Red Moon

3 : Wayne

Harry entered with a determined step. He was reassured to know that the Mad One had not yet arrived.

"Hey, Harry, hi! Welcome to the Crossroad Cafe!" the two young Wind Tribe members said in unison.

The brother and sister standing in front of him shared some common features. They both had wavy black hair and brown eyes that shone with kindness. They wore a black T-shirts with the Café logo. The young man had dark jeans, while his sister wore a long skirt with ethnic patterns. She had a ring on each finger.

"Aiyana! Mat!" greeted Harry in turn.

The Red Moon Alpha hurried to the bar, where his friends, with whom he had played so much as a child during his visits to the Café, were standing.

"We'll have to be careful what we call you from now on," Mat said, patting Harry on the shoulder.

The redhead took a seat in one of the high chairs at the bar and grinned brightly as Aiyana placed a bowl of vanilla ice cream sprinkled with vermicelli candies of all colors in front of him.

"Thanks for remembering," he said warmly to the girl in front of him.

Since childhood, Harry had hoped with all his heart that Aiyana would be his Mate. He took each of her attentions to him as a sign of affection his soul mate might have had for him.

_ Don't be ridiculous," Harry's wolf growled.

The animal part of him liked the girl, who was a year younger than them, but he doubted that things were that simple. After all, it was extremely rare for soul mates to be close to each other.

It was a cruel game that the Moon Goddess seemed to play. However, the wolves welcomed this as part of a hunt, even though they feared they would never find their perfect match to complete them.

Aiyana and Mat exchanged a look. A golden glow could be seen disappearing in the corner of their eyes.

Aiyana took a beer from the fridge and put it on the counter next to Harry. Then she hurriedly grabbed her bag and quickly waited for Mat to finish placing clean glasses on a shelf.

"We have to go. Have a good night," Mat said, putting an arm around his sister's shoulders.

Harry remained silent, then went back to eating his ice cream. He heard the door of the Crossroad Café open, but he didn't pay any more attention.

His wolf had recognized the scent of the Alpha who had just entered.

They knew they were perfectly safe.

"How are you?" the warm voice of the colossus asked as he sat in the high chair beside him.

Harry put his spoon down, then rubbed his hand over his jeans before holding it out to his bar neighbor.

"I'm fine, thanks, Alpha Wayne."

Alpha Wayne shook his hand and proceeded to pop the cap off his beer bottle on the metal rim of the counter.

The appearance of the members of the Serene Moon had always amused Harry. They all looked more or less like loggers, and both men and women wore the same shirt style. However, the men seemed to have forgotten how to use razors or scissors.

On the other hand, Alpha Wayne made no effort at all with his physical appearance. He wore a red and white checkered shirt, as did all his pack members, and he never bothered to shave and tied his light brown hair up in a low man bun.

"What?" asked Wayne curiously, seeing Harry's eyes sparkle as he looked at him.

"I always wondered why the Serene Moon members all dressed like that," Harry stated as he began eating his ice cream again.

Wayne turned his stool so that his back was to the bar, then rested his elbows on the counter as he continued to drink.

"Originally, it was because I was too lazy," Wayne began before continuing when he saw Harry's interest. "I ordered this shirt, you see. And, since I got compliments on it, I figured, why not? I ended up recommending some, but I guess I got the order form wrong. I ended up with a shipment of a hundred shirts on my hands."

Harry laughed at the saucy news and ran a hand over his eyes.

"And when you paid, didn't you think your order was overpriced?"

Wayne nodded and took another sip.

"As you know, I have a bit of a shyness problem with women."

Harry laughed inwardly.

There was nothing small about Wayne's problem, and it could be considered a disease on his level. It didn't matter how old she was. As soon as someone of female origin came up to him, he would ultimately lose his chill.

Ironically, this daily handicap had allowed them to obtain a peace agreement with the mermen.

When their leader, a colorful individual, realized that Wayne could not speak in front of him, he was moved to know that Wayne had managed to identify his true inner self. The mighty merman thus hid the delicate heart of a sweet mermaid beneath his tough scales.

"All this to say that a woman was standing at the counter the day I ordered. So I handed them out to everyone. I guess it became a kind of uniform for the pack, out of support for my stupidity," Wayne finished by putting down his bottle.

As he placed his beer on the counter, a considerable goosebump appeared on both arms.

Wayne put a hand on Harry's shoulder and motioned for him to get up.

"The Mad One is here. Come on. It's time to make the introductions officially."

Both Alphas could feel their animal parts trembling under the overwhelming presence of the black wolf around the perimeter of the Café.

The door slowly opened, creaking through the silence of the night, before the Alpha Black slowly entered the building.

He wore only a pair of pants that he had put on after returning to human form and walked past the other two Alphas without glancing at them. Then he sat on a chair at the end of the table and waited.

Wayne patted Harry on the shoulder and motioned for him to sit to the right of the Mad One. Finally, he took a seat on his left and waited. However, Wayne's wolf sniffed curiously at Black but remained silent for fear of angering the black wolf.

Wayne flinched when he noticed the Mad One staring at him. Then he shook himself and cleared his throat.

"Well, Harry. I don't suppose your father ever told you about this because it's a secret of the utmost importance. We need to take... well, I need to take the time to explain to you why you are here tonight. But also why the Red Moon Pack and the Serene Moon Pack exist," Wayne began patiently.

Harry frowned, not understanding what Wayne was talking about. Since childhood, he had been taught that the Red Moon was created by his ancestors, from whom he had inherited the Alpha DNA. He had never asked himself why the Red Moon was formed. It had always been evident to him: wolves gather around a pack leader powerful enough to protect them, and that's it. It had always been that way since time immemorial.

Harry raised his hand to ask permission to speak and dared to talk when Wayne gave him an encouraging smile.

"I don't understand what you mean, Alpha Wayne. The reason our packs exist?"

Wayne nodded his head before beating his chest.

"As everyone knows, the Serene Moon Pack is a refuge for all wolves seeking a peaceful home. By the Moon Goddess, I sometimes take in former fighting wolves, too tired from repeated wars. I offer my protection, and in exchange, they offer me their help to continue to supply the other packs with fruits and vegetables."

Harry nodded.

Everyone knew perfectly well that the Serene Moon was a sort of giant farm where the gentler, weaker wolves resided. These wolves didn't have an ounce of brutality in them, but their large numbers commanded respect. Their pack's territory was extraordinarily fertile and produced enough food to sustain all the surrounding packs.

Harry was often surprised that no other Alpha had ever tried to take it. When asked, his father shrugged and said he would understand the day he saw Alpha Wayne get angry. This news had surprised Harry to no end. He had met the leader of the Serene Moon pack many times, and he was the most peaceful, patient, and caring Alpha he had ever met.

Wayne interlaced his fingers in front of him and anchored his gaze on Harry's.

"This is the moment when the reason for the Red Moon's existence, the military strike power, comes into play. The Red Moon is sent to deal with delicate matters when Council diplomacy fails to take full effect," the Serene Moon Alpha said quietly.

Harry crossed his arms over his chest and leaned more heavily on the back of his chair.

"You're not telling me anything new, Alpha Wayne. This is the pack I'm in charge of, and I know I have to take orders from the Council," he began, but he stopped as soon as he met the Mad One's icy gaze.

Wayne laughed softly and shook his head.

"That's the pack you inherited the responsibility for, yes."

"Teach me something I don't know instead of wasting my time here," Harry murmured, narrowing his eyes. "I'm a new Alpha in place, and I have to take care of my own."

Wayne took a deep breath, aware of the rebellious spirit of the oh-so-young wolf before him.

"I'm trying to tell you that neither you nor I answer to the Council's orders," Wayne stated calmly.

An angry growl left Harry's throat, and he pounded the table with his fists.

"What do you dare to say to me, Alpha Wayne?" Harry bared his fangs. "Do not mock me. The packs obey the Council, and we have sworn loyalty and submission to the Council..."

"Silence," cut in the Mad One's icy voice.

Harry felt like he was being strangled and placed a hand on his throat. He could see with horror his wolf trembling with his whole body inside his mind.

"What's wrong with you?" he asked his wolf.

_Alpha's command... I cannot disobey," the animal articulated with difficulty to his human part.

Wayne glanced at Harry with concern and shook his head again.

"I'm trying to tell you that both our packs belong to Alpha Black. We never swore allegiance to the Council but to the black wolf. It's a bond that's existed since the beginning of time, Alpha Harry. You can't deny it. Your wolf submits to the order of his Alpha. The Serene Moon and the Red Moon are branches of the Mad One pack."