6 Graduation

Dark Sky Pack

The three Elders and their mates left the guest quarters that they were staying in. As they walked with their mates to the cars that the assistants stood next to, Alpha Anthony approached them. Senior Elder Alpha Davis issued a warning growl from the back of his throat and the host Alpha stopped in his tracks, bearing his neck to the three Elders.

With a soft-spoken command through the link, the Senior Elder told all the mates to go wait in the cars. They gave him slight nods as they walked past the trio escorted by their personal security details. The three assistants acknowledged their own orders and opened the doors for the women.

The elder gave a subtle glance and silent order causing the remaining security detail to spread out. This gave the Elders and Alpha privacy, but they also remained close by and ready to attack.

Every member of the all Lycan security team had been handpicked and trained by some of the most elite werewolves in the world. They came from special forces from militaries of multiple countries. The K-9s that were part of the detail were hellhounds and were bred specifically to serve the Moon Goddess and her chosen Elders.

As the guards walked them away from the Elders, the dogs shifted to their hellhound forms. Each of the three dogs stood with their heads held high, even with shoulders of their Lycan handlers. Their pitch-black fur stood on end making them appear even larger. The eerie and demonic red glow of their eyes refracted off the smoke that came from their large snouts and mouths that held a permanent snarl. Fangs and claws extended as foam began to form around their mouths as they drooled in anticipation of a fight.

“Tread carefully, Alpha, we have very little patience for dramatics,” Elder Samuel warned with a slight growl to his voice.

“Sirs, we have prepared a feast in your honor-“

“SILENCE!” the three commanded at once. “KNEEL!”

The earth trembled under the weight of their authority. Birds in the nearby trees took flight to avoid the possible battle of wills that was looming on the horizon. The trees themselves seemed to bend in an effort to either move away from the Elders or bow in submission.

As if invisible bonds reached up from the Earth and wrapped their tentacled arms around Alpha Anthony’s knees, wrists and neck, he was pulled down to cower at the feet of the men before him. Unable to fight the compulsion to follow the order, the Alpha fell to his knees and lowered his head in submission. Small indentations were formed in the hard ground where his hands and knees made impact.

Two Lycan handlers held each hellhound back as they snapped and lunged for the insolent Alpha. With a single command from the Elders, they settled down. But they remained prepared to attack and defend.

“I would think,” Elder Marcus mused, “that you would want us off your lands and not digging into the secrets that your Pack keeps ever… so… carefully… guarded.”

Alpha Anthony swallowed hard, and the Elders smirked at the strong scent of fear that permeated the air.

The Senior Elder stepped forward and extended a claw with which he tipped the now submissive Alpha’s face to look up at him. “Know this, we answer to a Higher Authority and her patience with you is wearing very thin. I advise,” he applied a little more pressure, and his claw punctured the skin, “that you look at your Pack and fix its issues. You will not like it if the council has to step in.”

A look of defiance crossed his face before he controlled his expression and lowered his eyes. “Yes, Elders.”

The deep warning growls from the hell hounds made the earth tremble slightly. It was as if their anger clawed its way up from hell itself.

“We are going now, and in the morning, we will leave. And Alpha,” the Senior continued as moved his hand to drag his claws along the man’s neck, stopping and tapping the pulse point with the bloodied claw, “Next time follow protocol. File a dispute and request a chance to speak. Don’t call your own meetings.”

“But the Hunt….” His voice trailed off as the rim of Senior Elder’s eyes glowed a bright blue.

“The Hunt has evolved many times,” the Elder Wolf growled out, his fangs extending. “It will continue to evolve as the Moon Goddess deems. It is not for us to question her motives.”

The wolf receded to the back of his mind, and he retracted his claws and fangs. The three Elders moved past the Alpha that was still on his knees and towards the cars.

This is not the last we will hear of him. Samuel warned through the Elder mind link.

No, he and his son will strike again. Davis agreed and gave a subtle warning to the other two Elders.

Is she in danger? Marcus asked and the other two knew who he was asking about.

“A little less than she was before,” Davis assured him as they reached the cars.

They each slipped into the town cars that held their mates. Once cocooned inside their car, each of the Elders focused on their mates and the upcoming ceremony and party.

Peggy, Marcus’ mate, looked at him with hope filling her eyes. “Is it really her?” she asked him, barely above a whisper.

The thin golden ring around his black eyes glowed brightly for a moment, as he smiled and nodded. The white noise machine and scramblers were already turned on. They prevented anyone from hearing anything that they said.

“We still have to keep our distance, we cannot interfere,” he reminded his lifelong mate.

“Until when?”

“The Goddess will let us know,” he assured them.

She leaned into him, and he placed an arm around her shoulders.

They were both lost in their own thoughts and grief. Twenty-four years ago, their daughter had come to them and gave the exciting news that she was pregnant, and the due date was late December. With the excitement of their first grandchild, they helped their daughter, and her mate prepare to become parents.

On the night of the Winter Solstice, as they attended their host pack Yule Ball, their daughter and her family were hunted down and executed. Throats slit with silver blades dipped in wolf’s bane. The baby was cut out of her mother’s belly.

It was not until after the bodies were cremated and the ceremonies releasing their spirits were completed that they learned that the baby had survived. When they asked the Senior Elder if they could go get her, he simply shook his head no. He gave no further information, and Marcus was not sure if that was because he had no other information. Or simply opted to not provide what he did know.

As the car slowed, merging with traffic, they were pulled from their memories and personal thoughts. Peggy looked up at her mate of over sixty years. He smiled at her as she gently caressed his cheek.

“There’s more to all of this, isn’t there? More than just her being our granddaughter?”

He gave a subtle nod, “There is, but until she makes her choice, nothing can be said.”

The security team split out with some remaining with the Elders and the cars while the others went ahead to the location for the graduation. It was the standard procedure for the hellhounds to return to their typical forms. Two of them resembled Rottweilers and would have guide dog vests placed on them. The third, the one that protected the Senior Elder, resembled a Cane Corso and would have a security vest and would remain with the Elders.

When they arrived at the colosseum that the graduation ceremony would be at, the guards escorted them to the seats that they had scouted out in the shadows of the last row on the upper level. The lights were off and no one else was seated up here.

Having already procured the needed security detail uniforms, the Lycan guards blended in as well as the tall warriors could. The shortest guard was a blond woman at just over six feet. The tallest was a redheaded man that stood well over seven feet.

Nodding to the nearby guards, Elder Davis indicated that they wanted some space. She acknowledged this with a nod of her own and then quietly ordered the remaining guards to begin their patrols.

Using their heightened senses, the Elders scanned the crowd beneath them. Mixed in with hundreds of humans, or Pilas, as they were commonly called, there were dozens of Alphas and Lunas. Most were the more progressive packs that agreed with the changes in the annual Hunt. Others were power hungry and trying to impress the Elders. The pack that was not there, Dark Sky, said everything about the pack and their leadership.

“They all came hoping to impress us,” Samuel muttered.

“I’m not impressed,” Marcus sighed. “We are going to have to address Dark Sky violating our laws. This is not something that I am looking forward to.”

“We cannot, it will not be our issue to address,” Davis informed the others. He smirked at the other two Elders. “Our successors will handle it. And it will be resolved before the next Hunt.”

“Why is she not speaking with all of us on it?” Marcus growled.

The anger of his wolf echoed through the mind links around them. Being an Elder, he could force his way into the various mental links of the packs. With his emotions pushing to the front, all control was lost over the beast and the wolves in the crowd began to look around.

“Maybe because of that,” Davis offered as they watched the crowd around them slowly find the Elders. He pushed out his authority with a warning growl forced out into the mind links throughout the building.

With more expediency than they had with finding the elders, the Alphas and their Lunas turned back to the front as the music began indicating the start of the graduation ceremony.

They watched the many pack leaders applaud and cheer as those around them did the same. Applause was given at the end of each speaker, even though it was doubtful that any of the wolves present had listened to anything being said. As the names were eventually read off and the graduates crossed the stage, the Elders spied on the Naples family.

Surrounded by the Alpha families of the Crystal River and Silver Lake packs, they were a little freer with their applause and cheering. Although the Elders did notice that they looked around frequently, as if they were afraid that the Alpha and his son would appear to punish them.

“What has the Alpha done to his pack?” Samuel asked quietly.

“He rules by fear,” his mate replied.

“How many of these pack leaders are here only because we are?” Marcus asked.

“Other than Crystal River and Silver Lake?” Davis smirked. “It is doubtful that any of the others would be here if we weren’t.”

Samuel shook his head, “Some of their allies would have come, if for no other reason to show their alliance.”

“Then let us hope that when the time comes, they support the River,” Davis tipped his head towards the woman on the floor beneath them. “The trials are not over.”

“How much more must be endured?” Samuel asked as the line of graduates neared the end.

“The Goddess only puts us into play,” Davis said as they stood to leave. “We make our choices, and we are forced to live with the consequences.”

Peggy placed a small hand on Davis’s arm, even nearing a hundred, he was large and strong, looking no older than in his sixties. “Please, Elder, tell me that she will endure.”

He smiled at his friend’s mate as he leaned in and kissed her temple, “My dear, that is her decision.”