The dwellers of the forest paced their way to the peak point in hopes of reaching the moon. Thunderous paws sank into the wet moss leaving every tree behind. They raced against the winds with the high ranks showing their dominance by closing the gap with the ones who were ahead of them.
The moon was calling them.
Einar had covered a considerable distance ahead of everyone. He covered the uneven land with a great lolloping gait. Each one of his mighty strides were worth of at least three of others. His body stretched to its full extent while he ran with a force barely touching the ground. When he reached the cliff, he stared at the moon in defiance and howled in agony. He bared his teeth to the moon as if he was challenging it to a fight.
The wolves soon joined Einar but were taken aback at the provocative yelping of the Alpha's son. The other members of the pack saw it as a disrespect to the Supreme Being. In response some of them howled a cry of annoyance while others howled in respect to the moon. They could not tolerate the uncanny behavior of the Alpha's son.
No one was above the goddess.
Einar shook his head and composed himself when he realized what he was doing. He snorted. He was embarrassed with his head hung low and apologized to the moon goddess and everyone in the pack through his mind link. Even Ragnar was amused with the behavior of his son. This wasn't the behavior to which the Alpha was accustomed to. Had it not been his son, the perpetrator would have been severely punished.
Umberto then nuzzled the Einar in assurance that everything will work out. He was sure that Einar acted this way only because he had been aloof from his mate. He again pushed through the mind of Einar to knock some sense in him.
′You were intransigent and howled in contempt at the moon goddess. That's not a good thing to do son.′
'I know uncle Umberto; I'm trying to control my wolf but I don't know what has gotten into him. He is acting weird today the whole time.'
Umberto knew for a fact that a wolf gets upset when he does not detects his other half on a full moon night. In most cases he is either calm, upset about it or he howls in pain. But he is never defiant or feral for it. However it can behave this way only if...
'Einar look at me.′ The Alpha's son slowly raised his head to look into the eyes of his mentor. ′I want you to tell me the truth. HAVE YOU FOUND YOUR MATE?′
Einar ached to let someone know that indeed he has found his mate. But would people understand that the mate in question was not a girl or a wolf entirely? Perhaps he could share this information with his advisor. Maybe he would understand his dilemma.
′Yes uncle Umberto. I-I think I have found my mate.′
Umberto was ecstatic and equally appalled. Finding ones mate is the happiest moment in a wolf's life but if Einar was hiding this fact from everyone than there must be a grave reason for it.
′Your mate is a wolf. Right?′
Einar was ashamed at the fact that his mate did not have a wolf within him. He lowered his eyes and shook his head. Umberto was surprised to say the least.
′This has never happened in the before! An Alpha mate who is not a wolf is truly unheard of. I don't know how your parents or the pack will digest this information. Alpha mates have to be strong to breed strong pups and hence only an Alpha, beta or in some cases a gamma blood is usually the mate chosen by the moon goddess for the high ranks. There is a very thin chance of your parents approving this mating. However they are not the ones we need to be concerned about at this moment. Your mating can cause quite a ruckus at the council. The King and his people won't be pleased.′
That was the last thought on Einar's mind right now. He knew for a fact that no one would be accepting of his bond with the boy. He would bring shame to his family.
′Tell me Einar, which shifter family does she belong to? Maybe we could possibly find a solution to unite you both.′
'My mate is not a shifter Uncle Umberto. In fact my mate is not a girl.′
'What do you...'
Before Umberto could react or respond, Einar growled grinding his teeth. He ought to cry out, to scream, fear was creeping through him along with anger. It was as if his life was in danger. With a final deafening roar he jumped leaps and strides with no clear destination in mind relying purely on his wolf.
His instincts indicated that Callan was in danger.
He made his way through the dense web of the jungle where his movements were resisted by the wetland, hampering his speed. But no one could stop him at this moment. He can't bear anything happening to Callan. Even the idea of him being in pain was maddening enough.
When Einar reached the boundaries of the village, he could hear two heartbeats and the faint magnetic aroma of his mate. But what surprised him was the fact that he was not alone. The woodpecker's daughter was with him. He strode ahead to get a glimpse of them both.
But what he saw shattered his world completely.
The endearing look in both their eyes; the Embrace; the KISS. To say he was angry was an understatement. He did not know how to respond. His mate was now taken. His mate was now 'impure'. Every wolf saves himself for their half as the custom dictates but the girl took his rightful honor to give his mate the pleasure of his first kiss; their first Kiss..!
His tongue tasted bitterness not only for the girl but also for his beloved. The stench of betrayal hurting him to the core. He blamed himself for not marking his mate when he had the chance.
The rustling of bushes diverted his attention. He could see a bunch of feral wolves approaching from the thick forests. They were solely focused on encroaching the area but for that they had to eliminate the only barrier that laid between them and the way to the pack: Callan.
Einar was enraged.
His nostrils flared while he clawed his feet to the ground. He roared vociferously and made his way to the boy. He took long strides while his legs bounced. As soon as he reached the boy he jumped above his full height and pierced his canines on the neck of the rouge wolf who was about to attack Callan from behind. The rogue wolf whimpered and struggled to make an escape but Einar brawned his grip to strangulate him to death.
The other feral wolves appeared from the bushes all surrounding the trio. Meredith pulled the hem of Callan's shirt in utmost panic which did not go too well with Einar. He growled at her. She flinched and fell back, while Einar was glaring at her. He ordered her to shift in her wolf and run for cover. Though at that moment, he yearned to kill her.
Callan was amused to see if Einar's wolf even understood who the real enemy was. However he knew that he had to take matters in his own hand as the girls safety depended on him. He was relieved to see Meredith taking cover in the opposite direction of this chaos. He saw other wolves approaching him and he flew his dagger at one of them aiming their eye. Soon the other ferals marched ahead in retaliation.
At this point of time, the blue moon pack had also arrived at the scene. Some of the pack members followed their Alpha to the pack house while the other members of the pack had made a beeline alongside Callan and Einar. The feral wolves however were more in number than expected. It was a planned attack to wipe out the entire blue moon pack. Ragnar could feel that his mate was in difficulty, her life was in danger. So he along with Justus and some wolves, rushed to the Alpha house to save her. Meanwhile Umberto took the charge of his army and was standing in front of them as an unbreakable wall.
Growling and snarling were a part of the aggression of these wolves, expressing their willingness for a fight. With a long howl from Umberto the warriors marched ahead to save their land and their people. Feet pounding, teeth gnawing, menacing attacks from claws was a common sight on the land. It was barbaric, it was brutal. The ferals only wanted to taste blood in any unorthodox manner they see fit.
They charged their way to Einar estimating him as the leader of the pack. They wanted to attack the Alphas son seemingly understanding that if they could rout him out, victory will be theirs. If only they knew that it was a death wish!
Callan used his skills and dodged attacks with his swiftness and agility. He was now using his sword and was offensive only when needed. One of his traits however was that he only wounded the ferals so that they didn't make any movements in return while he did not kill them unless it was necessary. On the flip side the rogues were determined to wipe out whoever stood against them.
One such rogue blindsided Callan and caught hold of his thigh. Einar felt Callan's pain and rushed towards him. The canines of the wolf had just penetrated Callan when Einar broke the leg of the rogue with his jaws. The rogue was limping and whining in pain when Einar seizured his neck to leave him unmoving.
The attack left Callan bruised and soon the wound was dripping blood. Einar got a whiff of the metallic scent and he arched his back once again to roar a deafening howl. It was so loud that the entire wolves retreated to their respective sides while Callan put both of his hands covering his ears. The whimpering and whining of the ferals did not go unnoticed by anyone. Even the blue moon pack was on their knees bowing their heads, some rolling over and showing their torso in act of submission. Though the rouges wanted to make an instinctive capitulation, their feral nature showed defiance.
Einar was now incensed like never before.
As he growled, his wolf form was suddenly growing in size. The more he grew the more the ferals limped in fear. Umberto and everyone around were now flattening their ears and their torso kissing the ground burying themselves more deeper to the earth. However Callan was once again mesmerized by Einar's other form and was not afraid of him. His morals dictated that he bow before a greater force but his conscience was against it. He wanted to devour the wonderful sight of the magnificent beast.
Einar then took a defensive stance ahead of Callan. He slowly moved his head and licked the wounds of the boy touching his bare skin. Callan flinched initially but as soon as the wolf touched him with his tongue, a soothing sensation nerved his body. Callan's wounds were healing all of a sudden.
Umberto was flabbergasted to witness the scene before him. His eyes widened in realization when he learned that the mate Einar was talking about was a boy, a non-shifter.
It was Callan!
Many unanswered questions had been resolved. Umberto's mind showed him a chain of images, glimpses from the pasts. Einar would always ask about the whereabouts of the boy in their off days. Umberto never understood why Einar would always attend the warrior trainings when he himself was coached in a special environment away from others. But now he knew that it was because of Callan. His eyes flickered when he was around the boy and people assumed that Callan might've made him angry but in reality it was Einar's wolf's struggle to be out and mark his mate. The constant growling at Callan was actually not aimed at him but for the people who were with him, who touched him or even looked at him inappropriately. The commotion today occurred only after Callan had performed the presentation of his gift while Einar was soothed only when Callan lend his touching hand.
It was all making sense now.
Umberto thought that it was a matter of great concern. A male mate indicated that the pack would have no Luna in the real sense. In fact there would be no future Alpha as Callan could not produce any heir to the pack. The future of the pack looked grim. The more serious issue ahead of them was that same gender mating was banned for centuries now. While any pack found to disobey this rule was sorely taken to task by the King and his people. He made a note to discuss it thoroughly with the Alpha later.
After shifting his focus from the boy, Einar's wolf dived into the yard of the ferals. The attack on Callan had made him insanely furious. He caught hold of the rogues and amidst their whimpering and pleading eyes he dug his claws in their insides and retracted the organs out of their fur. It was Barbaric; It was Violent. He strangulated their necks with his death gripping jaw to completely break their jugular. He submerged his canines deep inside the fur. His teeth were bloody red which resembled the color of his crimson eyes.
He was savage.
The wolves ran carelessly any which way to save their lives but they could not match the speed of the beast. Just a look in his eyes glued them to their spot. Their feet became jelly while they stenched from putrefaction of their urine. He was on a killing spree. There was no honor in his slaughtering as he was even more feral than the rogues. His eyes were unfocused and he attacked everything that moved. The screams and whines of the ferals terrified even the blue moon pack.
The spectators to the scene were utterly horrified. They had been in battles before but never had they seen a bloodbath like this. Even their Alpha and his predecessors were modest enough to leave the body intact after killing. But this creature was rabid. It had gone rogue. It was like the blood in his canines fueled his systems to want for more. The putrid smell of blood everywhere brought bile to the throats of some, while others were praying for the souls of the fallen. The once who were dead either had their intestines severed from their fur and spilled on the floor or their heads were detached to a distance from their body.
The land was completely decorated with dead bodies or what remained of it.
Callan was worried for the Alpha's son. Unlike other people of the pack he was not afraid of him. Somehow he was reassured that the beast would not harm him. In the meanwhile Umberto had shifted back to his human form and reached the boy from behind.
"I haven't seen anything like this in my entire life! He is not stopping. He has gone insane. He is unable to differentiate between right and wrong and soon it will be our turn! Only you could do something." Umberto pleaded with desperation. His eyes had become glossy while he was helpless and worried for his people's safety.
"How am I supposed to stop him? I am no wolf. He is way too powerful for any shifter, how would I stand in front of him! He could kill me in a blink of an eye." Callan was nonchalant as he stated the facts.
At that very moment Umberto realized that Callan was unaware of what he was to Einar. Eventually the bloodbath commenced only to avenge Callan's attack. How could the boy even think that Einar would harm him! He would rather kill himself than let any pain come to the boy. Umberto gave a curt smile at Callan's innocence.
"Listen to me Callan. Do as I say; call him. Say that you want him to stop everything he is doing."
"But.."
"Please Callan."
Umberto knew that only a true mate's call can bring Einar back from his insanity. For that, he needed help of Callan. He slowly moved away from the boy when the boy was about to speak.
Callan took deep breaths before finally uttering- "Einar...... STOP." These were the only two words which he could form.
The black wolf steadied himself and looked in the direction of Callan but he was so engrossed in his mayhem that he ignored the callings of his mate. Umberto had no other choice but to awaken the primal instinct of Einar's wolf: Callan's safety. He stood besides the boy and gripped his arm strongly with his hand. Callan gasped and moaned in pain. This caught the attention of Einar who angrily growled at the beta. He made his way to the boy. A part of the plan was successful and the other part required Umberto to stay out of reach of Einar. But looking at the ferocious nature of the black wolf Umberto knew that his chances of survival were slim.
Einar sprinted with vigor but was halted in his speed when a red dust smoke appeared out of nowhere. His eyes burnt while his senses weakened. He got hold of himself and marched forward but was again stalled with another mist from a different direction. Soon a transparent dome of red mist surrounded the Alpha's son.
Callan could see thirteen mystical people surrounding Einar in a circle. Each one of them was wearing a long black gown while their heads were covered up to their nose by a silky brown cloth. They all had a small keister from which they rained the dust at Einar. The whispering and murmuring sounds suggested that the people were using enchantments to control him.
Umberto was relieved that the elders had come to their rescue.
Each one of them threw the powdered substance at Einar chanting some mystical words. It was Aurora who had called upon these people to stop the carnage. She was standing behind them at a distance with her eyes focused on the Alpha's son. Einar was on his knees now, but his wolf was not ready to quit. His large groans and his growling sounds made it clear that he was struggling to be in charge but not ready to give his dominance.
Callan suddenly felt suffocated watching this. It was as if he was trapped in a closed confined place. He took sharp heavy breaths which concerned Umberto. "Callan.. Are you all right?"
Callan did not respond to that. In fact after a few exhales his head hung low while his wristlet started glowing. When he looked up; he could see only Einar in front of him. His eyes were stoic while his surroundings were silenced. He was in a different trance altogether, like some unknown power was pulling him towards the black wolf. He started his movements ahead aiming straight at the circular wall of mist.
Unknown to Callan a wounded rogue wolf, which was attacked by the boy earlier, was hiding in the shrubs. He saw the carelessness of the boy and decided to take the ultimate opportunity to strike. He wanted to make a dash for the kill; to make sure the boy suffers the same fate as his fellow companions. He wanted to aim for his chest. He strode ahead with a growl and ran towards the boy.
Aurora saw the wolf approaching Callan but she was too late. The wolf was about to make a kill as he aimed at Callan. She screamed his name at the top of her voice.
"Callan! NO......"
She could not believe her eyes for what happened next.
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