Alpha King Damon
Women in all shapes and sizes, wearing all sorts of colours, gush and gape at me and run their fingers along with my vest as we dance at a ball held in my honour. Their behaviour would be socially unacceptable anywhere else.
Damn you, Eric! I know you have told these she-wolves I might have to choose my own mate, get them off of me before I release my wolf and start ripping their heads off! I tell my Gamma Eric via mind-link.
Sorry Alpha. You might have to consider it. If the rumours are true and King Fenris attacks Moon Crest Valley, you’re stronger with a mate and Luna. Eric mind-links back.
Not if she isn’t my true fated mate, now get them away from me, Eric, before it’s your head I rip off.
‘Ladies, ladies. Let the Alpha King compose himself. Being surrounded by your beauty is overwhelming for him. Let me escort you all to the drink table, where you can tell me your progress with Alpha King Damon.’ Eric says as he winks at me and ushers the she-wolves away. I cross my arms and glare at him.
There must have been hundreds of unmated females, and not one of them was my mate. Eric is always trying to convince me to choose a mate, but he knows it's not the same as your true fated mate chosen by the moon goddess. There would be no bond, no urge to be near each other and no sparks when we touch, and we would never feel complete. We would always feel an emptiness. If anything, choosing a mate would make the pack and I weaker. Sure, there were many beautiful unmated she-wolves at the ball, but they either came across as materialistic or did not have any common interests, and there was no connection with them.
Leaning on the rail of my balcony after the ball, I sigh and reflect on the evening. My wolf Striker stirs and wants to be let out for a run. He is distressed that we didn't find our mate tonight. I undress and let my wolf run free for the next few hours before returning home and going to sleep.
I follow the moon as I’m running but feel like the moon distances herself further away from me.
Moon Goddess. Where is she? Please tell me. Where is my mate? I ask, not knowing if the moon can hear me. Finally, the moon stops moving and turns blood red.
What is happening? What does this mean?
Sounds of drums in the distance, getting louder and louder, mingle with sounds of war, swords clashing, and agonizing screams as war arrows soar over my head through the air. I’m suddenly standing in the middle of a warzone. Blood stains everything I can see. There are dead humans and wolves everywhere, and thousands more still fight each other.
A beautiful melodic voice sings in the distance, a song so touching and solemn. It knows devastation and pain. My wolf, drawn to it, feels compelled to follow the song.
I wander through the war zone in a fog, in the direction of the singing, avoiding the humans who, with their swords, are slicing wolves open and the wolves ripping the heads off these humans. It’s a bloody war indeed, an absolute massacre.
I spot the girl sitting on a rock. She is comforting herself and looks crestfallen and forlorn.
Close to her, she smells amazing, like wild violets and honey. ‘Mate!’ I say, placing my hand on her shoulder so she will turn to look at me. She turns, and her face morphs into King Fenris’s.
Covered in sweat, I am jolted awake and shaken. I sit up in bed to find Eric standing over me, worried.
‘Alpha, you were having a nightmare. I could hear you down the hall. I've never known you to cry out in your sleep,’ Eric says, sitting on the end of my bed.
Panting, I try to gather my senses.
‘It must have been a nightmare. It felt so real. The moon turned blood red. There was a violent, bloody war. My mate was there. She’s alive. I saw her. Her scent was a mixture of violets and honey. She was downcast and afraid. She was singing the saddest song I have ever heard. Our mate bond compelled me to go to her, but she morphed into King Fenris’s face when she turned to face me. I think she might be in trouble,’ I explain.
‘I’ll fetch the doctor,’ Eric says.
I grab his arm tightly and sternly look him in the eye.
‘I'm serious, Eric. This dream was a message. The Moon Goddess is warning me of what is coming and telling me my mate is alive.’ I let go of Eric's arm when he realises I’m not mucking around.
‘Ok. What do we do about it?’ He asks.
‘I need to find her. We need Beta Troy back here as soon as possible,’ I say, and Eric nods.
‘I'll find out if he’s on his way back,’ Eric says and leaves the room.
The next day, standing in the front foyer, Beta Troy still hasn’t reported back to me.
‘Eric. Where’s Troy? Why hasn't he reported back to me?’ I ask while slamming my fist down on the table in the centre of the room.
Everyone in the foyer flinches and keeps their heads bowed. Eric kneels before me.
‘I'm sorry, Alpha. Unfortunately, it seems Troy’s mind link is blocked. However, he did say it could be a week until he is back from investigating West Wallow. But, we have, unfortunately, had more reports of more rogues being found dead and skinned near the forest border.’
‘King Fenris has to be who is responsible for the deaths, I’m sure of it.’ I say.
I walk by Eric to the dining room and sit down in my chair at the head of the ornate mahogany table. Rogues were never an issue here, and they preferred to be left alone and live alone, away from rulership.
Earlier in the year, I had a meeting with King Fenris regarding their deaths. He denied any involvement in their deaths but said he would kill any wolf who crossed into his territory. His hate for werewolves was made very clear when he called us filthy vermin.
A few days ago, I sent my second-in-command, Beta Troy, undercover into West Wallow to get to the bottom of their deaths. If anyone can find answers, it’s Troy.
Beta TroyThe forest is the most serene, harmonious place I have ever seen. Trudging through thickets and bramble, I hear leaves and twigs crunch under my boots. The forest has a sense of magic about her. She truly is enchanting.Halfway through the forest, I hear the sound of trickling water. Feeling quite thirsty after such a long trek, I follow the sound and eventually find a stunning waterfall. I hold my flask underneath the stream for a while to fill it before having a drink.In the distance, someone with a very melodic voice sings a very beautiful song.I make my way toward West Wallow in human form and arrive a few hours later. Had I been in my wolf form, I would have arrived sooner, but going undetected by the humans when war could be approaching, is extremely crucial.I wander around the market in Wellmore and buy some of the juiciest fruit I have ever had. The King’s soldiers stop at stalls with carts and place half the contents on t
In Wellmore, the villagers are angry and on edge. They’re complaining about a tax hike and a food shortage, having cleared the forest of food. The market stalls are only half-laden with edible goods, from which I steal some apples and a loaf of bread. I sit down on a bench, and eat an apple, storing the loaf of bread in the hessian bag I kept from my first visit. Standing on Vivian’s doorstep, I knock on the side window and wait patiently for her to come to the door. ‘Maia! I'm so glad you’ve come to visit us. Come in,’ she says, smiling and standing aside so that I may go in.‘You’ve come at the right time. I’ve just boiled a pot of tea,’ Vivian smiles.‘Oh. That sounds lovely. What is tea?’ I ask her, and she pauses.‘Have you always been homeless and alone?’ She asks, pulling out a chair for me to sit in.‘No. I live with my friend Ember,’ Vivian places a warm drink on the table in front of me.‘This is a cup of tea. Be careful. Sip it slowly. Don’t burn yourself,’ Vivian caution
King FenrisArriving at the training fields, my most trusted knight, Sir Hugo, and I hop down from our thoroughbreds and tie them to posts with rope. Thousands of soldiers are in training. There is a cacophony of sounds: swords clashing, axes and maces thrown at wooden targets, tree stumps, and men grunting with exertion.A few hundred archers shoot at targets from varying distances and nod at me as I pass behind them. There is lots of yelling as men practice their war cries or call out to one another. A few training casualties hobble around with injuries to their ankles, knees, and feet.My Commander in Chief, James Boroughshaw, is stationed outside a makeshift tent and is observing the jousting closest to us.‘My King,’ James says as he kneels before me.‘Commander James,’ I nod, and he stands back up.‘I require an update of our progress,’ I say, sitting down in a wooden folding chair and accepting the glass of brandy Squire Thomas hands to
Maia‘Maia,’ Grace says.‘Yes, Grace?’ I smile at the young girl in front of me.‘Can we come to your forest and meet Ember one day?’‘Sure. I’d love to show you my home. And I'm sure Ember would love to meet you,’ I say excitedly and smile.‘Perhaps when this war is over,’ Vivian says, exhaling and folding her hands in her lap. The girls nod and run off again.‘Vivian?’ I say. ‘Where’s your mate?’ I ask.‘Only werewolves have mates. Humans have husbands. I had a husband: it was love at first sight. His name was Derrick. We were married a few weeks after meeting and had our girls not long after. When they were two, he died in a mining accident. The mine collapsed and killed him and twenty other men,’ Vivian says, wiping her eyes with her handkerchief.‘Oh. I'm so sorry,’ I say, watching her dab her eyes.‘I don't know if I could love another man. I know Derrick would want me to. He’d want the girls to have a father, but I just haven't be
Beta TroyIn Shadowguard, a slave auction is about to commence. Twenty-five children between the ages of five and fourteen stand side by side in a row, with their hands tied with rope. They’re bruised, dirty and malnourished. A man walks toward a small cage, and a growl emits from within it.Excited and shocked, the crowd is divided between those who view the wolf pup as a commodity and those who view him as an animal to be feared.The auctioneer drags the young boy out of the cage and demands he stands. The boy is so exhausted and weary that he falls over into the dirt. I’m disgusted but must know the fate of this poor boy.After lunging at the crowd of spectators, the auctioneer punches him hard in his stomach, winding him, and knocking him over. I make eye contact with this young soul—defeat and grief blaze in his eyes.‘A real genuine wolf pup! Not just an ordinary wolf pup! This one has Alpha blood. He’ll be the strongest farmhand you’ve eve
Alpha King DamonWe don’t stand a chance at winning this war with fifteen thousand warriors, so we stop at Mist Falls and Wolfwell, recruiting everyone able to fight and increasing our number to eighteen thousand.After a few days, we reach Thornwell, a town halfway between our packhouse and the forest border. We decide to train the recruits for a few days there. Thornwell is a decently-sized village with a river running through the forest border and into human lands.For the past few nights, I’ve had the same dream of my mate. I see only the back of her long dark hair, and every time I try to get closer, she vanishes.I haven’t been able to stop thinking about her. The war should have my full, undivided attention, and yet, here I am, pining after a girl I don’t even know. I yearn for her: to touch her, to kiss her, to smell her violet and honey scent, to hold her in my arms.My wolf has been uncontrollable because our unspoken mate bond is driv
Alpha King DamonMaia wilts like flower petals under my touch when I put my hand on her face but stiffens when I mention the word mate.‘My kingdom has been waiting a very long time for their Luna and their Queen,’ I say. Her breathing is heavy, and she is starting to panic.She is my mate. She should be just as excited as I am. I’m struggling to restrain my wolf, and here she is, reacting unexpectedly to our connection.I tilt her head up with my hand under her chin, forcing her to look at me. Her mesmerising violet eyes stare into my wolf eyes, and I register her fear. She screams, then runs. Forest detritus, dirt, leaves, and twigs swirl around her as she runs, and I’m knocked backward by a strong gust of wind.I am in disbelief and awe, wondering how she could do that with the wind.I pull my clothes off and discard them in a trail, continuing the chase in wolf form.Even in wolf form, I can only just keep up with her as she follows the river,
Alpha King DamonIn Thornwell, while sitting in a communal tent and holding a pint, I give my pack the good news about meeting my mate. I tell them a little about her, how I don’t think she is a wolf, and how she became scared by my claims of our mateship before running off. A few ask me how I will find her. I tell them I don’t know but that I will.They roar and cheer and chink their pints against mine in congratulatory gestures. They’re relieved and happy they’ll finally have a Luna.I yearn to have her beside me. If I could just hold her in my arms like I did when I found her by the river, it would make me the happiest man and wolf in all of Mysteria.We head to Mystic Pride, passing through Moonstone River, east of the forest. We smell the stench of death before we see the bodies. Alpha Ezra's head has been placed on a spike, and a crow pecks the flesh. I shoo the crow away, pull the spike out of the ground, and add it to the growing pile of hea