NightLock

Chapter Fifteen

I ran through the woods faster and faster, my paws striking the snow covered ground as the light of the full moon began to fill the skies. It was Christmas Eve the eve of my eighteenth year and I was running toward the meadow now. The meadow was a magical place in the Southern Pack that was blessed by my half Angel great-great grandmother the day her mate took over as Alpha. From that day forth the meadow had been where every new Alpha had been presented. I could hear barks and short howls in the distance and pushed myself faster still.

Tyler had to keep me back wasting time by forcing  me to explain why I had to leave and why he had to stay home and keep Kyrie safe. Lost in my thoughts, I broke into the meadow still at a full bore run and plowed right into my older brothers backs. I let out a short yelp at the same time both of them let out a harsh "oomph" as the force knocked the air out of all our lungs. I phased  back still laying on top of them and just laughed as I got up.

"Hey guys, I made it!" I said still laughing as they got up and brushed the dirt off of their black clothes that perfectly matched mine.

"Star, where have you been! You know that without this ceremony you aren't legally Alpha." Devan growled glaring at me full force with blue eyes that matched my own.

"Yes, big brother, I know but I also have a daughter that refused to go to bed without me reading her a story and tucking her in." I said returning his fierce glare with one of my own and letting my eyes flash bright gold.

"Of course, Alpha." Devan murmured, quickly dropping his gaze from mine. Devan may have been older by quite a few years but the wolf inside him recognized my higher authority even when he didn't want to.

Letting my eyes fade back to blue I hugged my big brothers and we began our climb up to the cliff that loomed over the meadow where all of the people of my Pack milled about some human others not. I'd spent thirteen years both terrified and giddy with excitement for this exact moment and now it took all I had not to scream to the rooftops with joy that I was finally taking my rightful place as the Alpha.

"Call the Pack, Star." Cody said from behind me where I stood at the very edge of the cliff with each of them flanking me. With Devan to my left and Cody to my right I phased and raised my head to the bright moon above and let my howl loose long and loud.

All noise stopped and everyone still in human form phased and all wolves looked to the cliff as I stepped back behind my brothers and let my howl fade out though it still echoed in the silent night. I phased and stood straight and tall as Devan's voice rang through the air, my father's sword resting comfortably at my hip and the locket my mother gave me resting reassuringly against my throat I kept my eyes locked forward.

"Southern Pack! Tonight things change, you have gone years under the guidance of myself and my younger brother as your Alphas and the Pack has flourished to the strongest in the world." Devan's voice echoed through the night as Cody took a step forward to stand next to him.

"You all knew that mine and Devan's place as Alpha was temporary until the True Alpha was of age to take our place. You've seen her grow to become the best warrior against our Rogue plague that any Pack has ever seen. She has taken injury after injury defending the Pack and treated all others before she ever worried about herself. She has shown to be more than ready to take our place, so tonight exactly that will be done." Cody's voice rang with the same deep rumble as Devan's that always made me think of our Father.

"Tonight, I, Cody Barlow Song, youngest son of the Alpha pair Stormbringer and Twilight Star Song, do hereby relinquish my standing as temporary Alpha to the one marked by the Spirit Guides that have led the Pack since the beginning of our existence. I now relinquish my title to the True Alpha, Midnight Star Song youngest child of the Alpha pair Stormbringer and Twilight Song bearer of the Alpha mark." Cody said as both he and Devan took a step to the side as I stepped up to stand in the middle but slightly ahead of them.

"My name is Midnight Star Song, bearer of the True Alpha mark, tonight on the eve of my eighteenth year I take my rightful place as Alpha of the Southern Pack, any that believe I am not worthy of this position raise your challenge now," I began and continued again when no sound came from the Pack as I challenge,"The mark of the Alpha heir passes down to my only child Kyrie Elise Song. Under my guidance the Pack's of the world shall be free from the Rogues that have killed our young and taken our loved ones from us. The Pack will have trials and times will be difficult long before this war is over but tonight I take my place at the head of this battle. I am Star Song, Alpha of the Southern Pack!"

The exact moment I said the last word, I let my wolf take control and phased and lifted my head in a howl that rang with power as my gold eyes shown bright and the Pack echoed my song even as my brothers and I turned and raced down the hill with them falling back to take the flank of my last team member as they pulled in next to me with the Pack close behind my brothers.

"Claim mate!" My wolf growled in my mind as I pushed myself farther from my home and closer to the herd. I knew this would happen but I couldn't break from the hunt until I had drawn first blood of a kill, then I saw it the lead buck in the herd. I poured on the power and pounce directly hitting the big stags throat and breaking his neck as my wolf began to sate it blood-lust and the rest of the Pack did the same with only my brothers on the big buck with me.

"Claim mate!" My wolf growled again and this time I listened, I turned and barreled back into the woods blood staining my white coat as poured on all the speed I had racing back home, back to Kyrie, back to Tyler. "Claim mate!"

I came barreling up on the house to find Tyler sitting on the steps in front of the house and I phased back and barreled into his arms my eyes still glowing bright gold. One look at my eyes told him what I needed because he'd heard his wolf growling the same command mine had. I buried my hands into his hair as his lips crashed down on mine in a kiss that felt like he was trying devour my very soul. I felt him pick me up and before I knew it I felt my back hitting the softness of our big bed before I felt his body laying on top of mine pinning me down to the bed as his big hand grasped both of mine and brought them above my head and his mouth continued its hungry assault on my own while his other hand ripped away my black clothes. "Claim mate!" our wolves growled together. And that's exactly what he did as I felt those sharp fangs pierce deep into my neck.