Chapter 3 Two Alphas and a Shadow

The hand on my shoulder was warm.

I felt no fear, not like when my own pack was near me. I tilted my head, just enough to see his hand. His thumb softly brushing my shoulders. I don’t know what to do.

Alpha Thane looked back to the person behind me. I looked up to see his frowning, almost angry face. “Take you hands off her.”

“You first.” The voice moves around beside me.

I fought my habit of looking down so I could see his face. It was hard to resist the warmth I am feeling from him. As he steps into the firelight, his golden, tousled hair was the first thing I saw. He caught me looking and he smiled. I should’ve turned back, but his amber eyes kept me locked in. Everything about him felt easy, but I think, Alpha Thane disagrees.

“Moonshadow,” Alpha Thane said, pulling hand a bit towards him.

“Nightfang, you beat me here. I’m honestly a little hurt.” He slightly pulled me back.

The alpha with the golden hair, I heard that before. The Moonshadow Alpha. It only mean, he is Alpha Echo.

Two pulls from each side. Alpha Thane held me ground and Alpha Echo is like warm water soothing me. They’re both real. And they’re both saying I’m theirs. My knees started giving up.

“Hey.” Alpha Echo was quick to catch me. “Hey, look at me,” his hands tightens gently on my free hand. “You’re freezing.” He rubs them slowly. “What’s your name?”

“S-Selena,” I whispered.

He nodded, smiling. “Selena,” he repeated. I never heard someone says my name like that, like it tasted good. “That’s a beautiful name. Has anyone ever told you that?” I shook my head, embarrassed to even answer. “Then, everyone here is an idiot.”

I didn’t know what to answer. I don’t even know what to do with that kind of kindness. I’ve always thought I never needed one.

“What are you doing here?” I sensed irritation from Alpha Thane.

“Like what I told you, Selena’s mine,” Alpha Echo smiled like it was totally okay with two Alpha’s claiming one.

I was still trying to pick out words to ask when I heard Alpha Raulf. “She’s Duskveil.”

The two Alpha’s between me tensed as they looked at the ring. “She was raised and fed here. You can’t just walk in and-”

“Fed, what?” Alpha Echo repeated that word as if he doesn’t believe. “Scraps? She’s tiny and fragile. You fed her scraps and you’re proud of it?”

Alpha Echo took two steps ahead of me, looking straight at Alpha Raulf. “You called her nobody’s,” he goes on. “Loudly. I heard it three valleys from here. Now, you call here your own?”

“I was…” This is the first time I saw Duskveil’s Alpha struggled for words.

“What?” Alpha Thane jumps in the conversation.

Alpha Raulf’s opened his mouth, then closed it back. The elders were either looking away or staring at the ground. The wolves around us either to that or was in fighting stance.

“Right,” Alpha Echo said before turning back to me. “Now that’s settled,” he smiled.

He turns to Alpha Thane.

Alpha Thane titled his head to him.

I watched at they stare at one another, fighting without fighting at all. Then it happens. Without a word, both of my hands were taken from each of them. Alpha Thane’s hand tightens on mine, and so does on Alpha Echo’s side. The pull on each side of me slowing becoming softer. Each one getting closer, and closer. Until I realized, they were leaning on me.

My ears caught it. The low but dangerous growl from the two Alphas, that I started to worry. If one of them moves, I think wolves here are going to die.

I need to do something.

They have to stop, whatever this is.

I took everything I have left in me just to speak. “P-Please.” It comes out quiet. I don’t think they heard it.

I wanted to beg them more but my mouth is shaking. I can’t speak another word. It felt something was blocking my throat.

They both go still. They heard me, but maybe not quiet understanding what I meant.

“S-Stop, p-please.” My voice shakes. I couldn’t hide it. I wanted to say more, but I cant.

The silence was eating me more than the fact that I asked for something. The words felt strange. I know I should not have done that. I braced for the scream, the slap, the kick, or the ‘who do you think you are’. Something curled in my stomach that I almost threw up.

“Of course,” they said, at the same time.

Their hands found my arms. My shoulders dropped as I exhaled everything I braced for.  They glared at each other for answering at the same time, like saying it first would win something.

I wanted to laugh, I felt like I was allowed to be happy here, but all I was able to do was to smile a little.

Even the voice inside my chest seems to agree.

Without warning, a third pull tugged me. I felt it before I could see where it was. It was colder than the two Alphas. So still and patient, it makes the hair on my arms rise. It comes from the far edge of the ring. The place where firelight won’t reach.

My place, before I was called in the middle.

Someone was standing in it.

The crowd opened, giving me a view. He was leaning against a ceremony stone, arms crossed, as if he was there as soon as I left that spot. He’s taller than the two Alphas beside me. Long jet-black hair falling on his shoulders.

“Warhowl,” a wolf whispers somewhere. It sounded like a plea.

I thought Warhowl’s gone for good. I never thought I would meet their leader, Alpha Ares.

He pushed away from the stone, crossing the ring in silence and stopped in front of me. Close enough that I could see my reflection in his pale eyes, small and white and frightened.

“I borrowed your place.”

It’s not what I expected him to say. I blinked. “S-Sorry?”

“The spot at the back,” His eyes flick back the stone. “It’s a good one. You can see everyone, but no one sees you,” he paused. “I know why you chose it.”

My chest tigthened. Nobody had ever guessed that. “But you don’t have to stand there anymore.”

There was nothing soft in his eyes when he said it, making the truth land harder. “I’m taking you with me.”

Something loosened behind my ribs that I didn’t know was tight. For the first time, I felt seen instead of being looked at.

He looked at Alpha Thane and Alpha Echo, but said nothing. Instead, he looked back to the north, past the trees. “Her seal broke and rang. I’m sure even the Concord felt it. Every wolf knows something woke tonight.”

I don’t understand what he meant, but the other Alpha’s knows. Alpha Thane strained. Alpha Echo smiles dissappeared.

“And the Blood Moon King,” he said, “knows exactly what.”