Zari

1978 ***Bradley Compulsion. As my paws pound the earth, that is all I feel. Compulsion. I am on my 28th day of my warrior test which consists of running the Appalachian Trail and battling occasional warrior wolves stationed along the way by our Great Alpha, Graeme Ralston. Up until now, each battle has been short and my speed has put me far ahead of the record time for this test. I was looking forward to seeing the pride Great Alpha Ralston would have when he named me the new record holder. I had planned to sleep in just a little to recover from the previous day’s trek, but this morning I awoke in the wee hours feeling a dire need to increase my speed, food and rest be damned. I left all of my supplies behind, only carrying a small bit of jerky, a flask of water, and a sweatsuit in the small bag strapped to my leg. As I said, compulsion. It’s been eleven hours of the hardest running I have ever done. Going against the orders of my alpha and the Great Alpha is not in my nature; but this compulsion feels otherworldly, as if the Moon Goddess herself is willing me. Recent snow is melting on this warmer day, leaving a thin coat of snow on the forest floor. The trees are leaking sap in response to today’s warmer weather and pine tar has coated the pads of my paws, causing debris to adhere to them; but I ignore the irritation in pursuit of what is awaiting my arrival. Ducking below a low branch, I catch a slight odor in the air that doesn’t belong amongst the rich smell of pine, holly bushes, and soil. I stop abruptly, turning my head slowly in every direction in an attempt to locate its origin. My fur bends to the left, blown by a warm breeze coming from the right. Warm breezes are not exactly common in Maine in November, and this particular breeze is carrying that scent. It is sweet and almost beachy, but unlike anything I have ever smelled, and certainly not befitting of the Maine wilderness. Assuredly, this is why I am needed in this exact location on this exact day. Cautiously, I lightly pad my way into the breeze, letting it envelop my body as I seek the scent’s origin. The trees become more and more dense, yet the breeze remains unaffected. I lower my form in preparation, though I feel no need to be defensive. After a few more feet, the trees clear, displaying a patch of soft grass encircling a large oak tree. At the base of the tree stands a hawk keeping watch over a bundled blanket. Immediately, I feel the need to bow in submission. I feel the hawk’s wings as it lands in front of my bowed snout. Lifting my gaze, I watch as it guides me to the bundle. Approaching, I hear the strong beat of a small heart and the soft whisper of peaceful breaths. Inhaling deeply, I realize that this is the source of the scent I followed, and I recognize that this blanket is not confining a tiny human but a werewolf like myself. Quickly, I sniff in every direction, trying to find the scent of who left this young wolf here on its own but come up short. The hawk slowly, gently nudges the bundle with its beak, maintaining its eye contact with me. I know in my gut that it wants me to take the baby. Shifting to my human form and slipping on my sweatsuit, I approach the blanketed mass. I gently lift it and pull the blanket’s edges apart, revealing what looks like a newborn baby girl, her umbilical stump yet to be healed. Never has my heart beat so hard, hard enough to leave me breathless. I tuck the sleeping infant against my body, using her blanket like a sling within my sweatshirt to keep her warm. I look up to see that the hawk has vanished, leaving no trace of its former presence. Wrapping my left arm protectively around the baby, I begin my journey out of the woods as quickly as possible. My dream had been to be the head warrior for our Great Alpha, but it seems the Moon Goddess has a different plan for me. * “Your order was to complete the Appalachian Trail and to defeat each warrior stationed along the way before returning to the Blue Ridge Packhouse, yet you’ve driven into my packland fourteen days early. Was this an intentional defiance of my command, or did you fail?” Great Alpha Ralston asks, his grey eyes furiously penetrating me, seeking truth. After reaching a human town, I was able to get some provisions for the baby before starting our drive back to the Great Alpha’s packhouse in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. The baby was incredibly easy - eat, sleep, diaper change, and start over. It has been two days and I still have not heard her cry. I am now kneeling before the Great Alpha in submission in his office as he stands between his large mahogany desk and me. His power rolls out of his presence in waves and I can feel his disappointment in me thick in the air, nearly suffocating me. I have no doubt that a weaker wolf would be prone, face plumb to the cracks in the wood flooring. “Great Alpha, I know this will sound like blasphemy, but the Moon Goddess repudiated your command.” The only person to outrank one of the great alphas is the Moon Goddess. I only hope he believes me. Disobedience and disrespect are two of the greatest crimes against a great alpha. I continue speaking without a break, “She led me further north through the woods not far from the trail itself. I felt the urgency in her leading. While in the woods, I discovered an abandoned infant, possibly not even a full day old, being watched over by a hawk. I searched for any sign or scent of whomever abandoned her, but there was absolutely nothing. The hawk itself disappeared once I secured the infant to myself! I truly believe I was chosen by the Moon Goddess to find this child.” I know with every fiber of my being that I have spoken only the truth to him. It is now up to him to decide what to do with it. “Bradley, a little over a month ago you told me that you felt it was her will that you be my head warrior.” “Yes, Great Alpha, but the feeling I had just a few days ago can only be described as an act of divinity. Who else would have found this newborn at these coordinates?" I ask as I show Great Alpha Ralston my notes that I jotted down as soon as I reached the first human town in Maine, showing him on a map the exact latitude and longitude of where I found the baby. “My earlier successes in my warrior test had me far ahead of schedule, which put me in the exact place I needed to be to find her and bring her to the first town before she starved or froze to death. I can’t imagine the timing of it all could have been anything but the Moon Goddess’ work. In fact, I even feel that the Moon Goddess herself may be the one to have deposited the baby in that clearing. How else can it be explained?” “Do you have the child with you now?” “Yes sir, I do. She is sleeping in the basket I purchased in Maine. I left her with one of your maids in the hallway.” “Bring the child in. I would like to see her myself. This is either the good work of the Moon Goddess or the dark work of witches.” Obediently, I step through the doorway and retrieve the basket in which the baby is sleeping. I carry the basket into the Great Alpha’s office and gently lift the baby so he can observe her. Her sleep was unaffected by the movement, her face completely tranquil. Dressed in a lavender sleep gown and wrapped in the white flannel blanket in which she had been found, she is a great contrast to the rich, dark greens and browns of the Great Alpha’s office. Great Alpha Ralston steps closely, inhaling deeply to identify her scent. “She doesn’t smell like a rogue child. This baby was born into a pack,” he mutters thoughtfully. “I will reach out to all alphas in this territory to see if any know of a missing child or have a female in their pack who is suddenly no longer pregnant, starting with the packs near where you found her. In the meantime, I will inform your alpha of your move and have him send your belongings here from Atlanta. I will have a family suite set up for you on the alpha floor here in my packhouse until the children’s home is finished. The child will stay with you for now. I will assign one of my staff to attend her during the day while you assume the position of head warrior under me. My son has just reached eighteen months old, so he is currently being weaned. I will have my mate pump milk for the child. With a heartbeat as strong as this infant has and a scent so discernable, I suspect that only the milk of a Luna would be enough to nourish her well. Have you been calling her any specific name?” “Jaylie. I decided that if you were to not make me a warrior, I would ask to adopt her. My parents’ names are James and Leighanne, so I chose to honor them both by calling her Jaylie, sir.” “Adoption is not going to be an option for you, Bradley. First, we need to see if we can find her family. If not, we will continue to call her the name you’ve chosen to be representative of your selfless act of redeeming this child. But as my head warrior, you will not be able to devote the time needed to parent her without a mate,” he said with a stern look. “Your first major assignment will be to build the children’s home I have been planning for orphaned wolves under the age of 18. As you know, many were orphaned during the wars and many packs are struggling to care for them efficiently. I will have each orphaned wolf child in my territory come to this children’s home, provide them with education, training, and physical needs, then allow them to choose which pack they would like to join once they graduate high school. It is your responsibility to make this home safe for the children it will house. If Jaylie’s family is not found by the time the home is finished, she will live there and be given the option to choose her pack like the other children. If it truly has been an act of the Moon Goddess, we will need to protect this child and that will certainly fall under your duties as my head warrior. The details of how she was discovered will be kept between you and me only. Not even my Beta will know. I am afraid the truth will put her and our pack at risk. Understood?” “Yes, Great Alpha.” “Now...We will also need to choose a surname for her for our records. Any thoughts?” I look down at the sweet face of the sleeping baby in my arms. Her golden skin was radiant, her full bottom lip slack with sleep, and her wavy platinum blonde tufts of newborn hair creating what I could only describe as a halo. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed that I couldn’t adopt her. It is now in my hands to give her a name that will stay with her throughout her life. I thought about my last few life-changing days with her and said the only thing that came to mind. “Hawkschild.”