Willow

Chapter 3: The Lost Alpha

The trees passed around me in a green and brown blur, washing the scent of the forest through the silver furs of my wolf. The towering evergreens of my backyard had become Violet's sanctuary and it always calmed her down. Her paws were soundless against the dry leaves as she flew over them her spirits soaring high. It was rare to see her so carefree, and the lightness in her soul made the burden of my problems lessen. But as always, all good things must come to an end.

We need to head back Vi, I ordered gently, our pack is waiting for us.

She whined in protest but slowly receded letting me take back control of the reins. We both knew that our pack came first, before anything else.

Bones snapped and popped back into place as I shifted into my human form. Fur faded into skin as my snout shrunk into my face and my canines disappeared past flesh. They say the shifting process gets easier with time, which is bullshit, it always hurts just as much as the first time. The only difference is that you eventually get used to the pain until it becomes numb. Now ain't that the irony.

I slipped on the t-shirt dress and underwear I left behind the wooden shed and quickly laced up the combat boots lying next to them. Returning to my pack didn't require me to dress professionally as it was basically family, but Silvia wanted me to not wear jeans to a place that's not work for once in my life. 

I emerged out from behind the shed to see everyone outside getting ready. Martha was carrying around brown paper bags that smelt suspiciously of Kevin's delicious meals while Silvia was chatting away on her phone, making arrangements for the house. Joshua had brought out the cars; my Ferrari Pininfarina, J's Jeep Grand Cherokee, and my BMW i8, that all glistened in the sun. Good goddess I've always had a soft spot for cars.

"Had a good run Alpha?" Calvin called as he loaded the luggage's into the jeep.

"Yeah, and I'm still faster than you'll ever be." I replied cheekily. "Here, let me help you with that."

After everything was packed in all that remained was for everyone to get into there respective cars and hit the road.

"Martha is with me" I said making the old woman mumble a Jesucristo, "Don't worry I'll drive slow. Silvia and Joshua, you can take the jeep, no horny pit stops." they both blush furiously and Joshua muttered a no promises, which earned him an elbow to the ribs. "The twins can take the BMW but Calvin's driving, because I am never trusting Kevin with any of my babies ever again"

"It was a scratch!" Kevin protested but we all ignored him and slid into our rides.

Once we were safely buckled in, I sent everyone the pack location through a private app so that they wouldn't get lost. Selene knows where they'll end up otherwise. None of them had ever been in a pack, each of them rogues that my par- that were hired and offered a chance at redemption. Each of them deserved it and each of them earned it.

We drove in silence for a while before Martha decided to break it.

"Are you ready mi hija?" she asked tentatively.

"That's a loaded question Martha" I voiced chuckling nervously. "You know it is my responsibility to be ready, even if I'm not. But having all of you come with me makes it a thousand times better. Thank you for that."

"It is our duty to protect you Cariño" she said giving me a determined smile. Then moving the conversation to the pack she asked, "So what is the pack like? I've grown up as a rogue since I was a bebé, so this will be a big step no? "

"Yeah it will be. But pack life is not too hard. You already know how the hierarchy works. We've got the big bad Alpha that's me, and then we have the annoying Beta, that's Ray, and then we have the Gamma Collin and his mate, the Gamma female Sienna. Besides that we have the Elders who all pack members including the top rankers seek advice from, and then the pack doctor, Rick, who is highly respected among us. Then we have our community. Most Moonclaw pack members live in the pack but we encourage inter-pack travelling, leaving for college and even migration." I explained and let out a sigh before adding, "Basically, the point is that no matter where you go, you will always be Moonclaw."

Martha was quiet before saying, "That sounds beautiful querido", and then drifting off to sleep.

........

Five to six hours later...

We soon started closing in on a more denser, painfully familiar forest and I physically felt it as we went through the pack's residential borders. My wolf's senses heightened and I felt exhilarating power surge through me. The power given to me by Selene to protect my pack, to lay my life for them and fight for them when the time called for it returned to my body as my wolf and I accepted our position over the pack in that split nanosecond.

Shapes of wolves wove through the trees as their howls pierced the night sky, which to my surprise weren't hateful but were welcoming back their Alpha. Some of the pain of the past eased way from my chest adding to Violet's lightness from her run, causing a bubble of excitement too bloom.

Martha woke with a start as I rolled down the window and returned the howls wholeheartedly. This pack may have been the source of my nightmares but there once was time when it wasn't and so I chose to remember those memories instead.

More howls filled the quiet  night in reply, rejoicing with yips and barks of joy. It brought a smile to my face as I completely let go of the fear that my pack now hated me. Goddess the time I'd spent thinking over it, of returning but always choosing not to, believing that I'd cause more harm than good.

"They sound overjoyed, Alpha!" Martha exclaimed, clapping her hands in joy. I laughed gleefully in reply, for once in my life feeling truly happy for the moment.

In another ten minutes we'd pulled up at the towering pack house. I parked my car right in front and the twins and the couple weren't far behind us.

Sliding out I noticed that a crowd had gathered at the entrance of the mahogany doors, all staring curiously. Most were teenagers and children, who were either not present or were too young to remember my existence, and the rest were a scatter of elders and pack warriors. And there in the middle of it all stood Ray, grinning maniacally despite the dark circles under his eyes.

All past arguments and petty fights left my mind in that instant. So without much I thought, I ran and launched myself into Ray's arms, screeching in happiness, "Ray you dumb nut, I missed you!".

He chuckled catching me in his muscular arms, "Can't say the same about you! Goddess have you grown heavier?"

"Hey no fat shaming!" I growled playfully, slapping him on the arm as I untangled myself from him. He gave another hearty chuckle before we both noticed that we had an audience.

We quickly cleared our throats and stood taller, letting an inkling of our dominance role out. The present members immediately bared their necks in submission hiding their smiles as some of the younger ones stared at me in awe.

One of them, a small about seven year old walked up to me looking a little dubious. Her blonde curls were trapped in two adorable pigtails and her brown orbs shone with intelligence.

"Are you Beta Ray's girlfriend?" she asked innocently, backing away in fear as Ray and I guffawed at the question. Realizing the little one was serious I got down on one knee so I was at her eye level.

"No sweety! I'm way too cool for Beta Ray," I answered earning a scoff and a giggle. "You see as a young pup, until your ten you are not affected by the power that the biggies of the pack hold, and that's a good thing because that means we can neither command you to do anything nor can you feel our power. And so even though you might not know it, I'm your Alpha little one."

The girl was quiet for a minute, cocking her blonde pigtails to the left as if contemplating me. And then suddenly she flashed a huge smile.

"You're wrong. I do know you're my Alpha. It's in your eyes, pretty lady." she stated beaming a little wider. "It's good that you're here again you know, we really did miss you."

I felt my emotions tugging at my heart and fought the tears threatening to blur my vision. Looking up I could see my pack member nodding at me, smiling and grinning, wiping away tears of past troubles as they welcomed back the lost Alpha.

FINALLY AN UPDATE THAT'S ON TIME!

This is the chapter that's going to bridge Willow's then to now and after this the juicy stuff begins (well the really juicy ones are going to have to wait a while). I might, might not update the fourth chapter on Sunday but that depends on what my Sunday turns out to be like. Anyways I'll see you when I see you next, vote, comment and follow, it really means a lot to me.