The Alpha's She Wolf

She Wolf

Why was everyone staring at me like I was a ghost?

Was my wolf that ugly or what? Trying to understand what was going on, I quickly turned to see my reflection in the crystal clear water. My wolf’s fur was a beautiful shade of orange red, almost ginger, except for it’s chin and underbelly, which were pearly white. It’s eyes were a lively green and the fur around them was a dark shade of grey, like some kind of mask. I could only see an outstandingly beautiful wolf, but…

It wasn’t me. It was like looking at someone else… Why? Shouldn’t my wolf counterpart be a part of my soul, a reflection of myself? Most even have the same features as their humans, like eyes or hair color. It certainly didn’t look nor feel like me. In fact, I didn’t even feel like a male anymore. Wait, what…

“Hello, Zale. I’m Aurora, it’s a pleasure to finally meet you.” The female voice, strong and firm, but also sweet and melodic, echoed through my head.

What the hell?!

“I know you’re confused, but if you just…” She started, but there was no way I’d let her finish.

“Give me back control! Now!” I shouted in my mind, desperate.

As the Alpha’s son, I had always been taught to keep my emotions at bay, never give in to my feelings. But at that moment, I just freaked out. The she wolf inside me didn’t complain, almost as if she expected that reaction, and I immediately forced myself to shift back into my human form. I tried to make sense of the situation, looking at the water around me to confirm it hadn’t just been a weird dream. My ceremonial clothes were ripped to shreds around me, floating in the water, and I was completely naked. I had shifted, indeed, but why was my wolf a female?

“If you just stop making a scene, I said I could explain…” There she was again, the she wolf inside my mind.

“Shut up! Get out of my head!” I insisted, my breathing ragged and my body aching with the pain of shifting back before my bones could even heal.

I turned to look at my people again, they were still silent and pale. They were probably thinking about what an abomination I was, but no one dared to utter a word.

“Everyone, get back to your houses! The ceremony will be postponed!” My father shouted and I could see his wolf Griffin coming to the surface. “Anyone who speaks about the events of tonight will be banished!” He was enraged, using his Alpha tone and forcing everyone to submit, exposing their necks in an act of respect before rushing into their homes.

Only me, my father, my mother, and the other ranked members, as well as the future ones, remained in their places. A mix of shock and confusion covered their faces, except for my father’s; his was pure rage.

“Zale, in my office, now!” He screamed through gritted teeth, while tossing me a towel and a pair of shorts. I could only hope his anger was not directed at me as I held my head up and walked towards the Town Hall. “Beta Lucas, Gamma Martin and Delta Alessia, you are to come as well.” His tone was still cold as he turned around to leave.

No one dared to speak until we made it to the Alpha’s office, which was now supposed to be mine. I wondered if my abnormal wolf situation would affect my title, and the sole thought sent shivers to my body. Why was this happening to me?

“Whatever is discussed here tonight shall not leave this room,” my father states, locking the door behind him. “Lucas, I want you to arrange a meeting with the pack’s Elders as soon as possible.”

“Right away, Alpha,” Beta Lucas replied before his eyes clouded over, evincing that he was mindlinking someone.

“This has to be a mistake…” My father pressed his hand against his forehead, distressed.

“I’m sure we will figure it out.” My mother chimed in, touching her mate’s face in an attempt to soothe him. “Zale, darling, did your wolf say anything?” She turned to me. Even in the middle of this chaos, her green eyes were calming like a stroll in the forest..

“I didn’t let her. I blocked her out as soon as she first spoke to me," I answered quickly.

“You can’t block me, dumbass.” Her voice echoed through my head again, making me snarl.

“I know this must feel weird, my boy, but let her speak.” My mother approached me, moving her hands over my shoulders to help me relax.

I looked at everyone in the room and they were all staring at me, waiting for answers. I felt uneasy, but I really wanted this freak show to be over, so I took a deep breath and closed my eyes.

“Alright, mutt. What’s your deal?” I ask angrily.

“There’s no need to be rude, future Alpha. I can make your life a living hell if I want to.” Was she threatening me? My own wolf? “But I can help you, too. Just listen.”

“I’m all ears.” I sighed in defeat.

“The Goddess makes no mistakes, that’s the first thing you need to know.” She said, but it only made me even more confused. “There’s a reason why we’ve been paired together and I’m sure we can get along fine if you just give me a chance.”

“What reason could there be? Please, enlighten me.” I pleaded.

“I… Can’t tell you. The Goddess forbade me.” There was disappointment in her voice, but it only added to my anger. “But if you won’t see me as your wolf, at least see me as a friend. We’re in this together, Zale.”

I shook my head and opened my eyes, quickly meeting everyone’s gazes, full of expectations. I sighed again, trying to mask my fury and deception.

“She said there’s no mistake, that the Goddess had every intention of binding us together.” Everyone just got even more confused as they waited for me to continue. “But she won’t tell me why.” I grit my teeth.

“It’s fine. We’ll figure it out.” My father’s voice was finally calmer; that’s the effect my mom had on him. “Lucas, did the Elders give you a date for our meeting?”

“Yes, Alpha. I told them it was urgent, so they said they would see us tomorrow morning at eight AM.”

“Good. Thank you, Lucas.” Roman turned to look at everyone one last time. “You’re dismissed. Once we take the Elders opinion on the matter, we’ll decide what to do.”

Beta Lucas, Gamma Martin and Delta Alessia all bowed their heads before leaving the office. I was about to do the same, when I felt my father’s hand on my shoulder.

“Wait, Zale,” he said, making me turn to look at him. “It will be alright, son. You are to start your Alpha training tomorrow, as planned.” I gave him a confused look, but he continued. “You are still Alpha, no matter what. It may be hard. Others might say terrible things because of your… Partner. But you are my son, the Alpha of Mariners Moon pack. Prove them you’re worthy of their respect.”

“I will, father.” I knew it was going to be hard, but if my father, my Alpha, could still trust me with his pack, then I’d do everything in my power to show them I’d be a good leader.

“Have a good night, my darling. Don’t stress your head about it, just trust your wolf and everything will fall into place,” my mother said, kissing my forehead.

“Thank you. Sleep tight.” I bowed, excusing myself soon after.

I headed straight to my room, calling for my bed. Being the heir of the pack, I had a gigantic room all to myself, with high walls painted navy blue. Usually, the emptiness of the huge place only added to the void I felt inside of me, that’s another reason why I kept filling it with she wolves. However, tonight I welcomed the spacious room, as if it’d help my thoughts flow around. I jumped straight into my King Size bed, my aching body feeling relieved as it could finally rest. It was my mind, though, that kept me awake.

How could I start Alpha training without shifting into my wolf? How long would it take for other packs to find out about my ‘unique’ counterpart? I’d be the talk of the town, I was sure of it. I never cared about what others had to say, I have always been more of an action guy. All that ‘sticks and stones may break my bones’ crap. But it was the real consequences I was afraid of, the ones that could affect me and my pack. How would I defend our territory when my wolf was smaller than any Alpha?

“Just let them come. I’ll gladly take care of them.” The female voice inside my head whispered.

Her words only made me laugh. Like I’d ever shift in front of anyone.

“What? Are you afraid of being weaker than me? Don’t wanna risk having them realize a she wolf is stronger than the mighty Alpha?” She teased.

“Just let me sleep, mutt,” I begged. I tried to block her, but it didn’t work. I was probably too tired for that.

“I have a name, you know? Douche.” She complained.

“Yeah, right. If I call you by your name, will you let me sleep?” I gave in.

“Maybe.” Goddess, she was stubborn.

“Goodnight, Aurora.” I hoped that would be enough to shut her up.

“See? That wasn’t so hard. Goodnight, Zale.” I could finally feel her retreat to the back of my mind, and it didn’t take long for sleep to consume me.

***

“Dude, you look like crap.” Flint had no problem telling me that. I guess that’s the benefit of being friends with the Alpha.

“Thanks, man. I wouldn’t have noticed if you didn’t say it.” I was in a really bad mood. Usually, I’d just laugh it off, but right now I felt like I could murder someone.

“You’re seriously complaining? Just look at me,” Zakai muttered. “No one can look worse than me during training.”

Well, he had a point. Not being used to sparring, the Gamma’s son would usually take blow after blow. We weren’t even thirty minutes into training and he was already drenched in sweat with bruises all over his face.

“You deserve that!” Flint screamed, punching him in the arm. “You better learn not to refuse your responsibilities anymore, or I’ll beat you up myself!”

“Geez, it’s all about duties and mates with you.” Zakai rolled his eyes, unamused. “Don’t worry, Beta, I’ll make sure to serve you well.” He said ironically while frowning.

“Talking about mates…” A large grin appeared on my best friend’s face. Poor Zakai, I knew where he was going with that.

“No! Not again!” Our Gamma stood up immediately, setting some distance between him and Flint.

“There’s only two weeks left before you can meet them, boy. You should think about all the hot, steamy ways…” Flint was cut off immediately.

“Hey, anyone wanna spar?!” Zakai screamed frantically, already searching for a new partner.

“And you say he is a good strategist? Look at this!” Flint turned to me. “I made him willingly go back to training! You should have made me Beta and Gamma.”

“Don’t let it get to your head.” For the first time after last night, I smiled. That was Flint, simply the life of the party. “Come on, we should go back too.” I pulled him up, taking him as my sparring partner.

The rest of the training went smoothly. I was surprised no one directly brought up the events of last night, even though my werewolf hearing caught some whispers. Pack members were already starting to doubt the capabilities of an Alpha with a she wolf counterpart, not to mention their theories of me being… Just the thought sent shivers down my spine. Thankfully, Aurora had been quiet ever since I woke up and the time for my meeting with the Elders finally came. Hopefully, everything will fall into place after that.

I made my way to the Elders Council, a building much similar to a chapel placed in the town centre, where everyone was already waiting for me. Beta Lucas and Gamma Martin stood on either side of my father, who had a concerned look on his face. It was weird seeing him without mother but, as Luna, she probably had to take care of other pack issues.

We greeted each other and quickly entered the chapel, where the three Elders of Mariners Moon Pack stood behind a desk. Their gazes instantly turned to me.

“Zale Maynard, future Alpha of Mariners Moon Pack, you claim to have been given a she wolf counterpart during your first shift ceremony?” One of our Elders, Robert, spoke.

“Yes,” I stated, bowing my head in an act of respect.

As the heir, I was taught that Alphas should not bow to anyway in any occasion. It didn’t look good, as it showed weakness. The Elders were the only exception to that rule, as they were considered to be above Alphas when it came to rankings. While they didn’t have the power to dictate what happens in a pack or not, nor could they go against an Alphas order without good reason, they could dethrone the leader of a pack if they believed he wasn’t putting its members’ safety first.

“Do you have any idea what could possibly have gone wrong? Could this be some kind of mistake?” My father asked, desperate to find out the truth.

“The Moon Goddess makes no mistakes.” Elijah, another one of the Elders, turned to my father with cold eyes. “But we did our research into the matter after Beta Lucas contacted us last night.” I could see the relief in my father’s blue eyes.

“While there have been reports of male and female werewolves getting opposite gender counterparts, it appears not to have happened for the last thousand years.” Elder Jonah held an old book in his hand, his fingers tracing the lines delicately. “Since these reports are so old, we could not find a lot of information as to why it happens, but we do believe it is possible to revert the situation.”

“How?” My eyes shined with hope.

“It is unknown.” Although Elders were known for being expressionless, I could see a hint of disappointment in his eyes. “We will be looking further into this matter, but that’s all the information we could gather in the short amount of time we had,” he said sincerely.

“Where does that leave my son?” My father had a worried look on his face.

As I mentioned before, while Elders cannot go against an Alpha’s direct order, they could strip him of his title, should they believe he was not worthy of it. I gulped, trying to mask my tension.

“Alpha Zale Maynard is allowed to keep up with his training and his title, as the Goddess intended,” Elder Robert stated firmly.

I should have felt relieved, but I didn’t. After all, the meeting barely helped me figure out why I was paired with a she wolf. What was happening to me?