True Alphas

Fear who you are to be....

Johnathon watched quietly from his alcove of marble. His red eyes were taking me in again as if he had never seen me before. I waited, Storm kept my back straight and my chin low to the side.

‘I don’t trust him, keep our vital organs covered.’ I tried to hide the smirk that was playing at my lips. John’s eyes shot to my mouth and smirked to himself.

“My apologies, I came around the corner and was struck with a memory of our old pack.” He pulled himself from the alcove and came to stand in front of me. I took in all the medals and awards that I never noticed before that were pinned to his chest. A warrior with a bad attitude. “I didn’t come here immediately after your grandmas attack, I stayed in the territory for a while. I would come to the house and lurk in the forest. You and Quartz would dance in your room late at night, sneak out onto the roof and look at stars…” he trailed off once he realized that I had screwed up my face. 

“Not something to tell your Luna.” I snarled. Storm pulled the image of Owens eyes before dinner. The alpha would not appreciate knowing what his beta could possibly seen while sneaking around. 

“You will be my sister after tomorrow.” Bold. Very, very, bold. I sighed, tired and ready to be back to my room...wherever that was.

“When my sister arrives, do not come anywhere near her. When I feel that you are ready, I will let her go to you.” I swished past him, but not before he dug claws into my arm. I looked at his nails in shock, feeling the points touching the artery in my forearm. Even if it wouldn’t kill me to have them sliced, it would not feel good and would be rendered weak for a long time. 

“Don’t deny me my mate, Luna…” 

“Or what?” I hissed softly. Blood was running down my arm and dropping from my finger tips. The sound of it hitting the floor and the smell of it spilling was very loud and floating around the large hallway. “You need the highest ranking family members blessing to court.” 

Plink….plink….plink…..

“I’ll get it from your grandmother.” He snarled and bore into my eyes, willing to argue. I happily obliged.

“Giving you a blessing would mean that the pups you both bring into the world would have your rank from that pack on them, as you are blood from that pack...meaning the pup would be low blood at home and traceable throughout our family tree back to her. She REALLY didn’t want you near Vitani, but Quartz is royal blood too.” John’s gaze wavered. I had him in the corner and he knew it. I almost felt bad for him. I was lucky to never have met Owen until yesterday, if I had turned 18 and found him, only to be ripped away and not see him for 4 years….i don’t know what I would have done.

Plink….plink….plink….

“Please.” He whimpered in a sudden defeat. I pulled my bloody wrist from his weak hand. Pointing a bloody finger at him as I hissed dangerously.

“You may have proven in 4 years that you are a suitable Beta, but not that you are a suitable husband. Convince me.” I stomped off down the hall. Eventually I found a door that was labeled ‘Luna’. I opened the door to a red room, the carpet, the walls, the bed, all red and splashes of gold. Mees was sat by the fireplace, no longer in her beautiful dress, but a pair of silk pjs. She turned her head as I came in and immediately came to my side to help me out of mine. She had a pair of pjs laid out on the bed for me and helped me into them before putting things away.

"Your highness, you are injured!" She eyed my wrist fearfully. I pulled away from her grasp and she just stared at me.

“Mees, stop. I can take care of myself.” I whispered. She put my dress and jewelry away in a large walk in closet. The closet was filled with beautiful clothes, all my size as I ran my hands along the tags. 

“Brand spanking new!” Mees sighed. I took my jewelry from her and put it in it’s own place along side BRAND NEW jewelry. I was mesmerized again by brand new things. It’s normal for she wolves to not bring anything from home when they are sold off to another pack, but I was not prepared for this. This pack didn’t have to pay a dowry, I was just a bargaining chip for peace. They didn’t have to buy me all of this. Mees snapped in my face making Storm snark, the sound came out of my mouth as a chuff. “Sorry, I know you are not going to want me to wait on you, but it’s all I know how to do. I have also been studying ladies in waiting and I know how to play the part. Also when your sister comes she will be one as well.” I raised an eyebrow at her, Mees was studying how to be a better servant than she already was. But she missed a key part.

“Mees, you do realize that a lady in waiting is not really a servant...but a companion to the princess right?” She thought for a moment and then shook her head. I chuckled softly. “I also have to give you both a blessing in order for you to find a mate.” Mees threw herself down on a small couch in the closet.

“The queen is set on helping me.” I nodded. “What if she can’t?” I sat beside her for a moment. I leaned against the backing, I already knew what I was going to say, but I wanted to pretend like I was searching for the answers. 

“You spent your whole life knowing that you would never shift, if she can then great. But if not then the worst scenario is the same one you have dealt with for years. And if your really want children you can nanny mine?” She snorted. 

“Your children will be terrors.” I smiled at that, maybe, hopefully. I hadn’t put any thought into children yet, this whole process was new to me, never been prepared for it, flying by the seat of my pants and all. 

“We were handed a death sentence...and here we are in silk pjs.” I mused. Mees shook violently and fear creeped into the air. Stories.

“Because somehow you were lucky enough to catch the Alphas eye.” She said through gritted teeth. I wasn’t going to deny that. The whole car ride I had thought about every way we could die, in ways I wasn’t totally convinced that we couldn’t anymore. I held her hand and squeezed. 

“Soon we will be three and we will by allied. Let’s get some rest.” I pulled her out of the closet and sent her off to one of the conjoined rooms. Taking a deep breath I disbursed the immaculate coverings on the large bed. Where would I sleep after the wedding? The bed was much too large for one person, especially a person my size. I pulled the covers up and looked at the ceiling so I could trace the engravements. Eventually this pulled me into sleep where I found myself tormented by images. 

Vitani and I standing face to face on on a large rock face, both covered in blood and ready to run at each other. She was screaming at me but the dream was silent….the image of me was what sent me screaming awake. My eyes were so bright amber that it was almost alien, the wind blowing my midnight hair around me and my skin no longer white, but a grayish blue while my lips were blood red. I just knew I had killed someone. But that wasn’t the part that terrified me….it was the black, jagged, splayed out crown that was on top of my head. 

‘Soraya!’ Storm was screaming in my head. I sat up so fast that my face collided with Mees’ and I laid back down in agony, as did she. Calanthie placed her healing hands on both of our foreheads and the pain quickly subsided as I looked around at the queen, Mees, Johnathon, and guards at my bedside. All of them had shock and worry on their faces.  

Except the queen because of course…

“Are you alright? You were screaming! And your skin!” Mees blurted, eyes wide. I looked at my hands and jumped at the same greyish blue tint of my skin from the dream. Before I screamed the queen covered my mouth. 

“Hush Mees, Soraya you have fully bonded with your second soul and you have found your mate in the last 24 hours. Take a deep breath and do not scream.” Calanthie said breathlessly. I did as she said, happy that Owen was telling the truth about her hair, because it was already to her hips. 

“My skin…” I whispered. The queen was trying to hold a straight composure but her excitement was almost palatable. The energy coming from her was lightening the dark room and making everyone relax. 

“Your skin is normal color, it will only be like that when you and your wolf are forward together. Your eyes will brighten, your skin will darken and you will shift with no pain at all!” I looked at her like she was crazy but Storm was having a field day in my head. 

‘We have premonition!” 

“What’s premonition?” I asked her as well as the people in the room. Johnathon’s eyes snapped to me quickly.

“You can see things before they happen….Soraya you are pale again!” Everyone lurched forward suddenly. My lungs burned and constricted as a panic attack began. Calanthie tried to push warmth into me but it was too far gone. All they could do was hold me down while I bucked and gasped for air. 

“What did you see Soraya!” John asked repeatedly. I just looked at him while I continued to gasp for air. He had a look of pain on his face as he gazed at me. The walls rumbled and dust fell from the ceiling. John kneeled by my side and took my hand. “You need to calm yourself because the alpha can smell your fear in his sleep.” He said urgently. I tried to breath but nothing slipped past my teeth. 

‘What does the alpha smell like?!’ Storm snarled. I shook her from my head but she refused to go. 

‘Concentrate!’ She roared. I closed my eyes and thought back to the throne room. When I took Owens' hand, when he kissed me, when he bent me backwards and grazed my neck, he smelled like wet grass in the hot morning sun, sweet and spicy. I felt the tightness in my chest loosen as I then thought of the heat from his hand in mine, on the small of my back, and clawed through the hair on the back of my head. Eventually hands came off one by one and I was able to sit up slowly and meet the worried gazed. Calanthie glared to the guards. 

“Not a word of this leaves this room or you will both be killed.” They mumbled ‘yes, your majesty.’ Before she dismissed them. Mees ran and got me a robe before she pulled me to the couch in front of the fire. With more focus I realized that the queen was also in her robe as was Mees, and Johnathon was only wearing a pair of pajama pants. 

“What time is it!?” I gasped. Calanthie sat to my other side and patted my thigh. 

“4...but I’m a bit of an early bird.” She whispered warily. Worry marred her forehead as she waited for me to tell her what I saw. I sighed and pushed Storm away so that I could think like a human for a moment.

“I saw Vitani...we were about to fight. I was one with Storm and we were going to kill her. I was wearing a jagged black crown.” Johnathon glanced at the queen, her face gave nothing away, but I could tell that it was frightening to her.

“Is there any sort of clues as to when?” I shook my head. Her scent changed slightly, ever so that no one else could have detected it. I breathed in and out for a moment to avoid another panic attack. 

"Does me wearing the crown mean that you will be dead?" I asked as calmly as I could. The queen grabbed my hand tightly, but I remained together. 

"not necessarily, that crown is yours. When you and Owen are wed...You will be queen. Castian and I will be regents. Owen has been planning that crown for years, like he knew you would come along. Do not worry about what may or may not happen to us. From that day on, you will have the whole pack to worry about." She said sternly. I nodded. "Soraya, war is coming. You have seen it, and every night when you sleep you may see more, the things done to you by your family in your old pack, made you who you are and who you will be. You are no longer a child, you are a luna." She stood slowly, her hair blackening and dropping as she walked. 

"this may sound weird, but I love you...your majesty." I whispered. She stopped, and her hair turned golden again. Tears streamed down my face but I refused to make a noise. 

"You are too good for this world, Soraya. Take care dark one." Calanthie whispered as she closed the door. Mees and I stayed quietly on the couch for a while. Eventually I felt the need to get dressed, My sister would arrive this morning and I needed to look presentable, like it was better here than at home. Mees had the same Idea as she began laying out dresses on the bed. 

'she is a tuned one' Storm mused over the three choices of red gown. 'Lets prepare our selves'