Hidden Stregnth: The Alpha amongst Wolves

2

Third-person Pov

Aria has been traveling for three days now. Her lycan Mia tells her that she is close but the fear of not being able to get her daughter to safety before Valor finds them keeps her on edge. She tries to reassure herself that giving up her daughter is the best scenario. Aria knows it's better than her being raised by her sadistic father.

As the hours dragged on. Aria could feel herself getting closer to an unknown pack territory. “Go to the southeastern side of the territory. That’s where we have to leave her. She will be found quickly.” Mia said to Aria.

“Are you sure this is the place to leave her?” Aria questioned her lycan.

“Yes, this is where Mother Luna has guided me too. There is also a lake at the end of the territory that’s where we can wash off her scent. Now move.”

Aria, with more confidence and less worry, pushed forward doing just what Mia told her to do and before long it was time to leave her baby girl behind. With tears in her eyes and guilt in her heart, she left the baby on the southeastern border with nothing but a blanket and two letters she had written. She kissed her baby girl on the head and left her snuggled under a tree about a half mile into the territory. Aria glanced back at her baby girl knowing that this would be the last time she saw her so she wanted to engrave her features in her mind.

As she turned and hurried away, she was afraid that she would not be able to get out of the territory. Afraid that the pack might have already been alerted to her presence. She knew that wolves were on high alert right now.

The blood moon had hung high in the sky for three days. It was quite strange. The sun had seemingly disappeared. This created an ominous and eerie feeling among the wolves. I dare say many believed the blood moon was a myth. A bedtime story parents told. What’s even stranger is that never has she ever heard of one lasting this long.

Aria made it to the river’s edge, taking a deep breath before slowly lowering herself into the water. Attempting to be as quiet as she possibly could. Once she was sure her little girl’s scent was gone, and they wouldn’t smell her she gathered herself and left the territory. She knew what she had to do, and she was ready.

Jordyn Pov

The blood moon has had our pack on edge for several days. The pack has been put on lock down by the alpha’s orders. Alpha Chris is unsure of what the blood moon’s foreboding presence will bring to us. So unsure that all available warriors have been taking round the clock shifts to guard the perimeter.

We moved cautiously through the forest that was now bathed in a deep red hue with an unsettling glow that gave off an eerie feeling. All of us are on high alert for any threat that emerges.

"I've never seen anything like this," Chris muttered, glancing up at the sky. "The legends say a blood moon brings omens of great change."

"Yeah," Jake added, his voice tense. "My grandmother used to tell stories about blood moons. Said they were signs from the Goddess, warnings of danger or significant events."

Jordyn nodded, feeling the weight of their words. "We need to stay sharp tonight. Who knows what this could mean for us?"

Blake, another member of the patrol, chimed in. "Do you think it has anything to do with the recent disturbances in the territory? More rogue sightings, unexplained tracks... It's like everything's been building up to something."

"Could be," Jordyn replied. "The blood moon might be a sign that something big is about to happen. We need to be ready for anything."

Everyone went silent long enough for me to get lost in thought. It’s been about a month since I have been out on patrol with the guys. The gamma told me that I could take more time if I needed it. But with this whole blood moon thing going on I needed to be with my men. Plus being in the house surrounded by what could have been only fuels my anger. On the night that should have been the second-best night of my life, Selene took all that I loved away from me.

“Hey man are you with us?” Chris asks me. I simply nod my head trying to stay focused and keep my mind off of them.

“How have things been since I've been gone?” I ask no one in particular.

“You mean since Matt has been in charge of things? Horrible. He doesn’t like anyone of us because we are, and I quote Jordyn’s pets.” Jake answered me sounding just like Matt.

I crack up laughing as do the other two guys with us. “Oh, come on it couldn’t have been that bad guys.” I say knowing that it very well could be. Matt has always been resentful because I was chosen to be the gamma’s second in command when it comes to our pack warriors. Matt believed that since he is the Gamma's cousin he deserved the position without much hard work.

Blake snorts his reply and Chris says, “Now you know the power has gone to his head and now that you are back he’s not going to step back into the shadows.”

“Seriously. What has been doing that’s so horrible?” I questioned them.

“He doesn’t think we can do our jobs properly. He was constantly changing around people’s patrol shifts and not telling certain people he did so. He expects us to just know. Which leads to not enough warriors being on patrol. He has been micromanaging the elite warrior team because he just believes we only got our positions because we are your friends.” Chris replies to me with disdain clear in his tone.

I responded with a frustrated sigh as we walked in silence until we started to hear the softest baby cries I had ever heard. Without missing a beat, we all ran towards the sounds.

It did not take us long to locate the sound. In the woods tucked in a light blue blanket at the trunk of a big tree was a baby. As we got closer the louder the cries got. Almost as if the baby knew we were there.

“Search the area. Whoever left this child needs to be held accountable.” I said to the others.

I was standing there just staring into the hazelnut eyes of this innocent child when Jake came up to me. He tapped me on the shoulder and said softly “Man, are you okay? We can manage this if we need to.”

I looked around and all the guys looked worried as they stood watching me. I cleared my throat before responding. “Yeah, I’m good. I’m going to take her to the Luna while you guys search for the person who left her here.”

How can someone be so cruel to leave an infant in the middle of the woods? I thought to myself as I began to walk towards the pack house. About halfway there I realized that this baby might need medical care, so I turned right and headed for the pack’s hospital.