, and he smiled back, taking a sip of his drink. He would need many more drinks tonight if he had to keep his hands off her. He was frustrated, craving to touch her, but he respected her wishes and brought her back to the party.

When they returned to the party, they were shocked to find everyone bowing their heads in submission. Stella shook when she saw Alpha Dome’s cold eyes find her, returning to the party while holding Yanni’s hand.

He stalked over toward them, noting the smudged lipstick, her flushed skin, and the drinks in their hands. He didn’t have to say it to know what he thought of her just then. He looked at her with disgust, commanding Yanni to release her.

Everyone was confused. Why had the alpha come to take Stella away? Why was he acting jealous? It appears he had deep feelings for Stella.

Stella was just as confused, but she was much more forgiving toward his behaviour, remembering how caring he had been to her.

Alpha Dome grabbed Stella’s hand roughly, commanding the rest of the party to return to their homes. He wasn’t just angry, he was murderous. Stella felt uneasy while he dragged her back to the packhouse. She feared what awaited her, but she comforted herself with the knowledge that he had never hurt her before. He was just protective of her.

They entered the packhouse. “I think it’s time I give you your present,” he said coldly, continuing to drag her up the stairs to the alpha floor.