The Queen of Alphas

4. Going home

Victoria

My protests went unheard, my powers were useless.

I was shoved into a meadow in the middle of nowhere and left there.

A sigh left my lips as I looked around at the beautiful green fields. This place was even more fascinating than what I saw from above.

However, that wasn’t as I dreamed, as I expected. I didn’t know where to go and what to do next.

I only had one option, a wish now. I had to go back to Olympus, to my mom. I had to go home.

I kneeled down on the grass and looked around, as the night fell slowly, darkening the sky. The moon was there, high between the tiny stars.

Mother.

I wish she was here with me. I wish I could feel the warm comfort of her hug and the funny noises and clumsy walk of my ducklings.

Being here in this Realm… It was only a dream, and one had to always wake up. I guess that's how dreams work. However, I didn’t want to fail, to be weak, and give up. Come all the way here and not even see anything of my father, not feel his presence.

The thought of it, of giving up and going back to my sheltered and perfect life, made me feel as if I was losing my father all over again.

I was giving up on the only place, the only way I had to connect with him. This Realm.

I couldn’t do it.

I didn’t know what to do. But I didn’t want to give up, not that easily.

If I want to be a Queen, I must be strong and persevere, even when everything seems so hard, when I can’t see a way out.

Bringing my hands to my face, I clenched my eyes shut, cutting short a couple of tears that were forming in my eyes, and sent a silent prayer to my mother. Could she send me at least a clue, a way, a little something? A duck?

I stayed there for hours alone with my thoughts, watching the moon move slowly in the night sky when a little noise startled me. I looked up and saw a tall male. He offered me his hand.

I looked between him and his extended hand without taking it. My gaze ran to his dark hair, formal expression, and bulky frame, a question in my eyes.

“Victoria Lupin?” he asked, and I only nodded inadvertently in response.

He knew my name and he called me by my father’s last name, ‘Lupin.’

He didn’t look like my brother’s tugs, and I knew that none of them would call me like this, would acknowledge me as my father’s daughter. Besides, he didn’t look like the guards, he was wearing green clothes instead of the guards’ silver and red uniforms.

He cleared his throat and pulled his hand back, “Sorry, I didn’t introduce myself. I am Alpha Marcus VonWolf, the Alpha of the Crimsonmund Pack. My family and I still worship the Moon Goddess, I am your supporter.” He said in his formal voice, but it had a serene hint to it that went down well with me.

My brows furrowed at him, “Supporter?” I asked like an echo, as even more confusion overcame me.

“Yes, I and other fellow wolves believe that you are the rightful heir to the throne. We support your claim to the crown," he explained.

“How did you even know about me? How did you know where to find me?” I asked a tad warily. After what happened in the werewolf castle earlier today, I wouldn’t be a naïve little damsel anymore. I was trying to learn my lesson.

“Well, everyone knows about the King’s child with the Goddess. His firstborn. When your divine mother left our Realm, she was visibly pregnant. Besides, your father told us about you, your name…”

“Did he?” I asked surprised, my jaw dropping open and my eyes wide open like two full-moon windows.

“Of course, he did, it wasn’t because he found his fated mate that he forgot about you.”

A tight smile formed on my lips at his words, as my eyes prickled with tears. My heart was swollen and surrounded by warmness.

“We imagined that you would come back to the werewolf realm sooner rather than later to claim your throne. I have been looking for you. I had some wolves on the watch around the main city of the Royal Pack. They saw an odd commotion and could catch the exquisite and unique smell of clouds. I couldn’t imagine that anyone else would smell like this, anyone but you.” He explained, stretching his right hand in my direction once again. This time I took his hand and stood up.

“We should go to my house now, it’s quite cold outside here.” He told me, as he pulled me by the hand until we reached a carriage. “This way we will make an easier and more relaxing trip than if we run in our wolf form,” He added.

My wolf form? I haven’t ever been in my wolf form. Did I even have one? I must have one, as I am my father’s child. I hope so, I couldn’t be a queen if, besides being deemed the bastard child of a home-wreaker, I was wolf-less.

I also could use a friend and some company. Having a wolf would be wonderful.

We entered the carriage and after some time he broke the silence with his words.

“My family and I live in a house in the main town of my pack, instead of a traditional rural packhouse. I am an urban wolf. I have three daughters and no sons. The two eldest ones are about your age. Marg is 19 years old, and Shelby is 17.” Alpha Marcus explained.

“I am looking forward to meeting them,” I replied with a polite but genuine smile.

I was indeed looking forward to getting to know new people, different people than those I met in the castle. Supporters. Or at least people that wouldn’t look at me as if I was some sort of joke or a stranger that came to their Realm to steal a throne.

“On a more important note, I will gather all the supporters and we will meet to discuss the best strategies for you to ascend to the throne. I imagine that you are coming to age soon, a few weeks before Prince Henrik. Hence, we have to act fast.” Alpha Marcus sounded almost formal once again, his words filled with determination.

“Yes, my birthday is in a bit more than a week,” I said.

“When you are 18 you can claim the throne, as per Wolf Law. Besides, at this age, you will be able to recognize a mate, every leader, especially a King….” He started, and I arched my brows at him. “A Queen needs a capable and strong mate by his…. Her side. That is something fundamental,” Alpha Marcus added.

That was a lot of information to take. I breathed deeply, trying to process his words.

After some time travelling, I could see many small and cute wooden houses. They all looked the same.

“That’s the main town of the CrimsonMond Pack. It’s also called CrimsonMond. We werewolves are pragmatic, we don’t like lavish excesses, we aren’t like the over-pompous wizards.”

“Don’t the werewolves like the wizards?” I asked curiously.

There was so much I didn’t know, even more than I believed before arriving at this realm. And I thought that I could learn and understand things just by watching them from above.

“Don’t you know about the war between wizards and wolves? Don’t you know about...?” Alpha Marcus stopped in his trail and his gaze travelled out of the window.

“What?” I asked, almost anxiously. That was how curious I was.

“Never mind, you will learn about it soon enough. You have already had a long day, that’s a talk we should have another time.” He dismissed me, still looking out of the window.

I sighed deeply. I wanted to ask more, to understand this new world. But he was right, it had been a long day and I would better not overwhelm myself with even more information. With some information that I don’t believe would make me happy, it seemed rather dreadful, war and its mysteries.

After a few minutes in absolute silence, we arrived in front of a big and beautiful house, maybe three times the size of the wooden ones I had seen before.

It had three floors, was yellow, and had a very spacious porch.

“Here we are,” he said before he left the carriage and gave me his hand to help me out.

I didn’t understand him, I could do it on my own, I wasn’t like a helpless duck. But I took his stretched hand anyway. We went into the house; it was also quite ample from the inside as well, everything looked neat.

It had a huge entrance hall, where the heads of three dead elks were hanging. I looked at them and swallowed thickly. Besides that, only a wooden rustic table with a beautiful crystal statue of my mother stood in the centre.

Soon a brown-haired little girl came running and hugged Alpha Marcus's legs, as she squeaked, “Daddy!!”

A smile formed on my face, but soon my heart clenched, and a lump formed in my throat. That was something I could never have. At least I had the best mom of Olympus.

“MJ, we have a very important guest,” he said, scooping up the girl in his arms.

“Hello, very important guest,” the little girl said in a bubbly way. “I’m MJ and I’m seven years old. I hope you like to play, my sisters never do it. They are boring!” She told me excitedly but pouting in the end.

“MJ, you can’t talk to her like this, she is our future queen.” Her father scolded her softly.

“Ohhh, that’s nice!” She squealed.

“It’s all fine, Alpha Marcus,” I smiled at them.

“Those are my two other daughters, Shelby and Marg.” Alpha Marcus said. I was so distracted by the cutie in his arms that I didn’t notice the two girls standing in front of me. One of them had a frown, the other one a welcoming smile.

“Hello, I’m Shelby.” The short girl with lighter hair said with a heartfelt smile. Shelby was quite cute and had friendly-looking big green eyes. She was the one Alpha Marcus said was seventeen years old, just like me.

Marg was taller than Shelby, she had dark curly hair and brown eyes, just like her father. She looked at me from head to toe, almost scrutinising me, her face contorted with suspicion. Why was she looking at me as if I had stolen her dessert? I thought those were my so-called supporters. I didn’t feel so supported.

“I’m Marg,” she said dryly, before walking away.

Alpha Marcus exhaled sharply at her antics.

“Pay no mind, she takes some time to warm up, but once she does, she is a great friend.” Shelby said with a smile, “Come with me, I will show you to your room. We were waiting for you. I don’t know why, but I imagined that you would be glowing like a star or at least made of crystal-like the Goddess’ statue. Anyway, I am glad you are made of flesh and bones like us.” Shelby said as she pulled me by the hand, through the living room and ample wooden stairs. “Here in the Packhouse, there are the three of us, Alpha daddy,” she said with a small chuckle, “his Beta, Gamma, and some other packmates.”

“How about the Luna?” I asked, confused. Even I knew that all packs had an Alpha and an Alpha female, a Luna.

“Ummm. Well, my mom was the Luna, but she passed away a few years ago.”

“Oh, no! I am so sorry!!” I said apologetically, as my face fell, and I stopped in my tracks. This made Shelby stop as well. She looked at me and patted my back as if I was the one needing comfort.

“Hey, don’t! It sucks, but it’s okay now. We have each other. We were lucky that my dad survived losing his mate. Many wolves die when the one who holds the other part of their soul goes to the other dimension.”

I was quite shocked; I didn’t know that the bond between mates was so strong. It was even insane to think that I, myself, could have a mate out there.

“Why do you look so surprised?” she asked, furrowing her brows.

“I don’t know much about mates, or anything in the Realms to be honest,” I replied with a long sigh.

“Don’t worry, I’ve got you! I am sure my sister will help you to understand everything too, once you get on her good side. Now, let’s go to your new room. I guess you will need clothes and everything as well.” She looked thoughtful, placing her right hand under her chin and looking into space, “First things first, let me show you your room. Dad made sure you have the biggest and most awesome room, with a balcony and even a view of the garden! Which makes lots of sense, since you are a half-goddess and the future queen. I am so excited, are you excited?” she asked, almost jumping.

“I…I think so…” I replied, confused, as she resumed pulling me through one more flight of stairs. We went to a long hall, and she opened the only white door with a golden doorknob, among the wooden and much simpler doors.

She opened the door to a beautiful room, and I took my sweet time looking around. In the centre stood a large and comfortable canopy bed, on which a silky white decorative fabric of awning was draped across the upper space, forming a ceiling over the bed and flowing along with the posts like a veil. On the bottom of the bed, a long white bench and a wooden chest carved with wolf drawings could be seen. The large windows were covered by almost translucent white curtains, with a delicate embroidery pattern.

A working desk made of marble and an ample six-door closet was on the bottom. On the side, besides the balcony door, a small off-white sofa with a flower pattern, a tea table, and two comfortable pastel-pink armchairs adorned with a couple of white velvet pillows. Above the sofa, I saw a painting of wolves running in a pack.

On the desk, a blue statue of my moon stood proudly. Good! This way, I could feel close to her, at least in her immobile blue form. From the ceiling hung a crystal golden chandelier. It was elegant and vast, and screamed royalty. It wasn’t like the rest of what I saw of the house. The other places looked indeed simpler and more rustic, like Alpha Marcus said, pragmatic.

“It’s very pretty, thank you,” I smiled.

“Dad knew that you would come at some point, so he has kept this room all set since your father passed, seven days ago,” she told me.

“How did my dad die?” I asked. I was so overwhelmed by so many novelties and unpleasant surprises, that it didn’t occur to me to ask about the cause of my father’s death.

~ * ~

The Goddess

I was pacing around agitatedly and looking out of the full-moon window. Looking at my crying and desperate Victoria. I wished more than anything to be able to help her, take her in my embrace, tell her and make sure that everything would be fine.

But I couldn’t, the Fates won’t allow me.

Even though it hurts and breaks my heart, deep inside I know the Fates are right. My daughter is growing up, I can protect her from her life, from the truth anymore. I must let her go from my sheltering arms and find herself, find her own path.

That is her destiny, the only way for my precious Vicky to grow up and become the person, the Queen, she is supposed to be, is by facing her challenges by herself.

I closed my eyes and let a few tears flow.

I can’t do it for you, I can’t even do it with you, my sweet girl. But I will be here from above, guarding you, watching your sleep, and sending you my love in all the ways I can.

In the small things, the little miracles that you might not even notice while you go through your days. But I would always be there, as I have been for my son in the Wizard Realm, your brother.

I hope you can both forgive me one day.