Adriel
The moon was taunting me, its light guiding me to the fate I had tried to ignore. It shone brighter than it had most nights, brighter than the nights I had spent as a child curled up in a cage, begging it for mercy from the monster that I would become.
In my dreams she was my salvation and I had spent years trying to become worthy of her, but as my father still lived I knew that I couldn't bring her home with me.
Days turned into months. Months turned into years.
The witches didn't favour me, I knew that much—they hated that I had my father's blood in my bones, that I was a constant reminder of the mistake that had been made as they mourned the loss of my mother who had been gifted to him as his mate.
But the months turned into years again, and I was finally here.
The moon was obvious in her temperament tonight as I drove towards the sanctuary where my moon fated mate was residing. There was a type of fury in the air that twisted around me, circling my lungs and twining with the beat of my heart—reminding me just how lethal the magic that flowed in my veins could become. Tonight, the witches that had bestowed all Alphas with their gifts were angry that they had to relinquish one of their favoured women to me, and at the same time—they were irritated that I had waited so long.
My car slowed to a stop as I finally reached the meeting point, my body filled with impatience as I pulled the key from the ignition.
Years, it had taken.
So much time wasted and so much time lost.
But now I was here, ready to claim what was rightfully mine.
I took a deep breath before I got out of my car, stretching out the pains of the eighteen-hour drive.
The air was humid as I took in my surroundings, the sanctuary standing in the distance shrouded in deep forestry, but right now I was standing in a huge clearing enclosed by wrought iron gates.
Alphas were only invited here with the sole purpose of finding the other half of their souls, it was a one-time opportunity to witness the divine blessings that had been bestowed on this earth. It also happened to be the home of the witches in this world, and a passageway to the land of magic known beyond what we could conjure up.
The hair on the back of my neck stood on end as I took in its power, my body tensing with the familiar sensation of being watched.
I was standing on sacred ground that had been untouched by the severity of the human condition. It was pure in its essence and primal in its truth—and I felt like I had a target on my back.
My senses were heightened as I turned in the empty space, scanning the trees for a threat. My wolf was on its hunches, ready to tear through my skin—until my eyes settled on the moon again. The light of it was shining like a beacon in the far distance and I followed its line of sight easily, my heart jolting in surprise at the suddenness of its findings.
The woman was miles away, leaning over the edge of a canopy roof watching me with a fierce curiosity. I was stuck in her stare, the blue in her eyes glinting with the light that had found a home within her. For a moment my wolf withdrew its claws, simpering with its restlessness as he preened up at her.
Fuck.
I had only been here a moment, and my control was already slipping—the violence in my blood singing with its need to sink its teeth into something.
And there she was, the most beautiful she-wolf I had ever laid my eyes on.
She had a pleasant looking face, but I knew that the shadows of the night were obstructing me from taking in her true beauty. The ethereal disposition she embodied, and the sheen of her skin glittering with such soothing softness as it flared like ice through my bloodstream. The rest of her features were trickier to discern from this distance, and yet—I knew with certainty that she was as wild with the need to take me in as I was with her.
I could feel the ache of it shoot right down my spine.
She didn't even back down as I caught her in the act of her patient perusal of me, the obvious purpose in my gaze mirroring her surprise. I tilted my head towards her in amusement, but before I could do anything about it, she disappeared behind the ledge.
There was no doubting the conviction of my wolf when I felt the neediness flourish in my chest from her sudden absence.
That woman—whoever she was, had to be my mate.
I hadn't seen the mark she had or whether or not it matched my own, but I knew with almost unwavering certainty that she had to be mine.
Unless. Unless—this was all part of some sort of test.
Maybe the moon was taunting me again, punishing me with the thought of a beautiful woman who was not meant for my hands or my bed. Maybe the witches were testing me to see if I was still worthy so that history would not have the opportunity to repeat itself all over again.
Nonetheless. I took a step towards her, on the verge of risking it all—
"Alpha Adriel," I was interrupted, a voice calling to me before I could make my mistake. I reluctantly pulled my gaze away from the faraway roof and settled my attention on a much more discerning type of woman. "You must have had a long journey from the mountains, let me show you to a place where you can take your rest." The matron said simply, pursing her lips as she took me in. The judgement was clear in her eyes, still—she extended her arm and requested that I should follow her.
I fought the urge to turn my back and look towards the roof once again, hoping to catch a glimpse of the woman that was showered in the favour of the moon, but I knew it would do me no good.
Instead, I followed the matron across the clearing until we reached a building built from white clay and glass. It stood tall and spanned across a substantial amount of land, its extravagance a contrast to the purpose it held, built larger than any of the homes that I had even built within my own pack lands and used more sparingly too.
The matron didn't hesitate as she walked me through the front doors, my body taut with tension as she paused to offer me a drink in the entryway.
"You are the second Alpha to arrive here tonight," She let me know as I welcomed the glass of red wine, knocking it back in one heavy gulp. "We expect the third to be here soon." She extended her arm again, leading me down a corridor and towards another set of doors.
"When all Alphas have arrived, we will brief you all on the rules you will have to uphold on your stay here. As guests of this sanctuary, your fate is in the hands of the magic that flows through this place—and to the witches who provide this for us, they do not look kindly to those who disregard their traditions." Her words held a sudden sharpness, her gaze piercing like she could see all the way through me.
She knew my name.
She knew the name of the pack I held rank over.
Surely, she had heard the whispers about it too—and yet, she still did not make a remark about it.
I nodded my head, thankful that for once I did not have to fight for a place that had every right to be mine. Something like surprise flared in her eyes as she took in the scent of my gratitude, but then she shook her head and took a step away from me.
"Make yourself comfortable, Alpha Adriel." She said, turning on her heel before she walked out of the room and closed the doors behind her.
My heart was a dull pressure in my chest as I took in my surroundings, hating the look of the bare white walls and rigid furniture.
"Such vicious little things, aren't they? For such devoted followers, I would have thought them to be sweeter." A voice said from somewhere within the room.
My head whipped in the opposite direction, my wolf on high alert as I found the other Alpha lounging in a chair as he sat at the head of a table, languishing in the feast that had been laid out on top of it. He barely even acknowledged my presence as he tore through a roasted chicken with his bare fingers, cracking the bones and pulling the meat from its place before he took his fill.
"Your name, where have I heard it before?" He asked when I didn't respond, his sharp gaze pinning me down as he finally assessed my stance.
It was clear from the moment I had walked into this room that he didn't render me a threat. Not all Alphas held the same amount of power, their power always came from the pack they ruled—and the more powerful an Alpha, the bigger the pack that he led. "What pack do you rule?" He asked more persistently this time, his eyes gleaming with suspicion.
"A pack that keeps to itself, one that you don't need to worry about," I said simply, moving towards the table as I poured myself another drink. This time something stronger.
"I'm sure that's true," He murmured beneath his breath, a smirk pulling at his lips as he felt the strength of my wolf beginning to lash out.
He watched me with interest for a moment as I kept my composure, sipping from my glass of scotch as I waited.
The minutes ticked by, our wolves silently fighting for dominance until suddenly he bared his teeth with a grin.
"Ah," He murmured like he had finally figured me out. "I think I know exactly who you are." He goaded, leaning over the table and pulling the decanter of scotch towards him.
"I'm surprised the witches allowed you to even enter their sanctuary, especially when the blood of a mate killer lives inside you—" A growl slipped past my lips when I watched him disregard the scotch and then reach for his knife—my wolfish instinct interpreting it as a threat.
"I haven't come here to make any enemies or alliances; I have come here to claim my gift just as you have. If it's a fight you want, you will have to challenge me for it later." He laughed at that, the dark danger of his power spindling as he leaned over the table once again, pulling a bowl of creamed potatoes towards him.
My wolf bristled at his dismissal of my words, and all of a sudden I imagined my wolf tearing out his throat.
"I might have to take you up on that. I would like to know how a wolf with your reputation has learnt how to fight."
Before I could respond, another Alpha brandished his way into the room. His eyes easily settling on the both of us before he walked a lap around the space. The Alpha who was already seated with me, straightened his spine—his demeanour changing in an instant as he took account of the warrior Alpha who had just bulldozed his way towards us—completely naked, like he had just shifted from his wolf form.
"Alpha Mikhail—" A matron rushed behind him—out of breath. When she found him standing in the centre of the room, she took a deep breath of relief.
"My apologies," The Alpha frowned, looking around the room again—like he was sure he would find what he was looking for. "I thought I caught a—" His frown deepened before he shook his head.
The head matron looked over at the three of us, a hint of exasperation hiding in the depths of her eyes as she passed Alpha Mikhail a towel to cover himself.
"Now that you are all here—" She sighed. "The rules for this claiming are simple and they are few. Under no circumstance will any of you be leaving this building until you have been given permission to do so. Everything you need will be brought to you, breakfast will be served in the morning and when it is time for the ceremony to take place, we will then lead you to your mates." She said easily, like these were words she had spoken over and over again.
The Alpha that I had yet to learn the name of grunted with his displeasure upon learning that he had to obey someone who he had deemed was beneath him, "Such prudish rules, in my pack we would have—"
"This is not your pack, Alpha Scythe. This is sacred ground—and there are rituals that have been set in place. If you want your gift, then you will have to wait for it to be given to you." The matron snapped.
He growled, hating the tone the matron was speaking to him in—but she was not part of his pack, so there was nothing he could do about it. "And what about him—" He pointed at me all of a sudden. "Do you even know where he comes from? The Meadow Mountain pack has a reputation that precedes it. What sort of rule is there for Alphas who have a history with murdering their—"
I growled then, my claws extending—
The matrons might have been kind enough to not mention my history, but that wasn't a courtesy that was shared amongst Alphas.
"I would like to remind you all that an act of violence performed within the walls of this sanctuary will immediately have you exiled from it." Another matron spoke up as she pushed away from the wall, her gaze lethal as an erratic energy filled the air.
This was the only place on earth where an Alpha had to behave, and if he didn't—we all knew the punishment that would befall him because of it.
I pulled my wolf back by the skin of my teeth, taking a deep breath. Whatever gripe he had with me wasn't worth losing this.
"The decision is up to the moon." The head matron said simply, cutting off the doubts from around me. "And I suggest you do not anger her."
A silence settled between us all again, waiting—wanting.
Wolves weren't meant to be caged, and yet—this was a perfectly crafted type of imprisonment, one that kept feral wolves on their leash as they dangled temptation in front of our faces.
I moved first, before either of them could, "I assume you've had a room prepared for me, I would rather have my breakfast served to me there," Surprise settled on the matron's face again as she nodded her head.
"Of course, Alpha—let me show you to your room." She bowed slightly before she moved. I followed behind her, my mind fully focused on the one thing I had come to claim.
Her. I could feel her waiting for me, could feel it with every pitiful beat of my heart.
The matron led me up a set of stairs, and then at the furthest end of the corridor she stopped in front of a white oak door. She waited silently as I pushed it open, moving into the space as I rolled out the tension in my shoulders.
"Breakfast will be served at eight," And then with those words, she closed the door and scurried away.
My wolf was antsy as I looked around the simplicity of the space they hoped to keep me in. A bed was set in the middle of it, covered in cream linen and made up with soft pillows. A rug was set at its base right in front of a cabinet that held a small TV. It was a comfy enough space for anyone who expected to stay the night, but for me—
I moved towards the window, finding some solace in the darkened forest behind the glass. Although hidden behind the cover of trees, parts of the sanctuary could be seen from where I stood, and the longer I looked out at it the more it seemed to be calling out to me.
I pushed the window open, breathing in the scent of nature as more dangerous thoughts filled my head. Desperation was a drink I had been forced to swallow for the majority of my life, but having seen her earlier and not knowing if she was mine—it was a type of torment beyond anything I had ever known.
The matron's warnings echoed in my head, alarm bells ringing—clanging and cursing, still I found myself climbing out of the window, helpless to the pulse of power that was suddenly calling to me as I balanced on the thin ledge of the windowsill.
The light of the moon was shining like a beacon once again, and surely it could not hate me more than it already did—surely, the witches could not punish me more than they already had.
My heart was beating in a brittle motion, the desires of my soul willing me to forsake its command and to take my mate without the customs that had been set in place.
I jumped down from the window, landing with a soft thump in a bed of flowers.
If she was meant for me, then surely it could not be a sin to want to look at her.
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