Alpha of Alphas

The Mate

The howl echoed through the forest as Harry ran flat out toward the sound. Twigs snapped under his paws as he ran through the forest. Trees as tall as skyscrapers whipped by his vision as he ran, his breathing deep and even despite the speed of his movement. Exhilaration rushed through him at the feeling of physical power, he felt like he could take on an army single-handed.

Scents filled his lungs as he moved, covering the ground at a pace that would have been impossible on two legs. His paws made the softest of thuds as they hit the ground despite his size and pace. The cool air pulled at his fur as he burst from the forest onto an outcropping facing a vast sea.

The moon hung low, dipping beneath the line of the horizon, and so bright it felt like the sun on his chilled fur. The white perfect beauty of the moon's light almost felt like a physical touch along his fur, streaking downward in a stroke as it covered him.

Harry froze staring at the large moon, losing himself for a moment in its pull. Even when he heard the soft rustle of something approaching from behind it was difficult to pull his attention away from the moon's mesmerizing beauty. Harry turned just as a black wolf emerged slowly from his left, not stopping until he was just a few feet away.

The wolf's teeth pulled back, almost in a grin and a familiar male voice echoed in his head. "Beautiful isn't it?"

"I–I want to run until I catch it." He admitted, staring at the other wolf assessingly before turning back to the large moon. The water created a rippling reflection of the moon, the waves making it seem as if the moon beckoned him.

Harry was acutely aware of the other wolf coming even closer to his side despite his gaze on the moon. Harry tensed slightly bracing himself despite the fact he didn't think the other wolf was going to attack him. The black wolf stopped when he was shoulder to shoulder with Harry, both of them staring at the moon.

"I'm dreaming, aren't I?" Harry asked.

"I don't know. Are you?"

His lip curled a small growl emerged at the answer. The black wolf shifted and made chuffing noises, his mouth opening wider.

"Why did you bring me here? Why do you keep fucking with me?"

"I'll leave that to your mate." The black wolf replied.

Despite himself, Harry could feel his lips pull back to flash his teeth in amusement. Fucker. "You being an arsehole doesn't help me understand what's going on, or what I'm supposed to do."

"Protect your pack." The wolf told him obliquely.

"You're terrible at this." Why did he always have shit luck with mentors being allergic to answering a question in a useful manner?

The black wolf sat, his eyes still focused on the moon. "It's my fault– all of this."

"What did you do?"

"I–"

"It's not your fault." The feminine voice preceded the white wolf as she approached them, going to the black wolf and nuzzling him before sitting so close their fur seemed to mingle.

"Your fault or not, tell me," Harry said quietly, the edge of a growl in his voice. He wasn't about to fuck about on another quest with shitty information.

The black wolf remained silent as the white wolf spoke. "We were the first, Lycoan and I, a long long time ago. We discovered how to explore other realms, we ran among the stars. We were happy for a long time but we became lonely, we wanted more– we wanted a pack." She turned to look at the large moon. "The moon had watched over us so long, she loved us, so she gave us a piece of her magic so that we could create life."