The makeshift encampment perched high on the mountain afforded me a panoramic view of the entire Southern tribe, and as the bombs filled with silver detonated, my lips pulled back in a victorious grin.
"Has the wolf awakened?" I inquired of Kyle, my second-in-command.
"Not yet, the healers have informed us that she's spent, and her wolf weak... it seems they haven't completed the transformation." A growl escaping my lips silenced Kyle; every child was taught that upon receiving the wolf at sixteen, completing the transformation was imperative.
"Pack everything up, we're heading back. She'll come with us and as soon as we arrive, I want a council meeting," I commanded, while my mind relived the memory of finding her, shackled and fearful.
Encountering a captive woman hadn't been part of my plans, yet upon our gazes meeting, her screams, and the wounds she bore made my wolf howl in fury within me. My wolf whimpered as my sword severed the chains, only calming when I ordered the explosives to be scattered.
With each step I took, wolves bowed in homage and even reverence; Fin Balan's adopted son was now seen as a respectable alpha. Many wondered how a boy like me became the feared man of today across the northern lands; my story is not a simple one.
My mother fell pregnant out of wedlock and as a consequence was expelled from the tribe, no pack could offer her refuge; she wandered these lands with child, and when I was born she stood on the brink of leaping from a cliff, infants without fathers were scorned by wolves. Fin heard my cry and arrived just in time; I was merely three days into life and already battling for survival.
Alpha Balan took me in as his own, marrying my mother and elevating her to the Moon of the entire Northern tribe. Initially considered a mongrel by the wolves, I proved them all wrong and noticed a shift in how the Northern tribe viewed orphaned pups. Many changes occurred in the Northern tribe, but my true origin came to light only when my adopted mother fell ill. Fin, after years of solitude, fell in love with my mother and upon her passing, the mantle of Alpha of the Northern tribe was handed down to me.
The return journey to the northern lands took longer than usual, particularly because now there was a precious cargo my wolf insisted be handled with care. I'll admit I didn't quite understand why my wolf was so attentive to a stranger, but perhaps once she awoke she could finally tell her story and whether she was friend or foe.
"Alpha Balan." Kyle was striding briskly towards me.
"Drop the formalities, I've already said you can call me Emir," I replied as he came to stand by my side, matching my pace.
"Emir, do you think it's wise to bring this girl along? What if she's a spy?" Kyle finally asked; I appreciated him because his analysis wasn't superficial – he let his mind traverse beyond the obvious.
"Look at her, for some unknown reason, my wolf raged at her plight and insists on protecting her. I suspect the Vasile family harbors far more secrets and judging by the manner in which she was held, she must be part of that mystery." My chin gestured towards the stretcher where the woman's body lay, carried a little behind by four soldiers.
"I understand. I'll prepare the guesthouse upon our arrival and have the medics ready," Kyle said, not entirely convinced, but the fact that my wolf wished to protect someone was enough for him, especially since my wolf cared for little else.
"No. She will stay in the main house with me," I stated firmly as we walked. I noticed his desire to question the decision, given that an alpha's main house was occupied solely by his family, and in their absence, it was reserved, pristine, and sanctified for the alpha's Moon.
He resumed walking in silence beside me as I, over my shoulder, kept my blue eyes trained on the breathing of the stranger.
When the post-sunset sun decided we should set up camp amidst the trees, we were already within lands governed by the Northern tribe, but there remained a substantial journey to reach my home.
"The men wish to transform to make haste... They're grumbling," Kyle, as my second, had the duty to resolve disputes and pass on matters to me, no matter how trivial.
"Select ten good soldiers to stay; the rest can transform and run home... but if I so much as dream they've gone drinking instead of to their families, I'll send them beyond the sea, to the Dead Lands of Mordecai," I whispered before glancing at Kyle and sharing a smile, recognizing he relished the power to choose who would stay and who would return, with a fair chance that the complainers would be left behind, simply to indulge my second's whim.
Wolves go to war for numerous reasons: a piece of barren land, a disdainful look, to expand their territories; the reasons are manifold for a wolf to wage war, but for me, there was just one: vengeance.
***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***
Updated 75 Episodes
Download
Like this story? Download the app to keep your reading history.
Comments