Tiger Stripes

Leaving

        I almost fell down the stairs in shock. There was no way my Father would have shifted at such an event unless there was a challenge for his position as High Alpha. Who would challenge him? Would it be a lesser Alpha? A Beta? 

        I ran into the ballroom with the train of my dress flaring out behind me. The doors opened with an almighty boom as I opened them. All eyes were on me. My father lay on the ground twitching. He was slowly shifting back to his human form, and above him stood my baby brother. It took me less than a second to figure out that the challenger had been Viper.

        “Why?” I asked automatically with tears sparking to my eyes.

        “He’s been Alpha too long, and why should a girl be Alpha? You shouldn’t be Alpha Kat! I would be the best Alpha we’ve ever had!” He said, with a crazed light in his eyes.

        “Viper you’re only fourteen and Alpha is my birthright. Why would you do that to me? To us?” I half-sobbed as I knelt next to my dying father. His own son’s poison did him in.

        "I raised a huntress, a warrior, I groomed you to be a queen and you act like this sniveling little child. You can never cry. Get up and fight." He chocked and managed to rasp out. My tears dried immediately. 

        I knew what I had to do but I wasn’t sure how to do it. My father lay dying and the challenger was still able bodied. Basically, it was a 14 year old High Alpha with poisonous fangs against a girl two years his senior who can’t even shift but I had to try. I decided to put on a show and hope the clans backed me up.

        “Victor.” I boomed. “You’ve wronged me and killed our Alpha. What do you have to say for yourself, brother?”

        “I have nothing to say. The history books clearly state that no matter the birth order, the first to defeat the Alpha in battle would take his place. And my first order of business is to banish you,” He sneered. “You’re a freak Kat. You can’t even shift.” My heart was pounding so loudly that I couldn’t properly hear the gasps from the other people in the room with us.

        There are very few things someone can do in a situation such as mine. But the only option I had left was to leave and regroup before he decided to kill me. “Goodbye Victor.” I said, as I took one last look at Viper and at my Father’s body. I fled and since I was faster than any human by far I just took to the forest. My grief consumed me. I walked for a long time, not really paying attention to my surroundings. I didn’t watch as the sun came up and went down again. Until finally taking refuge in a little bit of shelter caused by a fallen tree leaning against an outcropping of rock. 

        Suddenly, it was night and I was greeted with my old friend, the moon. She was full tonight. As I was gazing at the moon I felt something I never had before. I felt a hunger for the change. It was moon thirst and then I was changing.

        Chills raced up and down my spine as I stepped out into the moonlight. I heard my bones crack and begin to rearrange themselves for the first time in my life, but I didn’t feel pain. I watched in exhilaration as the goosebumps on my arms and legs began to sprout white fur, and black claws begin to grow out of my nails. I hunched down on all fours as my spine began to elongate and my tail began to form. At the very last minute stripes appeared to crisscross my arms. I walked to the water in front of me.

        My beautiful reflection stared back. I was a huge white tiger; Just as my Father had predicted, and I would defeat my brother. I vowed that I would reclaim my birthright and become Alpha.

        I took off in the direction of the closest pack house. I had decided that my first set of allies would have to be from the Cat Packs from which my father came. They wouldn’t be too happy about my father’s downfall or Viper’s rise to power.

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        I just walked through the front door. In hindsight maybe I should have knocked. They reacted badly, well actually they freaked out. Instead of dealing with it, I just shifted back to human form. At this point I had ceased to care much for modesty. “So the rumors aren’t true. You can shift.” One of the girls said.

        "Could I get some clothes if possible?” I asked. “I’d like to speak to the Alpha of your Clan.” I added quickly.

        A few minutes passed and I was given a t-shirt and a pair of jeans. They fit reasonably well. Soon the Lesser Alpha of the Cat Clan greeted me. She was one of the very few female Alphas, meaning she ranked above her mate in pack hierarchy and I greeted her accordingly. I no longer had pack status anymore as a lone cat so I just said, “Hello Alpha.”

        “Kat! What are you doing here?” She asked. She looked genuinely curious. “and what’s up with the stripes?”

        “Stripes?” I asked her, confused.

        “Look at your arms” She said, motioning to my arms I looked down and thick black stripes crisscrossed my arms. I looked into a mirror nearby and my whole body had them. My stripes carried over into my human form as well. This was excellent.

        “Wow. That’s excellent. To make a long story short I came to you because I need allies. I want to start a revolution. I want my birthright back.  Victor shouldn’t be Alpha. He killed my father and I want revenge.”

        “And we were your first choice?” She asked warily.

        “Naturally. My father came from this clan. He rose to the postiton of High Alpha fairly and I want to make sure his legacy is not forgotten. He told me that you were the most trustworthy and that you have a strong sense of right and wrong.” I told her confidently.

        “Consider us in,” She said simply. 

        “Thank you,” I responded. “Your loyalty will be rewarded.”

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        The next person I went to see was Emilio. I knew he was fiercely loyal to my Father and for that I was thankful. Werewolves are usually the most rebellious of us, and if I was correct, Emilio would join the resistance in a heartbeat. I found him at his special place he showed me once. It was a rotted out Oak tree deep in the woods and I knew that he went there to think.

        “Emilio?” I called out. I already knew he was there, but it was better to announce myself instead of risking being attacked for being in a territory I wasn’t supposed to be in.

        “Kat?” His head whipped in my direction. “Whoa.” His eyes practically bugged out of his head. “You finally shifted I see.”

        “Yeah, last night.” I replied.

        “So what can I do for our little banished princess?” He asked, cocking a dark brow, still studying the stripes visible on my face and arms.

        “I need your clan to join the resistance against Viper. You’ve known us our whole lives Emilio. Viper is not ready to be Alpha now or ever. He’s not cut out for it. He’ll let the power go to his head. “

        “I agree.” He responded promptly. “We need to take it down from the inside though. You’re being too direct about it. Did you just approach and ask Alphas? Don’t you know that news flies? Viper will know within hours, if he doesn’t already.”

        “I know, but I have to try.”

        “Very well, come find me in three days and I’ll have a revolution ready for you.”