Chapter Two: The Alpha Returns
1178 Words
By midmorning, the Blood Moon Pack looked different by dawn.
Servants hurried from one end of the packhouse to the other with baskets of fresh flowers and polished silver trays. Warriors lined up on the stone pathway leading to the front gates, their uniforms were spotless and clean even the children, who usually ran in the village, were ordered to stay out of sight.
Alpha Rowan Blackwood was coming home.
Ella adjusted the basket where she held table linens, she used her other arm to balance it against her hip as she hurried into the packhouse kitchen.
"You call those clean?" the head cook barked at her without looking up.
"Take them back and iron them again." She commanded.
Ella glanced at the clothes, she had neatly folded them and made sure everything was perfect but here was this woman telling her to iron them again.
"They're already...."
"I said again." The head cook snapped at her.
"Yes ma'am"
Ella didn't say anything after that, she swallowed hard and quietly put the clothes back into the basket.
No matter how hard she worked, it was never enough. As she turned to leave, another servant brushed past her shoulder.
"I heard the Alpha is bringing guests from the Northern Territories."
"They say even neighboring Alphas respect him."
"Well, of course they do. He's Rowan Blackwood."
The women giggled.
Ella slipped quietly past them, she had learned to keep quiet in situations like this.
* * * * *
Outside, the entire village buzzed with excitement.
Some merchants hung colorful banners between buildings while young wolves decorated the packhouse steps with white roses, it was the Luna's favorite flower before she passed away.
Ella paused for a moment, she could barely remember the former Luna. All she could remember in her head was a gentle hand brushing through her hair, a soft lullaby playing in the background and a beautiful warm smile.
The Luna had been the only person in the pack who was ever kind to Ella, she died when she was only eight years old and after that... Her life has been hell.
"Ella!" A familiar voice called out to her, she turned to see Ethan running slowly toward her. He looked nervous and had a faint smile across his face.
"You should stay away from the front gates."
He said when he finally got to where she was standing.
"Why?"
He rubbed the back of his neck.
"Nora and her friends are there."
Ella sighed.
"Of course they are, they've been waiting all morning just to welcome the Alpha."
"They're hoping he'll notice them?"
"Nope... I think they're hoping he'll choose one of them as his future Luna."
Ella couldn't help but smile, they're at it again.
"They're really ambitious, I admire that."
"No, i think they're just being delusional."
That statement made her laugh.
"You shouldn't laugh so loudly like that."
"Why not?" She asked, her smile wearing off.
"Because you actually have a very pretty laugh."
Her cheeks turned red
"Ethan..." She called out still smiling.
"I'm serious."
Before she could answer him, a horn echoed across the village twice, the gates opened.
"They're here!" someone shouted happily.
Within seconds, wolves flooded toward the main road. Curiosity covered the faces of everyone especially Ella, she could only manage to keep her head down while she followed the crowd until she found a place near the back.
Dust rose into the air as a line of black SUVs rolled through the gates, the first vehicle stopped and came to a halt. Pack warriors immediately lowered their heads.
The rear door opened, a tall man stepped out of the car. From where Ella stood, she could see why everyone admired him.
Alpha Rowan carried himself with effortless authority, his black coat was rested perfectly on his broad shoulders, and the sunlight shown on the silver crest that was pinned to his chest.
He had dark hair, a sharp jawline and cold gray eyes. The crowd erupted.
"Welcome home, Alpha!"
"Our Alpha!"
He acknowledged them with a slight nod.
He didn't smile at them or spoke unnecessarily, he carried himself with so much confidence.
Beside where Ella was seated, Nora whispered dreamily, "He's even more handsome than I remembered."
Her friend sighed dramatically.
"I'd do anything to become his Luna."
Ella lowered her eyes down, she wasn't interested in their small talks and delulu. She just wanted to finish her chores before the sunset.
As the Alpha began walking toward the packhouse, the crowd pressed forward to have a better view of him, someone shoved Ella from behind. She stumbled and the basket she was holding slipped from her hands. The clothes that she had taken her time to iron were scattered on the stone path, Ella's heart dropped immediately.
The Alpha had stopped walking.
Slowly, she knelt down to gather the cloths before anyone could step on them.
"I'm sorry," she whispered.
A pair of polished black boots appeared in front of her. She froze instantly.
For one long second, she could feel everyone staring. She looked up to see who it was. It was Alpha Rowan, his gray eyes met her brown eyes.
Rowan studied her face without contempt but as though she was just another servant that was standing in his way.
Without saying a word, he stepped around her and continued toward the packhouse.
The crowd moved with him at once, everything that had happened felt like it never happened, that moment was gone just like that...
Ella released a short breath, she quickly gathered the remaining linens and thought of how she'd make them look like nothing unusual had happened.
"Are you blind?" Nora hissed as she walked past her, "You almost embarrassed the Alpha."
"I said I was sorry."
"You don't belong anywhere near him."
That statement was totally uncalled for, Ella felt a cold chill run down her spine. She quietly picked up the last cloth and stood up, Ethan appeared beside her a few moments later.
"Are you okay?"
She forced a smile across her face.
"I'm fine."
"You don't look fine."
"I'm just relieved he wasn't angry."
Ethan looked toward the packhouse where Rowan stood earlier.
"He didn't even look at you."
Ella smiled faintly.
"Exactly, I'm fine."
She wanted it to sound like a joke but deep down, she was hurt because she didn't even want the alpha's attention, she simply had just hoped he'd look at her the way the former Luna once looked at her and not some servant picking clothes on the ground.
Neither Ella or Ethan noticed the elderly woman that was standing beneath the oak trees across the courtyard, she was the Pack's oldest seer. She watched Ella with trembling hands.
Around her neck hung a weathered moonstone pendant, It had remained dull for over twenty years but today as Ella walked away, the stone began to glow with a faint silver light.
The old woman's face drained of color.
"No..." she whispered.
"After all these years..."
"The seal is beginning to weaken."
- Writer
