Winter Wolf: Reborn

“Please no! Don’t punish him for MY weakness!” A very panicked salt and pepper wolf, with wide, cowering eyes the color of the Blood Moon, screamed, at Vuk Majka, or Mother of Wolves.

“Why should I let this…” she rolled her eyes, looking around dramatically, searching for just the right words.

“ABOMINATION, live while cursing every wolf in Creation now and into the future! Humans were separated from wolves for a reason! Now we have a leash around our necks, all so you could have your selfish besides, going against Nature and Creation without thought, consideration, or wisdom.” Vuk spat.

“It was my fault. I was the one who used the forbidden Ancient Blood Spell to turn this human, my love and reason for existing, the one I choose to go back to in this life and the next. None of this is his fault! Spare him, take me. I’ll pay the Debt of Blood, just he may live!” the desperate wolf looked to Vuk, truth darkening his eyes.

“Hmmmmmm? That’s an interesting proposal. Not many wolves know about the Debt of Blood. Here’s my counter, your life ends here.” A wicked smile forming on Vuk’s lips.

“HIS life,” she started, pointing to his wounded mate’s snow white fur and into one jade eye, and one golden eye. Continuing on, she smiled,

“Will go on without you. His Alpha will go on, day after day, year after year, millennia after millennia, until you reunite. His life will be Eternal, Your Alpha’s Spirit will be atomized and thrown back into a random human. Alone to suffer as each wolf finds their mates at the age, and after they all have mated, you will not mate again until you meet this very same Alpha Line, and reunite with your mate across Creation. Do this, and I will let your mate live. Refuse, thinking it will be merciful on you both to die here and now, and have two of the 3 Royal Line eliminated from the face of Creation” She whispered, voice dripping with venom.

Looking to his dying mate, connecting, one last time, through the link, spoke the words to doom them both…

“Take me. Let him live. We found each other once because we were meant to. We will find each other in ANY time.” He growled atgrowle"Ill find you again, I swear to you.” Closing his eyes and blinked out of existence.

Looking down to the pale white wolf under her massive claws, apologizing.

“I am sorry, my son. You and your mate made the wrong choice when you two decided that you were worthy to go from a weak, breakable, human to a Royal Line wolf, your mate’s mistake thinking he could change a Nature.” Vuk leaned closer to the white wolf.

“IN the future, every human turned wolf will steal the tiniest amount of your life from your Alpha Spirit, until there is no more to take.” Soaking up the pain, she could see him slowly die from the inside out. Meeting the wolf’s eyes Vuk continued.

“As for your mate, he will have eternal life as well. Cursed to live without a mate and left alone every year stealing more and more of his Alpha’s Spirit, until none remains. He will permanently fade from big bad wolf, to weak, little human.” She laughed.

“The penalty for YOUR indiscretions is not eternal life, but you will feel a disconnection from your Alpha Spirit, with each new wolf created until all the Alpha Lines are established. That should be finding your mate a little more difficult. Good luck my sons, for you will never meet again. “ Vuk lifted her weight off of the white wolf.

‘Do,you agree?” She asked.

“Yes.” He mumbled and closed his eyes.

“Go forth and start your ‘Goose Chase’ across Creation!” Vuk laughed as the white wolf ran for the woods, and hasn’t seen Vuk since.

_--_--_--_--_--_--_--_--_--_--_--_--_--_--_--_--_--_--_--_--_--_

Rex slowly slid his eyes open, trying to catch every last strand of the dream that fled him more as his eyes adjusted to the intrusive light. Rex didn’t dare go back to sleep, this dream has been playing with the peripherals of his sight and dreams for weeks now.

If he could just anchor onto one part of the dream, he could pull it into focus and end his madness. Night after night, Rex tortured himself trying to make his mind focus on one thing, just one thing, to help him decipher what haunts the Dark corners of his mind.

A knock at the door, shattered the dream completely, and Rex sat up,

“ENTER!” he called.

“Sorry to interrupt your beauty sleep, but we have 3 Rogues waves hitting us, Moonlight, and Solaris. The others have it handled, but we have a few of Jo’s wolves stalking our boundaries, looking for something. Damien’s scouts have had clashes with young betas, and 3 or 4 alphas.” Makai, his beta informed.

“Get me one of those alphas, ALIVE, willing to talk.” Rex ordered.

Bowing, Makai bolted out of the room, barking orders to the two wolves that were with him.

Rex was confused why the Rogues would hit the night before the packs were to leave and travel to a Council Gathering for the introduction of a new Royal Alpha after the murder of the previous. Rex didn’t know much about this new Royal, except he is the son of Winter Wolf, the Original Alpha of Nemesis Pack.

“Hopefully you will be able to sit in your father’s seat.” Rex said pulling a shirt on, grabbing his boots, he ran out to help his wolves get a wolf for him to talk to.

Reaching the meeting hall, Makai and a few others were dragging a snarling, bleeding Alpha to Rex, dropping him at his feet, flat on his face, hands bound behind his back.

Rex lifted the wolf’s head with the toe of his boot, looking into the face and eyes of someone dumb enough to raid Sakura Pack.

“What was your purpose with this raid and the other 2 on Moonlight and Solaris?” Rex asked, using his Alpha Voice to question the wolf.

Whining, not wanting to give away plans, the wolf squirmed under the gaze of Dark Alpha Rex of Saukura, before finally submitting, obediently bowing at Rex’s feet.

“Good. Now, why are you here?” He asked.

“I don’t know much, but we were ordered to keep as many wolves away from the Gathering.” The wolf admitted.

“What’s Jo’s plan?” Rex asked, the other wolves behind him shot confused looks around at each other, knowing Rex’s past with the Rogue’s leader, Jo.

“He has scouts shadowing certain Packs on their way to the Grounds. I don’t know the reason, all I do know is he has been having secret meetings with some very important wolves about this year’s Gathering. Some are very unhappy with the choice to let Tristan take lead of the Nemesis Pack are concerning the Council, something about him having the same ideals, as his father.” The wolf choked out and passed out, Rex’s aura sneaking out, killing the Alpha.

“Get his out of here. Start the preparations for the Grounds. Scouts and the Front 6 pack light, the pack members staying behind, take all of our omegas to f the falls and us the caves for cover until we return from the Gathering. Betas in the caves, Alphas you are the ring of teeth around out lands while Makai and I are gone. Attack if necessary, link Makai if there’s a problem you all can’t handle. Understood?” Rex straightened.

“YES ALPHA! They said at once, hurrying off to do their preps.

Once all the Pack members staying behind were taken care of, Makai made his way to Rex’s room to check in and have a talk with him about this Gathereing.

Rex heard a knocking as he was climbing out of the shower. He quickly threw on a pair of sweats before answering the door.

“Hey, Boss. Is it a bad time? I have something for you.” Makai said mysteriously, walking past him.

“What’s up, what do 6ou have for me?” Rex smiled at his beta.

“I have your trinket for the offering.” He held out a small, gold box in the palm of his hand, and extended it out to Rex.

Grabbing it between his thumb and forefinger, he shook it, examined 4he bottom, turning it around in his hand.

“What is it?” Rex sniffed the box before Makai grabbed it from his hands.

“This is a Blood Amulet that contains a shard of the Blood Moon that has fallen to Gaia. Pandora recovered it, put it in here, and it’s a sign of good health and respect. It’s also meant to welcome the new Royal into the Brotherhood. So your honor as a Royal Alpha depends on it.” Makai lectured Rex.

“Sorry Makai. I meant no disrespect. It’s just, jewelry? Why not a weapon or something more manly that a Blood Amulet “ Rex laughed.

“Don’t laugh, this might come in handy someday. I’ve got to give Damien and his scouts the formations tomorrow’s departure. Just take that seriously?” Makai nodded towards the gold box.

“Promise. Thank you, Makai. You have been a brother to me for a long time now.” Rex said.

“You bet your ass! I would never let you find something interesting without me!” Makai winked at Rex and left.

_--_--_--_--_--_--_--_--_

In the early morning sun, Rex looked down from his balcony that overlooked the Sakura training grounds where young warriors were starting to arrive for the day’s scheduled training. Their dedication made him swell with pride at the sight of it.

This was their final step to bring Sakura Pack out of the darkness and into the world again, walking towards the future, rather than living in the shadows of the past.

While most Packs let their young warriors enjoy the life as a young wolf. Knowledge, books, linguistics, and light training. Sakura was different. Rex’s wolves pack activities were kept limited to Sakura territory unless accompanied by Makai, Damien’s scouts and a few senior warriors to guard.

Sakura was a dark, isolated pack. Rex was responsible for that reputation. That is what forced him to take his pack down the path of dark seclusion.

He didn’t want any wolf not willing to walk the dark path Rex put them on. So he announced that any wolf wanting to leave now, he would allow them to leave, free and clear, no judgment, no consequences Rex was floored when not one wolf got up. Their transition was difficult, but it didn’t take too long for them to become accustomed to being isolated. Most liked it, not many other wolves messed with Sakura and came out of that fight unscathed.

In the early years, Rex’s omegas were busy healing and curing wounds after all the scraps Rex and his Sakura wolves got into. They eventually came out the other side and emerged unified and stronger for it.

They now faced an uncertain future without Rex because of his curse. He has tried for centuries to meet the conditions that would save his life, his pack, and his mate.

Rex didn’t know where it came from, but this Gathering of the Council and the 7 Packs was a rare and special one. There is a new Royal for the 3rd Royal Pack, Nemesis.

Winter Wolf, the previous Alpha was murdered as part of a scandal that was kept ‘hush-hush’ by the Council, they weren’t leaking much information to any of the outside wolves, which made them look guilty. They feared too many questions they couldn’t answer, so they shut down any mention of it.