Fire in the Moons Light

10 Past Pain & Power: Who's the Alpha?

Before her Tokala appeared having just walked out of the barn towards her. He stopped just beyond the edge of the blood looking at her with pained eyes. What reason though did he have to be sad, we chose our fate.

“He just does not understand.”

That night in the moons embrace she felt safe enough to speak for the first time of what she has seen. She did not look at him, only at the moon as though speaking to her but they both knew it was to him.

Her voice was distant and soft yet the only sound that filled the night air as the words poured from her lips. “My father dead, mother living only for her family. My brother, the alpha abandoned by his mate. Two other brothers turned rogue before they had a chance. To the Alpha, one son born. To my sister, five pups born, all of different mates. I, along with my mother, was the parent figure when my siblings could not do it, and that was often. I was their guardian and keeper no matter what the issue because they were left on my lap and I was told to raise them. When the first was born and my brother’s mate left him I was only thirteen years of age, nowhere near adulthood but I was left with the responsibility of raising the pup and two years later another was dropped off. I would like to say that this was the beginning of my segregation from my pack and perhaps the reason I have never fit in anywhere, but sadly that occurred long before these events. I was the fourth born, the second female, yet the strongest of my clan. By pack law I could not fight in the trials. By my blood relation I could not even fight in the Alpha female trials, because as we all know the Alpha female is not necessarily the mate to the Alpha. However, because the blood ran through my mother’s line I inherited her power. I became the pack’s protector, the head of the hunters even with pups on my hip. Everyone accepted it and learned not to cross me, my ferocity became well known though I was still a pup myself.

“As the years passed, I rejected so many suitors because most wanted just my power for if I were mated my mate would automatically stand to gain over half the power in my blood to make them able to protect me. I declared that my only position in life was to protect my flesh and blood. Also, I would not allow myself to mate with anyone for fear the worst would befall me as it had so many others thus harming my… the pups I called my own.”

Kaji took a shaky breath pausing to collect her thoughts as her expression drifted farther from the scene as she started to relive all that had happened to her. Tokala stared at her wide eyed his mind torn in two. His wolf howled in joy that she had never been mated and that he would be the first, last, and only to lay claim to her. He tried to remind his wolf that she was still scared, but something in the depths of his memories distracted him. It was unheard of, bloodlines running through the female, the mates taking power. It was a vague memory that his grandmother had told him when he was a very young pup but he could not recall. He was pulled out of his thoughts as Kaji began to speak again her voice frail and tormented.

 “Then the massacre, and my failure. The clan had gathered to watch the blood moon rise and I had all the pups of my pack gathered around me for safety. It was the most beautiful thing a wolf can experience the elation and pure power coursing through our veins locking them in their wolf form and forcing most into an uncontrollable frenzy. Many had not been through it before and would not have been able to control their wolves, certainly not those of the lower ranks, hence the pups needing protected and taught. It was a night of great calibration, which meant drinking and letting our guard down because we believed that the protector would guard us from all our enemies. Even if she did not the pure energy running through many of us would have resulted in any threat being annihilated into nothingness. I told the very story you told me of Epany Rowtag and his great fight to help the protector, moon. Oh how they loved to listen to stories but their eyes never left the moon as she climbed into the sky darkening to her swollen crimson glory. Then the healer approached me with the newly born babe of my family in her arms. That was her first night in this world and as was custom she was to be presented to the protector for acknowledgment. Our healer said nothing but smiled at me handing me my niece and pointed to the moon. Just as the moon turned the blood red color I raised the child and called her name for the moon to see so that she could join our celebration.”