Chapter 2An Alpha's Duty. ( part 1)
807 Words
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Chapter 2
An Alpha's Duty
Raymond's POV (Part 1)
The cheers from the Awakening Ceremony still echoed across the pack grounds as I stood alone on the balcony of the Alpha Mansion.
Below me, warriors laughed around blazing bonfires while families celebrated the awakening of their children. Music drifted through the cool night air, but I found no joy in it.
Tonight should have been a night of celebration.
Instead, an uneasy feeling settled in my chest.
I couldn't stop thinking about the girl who had fled the ceremony in tears.
Lyra Willow.
The entire pack had watched as the Moon Goddess remained silent when she touched the Moon Stone.
No wolf.
No mate.
No blessing.
I had never witnessed anything like it.
Even the oldest elders looked shaken.
"What could have caused something like that?" I murmured to myself.
A knock sounded behind me.
"The Alpha King wishes to see you," a guard announced.
I nodded.
"I'll be there shortly."
Straightening my ceremonial jacket, I made my way through the long stone corridors of the mansion. The walls were decorated with portraits of every Alpha who had ruled the Crescent Moon Pack for generations.
Soon, one of those portraits would be mine.
Or so I had always believed.
The guards outside my father's study bowed as I approached.
"You may enter."
I pushed open the heavy wooden door.
My father stood by the large window overlooking the village, his hands clasped behind his back.
Without turning, he said, "Close the door."
I obeyed.
For several moments, silence filled the room.
Finally, he spoke.
"Do you know why I asked you here?"
"I assumed it was about the ceremony."
He turned to face me, his expression unreadable.
"It is about your future."
I frowned.
"My future?"
He walked to his desk and picked up an old leather-bound document sealed with the Alpha's crest.
"When I became Alpha, I swore an oath before the Moon Goddess."
"I know the oath."
"No," he replied firmly. "You know only part of it."
He placed the document on the desk.
"There is another tradition. One that has guided this pack for centuries."
I remained silent.
"The Alpha of the Crescent Moon Pack must rule beside a Luna."
"I understand."
"Do you?"
His sharp gaze locked onto mine.
"Because you have shown no interest in finding a wife."
I sighed quietly.
"My responsibilities have always come first."
"And that," he replied, "is exactly the problem."
He folded his arms.
"A ruler who stands alone is vulnerable."
"I don't need a wife to lead."
"You are wrong."
His voice echoed through the room.
"Strength alone does not make a great Alpha."
I clenched my jaw.
"I've trained my entire life for this position."
"And you have done well."
His tone softened.
"No one questions your strength, your intelligence, or your loyalty."
He paused.
"But the pack needs stability."
"It needs heirs."
"It needs a Luna."
I looked away.
Marriage had never interested me.
Not because I disliked the idea.
I simply believed it would happen naturally one day.
There had always been more important things to focus on.
Training.
Protecting the borders.
Preparing to lead.
My father stepped closer.
"I am growing older."
The words surprised me.
He had never admitted such a thing before.
"When the next full moon rises," he continued, "I intend to step down."
I blinked.
"So soon?"
He nodded.
"It is time."
A spark of determination ignited inside me.
Everything I had worked toward...
Everything I had sacrificed...
It was finally within reach.
Then my father shattered that hope.
"But you will not become Alpha..."
My heart skipped.
"...unless you are married before the next full moon."
The room fell silent.
I stared at him in disbelief.
"What?"
"You heard me."
"You're serious."
"I have never been more serious."
Anger flared inside me.
"You never mentioned this condition."
"I assumed you understood your responsibilities."
"I understand them perfectly."
"No."
He shook his head.
"You understand leadership."
"You do not yet understand sacrifice."
I took a slow breath, trying to control my temper.
"There isn't enough time."
"There is exactly one month."
"That's impossible."
"Nothing is impossible for an Alpha."
I laughed bitterly.
"You expect me to find a woman, court her, and marry her within one month?"
"I expect you to put the pack before yourself."
His words hung heavily in the air.
"If you refuse," he said calmly, "I will name another successor."
My blood ran cold.
Another successor?
There was only one person he could mean.
My cousin, Victor.
A capable warrior.
But reckless.
Arrogant.
A man who ruled through fear instead of respect.
"The pack deserves better than Victor," I said.
"Then prove you deserve to lead it."
My father turned away, signaling the conversation was over.
"You have until the next full moon."
- Writer
