Icy Exile

Chapter 31: One more party

Once again, the very next day, they had the new alpha celebration, and this time it went well. Everyone laughed and ate their fill till the moon was at its highest in the night sky and fire was nothing but embers.

Everyone, except for Paula and James, was awake to enjoy the peaceful night. Even Dharma was talking to someone. Eventually, Clara stood to get everyone's attention. She stood in the center of everyone with Y/n and Ahri to her left.

Clara: "As the night draws closer to its end, so does the start of a new day draws are closer. And with this new day starts a new future. A bright future for the pack for we are no longer held together by an alpha who rules with fear. Instead, we are held together by one that puts his family first."

She turned to look at Y/n halfway through her speech.

Clara: "Y/n, please stand."

He did as told without question.

Clara: "May our new alpha, Y/n, live long, live strong and live well."

The pack cheered and celebrated their new alpha. Clara gave Y/n a smile before changing into her wolf form to howl. She was followed by Diona, who also changed, and the pack as they all howled towards the sky. Even Hati felt compelled to howl with the pack as Y/n stood there admiring the synchronized symphony. Ahri stood up next to Y/n as she was amazed at the sight too. The wolves howled for a minute before going back to cheers. Both Diona and Clara reverted to their human forms before saying together.

Clara & Diona: " Now it is time for our alpha to choose their mates!!"

Y/n froze in place as Ahri stared with confusion. Eventually she remembered the rules of wolf packs and burst out laughing when she saw Y/n frozen like an icicle.

Clara: "There is nothing funny with choosing a mate."

Ahri: "I know but hahahaha Y/n's face HAHAHAHA!!!"

After a while, she calmed down and said.

Ahri: "I know it is important for Y/n to choose a mate or... mates but his first mate has already been chosen."

She gave them all a competitive smile as she hugged Y/n's arm which brought him out of his frozen state. He looked at Ahri and then at all the expecting wolves.

Y/n: "...what if I only have one mate?"

Clara slightly lowered her ears as she said.

Clara: "Usually one mate is allowed if... the mate is a wolf..."

Y/n: "....."

He sighed as he closed his eyes and pinched his nose. Y/n doesn't want Ahri to feel like he was building a harem and he doesn't feel the same for any of them. Though he has to choose one... one of them but... who? None of the wolves form girls that are for sure as it just didn't look like it would work with him and them. Which left only Clara and Diona as they were the only ones with human forms. The only problem was who between them?

Y/n: "Clara... Diona... I don't know who to choose..."

Diona: "Why not both?"

Y/n: "Because I-"

Suddenly he was struck with a pure, primal fear that immediately stopped him from talking. This fear also seemed similar, like he felt this paralyzing fear before.

Ahri: "Y/n, are you okay?"

He didn't answer, he didn't even move his eyes off the road leading away from his home. Y/n was too focused on this fear, studying it and his memories to find many similarities. A few seconds later and it all made sense. He has never had this kind of fear before but Tenebris has when she attacked Riot. It wasn't his fear but Tenebris's fear. She was the one who stood paralyzed which meant only one thing.

Y/n: "Riot is on his way."

Ahri: "What?"

Y/n: "Riot is on his way."

Ahri frowned and wondered how Y/n could know that. Safe to say the pack had no idea who this Riot was. Before she could ask, Y/n stepped forward leaving behind a frozen shadowy silhouette that stood in his place. Her form is barely stable with chunks of her growing and shrinking by milliseconds. Clara stepped closer to get a better look at Tenebris, as well as to ask Y/n.

Clara: "Two things. One, who is this Riot, and Two, is he the reason your shadow is acting this?"

Y/n: "...yeah."

Diona: "Then let us prepare ourselves for a fight."

Hati stepped forth from the group of wolves, speaking with a wagging tail.

Hati: "There is no need for any of that Diona. Tenie is just afraid of Riot but he is nice. He even helped Y/n rescue me and Ahri."

Both Ahri and Y/n nod in agreement as they kept watching Tenebris.

Diona: "Well... I don't like how a shadow, aka The Dark, which is a form of magic that lives and has no limits to its potential, is so afraid of a being that it is paralyzed."

She made a perfect point, one that no one in the family even stopped to consider. Tenebris was powerful and yet... a man with a gun almost killed her.

A long moment of silence came only to end when a truck engine sounded in the distance. Everyone started to get restless and fidgety. Even Paula and James, who were sleeping, started to toss and turn on the wolves they were lying on. Tenebris also started to mumble quietly while still staring at the road.

Tenie: "h... h-h... he... i-is.... c... c-coming."

Sensing the fear from the pack, Y/n said.

Y/n: "...Everyone goes inside. Also please put the kids to bed. Ahri and Clara, stay with me."

Ahri had no issue with that but Clara seemed hesitant to stay outside.

Clara: "A-are you sure? What if... he attacks?"

If anything that would be the last thing Riot would do but it seemed what she has seen and heard of so far still put her in a scared state. Y/n was about to comfort her but Ahri, while putting her hand on Clara's stiff shoulder, spoke first.

Ahri: "Trust me, Clara, Riot won't hurt anyone here."

And with that Clara seemed to relax a bit. They stood on either side of Y/n while everyone else went inside. Tenebris still stood behind them as they all waited for a pair of headlights to appear on the road. As soon as they did, Tenebris fell to her knees before disappearing into Y/n's shadow. He could hear her say in his head.

Tenie: -"...h..hide... me...."-

He closed his eyes and tried talking with Tenebris in his head. As soon as he did so Ahri gave him a sideways glance without him noticing.

Y/n: -"I will."-

Before they knew it the headlights stopped about ten meters away. Then the metal side door opened and out jumped a man all too familiar. His arms stretched out in a welcoming gesture and said.

Riot: "Missed me?"

Well, that's the official end to part 2. What do you guys think? Tbh I don't think it lives up to part 1.

Anyways, I'll continue with part 3 after my final exams. Hope you guys are excited about it.