Star Crossed

A lifetime to love

The sun rose as Reki rolled over. His hand fell to his naked chest. The blue eyes watched him as a smile touched the thin lips. A hand reached out to push the red hair off of his forehead. In sleep, he looked so peaceful. When he was able to get sleep.
An amber eye peeked open. “You starring at me.” Reki stated.
“Yes, I am. I was thinking….”
“Uh oh.” Reki smirked. Langa went on as if the boy hadn’t spoken.
“… about how kissable your lips are.” He finished.
“Then why aren’t they being kissed?” Reki pouted. A soft chuckled escaped the primes mouth as he leaned down to kiss his mate. There was a knock on the door before they drew apart.
“Yes?” the prime called.
“Breakfast is ready.” The boys got up, found robes to put on and walked down to the meeting hall. Nearly all the alpha’s who had pledged to Langa were still there.
“We did some research!” Koyomi stated. She sat proudly beside Kaoru. The pink haired beta looked grumpier than usual.
“Does she even know what sleep is?” he snarled at the alpha. Reki chuckled.
“Better than I do.” He stated.
“There is an old law.” Koyomi ignored the men’s exchange. “One that states a newly changed alpha, even if the primes mate, doesn’t have to fight in a show of power. She, well in our case, he, can have his mentor take his place.” She looked pleased with finding this.
“You’re not a fighter, Reki.” Miya stated.
“If I had behind Kojiro this time, they all will see me as weak. I will be just what the Shindo alpha claims me to be. My pack won’t be left alone. Kojiro cannot defend another pack alone.” Reki stated.
“Then join the packs. Have Koyomi marry one of his alpha’s!” Miya cried out.
“If it is not her chosen mate, why would I do that?” Reki looked bewildered.
“To strengthen your pack.” Miya explained.
“No. I won’t put another pack on Kojiro’s shoulders. We will stand alone. We will survive as one.” Reki demanded.
“So says our alpha.” Miya snorted.
“I could challenge you for the pack.” Koyomi pouted.
“You could. You have that right.” Kaoru said. “Reki is a new alpha, the first to emerge in your pack. His blood forced the others to change, including you and your sisters. Therefore it makes him, the chosen alpha. However, he is also the prime’s mate. Both titles take a lot of time.” The beta continued.
“I would prefer is we led the pack together. To fight me would mean to the death, Koyomi.” She gasped.
“Is that what tonight is?” she demanded.
“Yes.” Kaoru stated. “Only the ones left alive win.” There was a bitterness to his tone.
The day passed with Koyomi and Reki learning things about the clan and their positions. They also learned more about how their own clan was spread out. Kaoru went off to get some sleep. Reki sat with the betas of his clan. Langa tied to his side watched on.
“Alright, we need to come up with a clan motto, colors and symbol to represent us.” He told them all.
“Red and gold!” Miya offered up.
“I second that.” A cousin waved her hand. Since no one else came up with anything they agreed. A symbol was quickly decided on as well. A fire in the shape of a circle flaming up from a golden crown. Miya wasn’t the best artists but you could tell what it was. The motto was harder to come up with. They all sat silently looking around.
“As a whole, we are one.” Reki offered wincing.
“We are not a pack that is returning. We are a new pack. We are the Kyan pack.” Reki eyed each of those sitting before him. “We will recall the old ways but push forward. Bringing our pack into a new generation of shifters.” He proclaimed. There were hearty cheers that met this statement.
“We are equals…” Reki continued.
“Like King Arthurs round table!” an older teen asked.
“Yes.” Reki agreed. “Although I am your alpha, I pledge to listen to you all equally.  We will keep our symbol circular. Our motto should reflect that.” He muttered.
“From the embers of a dying fire, we will be reborn.” Miya muttered. All heads turned to him. “It’s kind of the same thing but represents the fire theme.”
“Then you should have a rising phoenix.” Kaoru suggested.
“No that’s not right then.” Miya shook his head.
“In soil we walk, in water we grow, in air we live and in flame we gather.” Koyomi said.
“Join all the elements together. Yes!” Reki cried. “We will be one under all walks of life!” they voted and accepted the motto. Kaoru spent the afternoon drawing up the banner for the new clan. Once he had their approval he stated he would make the banner to hang in the meeting hall.
After they ate their dinner, Reki and Langa untied their hands. They hugged their mothers and headed out into the night. Walking to the place Langa had said he would wait, he wasn’t surprised to see the Shindo alpha already there. The Shindo clan circled the park. They weren’t the only clan.
Kojiro stood with his clan surrounding half of the park. They far outnumbered the Shindo clan. As Reki and Langa took their places in the center, the large alpha stepped forward.
“Prime Langa, I have an old beef with the Shindo alpha. I wish to have it settled before he fights with you.”
“What is Kojiro?” Langa asked.
“I have proof that Ainosuke Shindo paid killers to take out the Sakurayashiki alpha.” Kojiro accused.
“If that’s true, then…” Langa began.
“Then I wish for a death match.” Kojiro called. He held out a folder of papers to Langa. The prime took them. As he read through the first sheet he was shocked to see what was there. It was evidence that Ainosuke Shindo had corresponded with a known shifter killer. Had paid them. In the exchanges it even called out Kaoru’s father by name.
“I have brought the council with me.” Kojiro continued.
“Now wait a minute. My fight tonight is with the prime!” the Shindo alpha cried.
“Not until this is settled. Kojiro’s claim comes before the Prime taking his place.” The council was a group of three Primes from all over the territory. They had final say over everything. Including assigning the new prime of this clan.
“We have reviewed Kojiro Nanjo’s claim. And we uphold it. Ainosuke Shindo will face Kojiro Nanjo, tonight, in a death match for killing the last prime of the Sakurayashiki pack.” The old man stated. Passing the fight into law.
Ainosuke Shindo backed away from the menacing alpha. “Now wait a minute.” He began, Kojiro growled leaping at him. Adam attempted to push into his pack, only to find he was on the wrong side of the park. The Sakurayashiki pack shoved him back at their alpha.
Ainosuke Shindo was an opposing figure, but he wasn’t much of a fighter. He fought more with courts, lawyers anything but himself. He trembled before the large hulking figure coming towards him.
“I plead for banishment!” he cried.
“Denied. You deprived a clan of their standing.” The council decided. Ainosuke dropped to his knees holding his hands up pleadingly to the alpha bearing down on him.
“As Adam you maimed, injured and even killed children. You’ve attempted to violate my mate. The crimes against you are long. This fight was long over due.” Kojiro hissed at him. The kneeling alpha suddenly sprang up. He threw a handful of dirt, rock and pebbles into the face of the other alpha.
“You are only your muscle!” He cried. His laughter was cut off when a hand shot out and gripped his throat.
Eyes watering from the dirt in them, Kojiro Nanjo had learned to fight by his blind mentor.   He simply closed his eyes now. He shook the man he held. Ainosuke attempted to claw his hand off of his throat. Kojiro squeezed harder.
Ainosuke’s strength was leaving him. His body became weak. “Let him go.” A quiet voice spoke up. A light hand touched the murderous one. “I will not allow my mate to kill for me.” Gently Kaoru pried his mates fingers open.
“I ask for the disbanding of the Shindo clan. All that do not proclaim Langa as their prime will become loners. I plead for the council to reconsider. Take Ainosuke into custody for his crimes, and strip him of his shifter blood.”
There was more than one clan that gasped. This was a fate worse than death. To live without the power of the wolf was unheard of. The council bowed to the beta.
“We hear your wish. And we grant it.” They turned to the Shindo clan. “You have five minutes to proclaim your loyalty to another pack. The Shindo clan is no more.” All three vowed.
A pack of over a hundred stood shocked. Then several teens shoved themselves through the crowed. They dropped to Reki’s feet asking to join his pack. This broke the dam. Nearly all of the Shindo youth made a blood oath to the newest Alpha.
“They cannot break a blood oath. To do so means death. Do you accept them?” Kaoru asked.
“Yes.” Reki stated. Some of the older members tried to plead with the council. They were turned out. In the end twenty five lone wolves were created. The rest had gone back to their previous clan, or joined their mates previous clan. The Kyan clan gained thirty four new members.
“Langa, I plead for you to end my life in fight!” Shoto attacked the alpha. The boy had no desire to kill the old man. But, he also vowed to protect his mate. The old man didn’t go after the prime. He knew the prime wouldn’t kill him for that.
As an alpha his first instinct was to defend his mate. He did so with tooth and claw. The old man used his dying breath to thank his new prime. The man’s grandson and the female prime both decided to accept Langa.
Over the years the Kyan clan grew. Turns out all four siblings became alpha’s. Reki stuck by his mate. Leaving the majority of the day to day running of the clan to his sister, who excelled in it. She found her mate in one of the teens that had joined them from the Shindo clan.
Ainosuke Shindo became insane. His aunts locked him away into some facility. Langa used the inventions of science to create his heir. Koyomi was more than happy to assist her brother in giving them a family. As the new prime was born, he found he had a lifetime to learn from the old one. The clans flourished under Prime Alpha Langa Hasegawa.
The Kyan clan never fell away. They became known as the Prime clan since Langa’s own clan dwindled. Over the centuries that followed. More Primes came from the Kyan clan than any other.
 
The end.