~ Chapter 1 - Temporary Alpha ~
~Duane~
The air hung heavy, thick with the scent of rain and the collective anxiety of the Celestial Moon clan. My wolf Coby bristled restlessly beneath my skin, a low growl rumbling in my chest that only Joanne, pressed against my side, could probably hear. Today was just a formality. Not a grand celebration, not a joyous prophecy fulfilled. But it was a necessity, an interim measure to keep the Celestial Moon protected with me named the official temporary alpha.
“I’m actually nervous…” Coby said, his voice a low whisper in my head.
“We can do this, Coby,” I reassured him.
The stage had been hastily erected in the clan’s central clearing, between the packhouse and a group of smaller houses. Sodden banners, emblazoned with our crescent moon insignia, sagged from their poles, already defeated by the relentless drizzle that had been falling since dawn. The sky above was a bruised, mottled grey, the clouds so low and dense they felt like a physical weight pressing down on my shoulders.
Joanne was a quiet anchor. Her presence was a subtle current of peace that flowed through my agitated senses. It was an agitation that had remained since we had learned of Maddison and Salista’s plans—since the brutal slaughter of Luna Tiana.
In the short time Joanne and I had been together, we had become a passionate power couple, a truth acknowledged privately by every member of the Celestial Moon clan and the Mist clan who knew us.
In public, Joanne maintained a professional distance, a poised reserve that contradicted the passionate, uninhibited woman I knew behind closed doors. Her scent was usually enough to pull me back from the brink of any stress-induced spiral. Today, however, even that intoxicating aroma struggled against the overwhelming dampness and the acrid tang of fear emanating from the gathered pack below. The threat of an attack was on everyone’s mind. So far, two of our warriors had been pilfered under our noses by Maddison. I couldn’t allow any more to be taken.
Her fingers, subtle and quick, found mine, a brief, strengthening squeeze before she released me, her public persona already firmly in place.
Elder Darius and Elder Adelaris stood to my left, their crimson robes bright against the drab backdrop. Their very presence was meant to assure protection. They stood tall and refined, like stoic guardians. Since the Celestial Moon had learned of the Elders, they had become a constant topic. Even as they stood with their faces shadowed, and an undeniable air of authority about them, gazes from the crowd continued to land on them, studying their presence with curiosity.
To my right, Luna Jada, the Luna of the Wisteria clan, and Luna Louise, the Luna of the Mist clan, and Gamma Kingston completed the tableau. Jada, her features softened by the early stages of her pregnancy, looked tired but resolute. The Celestial Moon had been her pack her entire life, but now she needed to move on… to spend her life happily with Alpha Silas of the Wisteria clan.
Luna Louise, beside her, was a pillar of serene strength, her gaze covering every single face in the crowd, her maternal nature radiating outwards like a gentle warmth. For someone so young, she had an air of maturity about her.
My gaze followed her as it swept over the pack. All the faces were upturned and focussed, as rain dampened their hair and clothes. A mixture of hope, fear, and profound weariness flashed in their eyes. We had been without a live-in Luna since Luna Jada had left for the Wisteria clan. As my mate, Joanne had done a wonderful job as a substitute. But we needed a permanent leader.
Beta Jackson, my temporary helper and guardian, stood among the warriors, his broad shoulders squared, his red hair soaked. He had been my right hand through these challenging years, a constant source of support and practical advice. We’d kept the pack running, kept the peace, but a gamma and a beta, no matter how capable, could not wholly replace the spiritual and physical anchor of an alpha or Luna.
“People of the Celestial Moon!” Elder Darius’s voice boomed across the clearing, amplified by the damp air. “We gather today under this dismal sky to briefly instate Duane Alba as acting alpha until such time when one can be found or agreed upon.”
A murmur of whispers rippled through the crowd.
“They don’t think we’re alpha material,” Coby vibrated in my head, the sensation echoing through my bones.
That uncertainty made my chest tighten. I clenched my fists, knuckles white, and steadied my breathing. “I don’t think that’s true, Coby. They’ve been coming to us for guidance since Luna Jada left. I think the Elders unsettle them.”
“They unsettle me,” he snorted in agreement.
Even though I had been caring for the Celestial Moon for a few years, this was cementing that temporary title. The weight of expectation and uncertainty was crushing. No wonder the pack was restless. I was good at managing, at training, and at delegating. And I could coordinate patrols, mediate disputes, ensure our hunts were successful. Fighting was in my gamma blood. But to be alpha? To embody the strength and wisdom, the sheer presence that defined a true alpha? That was going to be the change I needed to work on.
Beneath the drizzling sky, Luna Louise advanced with fluid grace, her red dress flowing around her. Her voice, strong and clear, sliced through the damp air. “Celestial Moon, though I no longer have the final say as your Luna by blood, I give Duane my blessings.” She turned to me, her blonde hair plastered to her face by the rain. “Duane, I know you will do all in your power to protect the Celestial Moon and everyone in it.” Her gaze briefly flickered towards Joanne, underscoring her words.
Her eyes, wise beyond her years, returned to mine. She knew that I understood what this meant, what it demanded. Her friend Joanne was her key priority. And that was fine. Joanne was my everything. Her safety was my key priority, too.
With a hand gently cradling her subtly pregnant belly, creasing the blue fabric of her dress, Luna Jada addressed the assembled crowd. “My family, my friends,” she began, her voice tinged with emotion. “I’m overjoyed to be carrying a new life, a future for the Wisteria clan, but my promise to you, the Celestial Moon, remains. I chose Duane as the acting alpha because I know he is a leader, a protector, a man of unwavering integrity. And now, I ask you to accept him, not as a replacement for the alpha we all yearn for, but as the temporary alpha who will guide you through this difficult time.”
Jada had changed. It wasn’t just that she looked different. There was a sheer force radiating from her in a way it never had. She had grown into someone with confidence, who stood up to Krystal… stood up against the woman who had treated her with cruelty. She was the one who had Krystal extradited to the Wisteria cells, where she was guarded continuously.
A soft rustle of decorations, a collective sigh that morphed into a howl. The wind, which had been a gentle whisper, picked up, rustling the leaves in the ancient trees surrounding the clearing. The rain, instead of a drizzle, began to fall in earnest, clinking off the stage’s wooden surface.
“Duane’s role,” Luna Louise continued, her voice rising to be heard above the developing squall, “will be demanding. He will run this pack, ensuring its daily functions, its continued strength. Especially during these troubling times.”
“He will care for this pack,” Jada added, her voice echoing Louise’s, “listening to your concerns, protecting your vulnerable, fostering unity.”
“And most crucially,” they said in unison, their voices intertwining, “he will protect this pack. Against all threats, seen and unseen.”
Coby’s hackles rose, itching down my back. The mention of threats was not new, but hearing it articulated so plainly, in such an official capacity, sent a chill snaking down my spine that had nothing to do with the worsening weather. Salista and Maddison. The names were like a curse, whispered in the dark corners, attached to the mutants, and warriors stolen from our packs. It was a sinister agenda that threatened all the allied clans. They were the storm on the horizon.
“He will also,” Luna Louise continued, her voice strained against the rising wind, “be in charge of training the Celestial warriors. Sharpening their claws, honing their instincts, preparing them for the battles that lie ahead.”
The responsibility settled on me like a physical weight, pressing me deeper into the soggy wood of the stage. My gaze instinctively sought Joanne’s. She was looking at me, her expression unreadable in the dim light, but her scent…it intensified, growing richer, subtly laced with something else, something metallic and sharp, like the tang of air before a lightning strike. It was her way of bracing herself, and by extension, bracing me.
Just as Jada was about to speak again, to utter the words that would officially bind me to this temporary leadership, the weather, as if on cue, turned from bad to worse. The drizzle became a deluge, fat drops hammering the stage, instantly soaking through my clothes. A sudden, violent gust of wind ripped through the clearing, howling like a banshee.
Panic, cold and sharp, ripped through the seriousness. The decorative banners, already sodden, tore from their fastenings with loud snaps, whipping around like wounded birds. One of the larger ceremonial lights—a sturdy lantern fashioned from bamboo—was ripped from its base and sent crashing to the ground, scattering sparks. Thankfully, they were quickly extinguished by the torrential rain.
A collective gasp rose from the pack. People cried out, scrambling, their faces now etched with genuine fear rather than just solemnity. The carefully arranged tables and chairs were tossed about like kindling, crashing into each other, creating a chaotic din. Trees swayed wildly, their branches groaning under the assault, shedding leaves in a dizzying vortex.
“Take cover!” I roared, my voice, amplified by adrenaline and the sheer instinct of my wolf, cutting through the chaos. My gamma training, years of leading patrols through treacherous terrain, kicked in. “Warriors, secure the perimeter! Elders, Joanne, Jada, Louise, quickly, to the packhouse!”
I grabbed Joanne’s arm, pulling her close, shielding her instinctively with my body. Her small gasp was lost in the roar of the wind. Her scent was overwhelming, a primal reassurance in the face of the storm’s fury.
The scene descended into a maelstrom of wind, rain, and shouting. The stage itself began to creak, the makeshift structure groaning under the assault. I saw Elder Adelaris stumble, and Jackson was there, his strong arm supporting him, guiding him towards the safety of the packhouse.
Jada, despite her condition, moved with surprising swiftness, her fingers intertwined with Louise’s as they were hurried off the stage by Kingston, Kyra, Anna and Elder Darius. They were Lunas. Their safety was paramount.
My eyes scanned the dissolving crowd, searching for those who might be lost or separated. Children cried out, their parents herding them towards the shelter of their homes. The warriors, even in the sudden mayhem, moved with practiced efficiency, directing traffic, ensuring no one was left behind.
A violent gust tore through the clearing, ripping a massive branch from a nearby oak tree. It crashed to the ground with a thunderous impact, thankfully missing everyone, but sending splinters flying. I pulled Joanne lower, covering her head as we ran, the ground beneath our feet turning into a slippery mudslide.
We reached the entrance of the packhouse, the carved oak doors already being swung open by warriors inside. The air inside was thick with the scent of damp clothes and frightened wolves, but it was dry, and blessedly still.
I pushed Joanne inside, my hand lingering on her back for a moment, an unspoken promise of safety. But my place wasn’t inside. Not yet. Not now I was acting alpha.
“I’ll be back soon,” I said, kissing Joanne’s cheek. “I need to check everyone is safe.”
“Stay safe,” she whispered back. “I’ll check if anyone needs medical attention.”
Beta Jackson stepped forward, brushing his damp hair from his eyes. “I’ll come with you, Duane…”
“Thank you,” I nodded at him, then turned back to the storm, my clothes plastered to my skin, my hair streaming water into my eyes.
The clearing was a wreck, and the decorations shattered. What remained of the stage resembled a broken skeleton. The wind howled, a mournful, angry sound, and the rain fell in sheets, obscuring the world beyond a few feet.
This was it, then. My initiation. Not with a solemn oath under a clear sky, but amidst chaos and destruction. The storm wasn’t just a weather event; it was a brutal, undeniable metaphor for the challenges I was now expected to face. The looming threat of Salista and Maddison, the internal struggles of a pack without its true leader, the burden of training warriors for a war yet to come—it was all crashing down on me, just like the rain and the wind.
“We need to check on everyone!” Coby howled in my head. There was no time for doubt. No time for fear. The pack was counting on me.
I took a deep breath, the damp air filling my lungs. And the storm, both outside and within, was just beginning. It was time to lead and protect my pack.
