Alpha's Fate (Black Moon Saga Book 2)

Chapter 6: Alpha Jonah

The evening after the challenge, Alpha Mitchell arrives to the ceremonies just in time. People were starting to wonder if he was not going to be well enough and it would have to be postponed. He is still in rough shape, bruised, scraped, and battered literally from head to toe, but he suffers the pain with pride. He has held the title of Alpha for more than fifty years and has been waiting to hand it down for a long time.

No one is more excited to see that he has recovered enough to walk on his own two feet to the stage erected behind the packhouse than Jonah, who worried that he might have overdone the “show them what you’re made of” portion of his challenge. He waits beside his future Luna with eager anticipation as his grandfather and the current Luna address the pack for the last time as their Alpha couple. Their families are gathered just beside the stage, waiting and watching together, and it warms Jonah’s heart to see the looks of pride and admiration from the people he is closest to.

He is zoned out thinking about how natural it feels to have Beth’s family and his own standing side-by-side cheering them on when he hears Alpha Mitchell’s booming voice say, “so without further ado, it is my pride and pleasure to have the honor of passing this role now to my grandson, who I know will serve as well and better than I have as your Alpha.”

Then his grandfather reaches for the joining dagger that Luna April is holding out to him, and motions for Jonah to come closer and stand with him over the ceremonial basin.

“Jonah, state here before your pack today what your intentions are as their new Alpha,” Alpha Mitchell directs him.

“I swear that from this day forward, I will be the protector and keeper of the Tall Pines Pack, and I vow to always put its needs before my own. I promise to lead with strength, determination, and fierceness but with a mind for both justice and compassion, as the Alpha before me has done.”

Claps and cheers break out across the crowd when he finishes his statement. Alpha Mitchell only nods once Jonah finishes speaking, as though he approves of what he has said, then gestures for Jonah to give him his hand.

Jonah has seen this done once before, when Adam performed a similar ceremony to pass the title of Alpha to Marcus about a decade ago back at the Spirit Moon Pack. He knows what it entails, and so does not flinch as Alpha Mitchell takes his hand and turns it palm up, slicing across the inside of it, before doing the same to his own hand. Then the elder man joins their palms together over the ceremonial basin, letting their blood mix and drip together into the basin.

Jonah feels a rush of energy and power flowing into him through their joined hands and then coursing throughout his entire body. His senses seem to come alive more keenly than ever before, and he feels a sense of a connection blooming with so many other souls it is overwhelming. He can feel their hope and their pain, their joy and their fear all at once. He is even starting to feel them in his mind, as though they are all trying to communicate with him simultaneously. The sensations become so intense that he cannot help but scream out, which ends up sounding out more as a powerful roar to the crowd watching him.

Finally, the noise in his head and throughout his body starts to dull down, and he looks out over the crowd to find a familiar sight. His pack has been silenced and now bows to him respectfully, which has Milo stirring excitedly in his mind. He seems to feel that this is exactly how things always should have been for him. He does note, however, that Kylie, Adam, Tian and his parents remain standing, which tells him that his Alpha power, though strong, is more limited than Kylie’s. Neither he nor Milo are bothered by that. He does not envy the places her power seems to be taking her.

While Milo celebrates finally being Alpha, Jonah decides to address his pack. As he recites the words that he has been rehearsing in his mind for days now, something to the effect of how his family has always been the most important thing in his life and now he considers this entire pack to be his family, he notes that even his voice feels more powerful now. It is in this moment that he realizes that becoming Alpha is not simply adopting a new title that brings with it many new responsibilities; it is a whole new way of experiencing life.

He concludes his first speech as Alpha by calling Beth forward and officially introducing her to the pack as his mate. He gestures for the ceremonial dagger to be brought to Beth, noticing for the first time that his grandparents have disappeared from the stage. He scans the area where his family is clustered, a hint of worry creeping in when he does not find them there. Noticing that Tian and Adam have also disappeared, he makes a note to find out what happened once he is done here with Beth.

Then Jonah begins yet another address to his assembled pack, reciting the ceremonial words one of the Tall Pine Elders helped him memorize only yesterday. He draws Beth to his side and holds her there firmly, taking comfort in the contact with his mate, and continues telling everyone about the important role a Luna plays in governing a pack and how significant it is for an Alpha to have his mate at his side to serve as the best and strongest version of himself.

“Each Luna is one important facet of the way the Moon Goddess represents herself amongst her people, embodying the characteristics of the Goddess herself that we are taught from the time we are pups – strength, wisdom, bravery, compassion, grace, and beauty, both inside and out. A Luna is a partner for her Alpha, the yin to his yang, but she is also a mother and a friend, not just to those she holds nearest and dearest but also for the entire pack,” he adlibs some of the dialogue he has forgotten the exact wording to.

Then he pauses for a moment to turn and gaze lovingly at Beth before continuing.

“The Moon Goddess chooses only those she feels are worthy of serving as one of her representatives to be the mate of an Alpha. On a personal note, I highly approve of her choice in this case,” he tells the pack with a smirk.

The crowd meets his declaration with a mix of chuckles, cheers, and delighted reactions to how cute the Alpha couple is together. No one seems to mind that he hasn’t delivered his speech verbatim. He continues for a few more moments until it is time to receive the ceremonial dagger from Beth and once again stand over the ceremonial basin, this time opposite of his mate.

He takes her hand in his, turning it over as his grandfather so recently did with him. He has been instructed to make a much smaller cut this time, since she is already joined to the pack and does not need her blood to flow freely into the basin to mix with all the rest. He just needs to make a minor cut to her palm and reopen his own wound slightly to allow her direct access to the empowered Alpha blood now flowing through his veins. A quick moment later, he joins his bloody palm to hers and watches with glee as her eyes flit back and forth from her own gray ones to the brown eyes of her wolf as she feels the power coursing through her.

He turns again to face the crowd with a broad grin. “And now, Tall Pines family, allow me to officially introduce your new Luna, Elizabeth Leighton!” he says as he raises their joined hands to the pack.

After the cheering and celebrating has died down some, he also announces that he would like to meet his pack shortly for their first run together, instructing everyone to gather some clothing for a quick change after and meet him in the clearing near the part of the forest reserved only for official pack events. He also warns them that he intends to bring his family and some close friends, though they are not official pack members. No one seems to object, despite it going against their tradition of only allowing pack members access to the sacred grounds.

Once the crowd seems to have turned their attention away from their new Alpha, Jonah hops off the stage and over to where Kylie, their parents, and Aunt Evelyn seem to be waiting for him.

“What happened to Grandpa?” he demands worriedly, not even bothering to greet them. He assumes they must know something since Adam and Tian also disappeared at about the same time.

Kylie reaches out and touches his upper arm reassuringly. “He’s fine, but just needed to return to his hospital bed to rest. Transferring his power to you seemed to drain the last bit of whatever was keeping him on his feet,” she explains. “It’s been a day for him, and for you as well. Are you sure you want to do the run right now?”

“Positive,” he affirms, nodding and pursing his lips together with determination. “Pack runs are my life force. I’m exaggerating, but they’ve always had a powerful effect on me. I find myself craving that sort of bonding experience with my new pack. It was a snap decision, but I know it is the right one. I want you all to come, though. Actually no, I need you all to come. I need both my actual family and my new pack family right now. So, please, don’t deny me this.”

Kylie can tell her brother is high on adrenaline, endorphins, and whatever else is coursing through his system after the eventful day he has had, but she is beyond happy for him. She has never seen him so enthusiastic and motivated, but hopes he is not taking on too much too soon. Regardless, she wants to be there every step of the way to support him.

She opens her mouth to speak, intending to agree without hesitation, but he doesn’t allow her the chance.

“And get your mate,” he continues. “I would say get your vampire, too, but I think that would be pushing the rules a bit too far. Tell him I’d invite him if I could, though.”

He turns to his aunt with a knowing smirk and addresses her specifically, “And get your mate, too. Well, your potential mate. I have a feeling he is going to be my most important ally, and I overheard him asking you to go on a run with him before he leaves. If he is anything like me, he needs that run to bond with you. So, bring him, but keep back a bit.”

He pauses, thinking about it further.

“Actually, you guys stay with Kylie and Adam and bring up the rear. I need to keep the other Alphas a safe distance away,” he chuckles, only half-serious.

He’s pretty sure he has his pack’s loyalty after this whirlwind day, but he doesn’t want a repeat of what happened to Marc at Spirit Moon.

After some more hugs for his family and Beth’s, he retrieves his mate from where she has been chatting with some of her friends from the pack. Together they go to check in on his grandparents, and then to retrieve some clothes to prepare for the pack run.

As Kylie and her family return to their rooms to change into some light clothing that will be fast and easy to remove and put back on, Evelyn seems nervous and on edge, despite Kylie’s best efforts to calm her with her aura. She eventually decides to address the problem the old-fashioned way, by asking her about it directly.

“Evie, what’s going on?” she asks sympathetically as they’re walking together through the residential area of the pack house.

Evelyn turns to her, chewing her lip in contemplation, and then grabs her by the arm and pulls her into the nearest room. It turns out to be Isabel’s room, and Isabel is currently reclined on the bed texting on her phone.

“Hey! Have you heard of knocking?” Isabel demands, though Kylie can tell that her outrage is mostly a front. Her actual reaction is amusement.

“Sorry, I just needed to talk to Kylie about something and I didn’t want any wandering ears to listen to us,” Evelyn explains to her sister apologetically.

“Whatever, but these wandering ears aren’t going anywhere so …,” Isabel shrugs nonchalantly and returns her attention to her phone.

“I don’t really want this getting out, but I have a problem,” Evelyn admits to Kylie. “I have only shifted quickly once, and it was because Tian helped me. Every other time, it takes forever and is excruciatingly painful. I hate doing it, and I especially do not want to do it publicly. And then there is the other issue, of my wolf, Adeline, acting like a spoiled teenager not getting her way. She is upset that I am even considering the offer Alpha Clayton proposed to me over lunch. He is considering me for his chosen mate, if I’m interested. I am, but Adeline insists that she only wants her true mate. He rejected us, though. That bond is gone now, and I actually like Alpha Clayton. If I’m being honest, he was my first crush and we used to flirt and fool around a little when we were teenagers. Nothing serious, just a little making out and light groping, but the truth is, I’d love to be his.”

“Eew!" Isabel comments from the bed. “Way more than I needed to know about you, Evie.”

Evelyn ignores her sister, continuing to explain, “Adeline is being sulky about it and refuses to talk to me. I don’t think she will be willing to shift, and it is going to be so embarrassing. I feel like this is my last and only chance at a mate, and she’s sabotaging it. He wants our wolves to run together and see if they will accept each other, because if they don’t then we can’t mate. He said he can’t risk the adjustment period right now if his wolf decides to be pouty about it too. It’s so frustrating!”

Kylie pulls her aunt into a tight hug and rubs her back, considering how she can help her.

“Evie, there might be a way,” she says uncertainly. “I can’t promise you anything, but my wolf seems to have the ability to call to her family and force them to shift. Problem is, I don’t know how closely we have to be related or bonded for that to work. It worked on Jonah, but he and I grew up together, and I just met you. Tian did say that it worked because of our blood bond, though, so maybe it will work for you too. Maybe I can force your wolf to shift, and hopefully it will happen quickly and automatically.”

“I’m willing to try it, Kylie,” Evelyn tells her as she exhales in relief. “Even something that might work is better than what I’m currently working with.”

“Not gonna lie, I want to see this,” Isabel tells them as she throws her legs over the side of her bed and stands up to join them.

Kylie chuckles and takes both of their hands. “Then let’s go. We should probably do this outside, maybe out back around the far corner of the house where there aren’t many people. We can shift there and then join the rest. I’ll mind-link Jonah and give him a heads up, but I’m sure he will understand.”

After informing her brother of her modification to their plans, Kylie links Adam next with a similar message and to tell him to meet her outside to get the clothes she brought for him. Then she leads her aunts outside to the place she suggested. Adam, Tian, Jonah, Beth, and Grandma April are just arriving there at about the same time.

“Oh geez, I guess I still have a whole audience,” Evelyn comments sarcastically, feeling nervous again.

“Only people who care and want to be here to help,” April assures her daughter. “Jonah is still new to this and may not have full control over his Alpha powers yet, but it’s also possible that if this doesn’t work, he can force you to shift.”

“Then why didn’t Dad ever do that for me?” Evelyn wonders.

“Because you need to learn to control it yourself,” her mother explains. “But this is a special circumstance.”

“And if all else fails, I can compel you to release your control and your wolf to comply,” Tian offers, “but we really should save that as a last resort. My powers can be quite fatiguing for the recipients.”

“Ugh, don’t remind me,” Adam comments bitterly, and Tian smirks at him.

Kylie hands off the clothes she brought to Adam, then begins to strip down herself.

“I figure we shouldn’t waste any more time. We don’t want the Alpha to be late to his own run,” she teases her brother. “Go ahead and get ready, Evie, and if you need help, I’ll shift and have Mirabella give it a try.”

She pauses for a moment, her eyes widening with realization, then turns to Jonah and worries, “Maybe you shouldn’t be here. What if Mirabella lures you away from your pack like she did before?”

“She won’t,” Tian assures her confidently. “Milo was easily persuaded away from the role of Beta because he never wanted to be there. He’s Alpha now. Though he always seems willing to follow you, he won’t want to give that up. So, he’ll come if called to the side of his sister, and if the situation warrants it, he’ll bring his pack with him to assist you. This will be fine.”

“Alrighty then,” Evelyn comments nervously.

She begins removing her clothes and crouches down on the ground. Her father told her that this position can sometimes make shifting less uncomfortable. She tries to focus in on her wolf and give her control, but she only senses the barrier between them.

“She’s not responding,” she admits defeatedly.

“Guess it’s showtime, Kylie,” Jonah says. He and the rest of his family members, namely April and Adam, also begin removing their clothing, preparing for what Kylie is about to do in case she forces them to shift as well. Isabel watches with a smirk, amused but also fascinated that someone who is not the Alpha can even do this.

Kylie nods and focuses on Mirabella, her face taking on a serious, blank expression as she does. Her transformation goes smoothly and quickly as usual, eliciting gasps from those who have not seen this before.

“My word, Kylie, Mirabella is gorgeous,” April breathes out in admiration, reaching out to stroke the silky fur of her granddaughter’s wolf.

Evelyn sighs, unable to hold back her envy of how easy and magnificent that process seemed to be for her niece.

Mirabella steps back to pace the space where her friends and family are gathered, regarding each one of them individually and tuning into their wolf aspects. She feels warmth and contentment flood her senses as she realizes she is surrounded by family, with so much of her natural pack assembled here before her. She finds herself craving more of this, yearning for the pieces of her family that are missing, and throws her head back to let out a powerful, piercing howl that perfectly captures her anguish, longing, and desire to bring them closer.

The next few moments are filled with the sounds of cracking, popping, and tearing as her family members quickly shift into their wolf forms and group around her. Kieran is first to join her, taking a moment to nuzzle her face and relish in the sensations from contact with his mate, followed closely by Milo, who greets his sister with a playful nip of her ear. April and Evelyn also respond to the command to shift into their wolves, April’s wolf a beautiful blend of ginger and golden-brown tones of fur in the same coloration pattern as Mirabella’s, and Adeline standing before her looking like her smaller and more delicate twin.

“Hmm, that’s odd,” Tian comments, and Mirabella turns her attention to where he is focused on a small pup sitting off to the side, trembling.

She approaches the pup and nuzzles her side comfortingly, realizing this is Isabel’s wolf showing herself years before her time. She’s terrified, which is understandable considering that she is not yet fully matured and has been dormant inside Isabel’s mind and body until mere seconds ago.

“What does that mean?” Beth questions in awe and surprise. “I’ve never heard of someone so young shifting. How? Why?”

“I couldn’t say. I’ve never seen it before either,” Tian replies, seeming more intrigued than concerned.

April’s wolf approaches her pup and after assessing her, decides to shift back into her human form. April quickly stands and covers her nakedness with the clothes she removed moments before, and then crouches down beside her youngest daughter’s wolf.

“We probably should have considered this possibility and not let Isabel be here for this,” she says. “I think when Mirabella howls like that it’s meant to signal to our wolves that there is something amiss, so it overrides our normal conscious process for shifting between forms and gives full control to our wolf aspects, presumably to be able to deal with a dangerous situation swiftly and efficiently. It would make sense to even be able to force a pup to be able to defend herself, if the situation warranted it, but Isabel isn’t ready for this. We need to get her to shift back.”

“Agreed. How about you and I take her someplace she feels comfortable and work on that, and the rest of you get over to the clearing and meet the pack,” Tian suggests.

With one last reassuring nuzzle of her younger aunt's small, terrified wolf, Mirabella concedes and joins Adeline to head over to the clearing. Kieran runs with them holding a bundle of their clothing with his teeth, and Milo returns control to Jonah so he can shift back and walk with his mate to join his assembling pack.