Wolfsbane

Chapter 10

Hades

I woke from a nightmare quickly fading from memory. It was the same one every time, but it always seemed to slip away too fast. As the fog of sleep washed away, memories of the night before blew in. Fallon. The beautiful head-strong female captivated my attention nearly every second of the last three centuries. A smile stretched widely over my face as I turned on the bed to look at her. It fell quickly when I saw empty space on the side of the bed she had fallen asleep on last night. A deep echoing sadness filled my chest.

Maybe it was naivete that led me to believe that after last night, she would finally understand what was between us. I thought back to the first time I had seen her. Her long hair cascaded down her back in a braid, similar to how she wears it now. She had a fearless expression, and her eyes held the resolve I had seen in many warriors before battle. She moved as gracefully as a panther stalking their prey. I had tried so hard the night of her initiation to keep my eyes off of her, but I couldn't help feeling drawn to her.

***

                                     
I stood near the largest fire pit, talking with the other Alpha's. Well, I should say that they were talking, and I was merely nodding every once in a while, to act like I was listening. I, like everyone else, was on edge from the recent Rouge attacks. The Shadows hovering on the outskirts of the clearing were proof enough that soldiers were on guard, but it did little to ease the tensions that were stirring. Luckily, my pack had avoided any encounters with the wild beasts, but the territory we were on had not been so lucky. I was eager to get back to my pack and continue to protect them. While I trusted my Gamma to run things, I always felt uneasy being away. I believed this was the Moon Goddess' way of keeping Alphas focused on a packs well-being. I had only come to this particular initiation because rumor among the packs was that Alpha Ezekiel's Shadow had raised the next generation of warriors. I was as curious as the others to see if Charles' child would live up to the expectations.

"So, I am told that the pup of honor is not Taras' by blood." Alpha Fergus said to Alpha Ezekiel. This drew everyones attention, even mine. It wasn't common for werewolves to take care of pups that weren't their own. Most wouldn't fight the wolf instinct to feed their own first. This could lead to the adopted child dying. Therefore, Alpha's often times raised the pups as warriors for their packs. It was part of an Alpha's nature to protect all in his pack, so the orphans were more likely to survive with us. It would have been very difficult for Tara to fight her wolf's instincts, considering she and Charles had a son as well.

Alpha Ezekiel looked at Fergus in a calculated manor. "Tara found the pup in the woods on the outskirts of our village. A Rouge attack killed the parents, and because Tara was pregnant with Felix at the time, she was able to accept the girl as her own."

Alpha Fergus smirked at the response. My eyes narrowed as I tried to determine what kind of game he was playing. Fergus was an insufferable asshole, and likely, he just wanted to start a fight between Alphas. The man lived for war, and it had been a while since the last one. I was certain that the next words out of the Alpha's mouth would be scathing, but we never got to hear them as Ezekiel turned around, letting out what sounded like a squeal of happiness. Everyone in our group turned to look at the two women who entered the clearing. One wore a dress that brushed just above her feet. She wore a cloak around her neck and had the hood pulled up over her head. A few strands of copper hair poked out, and she looked to be scolding the other woman who stood next to her.  A slight scowl appeared on the face of the second woman before disappearing as if it was never there. This woman wore men's trousers and a loose-fitting shirt. Even from this distance, I could see the radiant blue of her eyes. Her eyes swept the surrounding area, and I found myself hoping that those eyes would land on me. I wondered if she would have as hard of a time looking away as I was.