The Tortured Luna

Growls and snarles echoed across the pack lands of Blood Moon and Dark Raven as the two packs worked together to push back the massive swarm of rogues. Recently, they started working together to keep the rogue pack that the King notified them about from taking over their pack lands. It was a rocky but necessary alliance. Neither one was sure how much the rogue pack had grown, but they were determined to keep their pack lands respectively. Both their lands were littered with the bodies of the rogues and their unfortunate casualties as they fought desperately to push them back out and away from their lands. 'Alpha Atlas, the school is under attack! The teachers have started taking the pups to their safe room, but not all of them have made it. Our Beta Female is holding them back the best she can, but she needs back up. I'm heading there now.' came a mind-link from his head warrior. 'Whomever can get to the school, hurry and get there! They need backup. NOW!!! ' Alpha Atlas boomed out in the mind-link. Instantly, before any others could react, a large male gray, black and white wolf and a large female silver and black wolf rushed towards the school, a small unit following close behind them. Finally, a few hours later, the rogues retreated, and both pack Alphas surveyed the c*****e left in front of their very eyes. Dark Raven's Alpha, Alpha Krassus, walked over to where Alpha Atlas from Blood Moon pack was standing. "Alpha Atlas." He says with a nod and a hit of frustration in his voice. " How are your casualties? I myself lost my Beta and Future Beta, a handful of warriors, some women, pups, and a couple of handfuls of Omegas." Alpha Atlas shook his head at the attitude of the way too old-fashioned for his own taste Alpha and responded. "I lost my Beta Female, a handful of Warriors, a couple of Omegas, and a Sentery. Most of the bodies here are rogues. We're going to plan a remembrance ceremony here since this was where the battle took place if you or your pack want to join us." Alpha Krassus just laughed before he responded. "I'll let my pack make the choice on their own, but I'm not going to bother. I have work to do, and I still have to draw up my conditions for our alliance. I no longer have a Beta, so I have to find a stand in." Alpha Atlas looked at him curiously. "You still have your Beta Female, right?" Alpha Atlas questioned. "Yes, but she's not a good leader, and barely a good fighter. If I can't get her to mate with someone else that's of high rank and produce a male heir to take the Beta position when he comes of age, I have to make sure my stand in is up to my standards and able to take the position officially in a year." Alpha Atlas just looked at Alpha Krassus for a minute before he quickly and subtly shook his head to stay calm before he responded. "Alright. How about this. I'll plan the ceremony like I originally planned. I myself will be here for the first half like our traditions demand, then go back to my office and draft up my conditions for this alliance. Then we'll go through on a call and negotiate a cease-fire so that you can come over with your Luna and Gamma for us to finalize the alliance peace treaty. I'll call you when my obligatory time is finished, and I reach my office." "That sounds good, but my Luna won't be with me. Her job is there in the pack at the pack house, not with me outside the pack. She needs to put things in order for the new changes after our casualties and do her part for the now orphaned pups and the members that lost their mate. Besides that, I don't believe a female should be doing what their male mates do. Their parts are more confined and feminine since they're female." Gritting his teeth to keep himself from growling and issuing an Alpha challenge, he stiffly shook Alpha Krassus' hand. "Very well. I'll call you when it's time." Alpha Krassus nodded his head quickly before he turned and walked away from a very agitated and barely self-controlled Alpha Atlas. 'That arrogant and disrespectful.... doesn't he realize that the Luna's role, just like other females roles, is just as important as ours as males?! I wish you would've allowed me to take control for a few moments. I would've torn him a new one.' Drakeous told Atlas. 'I know, Drakeous. Trust me, I wanted to. But we don't have the numbers right now, nor the plan to take over his pack. We need a few years thanks to the rogue pack that's sprung up out of nowhere. You'll get your chance in due time, Drakeous. I can promise you that. I'll letcha at him before he dies a different way.' Drakeous chuckled in approval before he curled up and went to sleep to recover their strength. Atlas looked out and surveyed the land again and saw that there were members of both packs separating the dead... the rogues in the middle of their land directly on the border, Blood Moon on their respective side of the border while Dark Raven was on their respective side. He couldn't help but notice that Dark Raven's was much bigger. He sighed at the senseless loss of life, but rejoyced because his eventual plan to take over their pack was taking an unexpected positive turn. By this time, the school was out and on their way home between the two respective packs. The pups were led to the pack house around the c*****e so that they weren't affected by it more than they were by the school. Atlas surveyed the surrounding lands around him and saw his Beta coming back from the school carrying his mate, Lillyan. He walked up to Alpha Atlas and gently layed her at his feet before he spoke to him quietly. "Alpha Atlas.... brother.... I... I need some personal time. Lillyan just found out we were gonna have a pup. We were so excited. She wanted to tell you and Rose at dinner tonight after she got back from teaching, since it was a planned family day." Atlas dropped his Alpha behavior for a moment while he embraced his brother and gave him the much-needed comfort he needed that could only come from family. "Jack, you take all the time you need. Gamma Ray can take over for you, and if I need you for something later, I'll tell you. I'll push it off for as long as I can. You just take care of Lillyan." "Thank-you, Atlas. This means a lot." Jack said as he embraced Atlas again before going off and gathering what he needed to build the funeral pyre for his mate and wife. Within a few hours, the entire area around them, on both sides of the border, were adorned with flowers and had periodic funeral pyres scattered throughout. Alpha Atlas went around and gave each funeral pyre their individual last rites, even doing so across the border so that they have a proper burial. Once he finished, he stood on the make-shift individual platform that was created for him to stand on directly on the border so that everyone could see and hear him. "Members of Blood Moon and Dark Raven. My deepest sympathy for your losses. I know that this ceremony isn't much, and neither are my words. I know that they won't bring them back. However, I hope that they bring you peace. With the lighting of their pyres, I send them off on the next part of their journey. May they find their way in death as they found their way in life. Again, my deepest sympathies." with those words, he gave the signal and all the funeral pyres were lit at the same time he stepped down from the individual platform and headed towards his office... dreading the next required task of the moment... an official alliance peace treaty with whom he considered the most vile Alpha in the area.