THE ALPHA'S SECOND CHOICE

RYKER

Tonight's meeting was more solemn than any other meeting I've had with the Elders and wolves of rank of the pack. The last time a meeting was this calm, was the time my father had died. We were mourning.

We were seated in the large conference hall in my manor. The spacious room had a large mahogany rectangular shaped table that was about three hundred metres long. Thirty six elders and wolves of rank sat at the opposing sides of the table. I took my place at the top of it, by my right, Caden, my first beta, and best friend sat, and by my left, Mason, my second beta sat.

Tonight, some people were fuming. They had every right to be angry. Others were scared. Again, it was okay to be scared. I could detect the conflicting emotions, fear, anger and sadness thick in the dining hall. They could barely eat. I could not eat either. We were a few weeks away from celebrating the biggest ball in our pack's history, and some Pack decided that it would be fun to murder few of our sentinels.

"I think at this rate, it is quite obvious. The Greenwood pack did this" Elder Aiden was the first to speak. The table swung at him, several eyes shooting death glares his way. Garret scoffed "what?" his voice rose defensively, his busy brows knitting in one straight rough line.

"You said 'obvious', but mentioned the wrong pack" Garrett chided.

"Have you forgotten that Alpha Edgar left this manor in a feat, three months ago? He promised to declare war. This is war!" Aiden objected.

"Alpha Edgar might have the temper of a wild boar, and the IQ of a sloth, but one thing every Alpha knows is that the Crescent moon is one pack that shouldn't be messed with. He wouldn't dare. Not when the dispute we had was over a trivial matter" Aaron disagreed calmly.

"Yes" Lucas concurred gingerly. "Whoever did this, must have been planning to war with us. And I would bet my money on the fact that a good number of us know who is responsible " At his statement, murmurings filled the hall.

Give it to Lucas to stir up the people. I had easily picked the strange smell from the murder scene, and from the dread that filled some of the elders, they definitely knew who it was.

"You're making assumptions." Mason countered.

"Am I? " Lucas charged. "The last thing we want is any sort of boycotting. The message was clear"

"There was barely a message, just death," Mason countered again.

"Brutal death" Aaron contradicted solemnly, his expression was dark and drawn._

-and contagious. His words had easily provoked images, painful images of a torturous death.

I was going over a few papers in my study, when my beta had come looking disturbed. Caden was barely rattled, his expression was always stoic. We were raised that way. However, whatever it was had gotten to him so bad his worry was visible.

He had come with really bad news. Few days ago, five members of our pack went missing, five sentinels all gone without a single trace. There was no scent, no guide, no clue, nothing at all. We had sent search parties after them, combed several packs, but it was all futile. It was as though they had vanished into thin air.

We had continued looking, and even if we had a big celebration coming, we had restricted movements. The pack's safety was my responsibility, and I was accountable for each of them. We searched and waited three weeks, and no sign of any of them until yesterday.

Caden had come with news yesterday's evening. I couldn't really believe a word he said until I saw the dismembered body of one of the missing pack members. His upper body was haphazardly separated from the upper body, and his head was severed and partly burnt in a way that was unfathomable. It wasn't just fire. It was something else.

His mother had collapsed upon seeing him. She recognised him from his scent. But I caught on something quickly, before it dissipated. Asides the scent, there was another scent that rested heavily around the areas his parts were slightly scattered. It was eerie and dark. It simply hung around us, and went no further. No trace of where it came from or where it went. Just at a spot. Few minutes upon the discovery of the body parts, the scent was gone.

"This might be war, but we can not go to war in our current state" Mason, my second beta, spoke after a long observation.

"Why?" Amar questioned, "what is wrong with 'our current state'?" His bushy brows were knitted in a rough line, his large nose snorted gases, and his thin lips hid grimly underneath his dishevelled moustache. He was clearly as pissed as he appeared, or even more. His sister's son was amongst the five missing Sentinel wolves.

"A lot is at stake," Raymond Sanders considered calmly.

"Is that it?" he questioned incredulously "There's more to lose if we sit on our hands and let these people poke at us for fun. Did you see the body? Did you see what they did to one of us? And there are others, more to come!" This caused the others to shudder. I couldn't imagine seeing five more bodies like the one of yesterday.

"We barely know who did this," Elder Aiden reasoned.

"Oh, come off it!" Amar rose to his feet, anger emanating from his pores. "I can smell the fear ten miles away from you! No Greenwood wolf would rattle you this way."

"I am not scared!" Elder Aiden refuted defensively. I watched both of them, picking their auras. One had a combustible anger, and the other had fear.

Of course he was.

"Everyone knows that the Darkmoon pack did this!" Lucas announced, amidst the brewing chaos, successfully plunging the whole table into full blown panic mode. Caden shot a glance my way, I met his dark eyes. He knew right from the start.

"You do not know that," Mason disputed. "We cannot begin to point fingers yet," he added.

"Boy, my eyes have seen war, far more than whatever you've witnessed. This is the Darkmoon pack, the scent said it all. Evil" Lucas deadpanned, his gaze fixated on Mason.

"Do not address me like a child. I know what war feels like" Mason was quick to defend himself.

"You do not know what it means to war against the rogues of Darkmoon. You cannot fathom" Jerome spoke up, directing a long look my beta's way. Mason shifted uncomfortably in his seat. The murmurings heightened as the people began to talk amongst themselves. Fear swarmed the place.

"So you think we are no match for them?" Amar questioned in an accusatory tone. "Are you doubting the capabilities of our Deltas?" This time, his gaze was fixed on Jerome, the Chief Zeta, and general of Crescent Deltas.

" The Darkmoon pack has a rigid reputation built from a series of brutality and conquests. They are what they have claimed to be. For your question, no, our Deltas and Gammas are more than equipped to battle and conquer the Rogues and any other opposing pack " Jerome spoke with a calmness that always had me appreciating his position as Chief Zeta "But I think Raymond is right. We can't attack at this time"

Jerome was smart and calculated. He knew the ways of war, what to say and how to say it. My father had never made a better choice in selection than this.

"If the Deltas and Gammas are as capable as you've claimed, why the hesitation and emphasis on timing?" Amar prodded.

"The acts of war. We know the Darkmoon rogues. We know they're baiting us. And we know how bloody of a war we would fight to have them retreat or be defeated. Now is not the time" Jerome reasoned again.

"They took five of our sentinels, and had one brutally murdered!" Amar spat. "Are we going to sit and watch them treat us like toothless dogs?" He growled.

"We are not sitting on our hands..." Jerome rebutted, a bit triggered by Amar's inability to see reason.

"We are!" Amar cut him off.

"If only you'd listen..." Raymond intervened

"To what?" Amar thundered.

"Silence!" I ordered, totally irritated by their arguments. The hall went silent. I stood to my feet, towering above the whole table. Amar sat down grudgingly. "The last thing we should do now is argue. We have to be more level headed, and calculated at this point now, more than ever. " I watched the whole table watch me as I spoke. I had their full attention. "Elder Lowell, a penny for your thoughts?"

The old man who had silently observed the whole table, sat up slowly, then cleared his throat. I took my seat. "Thank you, Alpha '' He began in a hoarse voice. "The Darkmoon pack has always been a thorn in our flesh. Their attacks are glaring and insulting, and not retaliating may be interpreted as weakness." He paused, scanning the room. Amar nodded in agreement. "However," he continued, "retaliating at this time, when the Crescent ball is fast approaching will cost us the joy of the moon. We cannot afford such risky decisions and its consequences at this time "

"I agree." Garret concurred.

"Well said, Elder Lowell" I commended, the old man bowed slightly "We can not go to war now. We have to investigate properly, prepare and properly strategize." I spoke again. "General Jerome will continue to train our troops and prep them for the impending battle"

Jerome bowed slightly in acknowledgement "Yes Alpha"

"Chief Garrett will triple up security. Every movement should be monitored. Nothing should take us unaware."

"Yes Alpha" Garrett bowed.

"If there's another body" I paused watching the eyes that watched me "we would be ready"

And whoever it was, was going to curse the day they were born.

XAVIERA

Fire roared through the night's sky, warming the cold night. The house before me was clothed in thick black smoke and spitting flames. Heart wrenching screams could be heard from the house, filling it and overflowing through every outlet of the burning house. I made to move, but my legs wouldn't obey. I was stuck. Stuck in a way I couldn't decipher. Glued to the ground, I fought to move. Sweat trickled down my face, the screams sent slithers of cold down my spine.

I was shaking like a leaf under the merciless assault of the wind. "Run! Run! Run!" The voices began to chant "Save yourself!" I was no coward, and I've never backed down on a fight, but I felt my body take up that command.

Run! Escape!

I tried, but my legs just wouldn't budge.

While I struggled to flee as commanded, a figure emerged from the fire. It was in the form of a man, but his body was covered in an unending black smoke that wrapped around him in large circles, twirling continuously. His eyes blazed in uniformity to the flames that burned the house and its occupants. In his right hand, he held a limp body by the neckline of its clothes, dragging the body along as he moved.

He advanced until he was just a few metres away from me. He dropped the body, snorting out gases. I struggled to make out any significant features, but all I got were shadows. The body moved slightly, raising his head slowly, my heart dropped to my stomach as I recognised the person that was held captive.

God no!

"Xaviera" He groaned, blood spluttering from his mouth. The smoky shadow raised his sword.

No no no!

"Please don't!"

Slurrp! In a powerful cut, he decapitated the head from his body. Blood gushed from the neck splattering about. Suddenly, I felt my limbs loose, and my first thought was to lurch at the murderous creature before me, but before I could, I felt four hands, two on each side of my arms, clamp around me in restraint, pressing me to the earth.

The Smoky being kicked the head forward so it rolled to where I stood. The head turned to me, life still in it, then the eyes blinked rapidly. "Run Xaviera. Run!" It whispered eerily, I felt my heart drop. Slowly the lips curled into a sinister smirk.

Jesus!

"Run!"

A deafening shrill erupted from behind me, jutting me up suddenly, my eyes tore open as reality came crashing. It was a dream! It was a fucking dre-nightmare!

Thank God!

A horrible nightmare, gratefully not reality. I was covered in sweat, and my heart raced erratically. I rested against the headboard of my bed, struggling to calm my racing pulse.

I turned on my beside lamp, trying to make sense of what I had just seen as several thoughts clouded my already hazy mind. It wasn't the first time I dreamt about burning houses and gut wrenching screams, but this was the first time anything emerged from the smoke. It was the first time he was slain before my eyes-the first time his head was actually severed. Although, this time it was quite different. In reality, I had seen the sword take a swipe at him, I had seen him fall. Yes, he did die.

I saw him being murdered, then I watched those monsters drag his body away after he had breathed his last. But his head was intact. The digital clock beside my bed began to blink, 6:30am the blinking lights indicated. I threw the sheets off my feet, wriggling them to confirm they still had life in them, they wriggled just fine.

Letting out a sigh of relief, I swung both legs, the floor creaked slightly underneath me. Struggling to push away the memories of that accursed night, I made for the kitchen.

It had been a good five years since he had died, and I still had fragments of the memory of it, mostly about what happened before. They always came in my dreams, but this was the first time anything came out of that house alive.

The house was quiet, Anna didn't return home last night. I was grateful she wasn't home to witness another of my early morning fits. She'd seen enough of it since I moved in with her.

I was halfway to the cabinet when I slipped, and fell hard on my ass. The impact knocked the air out of my lungs, I gasped for breath.

"Fuck!" The room swirled, and noisy tweets drummed in my head. Luckily, my tailbone wasn't affected, or I might have been howling on the floor.

When was the last time I fell this hard?

Right! After the attack. One minute I was a Delta wolf, fast approaching the beta rank, and the next I was in another pack, now an Omega. Talk about epic falls.

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

Lunch rush at Moondrops was hell, and my feet were a testament to that fact. The last of our afternoon lunch rush customers had just exited the restaurant, a group of noisy teenagers with the most clamourous laughter

I sighed at the peace their absence brought, three to four customers sat scattered around the restaurant. I grabbed several trays, neatly stacking them on the trolley. My break was in five minutes, but before that, I had to deliver these glasswares to Milligan.

I pushed the stocked trolley, traipsing to Milligan and his stack of dirty kitchen wares. He released a resigned sigh at the sight of the trolley.

"Tell me this is the last of them"

"It is the last of them," I muttered with a smile.

"There is a God!" He exclaimed. I chuckled at this. It was basically his first rush hour shift. He had never washed so many plates during one shift.

Moondrops seemed to buzz during afternoon rush hours and the evenings . The food was exquisite, the designs were comely, it simply beckoned on you, and they did come, with tall orders.

"My shift is almost over. I'll just take out the trash" I informed him, then turned to the trash can that was filled to the brim.

"I will be here till dusk. Took two shifts" Milligan said "Extra cash and all. Now I regret it"

I laughed at this. "You'd forget it once you feel the weight of your paycheck" I lifted the bag out of the can, then wrapped it. The weight pulled at my shoulders. "Woah! This shit is quite heavy"

"Need help?" He said over his shoulders.

"Nah. I'm good. Thank you" I lifted the heavy bag, taking it outside. The afternoon weather was calm and a bit dull.

The moment I dropped the trash into the dump, a swooshing sound swept past me, causing a cold to slither down my spine. I felt the hairs on my body rise, a prickling sensation shot up to the back of my neck. The air around me chilled suddenly. Rieka rose to this, growling within.

What's going on?

Something drew my attention, a scent I couldn't really fathom. I turned from the dump, searching for the source of my discomfort. Slowly my gaze lifted as though summoned, resting upon a figure that stood a good metres away from me. It stood still, watching me. It was dark, so I couldn't tell who it was was. However, it seemed to be calling me. The prickling sensation around my neck heightened, pulling at my senses.

"Hello?" I called

Nothing. Not even a budge. It just stood there, watching.

"Do you need something?" I called again, this time, walking towards it. The closer I got, the distorted it became, my vision began to blur as I tried to focus on what it was I was really seeing.

"Xaviera!" Someone screamed my name. I jumped as though pulled out of a trance. I turned to the direction my name was called. Adeline stood at the backdoor of the restaurant, staring at me weirdly. "Where are you going?" her left brow curved in question.

I turned to the direction I was headed a few seconds ago. The figure was no longer there.

"I thought I saw someone," I muttered.

Someone was definitely there.

"What?" She asked.

"Nothing" I said, returning to the point where she stood.

"You good?" She asked, I nodded, brushing off the feeling. My mind must be playing tricks on me. Stress. That must be it. I barely slept these days.

"Okay, change out of your work clothes, Leesa is waiting for us" I nodded, as she turned, going back in. I threw one more glance at that corner, and there it was, like it never left.

The figure.

RYKER

The Crescent ball ritual began today, and it was responsible for the bad mood I was currently in. I stood before the large mirror in my room, covered in sweat and herbs. A white towel hung low around my waist. The combined smell of Marjoram, dill seeds and some other herbs swayed, circling the air around me, its juices dripped from my head down to my toes.

How long was I going to do this shit?

Eileen had said it was compulsory I did the herbs ritual again this year, but she never said they intended to bathe me in some 'herbal' liquid. The burnt herbs and incense I could take, but being drenched in a mixture of herbs in hopes to attract a non-existent mate, was something I couldn't.

Then give them a Luna. Find your mate.

I hated the thought of this. Finding a mate when war was right at our doorsteps was nothing but misplaced priority. I knew what was more important.

A knock on my door pulled me out of my musings. I turned to the door, just in time to see Caden slide in. He took one good look at me, then burst into a loud guffaw. I shot him a glare.

"Not funny" I said, moving away from the mirror.

"Sorry" He chuckled. "When my mother said you were taking a bath, I never imagined you'd stink after it" He joshed.

"Shut up" I chortled.

"So how long will this go on for?" He asked walking further into the room, he stopped at the sofa, sitting down.

"A day more, or so?" I shrugged.

"Hmmm" he nodded. "What is the essence of this new ritual?" He continued. I stared at him squarely, he raised his left brow quizzically.

"What else?"

"What else?" He prodded. He couldn't fool me, he knew I hated the word, but he wanted me to say it.

"What else" I replied. "You know we can do this all day long" I snickered. He laughed in response.

"But seriously though, I think you should give them what they want."

"And how am I supposed to do that?" I asked him. He gave me a look at this. Caden knew I didn't believe in mates or soulmates. And he also believed I had something to do with my lack of a mate. Like it had to do with rejection or something. Ironically, he wasn't even mated, and it was his thing.

"It's not my fault." I said.

"As if" he scoffed

" It is not as if a mate is someone you can just pick. A Luna I can get, but a mate is over reaching"

"You intend to marry Lauren?" he queried.

"Have I toiled with the idea? Yes."

"What?!" He exclaimed incredulously.

"She's the perfect fit," I shrugged. Caden stared at me as though I had grown a horn at the middle of my head. He was one of the many people who didn't approve of Lauren, her father's position in the pack notwithstanding.

"Because of her father?" he pressed.

"Because of Lauren" Her father was a high-ranking wolf, and was a friend of my father's, but I wasn't dating her because of her father's position, or his relationship with my father.

"I still don't get it." Caden shook his head. "Of all the gorgeous Crescent moon women of rank to pick from. Her?"

"I don't expect you to" I pushed myself off the table. "I'm going to take a wash" Caden got up.

"Mother wants to see us though, she's downstairs. Something about the ball and final preparations" he informed me, making for the door.

"I'll be down soon" I assured him. He held the door knob, then paused.

"Ryker" he called, then turned to me. "I understand you're under a lot of pressure to fulfil duty and take care of your pack, but don't do anything you'd regret. The Pack's Luna will have to be your wife first, before anything" and with that, he was out. Leaving me with the weight of his words and the smell of herbs.

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

"Why the fuck should I put this in my wallet?" I stared at the bay leaves Eileen had pressed into my palm.

"To attract your mate" she counselled, then handed me a little bottle of greenish liquid.

"What's this for?" I queried, staring at the bottle she stretched out to me.

"Perfume made with Lavender, patchouli, nutmeg and fennel" She recounted.

"And why the hell should I wear this?" I questioned, staring at the bottle that was still stretched towards me.

As expected, she said; "To attract love, and your soulmate"

Seriously? Bay leaves too?

Caden snickered, I shot him a glare. His mother turned to him "I made a bottle for you too" she said, handing him another bottle, same as the one she'd given me. Caden's smile dropped.

It was my turn to laugh. He stared at the bottle suspiciously.

"Book a herb bath for him while you're at it," I said.

"Hahaha, very funny" He rolled his eyes at me.

"I already did" Eileen joined in the banter. I laughed hard as Caden's expression went from disappointment to horror.

"Mother!" He exclaimed. She handed him his bottle in response.

"In your bath lotions, your oils, and to your cologne. Use the oil twice each day" she instructed him

I laughed at how specific his instructions were. Taking the bottle from her. I handed it to Anna who stood beside her.

"Should I put in your lotions and oils?" She asked.

"No"

"Yes"

I and Eileen answered simultaneously. I shot Eileen a glare.

"Yes" She said to Anna. Anna stared at me skeptically. Eileen gave me a challenging look. I sighed, it was just oil right? And it smelled good. I nodded affirmatively to Anna. She smiled, took a bow and left the room.

"Mother wins again" Caden muttered underneath his breath.

"I heard that" I said, making for the door.

"Mother knows best" Eileen remarked "Come home for dinner?"

"We will" Caden responded.

"Ryker?"

"Certainly" I replied to her. "Are you coming with?" I directed to Caden.

"Yes Alpha" He mock bowed. His mother hit him playfully. "See you later, mother".

The moment we were outside, I pulled him in, knocking him off his feet. He landed on his back.

"Dude!" He wheezed.

"Did it hurt?" I stood over him, stretching out my right hand to him. He eyed my hand suspiciously, then finally took it. I pulled him up, tapping on his back. "Now, we are even" I brushed past him, heading for the car that was parked and waiting. I noticed Caden wasn't following behind. He stood still at the spot where I'd left him.

"Caden?"

He didn't reply, just stood still watching me.

What the fuck?

"Caden?" I called again

"Was just thinking what would happen when you step out with that thing in your wallet" He spoke in a serious tone.

"You mean this?" I showed him the bay leaves in my palm.

His eyes twinkled mischievously "Mate?" He mocked, then burst out into taunting laughter at my irritated expression.

God help me!

"God I can't wait!" He remarked, heading towards the car. There was no winning with this dude. How he managed to switch from stoic, to playful and then ruthless was beyond me. I shoved the bay leaves into my wallet.

"We'll see"