SACRED FOREST
Blake’s POV
My name is Blake McCullough, the Alpha of the shadow moon pack. I took over from my father as the alpha of our pack at the age of nineteen after my father's sudden death from a heart attack.
I had to leave everything and come back home to take up my duty as the leader of the pack. As the only son of my father and his direct heir, I was duty-bound to return whether I wanted out or not. However, I could relinquish my position and the council of elders would appoint someone else to take over, someone that has shown great leadership skills and is very honorable.
But, I was not about to give up on being alpha. I had great plans and a vision for my pack and that was the reason why I left for the city at the age of fourteen, almost a year after I shifted for the first time.
My father had not agreed with my decision to leave and this caused lots of problems for us. I did not want to leave without his blessings so I involved his council of elders. I explained in detail what my going to the city would do for us in the future and the development it would bring. When my father agreed, I had another challenge of convincing my mum.
I was surprised when she willingly accepted, unlike my father. I later got to know that she always knew I would want to leave someday and she was more relieved that I had intentions of coming back than that she had feared I would not want to return at all.
I assured her that that would never happen, I would always take the shadow pack as my first home and nothing would keep me away from my family forever.
I knew we had problems plaguing the pack and I wanted to bring a solution and not just be the alpha of a redundant pack. The shadow pack was among the twelve packs in the wolf kingdom of Calabar, we used to be among the lower-ranked packs in the kingdom.
I had always believed that our environment was part of the problem, especially since we were surrounded by hills and mountains and the land was difficult to cultivate and we produced less than what could feed our ever-growing population. We doubled in size every year, my mother always joked that we were blessed with fertility by the moon goddess.
As soon as I took over from my father, I introduced new methods and techniques I had learned in the city which we used to cultivate our land, rear our animals and increase food production. This helped us become less dependent on other territories. We also started selling our products to other packs and made income from it. Before becoming Alpha I used to serve in the Army in the city and rose fast in rank using my wolf abilities to my advantage.
With my military experience, I got our men and women together and trained them to become as skilled as I was with swords, ammunition, archery, and any kind of weapon available to us. I also introduced modern gadgets to our security team.
And created different offices and made them all answerable to the alpha. That way there was a division of labor and specialization.
I stopped the pack from getting involved in the archaic ways the other packs did their things. We stopped attending the Luna celebration and Thargelia rituals when the gods were worshiped. I found the rituals archaic and believed that there was no god. Whatever we needed or wanted to do we did it in our pack, we were self-sufficient.
However, even with all my achievements the pack elders wanted me to find my mate according to them and would make my reign better.
I did not believe in the mating process. The werewolves believed that you scent your mate and you fall in love instantly and live happily ever after. I called that being naive.
I had a girlfriend Fiona. She was a human and I had already told her about me being a werewolf and she loved me more after finding out. So I proposed and married her in the city before coming home. My mum was not happy with my decision especially getting married without her in attendance.
Being human, made it more difficult for Fiona to adapt to living in the forest but she was determined to learn and adapt. And even though the elders were skeptical, they learned to accept my wishes following the success of the new things I have introduced and how successful the pack had become.
As the days progressed to months my pack members fell in love with Fiona, she was lovable, kind, and a great listener.
A year after our wedding Fiona fell pregnant and we were all thrilled with the idea of welcoming a new pup into our family. I was happy and celebrated with the members of the pack in attendance.
However, the pregnancy was tough for her, she struggled with her health but we were hopeful that once she was due and delivered the pack midwives would help nurse her back to health.
On the day of her delivery, everything was going smoothly until it was time to push but Fiona was too weak and had no strength to push.
When it became obvious that she could not do it, a cesarean was suggested but she gave up before the operation would be performed.
I was numb for months without Fiona, my wife, and the love of my life. I wanted nothing and there was no joy left for me. I put all my energy into building the pack and within three years of my reign as Alpha, my pack, the shadow pack, became the strongest pack in the kingdom, and even though I knew the other packs resented us to an extent, they dare not challenge us.
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Today, I was well aware of the lunas celebration going on, but as usual, my pack would not be attending. Rather I used the day to go for a hunt in the forest that bordered the twelve wolf territory. It was a sacred forest, according to my father. It was where our ancestors were buried and where the first generation of the werewolves started life.
Hunting was my favorite sport and one which I used to relieve tension. It was better to kill an animal than to kill my kind especially when they infuriate me.
I was hunting when I smelled her, I did not know who it was but the smell was heavenly. Vanilla is my best flavor.
My wolf awoke to the scent and wanted to find her. Even though I resisted at first, it overpowered me and I went in search of the lady with the scent.
Amanda's POV
I ran as fast as my feet could carry me, ignoring the pleas of my father and friends to come back. I was a fast runner and soon outran them and went straight into the woods. I usually find great comfort here and today was no exception, I also knew they would not want to enter the forest because it was regarded as sacred land.
Thankfully from here, I was separated from what was happening in the pack. I lay under an old oak tree and curled myself up. I had no more tears to shed, I was broken, and crying never seemed to help.
The sadness that enveloped my heart was overwhelming. I thought of my late mum and wondered if she was still alive, maybe things would have been different for me.
Maybe I would not be burdened with being the alpha, because that would have gone to my late brother.
My father's injury also contributed to the situation. He was good with his gun, just a miscalculation and everything went south. He needed extra medical care and could not perform his alpha duty in such a condition.
When he suggested I become alpha I vehemently refused, the elders were not so sure either but my father was able to convince them. He also told the elders that he would be there to guide me every step of the way.
For two years I followed the guidelines and my father's advice, when I mated with alpha William the pack was happy. It meant that both packs would form an allegiance which would boost us both as an individual pack and as a collective pack. Until William decided to cancel the mating ceremony till next year because of his first mate.
He probably underestimated my reaction and felt I would agree as I always did to most of his suggestions.
As I contemplated the woes that had befallen me, I heard a twig snap and my senses jumped up. Then the sweetest scent of damp Earth and cinnamon filled my nostrils. I always loved it when it rained and this scent pleased me a lot.
Just then a cold wind swept past me, making me shiver. Then a lone figure stood before me. I have never witnessed a werewolf with such speed.
"Alpha Blake." I stuttered. "Wh..what are you doing here?"
He looked me over, his face was devoid of a smile that was typical of him. "I should be asking you the question. What are you doing here? Are you not supposed to be celebrating your Luna ceremony or whatever it is called."
I grimaced and before I could speak he continued.."This wood is dangerous, especially for women."
"I can take care of myself thank you." I glared at him.
"Can you." He smirked.
"Typical male ego." I grimaced at him. Against my better judgment, I looked him over, he was dark and handsome. At 6'5 tall he had the body of a Greek god. His well-muscled and evenly toned body complimented him well and made him more attractive. He had a straight face, short dark jet black hair, and pink sexy lips. I felt so attracted to him more than I felt to William, that I was lost just looking at him.
When I looked up his emerald green eyes met mine and I saw his lips curve in a knowing smile. I must have stared at him more than I was supposed to, I flushed a bright red.
"So what brings you into the woods." He asked
He sounded nice and I felt drawn to him and told him how Alpha William had canceled the wedding and I in turn rejected him as my mate.
"Good on you, no one should make you feel unworthy," Blake replied.
I agreed with him, I also wondered if he felt what I was feeling. Has the moon goddess blessed me with a second chance mate? My wolf seemed to agree with me as she kept screaming in my head.
"I will leave you to your business." Alpha Blake said and started walking away
I watched him leave, but my wolf was restless, she pleaded I meet him. He might be the savior we desperately needed.
How could he save us? I wondered.
"Just talk to him, he is our mate after all." My wolf Sienna pleaded.
"our mate, are you sure," I asked even though I had a feeling that he was.
"yes of course," Sienna said with assurance
"Excuse me." I ran towards Blake and bumped hard at him, nearly tripping over but he caught me on time and broke the fall. I felt a spark course through my body and with the way he forcefully removed his hand I wanted to believe he felt the same.
"What do you want?" He scowled at me. He sounded harsh but I was too desperate to allow it to bother me.
"I need your help," I replied, sounding bolder than I was feeling.
"With what." His eyebrows twisted as he watched me.
"I want you to train me as a warrior," I reply.
"Why? The training you had before with your father, was not enough." He asked.
"I want you to train not just me but also my warriors."
"You must be kidding me." He made to walk away.
"Please". I begged
Blake pinned his eyes on me. " And what would be my reward for training you and your warriors? What would I benefit from the deal?" He questioned me
"I will become your Luna," I said without batting an eyelid.
"Hahaha..and what makes you think I want you as a Luna." He replied.
I was angry at the way he sounded even more furious that I was the one asking, but my honor and that of my pack were at stake in the wolf kingdom.
"You need a Luna for your pack, and I am an Alpha female. You can not get a better deal than this." I said.
MAKE ME YOUR LUNAAmanda's povI could not believe what I was saying. It felt weird asking Alpha to make me his Luna, I was a more traditional person who believed the man should do the asking and wooing. But here I was proposing to this man whom I barely knew personally except for all I have heard through rumors and grapevines as a notorious werewolf who was brutal, evil, and could kill anyone at will.However, I stood staring at him, I liked him a lot, and I did not feel any darkness emit from him as I usually did around Dimitri. I was convinced that he was my second chance mate, even my wolf was acting weird around him. Did he feel the same about me, I could not tell if he did."You are joking right." Alpha Blake said snapping me out of my reverie. "You don't look like someone bold enough to ask a man out, talk more of making proposals." He smirked."I would do anything for my pack even sacrificing myself," I replied. It was more than just saving my pack from humiliation, I also had
SHE IS MINENARRATOR’S POVWilliam could not bear the thought that Amanda wants to have nothing to do with him anymore. Just thinking about it made him angry, she had never said no to him before, Amanda had always been the dutiful girlfriend any man could have asked for. This made it more difficult to accept her decision to break up permanently with him. Earlier on, when Marcus brought the message that Amanda was rejecting him as her mate, he had called it a bluff. because he always believed that she would always wait for him no matter what. But the more he thought about it, the more worried he became. As the female warrior that she was, other alphas and elites in other packs would also want to have her as a mate and he was not ready to let her go. The council of elders in William's pack insisted that he will go back to The Blue Moon Pack where the festival will be held, they said that he had to apologize to Amanda and her pack members, especially her father, and then reclaim
CANCELLED?Amanda stormed out of the hall, her anger radiating with each step she took. The weight of disappointment and humiliation she had faced in these few days weighed heavily on her shoulders. She hated that Alpha William had the guts to come back after what he had done to her and worst he demands that she marries him not bothering to apologize for what he had put her through. Worst he followed her as she walked out of the hall shouting and insisting she calms down."Amanda, stop acting like a child, let's talk," William said, his voice filled with desperation.Amanda turned around, her eyes blazing with fury. "Talk? What more is there to say, William? You humiliated me in front of everyone!" she exclaimed, her voice trembling with anger.William took a step closer, his tone filled with remorse. "I didn't mean for it to go this way, Amanda. Everything happened so fast and I had to cancel. It is not like I said I would never marry you, I just wanted the date shifted.”“You chose
TAKING A STANDAmanda's heart pounded in her chest as she listened to alpha drake, her emotion conflicting with each minute that passed. “Amanda is my mate, and I have come to claim what is mine.There was silence everywhere before the hall erupted with murmuring and soon everyone was talking over each other as tensions flared among the pack members. Murmurs of discontent filled the air, threatening to escalate into a full-blown confrontation. The alphas from each pack present, fueled by their own pride and resentment, stood at the forefront, demanding that Alpha Drake be thrown out for his perceived disregard for tradition.Caleb, Amanda's father, stepped forward, his voice towering above others. "Enough!" he boomed, silencing the commotion momentarily. "We will not resort to violence or hasty judgments. This matter concerns my daughter and her voice shall be heard."The crowd fell into an uneasy silence, their eyes fixed on Caleb, awaiting his decision. He glanced over at Amanda, w
BATTLE FOR HERTension hung thick in the air as Alpha Drake's challenge to Alpha William re-echoed through the hall. The gathered pack members held their breath, their eyes darting between the two alphas, waiting for a response. William's gaze hardened as he assessed Drake, his animosity toward him clear. The outcome of the fight was more than just about who will become Amanda's mate, it would also determine who would become more revered in the territory, it was a fight that Alpha William could not afford to lose, and neither could he reject to fight Alpha Drake."You would put Amanda's fate on the line in a duel?" William's voice held a hint of frustration. "So be it. I accept your challenge."The murmurs of approval rippled through the crowd, with many expressing their excitement at the prospect of witnessing such a high-stakes battle. However, Marcus Alpha William’s beta Marcus mind-linked him, his expression clouded with concern."Alpha William, are you sure about this?" Marcus qu
LUNADrake's victory in the duel was met with a wave of uncertainty from the other packs and celebration from his pack members. As his eyes searched the area for Amanda, they locked onto hers. An electric current seemed to pass between them at that moment, and Amanda felt her heart skip a beat. The intensity of Drake's gaze sent shivers down her spine, and she could sense the deep connection between them.However, as quickly as their eyes met, Drake averted his gaze, leaving Amanda feeling uncertain and confused. Doubts crept into her mind. Was it just her imagination? Did he truly feel the mate bond as strongly as she did, or was she reading too much into the situation?Amanda tried to push the thoughts aside, reminding herself of the complicated circumstances they found themselves in. Drake had won the duel and proven himself as a strong and capable alpha, but their journey was far from over. The future of their packs and their struggles loomed ahead.As soon as the elders declared
MARKING HIS MATEIt was time for the Luna mark as soon as the Luna ceremony ended. The luna mark was a bite mark given by a male mate to his female mate. It was usually done in private, but since Drake and Amanda were both Alphas of their respective parks, they were expected to do it in the presence of the council of elders and their subordinates. The mark from Alpha Drake would be the physical symbol of their bond, to be sealed upon Amanda's skin. Drake tilted Amanda’s head to the right, revealing her bare neck nape.A hush fell over the hall as everyone watched, their gazes fixed upon the two figures at the center of attention. The air grew heavy with anticipation; the energy emanating from them could be felt. Alpha Drake Marking his Luna Amanda would ensure that their souls are entwined for eternity.Drake drew closer, his hand gently cupping Amanda's cheek, his touch sending a shiver down her spine. Their eyes locked, conveying a depth of emotion that words alone could never capt
BECOMING A COUPLEAs the celebration continued, the atmosphere was filled with anticipation as each pack's Alpha approached the newly mated couple, Drake and Amanda, to offer their congratulations. One by one, they stepped forward, each carrying their own unique presence and energy.First to approach was Alpha Leo, a fierce and wise leader known for his unmatched agility and cunning. He offered a warm smile to Amanda and extended his hand to Drake. "Congratulations, Amanda, Drake. May your bond be as enduring as the starlit sky and bring strength to your pack."Next came Alpha Hiroshi, a seasoned warrior with a deep sense of honor and loyalty. He clasped Drake's shoulder and nodded respectfully to Amanda. "You've made quite an impression on us, Drake. I trust that you will protect Amanda with the same unwavering devotion you have shown to your pack."Alpha Kai, a spirited and independent leader, approached with a mischievous glint in his eyes. He playfully nudged Amanda's arm and grin