The Alpha's She Wolf

The Ceremony

The atmosphere in the room was tense. The men stood there in silence, just facing each other for a few seconds before my father spoke.

“May I ask why you made that decision, Alpha Alaric?” Even though he could hide it pretty well, I knew the man that raised me well enough to know he was shocked and confused.

“We’re good friends, Alpha Roman, and Mariners Moon pack has helped us greatly throughout the years,” Alaric started, looking straight into my father’s eyes. “However, you are aware of our current situation. The wolves under the leadership of the Cursed Wolf have been growing in number and no one has been able to stop them. And if the rumors are correct…”

“They will follow the path down until they reach our territory.” My father concluded.

The Cursed Rogues, as they called themselves, were wiping out entire packs across Florida. They started out with the smaller ones, packs that barely had 50 members, but they were getting stronger. Even the Elders Council started debating on what to do about the situation, as the threat of the rogues grew bigger by the day. I didn’t know much about it, but it seemed they were running along the coast, attacking everything on their way, including human cities. The purpose behind the killing was unknown, but they didn’t spare anyone, not even women and children.

“I wish I could help you, Roman. I really do,” Alpha Alaric had empathy in his eyes. “But I must protect my pack. If we get caught in the crossfire…”

“I understand.” My father forced a smile.”Well, if that’s all you wanted to discuss…” He stood up, and so did Alaric and his Beta.

“I’ll show you out.” My mother took the lead, smiling ever so gracefully.

“There’s no need, Luna Lila. Thank you,” Alaric politely refused, probably uncomfortable about causing us any more trouble. “Thanks again for having us. Alpha Roman. Alpha Zale. Luna Lila. Beta Lucas.” He bowed in respect and his Beta did the same, and soon enough they were out the door.

“We must try to make alliances with larger packs,” observed Lucas calmly.

“And yet we can’t even keep the small ones!” My father hit the desk with his fist angrily.

“Shush, my honey bear.” My mother hugged him from behind, making him relax immediately. “We’ll find a way out of this, I’m sure.”

“I’ll make them regret it.” The words came out of my mouth so quickly I barely believed I had spoken. All eyes turned to me, confirming they were just as surprised as I was. “When I’m Alpha, I’ll do everything in my power to make Mariners Moon thrive. I’ll make you proud.” I turned to my father, dead serious.

“That’s my Zazu.” My mother called me by my nickname, coming closer to kiss my forehead. “You already make us proud, silly boy. Now go spend some time with your friends,” she suggested, ignoring my father’s frown. “Your duties as Alpha only start tomorrow. Enjoy what’s left of your life as a pup.”

“I’m no longer a pup!” I protested, but there was no way around my mother’s orders. “Let me know if I’m needed for anything.” I bowed in respect before leaving the office, closing the door behind me.

The rest of the day went smoothly. I met up with Flint and told him about officially making him my Beta. He was ecstatic and more than ready to finally start learning from Beta Lucas. We snuck some beers from the kitchen fridge and met with some friends at the Everglades, where we drank and talked away. As the sun started to set, we hopped into Flint’s old rusty truck and headed back to the city. Sitting in the cargo bed, I looked out to the swamps, taking in the beauty of the place during golden hour. Soon, I’d be the ruler of it all.

Once we got back to the Town Hall, I arranged a meeting between Flint and Beta Lucas so I could get rid of my best friend and try to find the two ladies that greeted me after training that morning. It wasn’t that hard and, even if I hadn’t found them, I’m pretty sure any other girl would be more than willing to take their places. I chuckled at the thought, locking my room’s door behind me and instantly felt arms wrap around my waist.

“What do you want us to do, Alpha?” the blonde one, Patricia, said softly while pulling me towards the bed.

“Please, Alpha, let us entertain you.” Laila, the brunette, moaned into my ear, making me groan in response.

Tonight was definitely going to be fun.

***

My last night as a seventeen year old was amazing. In fact, it was probably the best night of my life. I never thought having two girls at the same time could feel so good. And somehow, even that couldn’t fill the emptiness inside of me.

It was truly uncanny not to feel whole, as if there was only half of me. It was a feeling I just couldn’t shake and s*x was the only thing that kept my mind busy. But as soon as the girls were gone, so was my distraction. And back was the emptiness.

“Dude, are you okay?” Flint’s voice pulled me back from my thoughts. “I mean, it’s your favorite and you’ve barely eaten.” He gestured towards the eggs benedict pancakes on my plate.

Right, I was at the cafeteria, we had just come back from training. Having spent most of the night up with the ladies, I barely had time to sleep, so my mind was drifting off constantly. I needed to take a nap before the ceremony tonight, or I might as well drown while shifting.

“Yeah, these are amazing,” I answered, focusing on the pancakes. They were truly delicious. “Even more than last night.” I turned to Flint with a silly smile, knowing it would cause him to frown.

“What happened last night?” Zakai muttered. Only then I remembered he was there.

Zakai had pale skin, jetblack hair and glasses that covered his different colored eyes. He had a condition called heterochromia, which caused one of his eyes to be blue like his father’s, while the other was a strong hazel color like his mother’s. He wasn’t nearly as buff as most of the warriors, as he would take any excuse to skip training. He hated fighting with a passion, but was a genius when it came to numbers and strategy; that’s why I wasn’t worried about him being my Gamma, even though I hadn’t directly chosen him. He had two older sisters, but being the only male child, that duty fell upon him.

“Nothing much,” I replied, ignoring Flint’s snort. It’s not that I didn’t wanna tell Zakai about my night with the girls, but he usually got uncomfortable at the mention of s*x. Even though I loved teasing him about it, I didn’t wanna disturb him that morning. “Glad you made it to training today.” I quickly changed the subject.

“My father got back early,” he replied, and suddenly everything made sense.

“Good morning, boys!” Mrs. Dawson surprised us. “How are my future Alpha, Beta and Gamma today? And where’s the Delta?”

“Right here!” Alessia rushed in right on time. “I got caught up finishing a task Alpha Roman handed me. The pancakes look amazing, can’t wait to try them!” and just as quickly as she came, she was off to fetch her food.

“Are the pancakes how you like them, Alpha Zale?” Mrs. Dawson continued after smiling at Alessia.

“He’s not Alpha yet.” Flint recalled with a smile, as he always would. That’s another reason why I wanted him to be my Beta; he’d never let the title get to my head because he was always bringing me down to earth. And that’s how a great Alpha should be.

“They’re even better than I imagined.” I replied with a bright smile, ignoring Flint. “Thank you so much, Mrs. Dawson.”

“Well, I’ll let you kids enjoy breakfast in peace. You know where to find me if you need anything.” Mrs. Dawson said, patting us three in the back before she headed back to the kitchen, at the same time Alessia came back with a full plate.

“You guys ready for tonight?” She said while grabbing a spoonful hungrily.

“Couldn’t be more ready,” Flint said with excitement.

“I guess.” Zakai shrugged.

“I was born for this,” I reply readily.

“Aw, I can’t believe it’s happening so soon. You guys grew up so fast!” She tried to wrap us in a quadruple hug, faking nostalgia.

“You’re not really that much older, you know?” Flint laughed.

“What are you doing here, anyway? Shouldn’t you be chasing rainbows with Hector or something?” I mocked.

“Not today, unfortunately.” She shook her head. “As Delta, I need to keep an eye on the three of you and make sure you’re all ready for the ceremony tonight.”

“At least training is over.” Zakai concluded unamused, making us all laugh.

The rest of the day followed with everyone getting ready for the events of the night. It was tradition at Mariners Moon Pack for the future Alpha to have his first shift in the water, in front of the whole pack. Then, the new Beta, Gamma and Delta would be announced right before they led a run with all of the members through the Everglades. It was an important bonding moment between the new ranked members, especially the Alpha, and the rest of the pack. Of course, we would still be training with our former ranked members for the next year, but we could still exercise our functions legally under their supervision.

To say I was excited was an understatement. I have been preparing for this my entire life and I couldn’t be more ready. Maybe after I got my wolf and my pack, as well as the chance to find my mate, the emptiness inside me would finally disappear.

While most of the pack members worked on preparations for the event, two Omegas helped me get ready. I had to bathe in seawater and some seaweed extracts for nearly an hour, and though I found this tradition quite annoying, I had to admit my skin did look nicer. The Omegas also brought dinner to my room, a plate full of various steaks, which was believed to help awaken the wolf inside of me. When it was time for me to get dressed, I sent my helpers out and stared intently at the navy blue tuxedo and golden tie. I wonder why we had to get dressed only to tear the clothes while shifting.

As I had just finished getting ready, I heard a knock on the door and muttered a ‘come in’.

“Oh my, you look handsome, puppers!” Alessia said cheerfully, halfway through the door.

“Hector should be careful or I might just steal you.” I smirked jokingly, but before I could even react, I felt something soft hit my face. Damn werewolf speed.

“Yeah, sure. Here’s your sacred towel or whatever.” She said before leaving and closing the door, but I could still hear her behind it. “Be on the first floor in ten!”

I shook my head and grabbed the towel she ‘carefully’ handed me. I’d need it to dry myself after the ceremony was over, if the wind of the run didn’t manage to do it already. Making sure I had everything I needed, I went down the stairs a little earlier, but my family and friends were already there. Flint was with Beta Lucas, both of them wearing silver tuxedos and blue ties. Zakai was beside his father, both wearing the traditional light blue suit and silver ties. His mother Gina, Gamma Female, was wearing a beautiful gown and natural makeup. Delta Alessia wore a stunning red gown as she stood beside her mate, Hector, who was dressed in black. In the centre were my father and mother, both in golden outfits.

“Are you ready, son?” My father’s voice was firm, but he couldn’t hide the proud smile on his face.

“Why does everyone keep asking me that?” I smile. “Of course I am.”

“We should go then. The pack is waiting.” He gestured for me to lead the way, and so I did.

The city was beautiful at night, especially next to the shore, where the tall light posts illuminated the crystal clear water. There were plastic chairs with blue and silver cotton covers for every single one of the 300 plus members, and as my father warned, they were already there. They all bowed their heads as we walked through the dark blue carpet that led into the water, and just before we hit it, my father spoke.

“Dear members of Mariners Moon Pack, it is with great pleasure that I present your future Alpha!” He put one hand on my shoulder as the crowd went wild, cheering and applauding. “I have led you for more than thirty years, like my father before me, and time has come for me to step down.” He paused, and more applause could be heard. “I now offer the title to my son, Zale Maynard, in hopes that he will devote himself to you as much as I did.”

“Mariners Moon Pack,” I started firmly, trying to eye every single one of the pack members. “I promise to give you my time, my heart and my soul. I will lead you to greatness and together we’ll grow!”

As the crowd cheered once more, I exchanged looks with Flint and Zakai, who both smiled reassuringly, before I started walking towards the water. I felt the coldness rise up to my neck, but I embraced it just like I embraced my new responsibilities. As soon as the clock turned twelve, the moon was at its highest and that’s when I felt it.

I dove down, submerging completely as I let the water ease the pain of my changing body. I could hear and feel my bones cracking, but I didn’t fight it, nor did I scream. I endured every painful second of transformation, until I finally felt it was complete. And so, I emerged from the water, looking straight to my people as I waited for the cheers.

But they never came. In fact, there was only stone cold silence and shock in everyone’s eyes.