"This pack needs a youngleader"
The stars shined in the sky as the crescent moon looked over the wolves from high in the sky. After the training and the paperwork of the whole day, the leaders of the Ferocious Shadows pack found themselves in Selena's room.
Laughter and smiles ran all along the room as the conversations remained light and fun. Selena turned to look at Adriana.
"In which year were you two born?"
Damien smiled, followed by Adriana, who looked amused for once, "Are you sure you want to know?"
Selena nodded enthusiastically, Connor too looked interested now, "My parents were young wolves. My dad was actually only fifty years and my mom forty-seven, I know werewolves ages slow down at a certain age, but for some reason, they never stopped aging."
Damien stole a glance at Connor and saw his jaws clenching. His understanding eyes shifted to Adriana whose eyes were still on Selena in shock.
"Well, that's true, your parents were one of the younger lot, however, it wouldn't seem so from their maturity. I was born in the year 1925, and Damien here was also born in the same year, but in a different pack."
Selena had turned towards Connor but he started a completely different topic altogether.
"Has anyone seen Stacy since the morning?" He asked looking around at everyone, "We shouldn't let her out of sight."
"I did see her in the training grounds while I was returning," Ileana spoke up.
"I just linked the warriors supposed to keep an eye on her. She is in her room, they have eyes on her door and the windows too."
Connor nodded satisfied.
"I still don't get how Stacy got so close to Xavier," Connor wondered out loud, "he really trusted her a lot.
"Stacy was brought up by her grandparents."
The room stilled as everyone focused on the story Damien was saying. He held the hands of Adriana, who also looked a bit uncomfortable, but no one noticed that, no one except Connor.
"Life without parents was not very easy for her. The fact that Stacy's mother was not a very nice wolf only worked against her. She was bullied by wolves her age. The parents didn't stop their kids because of their hatred for her mother. Her grandparents were her safe haven, but after they died, she came to live in the packhouse. Xavier saw the way she was treated somewhere while they were in high school. It is since then they started being really good friends."
"Stacy wasn't in it for the friendship," Adriana interrupted her mate, her eyes angry, "She was only taking advantage of the friendship with Xavier to stop the people bullying her. She thinks that being with Xavier will bring her the power and thus people won't mistreat her anymore."
"She hasn't left Xavier's side since then." Damien finished.
"Until I came in. So she thought I took away her savior and she started hating me," Selena sighed, making the couple look at her with a sad smile. She shook her head, "Why can't my life be easy? A jealous ex? How cliché can it get?"
Connor chuckled, followed by Ryan.
"Xavier the savior." The beta smirked getting a very visible cringe from Selena followed by a heated glare in return. He stopped laughing but the amused expression could still be seen on her face.
'Idiot,' Izzy chuckled.
"Win your knight in shining armor back, oh princess," Ryan said again smirking and Selena rolled her eyes.
"I have a lot of important things to do. There are a lot more worries right now than thinking about my fairy-tale ending, Ryan."
His humor washed away and the whole atmosphere turned dampened. Selena cursed mentally and closed her eyes, thinking that she really needed to start thinking before saying things.
Damien smiled sadly, "I understand your anger and pain." Ileana frowned but Damien continued, "There's no hurry, Selena. Take your time. Do not give in until you believe in your heart that you were ready to be vulnerable again. That's the only thing which will help your relationship."
Connor nodded his head as Selena smiled at the elder wolf, which he returned.
Selena wondered if this is what her father would have said too.
Damien looked at Ryan, "Did you guys call Lorcan yet?"
Ryan shook his head, "Xavier had called him, the day we realized about the involvement of the witches, but we haven't received any response from him."
Damien nodded, not too worried, knowing Lorcan will visit as soon as he can.
Adriana looked around the room and his eyes fell on Connor who looked troubled, "Connor?" He looked up at her, "What's wrong, son?" She asked softly.
"It's nothing really..."
Even those who didn't know Connor would have been able to say that something's bothering the man.
He looked at Selena and his eyes turned guilty. He shook his head before speaking, "I know you might not wanna talk about it, but I just thought how I don't even know what happened that day..."
Selena raised an eyebrow, "You want the story?"
"Only if you are comfortable saying it."
"Okay," she said in a soft voice, "I don't mind saying it."
"Do you want us to give you some space, dear?" Adriana voiced.
Selena shook her head, "It's fine. You guys are my family, I don't mind you guys knowing."
They all gave her encouraging smiles. Selena wondered if she'd one day narrate the story to Xavier too, but she didn't dwell on the thought.
And thus began the story.
____|~.~|____
It was a night full of bright stars decorating the sky. The strongest pack of the werewolf community was getting a new alpha today. All the members of the pack of around five hundred members were all brimming with excitement as they prepared for the ceremony and the soon to be alpha was pacing around her room in a long navy blue dress.
Robert Wilson, her father, was also the most powerful Alpha in the whole werewolf community. Along with being the strongest Alpha, he was also a very loving father to his four children. It wasn't easy for him when his son told him that he wanted to be in the army to protect the country.
As much as he couldn't understand why his son didn't want to be the alpha, he also knew that not everyone wanted to carry the responsibility of being the Alpha of such a large and prestigious pack. Connor had promised that after three years, he would come back and serve his pack as a warrior. He didn't want to be an Alpha. He didn't want that much responsibility.
Instead of arguing, Robert had agreed with it. He was confident his daughter was capable enough to lead the pack and overall he just wanted his kids to be happy.
Today was the day that Selena, after years of rigorous training, was going to become the Alpha of the Lunar Eclipse pack. She sat down in her bed and sighed as she wondered about how things were gonna change. She thought about all the responsibilities that were coming to her and she couldn't deny that she was excited.
However, one thought kept bugging her mind. She kept hoping her brother was here with her to celebrate this day with them. Connor was serving and couldn't make it to the ceremony and had instead sent this beautiful dress to her.
Sitting down, Selena thought about all the days that had all prepared her for this moment. She was still dealing with the fact that all that training, all that hard work was finally paying her off, she was finally getting what she had dreamed of â to be just like her father.
Breaking her off from all these thoughts, a knock sounded on her door. She had just opened her mouth to ask them to come in when the door opened and her two younger siblings walked in -Â her fourteen years old sister Leah, and the baby of the family, eight years old Samuel. She rolled her eyes as they walked in but was smiling already. It wasn't hard to see how much she loved them.
"Tell him to buzz off. I need to talk to you," Leah said stomping her foot. Sam just looked at Selena with the puppy dog eyes, knowing it always worked on his eldest sister.
Selena sighed with a smile. She was sure her siblings, including Connor, were plain weird and that simple reason made her love them more. Sam with his puppy dog eyes can win over any heart after doing any of his naughty acts. Even their parent would often melt. However, their father always made sure that he always remained in line and didn't cross the limit.
"Sam..."
"Why can't I hear what she has to say? I am a grown-up man now," he said puffing his chest and Selena almost made the 'aw' sound loud at the high level of cuteness of the eight year old in front of her.
"It's girl talk, bro. I bet you don't wanna hear about them," Selena replied making a face said and Leah rolled her eyes.
"Yeah, just go back to the video game that dad brought you," Leah said. Sam's eyes became wide as he remembered about his newly bought video game and he sprinted out of the room.
"Now, what is it?" Selena asked Leah with a smirk, knowing what was about to come.
"I hate it when you smirk at me like that," she grumbled.
"I love it when I tell Connor about your crushes and he promises to crush them when he gets back here," Selena chuckled and her sister's eyes become wide.
"Why would you do that?" she asked in a loud, bewildered voice.
"Gee, calm down. I didn't yet but I am considering the option seeing as this is the third boy this month that you have had a crush on."
"Actually, I am pretty sure I don't have a crush on this one," she said in a low voice.
"What?" Selena asked surprised. This was new.
"He annoys me to no end," she said suddenly after a few seconds of calmness throwing her hands up, "I mean one minute he says that I am the most annoying person, and the next minute he keeps following me around the school." Selena was too shocked to say anything, trying to understand what it was about and Leah continued, "You know last day, I told him to leave me alone because he was throwing paper pieces at me during class. The teacher heard and they punished him. Then he wasn't talking to me but then I realized that I actually missed his company! Can you imagine? I am not supposed to miss him! He is annoying and I hate him and I can't wait to get away from him and yet... Ugghh!!!"
"That was quite a ramble wasn't it?" Selena said making Leah shrug but she still looking upset. "Who is this guy anyway?" Selena asked seeing her sad face.
"The second son of the Beta."
"Luis?"
"Yep."
"Maybe he just wants you to be his friend." Selena shrugged trying to act like it was normal. She was still contemplating how to break the news to her little sister that she suspected Luis to be her mate when she doesn't like the concept of mates at all? That's just a disaster waiting to happen.
She scoffed, "Yeah right."
"Just be nice to him. I'm sure he won't annoy you then."
As soon as the words had left her mouth, their father walked in the room through the already opened door, "Who's annoying my daughter?" he asked but the amused look on his face told me he already knows. Leah just muttered 'no one' and walked out after giving Robert a hug on the way out.
"You thinking what I'm thinking?" Selena asked, now looking amused.
"Luis is a nice kid. If they are mates, I am sure that he will treat my daughter right."
"How are you so sure?"
"I have seen them interacting and the fact that they fight like an old married couple really does support the theory," he laughed making me laugh too.
"Ready for today?" he asked and as he took a seat on the bed beside her. Selena didn't reply.
When he didn't get an answer from her, he let out a sigh and stood up before walking next to his eldest daughter and engulfing her in a hug. He knew exactly what was bothering her. "I know you don't want to do it with your brother gone. But this shouldn't be postponed any longer, Selena. I am getting old."
"Is there something I should know?" Selena asked him unsurely, making him sigh.
"Theremight be someone in our pack working with hunters."