Silver Fate

She ran swiftly between the trees of Sullivan Forest, named after the former Alpha, Henry Sullivan. She deftly dodged trees to her left and right, feeling the wind whip through her hair. She reveled in the joy of running freely through the forest, something she hadn't been able to do in years. She and her family, including her parents and younger sister, had lived their entire lives as part of the Sullivan pack, led now by Henry Sullivan's successor, Heath Ray. Heath was a few years older than her and she remembered him from school, where he was unremarkable and went unnoticed. But on his eighteenth birthday, he discovered his wolf side and gained immense dominance over others. Henry Sullivan's son, Charles, had always believed he would uphold the Sullivan name and take over the Sullivan pack when his father became too weak to lead. Alphas don't lead for long, and usually relinquish their position when they are around forty or fifty years old, depending on their physical strength. Relinquishing a pack usually happens through violent fighting, even when passed down from father to son. The new Alpha must defeat the old Alpha in combat, and these fights usually end in death. However, when the title is passed from father to son, submission is often enough, and this is how it usually happens. The Sullivans had not been challenged by a wolf outside the family for generations, until Heath Ray entered the scene last January. Personally, she didn't have much respect for the Sullivans. Their wild parties, including orgies, and their lack of respect for the laws of the Moon Goddess certainly did not contribute to the status of their Pack. Not that it mattered in these times, with rivals far away; the Sullivans were too lazy to protect their territory by running as a Pack or performing their obligatory tasks. And yet they loudly proclaimed that they were the strongest in the area. By the Goddess, she was glad that Heath had taken over the Pack. She had never really noticed him in school. He was only a few years older than she was, but she remembered that they had a few classes together. For some reason, she could recall that he took quite a few classes from previous years, as if he had gone to school at a late age. But since he took over the Pack, she had seen remarkable changes in him. He was broad, big, and terribly dominant. Everyone was afraid of him, but everyone respected him. A natural Alpha, so to speak. Despite the remarkable four-generation-strong inheritance of the Sullivan family, problems seemed to be arising on several fronts. She no longer believed that they were the strongest. And it was high time that they did something about it. Regain their status in the Pack. Her father had been the Beta of Alpha Henry since she could remember. He received an incredible honour from Heath, who asked her father to continue serving as his Beta until a suitable successor could be found - and her father happily accepted it. His enthusiasm for this gesture spoke volumes about how great he was at what he did, not to mention how it increased his sense of pride. He was still a Beta... She greatly admired her father for the dedication he showed to Henry Sullivan. Although his actions had little power against an Alpha, she honestly believed that the well-being of her pack would have been further suppressed if her father had not always kept Henry in check. The wind carried the cheerful chorus of brotherly and sisterly voices, the song of her pack echoing through the air. To her left, she felt the souls of four other wolves communicating with hers, in perfect harmony; a unique bond that only they could understand and share. Together, their excitement was undeniable - this was truly an incredible moment. She had missed running together as a pack so much... The feeling of strength. Of brotherhood and sisterhood. Everyone looked surprised when Heath stormed into one of the most talked about Sullivan parties to challenge Henry for the Alpha title. He had at least fallen off the radar for two years; many people did not know him and the few who did, did not recognize him anymore. He had grown two heads taller in two years. His upper body was larger and more muscular than that of many other wolves and even without a title, everyone could see that he was blessed by the Moon Goddess to become the new Alpha. His presence commanded respect. Everyone had expected James, Henry Sullivan's eldest son, to become the next Alpha, but no one was saddened when it turned out to be different. James was a good wolf, for sure. A strong warrior. But he lacked that feeling... that feeling of an Alpha. The dominant aura... The natural authority. She found it hard to explain. That aura, which both Henry and Heath had and have. A natural dominance. The duel between Alpha Henry and Heath was long and bloody. Both were covered in blood when Heath emerged victorious - something no one had expected. After an Alpha is declared Alpha, the Moon Goddess grants extra power to the wolf of that Alpha. Extra power that is needed to protect the pack of lower-ranked wolves. Only wolves chosen by the Moon Goddess herself can win a fight against an Alpha. So the fact that a simple Omega - even though Heath wasn’t even that at the time- won against a blessed Alpha... was amazing. Everyone knew that a natural Alpha, one who wasn't born into an Alpha family, was a unique, natural wonder. Something that demands respect. In the past, every pack had its natural Alpha; but back then, the packs were larger. Because the phenomenon of a natural Alpha had become so rare, the Alpha role often passed from father to son. This also prevented the new Alpha from having to kill the old one. If a son won against his father, showing submission was enough. But if a natural Alpha won? Well, whether it had been Heath's choice or not... after the duel, there was little left of Henry Sullivan. It was a terrible spectacle, but everyone knew immediately what they could expect from their new Alpha; protection and brute strength. And let's face it... which wolf didn't respect that? She reached an open clearing in the woods and stopped running. She let out an ecstatic howl to the full moon that illuminated her and her pack members, and soon it was joined by other singing voices. Wolves emerged on either side of her - their howls chorusing with hers, thanking the Moon Goddess for their unity and togetherness. Then she returned to her human form and walked towards her pile of clothes, consisting of simple blue jeans and a plain white shirt. After she got dressed, she continued on her way with her pack members to their pack house. A familiar voice greeted her as she entered the main villa of the Pack - the Alpha's villa. The house where she and her parents lived because of her father's Beta status. The pack hall was large and majestic, large enough to accommodate at least half of their entire pack - which consisted of about five hundred wolves in total. Although they were large compared to other packs in the region, they were not the largest. The royal pack, for example, which lay further to the east, had more than four thousand members. Not that they heard much from them, because of the distance between their packs. But sometimes rumours reached them on the whispering wind. ‘Rue,’ her father called her by name. He grabbed her upper arm and squeezed it just a little too hard. ‘Come with me,’ he hissed. Surprised, she did as he asked. ‘Father?’ she said as she followed him. ‘What's going on?’ He had a serious look in his eyes. They hurried through the warehouse, and her father led her to the Beta quarters, where he listened carefully for any attempts at eavesdropping. Although their human ears weren't as sensitive as those of their wolf, this house was designed with enough privacy so they could have confidential conversations without worry. One of the benefits of having such a high rank within the pack. ‘I spoke with Hea, um... Alpha Ray,’ he began. Rue shook her head and looked at him expectantly. She was very curious about the news he wanted to tell her. He wasn't usually so secretive. ‘He wants to see you, immediately after midnight. Right after the clock strikes twelve and your eighteenth birthday begins.’ Immediately her heart began to race as her thoughts went in all directions. ‘What do you mean?’ she asked her father cautiously, not wanting to make any strange implications. ‘Everyone will see me tomorrow. I'll just come to the packhouse, as usual,’ she continued vaguely, but her innocence was only feigned. She knew exactly what her father was insinuating. ‘Listen to me, child,’ he said. She heard the impatience in his voice. ‘Listen to what I'm really saying. He wants to see you. He thinks you're his soulmate. He wants to claim you as soon as possible, right after the Moon Goddess confirms his expectations.’ Her face twisted in panic - no, it just couldn't be true. She respected the Alpha, yes. She loved him... He was her Alpha. But she had never had feelings for him. Not that Rue had ever spoken to the man, but that was beside the point. In the six months that he had been Alpha, he had never looked her way. Why was he suddenly interested? She had heard stories everywhere. Stories of people who were destined to be together, chosen by the Moon Goddess herself. She always knew there would be a certain spark... Something that would ignite after your eighteenth birthday. But she never felt a spark around Heath. Especially not since he took office last January. And whether they had talked before that, she didn't really know. She had few memories of him. Most people find their wolves around their eighteenth birthday. But she was born into a highly respected family, with centuries-old blood flowing through her veins... And it had its advantages. She found her wolf, Naya, at the age of fourteen. Her parents were destined to be together, they were soulmates. Soulmates are chosen by the Moon Goddess herself to be together. Stories say that once you've found your soulmate, your whole body and mind are drawn to that person. That you live for the other person. That everything takes on a new meaning... Soulmates are known for producing the strongest wolves. Her grandparents were soulmates and so were their parents. Her lineage was known to be strong. And no one was surprised when she discovered her wolf, just a few days after she had bled for the first time as a woman. ‘No,’ she heard Naya say carelessly in her head. ‘No, father,’ she repeated. ‘It's not true. I would have known. Naya would have known.’ ‘It doesn't matter what you know or don't know,’ her father declared the truth. ‘Get ready, comb your hair.’ He picked up a strand of silver-white hair and carefully laid it over her shoulder. ‘Just after the clock strikes midnight, he wants you to come to his room.’ Without waiting for her answer, he kissed her forehead and left her alone.