“It’s unusual for an Alpha to travel without his pack, or at least a small detail,” muttered the old man.
“Shh,” his wife whispered, glancing at their guest, “if he’s an alpha, you know he can hear you speaking about him.”
The old man grunted and turned back to the fire. “If he could hear what really matters, where was he when they stole our son from his bed as he slept? Will he bring back our Samuel?”
The woman’s wolf hung her head, and tears filled her eyes. “Will you constantly remind me of my pain?”
“Is the pain yours alone, woman?” he responded, his voice thick with emotion.
Before she could respond, the lone wolf they had welcomed into their small home bounded up the steps gracefully. “Mother, Father, is there anything you need me to do, this evening?”
“You’re a guest in our home, you really shouldn’t have to do anything,” the woman said kindly.
Grinning, the young man with the light brown eyes leaned against the door jamb, “While this is true, I am also younger and I have a lot of energy. Please, let me help you. In a few days, I will move on, but in the meantime, I am glad to assist.”
The woman, who was probably in her forties, smiled and walked over to the boy, placing a hand against his face. “Bless you.”
The older man watched his wife look with affection at the young stranger, her eyes still shining and he felt the lump grow in his own throat. For whatever reason, he didn’t feel threatened by this boy and perhaps, in his heart, he knew that there was no real threat. His presence in the house had brought a sense of peace and he didn’t want to rob his wife of this.
Clearing his throat, he said gruffly, “Wood.”
Smile still on his face, the boy turned. “Sir?”
Already turning away, “You can go and get some more wood out back. It’s going to be a cold night.”
“I am at your service.”
Without another word, the young stranger left the house again.
As Reyan tossed logs and smaller sticks into the wheelbarrow he’d found around the side of the house, he wondered how he was going to broach the topic of their son with them. The day Samuel had been taken, a few years ago, he’d been struck with the most vivid dream of a little boy he didn’t know and he had felt the fear as they had put him in a sack and tossed him into the back of a van. The fear had escalated to terror as the child had tried to turn into his wolf in order to escape his captors, only to be shackled the moment he broke free from the bag. His howls still rang in Reyan’s mind today.
And those of his parents had joined the young cub’s howls when they realized their child was missing. The pain they still felt had been what Reyan had followed in order to track them down and now he was hoping to get the full story. He knew he had to be careful because they had no reason to trust a lone wolf, especially not once he told them he was from Nyanga, the lost kingdom of the eastern highlands. This pack had never sought protection or leadership from the King and Queen who had ruled once before, so they had no reason to reach out to him now.
Winning their trust and their allegiance was of utmost importance in his plan to build a new alliance amongst the wolves of Southern Africa and beyond. Power wasn’t really important to Reyan but he knew he needed it if he was ever going to get back what was his. So, here in the third homestead he’d visited since the beginning of this journey, he was getting ready to reveal his true identity in order to extend his hand. He had heard the old man mention that he thought he was an alpha, and he knew there were some things he couldn’t hide from another alpha, so it was only a matter of time before the whole truth came out.
After dining with them, Reyan said he was going to get an early night.
“I still can’t believe you’ve been hitch hiking for three days. It’s so dangerous!”
“I have to find my sister.”
“Where are your parents?”
Reyan’s eyes met the man’s eyes and he let all his pain and anger show when he answered truthfully.
“They’re both dead.”
“Oh, you poor child.”
The old man looked away first muttering an apology and Reyan turned to the lady with a gentle smile. “I turned out alright.”
“Of course you did.” Standing up, she said, “Come, let me show you where you will sleep.”
Reyan thanked her and closed the door to Samuel’s room behind him. Shivering, Reyan hoped he would be able to sleep so close to the source of pain.
Placing his single bag on the floor, he took off his shoes and lay down on the bed.
He knew without looking around that they hadn’t changed a thing about their son’s room. It was a shrine and it must have difficult for Samuel’s mother and father to give him this space to sleep in.
Closing his eyes, Reyan went back to the dream he’d had of Samuel’s abduction, hoping that proximity to his things would help him find the boy and the men who had taken him.
As the events played out like a reel in his mind and Rey felt what this boy had felt, saw what this boy had seen, he became distinctly aware of a new sensation that he’d never experienced before in relation to Sam’s kidnapping. The deep betrayal burned in his chest as his young heart absorbed the truth. The further they took him from the house, the greater the hopelessness became in Samuel, but Reyan tried to stay vigilant as he took in as much of what the child could see. Then, not long after they shackled him, Reyan felt and heard the familiar sound of his mother’s soft weeping.
It also seemed a little different this time than it had in the past, and Reyan realized it was not an experience his power allowed him to tap into. Barbra was crying now in the room, just down the hallway from him. That realization brought him further away from the memory and closer to the present. Along with sadness, he sensed a father’s guilt and anger, which made him wonder what was from then and what was happening now.
Then Reyan realized that someone had just entered the room
Reyan smelled the gunpowder before he heard the click of the safety. His eyes snapped open and he saw Walter pointing a rifle at his head.
With the resonance of a pack alpha the older man said, “I am Walter Ringani and I demand to know who the hell you really are and what you have to do with my son Samuel.”
“Did you sell your son to dangerous men for power?” Reyan demanded. Walter stood up angrily, “How can you accuse me of such a thing? We love our boy!” The use of present tense wasn’t lost on Reyan, but he needed to make sure. Staring right back at the alpha of a tiny pack he said clearly, “Before they snatched him Samuel recognized someone in the group of people who orchestrated his kidnapping.” That stunned him. Falling back in his chair, Walter’s hand blindly groped for Barbra’s. His wife clung on for dear life. “I felt his hope shatter into pieces as someone he knew appeared but didn’t save him.” His voice sounded strangled to his own ears as the emotion of the little boys washed over him again. “Who?” Walter whispered. Walter's demand had compelled Reyan to reveal who he was and how quickly the tone of the conversation had changed from there. Everyone knew of Nyanga and the capture of the Queen who had been reigning
While everyone was seated, Reyan announced he wanted to tag along with Kano as he travelled the world. Walter looked at him sharply, but this time it was Barbra who spoke tactfully. “I thought you were going to stay with us a few more days before you moved on.” “I can always come back, dear mother.” Pause. “I want to learn as much as I can about the ways of the world before I am stuck in leadership.” The chair creaked under Kano’s weight as he laughed and leaned back, a toothpick clamped lightly between straight white teeth. “Aren’t you just raring to go...” Reyan grinned, too. “You could mentor me, aKaitano. What do you say?” “Do you know Europe is cold, young man? It’s not like the sunny plains of Africa.” Leaning in eagerly, “I have heard, but I would love to go see it for myself. I can pay for my own way–or work, whatever suits you best.” There was a long pause as Kano stared at Reyan, almost as if testing the sinc
“I’m fine Mrs. Cosby, I just want to get some air. I’m also assuming you might have some important things to discuss with aKaitano, so I’ll go sit by the fire.” “Alright, dear. We won’t be long,” the older woman, smiled at him. Once outside, Reyan shook his head. “What is it with these older women?” he muttered, heading to the fire pit where they had all conversed before the meal. He sat down calmly and waited. The moment they said his name, he became privy to their entire conversation. Kano mentioned him first. “Reyan is a fast learner. His age and his rank could be of great use to us.” “Is he a safe asset? Where are his parents?” his brother asked him. “Dead. He was roaming the rural areas of northern Zambia, clearly looking for purpose and excitement. He has no one.” “Can he be trusted?” “That’s why I brought him here tonight.” Pause. “A decision needs to be made. Do we train him or trade him?”
Ceanna woke up on the first day of school after winter break as reluctantly as she did every other day. It was another day to get up and go back to her life as a quiet nobody who made no significant impact in the world. She wondered as soon as that morose thought crossed her head if her mother would have interrupted her and said something affirming. It was something she wondered often, as she went about life- what it felt like to have the telepathic connection with one’s own kin. She’d heard her friends and other people talk about how annoying it was, but because she’d never truly experienced it, it was something she longed for. Throwing back the covers, Ceanna nearly knocked the picture of her family off her nightstand and immediately the guilt crept in. It was almost as if the Moon Goddess heard her moping and decided to remind her of what she had. Mama and Daddy Daley did their best to make her feel wanted, loved and fully accepted. When they had taken her
From the moment he stepped out of his car, Keion didn’t expect more than a moment to himself. Going to school had started feeling like a full time job around the time his voice had dropped and peach fuzz had appeared on his upper lip. People didn’t look at him like a prince at Alcombey High School, but he was the track star and captain of the basketball team. He had quit football because his mother had complained of headaches after a series of grueling matches. A part of him felt that was her way of getting him out of contact sports, but he wasn’t complaining. Groups of students waved and called out to him as he walked purposefully toward the front doors. He smiled and answered but he kept moving. His agenda was to get inside and stay warm. Everything else was secondary. As he reached the first set of doors, he breathed a sigh of relief, his breath creating mist in front of him. Before he even considered taking off his jacket, his coach called him from down the hall.
Everything was changing way faster than Ceanna could have fathomed. She had gone from inconspicuous and uninteresting to the center of attention and the name on every high school senior’s lips in a matter of hours. All because Prince Keion had put his arms around her and called her his girlfriend. Nobody even knew the back story to that! They were all just running with it... how can they even believe that he would pick an obscure girl like me? Because of fireworks?! Blowing a stray curl out of her face, she crossed her arms and looked at herself in the mirror. Honestly, she had tried her darnedest to remain nondescript, and nothing that she saw in the reflection called particular attention to her. Her hair was dark and curly but easy to manage and the bun she’d barely twisted up didn’t yell, ‘Hey, I’m cute!’ The baggy jersey was a vintage acquisition from Daddy Daley and hung on her the same way a car cover draped over a bicycle, pre
Msia Hamadi smiled at his head of security when he walked in. “Good morning, Chief.” “Good morning, your highness.” His smile faded slightly. “Ah, so it really is one of those visits.” He gestured to the chair across from his. “Have a seat.” “Thank you.” Msia’s PA came in and offered the chief of police a variety of beverages. When he declined, she left as quietly as she had come in and Msia had given Chief Ruthers all his attention. “I’m all ears.” “Nomusa Chule’s behavior recently changed.” “So I’ve heard. Is there something you think I need to be aware of?” “She’s watching a child.” Msia frowned. “A child?” Placing a piece of paper on the desk in front of the king, the chief of police added, “Someone who interacts with one of your sons.” Reading the transcript, Msia’s lips pursed and he looked out the window for a short moment. “It’s alright Paul. I know exactly who this is about.”
It didn’t take long for Keion’s Politics of History assignment to consume him. In fact, the same day he decided his research topic, he headed to the library during lunch time. He pored over the limited passages written in the books he could find and scribbled notes, intending to go by Mrs. Greens’ classroom again after school. One particular book, written by none other than Dr. Calum Daley, held more insight on the Chule Kingdom than he had hoped to find in the school library. Happily, he tucked it under his arm and kept browsing for possible additions to his book list for the week. As he was doing that, he stumbled over someone who was sitting on the floor, their back against the book case. As an apology already forming on his lips, he looked down to see who he’d almost stepped on. He couldn’t believe his eyes when Ceanna looked up, already protesting against the interruption. The moment she saw who it was, she shut her eyes in what can only be described as