Blessed by the Moon (Mates at First Bite)

Blessed by the Moon--Chatper Three: Found

Song: "I Talk to the Rain"

Picture: Abandoned Cabin

Read, enjoy, and do whatever you feel like doing. ^-^ By the way, if it shows that I have updated recently yet the chapter number is still the same, then that means that I have elongated the same chapter--I tend to do that a lot because I don't ever finish writing down everything I want to be in that chapter when I start it, I tend to be out of time not too long after I start a new chapter, and I work on the chapter section by section. {"..."} = phone speech

Chapter Three: Found

The night was heavy and damp with despair and despondency as he faded in and out of consciousness, lying on the cold, unforgiving ground. There was no doubt that this was the end; he was going to die before the first rays of sunlight returned to paint the Sangre de Cristo mountains red. When he had enough strength to think, the only thought that raced through his mind was how his pack was going to feel the wrath of the Alriks because of his stupidity and weakness. He knew from the very beginning that he was going to fail miserably; there wasn't a doubt in his mind about it. It was impossible to understand why they chose him to be the next alpha after the old one died without an heir. After all, he spent the vast majority of his years as a reckless, antsy wild-heart who took great pleasure in acting like a devious rebel. He remembered standing by Dusan's side (Dusan is Slavic for "divine spirit") as he took his last breaths and bequeathed him the title. Of course the rest of the pack had complete faith in the old alpha's decision--they even went up to Kolya to say that they had their own reasons why they entrusted him with the position. It was obvious at that moment that they were going to follow him no matter what...even unto their deaths.

But it didn't make any sense! Why would they put their lives in the hands of a careless screw-up, especially one with such a past? Everyone in the pack knew of his background, of his parents: the father who ran off and mated with a female from another pack. They tried to raise their son away from werewolves, away from the life they didn't want for him but what was an inevitable outcome. Everyone heard of how living separated from a pack turned into something not quite so beneficial for his parents--the last thing they saw in life was the end of a hunter's gun barrel. They saw the devastation that lingered in his eyes the day he was returned to his father's pack, they saw him fall apart from then on, they saw the animal within him grow strong with anger as his heart yearned for the comfort of a warm body that never ceased to be denied to him.

Alpha Dusan monitored his every move and witnessed his transformation from quiet, weeping mouse to trouble-making, rage-filled loner. It was Alpha Dusan who dared to go near him, who dared to seek into his soul and find the parent-less little boy who was still scared of the dark. It was Alpha Dusan who spoke to him with understanding and looked upon him with the eyes of a loving father, eyes Kolya had so easily forgotten amidst the crowds of resentful glares. Kolya had slowly started to feel himself melt from the shell-of-steel that no one could penetrate to a warm-bodied ray of sunlight filtering through a dusty, stained-glass window. He had begun to feel appreciation for having a pack, whether they cared for him or not, as long as they cared for each other and he was able to see them smile, laugh, and hold each other in their arms. Nothing really much mattered so long as he knew that such feelings existed.

Kolya always knew he was a weakling, not ever strong enough to put up a real fight, and resorting to cheap-shots and low-blows. How could a werewolf be alpha without being the strongest within the pack? The only thing he had going for him was that he was pretty clever. When did cleverness ever protect the pack or the alpha himself when they were being attacked by outsiders? Cleverness sure didn't get him out of this mess. He was going to go down in history as the worst alpha that ever ruled, who couldn't even protect himself. He wouldn't even live to see his own downfall; he was fading and fast. As the world was finally slipping under and light filled his eyes, he was sure he caught sight of his mother--looking exactly the same as she did when she turned her worried, horror-filled eyes on him right before she got shot--and then he closed his eyes and all was lost.