His Wicked Alpha

The sound of glass shattering against a wall caused the overlapping voices in the hall to stop. “If you decrepit old men, mention finding my mate again I will cut your tongues from your mouths and nail them to the wall behind you.”  The men all turned to look at their Alpha, who was seated upon the pack throne. They watched as normal brown eyes flashed silver, the Alpha was barely containing their anger.  “W-we apologize, Alpha. It shall not happen again.” The oldest man bowed deeply, and the rest followed suit.  “I would hope, for your sake, that it wouldn’t. We’re done here. Get out. Alfric, stay.” The other men in the room glanced at Alfric with pity before scrambling to remove themselves from the hall. Once the door was closed Alfric raised himself from his chair, joints creaking and cracking as he stood. The Alpha noticed the smirk playing on his lips and that was all it took before a wide smile spread across the Alpha’s face as well.  “Tell me Alfric, was that too much?” Alfric watched as his Alpha rested against the back of the large chair, her short black hair resting on her shoulder. “I should think not Alpha, they often forget their place. They acted the same with your father, and I fear that unless you show no mercy nor forgiveness then they will act out more with you. This pack has never had a female Alpha, and unless you continue to strike them with fear they will never respect you.” He watched as her eyes grew thoughtful, and smiled.  Celestria Corvus was very much like her father, with hair as dark as night and deep brown eyes rimmed with purple. The Corvus eyes. It was what gave them their bloodright to rule the Dark Raven Pack.  She took after her mother in the way her features were amazingly sharp and soft at the same time. If Celestria didn’t have her father’s eyes and hair some might assume that the previous Luna conceived and had Celestria on her own.  “I do not wish to rule with fear, Alfric.” Her voice rang out strong and clear yet delicate like a bell. Her long slender fingers reached out and gently stroked the oil-slick colored raven that was perched next to her.  “I’m not saying to rule with fear, Alpha. I’m simply saying you cannot forgive those that do not follow your command, or those who are simply trying to gain power. Love your people and protect them as you have been taught. You are barely 18, old enough to rule but not old enough to find your mate. Wolves cannot find their mate until they reach 21, and those old snakes know it. They are either hoping that since you are now Alpha, that you will give up on your soulmate and simply select a mate. All of them have boys, and they all wish to have their bloodline tied with that of the Alpha. They believe that once you take a mate, that if they are a male, then the title of Alpha will pass to the mate. So you should make it clear between now and such time that you will be remaining Alpha. We must also keep in mind that mating may not work the same for you as other wolves. You are essentially the first of your kind.” Celestria nodded, and continued to pet the raven. She knew his words were true, this pack was founded when her great-grandfather and the Alpha of a treachery reached an agreement to help each other. And so for the first time ever a pack of wolves and ravens merged and lived together. Even more surprising when the wolf Alpha gave full control to the ravens. And then many years later her father, a raven, found his mate in the great-granddaughter of the previous alpha of the wolves. This was when the groups fully merged into one. Now both had power in the right places. Being a raven was unique; they didn’t often fully transform into ravens (though it was not uncommon), but could sprout wings and contained massive amounts of magic. That was one thing that made their pack formidable, they had magic without witches.  At 16, when wolves typically shift for the first time, Celestria was met with a vision of the moon goddess. She could only keep the attributes of one half of her. If she accepted her wolf, her raven would remain dormant, and if she accepted her raven then the wolf would be dormant. But Celestria was clever even as a child, she’d asked the goddess to not strip her of all of her heritage, she asked the moon goddess to allow her to keep the magic of her raven ancestors when she accepted her wolf. And surprisingly the moon goddess agreed.  So now here she sat, a half wolf-half raven. Who held the physical and mental attributes of a wolf and the magic of the ravens.  Alfric watched as she listened intently, and he worried more. She was the Alpha, yet she sat here simply a girl. Ignorant of the scheming ways of others. And anyone of the men previously in this room would use it to their advantage. Alfric had been her grandfather’s Beta, in his time it was common practice for the Raven Alpha to take a Wolf Beta. He’d watched Celestria her whole life. Now he would need to teach her how to be an Alpha, outside of the lessons on how to rule and an Alphas duties that she’d taken with her father. First she’d need to gain her inner circle of those that could be trusted. There would be trial and error, of course. Growing up as the child of the Alpha you were always surrounded by “friends”.  “Now that you’re officially Alpha, have you given thought as to who you will appoint as your Beta?”  “Actually I have. I thought I might pick you.” Alfric’s eyes widened and he nearly choked on his tongue. If that was what she truly wanted, he’d obey, but he was a little too old to do the job properly. At this point he was probably the oldest wolf here, many do not make it to this age. Suddenly laughter echoed in the room, pulling Alfric from rambling thoughts. “I’m kidding. Kidding. I know that you are too old to pick up your old duties again, but I would like you to remain by my side to help me. As for the Beta… I’ve always been close with Ashin. She’s loyal, and fierce. Currently the best fighter in our age. So if I choose her as Beta she can help me get better.” Alfric stopped the smile that threatened to split his wrinkled face. Ashin was his granddaughter, and in her free time he’d already begun training her as a Beta. He’d been certain that Celestria would choose her. The girls had been together since birth. “Do you approve?” The humor was evident in her voice and all Alfric could do was nod. “Good, send someone to fetch her here.”  7 years later: “But Alpha, you’ve visited most of the eastern packs and have yet to find your mate. We all agree that it’s time, that you just choose one. There are plenty of- ALPHA!”  The next sound that was heard was the thud of a body hitting a table. Celestria watched as two of her personal guards slammed Jerin onto the conference table, holding him there.  “Alfric has barely been sent to the elders for two hours and here you all are yammering about again about my mate. Did you forget what I told you 7 years ago, or did you hope that I’d be so devastated by Alfric’s death that I would just agree and take one of your pathetic sons?”  The sound of her heels clicking against the hardwood floors sounded hostile and cold. As she closed in on him another guard came forward and held Jerin’s head still mouth pried open.  Once she reached him, she quickly reached into his mouth and pulled his tongue out and in the next motion removed half of it with the silver dagger that had been strapped to her thigh.  Blood spurted from the wound for a brief moment before his wolf genes were already attempting to heal. The thing with silver though is that the wound will heal but his tongue will not grow back. “I, Celestria Crovus, Alpha of the Dark Raven Pack hereby banish you and yours from the pack. No one is to offer you aid or sympathy. You have two hours to be out of my territory.” I watched as everyone in the room bowed, they could not defy the command of the Alpha.  Celestria turned and walked away from the mess on the table, dagger still hanging in her hand, “Now as for the upcoming Gathering, this is the first one that we, as a pack, are attending since I became Alpha. Therefore I will be taking all eligible unmated members, and a group of fighters. None of you will be attending.” As expected there was no arguing from the group before her. Over the years, with the help of Alfric, she’d quickly learned to read other people. With barely a few sentences exchanged she would know that a person was truly thinking. These men had 2 agendas. First was to convince her to have a chosen mate, second was to have one of them fill Alfric’s place within her inner circle. They had miscalculated on both counts. She would not mate another other than her soulmate, if even them, and no one would replace Alfric. The only other person who would be admitted to her closest council would be her mate. “Gather a list of those that are of age and unmated and have to me by sunset. While myself, and Beta Ashin are away at the Gathering, Roland shall be in command. His word will be as good as mine.” She sat on the covered wooden chair and leaned back crossing my legs. Watching the group in front of her fidget. The sight made her warm inside.  “Sunset is fast approaching gentlemen, there are a lot of wolves in our pack… I suggest you get busy.” Chairs scraped the floor as they all moved to leave the room quickly. Once the doors were closed and guards were standing watch outside, she sighed deeply and slumped into the chair. “Alpha, I’m not sure it’s wise for you to attend the gathering without me.” Celestria looked up as Roland stepped into her view. He was a strikingly good looking man. Tall, and lean but well-built. His white eyes were a startling contrast to his dark hair. His skin was tanned from years of training in the sun, and his face held the intelligence of the raven within him. There was a time when Celestria had hoped that he would be her mate, but as that appears to not be the case the two had simply remained close friends who sometimes found comfort in each other. Beyond that Roland was the captain of her personnel guard, Celestria’s physical training had improved greatly over the years and in her wolf form was unbeatable… But her physical abilities outside of her wolf were limited. She hadn’t grown much since she was a teenager standing at just 5’6” (more if she wore heels which she regularly did) and didn’t have the Alpha build. She was toned and lean full of curves, that fueled many with desires- “What wicked thoughts fill your mind, Roland?” He looked up to her smirking at him behind her hand. Eyes glowing, her skin seemed to shimmer in the sunlight that poured in from the window. Her waist length black hair shined brightly and a rainbow of colors could be seen within it. Before he could stop himself Roland crossed the floor to her, both hands dove into her hair and brought her face millimeters from his own as he dropped to his knees before her.  “My wicked thoughts are only of what could happen to you without me, there will be many strong packs there, and not all of them are friendly. If something happens to you while I’m not with you, I’d die-”  In the next instant Roland was thrown back and into the air, he landed harshly on his back, he glanced back at his Alpha who still held out her glowing palm. “I am not a child, Roland. I can protect myself. My magic is stronger than any other here. I leave you here in charge because I can trust no other. But if you have so little faith in me then perhaps I’ve made a mistake.” “No, Alpha! Forgive me.” He quickly moved to kneel before her, hands clenched tightly into fists. “I’ll do as you command.” “Good, now go see if those fools have the list ready.” She waved her hand dismissing him, and once he was out of sight she sighed and leaned back for the second time. However this time she rubbed the back of her head lightly. Roland had removed a few strands of her hair when she sent him flying backwards.  She needed the list today, they would be leaving in 2 days. They had to alert those that were going so that they could pack and be ready.  “You should stop playing around with Roland. I fear he’s fallen in love with you and will reject his mate when he finds them.”  Celestria looked up as Ashin entered the room, “I highly doubt that.” Ashin scoffed, her bright blue braids shook lightly as she did. “I believe he is. But your word is law, Alpha. Besides I have the list here and have already sent people out to inform them that they will be attending with us.”  Celestria watched as Ashin moved her braids behind her shoulder. There was a time when they were young that Celestria and wished for hair like Ashin. Dense and tightly curled, a dark brown that looked like melted chocolate in the sunlight.  The first time Ashin had gotten braids Celestria had begged for them as well. But after speaking for a long time with Ashin’s mother discovered that those types of braids were not suited to the structure of her own hair. It was the first time that Celestria and Ashin realized that there were differences in them.  Celestria watched as her Beta moved through the room, her eyes matched her hair and both were enhanced by deep tones of her ebony skin. In her youth Celestria had often found herself envious of her friend's beauty. And one time had attempted to darken her own skin by sunbathing from dawn til night and had only managed a terrible sunburn.  Ashin had helped care for her by placing aloe and other soothing herbs in places that Celestria couldn’t reach and was too embarrassed to ask others for help. After this, Celestria gave up, she determined that no matter the difference of their skin or texture of hair, they were sisters and nothing would change that.  “Are you so in awe of me that it’s left you speechless?” Celestria snapped out of her thoughts and glared at the woman before her. “Who would be in awe of someone simply fulfilling their duties?” Celestria narrowed her eyes as Ashin began to laugh.  “Very well then, was it my beauty?” Celestria clicked her tongue but made no further comment. Ashin sighed and sat in the chair for the beta next to her friend, “Listen, in all seriousness. What are you going to do if you find your mate and bring them back here?” “What do you mean? I will continue my role as Alpha and whoever my mate may be will accept the duties that normally befall the Luna.” “Dummy. That’s not what I meant. I meant with Roland. He is in love with you. And has been for quite a while. You just refuse to see it for what it is. Do you honestly think he will accept your mate as his superior?” “He won’t have a choice. He knew what this was when it started. He’ll discover his own mate soon enough, I’m sure.”  “Whatever you say, have you packed? I’ll help you, let's go.” Ashin pulled Celestria to her feet and began dragging her from the room. In her 4 inch heels, Celestria was eye-to-eye with her Beta… who wore tennis shoes. “Those disgusting things aren’t welcome in the War Hall, Ashin.”  “So you’ve said, now let’s go.” “Alpha, we have just crossed into Evergreen territory, we will arrive at their pack house in about 30 minutes.” Celestria locked eyes with the driver and nodded.  “Finally! It’s been forever.” Beside her, Ashin chuckled and continued to look through the files spread out around her. “Celestria, I promise this is the last time I’ll bring this up, but please remember to be careful. This is a full gathering of all the packs from around the world. They aren’t all friendly.” “Yes, I know. I’m the Alpha, I should be reminding you.” “I’m reminding you because that attitude and sharp tongue of yours are likely to get us into an uncomfortable situation.” “Yes, yes. Everyone will be on their best behavior.”  The SUV made a sharp turn onto a gravel road that would be easily overlooked if you weren’t already aware of it, and Celestria turned in her seat to make sure that the charter bus with their pack members in it made the turn okay.  After a few minutes, a large metal and brick gate appeared on the road before them. There were 5 wolves standing guard. Once they reached the gate and stopped, a guard came to the passenger window.  “Name?” “Dark Raven Pack.” “Welcome, Alpha Corvus.”  Celestria and Ashin raised an eyebrow and continued to look at the guard who was still looking at the man in the passenger seat. “Ah, I am not the Alpha, she is.” He pointed behind him and Celestria smirked and waved lightly. “I-I apologize, Alpha. I assumed-” “It’s fine, are you going to open the gate or not?” Celestria cut off his ramblings and then proceeded to not listen as he gave instructions on where the group would find their lodging for the stay.  “Tristan, tell Gale in the charter where to go. We will head to the pack house to greet our hosts.” “Yes, Alpha.”  The SUV pulled forward and Celestria knew that Tristan was mindlinking Gale. When the vehicle stopped on the gravel driveway, Celestria looked upon the large white house before them. This was obviously the Evergreen pack house. And it lived up to its reputation. Glimmering white, deep green roof, large pillars across the front. Even though it was covered in snow, the grounds were beautiful. A stone fountain stood in the middle of the lawn, though no water flowed through it currently.  Celestria took a deep breath and opened her door quickly stepping out. She was immediately met by a strong blast of cold air and sent a shiver throughout her body. Even though wolves run hot, a Canadian winter was no joke.  The cold was quickly damped when a large black fur-lined cloak was wrapped around Celestria’s shoulders.  “Thank you, Tristan.” She smiled at him as he simply nodded. He was the second in command of her personal guard, but unlike Roland, he was a wolf. And Tristan had proven time and again that he would fight for Celestria whether she asked him to or not.  “Let’s go.” Ashin joined her side covered in a cloak similar to her own only white, Tristan and Cole (the driver) fell into step just behind their Alpha.  When they reached the stairs, the front door opened and revealed a small she-wolf who bowed her head. Celestria’s heels clicked across the stone as she walked. Both Tristan and Cole felt a shiver run through him.  They loved that sound. Being the Alpha’s personal guards brought many perks, but for them, the best was being close to her at all times. It was even better when she was on a warpath. “Alpha, the others that are here have gathered in the Great Hall.” “Thank you.” Celestria smiled brightly at the small she-wolf and walked past her. Tristan and Cole smirked when they saw the girl's eyes go wide and the small blush that danced across her cheeks. Their Alpha never failed to gain attention wherever she went.  The closer Celestria got to the Great Hall, the more nervous she felt. She couldn’t explain it. She didn’t fear a single person in any pack, but her stomach was in knots and her hands had started sweating, and she was certain that those within her company could hear her heartbeat, though they would never mention it. Once she was at the door she felt her wolf twitch and begin pacing in her head.  Selune, calm yourself. One of us being nervous is enough. We both cannot be out of our heads. They’re close. I can feel it. Who? Mate. Just as she reached for the handle Celestria’s hand froze, she could smell it now. Her mate was within this hall. They smelled of old books and winter mornings. She’d waited for this for a long time… but was she really ready? Her thoughts went back to her conversation with Ashin about Roland being in love with her… “Alpha? Are you okay?” “Of course.” Snapped from her thoughts Celestria calmed her emotions and pushed both doors open and stepped into the Great Hall. Enzo De Vecchi sat with his brothers listening to the ramble on about how much fun The Gathering was and about how many beautiful and powerful people would be in attendance and how even if one did not find their mate, there was still plenty of fun to be had.  Enzo rolled his eyes, this was the year that he couldn’t escape being here. His father, Alpha Lorenzo, demanded that he attend this year.  So here he sat in the large dining hall surrounded by people he didn’t know, when all he truly wished to do was look at the library that this house was said to hold.  He was the youngest of his siblings, and as such his mother had spoiled him, often letting him do whatever it was that he wanted. He preferred the company of books and the internet to that of other people. If knowledge was power he’d be the most powerful being here.  As drinks were poured and Alpha’s, Beta’s and their immediate families continued to mingle and talk, he felt himself growing restless. He felt something was coming and for some reason it put his senses on edge.  Suddenly his wolf was trying to push to the surface and Enzo struggled for a moment before containing it. There’s no telling what would happen in this room if he didn’t. Moreno, what is the problem? Just wait… it’s so close… Enzo could hear his wolf panting and pacing but without knowing anything more decided to be more on guard.  Just then the doors to the Great Hall were pushed open and a group of 4 walked in. A woman with bright blue braids and a white fur cloak stood off to the side and two men dressed in all black suits stood flanking the fourth person, who must be the Alpha.  Enzo’s breath caught in his throat for multiple reasons. First, their Alpha was a woman, but then… she was the most beautiful woman Enzo had ever laid eyes on. Her hair was black as night and swayed freely around her waist, her skin seemed to have an unnatural glow that came from inside.  Even with the heavy fur cloak he could tell that she was lean and toned.  Even from his seat he could smell her, she smelled different. It wasn’t uncommon to find Raven’s among wolves but the smell was strong on her. But then her natural scent, Sandalwood and… magic? Did magic have a scent? Enzo couldn’t think straight, all of his senses were overwhelmed, he felt dizzy and Moreno was going mad within him. “She’s the Alpha of the Dark Raven Pack. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but it certainly wasn’t that.” Enzo turned to look at his oldest brother who was seated next to him. Her being a member of the Dark Raven Pack explained the smell, but what really caught Enzo’s attention was the hungry look in his brother’s eyes as he stared at the woman across the hall.  Before he could stop himself Enzo felt a growl rumble in his chest, and his brother turned to look at him shocked. Enzo had never growled at one of his siblings before. He was too easy going and didn’t desire to fight over things with them. “Enzo, what is wrong with you?” Enzo continued to glare at his brother, his gray eyes flashing green for the briefest of moments. “Oh, I see you want her for yourself, we can share-” Another growl cut Lucian off. And his eyes widened slightly.  “Oh have you found something you’re willing to fight for piccolo fratello?” By now Enzo’s other siblings were intently watching the two. Enzo continued to glare at his brother and ignored his jab.  “Yes.” Lucian leaned back and looked at the other two behind Enzo. “Why?” Enzo turned to look at Alonzo who sat on his other side. He saw both of his brothers staring at him. And for the second time Moreno pushed to the surface, “Because she is mine!”  All three brothers sat back in shock. Enzo had never expressed his desires so openly. He’d also never shown interest in a mate or in having the company of another person. But here he was ready to fight his oldest brother for the woman who had just walked in. “Well, if that’s how to feel then I won’t interfere.” Lucian sat back and picked up his wine glass and took a sip before looking back forward.  “But that won’t stop others.” He nodded his head toward the group who was still close to the door, but they were being greeted by the Evergreen pack Alpha, Luna and their sons.  Enzo watched as one of the men who had entered with her stepped up behind her and helped her remove her cloak. He felt anger rush into his veins as the man’s fingertips grazed her collar bones and slid across her shoulders and to her back. Once he removed the cloak he folded it gently over his arm and handed it to a passing maid, but spoke quickly with her before releasing it.  Enzo then watched as Cyrus, the oldest and next in line for Alpha of the Evergreen pack, reached forward and kissed the back of her hand. His vision tinged with red, but was lessened when he watched the woman roll her eyes and quickly pull her hand away before wiping it on her shirt.  Suddenly the glass in Enzo’s hand shattered and he looked down letting it go quickly. A few other people in the hall turned to look at him and suddenly his mother was right next to him cleaning up the mess and checking his hand. “What have I told you about harassing your brother?” She whispered angrily to the 3 other boys sitting with him.  “It wasn’t us this time, Mamma! It seems little Enzo has found his mate!” Lucian reached across Enzo and smacked Alfonzo across the head. “What? Really? Where is she?” Their mother was suddenly standing straight looking all around the hall. “There.” Dante pointed across the hall to where the woman still stood conversing with the Alpha and Luna of the Evergreen pack. “Really? Well get up, let's go meet her!” Enzo struggled against his mother’s pulling, refusing to get up. Eventually they were all whisper yelling in Italian at each other, when another voice cut through that stopped all train of thought for Enzo. “Are these seats taken?”