Always Alpha

THE LEGEND OF THE WEREWOLF

Late one night, after having already been tucked in, a little boy snuck across the room and crawled into his older brother's bed. The two boys shuffled together under the sheet and began to whisper and giggle. As they settled into their conversation, their voices grew and grew until their mother could hear them through the door. She stood outside, hand resting on the door knob, enjoying the soft voices of her children.

With a smile on her face, she quietly entered the room and approached the bed. For a moment, she simply hovered over their wiggling forms. Then, she dropped a hand on each boy and began to shake.

Squeals quickly turned into laughter.

Once the boys escaped the thin sheet, they welcomed their mother into their little world. Each boy snuggling into either of her sides, her back resting against the headboard as she once again told the tale of their people.

The tale of the first pack.

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Once, a very long time ago, there lived a lone wolf on the outskirts of a young human village. Unlike many of his kind, who chose to attack the humans, this wolf would spend every night watching them. He admired how they could form complex relationships with one another, how they could learn so much so quickly and continue to develop and grow their little world.

But, with every night he watched them, another emotion awoke within him.

Envy.

Each night, as he headed back to his cave, he would rest on the highest hill and howl up at the moon. With each howl, he expressed his greatest desire to become like the humans he visited.

And finally, the moon goddess heard his wish.

As he was sleeping in his cave, the moon goddess blessed him with the form of a human. Once awake, in this form, the newly created man was quick to jump into the world he had wanted.

He spent a year within the village, a year in which he had mingled and acquired any knowledge before him. But with each cycle of the moon, something within him began to scratch at his mind. A desire to be wild and free, as he once was.

One night, he wandered into the forest until he came across that hill once again. And as he sat onto the cool earth, he looked up at the moon and began to sing.

The moon goddess relished in the sound of his lovely, familiar voice and she once again granted his wish. Though this time, she allowed him to shift between each form so that he may return to either world he held dear.

Once again, he rejoiced in his granted wish. He lived with the humans he loved throughout the day, before returning to the forest at night to run free and howl his appreciation and devotion to the goddess.

But like has always called to like, and he was unlike them all.

So, the wolf-man returned to the hill and asked the goddess for one last thing. He asked her to create more like him.

And, once again the moon goddess granted his wish.

She took the pack of wolves living deep in the forest and merged their bodies and souls with those of the humans in the village. And though the two souls lived within one being, they would be able to live in harmony with each other - living and learning from one another.

As the pack was formed, the once lone wolf was placed above them all as the alpha. He used his power to lead and protect his people. But, as they encountered threats that he was unable to face alone, two wolves took up posts at each side - on the right stood the beta and on the left stood the delta.

But, as many wolves heard the call to protect their brethren, a small group of wolves who lacked the strength of the growing warriors lent their efforts to the pack's other needs. The wolves became known as omegas - they would use the knowledge gained from their humans to help provide the whole with a warm home, a nice meal, or a healing hand.

As the goddess watched her creations, her children, live and protect each other; as she listened to the sweet songs they howled together under the moon, she bestowed a blessing upon each of them: a mate.

She split each of their souls in half and tethered each to the soul of another; she paired each man and woman with another who would perfectly fit with their broken soul. A mate which would be able to offer them love and comfort; a partner that would become their equal, would help them bear any responsibility, would help them soothe their anger or sadness, and would help flourish.

As time passed, the goddess would grant others with the form of the wolf-man, providing each pack with the powers to protect themselves and providing each wolf with a mate to have for themself.

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As the mother finished her tale, she looked at each of her sons dozing off with their heads buried into her hip. She smoothly shifted them onto the pillow before slipping back to the floor. And, before heading back to her mate, she whispered a soft goodnight.

All my love, my little pups.