Chapter 6 The Alpha of Right Stone

~ MARDEO ~

Most people have a myriad of things they want to achieve in their lifetime (as they should) but I have just one and that is becoming the Alpha of Right Stone pack. As the first son of the current Alpha, becoming the next Alpha should have been my birthright.

But like everything I have gotten in my twenty-five years of living, I was having to fight for it. Not that I am complaining though. Fighting is what made me into the tenacious man I now am. I have been at it for a long time.

When I was just a year old pup, my mother died from complications surrounding my birth - the ones her body never fully recovered from. My father, Alpha Vandace, chose a new Luna who bore him another son, my half brother, Bradley. That was when my fighting began.

For some reason, my stepmother, Luna Rivena, believed her son was more worthy of the position of Alpha and began convincing the pack elders of that. She argued that I was the Alpha's first son from a different Luna while Bradley was the Alpha's first son from her and so he deserved a chance to be Alpha.

At first, it was absurd because that was simply not how it worked plus I was older, stronger, more learned in the way of wolves than Bradley, but like a seed planted in Left Stone, the idea stayed firmly rooted in their minds and eventually blossomed.

Now I had to contend with Bradley for a position that was rightfully mine. A debate and a duel, my father had said. When the time comes, Bradley and I would compete in a debate and a duel to test our mental and physical abilities to lead the pack. Whoever won the competition would become the Alpha.

My father had later pulled me aside to say he trusted I would win. Rivena and the pack elders had forced his hand. Somehow, that had fired my resolve even more. I knew I would never be an Alpha whose hand could be forced to mete injustice.

But first I had to be Alpha.

Knowing it wouldn't be handed to me on a platter, I resolved to develop myself. I was going to become so powerful that it would be nothing short of stupid to make anyone else Alpha.

Sixteen months ago, that resolve led me here, to Shanakoi. Shanas were known masters of magic; skilled in potions and spells. I was already a strong wolf, I knew I would be formidable if I also had magical powers. So accompanied only by my Beta and the determination to learn magic, I made the long journey here from my village, Right Stone.

My arrangement with King Aries was simple; In exchange for two years of having his best sorcerer and potioneer teach me everything he knew, he would get a two year supply of precious stones mined in Right Stone when I became Alpha of my pack. And he could never tell anyone in Shanakoi who I truly was or tell anyone outside Shanakoi of my existence in his kingdom. Of course, the greedy king had excitedly agreed.

A knock on my door interrupted my thoughts. It was Warren, my trusted Beta.

"Alpha Mardeo." he greeted as he entered my chamber.

Warren already called me Alpha even when I had not officially taken the position. In his words: I don't know any man more befitting of the title.

"Welcome, Warren. To what do I owe this surprise visit... with wine." I gestured to the bottle in his hand.

"Got it from the royal vintner. Only three bottles in the whole kingdom. Good stuff."

He withdrew to the bar area at the farther end of my chamber, returned with two flute goblets and started pouring.

"What are we drinking to?" I asked.

"You know I don't need a reason to enjoy good wine, Mardeo. Besides, I have a feeling good news is coming soon. Like you finding your mate." he winked.

"I love a good joke." I responded dryly. Warren and I had not found our mates yet and we were as worried about it as a pig worried about getting dirty. I changed the topic to more important matters. "So tell me, what's happening in the kingdom?"

I liked to call Warren my 'right hand' because of how important he was to me and one of the qualities that made him so indispensable was his spying skills. He seemed to always be in the right places at the right time and as a result, never ran out of breaking news. He also had a friendly charm that made people tell him their biggest secrets uncompelled. I, on the other hand, was way more introverted, a trait that even my father had come to be known for.

But I had spent enough years in this world to know that information is truly power - especially when you are in a place thousands of miles away from home, with people who are not your kind. So I was always eager to hear the latest happenings.

"Nothing much. The Shanas conquered new territory last night. Two actually. One, a werewolf village and the other, a human city. So that means more slaves have been introduced to the system."

"Which means more females for you to f*ck."

He threw his head back in laughter. "I can't help it, Mardeo. She-wolves are the closest I can get to the Moon Goddess."

"F*ck, Warren. You keep saying this and I keep telling you it's sacrilegious." I chided.

The only thing Warren loved more than being my Beta was burying his d*ck in a variety of females - she-wolves to be precise. He didn't f*ck any other species. He was quite discriminatory and had a strong dislike for humans since his only brother was killed by human hunters.

Our positions as the only wolves in Shanakoi who weren't slaves meant that we had lots of females flirting with us. From human women to Shana females to she-wolves. And Warren took full advantage of that. His bed was never empty.

But I knew Warren loved being my Beta and I trusted him with my life. Ours was a beautiful friendship void of secrets, jealousy or competition - I had enough of that with my brother, Bradley.

"Back to my story, there is a new slave who has caught the attention of some people in the kingdom."

I turned to him, my interest piqued.

"A werewolf. Infact, an Alpha. Handsome and bald."

"Bald?" Not many people are bald these days. Hair is a symbol of beauty for women and strength for men.

"Yes, not a speck of hair on his head. He also seems to be sickly. So much for a boy who would have been Alpha someday. I wonder which unlucky pack he is from."

"We don't know his pack?

"Yes, you know how secretive the royal court can be. King Aries always feels like someone is out to get him."

"Never seen a man so powerful and yet so paranoid." I opined.

Warren laughed and continued. "Now to the interesting part. Just this evening, the princess barged into court and took this bald Alpha as her personal slave. In a fit of her madness, of course."

The princess of Shanakoi had suddenly gone mad a few months ago, just weeks to her nuptial ceremony. Since then, she had been confined to the palace and mostly out of sight; not like she used to move around much before her unfortunate fate. Even with my constant visits to the royal quarters, I had never run into her.

"Poor boy," I commented at last, "He must be feeling lucky right now. He doesn't know he is in for a ride that would have him wishing he was breaking his back at the slave quarters or better yet, killed."

Warren laughed again, his signature boisterous laugh. "There is no safe way to exist in Shanakoi if you are not a Shana. Not as a werewolf and definitely not as a human. I can't wait to be back home in Right Stone living as freely as I please."

"Eight more months, Warren. Eight months till I become the Alpha of Right Stone and oh, the most powerful Alpha there ever has been. Skilled in combat and skilled in magic. Building our pack's prestige in the werewolf realm and making the most of our partnership with our ally, Left Stone."

"Eight months till I lead by your side as Beta. It would be the most prosperous Right Stone has been in ages."

"Let's cheer to that." I smiled, goblet raised.

"You see? We eventually found something to drink to." he joked as he clanked his goblet with mine.

Hours later when Warren had left my chamber for his, I grabbed my cloak off its hook and left for the woods.

It was a full moon tonight and I needed to let Ripper, my wolf, run free. It had been a very long while and the poor animal was getting restless. This was manifesting in my constant mood swings and increased appetite, like I was eating for two - myself and an agitated large black wolf.

Even with the multitude of privileges I enjoyed, living in Shanakoi as a werewolf was not a walk in the woods. Werewolves in Shanakoi were not allowed to shift freely as the Shanas feared that we could be a threat to them in our wolf form.

Shifting had to be done privately and not more than two shifted wolves could be in one place at a time. The penalty for breaking this rule - like most rules in Shanakoi - was execution at the Onyx. Most werewolf slaves in this kingdom had let their wolves grow dormant; better safe than sorry.

With a sigh, I shed my clothing until I was left in my breeches, the night air cooling my skin. The forest was my natural habitat; where I felt most comfortable, where the animal in me liked to play.

"Come on, Ripper. It's time to run." I said to my wolf and his excited growls brought a smile to my face. Until I saw a figure approaching in the darkness. A bald figure.