The Alpha's Howl

Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Delilah's POV

 Madden held me close to his warm, bare chest and I smiled.  I felt so perfect here, in Madden's arms.  It's like I was made for Madden, and he was made for me.  We fit perfectly together, and when we were apart from each other, I felt as if a part of me was missing.  It's like soda without sweetener. Bread without butter.  Milk without chocolate. Pizza without toppings... Geeze, I didn't realize how hungry I was!

I could hear Madden's ongoing heartbeat.  It was so peaceful sounding, and I could just stay here for hours listening to it.  It was the perfect beat to my ears.

"Madden?"  I finally leaned my head up after what seemed like hours, and looked at Madden's curious face.  His gray orbs watched my every move.  "W-we should really talk about this wolf thing."

"Werewolf,"  Madden corrected as he grinned down at me. 

I rolled my eyes, "Okay, werewolf.  But don't you think you should fill me in a little?"  I asked with pleading eyes.

Madden inhaled a deep long breath.  "Alright.  What do you want to know?"

"Everything."  I waited for him to start.

"Okay, well I guess we can start from the beginning.  Okay, so I grew up always knowing what, and who I am.  My parents had always wanted me to know what I was since I am a soon to be Alpha - an Alpha is the leader of the pack.  You know how wolves tend to travel in packs?  Same goes for werewolves, except there's usually one in command; the leader. In which he, or she, is referred to as an Alpha." Madden stopped to study my expression.  I  motioned for him to keep going.  "Anyways, I am next in line to become Alpha of my Father's pack. My father is currently Alpha of our pack, Midnight Eclipse.  In a few months, the job of becoming Alpha will be handed down to me, the next heir in line for the position. When a soon to be Alpha turns twenty years old, it's called 'coming of age'. At twenty, an Alpha is ready to take over the position and lead his pack. Some like to have ceremonies and stuff, but I'm just going to celebrate my birthday and get on with it. The Alpha becomes stronger, and more aware on his twentieth birthday. That is usually when the head Alpha is ready to retire, and hand his job down to the next heir in line, which would be me."

"So you're nineteen?"  I asked. I didn't know he was a year older than me. You'd think he'd be out of school by nineteen?

Madden nodded in return to my question, and continued.  "There are some werewolves who don't belong to packs, whether it had been by choice or not. Those werewolves are referred to as Rogues.  Rogues usually don't cause that much trouble for my pack, and I find that several tend to pass through our territory quite often.  We keep a close eye on them at all times, but usually they're just passing through.  On the other hand, there are different rogues.  Some rogues are against packs, and they'll do anything in their power to destroy us.  They often think things like, 'if rogues can't be in a pack, then why should there even be packs?'  And so sometimes they attack - usually in groups. That doesn't happen too often, but there are several bad rogues out there, and they will attack. There are thirteen packs in the world, each run by a different Alpha. The amount of werewolves ranges with each pack. My- our, pack is the largest pack on the continent, and it consists of a little over a thousand werewolves."

I cut in.  "A thousand?"  I screeched in disbelief.  Madden nodded, amusement clear in his expression.  Dang, that's a lot of wolf-people-things!

"When did you like, first turn into a um, werewolf thingy?  Does it happen at a certain age, or are you just born with it or...?" I asked, eager to learn more.  I was actually quite interested in what he had to say, and I wanted to know more.