Hidden lycan

40.

One with his pack.

The chirping sound of the birds woke me up from my sleep. My head rested on Roux’s naked chest, his hands held tightly to my waist. I tried releasing myself from his hold but he drew me closer. His nose nuzzled my skin before his eyelashes fluttered open, his brown orbs staring at mine.

His eyes, they were enough to bring back the feelings and all that I had felt the day before. A blush rose up my cheeks before he pecked me.

“Good morning Ali,” He greeted. I smiled at him before we both stood from the floor. I quickly took hold of my clothes, darting my gaze from his. To think that my first time was in the woods was all so embarrassing.

“How did you sleep?” He asked. I stared at him before I closed my mouth with both my hands to stop the chuckle that was soon going to be the biggest giggle. His serious look wasn’t helping at all.

“I guess I would say fine, given the fact that I had my first time in the woods and slept on the cold floor, naked,” I said the last part in a whisper and I left the part of my dream where it was a continuation of everything that happened.

We got dressed before Roux drove us back. The drive back was slow and silent and I was still feeling very sleepy.

“See you during the ceremony,” He smirked before he left me by my door. I almost forgot that today was the initiation ceremony, when new members are welcomed to the pack.

I close the door behind me before I fling myself on the bed, welcoming the darkness and not far into the Dreamland, someone came right in.

“I see you’re resting, I came by this morning but you weren’t in,”

All that Dylan was saying was entering through the left ear and going out through the right.

“Good morning D,” I greeted, drawing myself lazily from the bed. I try to smile at him but he kept staring at me like there was something on my face.

“D!” I called out to him but when his gaze shifted to the mark on my neck, a smirk came up his face.

“Now I see,” He said amused, I didn’t know what was wrong with my brother and then it hit me that I had slept on the floor and then my messy hair. I haven’t even taken my bath.

“My little sister is all grown up,” Before I could even protest, he came closer to where I was, shuffling my hair.

“I’ll leave you to it. It’s your special day today so get all the beauty sleep you need” He said with a nudge on my nose with his finger before he left.

After I was done with my bath, I flung myself on the bed, welcoming the darkness once again.

~
“It’s almost time Maya. I can’t believe you slept through out,” Axina’s exclaimed. She was roaming about the room with her undies on.

I looked at both gowns that lay on the bed. Plain white and strapless. I took one of the gowns and went to the dressing table to dress.

“This gown is just so ridiculous,” I let out a frustrated Sigh. It was just plain, straight, long and strapless.

“What do you expect Maya, It’s tradition and where there is tradition-“

“People must abide,” I completed for her. Before I could complain even more, Anna came right in. She stared at me Axina before her gaze landed on me.

“You’re marked!” She said excited before she came to where I was to help me with my hair.

Axina who heard her last statement stared at me for some time as she didn’t know that I was marked or had failed to notice it.

“I thought it was never going to happen. I’m so happy for you,” She let out joyfully, her hands on my hair styling it to her delight while I was seated in front of the mirror.

Axina got dressed as well, Anna was also excited to style her hair as well.

“The blessings of the mother,” Axina chanted before she rubbed the clay soil on part of her face and body. I did the same as well.

“Thank you for your help Anna,” She smiled at me before she waved us goodbye leaving the room while I got to look at myself one last time on the mirror.

I touched my hair that was up in a dough with some parts left to fall down my face. Part of face was covered in mud as per custom, my shoulder, hands and legs as well. It’s used to signify good health, blessings and union.

“It’s time Maya,” Axina informed before we both left the room.

Roux still above the crowds. The hall was lit up with lights, pack members seated down while I and Axina both walked down. I could everyone’s eyes not just on me but on Axina as well.

Breathe in Maya

I comforted myself. I block out all the noise and stares from the crowd looking further ahead.

“Today, we call on the mother to come to bless our gathering and a new union, to share in our pain and joy,” Roux’s voice Resounded.

“We call, we call, we call,” The crowd kept saying while a bowl was brought for Roux. In it was mud and by the side was a small knife.

“Again another has come to join us,” On saying this Axina stepped forward.

“To share and be linked with us. Do you Axina Gold, pledge your alliance to serve the pack, to abide by the rules and to remain faithful?” The knife was given to him and he slit his palm in a way that it wasn’t going to heal immediately, Axina did the same as well and they both put their hands in the mud.

“I Axina Gold pledge my alliance to serve dark moon pack,” With this, they both brought their hands out.

“One with the pack,” They said as they were each given a knife to slit their palm again at the same time. With blood still dripping, Axina placed her hands on Roux’s, showing that the ritual was complete.

“One with the pack,” The pack members all said.

The ritual was repeated for me and when it was complete, I could feel the bond, the thread that tied everyone to each other.
The energy was coursing through  me and then I could hear voices drawing out to me. Just like turning down the radio or changing channels, the voices died down. I could feel the bond with Roux, with Axina, with the pack.

I tried reaching out to Roux and his voice sounded in my head.
Welcome Ali.

It had set the pace for everything. While some pack members congratulated the both of us, others danced happily, drinking and basking in excitement.

The moment was half spent when the sound of the window breaking was heard and after that were the gunshots. The air had changed from that of excitement to terror. The elderly ones and the children were seeking shelter while the warriors that stood standby fought with the intruders. The unpleasant smell of engine soon filled the place. An already shifted wolf lunged to my direction but I was swift to predict his movement, dodging and attacking.

I successfully threw him off.
We’re under attack, take shelter, warriors defend.

The Gamma mind linked. I try to find Axina through the crowd but I couldn’t get hold of her.

Ley! Are you there

I mind linked Shelley but I could feel the terror in her voice.

I’m scared! I can’t find Anna

Where are you Ley?

She didn’t answer. I scattered through the crowd looking for Shelley.  I ran into to Tyvrik and when I asked him if he knew where Shelley was, he pointed to the direction where the healers were leading them outside the chaos.

Another rogue lunged towards me and I succeeded in defeating him. It was like we were in a war zone. The rogues kept coming, flying through the windows.

The chairs were scattered, some children were still crying while the rogues were gruesome in their attack as if they came stronger than before.

The noise, it was deafening, upsetting my sense of reasoning.

Some warriors had already shifted to their wolf form, tearing and biting.

I was quick to remove a child from the line of attack who was frightened and looking for a way out.

“Come, it’s going to be okay,” I soothed, drawing him away from the line of danger. When another rogue lunged towards me, I used my hands to shield him before I attacked the rogue.

“Come now,” I said to the little boy, taking him with me and running away from the danger. I arrived at where the other children was. The rogues blocked the exit, fighting with the warriors.

The number of rogues increased and they were coming after us.
A woman was swift to take hold of a child and with the snap of the hand, the child’s body was lying helpless on the floor.

I couldn’t protect them all. The warriors weren’t enough and the children were struggling to move out of the hold of the rogues.

Another child was badly injured and seeing this angered me. I could no longer contain it. My sense of reason was out of the way. I didn’t want to be the reason more children lost their lives.

I let the overwhelming power flow through my veins. Like a silent hum that I alone could hear, it went after the rogues.

As swift as the air, I had transformed into my pure white wolf. Unlike me, she didn’t hold back anything. She was finally happy that she was free and as though it was a game, she went after the rogues, biting and killing them.

We gruesomely killed the rogues, their blood tainting our fur. Some rogues flew out the window but I let my energy reach them and like lightening, from inside out, it stopped the beating of the heart. We were both enjoying the thrill we felt in killing the rogues.

The floor littered with bodies, blood smeared on the wall. The children were taken out so they wouldn’t witness the horror I had created. They all looked at me in awe, wonder and surprise. Glad that I had saved them.

Roux came to where I was, his brown orbs staring into mine.

I’m tired

I said through the mind link. I shifted back to my naked self while Roux shielded me with his body. A garment was brought and he used it to cover me.

I felt my eyelids closing while Roux carried me up in his arms and I fell deeper into the darkness.