ALPHA COLTEN

Kieran’s Point Of View 

When I first heard from my gossip friend, Miriam, that Alpha Colten wanted everyone in the pack to gather in a white fur square to witness the Moon Goddess’ revelation of his mate under the glare of the full moon, I couldn’t believe her words.

Alpha Colten lost his luna only a year ago, and judging by how close the couple had been in the past years before the luna’s demise, and the story of their strong love for each other from childhood till they marked each other, I couldn’t imagine he could sprout from his grief and decide he was getting himself a new mate.

Come on, that gossip was the worst I’ve heard so far. I’ve heard too much gossip from Mirian, but trust me, I believed every one of them because, unlike me, the lowest of the low-lives who serve in the palace, Mirian, backed by her uncle’s influence, was the alpha’s cup bearer. 

She knew everything happening in the throne room, in the upper chambers, in the Elders’ court, but I still did not believe this one gossip until now.

How invitations flew so fast was something I thought I should be wary of. Maybe, every notable person in our pack and other packs beyond ours believed that Alpha Colten should not perish in his grief. They seemed to have all advised him to do the needful and move on. Hence, their massive turn-up. 

I could recognize a few of the foreign bigwigs who were present. There was the tall one known as the Frost. His real name according to Mirian was Alpha Alfred of White Lake pack. 

And the other one with a scar on the face was Alpha Rogan of Oakwood Pack.

I could pick him out easily because he was the youngest of the alphas. And Mirian was usually particular about him. She always spoke of how chaotic his rise to the throne of Alpha was because his uncle wanted to lay claim to the throne room of Oakwood pack after his father’s demise.

Trust me, Mirian is a good storyteller. I bet if you heard from her lips how the chaos started and dropped from climax to denouement, you’d sure be marveled. 

That’s the reason why she was particular about him. As for the rest, I know nothing about them because, either I’ve not seen them before, or Mirian never said anything about them.

Anyways, Mirian was not anywhere in sight as we filed into White Fur Square. It was the biggest gathering space in our territory and had served many public functions like the crowning of a new alpha, marking of mates, and declaration of war.

But the square has one problem and one wicked law. The entrance is slim and we all must file in through it by our ranks. I’m an omega, so, I was among the last set to file in when the bell to file rang. 

In the square, everyone was meant to take seats, but trust me, there was none to take. Alpha Colten, on the other hand, was already waiting in the high place with the priest of the moon goddess, Rasputin, beside him. 

William, his beta, stood below the high place, with ten gammas posted around the high place. The alphas of the packs beyond ours stepped forward and formed a web around the high place. They were about ten in number.

I looked around to find Mirian, but I couldn’t find her. Had she been in the square, she would have walked up to me and whispered in my ears the names of the alphas and what they were known for, except the two I knew already.

But having seen she was nowhere to be found, I had to focus, but not until I felt something bite down on my belly and bring me down to my knees. 

A sudden cry left my lips, and everyone’s eyes drifted towards me as I covered my mouth with both hands and made to stand upright again but it bit down once more and to make it worse, I felt a strong scent surround me and fill my nostrils, like someone had singled me out so that I would perceive no other scent but his.

I clenched my teeth and held my belly with both hands to subdue the pain. I couldn’t stand upright anymore, and every one stopped looking up to the high place and turned to me with strong disgust on their face.

I was disrupting the event, and I didn’t notice that until the chants on the high place stopped.

Rasputin, the priest, seemed to have been disturbed by my quiet, painful moans. He rang the bell from the high place, and everyone’s attention, including mine, returned to him.

“The Moon Goddess has done it!” he roared, his voice hoarse and void of mercy.

The square broke into a strong murmur, and everyone parted from me. It was then I realized how long and vast the path to the high place was. I had somehow thought it was that close when we entered the square, but now, it seemed too long as everyone parted from me.