The wind has chosen to be ever so mischievous on this day. The scent of Mystara lingers on a breeze as it quickly travels far away to a werewolf pack, nestled in the Southern Mountains. A rocky forest terrain, home to many legendary werewolves that were born and raised to be as tough and rugged as the environment that surrounds them. The well known Midnight Sun Clan controls these territories and have done so for the last one hundred years.
Their current Alpha is thirty-eight year old Jeremiah Goldenmayne and he has been driven by a unique desire to succeed in growing the strength of his pack. The need to fill his empty mateless life with something, anything. His pack is making more Alphas right now than any other generation before them. Their power, success, and wealth are only some of the blessings given to his people by the Moon Goddess. Their territory is flourishing like never before. Yet, the Alpha lives unfulfilled.
Every Alpha before him has found their mate by age thirty-five. Could it be that his mate has already suffered some terrible fate? Despair is beginning to settle in where desire once was. Years ago his drive was to build a kingdom fit for a magnificent Luna. Now he is prepared to begin training his oldest nephew. In two years the alpha pup will be officially named as his heir, if he does not marry and produce an heir of his own. This is how it will have to be in order to step down, because no other Alpha would ever dare to challenge him for the position.
Today is the same as any other. The strong handsome Alpha sits at the end of a long table in his large wooden chair covered with furs. Discussions of war, trade, territory, and the Clan are taking place one after another and sometimes simultaneously. It is not that the Alpha is not interested in their conversations, it is more like he is distracted. Lost in thought, wondering if he has made the right choices over the years.. If maybe, for any reason his decisions have led to his fate in an undesirable way.
Alpha Jeremiah runs both of his strong callused hands through his slicked back golden brown hair and then smooths down his short thick beard. The Goldenmayne family is easily recognized by the golden hue in their brown hair and eyes. His golden brown eyes study his ten trusty Captains and then he turns his gaze to look out through the open wall at the outdoor terrace. The light is shining inside and reflecting off of his golden hoop earrings and the golden arm bands that wrap around his huge biceps.
His arm muscle flexes without any effort as he rests his bearded chin upon his balled up fist. His nostrils flare as he clenches his jaw tight, causing the muscles to ripple down his neck.
The Alpha’s gaze is fixed intently on the outdoors. Something is peaking his instincts. He closes his eyes and blocks out any sound from entering his ears, so he can take a deep breath. The ability to inhale and take in his surroundings from miles around is a family trait passed from generation to generation. One of the reasons his ancestors were so successful.
Jeremiah’s brow furrows at the old familiar smells of his pack, his territory, and his mountain. Suddenly, something itches his nose! He stands straight up, knocking his massive chair backwards and causing it to crash onto the floor.
“What is it Alpha?!” His concerned Beta leaps to attention as well, though he himself can smell nothing out of the ordinary.
The towering Alpha with huge back muscles and broad shoulders covered in a piece of gray fur takes a few quick steps forward in the direction of the wind. The scent is like nothing he has every experienced in his entire life. It is not like a scent at all.. It is more like a heartbeat. Crazy as it may seem, he can almost feel his wolf’s nose pressing against the neck of his mate in the exact spot he is going to mark her as his. Finally! He can sense his mate for the first time!
He howls wildly, throwing his head back and his arms out to the sides. Even the other alphas in the room are withdrawing towards the exit now. Jeremiah’s Alpha aura is overwhelming. Ignoring his companions fleeing the room, he runs forward and leaps out onto the terrace. He puts his nose directly in the air and breathes so deeply his lungs expand to their fullest and his muscular chest sticks out in front of him.
The most magnificent scent he has ever had the pleasure of inhaling drifts into his nose. He breathes in and out enjoying the smell of lilacs first thing in the morning, still covered with dew or maybe..frost. It is refreshing and alluring. Calling for him. Already he has crossed the terrace and climbed the rock wall at the end of the courtyard. There is no denying all of his senses are going off at once. He rushes back into the meeting room to find his amused, yet somewhat apprehensive Beta waiting for him. Good. He has always been smart and dependable.
“Yes, Alpha?!” He says without meeting Jeremiah’s eyes, because his aura is still out of control.
“It is my Mate! I am going for her now! Ready enough food for two weeks travel. Though I plan to get to her much quicker than that. I have been waiting for her for far too long. Assist my brother and his beta while I am gone.” Jeremiah commands as he storms out of the room to pack a light bag for his trip.
He would not need much besides clothes to change into once he transforms back into his human form. If truth be told, he prefers his bi-pedal wolf state that is reserved mostly for fighting. The Goldenmaynes have another interesting feature unique to their specific bloodline. They are able to stay partially shifted between human and wolf. Allowing their wolf selves to have human-like hands and torso while also having two large wolf legs and head. A creature that can stay morphed between the two will appear much larger in that state than if they had completed the full transformation into wolf. This makes them a most gruesome fighter on the battlefield.
His earrings sloppily clink onto the wooden dresser next to his two golden arm bands. He grabs a fur cloak and rolls it up tightly and straps it to his shoulder bag that contains his spare clothes and the necklace containing the sunstone. Not just any sunstone, but one that features unique specks of blue and is enchanted with Charisma. This grants the wearer assurance based on the burning desire within. It is essentially an aura that is passed from Luna to Luna, to allow them to be more equal with their Alphas.
Mates are believed to be chosen by the Moon Goddess herself, which is what creates the unbreakable bond and the mind-link. Often times a mate will come from an unexpected place and has to adjust to a new life in a werewolf society. Every time an outside Luna has entered the Midnight Sun Clan, they have excelled at the side of their Alpha.
Jeremiah is almost in disbelief that it is finally time for him to find his mate. As close as her heartbeat felt to him, there is no doubt the scent came from far away. In his wolf form he can make it to her estimated location in a weeks time. Maybe less if she draws closer to him by then. Does she sense him too? His blood begins to boil at the idea of her alone and vulnerable, making her way towards him. The scent of her arousal will be on her if she feels the need to be marked by him. His thoughts are going wild, but there is one thing for sure..
He is going to have her marked, mated, and pregnant with his pups as soon as physically possible.
***
“Where is that Rasmus! How very typical for a mercenary to play by their own rules.. Those untrustworthy scoundrels and their sky rats! Tell me, why did I hire him again?!” The regally dressed black haired elven man named Prince Vareon, states his opinion loudly into the room without care.
“Your Grace! You mustn’t speak about them in such a way! For all we know he could be in this very room using some magic trinket of invisibility..” The skittish black haired elven assistant in glasses looks around himself cautiously. “He could end us both and be halfway across the Forbidden Forest of TerraVita before anyone even notices!” He whispers sheepishly.
The door bursts open!
“That’s entirely accurate your Grace. I could have ended you both right where you are and perhaps I still should, for calling my precious sky wyvern a rat.” The elven mercenary with long white hair clicks his tongue. “Very disrespectful you know.”
“How dare you speak to me in such a manner. See?! What does a mercenary know of respect?” Sneered Prince Vareon, the oldest elven heir to the throne.
“Respect? Am I not fetching your lovely bride so you can overthrow your elderly father and seize the throne for yourself? I could take the information I have and see exactly how much it’s worth.. At The Auction House, perhaps?” Rasmus suggests with a devilishly handsome yet mischievous smirk.
“No! No.. Very well played. Now. Tell us! Is it true? Have you found their secret hideaway?” The elven Prince with dark menacing eyes eagerly inquiries.
“Yes, your Grace. Someone has picked up the marker. I will travel in one week to secure your bride. By then the Witch’s heat season will have clouded her judgement, that is if the legends are true..” Rasmus narrows his eyes towards the Prince who is currently interrupting him.
“IF the legends are true she will want to mate with any man she sees! Which is why I have decided to double your p*****t to secure that she is delivered intact. The penalty of course for tampering with the Witch will be death. If need be, I will go to war to sire an offspring with this powerful creature.” States Prince Vareon smugly.
“Your Grace, the penalty for tampering with a Witch is always death, no less a Frost Witch in her heat. If I succeed with my life, I will gladly trade your bride for that gold.” There is a twinkle in the mercenaries blue elven shaped eyes as he bows and takes his leave through the elegantly arched doorway.
Prince Vareon looks to his sweating friend and says, “I do not trust that sky elf.”
***
Later that evening the skittish elven man walks down a narrow alley for a private rendezvous in the heart of the city.
“Well?” Asks an arrogant young voice. “Do you have the information?!”
“Yes, your Grace! It’s here!” His shaking fingers slip out of his cloak holding a small piece of paper. There are directions scrawled onto it.
“Shh! You i***t! Do you wish for everyone to know who I am?” One look and anyone would recognize the younger royal brother, Prince Lavaar.
Once he intercepts the Witch, his older brother will finally be at his mercy for the first time in their lives and the throne will be his. Prince Lavaar is every bit as ambitious as his older brother Prince Vareon, only not as wise about some things. Instead of sending for a master mercenary, he sent out two human hunters that know the Forest of TerraVita well.
But, an elven Prince should know better than to trust a human man or even two.