Born of the Moon

Chapter 1: Caramia

CARAMIA:

It’s been six months since my Father was killed. I replay that night in my head every single time I close my eyes. If I had gotten there just a split second earlier he would still be alive. That was also the night that everything changed. I felt all hope drain from me as I stood there watching my Father’s greying wolf go limp. 

The wolf who had just murdered my Father automatically became the new Alpha of our pack upon his death. He was massive, the largest wolf I had ever seen. I didn’t recognize him from any of the surrounding territories. Which can only mean one thing. He has been pillaging through territories before word could get out of what was happening.

It happened sometimes, rarely though, when Alphas go mad with power and let their wolf side become the stronger presence. It’s almost like being possessed, but it only happens to the strongest wolves. Our wolf side is primal, vicious in nature, and the more power it possesses, the more crazed the wolf. 

I can’t say I haven’t feared this happening to me. My wolf has ten times my courage and the power to back it up. By the looks of the giant black wolf that night, that is exactly what happened to him. His eyes matched his black coat and I couldn’t help but feel that if I was seeing him with my human eyes in the black moon I wouldn't know he was there. 

The black wolf howled in victory, savoring his kill. It took me a moment to snap back after watching my Father die, but my wolf was ready, she was alert the entire time… and she wanted to fight. I remember pushing her down out of fear.

“Fight, you spineless coward!” She yelled in our mind.

“He just killed the Alpha!” I snapped back.

“You are Alpha! We are Alpha!” She growled at me.

“He is Alpha now.” I whimpered.

“No! Do not underestimate me, Caramia. Let me out!” She snarled at me, both mentally and physically. Earning us the attention of the other wolf as his black eyes fixed on us, weighing if we were truly a threat. By his calm demeanor I was pretty sure he would snap us like a twig.

“He will kill us.” I begged as she clawed at the ground, fighting for control.

“He will kill us anyway if he sees fit, or worse, mate with us to assert his place as Alpha.” I slipped on my hold of her as the truth of her words hit me, but made sure she still didn’t have enough control to charge. “He can kill anybody who doesn’t accept him as Alpha. So, rather die now than become a slave and watch your loyal subjects become dog food.” She was right. We were as good as dead anyway. Our Alpha blood calls to his. This night cannot end without a union or a fight. So, I released her, allowing her full rage to overcome us.

It caught the black wolf by surprise as we charged forward and within a matter of seconds my wolf collided with him. Not biting or snapping or clawing, but allowing our full force to hit him like a train. My wolf was nowhere near as big as him, but she is larger than any other female wolf I have ever come across. Even larger than some of the low-ranking males in our pack. 

At the speed she was going that night she knocked into him so hard he whimpered and took a dive, tumbling across the ground. When we looked up my heart stopped because he was nowhere to be seen. How did he manage to get up so fast?

We made our way towards where he was thrown and stopped with a panicked bark as the ground beneath our front paws gave way. My wolf jumped back snarling.

“What is it? Is there a hole there?” I asked her mentally, trying to regain some semblance of rational thought.

“I don’t know.” She replied irritably and slowly made her way back to the edge.

“Be careful, he could jump out hoping to catch us off guard.” I warned her anxiously.

“I know. Now shut up so I can focus.” She snapped at me. Honestly, I sometimes wondered if all wolves were such a*sholes.

She made her way to the edge, sniffing at the ground until it gave way in front of us and she looked over the edge. It wasn’t a hole, it was a cliff, a huge one. It was so far down that the now broken body of the black wolf was the size of raisin at the bottom. 

There was no way in h*ll that he survived that fall. My suspicions were confirmed when I sensed a strange power enter me and my wolf was overwhelmed with it. She howled with triumph as I realized that we had just become Alpha.

I lie on my bed in my old room as the events of that night play through my mind. I have not yet been able to get myself to move to the Alpha’s chambers. My Father’s things have already been removed and my Mother has happily taken one of the larger guest rooms, but the Alpha’s quarters just sits there deserted because every single time I go I can still smell him everywhere and I break down crying.

My Father’s Beta and many of his best fighters had also been killed in the altercation. Those who had survived told me that they saw my Father luring the black wolf onto that cliff. Whether he knew there was a cliff no one could be sure, but in doing so he had saved the lives and future of our pack once again.

Thankfully, all the other wolves from the invading pack retreated when they heard my victory howl. They hadn’t even come back for their Alpha. We went back the next morning and his black carcass was still there at the bottom of the cliff. Bones jutting out in every direction. I commanded he be left there to feed the crows, a dishonorable death. Burying him would make his soul part of our lands, but an unburied soul will be cursed to run the earth never finding peace.

My pack has not yet fully accepted me as Alpha. Though no one would say it to my face I know they whisper that throwing someone off a cliff isn’t truly a fair win for the title. You would think they would be more grateful considering what I had saved them from, but I know what they want. For the ceremony to take place between Rex and I after our wedding vows to see how much of the Alpha blood truly resides in me.

Rex is the previous Beta’s son, he also lost his Father that day and we both felt we needed time to grieve, perhaps me more than him, but I named him my Beta as soon as I got back to the pack house. He is doing an excellent job of it, while I am falling apart, he is holding the pack together.

There is another reason why I've put off our wedding this long… I have known it for quite some time, but I haven’t allowed myself to accept it yet. It doesn’t really change anything. The union between Rex and myself is what the pack needs to find some semblance of stability again. 

The truth is I am not attracted to Rex, or any man for that matter. I have always found woman to be more alluring. That would be fine were I anyone other than the Alpha’s only child. There was no one else to ensure the safety of our pack with an heir that had the same Alpha blood running through their veins. Only a child of my own could take up the mantel when I am too old to command it anymore.

I have often wondered if this is why the Moon Goddess has not blessed me with a mate. I am twenty-four-years-old already and way past due to find my mate. Yet… nothing. They say the Moon Goddess weaves us together in our Mother’s womb and knows our path before we are even born, but I can’t image she would have put this affliction within me. It isn’t like anyone in the pack would have an issue with it, I just can’t afford the luxury of choosing who to love.

If I could somehow still find my mate will they be female or male? Would I suddenly feel differently if my mate was male? They say the mating bond makes you crazy for that person. Their touch drives you insane, you can’t function when they are too far away from you. I can only hope the Moon Goddess knows what she’s doing.

I force myself out of bed and make my way to my en suite bathroom. I wash the sleep out of my hazel eyes and run a brush through my chestnut hair that is cut just below my jawline. I use some hair mousse to neaten up my bob in the back and lather my toothbrush, quickly brushing my teeth. Finally, dabbing some face cream on my olive skin and spritzing myself with some perfume. 

I walk to my closet and pull out some black mom jeans that have rips on the knees. It's so baggy it needs to be held up with a belt. I pull a caramel t-shirt over my head and tuck it into the jean. As always, I pull my black boots from the door where I leave them every night and slip them on.

Finally ready for the day I make my way to the dining hall for some breakfast. It is customary for the Alpha to be present for every meal. No one else can eat until I am present. Although, I have noticed some overlooking this rule. I've chosen to ignore it even though it drives my wolf crazy. They at least had the decency to stop eating when I enter the hall. Even if it is clear that their plates are half done. 

It feels strange to sit in my Father’s seat, surrounded by our strongest warriors who are much larger than I am. I am tall for a girl, but nowhere near as tall as half the men in our pack. Thankfully, my mother and my Beta sits on either side of me. I can’t help but wonder who would forego their seat next to me if I found my mate?

Probably my Mother, since it is technically the Luna’s seat, even though I would prefer if it was Rex. I enter the dining hall and most people don’t even notice right away. Continuing their conversations and stuffing their mouths. It was always dead quiet when my Father entered the dining hall. No one would even dare to have food in front of them until he was presented with a plate first. I wonder if my lax approach to being Alpha is going to bite me in the a*s one day. 

Rex and my Mother stand in respect as I enter and go to take my seat. My wolf is reeling at the disrespect from the other members of the pack. I pull my chair out but she sends an impulse down my arm and it screeches across the floor purposefully. This gets everyone’s attention and suddenly they are quiet, all eyes on me.

“Thanks a lot, now they’re all staring.” I snap at my wolf inwardly.

“They should stare. We are their Alpha. They should be afraid of us.”  She hisses back.

“I do not want to rule with fear.” I tried to command her.

“Then watch them disregard you altogether.” She snapped back at me.

I take a deep breath and lower myself into my seat, a servant quickly places a hot plate of food in front of me. Bacon, eggs and toast with roasted tomatoes, my favorite.

“Did you sleep well?” Rex asks with a smile. Not adding the honorary title of Alpha to the question.

“I’ll rip his face off for that.” My wolf growls mentally.

“Why should he call me Alpha? We are engaged.” I retort back at her.

“Very well, thank you. Any news from the night’s patrols?” I question. It is the Beta’s responsibility to check in with the patrols at dusk and dawn to make sure they didn’t see anything suspicious and report back to the Alpha.

“Nothing of note.” He says as he takes a bite of his eggs. Still forgoing adding my title.

I shovel some bacon into my mouth just as a scout comes running to Rex’s side. “There has been another sighting, Beta Rex.” He whispers to Rex.

“Sighting of what?” I growl at him in question.

The scout looks completely stunned, realizing his mistake as if he hadn’t seen me there. “My apologies, Alpha Caramia. We didn’t feel the need to bother you with such trivial matters.”

“If you can bother my Beta, you can surely bother me. What’s the situation?” I allow a little of my wolf’s authority to enter my voice and the scout is clearly unsettled by it.

“Of course, Alpha Caramia. There has been a pack trailing our borders where the black wolf had invaded us. We don’t know if they are just patrolling the area or looking to invade again.”

At this my wolf surges up in full-blooded rage. Taking momentary control and honestly, I let her, because I am pissed off as h*ll. She jumps up, sending the chair flying backwards. “Nothing of note, Beta Rex?” She glare down at him. “How dare you lie to your Alpha?” She snaps. 

He remains seated, but a muscle twitches in his jaw at my outburst, which sends my wolf even further over the edge. She lunges out and grips him around the neck. “Answer me, Beta Rex!” She shouts as his eyes bulges out of his head and I scramble for control again. 

I release him and he swallows, taking a calm dignified inhale of breath, not allowing himself to gulp down air as I know he wants to.

Everyone is staring now at my outburst. This is the side of me they haven’t seen before, the side I keep in check, but the mention of the pack that killed my Father had me slipping on my hold of my darker side.

“I would have reported it had it turned into a conflict.” Beta Rex hissed through gritted teeth, glaring at me and suddenly I found myself looking forward to the trial of our strengths on our wedding day, so I can put him in his place once and for all.

“Then it would have been too late.” I say under my breath so that only he can hear before snapping my eyes to the patrol who whimpers and looks down. “Show me.” I command him.

“Yes, Alpha Caramia.” He answers promptly, scrambling away. I take off after him, not waiting to see if Rex even follows. When we’re both clear of the pack house we shift to take full advantage of the speed and heightened senses of our wolves.

He leads us deep into the woods past the cliff where my Father died and I became Alpha. I can’t help the twinge of pain that shoots through me at the memory of that night, but my wolf pushes it down. We need to focus. Somewhere along the way I become aware of Rex following at a safe distance. This causes my wolf to speed up. If he wants to fight by our side we aren’t going to make it easy on him after what he did at breakfast.

We reach the border of our lands, traceable by anyone in our pack and I track the area for the foreign wolves.  “When was the last time you saw them?” I ask the scout through the telepathic link I share with every member of my pack. We can only communicate like this in wolf form, the link acting like an open portal between minds. 

Stronger wolves are taught at a young age how to put up barriers in their minds so other wolves can’t read their thoughts unless they want them to. This was something I’ve had to perfect over the years. I can’t afford to have the entire pack privy to my thoughts when they might give away more than I’d like to tell.

“Every night this week, Alpha Caramia. I don’t always see them, but I can always tell they’ve been past here by the scent.” The scout replies mentally. I fill my nostrils with the smell of the surrounding area. There, clear as daylight is the scent of the foreign pack. There is no trace of the black wolf I killed months ago, but I wouldn’t expect there to be since they would have a new Alpha. 

The scouts should be familiar with the combined scent of the foreign pack, since I had them patrolling the woods for days where we were invaded, to be sure each of them wouldn't miss the scent if they came across it again.

“Beta Rex.” I say to Rex mentally, allowing my voice to reach the scout's mind as well. Rex, who'd been keeping his distance from me, neared me now, standing to attention. “Send a message to the Alpha of this new pack…” Rex’s red brown wolf looks at me with hazel eyes, intrigued. “I will be paying them a visit on the full moon.”