Alpha Xander: His Contracted Luna

The rogue Alpha pack emerged out of the woods. There was fear in his eyes when he saw the numbers. He dove right into the lake and swam. Xander just stood there and watched him vanish into the foggy mist of the lake.

Eric stood in the middle of the bank. Manny and Joni set the wooden stock next to him. Manny looked around for Xander and left Joni’s side to find him standing alone on the far end of the bank. Joni and a few younger betas gathered stobs for a bonfire.

Faye came up to Xander with the lighted torch in her hand. The fire flickered and revealed her blazing red eye color. She turned Xander to face her and glared into his sober eyes. He stepped back slowly and waved at Manny to run to him.

“You have been distant lately,” Faye said walking up close to him.

“I bet you had fun while I was away,” Xander said

“The pack had me to lead,” she said sternly. “And you were away just doing whatever you wanted.”

“At least I’m not a traitorous wolf,” he set a strong gaze on her. “A leader never sells out one of his own.”

He turned away and signaled Eric to start the fire. The wooden stock would be laid on a little canoe with long palm leaves by the sides and precious belongings of the pack gathered around the stock. Xander pulled off a chain from the neck.

Manny walked with a bow and arrow in his hands. Eric followed him from holding another spike lit up with fire.

“Shall we begin?” Eric asked.

“Wait, Manny go lay out the boat,” he ordered.

“Joni has got it covered Alpha,” Manny replied.

“Who is Joni?” Xander asked. “Never mind. Everyone should spread out for now.”

“Give me that,” Faye took the bow and arrow from Manny, he was reluctant at first but Xander nodded at him to give in.

Manny stood next to Xander while other wholes lined horizontally facing the lake. Sandra was next to Jamal, he didn’t even take one look at her as she pinned her head on his shoulders.

Joni had set the boat afloat and went to join the others in line. They were aligned in the aura of the moonlight. The fireflies were hovering above their heads and the serenity kicked in.

Xander stood at one end of the line and walked slowly down the other end. Faye was in the middle of the line arching her stance, Eric was holding the torch for her to light the arrow. The boat was already moving in the water. A little far down the end of the lake and the arrow will be shot.

“These are hard time that tests our strengths and weaknesses. Times like this, we are meant to mend our broken hearts and tend to our wounds. We have all lost a friend. A brother. A lover,” he patted Eric lightly on the shoulder and kept on walking. “He was not one to be missed so soon. Jackson Pierce was a man who wouldn’t want us to mourn and have sad faces because he was gone,” Xander kicked the sand.

Faye torched the arrow in the fire. She arched her bow and set a gaze at the floating boat an observable distance away. She pulled and loosened her grip when she had her eyes on the target. The arrow went straight in the air and landed on the end of the body bag, setting the wooden stock ablaze. It brightened the mid-point of the black waters.Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.

“He knew what we lived for. What we strived for. Day in and out. He died a great man and wasn’t murdered a weak man. The only thing I can say to us now is to carry on from where he left off; bringing down the rogues. Wiping them off the face of the earth. Drew will die by my hands. Our wrath will be a tribute in Jackson’s name. Alpha pack!” He lifted a fist in the air. The wolves howled in response.

***

Everyone was permitted to wait out this long at the lake. Manny was swimming with some other betas and making jokes about each other.

“What do you call a beta to make him angry?” Joni asked

“Scarface,” One of the deltas laughed.

“Oouu Jackson would rip you a new mouth for that,” Manny said.

A few wolves paired and sat next to each other on the other side of the bank. Sandra and Jamal sat on the lower bank with their feet in the water. She held his hand in hers and looked at her reflection in the shallow water. He stared down at his too but he had his eyes on hers.

“Sandra, I’m really sorry,” he said.

“I’m sorry for the way I acted out on you,” she said. “I know we can work things out if we give it time.

“I don’t think you understand,” he said soberly. He turned to her and took her gently by the chin.

“I thought this was an apology?” she took his hand off her chin.

“I’ve thought really hard about it, and I’ve decided,” he shut his eyes and raised his head to face the sky. “We can’t carry on like this. Not just the fight we had. We have different views on things we once shared as one,” he brought his head back down and opened up his sad and weary brown eyes.

“You are someone I really care about,” she sniffled. “I guess you were.” She got up and walked to meet the others at the upper bank, wiping the tears off her face. Jamal watched her leave till she gained ground with the others.

She tied her hair up in a bundle and gave him a glance. He looked away and tossed a pebble into the lake.

***

Faye and Eric together talking when they figured Xander had left their premise. Eric was about to order some of the Deltas in the water to come out to track their Alpha.

“He is not a child you know,” Faye snickered. “He does this every now and then. You will only piss him off if you go looking for him.”

“He would have said a word,” Eric said. “He did say, ‘times like this we need to stick together and hold each other tightly,’ we might as well do that.”

“Knock yourself out Eric,” Faye slid her palm on his shoulder. “I have said I said,” she walked on to the oath they came.

Manny was out of the lake and putting on a shirt when he saw Faye walking alone. “This is my chance,” he thought. He got dressed and upon his first step to trail Faye, Joni met up with him.

“We are clearing out soon and you’re on duty with me man… again,” Joni sighed.

“This is not the time, not right now,” Manny said.

“Well tell that to Eric,” Joni folded his arms.

Manny looked over Joni’s shoulder and couldn’t see Faye anywhere. She had left into the dark woods. It would be bad if he went after her without any trial. Joni turned back to look behind him.

“Damn it,” Manny smacked his lips.

“Hold up, you good bro?” Joni adjusted his beanie and faced Manny.

Manny shrugged him off and headed to the clearing-out site. They had to take care of the fire they lit out alongside the pile of rubble they gathered to make a heap for the bonfires.

***AT THE CONDO***

He was tired but not worn out. He ran all the way from the lake. He must have broken his record from the previous runs he made. The condo is quiet, too quiet in fact. The leaves blew to his face, he held his arm over his eyes when he saw a white cloth laid at the entrance.

It was just a heap of white linen. He moved closer and pulled it over. A pale and cold Catherine caved in shivering on the ground. He knelt to her side and put his arms to take off his jacket. He remembered leaving back at the boulder.

He pulled off his shirt and tied it around her. It had dried out next to the bonfire. She was in her silk dress, it was all scuffle from the neck to beneath the waistline. He took her in and walked to the inner room.

He laid her on a long cushion. He took a moment to get a think maroon robe. He took off her clothes and hung her panties on the dresser. He got her in the robe and it came right off, the only clothes he had to get her in were his old pajamas.

They were baggy and barely stayed on her body. He tied a sash around it to hold it steady on her body. He tucked her in on the bed and set the pillow gently. She took him by the hand when he was about to get off the bed.

“What happened Catherine,” he said with a low voice.

She let go of him and sat upright with the pillow tugged in her thighs.

“Talk to me. Where you attacked?” he was moments away from yelling. “You were out cold lying on the ground.”

He crawled back and got on his feet. He just watched her resting her back against the headboard. She got up and wobbled on her feet. He rushed to her side before she fell.

She pulled away from him and got under the sheets. She rolled to the far end of the end and he got under the sheets too. He was not going to take any of her tantrums. He slid under the sheets and locked his fingers into hers. His were across her. His touch gave her the warmth she desperately craved.

Her mind had settled and she was still in his comfort. His mind wasn’t. He wanted to fill the void about what happened when they were apart. He hadn’t intended to keep her away and alone. For now, she was safe in his arms.