The Prophesied Claim

The Prophecy

"Possibly, you left a few things out when you told me about this wolf business," I comment nonchalantly as we walk to Alec's truck.

"You think that'd have made it easier?" He questions, "In between the bean bags, the blind date, and your ex-fiance I should've been like hey, girl how'd you like to be the answer to my people's problems? I've got a prophecy with your name on it and my stiff d**k says you're the one?"

I burst into laughter.

"What I thought was maybe take the slow approach. You know, explain a bit at a time before jumping into a prophecy, but Finn has other ideas. He's thinking of the bigger picture, not just you or us, but the entire family."

Alec starts the truck as I digest this bit of information, "So, Finn is what? Obviously your father, but is he like the head werewolf in charge? Like the Pope of wolves?"

"Something like that. You've heard of alpha males?"

"Sure. Like super brotalk for "thinks he has the biggest dick.""

His laughter fills the cab of the truck, and I admire the way it lightens the tension from his face, "Not quite. More like the man in charge. Finn's the Alpha of the family. All those guys you just met, they're all under his command. All family. All an American branch of Ossory wolves."

"Ahh," the light begins to dawn, "So Owen telling Donald you're Finn's son was to what, warn him to back off or get the s**t kicked out of him?"

"Essentially. Donald's here from another pack. We're supposed to get him to toe the line," he shoots me a quick glance, "Besides, Donald should've been more worried about me beating his ass. When a mate's in heat, the animal instincts are heightened on both sides. Things can escalate pretty quickly."

Any mention of my being in heat gives me a bad taste in my mouth, and I sense there's more to the Alpha position than just threatening assholes with a beating, but I let it go for now. I'm much more interested in the prophecy Finn seemed concerned about.

"So," I try for disinterested, "tell me about this prophecy that's so important."

Alec side-eyes me from the other side of the cab, "From the depths of time, a woman with hair the color of moon glow will appear before the chosen Alpha. And she will be his true mate, mending the broken parts of his soul, searing them together as one. The mark of his claim to her will be the salvation of his people, but his failure their demise."

"Now that's intense," I whisper frowning in thought, "obviously Finn thinks it pertains to us. Why? You aren't the Alpha. I might be blonde but it's a pretty washed out version and I'm not "from the depths of time" or whatever."

Alec runs a hand through his hair in a gesture I'm beginning to associate with discomfort and frustration, "I bear the mark of the chosen Alpha. No one's seen it in over a hundred years. My father doesn't have it, nor did his father before him. While Alpha can be inherited, it can also be challenged for, but no one's been marked as Alpha since the time of the prophecy."

"The triskelion. It's not just a tattoo." I whisper in understanding.

"Yes. The triskelion. It would appear at puberty, after the first change, in the male destined to lead the next generation. When I was twelve, it just happened. Overnight. I changed for the first time and suddenly I had a giant tattoo that covered half my back and a father who looked at me with dreams in his eyes."

I think about what Alec's said as we pull into the parking lot of my apartment complex. My car has magically appeared in front of my door, and I assume it's Owen's doing. I'll have to remember to thank him. Alec takes my keys from a spot under the wheel well and motions me to the door.

"How did the others look at you when they saw the tattoo?" I question as the door swings forward.

Immediately, Alec stiffens shoving me behind him, "Do you smell that? We aren't alone. Go back to the truck. There's a gun under the seat. Get it. Lock the doors and wait for me."

I grab at him as he goes into full predatory mode smoothly drawing a gun from the holster at his side, but he gestures for me to leave. I know I'm no help to him here, so begrudgingly I run back to the truck and miserably hide inside.