Two Alphas for a Luna

Chapter 6

“You mean, like in the stories with walking on two legs and such?” Tertius raised an eyebrow at her, but she just shook her head.

“No actually, I mean those that can turn between a real wolf and human shape, more like shapeshifters then.”

“Come on, Crystal, this is the real world...” Seeing the serious look in her eyes, he trailed off without completing his sentence.

“Look Tertius, I need you to trust me on this. I can’t go into the full details right now, and showing you inside of the study, well it might not be the best of ideas. But I need you to take me on my word when I say, both Brad and I, we’re werewolves, shapeshifters or whichever you prefer, but we can change between human and wolf shape when necessary. And Brad, can you just stop growling like that at me?! If you want to get your answers, so does he. Be patient and I’ll tell you everything!”

“You’re crazy, the both of you!” Tertius got up, looking between the two other people in the room.

“Look Tertius, if you want to leave, no one on the grounds would prevent you, but I would beg of you to stay. To listen. Look, have you never wondered why your body heal so fast? Any memories of a wolf inside your house sometime in your life? All the strange things you can do when no one else you know, can? I think I can give you a little insight into it, but only if you agree to listen.”

This time his voice was a whisper, tight with anxiety when he answered her. “Once, when I was little, the day my mum died. I swear, there was a howl sounding like a wolf coming from her room, but later, when I spoke to my grandfather about it, he just shrugged it off. But that day, my dad, well, he just, disappeared. Is THAT the type of stuff you’re looking for? I know I heal fast, never tried to find the answers for it though, it’s a family trait.” His voice rising slightly at the last.

“I’m guessing here, but I think your grandfather didn’t want to scare you. Many years ago, well before we were born, there use to be a pack living on the lands to the left of ours. Then, according to my father’s father, when he was a small child, a strange illness had gripped the pack and no treatment they tried worked. Those that survived, they lost their wolves and moved away. They weren’t many though, just a small, hand full of people.

“For those of us who can shift, losing our wolves, it’s the most horrible thing that can happen! I can’t even begin to imagine how it felt for them.  Losing their home and their families as well. From what I heard; it was terrible!

“Then, 26 years ago, a lone wolf of my father’s pack, returned over a long distance while searching for what we call, a mate, to our pack. He traveled over the lands of the lost pack, and with it, he brought a plague to our town too. Many of our pack was lost, including my mother and her sister that was one year younger, and the mother to my cousins. We were only one year old at the time. My cousin also got the disease, our mothers sacrificed themselves to ensure that she survived. She’s in a wheelchair now and unable to communicate with her wolf at all. She’s never shifted. From everything we know and have heard about the disease, it looks like the lost gene is also lost to all the children of those born to the afflicted.

“I’m going on a hunch here, but I THINK your grandfather was one of those afflicted, or maybe your grandmother, giving certain werewolf traits to you. Like that of fast healing, and such, but without having a wolf. I suspect, from the stories that I’ve heard, they were the Alpha and the Luna of the pack. Maybe your father even had it as well and survived, I’m not sure though, it depends on when he was born.” Crystal sat watching him with sad eyes. At first, he was walking in circles in the room, but as her story went on, he slowly sank down in a chair, head in his hands while listening to her.

“What... What does this mean?”

Taking a deep breath, Crystal looked between both men before continuing. “In a wolf pack, there is a few important roles. I for instance, I’m the leader of my pack, and the strongest too, the best fighter. Most of us our inter-related in some way, or if not related, dependent on one another. Because I’m also female, my pack calls me the ‘Alpha-Luna” as a female married to the Alpha would be the Luna. An Alpha ensures every ones safety and that they have food to eat and such, while the Luna takes care of them emotionally. I do both. My cousins, one of who spoke at the door earlier, they are the ones who will care for the pack when I’m gone, or in case of my death if I should die without an heir. They are the Betas. There’s always only one Alpha in a pack, but there can be multiple Betas, Thirds and such forth.”

Crystal waited for a sign from Tertius that he was following her, before continuing when he nodded. “Also, in wolf culture, we have this thing, called mates.” At her words Brad gave a warning growl, which Crystal decided to ignore before continuing. “A mate is like your better half, the extra part of yourself that was always missing. Helping you to get better”

“So, you mean to say, Brad’s your mate or whatever it is. An entire lecture just to tell me that you’re taken, off limits, and I’m neither human nor wolf.” Tertius sounded hurt and offended and Brad shot up with a vicious growl at the man’s words.

“Brad, SIT DOWN!”

“So just, one thing. You never explained him. If you’re the Alpha AND the Luna, and he claims he’s your mate, then how does all of THIS fit together?! Hell, you don’t even sound like you LIKE him! Now you’re here trying to tell me to keep my hands to myself and why, but I still don’t GET IT! Why tell me in the first place?! Why bring me here?! Just because you sensed I was part wolf? Hell what a joke! You could have just left me you know. All the theatrics was unnecessary. I would have woken up in the hospital and I would have gotten the point!”

Tertius was furious this time and Crystal ached for him. Even though he was wrong in his assumptions, she can’t think how he must feel, realizing his entire life had been a lie. Slowly a tear slipped out over her cheek.

“I’m so sorry Tertius, really I am. But to answer your question. No I didn’t bring you here just to throw you out again. I couldn’t help myself. When I saw you there, in the crumbling building, I... I couldn’t help myself. I wanted to bring you near me. You see Tertius. That’s why you couldn’t help yourself from following me into the burning house, even though you knew it was a death sentence, just like you couldn’t help yourself earlier in touching me.” Crystal took a last deep breath and glanced between the two men. Both weren’t moving a muscle, silently awaiting her words. “Tertius, you and Brad, you’re both my mates.”

And as Crystal had known it was going to be, chaos burst out. Brad was up on his feet, shouting, Tertius sat like a statue at her words. The shouting had two of her guards crashing into the room, shouting for answers. Gazing at the two men, Crystal could only stare. After a few moments, at a gesture from her, the guards left, but not without showing her their displeasure at leaving their leader in such company.

“Brad, I know this is not what you wanted or expected to hear. But please, I need you to calm down. You’ve been rogue for a long time and right now, your wolf will take over if you don’t. My study is not the place for that. Please, just, sit down so we can all talk about this. I didn’t choose this any more than you or Tertius did. It just... it just happened!”