Alpha's Surrender

John

"Hmm, well let's see. I heard something about me, pencil, cave. Oh and you trying to sneak out. I'd say that about sums up that conversation." John stated firmly.

"And who made you king-?!" I looked at him with fire lighting the depths building the mental equivalent of a concrete wall around my thoughts. Only he could get under my skin staring at me like that with the expectation that I would bend to his will. He stood with that suit on as fitting for the head of my father's security. His quiff cut, brown eyes that carried glints of gold when he was angry, the 5 o'clock shadow playing out across his jaw bringing him to the fun side of danger. I swear he could look tasty in a paper bag - until he opened his mouth and suddenly every nasty thought disappeared with his patronising tone. Even so - he looked just at home in a pair of dark washed jeans, white tee, leather jacket and straddling his Ducati 950 Multistrada.

John held up his hand and looked me dead in the eyes."Listen, you can argue til you're blue in the face but as your Dad's beta I am responsible for the security of you and every other female in this pack. If something goes wrong on my watch and the Great Mother forbid you end up stolen, taken, kidnapped or worse--. I have to answer to the Council and your Dad. You know how precious each woman is to our race." He tried to reason.

And I did know. I knew better than most. I had become a proxy-midwife to many of my girlhood friends who had given birth to their male cubs but try as we might, we were not giving birth to girls. Or worse yet - they were dying after the first 2 years. No-one could understand why and I had a feeling it was a part of a larger problem.

As the daughter of the alpha my parents had ensured that I had a good education to ensure that I could walk in any and every realm from human, werewolf, fae, and all in between. They had started with our traditions the biggest of which was the Tempus Feminam, the time of the female which brought together packs to celebrate our girls turning 18 and becoming women. It also marked a change in our boys turning to men. Once they reached 18 summers their wolves took on the baser side of our nature and the whispers for power and greed would get louder. The morsu vinculum or bond-bite to the fated mate provided the only respite for our men from the roar for power. The only way to quieten the wolf-voice down was for the males to find their bond-mate.  Mother Earth gifted our kind with preternatural speed, shifting, agility, strength, and wolf-speak with whispers of others having even more individual talents like precognition, dreamwalking, Earth-whispering and much more.

The Council in the mean time made the decree that after our male-kin's 18th Tempus Feminam they would join the electi iuvenes venator. It was always hard to watch our boys change in the space of a week to men with the world on their shoulders, entrusted with the responsibility of keeping the world safe from those without honour - the rogue packs. Rogues were werewolves that had given up on the chance to find their bond-mates and had turned to the call for power seeking death and malevolence among all kinds and were particularly cruel to our women and children. It was like the darker side of the wolf shrunk from any kind of innocence and sought only to destroy the light in our women and children.

"Come on Luna. You know that the women hold our light, and we receive the darker side of our nature. Which means you need to be safe as someone who just turned 25 this is an unsafe time for you to be out--." He reasoned leaving the rest unsaid physically but instead mindspeaking the rest on a private mental pathway "--without being claimed."

And there it was. Those 3 words reminding me that I had gone 7 summers without being claimed. What was wrong with me that no-one had shared my bond?! It was becoming a bit of an in-joke among our pack that I had managed to not have a mate despite every other female managing this feat upon the turn of their 18th birthday. I mean when I looked at myself in my reflection I saw someone who wasn’t unpleasing to the eye. Long midnight black hair that reached my waist, 2 shapely breasts, a rounded stomach, thighs made for running, beautiful mocha skin and more than once I had noticed other males notice my shapely ass. It was something to rest a pint on! I mean I think it was but going 7 years with no mate had left me wondering why on Earth I remained unclaimed. Me. The daughter of the Alpha. I loved my body with its curves and giving heart. It was a testament to the Earth Mother herself and I thanked her every day for the sensations it gave me.

“Yes John, we get it! I have been unclaimed for 7 turns around the sun and remain the only one with no bond-mate.” I yelled physically at him rather than choosing the mental pathway. Tempest was still here sitting next to me and rolling her eyes at the assertion that I was somehow past my prime.

A spinster among wolves! I didn’t think it was a thing but apparently it is! I remember my 18th year at the Tempus Feminam and not getting picked with the look in my mother’s eyes. Initially she had looked at me with empathy but lately her eyes were taking on a watery sheen and she was moaning about the other women-folk having grandcubs and still having empty arms. As if I had a choice in not getting chosen?! Well tonight I was going to rectify that. Come what may - I was bringing home a mate!

Slowly John's face changed from serious to a mischievous grin... What was he planning? Was he going to let me go...? "Ok, I can see you're intent on pushing this endeavour. You can go on one condition; a 20-strong guard."

I should have known he wasn't going to let me get my way. "Fine, female guards, all incognito and blending in to the crowd." I wanted little to no barriers tonight - my she-wolf was howling for some mischief and we were on the prowl for our mate. 

Two could play at this game. I reached over, picked a flower, held it to my nose and inhaled it deeply hoping that it would give me the strength that I had never had the courage to outrightly do but it was now or never. This man had to know where to get off with his overbearing BS! I looked John deadpan into his eyes, "Oh, and John. I make zero apologies for going after what I want tonight. Don't wait up sunshine!" I got up and walked off to get ready. I could hear him yelling at my back.

"Father take me! Luna - don't push your luck. I already said you could--" Too late, I was already out of earshot!

I had shifted into my wolf needing the reprieve from his musky scent. I had ran the couple of km's to get back to my place. Inside I knew John was right to ensure my safety but tonight I felt Mother Earth herself beckoning me. I wondered how no-one else could hear the bass of her heartbeat, the symphony of her waterways trickling deep beneath our feet in the underground aqueducts, the floral scents of bubble gum, the sweet scent of burning salt from the nearby coast wafting on the breeze. How could no-one else feel this joy and want to give in to the harmony, the dance celebrating our very essence?!