Marked by the wrong Alpha

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Long ago, In the land of Luno, the birthplace of all wolves, there lived two brothers who lived in peace and harmony. The older brother's fur was as dark as the night's sky, his eyes red as crimson, while the younger one was as white as snow, his fur was as clear and beautiful as his soul, and his eyes were as attractive as ocean-blue. He was liked by all, even the Alpha (their father).

Though they looked nothing alike, they were as close as brothers could be. They were inseparable, always by each other's side. But one day, their bond was put to the ultimate test.

They had gone out into the woods to hunt for food for their pack. They were deep in the forest, far from home.

They went out into the woods one day to hunt for game for the entire pack, since this was the custom as at that time. They were far from home, and deep in the jungle.

As the hunt was being carried out by the rest of the hunt crew and royal guards. The white wolf wandered off into the woods to see what he could find in there;

From afar, he spotted a black cave-like entrance, out of curiosity, he went in to discover the unknown. Thanks to his sharp eye sight, he was able to see clearly.

Not too long after he entered the cave, he found a greenish slimy object, as he stretched his hand to grab it, his body absorbed the substance, immediately he began to feel abnormal.

After a few minutes, after he touched the slimy substance, there was no physical evidence on his body, but he knew that something was not right with him.

By the time he returned to the location the hunt crew had camped, they were already anxiously waiting for him.

"My prince you know better than to wander off without a guard or two, especially in the woods" one of the guards who seemed to be family with the white prince.

"I'm sorry, I saw something in the wood, it entered into my body" the white wolf said anxious and out of fear.

"Let's get you home first", the guard responded, out of concern.

"I'll report to father about your behaviour today" the black wolf said in annoyance.

The white wolf was too distracted and aloof as his brother reprimanded him for his actions.

Immediately they arrived home,the black wolf went off to his father's chambers to report all that had occurred during the hunt.

"Father, my brother whom you had put me in charge of during the hunt, wandered off into the woods leaving the camp grounds, thereby endangering himself and the rest of the crew.

"If that is all, you may leave" a sigh escaped from his mouth "on your way out inform your brother that I request his presence", the Alpha told him.

Jealousy was not far away from the black wolf's heart, all he ever wanted was to be cherished and loved by his father, but for some reason, his father loved the white wolf more than he loved him.

Not too long after the black wolf went out, his brother walked in, his head low in humility.

"Why did you wander off from the crew?" his father asked, not with anger, but with concern in his voice.

"I'm so sorry, I saw a cave-like entrance from a distance, when I walked towards it, it was dark in there, but there was something outstanding even in the darkness of the cave, there were greenish slimy substances, when I touched it..."

"You touched it?" The Alpha exclaimed.

"Yes, I was so curious about it, that I touched it, when I did, I had this feeling that I can't describe" he used his hands to describe his experience as he spoke on.

"Take off your clothing" the Alpha commanded, when he did, the Alpha examined him thoroughly, making sure not to miss any hint, spot or a clue as to what was wrong with his son.

As he did, the Alpha couldn't believe his eyes.

The white wolf's physical appearance had changed, whatever the substance was, it definitely had an effect on him.

His eyes had changed from light ocean-blue colour to a deep blue, which was very unusual, and unlike how they previously were, his eyes now looked more fierce as though there was a blue flame in them about to surface.

His barely developed biceps and shoulders, and even the entire body was different, they looked more masculine, and attractive which was unusual.

"You may leave!

go to the herbalist for her to examine you thoroughly, report back to me once she's done" the Alpha said to him.

While they were both having a father and son moment, the jealousy which had been ignited in the heart of the white wolf only grew worse...

Few minutes after the white wolf was done talking to his father.

He went to the herbalist's shrine for her to examine him, as was the instructions of his father the Alpha.

As he walked on the smooth shiny path towards her shine, strangely, he was able to hear the thoughts of people that walked past him, the sounds of their voices, was like an echo in his ears.

All he could do was close his ears with his palm, but to no avail. These voices he heard was a psychic ability which had to do with his mind connecting with people around, thereby giving him access to their thoughts....

"Stop!" He shouted, drawing the attention of the royal guards.

"Pls just make it stop" he continued to shout, tears streaming down his cheeks as he bent down and shrinked himself like a cold kitten.

"It hurts" he continued to scream...

Nobody had a clue as to what was going on, neither did they know how to make the pain stop, they just looked at each other in curiosity.

"Let's take him to the herbalist" one of the guards said "before people start thinking that the prince has gone insane..."

When they arrived at the herbalist's shrine, since it was some sort of an emergency, and it involved a royal, other customers had to wait outside the hut, at the reception room, while the white wolf and one royal guard went in.

The old lady who was known to have her way with medicine did what she knew best to put him at rest.

While he was calm, she asked the guard to join others outside so that she could do her job effectively.

Shutting the wooden door behind him, the old lady began to examine him.

She started with his eyes, his body, then his feet, she even opened his mouth with a metal spoon to see if changes had happened to his teeth too...

The royals regularly came by for check up, so she was able to differentiate his physical appearance now, from his physical appearance from the previous weeks.

While he rested, she began to take medicine. She was not sure if his condition was temporary or permanent, nor could she tell the main cause of his high temperature...

But since it was her responsibility to find out the cause, she had to do something, anything to help the prince.

Days went by, and the white prince got better. He was able to go out on his own without assistance. But he preferred to stay within the four walls of his father's palace.

Rumours had already begun to spread about the insanity of the prince, the people didn't care if this rumour was true or not, all they cared about was the thrill of it .

Rarely did the black wolf swing by, but when he did, it was pretty obvious that he wanted to piss his brother off, so that he would reveal his powers.

But the white wolf began to have suspicions about the intentions of his brother's visit...

They rarely quarreled, but these days, all they did with their spare time was argue about irrelevant things.... courtesy to the black wolf's evil plan!.

On one faithful day, while the brothers were on the field practising their martial arts skills with each other, under the supervision of the royal guards.

The black wolf punched his brother in the face, knowing quite well how sensitive and protective the white wolf was about his looks, especially his face.

In an attempt to avoid being enraged, he drops his Martial art tools and begins to walk away...

Not wanting his brother to get off his hook so easily, he punched him again behind his head, he fell to the ground, causing him to temporarily loose consciousness...

when he regained consciousness, everything about him had changed, starting from his face, his wound from the early punch began to close up, his eyes were bright and they blazed like blue furnace.

Passersby had already stopped to watch what was going to happen next, they could not believe their eyes ... .this was the same, cute young, not too muscular and less dangerous looking wolf, but now, everything had changed...

HE WAS OUT FOR THE WORST!!!

Before anyone knew what was happening, the white wolf had already transformed into a gigantic white beast.

In defense, the black wolf followed suit, but he was no match for his brother rage.

The white wolf used his claws to tear his brother's body, leaving him half dead.

Fear gripped everyone who saw what had happened, the scene was so frightening that no one had the boldness to spread the word.

Few days after the matter had been taken to the council of Elders, a conclusion was that he would be banished from the pack.

He was banished from the pack, forced to leave his home and his family.

But he was not shaken. Instead, he resolved to start his own pack, one that would be a safe haven for those who were outcasts like himself, who had been cast aside by society.

He would create a new home, where everyone was welcome, no matter their background or history.

The white wolf set out into the forest. As he walked, he felt a sense of purpose and adventure.

And then he saw it - the very cave he saw during the hunt, since it was almost dark, he walked in to rest, cause he knew within himself that everything had changed the moment he first stepped in there, things would never be the same, but he had to make the unknown future something to hope for.

I Ethana, a beautiful and adventurous young woman, independent in all ramifications, and liked by all except a few that were envious of my grace and beauty.

Even though I wasn't sure of my birth place, i was quite certain that wherever I found peace and solace would be regarded as my home.

I already knew that i was special.

Although i wasn't the only wolf with white hair, I had some features that were peculiar to me and distinct from everyone else.

Of all the places for a young lady to be, i found peace and solitude in the woods not too far away from the pack market square.

The only people closest to my heart were my two friends Francis and Dacota and my Granny, the old lady who took care of me, right after i was found at the war scene, in the palace 18 years ago.

I wasn't really a fan of animals, but when they brought themselves to me, i never chased them away.

Some would say that I am an epitome of beauty, everybody loved me, even animals, most especially those in the woods.

On a very sunny and blissful day, the sun had just risen, giving the birds of the sky an avenue to spread their wings in the wide blue sky.

I Ethana, 'daughter of nobody', with no restrictions and restraint walked into the woods, as joyous as always, with my ball of wool in one hand and a little basket of nuts for the chipmunks that lived in the tree I liked to sit on.

As I walked into the woods, I could feel the breeze blowing my silver-white hair around, across my face , to the left to the right and all around.

My hair was one very distinctive feature I possessed, just like almost everyone in my pack, we had white long hair, even the males in my pack were forbidden to cut off their hair, only to trim it, because our hair was seen as a symbol that we possessed the power of the moon; while the females left it long, giving them an avenue to gossip as they braided each other's hair.

Mine was different, I only preferred Granny to weave my hair, because only she wouldn't judge me for my appearance and physical differences.

The hair on my head was snow white, unlike everyone else which had a mixture of off-white, brownish white, or even brown thanks to foreigners who joined our pack. My hair was different, it had silverline strands, which spackled in the sun, but more under the moon's light.

I was special, I knew this, so I didn't need anyone's opinion on the matter!

As I arrived at the spot which I called "the umbrella tree", it was looking all greenish and beautiful. It had just sprouted new leaves which produced the scent I could perceive thanks to my high smelling capacity, from miles away.

Not too long after I climbed up on the tree to begin my crocheting, I heard a cracking sound behind me, not sure of what it was. I looked closely again, but couldn't still see anything.

Turning back to face what I was doing, I heard the sound again.

The rustling sounds were coming from the bushes behind me, I turned around swiftly and saw a figure standing 5 ft apart from where I was sitting.

In shock and awe of how magnificently and beautifully sculptured the figure was, I fell off the high tree on which I sat.

"Ouch!!!" I shouted, I could feel my spine hurting, I could barely stand up ...

Just as I laid there in pain, I could hear footsteps walking towards me..out of fear, I got up swiftly holding a stick trying to shoo off the figure, my eyes still hurt from the fall, so I could not tell for sure if the person was a member of my lack, or from another pack, but it was clear that he was a man.

He had a striking shade of black hair, it was so black that it shune in the sun, but still I was uncertain of who he was.

Just for a moment I froze. All I could do was stare at those deep eboni black eyes that were fixed on me, they produced some form of dark masculinity alongside softness that could not be compared to anything.

He came forward, and tried to help me get up from where I sat on the group in pain from the fall.

His touch had a feeling of softness, but also a feeling of hardness which made me long for his touch even more.

"Are you alright Miss?" he asked, spilling out soft words from his beautifully curved lips, the kind of softness that could make me imagine them on me for a split second.

"I bet you've never fallen from a tree that high before" I said sheepishly as I smiled back at his already smiley face.

Stretching out his hand to lift me from where I sat, he led me to a log of wood which had fallen down some years back.

"Are you sure you're ok?" the kind and handsome man said as he stood up and went over to where I had landed to get my stuff.

"No, leave that one" I said pointing at the nuts, which had already scattered around the place.

"I got them for the landlords of that tree,'' I said, pointing at the 'umbrella tree'. The chipmunks love nuts, so I give it to them as a peace offering, but I guess they'll have to come down and share it with the rest of the chipmunks from other trees.

When he was done packing the wools and the other stuff I had brought along except the nuts,

He came and sat beside me....

"Are you from Wolverine" I asked him, after noticing his physical appearance.

His hair was so dark that I could not compare it to any black hair i had ever seen, he had bold black eyes, and a bit brownish skin, unlike the white wolves that were as fair as the moon.

"No, I am a wanderer, I have no home nor a particular destination" he replied to my question. I could feel the pain he was going through through his tone.

"What's your name, sir?", I asked teasingly, "it's just Lutian ma" he replied with a smile on his face....

"Mine is Ethana!"

"It was really nice to meet your acquaintance, but I really have to leave now" he said, as he began to stand up from the log we had sat on.

When I saw that he was about to leave, I asked briefly "you're a wanderer, which means you don't have a place of abode yeah?"

"What are you getting at miss?" he asked me..

"Come to the village, the wolves that make up my pack are very kind, and my Granny has plenty of room you could spend the night in". I told him as loud as I could, since he had already begun to move towards his horse-like creature.

"I know that I don't know you, but I know that deep down you're a good man, my people will welcome you for sure" I continued to speak to him, as I walked up to him.

He turned and looked at me. I could see the sadness in his eyes. I had a feeling that he wasn't always homeless. I felt that this man, at this point in time, needed my help, and that help was what I was going to offer no matter the cost.

He turned back at me, and smiled broadly, "come on" he said as he stretched his hand and lifted me on to his creature...right in front of him, I could feel his heartbeat, it was so fast, as if he ran for mile before letting me up on his animal.

"What's its name?" I asked, because I had never seen such a creature before. Its fur was so soft, Lucian had knotted rope and placed it on the mouth of the animal to serve as reins to help him guide the horse's movement.

As I sat in front of him I could perceive his essence and raw masculinity. The heat he produced was hot enough to melt the ice that froze the will to love within me.

As my mind drifted away, into my wildest imaginations, all of a sudden, he spoke right into my ear, soft words that could caress me, bringing out the feminine fire from within.

"Hold on tight" he said, and off we rode into the sunset. The wind blew through my white silverline hair.

Even though the feeling was uncertain, I still couldn't shake off the feeling that something was watching us, some dark and dangerous forces, hidden in the shadows of the forest!

(FLASH BACK)

It was a cold and dark night, the people of wolverine had fallen prey to the people of Luno. For some reason unknown, the Alpha of Luno found out that the people of wolverine possessed supernatural abilities, so they came to take the source of their power,

Unknown to them that not everything was to be taken; the people of wolverine, especially the white wolves, had inherited the supernatural abilities from their ancestor the white wolf prince who later became the Alpha at theat time.

The Luna of Wolverine had just lost her husband in battle, just before she gave birth to her baby girl.

Before the soldiers came into the chambers in which she had just given birth. She gave her baby to one of the midwives to run off through a tunnel and out of the castle in order for the princess to live.

Out of respect for her social status as the Queen, the soldiers of Luno took her as a captive of War instead of killing her.

But at that moment, something unexpected happened...

Before the night's sky became dark, Lucian arrived at Ethana's cottage. After she alighted from the horse, Lucian turned the rein away from her, and back onto the path where he had come out from.

"Aren't you coming in to rest for the night?" I asked him with a calm and persuasive voice.

"Young man, thank you for bringing her safely back to me, please come in and rest for the night, you can leave tomorrow when the sun rises" Granny said as she walked slowly out of the cottage holding her wooden walking cane on her left hand

"No, I still have to leave now, it's not totally dark, I have to be on my way, thank you for your hospitality", he said, bowing to Granny in respect.

As the sun shone below the horizon, I and my friends went into the woods, away from prying and judgmental eyes of some wolves in the pack.

The previous week, the Beta of my pack had made an announcement about the rescue of the captured Luna. He said that she had been taken prisoner by the Luno pack, and that a rescue mission was being planned.

My friends and I, had come to the woods again, this time to discuss our plan on how to go about our quest, to join in saving the captured Luna of Wolverine pack.

"We need to be ready for anything" I said , still not opening my eyes.

"The outcome of this quest is uncertain, but we need to be ready for anything."

"I agree," Dacota said with a shaky tone.

The preparations for the Covian Festival had already kick started, with everyone putting a finishing touch to their stalls and decorations. But what no one paid attention to, was that the full moon had changed course and would be appearing earlier than normal. This meant that the festival would have to be moved forward, leaving everyone scrambling to get everything ready in time.

As the citizens of the kingdom rushed around, trying to make sure everything was in order, I, Dacota, and Francis sat together in the forest, discussing our plans concerning the quest.

My friends and I have never gone far from our pack, so we didn't know much about such matters, but we knew that we would need to gather supplies, train, and plan every step of the way.

But it wouldn't be easy!

We would need to make sacrifices, and we knew

that we would be putting ourselves in danger!

But we also knew that it would be for a good course.

Dacota and Francis were determined to do whatever it took to help me.

As the sun set, we made a solemn vow to each other: to do whatever it took to complete this quest***

Rumours had spread like wildfire among the wolves of Wolverine city, the rumour was that Ethana was the birth child of the late Alpha and captured Luna of Wolverine.

In the past, I, Dacota, and Francis had demonstrated our supernatural abilities simply for fun. We had enjoyed learning new skills and challenging each other to see who could do the most impressive moves.

But now, we had a real purpose for our powers. We were going on a quest to save the Luna of the pack and we needed to be at the top of our game.

As we sat together in the forest floor, surrounded by rocks of various sizes, we began to practise our various abilities.

My ability to control the weather was particularly impressive, and I demonstrated it by causing a gentle breeze to blow through the trees.

The moon shone brightly overhead as the three of us practised our abilities, each in turn.

I focused my energy, causing a gentle breeze to rustle the leaves on the trees, and the bushes nearby, as I did so, my skin and hair began to glow, as if illuminated by the moonlight itself.

Francis's eyes flashed with golden light, and he began to move objects around with his mind. With a quick flick of his tongue, he was also able to retract his fangs from their sheaths, revealing two razor-sharp canines, there was a quote that went 'a werewolves strength's is in his fangs and claws', and Francis was an epitome of masculinity.

As we watched each other practice, I could feel a sense of pride and oneness among us, it was obvious that we were working together for one purpose.

As we sat on the rocks practicing, I noticed that Francis had a burden, he was worried!

So I did something unexpected!

"I'm well aware of the fact that you are worried about the pack's safety, but I assure you that they'll be fine". I said, trying to encourage him.

"The elders will take care of them, and they'll be fine. We're all going to be fine, too. I promise."

I looked at him, my gaze steady and sincere. "Trust me, I've got a good feeling about this. We're going to succeed, and everything will be okay."

Francis took a deep breath, now feeling more relaxed than he was before, "Okay," he said, giving off a sigh of relief.

The words seemed to do the trick, as a smile slowly spread across Francis and Dacota's faces.

In a show of friendship, we exchanged 'the handshake', one that had been passed down for generations among the pack of white wolves. It was a silly gesture, but it meant the world to us.

As we shook hands, I felt a sense of calmness for the first time since we had learned of the quest, from the news spread by the council members. For some reason, I truly believed that we would succeed and that together, we could do anything.

"Wait a minute, how did you know I was worried about the pack and younger ones, can you hear my thoughts?" he asked with shock on his face as though he had just seen a ghost, "does this mean you know what I'm thinking right now?"

"I love you Ethana, I really wish you could feel the same way", he said within himself to verify if i could really hear thoughts.

As Francis finished his sentence, he held his breath, waiting for my reaction.

As seconds stretched on, Francis began to fear the worst. Had he said too much? Had he just ruined friendship with me?

"Francis, what the hell?!" I exclaimed, my eyes wide with shock. "What made you say that?!" I pushed him backwards, and looked him in the eyes, a look of utter disbelief was plastered on my face.

"I-I-I'm sorry," he stammered, his face turning red with embarrassment. "I didn't mean to say that.

"What did he say, come on you guys, remember no secrets right?" Dacota said eagerly with a broad smile.

"He said he prefers fox blood to chicken blood" I said sarcastically, I knew that Dacota wouldn't buy it, but she wouldn't want to push it either.

"Ewwwww, that's gross", can we please go back to what we came here for?" Dacota hissed as she got up and began to change forms from human to wolf.

For some really weird reason, shifting was fascinating to her.

Francis looked at me, his eyes full of emotions. I could tell that he was still thinking about me in a way that made me a bit uncomfortable.

I pushed him away and stood up too, trying to put some distance between us, but not too close for Dacota to hear my voice.

"I can still hear your thoughts, you know", I said, my voice steady despite the turmoil inside me.

'It's not a good idea for us to be together, I love you as a friend and that's it', I said, as I left his side and walked towards Dacota.

I turned to look at Francis, my heart was still racing from what he had said to me earlier.

As our eyes met, I saw something I never expected: his eyes were red as blood, and there was something wild and dangerous about it.

I knew that whatever was about to happen, it would change everything.

But the very question that kept ringing in my mind was ... what did he mean by "I LOVE YOU?".

As the full moon rose above the trees, I could feel a tingle of energy running through my body.

The moon's light shone on my hair, making it glow like strands of pure silver.

I didn't know what was happening to me at the time, but I knew that my body and my soul was separating.

Suddenly, I found myself being pulled into another realm, a place of swirling mist and glittering stars. There before me stood the White Wolf, the one I was told to have been my great ancestor.

He stood before me, in his human form, his eyes looked like shooting stars. He spoke to me in a voice that seemed to come from another world, telling me things I had never known about myself. "You are more than you know," he said. "You have a purpose greater than you can imagine."

But before I could ask him any question, I was back to the woods with my friends.

Loads of unanswered questions kept me awake all through the night.