True Alphas

The Daughters of Candaroon Mountain

Mees straightened my hair slowly, keeping too close of tabs on me for some reason. Over the last couple of hours she acted as though I would disappear or maybe disintegrate before her eyes. I felt so different now, like the world was watching me. The world didn’t know about me yet, my arrival and now my sister's arrival was kept under wraps for the moment, but soon when  we have both settled in the world would know. I clenched my fingers in the silky red fabric that clung to my legs securely. I opted for the tighter fitting dress, business like, less fairy tale princess to both Storm and Mees dismay. 

‘But you are a princess, Soraya.’ She rumbled behind my ears. I could see her now, curled up in a ball with her tail over her nose. Eyes and ears above the fluff to watch the show in front of my own eyes. The image made me sad, like she was trapped in my head until I wanted to free her. 

‘I’ll be a queen in less than a month.’ I whispered to her. She lifted her head from the fluffy ball and gave me a look. 

`And I am not trapped, Soraya. I feel and see and smell everything that you do, always have and always will. The only difference now is that we bridged a communication, with no radio static that drives you insane and makes me feral. You will feel the same when we shift.’ She dropped her head again and began to snore. 

“Soraya, it's time to go down stairs.” Mees whispered and waved in my face. 

Calathie was in the doorway looking as perfect as she did when we first met, but I could smell the fear that still clung to her. What her face hid I could SMELL. “I’ll see you later, my dear.” I nodded to her as she left before standing to look in the mirror. 

The dress was long sleeved, but fell off my shoulders and hugged me tightly to my knees. Red as newly spilled blood. As I placed a heel on I realized that they were a slightly different shade of red. I huffed at Mees in amusement as I searched the stocked closet for something else. I picked a pair of heeled boots that were black in color. I liked them better than the shoes from yesterday, more support for my ankles. I made my way out my door to see a rough looking Johnathon, I pulled my arm away as he reached for it. 

“We are not doing this today.” I hissed slowly. “I meant what I said and no amount of whimpering is going to change my mind. My sister and I have been through too much for me to allow you and your perversius attitude near her before I'm sure that you will treat her right.” He was quiet for a while before he sighed and followed behind me. 

“I was hoping that what happened in your chambers would help you to see the kind of man I am...what kind of man would harm his mate?” He whispered softly as we were met by two more guards, both of which were also a part of the night's situation. Storm of course let me deal with this situation alone. 

“I was sure that the queen had warned not to speak about that beta….” I was aware that the other guards flinched. “But we live in a world where there are rumors of mad kings that kill their wives after they bear an heir to the throne...as well as momentary mates and mates under the moon.” I left it at that. My sister's safety was my biggest concern. 

But once I was in front of Owen, nothing else really mattered. His blonde hair was slightly longer than the night before which led me to believe that he harbored some of his mothers power. His green eyes met mine and I could look nowhere else. I took his arm when it was offered to me as maids and servants ran around like crazy. It slightly alarmed me that someone had the car that my sister was arriving in on a GPS tracker. It was 15 minutes out from the city. Owen squeezed my hand gently. 

“I am aware that your sister may have some reservations about me, I will only geet her with you, then you have full roam of the grounds.” I wasn’t sure what my face was saying to him when his eyes softened. “You didn’t trust me when you arrived, and I am not her mate. It’s going to take more time for her to adjust than you.”

“Not so sure that she is either…” John chuckled. Owen shot him a look as we walked out the front doors to the magnificent steps. I also gave him a look as he tried to follow. The look on his face almost made me rethink my decision, but I had to remain stern. If I changed my mind so easily then the world would fall apart with me at the head. Halfway down the steps we stopped. Part of me wished that Mees was here so that there were more women than big scary men to greet Quartz. The black car rolled up almost as soon as we had stopped, one of the guards shooting forward to open the door. 

Did a guard do that for us?

``We were a little too mesmerized by the beauty of such an apocalyptic place.’ Storm yawned. I rolled my eyes. 

Quartz stepped out in just as nice of a dress as I had, but it was one of her own. It was light pink like the stone she was named after, and said stone was every piece of jewelry that she had on her person. Her fiery red hair was braided back with the head band that our mother had to have given her before her first run. But nestled underneath it was mine. I gasped at the abrupt color change in her hair and my heart ached. What trouble could she have gotten in if that was found? She was looking around so wildly, walking so weirdly that she hadn’t realized I was there. 

“Quartz.” I called softly. Her eyes snapped to mine instantly and she straightened up to move in her normal graceful way. My movements were described as weak and closed, but she was taught how to be the heir since she was born, just like Vitani. She reached me quickly and pulled me into a hug that I drew out as my worry evaporated with her salty mountain scent. Her eyes never left Owen. 

“Soraya, you look well.” She said, still eyeing him carefully as well as his hand placement just above my hips. I turned her face towards mine, making her meet my eyes. 

“It's only been 48 hours, sister. No harm could have came to me.” I turned to Owen then. “Sister, this is Owen, Son of Sun, and the future king.” He smiled and bowed to her. My breath was taken at the fluidity and grace of him. I could never look so right for the title of his wife, let alone reigning queen by his side. 

“And soon to be brother-in-law. Welcome to our home Quartz, I will leave you girls to get settled.” He kissed my temple, triggering my eyes to close. Quartz watched this with interest, and then his back with less distrust. 

“Oh dear sister, what the hell is going on here?” I laughed at her blatant disbelief. I ran my arm through hers and ascended the stairs in the direction Owen had gone, but pulled her along the side of the main arch way to get to the back ponds. “Your scent is slightly different.” 

“That is because Owen is not just my arranged mate, but he is my mate under the moon. Let me tell you, it is terrifying what your body does when you meet that person.” I laughed. She chuffed as we walked along the pool. She reached for a lily pad, sadness in her face that reminded me that she had already met her mate, when she was too young to reciprocate but not too young to feel the connection. “Quartz, I have to tell you something….and I need you to trust me that it is in your best interest.” She looked at me quizzically but allowed me to sit next to her. Very bad dress choice, I couldn't breathe. 

“Mother told me that when the letter arrived, It said that the Prince requested the second born daughter as well. Grandmother said he probably killed you, she wasn’t going to send Vitani.” I rolled my eyes. 

“I know the letter was vague, but I can promise you, the queen is glorious and the king keeps respectful distance. I don’t feel totally at home yet, but I don’t feel in danger and you won’t be either…..Your mate is here, but I need you to steer clear of him until I'm sure he is safe.” Her fingers trailed along the lilly for a minute. I wondered what was going through her head, surprise or anger. Either emotion would be warranted. 

“If Owen is safe then why would my mate not be?” She asked. She didn’t look at me, to hide her emotions because she didn’t have my skills in doing so. Grandmother would have yanked her chin around and forced her to look deep in her eyes. I was not Marie Of Silence. 

“He has a very rough demeanor. One that reminds me too much of home in such a warm place like this.” I mused. She still stood without looking at me. “Today I saw the pain that my words had caused him, but I will not let him know that I feel for him. You, Quartz, and Mees, are the only two people that mean anything to me here and I have to protect you at all costs.” She turned and glared at me. 

“And what about Owen?” She stated, I could see her inner turmoil and smell her excitement. I just raised an eyebrow at her. Her resolve quivered a little. 

“Do you think Owen needs me to protect him? He is an Alpha male, He radiates fear into other wolves. Jonathan, He has almost as much power but not quite. As you move through the castle, just that thin line of connection makes people step out of your way.” She snorted at my words, she finally sat down on the edge of the pool and watched the lights of the city over the railing. 

“You have been gone forty eight hours sister, Already you have grown into the Alpha you were supposed to be at home.”

“At home…” I mused again. The word felt dirty in our mouths. “I think this is where I was supposed to be all along. Calanthie told me that I am a True Alpha. My weakness was not a weakness, but that grandmother fostered it into one. The minute she put her hand on my face, the pain, headache, and fogginess cleared.” I looked at my sister who was so invested that her eyes betrayed the secret. Behind her eyes was a cream colored wolf with Quartz eyes begging to be called to. 

“So it's just gone?” She asked, a hitch in her voice. I smiled and let the storm come forward. My inner beast made quick work of changing my skin to the blue grey and Quartz baulked. 

“This is Storm. We are a separate conscious, to make decisions with separate emotions. She is feral and I am practical.” 

“And therefore the choices made will not only be made out of animalistic tendencies..” She finished. I nodded. She smiled evilly. “Grandmother messed up didn’t she?” I nodded again. 

“I can see that You had a good run, and met your wolf.'' She ignored my poking for a moment. She didn't want to tell me that she was the same as me, a part of her didn't want it to be true because of the harassment that I had endured. 

“Her name Is Crystal. I have ignored her since my run, but she sifted through my memories and played them over and over.” I smiled as Storm went down into me again. 

“Storm did that over and over, Grandmother pushed me into who I was in the mountains and I wish I had spent the whole of that part of life getting to know her. I was so disappointed and made to feel like I was the disappointment that I couldn't bring myself to let her out. I was scared to shift because I had no control there and everyone thought I was insane.” 

Quartz remained silent for a while, I assumed that she was thinking about John. I had to put my own thoughts in order, telling him to stay away from her was one thing. I couldn't hurt her by telling her she wasn't allowed to meet him. I would let them meet but not any more. He first had to prove to me a gentlemen and not be rude or over powering. 

"I was afraid of what grandmother would think. The minute I heard Crystal speak I shut her down, I didn't tell a soul." She looked at me with those pink tinted eyes then. "What do I do?"

"You talk, and figure out how to live together. Surrender some control but be sure to maintain control. Especially because I am going to allow you to meet Johnathon....and when the souls see each other they will be hard to control." I said sternly. She watched me very closely for a moment. 

"So I have to obey you here?" I nodded evilly. 

"I am now your Luna, and you are both my beta female and my lady in waiting. You cannot marry nor mate without my permission.....Are you ready to enter this world"