The Alpha Luna

Chapter 2.

Diane’s POV.

I feel myself struggling to breathe but my nose refuses to work. I struggle to open my eyes but they too seem glued shot. I begin clawing at my throat as I am currently running out of oxygen.

My eyes snap open and I shoot up from the bed, gasping greedily for air.

“You’re safe, Diane. You’re safe.” I murmured repeatedly to myself as my heartbeat returned to normal.

Freaking nightmares. I was so done with them, I sighed to myself, getting up to do a full body stretch. My alarm clock on my bed drawer rang for my 7’O clock. I shut it off and plopped back on my bed.

It still baffled me that after eight years the memory still feels real, like I was living it. I rub my palms along my arms, attempting to get rid of the sudden chill I felt.

“Diane.” I heard my name from outside before the loud bangs on my door that followed.

“I’ve warned this girl to stop screaming so early in the morning.” I groaned to myself as I got up and made my way to the door.

“Are you ready?” Celine asked as soon as I opened the door.

“Give me five minutes.” I walked away from her at the doorway, back to my room.

As I pulled my shirt down my head Celine barged into my room.

“Are you nervous for today?”

I sighed. Today was the day we’ve been working towards for the last eight years. Those of us that survived the attack that unfateful day, lived together as rogues and formed a pack. If a rouge pack was able to live in civilization for at least eight years, they could request to become an official pack.

“I’m neutral.” I shrug, pulling up my pants. “He may grant us permission or not.”

He as in the King of all werewolves, Alpha of the Black Fire pack. Of course, we had lived in peace for the last eight years but I wasn’t oblivious to Celine’s worries. Although he was the only one with the right to accredit a pack, the king of werewolves was well known for his hatred of rogues. He had ruled for 10 years and had only granted the accreditation of 15 packs. Out of 120.

“Would we have to disperse and join other packs?” Celine asked me.

I turned to face her completely. I’ve known Celine for over half of my lifetime and I don’t think I’ve ever seen her as worried as she currently was.

“Don’t think about that, we’d be accredited,” I said reassuringly. Although, I didn’t think so.

“Alright then, whatever you say, Alpha.” She beamed at me.

I shook my head at her while slipping on my shoes and she laughed lightly. Celine was the most free-spirited person I know. We’ve been friends since the day she showed up at my dad’s pack, Silver Moon pack, as a rogue seeking shelter. She became one of us and now we're still together, as survivors.

We both made our way to the pack house where today’s meeting was to be held. Strange right? An Alpha not living in the pack house.

Considering the circumstances by which I became Alpha, I couldn’t bring myself to do it. Living in a pack house would bring back so many unwanted memories of the past. Of my dead father and brother. And mother.

“Have you spoken to John today?” I asked Celine, distracting myself from my thoughts.

John was my Beta and also the preceding Alpha of this pack. I was fifteen at the time of the attack so he ruled till I turned eighteen and was capable of running a pack. He stayed at the pack house instead.

“Yup, he’s still pissed at you though.” I rolled my eyes at Celine’s statement. “Why not just tell him where you disappear to all the time?”

“Because it’s not important,” I responded.

John was a good friend of my father. He had saved me the night of the attack when I was abducted, along with several others. He lost his wife and daughter the same night.

“Stop being so hard-headed,” Celine said.

“When have you known me as otherwise?” I replied, nodding at a guard as we entered the gates of the pack house.

“Okay, you can tell me.”

“You’d tell him. You’re the gamma, he’s the Beta, you answer to him.” I said dryly.

“So? He won’t know I know.”

“Celine, everyone knows when you know something.” I sighed. She huffed.

The guards opened the doors to the meeting room on our arrival. The furious chattering in the room died down as we walked in.

“Alpha.” The elders at the table rose and bowed their heads in respect.

I simply nodded and they all took their seats.

“Glad you could join us,” John said from my right-hand side.

“We’re only three minutes late,” I said curtly.

“Late.” He repeated.

“What’s the verdict?” I asked, focusing on other members of the table.

“We’re yet to receive any information.” A petite woman spoke up.

The doors opened and the pack’s messenger rushed in, clutching an envelope in his palm. He delivered it with a bow and left the room.

The entire room had fallen silent as they watched me unseal the letter.

“From the king- Black Fire pack” the front of the letter read.

I unfolded it and scanned my eyes through its contents, slowly. I had reached the end of the letter and fought hard to suppress the smile that threatened to break out on my face, retaining my neutral expression.

“Alpha?”

“Denied.” I looked up as the gasps filled the room.

“What?” John asked me.

“Denied,” I repeated, causing a scowl to form on his face.

“A-alpha, what does this mean?” A member of the table stuttered.

“What would become of us?” Another question followed.

“What did we do wrong? I knew we should have chosen a better name.” Someone else said, throwing their hands up in hysterics.

I coughed into my palm and everyone fell silent.

“Crystal stone is a fine name.”

They all stared at me in silence, waiting for me to continue.

“What do you suggest we do now?” Celine asked from my left-hand side seeing as I wasn’t going to say more.

“We’d continue our lives as usual.” Some opened their mouth to comment but I cut them off. “The meeting is over, everyone is dismissed.”

I watched as the elders filled out of the room, with their heads hung low or whispering amongst themselves. It was just John, Celine and I left at the table.

“Have you lost your mind?” John faced me with his deepened scowl. “Continue our lives as usual? What does that even mean?”

“Diane, the people are going to lose hope. We can’t just wait around for another eight years, we’d barely have even people to call ourselves a pack by then.” Celine added.

“We’re not waiting another eight years. Give me a week, I’d figure something out.” I said as I stood up.

Surely, he’d react before then.

“Where are you going?” John asked sternly.

“Out.” I flashed him a smile and walked off.

I could sense the troubled feeling as I made my way through the pack and towards the forest at the back. Everyone was worried but I had a plan and it was slowly falling into place.

I made my way through the path I had solely discovered and ended up in a slum area I’d become quite familiar with. I walked through garbage and burning refuse for a good fifteen minutes before coming in contact with the first set of shops that littered the poorly maintained street.

Entering the bar at the corner of the street, I raised my cloak’s hood over my head to remain discreet. I walked up to the counter and took a seat.

“Pat!” The woman at the counter exclaimed when she saw me.

“Hi, Mary.”

“Thought I won't be seeing you for another week.” she flashed her broken, brown teeth at me.

“Where’s Agatha?” I returned the smile.

“Check the back booths. The creepy old lady sent my customers away from there.” Mary frowned.

“Thank you.” I smiled and walked off to the back.

“Child!” Agatha announced as I approached her, her back to me.

“Hello, Aggie.” I took a seat across from her.

“To what do I owe this pleasure?” She grinned.

“Your stories. I’m intrigued by what you said the last time.”

“You don’t think it’s a myth?”

“Black fires? No. I’ve had my experience.” I said.

“Silly child, only Alpha’s can see it.” She laughed.

“Hm.” I nodded. “So tell me, what more do you know about this Black Fire pack?”

“I know every little secret of this pack.” She whispered then giggled like a small child.

“Then perhaps, you should know how one could get into the pack house unnoticed?”