Chasing Luna

Origins - Part 1

:Kai:

The effect on the gathered wolves was fun to watch, they had all been staring at the main doors. The antechamber door being well oiled was silent, and so it took them all a moment to notice our arrival. I’m sure the gathered sense was that we had appeared from nowhere. Charlie took center position in front of them, looking at each one briefly before beginning. I had to wonder if Kara was directing him in her organization or if he somehow instinctively knew what her thought process was.

“Good Afternoon,” his voice was much quieter than I expected, though it still carried to be heard, it didn’t reverberate in the large room. “I know you all have some greater concerns for your family, and I’d like to start this meeting by answering your questions. I expect many of you have already pondered and discussed what and how to ask, so we’ll jump right in. State your name, then ask your question. We’ll get into details once you’re questions have been answered.” Charlie looked at the boy in front and gave him a nod, silently requesting that he start things off.

The boy stared back for a moment, defiant with youth and past troubles, he refused to submit to Charlie. “Brother. How are we to know that you can be trusted with our lives?” I had to admire the kid, he asked a great question, but there were too many ways to answer it. 

Charlie’s eyes lit up with pride and I could tell he fought a smile, though his face was stoic as ever. “Can you elaborate on what sort of answer you are looking for?” Nicely dodged, I thought to myself. 

The kid was thrown off, it probably took all of his courage to speak so concisely the first time, to be asked to restate his question would make him a nervous wreck. I watched as his fists got tighter, turning white, veins popping out, and shaking his arms. But when he did finally speak again, he was almost as stoic in tone as Charlie’s face. 

“How can we trust you to take care of us? You don’t have a luna for the cubs. How can we trust you to provide for us all? There are so many of us coming to you. How can we trust you to keep us, trust that you won’t just throw us away when we become too much trouble? How can we trust you with the power of all our lives? Your existing pack is already bigger than any of us have seen. How can we trust you won’t become corrupted like many of us have seen good men become?” I was surprised at his phrasing, good alphas becoming corrupt? I figured they all just started that way and got worse. He did raise some good points though, yet I felt defensive of Charlie. I know this man, he is a good man, a great leader. This boy is simply too young and inexperienced to realize it. I looked at Charlie, his brow furrowed in thought. He’d be pacing again in a moment, he couldn’t think and be still. 

“What is your name son?” Charlie asked instead of answering.

“Brother,” said the boy. Charlie’s head c****d to the side as his left brow raised, his confusion clear. 

“I’m sorry I don’t understand,” Charlie said hesitantly, even the other wolves gathered around had looked at the boy in confusion.

“I think I can explain,” said his sister as she stepped forward. “My name is Zola. In our pack only the girls receive names at birth. The boys are called son or brother until they come of age and take a ranking position. Then they become their rank, and their rank becomes their name. Our Alpha is Father Ida, or Husband to his wives.” She stepped back again having finished her delivery. I needed to unpack that last word though, wives what sick sort of colony did these kids come from? I didn’t need to say anything though, another wolf in the middle spoke out in surprise for us all.

“Wives?! What wolf has more than one mate?!” The man gripped the woman next to him fiercely, as though afraid someone would steal her away. The rest began to chatter as well, clearly stunned. The kids in front I noticed seemed deaf to it though, it was their world, it always had been and so made sense to them. 

“Silence!” Charlie barked out. They all fell silent immediately, “We will discuss the specifics later, and you will have to pick a name eventually son, I will not limit it to your rank in my pack. With that, lets get back to the original questions. Son, I’m afraid I am not able to answer your questions. Trust is earned, not given. Though I intend to earn your trust over time, I understand that is a luxury we don’t have. You want to know if when I help you, that it will be help, and not merely a transfer of torture or trauma or corruption. Only my pack can vouch for me, I can not vouch for myself. With that said, I think Kai is best qualified to tell you our story. We grew up together, and he can tell you more than I remember about our lives before this pack was established. Kai?”

I looked at Charlie with confusion, and hesitated to take the floor away from him. I stepped forward, and gazed out on the small crowd. 

“Well, um, as Charlie said we grew up together. I know that you have no idea what Charlie is really like, how he leads this pack, how he treats and respects others, even outsiders. He sees every member of this pack as a potential equal, not a rival, not merely subordinates, but potentially equal to him. He rarely dominates anyone, he kills only when forced. His only goal in life is to lead us into wealth, sustainability, and as the Goddess desires. He wants to share our knowledge and power with every pack. 

“Charlie hated the way we grew up. A corrupted leader who cared only about his keeping his own belly full, and keeping his family pampered. Alpha Zed was no true leader, just a parasite who drained us of our lives, lording over us his stolen position. The man was clever, but not powerful. None of us still alive from that pack will ever forget the day Charlie won our allegiance. 

“It was the Summer Solstice feast and Charlie had just turned 15 the day prior. Mid-feast he stood from his place at the pack table and walked slowly to the front of the large room, standing directly in front of the raised dais where the Alpha sat above us all with his family and 2 prized Sentinels. By the time he had stopped moving the pack was quiet with curiosity but the Alpha took his time in noticing Charlie. Once he looked around to see what the silence was about, he found Charlie staring him down from 10 feet away. 

“His anger was immediate but Charlie spoke first. “I, Charlie of the Warrior Scouts, Unmated, Challenge you Alpha Zed of the Blood Mountain Pack and mated 9 seasons.” Though he didn’t shout, his voice reverberated throughout the room and caused the most deafening silence I have ever witnessed. 

“The Alpha was clearly furious, but he managed to refrain from a sudden outburst and instead said, “To Challenge an Alpha you must first prove you are worthy. You may challenge instead for the Left Flank Sentinel position,” the look on Alpha Zed’s face was sly and confident.

“His 2nd Sentinel stood up, the only wolf larger than this guy was the 1st Sentinel. I had been staring at Charlie since he started staring at the Alpha and was in shocked disbelief when he made his statement. Now his expression was one of determination but also a hint of relief I doubt anyone else would have noticed. That relief always has surprised me, how could anyone feel relieved to fight that monster instead of the weakest Alpha ever known? Anyway, Charlie simply said, “I Accept,”and again his words resounded through the room. The Pack stood up and hurriedly pulled the tables to the far wall and stood crowded behind them, knowing they would need the barrier since no one showed any hint of moving this fight outside. The 2nd Sentinel wore a slightly smug expression, thinking very little of Charlie’s mere 6ft and rather light 180 pounds compared to his own bulky 6’4” and 220 pounds. Charlie saluted the Alpha and then faced the 2nd Sentinel staring the monster down as he made his way into the cleared space. 

“It was a long fight, lasting nearly 5 minutes and they stayed in human form for the duration of it. Charlie blocked shots continuously and only managed to get in a few for himself. He was waiting for an opening of some sort but got beat to hell waiting. The bruises were already forming along his forearms and I knew his legs and ribs couldn’t be in much better shape when, out of nowhere Charlie pulled out a leg sweep and fell the 2nd sentinel. He fell flat on his back, his skull bouncing off the floor, hard. Charlie followed him down and made a well-placed attack with his elbow, connecting that pointy joint with his adversary's temple. You could see the body go limp and as Charlie stood up and stepped away, the man’s feast filled bowels and bladder released. Anyone having witnessed death before would recognize such death again. 

“Charlie ignored the body and after a few deep breaths, stared the Alpha down again. Centering himself in front of the dais he repeated his challenge, “I, Charlie of the Warrior Scouts, Unmated, Challenge you Alpha Zed of the Blood Mountain Pack and mated 9 seasons.” He said the words as cool and stoic as the first time. 

“Alpha Zed was seething by then, having lost one of his most potent allies; one of just two wolves who helped him control our small pack. Alpha Zed ruled with fear, a potent tool but a weak-minded one. Alpha Zed cared only for his family and his well-being. So he treated his sentinels well and spoiled himself. The rest of us were left to fend for ourselves, sharing what little we could hunt in secret and living together in the barn a stone’s throw from the Alpha’s house. The Alpha’s Sentinels kept all the wolves on the property at all times, “for our protection,” and “to keep us all safe.” Now he had been formally Challenged twice, in front of the whole pack, and during a feast no less, one of only 4 times in a year that the whole pack ate well. In anger he shouted, “NO! You are unworthy!” and looking to his 1st Sentinel he commanded, “Kill this ungrateful whelp!” The 1st Sentinel made no hesitation, in a swift movement he jumped over the Alpha’s table and started shifting as he leapt at Charlie. 

“But Charlie was ready for it, he had started shifting the moment the Alpha looked away. I believe Charlie knew then that he had won his position as Alpha, but now he would have to hold on to it. I was nervous as all hell as the second fight started. All our lives would have been forfeit had he lost. But regardless of that pressure, knowing the stakes even before he made his first Challenge, he continued the fight. He dodged and rolled away from the 1st Sentinels blind rage attacks. It was a much shorter fight, the giant wolf being a cumbersome body to fight a smaller agile one. Charlie took his opportunity and clamped down on the 1st Sentinel’s neck. With a vigorous shake and audible snap, Charlie tossed the 1st Sentinel toward the 2nd’s body, and with a slick thump, it came to rest next to its brother.

Charlie stood again, clearly exhausted and out of breath. He walked back to the center of the dais, still in his wolf form, and made solid eye contact with the Alpha again. Alpha Zed was distraught, he had lost his only allies, and was now being challenged a 3rd, if silent, time. He wanted to be angry, but his own fear was choking him, he couldn’t find words to try and save himself. Instead, he stood and spluttered. When he looked away from Charlie trying to find anyone to be his savior, Charlie attacked. Leaping the dais and table, he pounced on Zed, tackling him to the floor and ripping out his throat. It was a gruesome sight to witness, though only Zed’s mate saw it in full first hand. She screamed and fainted, Zed’s children began crying unsure of what they had just witnessed. After Charlie finished his fight, he dragged the ruined body off the dais to join the others.