His Luna

Mark

“So, I was on my night run, and apparently, I used the path in the forest, near the warehouse.” Draken was nearing the back door and he could still feel the presence of the unknown entity outside the hall.

“There was a full moon last night…” Alejandro unintentionally muttered. His words hung in the air like a fragile thread, causing a ripple of unease to spread among the gathered pack members. It was a realization that shook the very foundation of their understanding, for they had meticulously calculated the phases of the moon, and a full moon was not part of the expected cycle.

Every member of the pack, except the Alpha who went on his daily night run, didn’t know that a full moon would occur last night. They already calculated the days of when the moon would be present, and last night, it shone so brightly at midnight. Only the people who were awake and stayed outside knew that a full moon occurred for minutes and later, was hidden by the dark clouds.

“A full moon?” Draken asked him. He acted as if he didn’t know it has occurred last night. He, therefore, concluded that the man went out last night.

"As far as we have known, there was no full moon," Draken echoed, his voice tinged with skepticism. The murmurs of agreement rippled through the room, the pack members exchanging puzzled glances.

But one voice rose above the rest, breaking the uneasy silence. It belonged to an elderly pack member, Alejandro, his weathered face etched with determination. He had witnessed the celestial display, the fleeting illumination of the night sky.

"I saw it too," the old man declared, his voice firm and unwavering. "The full moon shone brightly last night, even if only for a few minutes before the clouds concealed its radiance." Gasps filled the room, the pack members grappling with the discrepancy between Alejandro's assertion and the truth that had been unveiled. The old man's revelation shattered the fragile façade of deceit, leaving Alejandro exposed.

The vast hall buzzed with hushed whispers and curious glances, as Alejandro stood in the center, his words hanging in the air. The revelation he had just shared had sent shockwaves through the pack, casting a shadow of doubt and suspicion over his actions. The tragic incident that had unfolded the previous night, near the bustling warehouse where trade thrived, had claimed the life of a member from their very own ranks—a soldier whom Alejandro had personally selected as the potential mate for his beloved daughter.

The weight of the situation settled upon Alejandro's shoulders, the scrutiny in the eyes of his pack members intensifying with each passing moment. They questioned why he had been absent on the fateful night, unaware that tragedy had befallen their pack under the veil of darkness. Alejandro himself was oblivious to the events that had unfolded, unaware of the peril that had taken place mere footsteps away.

The warehouse had served as a hub for trade between their pack and the neighboring Trowbridge pack, a connection that had fostered prosperity and camaraderie. However, it seemed that amidst the bustling commerce and friendly exchanges, a sinister plot had silently woven its web. The death of the soldier, chosen to stand by Alejandro's daughter as her potential life partner, was not merely an act of violence but a targeted strike against their pack's unity and security.

As Alejandro absorbed the accusatory gazes, his mind raced with a mixture of confusion, guilt, and anger. He had entrusted the soldier with the future of his daughter, blissfully unaware of the treacherous fate that awaited him. The weight of responsibility bore down upon him, a leader burdened with the repercussions of his choices.

“Why are you out last night?” Alpha Draken asked him.

Draken's eyes narrowed as he observed Alejandro's unease. The weight of their conversation hung heavy in the air, mingling with the palpable tension of an unknown presence lurking just beyond the hall. He could sense his apprehension, a mixture of guilt, fear, and desperation. Leaning forward, Draken placed both hands on the wooden table, his gaze fixed on Alejandro. The flickering candlelight cast eerie shadows across the room, mirroring the shadows of their past and the secrets they held. "I went to check for my daughters," Alejandro stammered, his voice betraying his nervousness. His eyes darted around the room, avoiding Draken's piercing gaze. The old man's explanation offered only a glimpse into the depths of his actions, leaving the full truth shrouded in uncertainty. Draken's instincts told him that there was more to the story, a web of secrets and connections waiting to be unraveled. He had witnessed the undeniable bond between Alejandro's daughter and the fallen soldier, sensing a connection that surpassed mere camaraderie. The pieces of the puzzle began to fall into place, painting a picture of forbidden love and tragic consequences.

As Alpha, Draken bore the responsibility of safeguarding the pack's interests and ensuring its continued prosperity. Alejandro, despite his grievous missteps, held a vital role as a trade liaison, facilitating the acquisition of essential supplies during a time of scarcity. To cast him aside without a suitable replacement would jeopardize the pack's well-being. While his initial instinct was to condemn the man for his despicable actions, Draken recognized the delicate balance that needed to be maintained within the pack.

“You check for your daughters?” Draken asked him again.

The old man trembled as he pinched his hands.

“My…my pregnant daughter was having some contraction due of course, to his pregnancy. I…I personally went to the pack’s healer and asked for something just to ease the pain that my daughter is under…” Alejandro was saying the truth. But no one knew that he impregnated his daughter, that’s what she thought about.

It was known to the pack that his daughter was impregnated by Alejandro’s soldier, the same soldier who was killed last night.

“You didn’t ask any of your household’s servants?”

“I asked some of them Alpha…but I didn’t let them get to the healer alone, I was with them.”

“Did they also see that a full moon occurred last night?” Someone from the men inside asked the old man.

Draken's heart pounded in his chest as he swiftly left the hall, his instincts screaming at him to seek safety. He knew that something sinister lurked in the darkness, an unknown entity that had invaded their sanctuary. He had anticipated a confrontation with a were-human or a human adversary, but what he encountered was far more elusive and enigmatic.

As he stepped into the dimly lit hallway, silence enveloped him like a shroud. The only source of illumination came from the flickering torches mounted on the stone walls, casting dancing shadows that seemed to mock his unease. Draken's heightened senses honed in on every sound, every subtle shift in the air, as he sought to identify the elusive presence that lingered.

His gaze darted from one end of the corridor to the other, his wolfish instincts alert and ready to react. There, at the farthest end, where the path curved towards the castle's tunnel, he caught a glimpse of movement—a fleeting shadow that seemed to materialize out of thin air.

Draken's heart raced as he reentered the hall, his mind preoccupied with the shadow he had glimpsed in the darkness of the hallway. It had vanished as quickly as it had appeared, leaving him with an unsettling sense of foreboding. His eyes scanned the room, searching for any sign of disturbance or unusual activity. The men inside, including Sam, exchanged puzzled glances, their curiosity piqued by Draken's sudden departure and return.

"I had to check for something," Draken explained, his voice steady despite the underlying urgency in his words. He couldn't afford to reveal the true nature of his concern to the pack just yet. There was too much at stake, and he needed to gather more information before causing unnecessary panic.

Alejandro, still grappling with his own inner turmoil, nodded, sensing that there was more to Draken's sudden departure than met the eye.

He didn’t know if it was the first time that he saw the shadow as it brought him a familiar emotion and feeling inside. Draken didn’t even know if the entity is plotting against the pack, or if it is with the pack.

Alejandro, aware of Draken's distraction, hesitated for a moment before gathering his thoughts. The weight of their previous discussion still lingered, but now the focus shifted to the strange happenings surrounding the moon.

"I must confess, Alpha Draken," Alejandro began, his voice betraying a mixture of unease and curiosity. "My servants also caught sight of the full moon last night, but it was an unexpected occurrence. We had no prior knowledge or indication that the moon would reveal its radiant form on that particular night." Draken's brows furrowed as he absorbed Alejandro's revelation. The unforeseen appearance of the full moon raised a host of questions, fueling the growing sense of uncertainty that pervaded the pack.

Draken's interest was piqued. The unusual presence of a full moon, contrary to the expected lunar cycle, mirrored his own observations. The threads of uncertainty began to intertwine, forming a tangled web of suspicion.

"Did you notice any unfamiliar happenings last night?" Draken probed, his eyes searching Alejandro's face for any signs of insight.

Alejandro's brow furrowed, his expression reflecting a mix of confusion and concern. "Nothing, Alpha. Just the moon. It was so bright and full... I didn't even know it would be present last night."

Draken's instincts sharpened, his mind drawing connections between the shadow, the enigmatic full moon, and the potential threat that loomed over their pack. He couldn't dismiss the eerie feeling that had accompanied the moon's radiance, as if it heralded a forthcoming calamity.

Draken stood before Alejandro, his gaze steady as he inquired about the Alpha's daughter. The weight of Alejandro's secret hung heavily in the air, casting a shadow over their conversation. Alejandro, his features marred by shame and remorse, struggled to meet Draken's penetrating stare.

"She was... uhm, doing good, Alpha," Alejandro replied, his voice laced with a mixture of guilt and resignation. "The healer told me that she would give birth in the next month."

In the depths of Alejandro's heart, there lay a forbidden desire, an insidious longing that he had redirected toward his own daughter. The resemblance between his daughter and his late wife had served as a painful reminder of what he had lost, a cruel twist of fate that had entangled their lives in an unthinkable way.

Alejandro's wife, the love of his life, had been tragically taken from him eight years ago in a brutal attack orchestrated by the Wolfsbane, a group of rogue werewolves bent on chaos and destruction. The grief and yearning he felt for his wife had become intertwined with his daughter's existence, blurring the lines between paternal love and a misguided attempt to fill the void left by his wife's absence.

"Where are your daughters?" Draken suddenly asked. He knew that even if Alejandro was engrossed with the pack's happenings, the old man always made sure to never let his daughter go out of their household.

"Where are your daughters?" Draken's voice held a sense of urgency, demanding an immediate answer. He couldn't ignore the nagging feeling in his gut, the intuition that something was amiss, that Alejandro's daughters were not where they were supposed to be.

Alejandro, taken aback by the suddenness of the question, stumbled over his words in an attempt to explain. "Alpha... they're in the house, as they should be. They rarely venture outside, and I ensure their safety with utmost diligence."

"I see," Draken replied, his tone tinged with both acceptance and doubt. His mind raced with possibilities, each one more unsettling than the last.

"I-I can assure you that the child my daughter is bearing is in good hands...as a future member of the pack, I-I am doing my best to keep them safe." Draken knew that there was more reason why the old man was doing his best to never let his children go out of their place, and that is because of the pregnant one. Draken observed Alejandro closely as he stuttered out his assurance regarding the well-being of his daughter and the unborn child. The Alpha sensed that there was a deeper layer to Alejandro's protectiveness, a hidden reason why he was adamant about keeping his children confined within the pack's premises. It wasn't solely for the sake of their safety within the pack, but something more personal and intricate. The weight of unspoken secrets hung in the air, the tension between them palpable. Draken's mind raced, his instincts urging him to dig deeper, to uncover the truth behind Alejandro's veiled protectiveness.