Quinn
It was coronation day. It was festival time. It was jubilation time. The pack was in a festive mood and I didn’t think anything could stop that, not even Fredo’s angry glares as he moved around the party. What was his problem? He should go back to his house if he felt like he didn’t want to be here instead of acting up and walking around, looking like he would love to have a pass at our heads with his claws. Not that anyone cared about his sour looks. Everyone was too happy to care. It turned out that the wolves were happy that I got to be their alpha. There was a huge turnout of all the werewolves in the pack for the celebration event that we didn’t have enough room for all the guests even though the mansion of the alpha was the biggest house of all the houses owned by anyone in the pack.
We had to ask the werewolves to manage the rooms, four to a person and they didn’t mind. They were all just too happy to have an excuse to be together, see one another and celebrate. Though it was only the elders that witnessed the duelling ceremony and the choosing of the alpha, it was necessary to throw a party afterwards for the coronation and welcome as much werewolves that they could into the house.
Vanessa was surprised to see the guests trooping in one after the other but as usual, dad found something as an excuse to say to her. She was all too happy at the full house as well and was glad to play the perfect, caring hostess.
Within minutes, she had captured the hearts of the wolves and they liked her. Some were around for the wedding of her and dad and were happy to see her again and some who didn’t know her before didn’t take long before warming up to her. I was glad to see that. It showed that there was hope and my people wouldn’t be opposed to having humans around them as I had feared.
My people? I smiled at my thought. Yes, that was what they were now. They were my people. It was amazing how quickly I had moved into thinking as their alpha.
Mia was right. I was born for this. I was fit to be the alpha of the pack. I was born to be the alpha of the pack and it wasn’t surprising that I had warmed up quickly into the role because it was mine.
It couldn’t have been anyone else. At the thought of Mia, my heart clenched with pain, reminding me of how much I missed her.
I was glad that she would be around for the party. I wasn’t comfortable with her having no memories of me being the alpha. Even though she wouldn’t be around for the ceremony itself as it was only for wolves, I was glad that she would get to see the after-party. Her mother was also invited to the party as dad had told her that I was made to be a chief in our clan and that was why we were throwing a party and why everyone was around. That was enough for Vanessa to accept everyone into her home.
Having Mia attend the party alone without the ceremony wasn’t enough for me but it was better than her not being allowed into any at all. I doubted that it was enough for her as well as she would want to be present at everything and have the memories which was what I wanted for her, which was what I was sure that my brothers wanted for her as well.
We all moved to the cave, leaving Mia, Vanessa and the staff in the house preparing for the party. Everyone who was a werewolf moved to the cave to witness the ritual.
I stood at the center of the cave with Tyrex and the rest of the pack surrounded us, chanting and beating their chests. It was melodious and beautiful that it brought tears to my eyes. I couldn’t stop imagining the day that they were going to do this same ritual for Mia as the Luna of the pack. I could bet that it was going to be as beautiful as this day and could barely wait for the day to happen. I almost blurted out right there that she was my mate so they could install her as the Luna today as well.
At this special moment in my life, I wanted her with me but traditions were traditions and I had to respect them, most especially as the alpha. I couldn’t start my first day (even before the installation ritual) defying the traditions even though I knew that I was going to change them.
Albus walked into the circle with the traditional knife in his right hand and a jar in his left hand. I had heard of the knife but I was getting to see it for the first time in my life as I wasn’t born yet when my dad had been made the alpha.
Werewolves healed on their own when they were hurt or had cuts on their skins but they would never heal if they were cut with the traditional knife. It was a knife, the only one, that could make scars on the skin of a werewolf and that was why it was used for the ritual ceremony on the skins of the new leaders of the pack and could only be kept by the oldest werewolf in the pack which was why Albus had it. It had been used over the years for many centuries and there was no doubt that it would still be used for many centuries to come. All Albus had to do was to transfer it into the care of the nearest oldest man to him if he knew that he was getting weak so there would be continued use of the knife.
“On your knees, boys.” Albus thundered, his voice echoing through the cave as the werewolves had all gone silent the moment he stepped into the circle.
Tyrex and I went down in a swoop, in one accord, our knees barely making a sound even though the floor of the cave was hard. We had practiced this for years.
Albus moved closer to Tyrex and raised the blade to his skin. “Tyrex, son of Tyrien, on this day and this moment in the presence of all the werewolves gathered here, I appoint you as the general of the army of the silver moon pack.” He said and with that, he slashed four deep marks on Tyrex’s back and two more on his chest.
Tyrex groaned but didn’t cry out. I could see the wince he made and knew that had to hurt like hell and he was only pretending to be fine. He held his ground, still kneeling down as we were meant to do instead of falling to his face in pain. He stood there watching with his lips sucked in in pain as blood began to run down his chest.
I looked at the wounds on his back and winced on his behalf as he couldn’t see it. The wounds was a mess and I cringed at the sight of it.
Albus stood, watching Tyrex and waiting for the wounds on his skin to heal up. Slowly, the wounds began to heal though without leaving wounds on his body. The wounds were neat and thick and that undoubtedly would be his badge forever.
The pack cheered as they saw that the wounds on his body had healed. That meant that the ancestors had accepted him as a leader of the pack.
Albus moved forward, dipped his hand into the jar, scooped some of its content and rubbed it on his body. He turned to the pack and spoke in a loud booming voice. “You may all bow to the general.”
The pack bowed and Albus instructed Tyrex to stand up and join the pack. I was the only one left in the circle with Albus and the pack resumed their chanting.
After five minutes, Albus raised his hand up and the chants stopped. He moved closer to me with the knife and I held my breath, waiting for the fire of pain that was about to run through my skin. I was determined though to be tough and not make a sound.
“Quinn, son of Albert, on this day and this moment in the presence of all the werewolves gathered here, I appoint you as the alpha of all the werewolves of the silver moon pack.” He said and with that, he slashed five deep marks on my back and three more on my chest.
Oh no! The pain that ran through my body was crazy and my eyes almost rolled back in my head. I gritted my teeth, grinding them together as I tried hard to fight the pain. I waited with the bravado that I was forcing and not feeling. Albus had his eyes pinned on my chest, his eyes narrowed as he looked at me.
I waited with the rest of them for the wounds to heal so I could be done. My knees were already aching from staying on the floor for too long. I thought that the healing of the wound wouldn’t be painful but I was in for a rude shock.
I almost died. As the wounds closed, it felt like the flesh of my skin was being pulled together and was being sewn with surgical needles and thread by a doctor who didn’t care if his patient lived or died.
I sagged in relief when the wounds finally healed up and was proud of myself that I didn’t make any sound all through. I had kept the pain to myself. I wasn’t trying to brag but I was proud that I had held in the pain more than Tyrex had done. I didn’t know why but I wanted to earn the respect of all the men more than I had it.
Albus dipped his hands into the jar, scooped the content out and rubbed it on my wounds as he had done to Tyrex. I had thought that the contents of the jar was a salve but I was wrong. I couldn’t have been more wrong.
Even though the wounds had healed up, I could feel the sting of the liquid smeared on my body and I didn’t have to be a genius to know that it was to make the scars go deep and show well on my skin.
I was scarred for life and also had the power for which I got burned for life.
Albus turned to the crowd and raised his voice in a loud booming tone. “I present to you your alpha. You may all bow to him.”
“Hail the alpha.” The crowd bowed, including Fedro though the scowl still remained on his face. I smiled. That was his problem and not mine. It would be a punishable offense if I gave him an order and he chose not to obey it because of his personal opinions.
I was glad he knew his personal opinions didn’t matter.
I got dressed after the ritual ceremony had been concluded and moved out to the after party where I knew that my Mia would already been waiting for us.
I searched through the crowd , my eyes looking for her. I smiled when I saw her and moved towards her.
“Hail the alpha.” She teased, smiling and bowed as I got near her.
I chuckled, surprised at her greeting. “Where did you learn that?”
She shrugged. “I learnt well, didn’t I?”
“Dance with me.” I whispered close to her. “Not as your alpha but as your mate.”
She giggled. “Of course, mate.” She said and took my hand in hers, walking me to the dance floor where the others were already gathering.
It was a beautiful day and just like that, I was already forgetting the pain that I had suffered minutes ago.