The Dormant: The 5 Goddesses

Episode 7: The Proud Alpha

~Noah~

I got off the airplane and started walking across the tarmac. The wind whipped around me, making my coat flare as I walked, the season was changing, my life was changing. I was no longer a small pup. I had come back to become what I was always meant to be. I mind-linked my Beta while waiting for my car to pick me up. "Ben, I’m here. Please get everything ready. I’ll arrive in about four hours." He quickly responded, "Yes, Noah. The warriors are prepared to inspect the pack borders as soon as you get here."

Sighing, I shifted my carry-on to my other hand and checked my watch. I was already tired. I spent two years in Europe, learning about the old European pack's rules and customs. Today, I was finally returning home. My father, Adolf, was stepping down as Alpha of the famous Camp North US pack, one of the oldest of the New World packs.

As soon as I arrived, I would take over as their leader. My father had been urging me for over a year to step up and inherit the position, as it was customary in wolf culture. This week, the wolves in his territory would follow the transfer of command with me, their new Alpha. They would do it the traditional way.

There would be a one-week bonding phase where I would have to run the entire border of our territory. I would then perform all the customary Alpha and pack bonding exercises, meeting every member of our community.

I stepped into the car and wondered about my new role. It was a blessing as it was a burden. Even though I had a direct mind-link to all of my wolves, it hurt when a member of my pack died. These years of separation from them had been hard on me. Not having them around had taught me the most valuable lesson. The pack always comes first.

Growing up, I often wondered why it was necessary to send future alphas to the Old World for their final years of training. It was precisely for this reason—they needed to learn the importance of each pack member by yearning for and missing them. So, when they were ready to take over, they would understand the critical value of their community, of each wolf and each life that fell on my shoulders to protect.

Now I was coming back to the wolves I loved and the pack I left behind. Soon, I would see my oldest friends, Ben and Liam, my Beta and Gamma, my partners in crime. Despite my stoic appearance, the thought of seeing them again made me happy.

I would be an excellent Alpha. I've been training for this from the moment I was born. Now, the moment had finally arrived, and I was ready to take this responsibility head-on. Thinking deeply as I watched the surrounding scenery, feeling the car snaking through the asphalt. Soon, if the Moon Goddess allowed it, I will find my Luna and, father, my own pups and keep all of these traditions alive.

We neared the pack's border, and I felt the bond with my wolves getting stronger. They also started feeling it as they began howling all around me. They knew their new Alpha was back.

We parked in front of the packhouse, where my wolves were waiting for me. The first to greet me was a tall, bulky, white male with hazel eyes, his arms were plastered with scars and tattoos from countless fights. Despite his rugged appearance, he still had the charm of a twenty-year-old. He was my new Beta and best friend, Ben.

Standing beside me, he began speaking. "I, Benjamin Paulson, the Beta Wolf of Camp North, welcome our new Alpha, Noah Solvermond. May his time as Alpha be prosperous and filled with joy." The whole camp erupted in applause. I stood tall and proud, looking at all the wolves cheering around me.

"My good wolves, I promise you I will fight for this pack. I will bleed for you and with you. I will stand by you every step of the way, ensuring the pack code is always followed. You need not worry, as I am fair and proud of all of you, from the mightiest warrior to the newest pup. As of tonight, our former Alpha will pass down the spirit of the pack to me, and tomorrow we will enter a new age for Camp North." Roars and applause erupted again as I turned my back and entered the packhouse.

After giving my carry-on to a male omega, I warmly hugged Ben now that the formalities were over. I let my face relax and grinned at seeing my friend.

Ben had already stepped up as Beta the year before. Being my second, he oversaw everything security and border-related, a title he inherited from his father. "Well, the new pups have me on my toes all the time. How was Italy? Sorry, I couldn’t join you, but since your father announced stepping down, it's been crazy here," Ben said as we walked along the first floor of the packhouse.

"Well, Isabella sends her regards," I replied, knowingly.

"Isabella?" He raised an eyebrow, a ghost of a grin appearing on his lips.

"The quieter ones are always the worst," I said, shaking my head and smiling. "Where’s my father?" I asked, sniffing the air for his scent.

"In his office, finalizing the stocks of all the human companies before he leaves." I gave another thump at Ben's back with my hand and climbed the stairs to the Alpha’s office on the third floor.

"Alpha," I said, bowing my head in respect to my father. "I won’t have my pup, whom I haven’t seen in a year, treat me with such deference," my father, Alpha Adolf, said, standing up and embracing me, tapping my back twice before stepping back. "How’s my only son? Are you ready?" The sixty-something man asked.

My father still kept his young wolf features. He was almost a carbon copy of me, though a little shorter at 6'2". He had black hair now streaked with silver and deep wrinkles on his forehead. We shared the same eye color, though his eyes glimmered with tales of old years. Despite his age, he maintained a fit warrior’s body.

I sat down on the office couch to discuss the week ahead with my father. "So, tell me how the ceremony is going to be?" My father sighed and began explaining the next day’s schedule. "Tonight, your mom and I will pass you the spirit. Tomorrow morning, after breakfast, we’ll leave for our new complex in Colorado." He smiled, thinking about his retirement. He had always loved Colorado, and now he had the chance to live there with my mom.

He continued speaking, giving me all the details. "The whole pack will have the chance to say goodbye to their old Alpha. Afterward, you will have to make the first border rounds with the warriors to familiarize yourself with the new pack limits. We had a major expansion last year, if you remember." I nodded, placing my fist beneath my chin.

He took a deep breath and continued relaying the traditions I had to follow for the week, pacing around the room. "At night, you’ll go for a run first with the unmated females to see if your Luna is in the pack. The next night, you’ll run with the mated couples. If you find your Luna, you both need to attend this event and run together as a pair. Finally, on Friday night, all the unmated males will run. If you are still unmated, you must join them." He finished and looked at me with the same look he had given me over the years when discussing finding my Luna.

"Are you giving our son a hard time about being unmated, Adolf? Let him be. The Moon Goddess will bless him with a partner when she deems it right. Stop rushing the gods, you old wolf." A sweet, melodic voice came from the door where a petite brown-haired woman stood, smiling at us. "Didn’t you find me when you were thirty years old? Be glad he is honoring the Moon Goddess and waiting for the mate bond. A chosen Luna is never a good idea." She shot back at her husband, clearly having had this discussion before.

My father quickly scurried to her side, giving her a peck on the lips. "My Luna," we both said. I bowed my head in respect. "Oh, I won't let you get away with that, Noah. Come hug your mother, my little pup." I smiled and picked up my mom, holding her tight in my arms. Her feet dangled in the air with excitement.

My mom, though old, didn’t look a day over fifty. She was small in stature, her green eyes glistening with joy as she saw me for the first time in years.

"Mom!" I spoke. My father’s eyebrow shot up when I said it, then he shook his head. "Well, my pup is all grown up and leading his pack. Tell me, have you eaten? I’ll send one of the omegas to fetch you something."

I grinned, knowing how she tried to overfeed everyone. If I said no, she would relentlessly nag me until I said yes. "Yes, I am hungry. Maybe a sandwich before the start of the rituals." She smiled and mind-linked an omega.

"Well, Father, Mother, I think I’ll go to my room and rest for a while before tonight," I said, massaging the back of my head.

My father dismissed me with a flick of his wrist and I opened the door. As I stepped out, a cute brunette omega passed by, flashing a smile before turning her face down. I returned her smile, my chest rumbling as I looked at her with greedy eyes. I may not have a bond-mate yet, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t have a bit of fun while waiting.

"Alpha, just the man I was looking for." A tall man with strong Asian features and short, sleek black hair started speaking to me, breaking my eye contact with the omega. Of all my warriors, Liam was the strongest, his arms massive, and at 6'8", he was the tallest wolf in my pack.

I continued looking at the girl as she scurried down the corridor into one of the rooms. Without taking my gaze from her, I answered my Gamma. "Tell me, Li, everything okay with the pack expenses? How are the books?" Liam Farkas chuckled, shaking his head as he saw me hunting the girl.

"Just making sure everything is in order. Your father just signed the pack territory over to you. I just need your signature here and here." He handed me a pen, pointing to where I needed to sign. Without looking, I signed the papers and passed them back. "Tell Ben I need to see him before tonight, but first, I need to remind a pack member who her new Alpha is." I began to walk towards the room the omega entered. Liam laughed, shaking his head as he walked away.

Before going down the stairs, he turned and asked, "Three hours suffice, Alpha?" I flicked my wrist in a yes motion, licking my lips in anticipation.

That night, the air was cold, and all the wolves felt the heat from the bonfire. My father stood beside the blaze near the gym, addressing everyone. "As you know, my wolves, I am stepping down as your Alpha. The Moon Goddess has given me so much happiness over the years I spent with you, and now it’s time to pass this responsibility to one of your own. It is my time to step down for a younger generation to rule."

He motioned for me to stand beside him, the wolves around us watching expectantly. "I, Adolf Cristian Solvermond, Alpha and pack protector of Camp North, son of Gustav Solvermond, the first wolf to travel to the Americas, pass the Moon Spirit of this pack to Noah Alexander Solvermond, son of Adolf Cristian Solvermond. Hear me, Moon Goddess Selene, today this wolf becomes an Alpha."

As he spoke these words, my father cut his palm with a sharp knife. Its blade was made out of silver, letting blood spill on the pack’s sacred ground. He passed the dagger to me, and it was my turn to speak. "I, Noah Alexander Solvermond, son of Adolf Cristian Solvermond, take this pack’s responsibility from my father, Adolf Cristian Solvermond, son of Gustav Solvermond. I now become protector and Alpha. Anyone who wishes to challenge me for the command of this glorious pack is now the time."

The whole pack stood in silence, the only sound being the roaring blaze behind us. "So be it," I finished, cutting my palm, feeling the sting and a new scar forming. Our blood mixed on the ground, and a collective howl erupted from my pack as the celebration began.

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¨Tell me I am your Alpha.¨ I grunted while riding an omega hard, hearing her gasp in pleasure as her p***y contracted around me. ¨Tell me now.¨ I repeated hoarsely while spanking her ass, making her p***y milk me harder.

¨You are my Alpha.¨ She blurted while rocking her hips, slamming herself back with my thrusts.

This is not our mate, the wolf inside me growled. I answered his roar with a grunt. My eyes were closed, and my head tilted back. ¨I know, but she would do, for now.¨ I answered the wolf.

I knew this was one of the last times I would be able to f**k a woman senseless. My wolf was now objecting every time I touched anyone who wasn't my unfounded mate. She wasn't even here, but he was stuck in the cycle for months now. Every time I took someone to my bed, he would object and snap at me.

I didn't care. I did it for the hunt, the prey, but no more. I needed to grow the f**k up for my pack. This behavior needed to stop. Just knowing that tomorrow I would have to trade this omega or send her to my parents.

Another growl, another snap from the beast. I sighed, losing all interest in the bickering from the beast inside. What they didn't tell you about being a were-wolf is that the man had needs too.

I thought. It could be forever before the Moon Goddess blessed me with a mate bond, so while she took her time, I expected to have my thirst for women quenched. That was what I told myself, and now that I had my prey, I was regretting it. The minute I found my Luna, she would be mine, and I would only be hers.

Grabbing the she-wolf by the neck and pushing her towards my chest, I held her in an embrace while mercilessly trusting my c**k inside her. My face was near her nape. I shifted my position so the scent she emitted wouldn't enter my nose.

The smell she had wasn't appealing, not to my wolf or me. He growled again at how near she was. This isn't my mate; he kept barking at me. I wasn't happy with her either, as the woman started to orgasm. I pumped away, trying to finish as soon as possible.

After all these years, this wasn't satisfying anymore. This omega wasn't what I needed. So many years and I hadn't found my mate, neither my Beta nor my Gamma, and I was desperate for a high female rank in the packhouse to take care of the formalities and womanly traditions.

I finished slumping to the side and commanding the girl who was getting cozy on my chest. ¨Get out.!¨ I grumbled while pointing my finger towards the door. My wolf was angry and pounding, giving me a headache. The girl stood up and quickly dashed to the door. I started to doze off, dreams filling my mind.

Images of a clearing, a red moon, and the Moon Goddess swirled in my mind. In the ethereal scene, I kneeled and kissed her feet. "My child," she mind-linked me, her voice a soothing melody. "I've seen your heart, and it's getting dreary. The lack of a companion has now made you melancholic. You have an idea about the importance of a true mate for a wolf, but you don't know how much you must work for her," she said, cupping my face in one of her hands.

"I am giving you a gift and a responsibility. The mate made for you is a special one, but you need to take care of her. No more messing around with others that don't belong to you, Noah. No more destroying my other female children, Alpha Solvermond, you've been warned. If I feel lust for another female coming from you, she would be taken away from your side." My mouth fell open as I realized she was giving me my mate.

"This woman is special, and she will need every ounce of you. You will feel the bond intensely from the beginning. Still, she doesn't understand what she is going to feel, so you need to prove the bond to her." Feeling warm all over, I could only nod. I wouldn't reject her, never. With that motion, I sealed my fate, accepting the Moon Goddess's gift.

I woke up feeling refreshed. Looking at my watch, it was four a.m. I felt the wolf inside me stir, not happy about what I did last night. "Oh, take a pill. It was just a night, and I know you saw her too." I needed to get ready. "Our mate will come soon." A growl resonated in my head in approval. Lying down again, I closed my eyes and drifted back to sleep.

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After breakfast, I said goodbye to my parents and walked inside the packhouse. Benjamin and Liam followed me closely. "Gamma, I need you to go to the office today and set up everything with the human workers for next week," I commanded, glancing at some papers my father had left.

"On it, Alpha," Liam replied, grabbing the documents and heading toward the door.

"Beta, are the warriors ready? We will run through the borders today, see if we can expand our territory," I asked, feeling energy coursing through my veins.

"Yes, they are just waiting for you, Alpha," Benjamin answered.

"Good, let's go," I replied with excitement. He raised an eyebrow at me and shrugged his shoulders, following my steps.

I exited the packhouse and transformed into my black wolf form. Then I mind-linked Ben and the rest of the warriors who were going with us for this run. "Beta, let's run up north, then you will shift back and tell me about the human village." By the afternoon, we had reached the northernmost part of the pack limits. Within this area was the small town of Willamette.

I stopped in a clearing and asked Ben to change back. As we walked, I caught the most intense scent of coffee with a hint of caramel and cocoa. "Mate," my wolf barked, perking up. I looked around, but the scent evaporated. I sprang into action, running in every direction, but the scent disappeared as quickly as it had come.

That night, as the rituals dictated, I ran expectantly with the unmated females. I realized she wasn't in my pack; despite the many beautiful women around, none were my mate. It was a blow. If there was a night I could find her, that was it, and she wasn't there. The third night, I ran with the mated pairs. The entire night I spent fighting with my wolf and feeling jealous of all the pairings around me. It was the last night of the new Alpha bonding week that something changed.

I gave my unmated males the bonding speech after failing to find my mate on the first, second, or any day of the week. I was feeling hopeless. Maybe it was just a dream. I tried to convince myself of that.

As I was delivering the speech to the unmated male warriors, the scent of mocha coffee enveloped me again. "Mate!" my wolf howled, perking up once more. "There are only males around here; there's no mate, you crazy beast," I tried reasoning with the animal. "Mate!" the wolf barked again, now pacing in my mind.

Ignoring the growls and howls inside that came from the beast. I heard a gasp, and three women started sprinting toward the woods. ¨Can it be?¨ I mumbled, feeling excitement as I screamed at the surrounding wolves. ¨Get them!¨ I found her, or she found me. Either way, she wasn't going anywhere. The warriors started shifting into their wolves. I started running, shifting mid-stride, my nose quickly picking up the scent and following its sweet owner.

A few minutes later it disappeared, my wolf was at her heels, and he was fast. Why couldn't he smell them? How did they get away? I thought to myself as I tried finding the scent again.

¨ I can't find them.¨ Benjamin entered my mind from the other side of the forest.

I heard a strange noise coming from the woods. The smell of coffee mocha hit me hard again as I shifted my position, so I could take a better whiff. It was engulfing me. It felt like home, like a warm blanket covering me up.

¨Mate is in danger!¨ My wolf barked. Again I began to run through the woods. I could hear a woman screaming and another scent a male, and he was aroused. This scent made my blood boil. I crept in the shadows as a scene played in front of my eyes. One girl was slumped on the side unconscious, and the other was begging a man not to rape her.

The smell, that fantastic smell, came from the pleading girl. My mate. Before I knew it, I jumped on top of him, anger seeping from every pore of my body because of what he was doing to her. How dare he touch my mate. The emotion filled me up like a tidal wave of rage. I saw the girl trying to get to her friend and passing out.

Benjamin ran to where I was and tried to stop me by reasoning with the man. He quickly shifted from his wolf to his man and, while putting his hands up, trying to get my attention, said, ¨Alpha don't do it, he is human, it would be messy.¨ My wolf wasn't having any of it, and to be honest, the man saw red.

¨This man hurt my mate, and he would pay with his life.¨ I growled in the mind-link. Looking at the asshole's face, he had his eyes closed and was praying to God. Ben knew what I was about to do before he could shift to stop me. I had taken the guilty man's head with my mouth and bit hard, decapitating him.

A few of the unmated males started to form a circle around the scene. I shifted back into a man falling beside her, quickly bringing her near me. She was half naked and someone quickly ran to me with a blanket to cover her up. My heart skipped a beat when I removed a strand of golden hair from her face and looked down.

Her small nose and feminine jawline had a bruise already forming. I scanned down, looking at her rosy lips and the delicate skin that was all scratched up by the hard ground and that fucker´s touch. I tried coaxing her to wake up with my hand softly stroking her cheek. Soon she opened her eyes and those eyes were mesmerizing. I could get lost in them and never be found again.

She gave me a small smile, passing out again. I picked her softly in my arms, growling at the wolves around me, and started running toward the pack hospital. My heart was breaking just looking at what the monster did to her. I needed to bring her to safety. She needed to be with me. I thought while entering the building.

Soon enough, I was finally in the clinic. I put her on a gurney, the pack Doctor entered the room and, without even asking, went over to her. On instinct, I started growling at him, showing my teeth. ¨No man is going to touch her, she is mine.¨ I said while grabbing her tight against my chest. Sensing my desperation and rage, Ben, who entered behind me carrying the other woman, left her on another gurney and grabbed my shoulder. ¨Alpha, you need to let them see her.¨ Looking at him, I took a deep breath and stepped aside, so the doctor could work.

I stood there brooding, waiting for news, walking the room from side to side, my eyes never leaving her. ¨Alpha Noah, the good news is she only has some cuts and bruises. The Luna is probably in shock. You should let her rest in the clinic for tonight. ¨ He stepped away from her, then looked at me.

¨Noah…¨ I heard Ben sternly saying inside my mind-link ¨…if she wakes up to a raging naked man covered in blood, she will definitely lose it.¨ Looking at my hands and chest, they were covered in blood, that pricks blood. I wanted to kill him all over again.

My face contorted in fury as I punched the wall behind me. I was angry about how he manhandled the women, but now I was fuming knowing what woman he dared touch like that. I killed him so quickly. If I had any control, I would have made him suffer all the atrocities he was about to make her suffer ten times worse. I needed to get out before she woke up with me raging. I opened the door and, after a last look, exited the clinic towards my room, so I could shower.

After cleaning myself up, I mind-linked my Gamma. ¨Liam, where are you?¨ I asked as I dried myself off.¨

¨At the cells with Benjamin, we just found the last girl, and we are interrogating her.¨ I opened the door and mind-linked them again.

¨Put her in a room don't hurt her, but I want to know who, what they are, why can't we scent them and what they want.¨

¨Yes, Alpha¨ They both replied as I made my way back to the clinic.

Before entering my Luna's room, I stopped in my tracks. Maybe Ben was right. If she was a wolf, she wouldn't know she was one. Perhaps she considers herself human.

I entered her room, looking for the pack doctor. ¨Any changes, doctor?¨ I asked and my wolf whimpered.

¨She is already starting to heal, but we need to let her wake up and see how much she remembers.¨ He answered my question while rechecking her vitals.

¨Can I take her to my room?¨ I asked, my hands holding her hand.

¨We are monitoring her, and its best she wakes up here. Alpha, you can sit down beside her.¨ He pointed to a chair.

I sat on the chair near her, gently caressing the bruise on her cheek, which was still purple and blue but quickly fading. My other hand in a fist fighting the rage of watching my mate being almost raped.

Taking a strand of her hair, I held it against my nose, filling my lungs with her scent. The smell was glorious. I gently passed my fingertips around her face, trying to trace all its beautiful shapes, from her cheeks and nose to those tempting lips.

I bent down a bit, whispering in her ear. ¨No one is going to hurt you again, my princess, you are safe now in my arms.¨ My eyes scanned the room and saw all the doctors and nurses standing around us. There were too many people. She wouldn't feel safe after tonight; my mind was racing, so I picked her up. She was only safe with me.

¨ I am taking her to my room. Any changes, I let you know.¨ I growled at the doctor, sensing he was about to object.

¨But Alpha¨ I heard the doctor saying behind me. ¨I am her mate, and she only needs me; any decision over her, I will take it.¨ I snarled.

¨If the other girl is out of danger, take her to her other friend.¨ I finished and exited, hearing the room saying at the same time. ¨Yes Alpha.¨