Reclaim

Chapter 1

King Alpha Richard and Queen Luna Lily died when the palace was attacked by an army of Rogues. Beta Seth was able to reach the Blood Moon pack who came to the aid of the royal pack under attack. Upon their arrival, the rogues retreated. Beta Seth became the new King Alpha of the Royal Pack. He ruled with absolute power over all packs and was known to be a cruel Alpha using fear as his greatest tool.

22 years later

Althea had just been summoned by her father, King Alpha Seth, and the royal pack council for a meeting in the throne room. She groaned internally as she snapped the book she had been reading closed, annoyed to be bothered, she made her way down the palace halls, dreading what may have brought on this abrupt meeting. She turned twenty-one today and she was next in line to ascend the throne as the Alpha King's only heir. She steeled herself for a moment, taking a deep breath, throwing back her shoulders and raising her head high, before nodding her head to the guards signalling them to open the throne room door.

The council stood upon her arrival as her heels echoed on the hard marble floor. Althea took her seat next to her father who looked to be already in a foul mood. The room was silent with bated breath, her father would always become furious if anyone dare speak before he did first. Althea turned her head to look into her fathers cold obsidian eyes and raised one delicate eyebrow on her porcelain face. The council were more like puppets to the king, symbolic from tradition rather than the advisors they were meant to be. King Alpha Seth ruled with an iron fist.

"Althea", her father seethed, "I've summoned you to discuss what is to be done with you." Althea repressed her eye roll, her father never discussed anything, he barked orders. "And what is to be done with me?" she said sweetly in her sing-song voice but her eyes narrowed at her father, ready to challenge him. "Kane, speak" he ordered his second in command. "Yes Alpha. Princess, the matter of your claim to become Queen Luna has been discussed", Kane stared down Althea with a smirk on his face. "What of it, Kane" she sneered back glaring into his brown eyes. Kane was only 2 years older than she, his impressive combat skills and strength earned him the rank of Beta. 

Kane rose out of his seat and started slowly pacing the room, peacocking, she thought as she rolled her eyes, "Since you are now 21 you are old enough to claim your position as Queen Luna, but" he stopped pacing the smirk returning to his face, "it has been decided that you will not be allowed to accept your claim until you are mated and have an Alpha by your side." Althea clenched her fists at her side, this was not a rule that male heirs had to adhere by, and she tried to temper the rage bubbling inside her at this oppressive decision. Althea rose abruptly, she could not allow her rage to get the best of her, she needed to be tactful. She turned to her father with a sweet smile on her face trying to mask the rage inside, "Is that all?"she asked calmly. "For now", he warned. Althea turned on her heal and stalked out of the room. 

Once she was out of the suffocating throne room, she broke out into a run to reach outside. Once at the foot of the forest she scanned around her making sure no one had followed her. She quickly took off her dress and heels, stowed them at the base of a tree, and shifted into her wolf form. She ran fast, the pads of her paws hitting the forest ground hard, kicking up dirt and foliage in her aggressive sprint. She was furious, she wanted to tear them apart with her canines for daring to oppress her. She wanted to run far away from it all.

She turned twenty-one today, but she had not yet met her mate. Most werewolves met their mate when they turned eighteen. It had worried her in the back of her mind up until today that she had not yet met her mate but it was not her main focus unlike the other young wolves. She was destined to become Queen Luna of the Royal Pack, this had been her sole focus, to become a great leader. Unlike her father, she cared about the well-being of her kind and wanted to make things better for all of the packs. Now she felt panic rising up in her chest. What if she did not have a mate, she should've met him by now, she had been to visit each pack the year she turned eighteen to be introduced as the future Queen Luna as was tradition.

Althea stopped at a stream for a drink of the cool spring water. She looked at her reflection as she contemplated what she would do. Her wolf was pure white and had her same deep blue eyes that shifted to grey like the ocean in a storm. We just need to look harder for our mate, her wolf, Grace, thought. Yes, but what if we don't have a mate, Althea countered. Grace growled at this as if it were not possible but Althea knew this could be true. We need a back-up plan and quick if I am to take the throne from my father this year as is my right. Althea shifted back into her human form and sat naked by the stream in the deep solitude of the forest to formulate her plan. It doesn't surprise me that my father would force this old law upon me. I'm surprised that he isn't making things even more difficult for me to claim my role, she pondered. Her father loved power and control, she could not imagine he would make this easy for her, but above all he valued tradition, especially the old oppressive traditions, she thought bitterly. When Seth had claimed the title of King Alpha he brought back many of the old traditions and oppressive laws that had not been practiced in over a century.

A warm breeze caressed Althea's face, blowing her long white hair around her. The air suddenly smelled warm, musky and woodsy, filling her nose and sending a shiver down her spine. Mate, her wolf thought. Suddenly conscious that she sat here naked and exposed in her human form she quickly shifted into her wolf.