The Alpha's Pride

4

“Does this place look familiar to you?” Noir questioned me casually as we stood at the forest edge.

A small sleepy village lay before us, the sun just beginning to provide warmth from the cold night that came before. Scattered chimneys were puffing out their exhaust from the fire burning within.

“Of course, I know this place,” I spoke quietly, my eyes slipping to the ground. I dug my foot lightly into the field of grass.

“This is where you met your first and only human.” Noir agreed, pleased I had remembered the location. “When were you last here?”

“When Maggie died, so. I don’t know 9 years ago?” I scratched the back of my head, attempting to somehow uncover the information buried within my mind.

“We will be training here for a while. We need to make sure you are ready to take this mission on.” His casual demeanour stayed within his stoic face. However, his eyes burned into my soul.

“What are you gonna get me to do, anyway? You’re being secretive about this whole thing. You didn’t even tell mom or me.”

“I’ll tell you when we can be sure that no one will hear us.” He slightly growled, quickly composing himself. “Common. I got the keys to your mother’s cabin.”

The lake our cabin looked out on had been built while we were gone. What was once wilderness, now has mansions upon its shoreline. Boats dotted the lake's glassy surface.

The cabin, however, was a memory of its past. It stood ahead of a large acreage of the forest, bending around the cabin in a tight half-circle. Everything looked overgrown. Bushes were beginning to climb the columns. In some places, the fence was completely taken over by greenery. Though the painting was slightly faded and the plants grew long, the cabin looked the same as I remember. Its cottage roof sloped over the deck. The old wooden stairs creaked heavily under our weight. Noir pulled open the storm door, releasing a creak. He shoved the key into the locked doorknob, turning until a click released the lock from its hold.

The cabin has been covered in dust since our last visit years ago. The lights flickered on for the first time in years. I felt nostalgia hit me as I looked upon the living area. The navy velvet couch still held one of my mother's blankets, slung over the back casually. The plates from breakfast were still resting on the dishcloth. If it wasn’t for the dust that covered the home, it would look as if we had only left hours ago.

“Have a seat.” Uncle Noir commanded me. I sat on one of the dining chairs while he wiped the dust off of the table with a cloth. He then sat across from me, clasping his hands.

“We will have to begin with speed and stealth.” He spoke casually. “We will then graduate to combat and charisma.” He nodded to himself. “But getting you in proper shape is the priority.”

“Well. Are we alone? So can you finally tell me what I’m doing? It’s obvious no one’s been here for years, so we won’t be bugged.” I tried again, slightly more firmly this time. Noir sighed to himself, leaning back into the chair. The chair groaned beneath his weight.

"I'm working for the Dark Raven pack." He began, looking up at me, his head bowed. I nodded my head in response, waiting to hear more.

"What do they want?" I asked, cutting the silence. For the first time in a long time, Noir was reluctant to speak or release much information. Yet I pressed on.

"The Dark Raven pack has found out that the Dean of a human college has a photograph of the Alpha's daughter changing."

"Like her clothes?"

"No. Into a wolf." I paused for a long moment, letting his words sink into my mind.

"But. That photo will cause havoc. It could very well cause us to go extinct." I spoke nervously, looking at Noir for comfort.

This was very, very bad. If this photo got out, our lives would be destroyed. We would be systematically killed. The few that managed to survive would become test subjects. We will be tortured for the selfish gains of humans.

"So. what can I do about it?"

Frankly, I was confused. Sure, I was the Demon Alpha's son. But I didn't get any of her powers. There was nothing special about me. In fact, I often trailed behind everyone else in everything Wolf. They could have chosen so many other people. The leader of combat would be able to get the photos back with minimal causalities. Yet for some reason, they picked me.

"What do you mean?" Noir c****d his head to the side in a mixture of confusion and concern.

"Uncle Noir, The fact of the matter is that there's nothing special about me. I'm just an average wolf. Why put the future of all wolves in my hands instead of someone else?"

"You're wrong," Noir spoke simply and casually, his eyes softening slightly. "You just don't know your power yet. You haven't trained it to come out. Of course, you don't think you're special, you didn't put in the effort to learn it. That's why I will teach you. When we're done, you'll be better than all of those guys." He gave me his usual casual grin.

"So, how are we getting this photograph back?" I attempted to change the subject.

"I've enrolled you in a college. The dean is the head of it. You have to get close to the dean's daughter and give me the opportunity to steal the photograph back. Preferably by obtaining a rapport and becoming close with security." Noir nodded to himself, proud of the plan he had come up with. Instead, I felt the pressure of saving the entirety of the wolves. If I didn't do this right, everyone would die. In a way, it would be all my fault.

"So." Noir cleared his throat, taking me from my thoughts. "Let's get started on stealth training."