Heart of the Unknown Alpha

by Scott, Rae

  As the leader of the Council sat down Aryana felt herself go numb. Guilty. Death. She was really going to die, again. Wait. Again... Lluna. As her Grandfather wrapped his arms around her Aryana remembered what Lluna had said. She was her guardian and would come when called.

  “LLUNA!!! HELP ME!” Aryana screamed as the guards raised the swords and began to advance.

  Suddenly a loud crack and bright white light filled the room. Then came the booming voice Aryana remembered. “HOW DARE YOU HARM MY CHILD.”

  Stunned nobody moved. There with hair flying and eyes sparking, floating in the middle of a ball of bright white energy was one very pissed off Fae...

  “HOW DARE YOU HARM MY CHILD.” She repeated. Lightening flashed from her hand as she flicked it towards the thrones. After that the room became a blur of motion.

  The lightening struck the wood half wall separating the Council thrones and Aryana. Council members went scattering for cover. Renault lunged at the nearest guard screaming for Aryana to run. Aryana turned only to find another guard advancing on her. Another shot of lightening struck again from Lluna and more of the Council thrones blew up, Aryana scrambled backwards tripping over the stand that held the book of Alphas. Her hand slipped on the pedestal and a line of blood formed across her palm.

  Sprawled on the floor she flipped over and saw the guard continuing his advance. She screamed and lightening flashed in front of her. The guard came out looking like he was covered in soot. She took the opportunity to flip back over and using her hands and feet tried to propel herself to safety. Unfortunately her injured hand landed on the Book of Alphas and it slid out from under causing her to lose her balance. She fell into the second pedestal and grasped onto the first solid thing which just happened to be the book that only the Prophesied Supreme Alpha could open.

  “WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS?!” roared an extremely authoritative voice. Eyes wide Aryana turned to see a very angry very old Supreme Alpha rise up out of the book and look around the room.

  Renault glanced behind him in time to see one very pissed off Svetlock knock out two of the guards. The third ran like a pup. Renault quickly made work of the fourth and turned to face his ancestor.

  Svetlok seemed to take his time taking in Lluna who had since calmed down but still glowed from anger and the state of the Council room and the hiding council members. “Aryana, why have you summoned me? And what did you do to the Council room?”

  The Council members heads popped up from behind broken boards and thrones at Svetlok's words. Aryana had summoned him? But how?

  Aryana backed away from the large angry looking man the book still clutched in her hand. With tears in her eyes she asked “Are, are you going to kill me?”

  “Kill you? You are my descendent. You are the one we have all been waiting for. Why would I kill you?” Svetlock took in the scene around him as he put the pieces together. “JOSEPH! You idiot, what have you done?”

  The head of the council pulled himself up to his full height as he came out of hiding. Dusting off his cloak he cleared his throat before he spoke.

  “Supreme Alpha of the Pack Svetlok. We are honored by your presence here.” The werewolf bowed to the angry man in the center of the room.

  “Bullshit Joseph. What have you done? Why does Aryana believe she is to be killed? ANSWER ME!” Svetlok seemed to grow larger the angrier he got. At least it seemed that way to Aryana.

  “Oh great one, she is a hybrid and her existence is against pack law. She and Renault are both sentenced to death for breaking pack law. Renault for creating a child with a human and Aryana for existing as a result of that child being created.” Joseph was kneeling on the floor cowering. The stench of fear rolled off him.

  Svetlok arched one eyebrow as he stared at the man. He cocked his head as if he was trying to decide something. “Joseph I don’t know if I should laugh at your stupidity or have you killed for it.”

  Svetlok sat down in Aryana's seat since it was the only one left intact. He motioned for Aryana to approach and to bring the book she was holding. He watched closely as she approached. Meanwhile the rest of the council members were slowly coming out of hiding and watching on, curious as to what the mighty warrior Supreme Alpha would do.

  “Aryana. Open the book and read it to me.” He asked when she finally got in front of him.

  Aryana nodded he head and did has he bid as quickly as he could. She heard a gasp go up as the books lock opened under her fingers. She stared down at the first page and was shocked. There were only a few lines on it. The rest was blank. Looking up at Svetlok she continued when he nodded. “Let that which has been hidden from history be seen. Let that from where we come be known. Let our true history be revealed. Let us become that which we are supposed to be.”

  The book began to vibrate in her hands as the pages began to glow. She dropped the book but it remained suspended in air. Soon the entire council chamber was flooded with what was like a moving picture. The past history of the Lycan was playing out in front of their very eyes!

  All the werewolves were stunned speechless. There in the scenes were Lycan and humans living side by side, playing, eating, and even having children! There were gay and lesbian Lycan as well as straight all living together, happy and harmoniously. Then the scene changed, Suddenly there was a fight between a human and a Lycan for a mate. The Lycan fought hard and won, The man's family had retaliated and killed the lycan and the human mate. Their child had hid in a cupboard and watched all of this and as he grew he began to slay the humans who had killed his family. Soon it became a war. Humans hunted Lycans, Lycans killed humans in self defense. A field covered in blood flipped by Aryana. So many died. Then the Lycans, now so much smaller in number had gone into hiding. The formation of the Council, the Laws for protection, and more flipped by. She saw bit of other peoples lives, like blips from a movie. She even saw one of Stephen. Then everything fast forwarded and Aryana saw her father being born, Renault by her grandmothers side, then her birth and her mother... Wait. Her mother looked just like...

  Aryana turned her head and stared at the Fae that now stood silently in the room. All traces of anger gone. One by one every pair of eyes in the Council Room focused on the Fae and Guardian of their people. She smiled gently.

  “Yes Aryana, I am your mother. I have watched over you every second of every day. It is long past the time you should have been brought home.”

  The last thing Aryana remembered was Svetlok catching her as everything went black.

  She woke sometime later back in her room. Her grandfather was beside her. He didn’t seem worried at all. Slowly it dawned on her that she was sentenced to death. Bolt upright she was halted from jumping out of the bed by a gentle hand.

  “Aryana, its alright. The Council has lifted the death sentence. Your safe.”

  She turned her head and looked at her grandfather “What about you? Are you safe too?”

  When he smiled and nodded she let out a deep breathe. How had it happened? What had changed the councils mind?

  As if hearing her thoughts her grandfather smiled and began to explain.

  “As it turns out there was a lot of Lycan history purposefully left out of our books. Knowledge we didn’t have. The book that you opened can only be opened by a Supreme Alpha that was told to us would come a long time ago. That Alpha would be the one to lead us back to the greatness we used to have. That Alpha would be the strongest and most powerful of us all. That Supreme Alpha is you, child.

  What was contained in that book was all the secrets that had been hidden in the Lycan world. They ha ve been unleashed and made known. As it turns out our greatness wasn"t a time when we ruled the world but when we lived in harmony with the HUMAN world.

  Youre the Supreme Alpha everyone has been waiting for. They can't kill you without the Pack turning on them, not now not ever. The Council has lost much face in the wake of the book being opened. We are both safe, and so will be our descendants.”

&nb
sp; Aryana was confused. The book had held secrets but it had shown her, her birth her mother.. was that real or was it a dream. She looked to her grandfather in confusion “Lluna? Is it...”

  “Yes my daughter it is.” Came the voice from the other side of the room. As she watched Lluna shimmered into existence and walked toward the bed as graceful as ever. “I loved your father so much. I could never tell him the truth about me though. It was too dangerous my darling. But I never stopped watching out for him or you. I was there when he died. I came when you were sleeping. You took such good care of him. You have made me so proud my darling.”

  Aryana felt the pure love flowing off the fae woman. “So what am I? Am I human or wolf or fae?”

  Lluna smiled “you are part Fae and part wolf. When you drowned almost all of your human traits died with you. The little things you have had happening to you? That's your Fae side appearing. Don’t worry, you will learn to control it, I will be here to help you as well. With your Fae blood mixed with Lycan blood your are not just the strongest Lycan ever you are also the strongest Fae.”

  Aryana sat there in her bed. Flanked on one side by her Grandfather and the other by her mother. It was odd. She had gone from having no family to having a Pure Mate, a grandfather and a mother. She wasn’t sure what to make of it but it sounded beautiful even if they all were mythological creatures. Suddenly she remembered Stephen. Oh the poor man. What he must have endured being like he was.

  She turned her head and looked at her Grandfather. “Where is Stephen? What happened to him after the Challenge? And Darian? Where is he?”

  Renault looked at her with sad eyes. “Darian has been forbidden to see you by the Council. You were up for judgment and in everything that has ensued they have yet to lift the ban. Stephen is....”

  When he didn’t continue Aryana looked towards her mother. What was going on?

  “My darling child, Stephen is in the Council room now. He is being judged. The council is holding him up for the death penalty for challenging a Supreme Alpha for right to mate.”

  Aryana jumped from the bed. “No! I wont have it! Stephen did nothing wrong! He didn’t know! Take me to him.”

  Renault sighed “Aryana it isn’t that easy it is the COUNCILS judgment that he is facing. You cannot interrupt that.”

  “I don’t give a flying fig about the Council. TAKE ME TO HIM. NOW!” With that she turned away and started for the door.

  Renault looked at Lluna for help. Lluna just laughed. “She IS the prophesied Supreme Alpha, It makes her over you, you have to do as she says.”

  “She is my grandchild first and Prophesied one or not I wont hesitate to turn her over my knee.”

  As he caught up to Aryana he could hear Lluna laughing and telling him good luck trying it.

  Aryana stared at the large wooden door. Two guards stood on either side blocking her entry. She moved forward again and again they were blocking her. She was getting really ticked off by this male chauvinistic attitude. It was so old school.

  “I am going in there, now move.” She pointed at the door and again was blocked. Eyes narrowed she felt a growl start to form in her throat.

  The two guards watched as the eyes of the woman in front of them started to glow a brilliant orange. Their eyes widened in surprise.

  “I said MOVE.” Her voice came out a low menacing growl that not even she recognized. This time when she advanced the guards took a step back. When she reached the door she pushed on it and found it locked. Becoming even more enraged she shoved again, when it didn’t budge she took a deep breath and recalled her mothers lightening show the day before. Focusing on whatever was stopping her from getting into the room she raised her hand and saw it sparking. She focused on the sparks going from her hand to the door lock and within seconds the door exploded off its hinges into the room.

  The council members, guards and Stephen all ducked to avoid the flying pieces of wood. The Council members having just experienced one pissed off Fae exploding things the day before understandably started to run for the side door.

  “What do you think your doing?” Aryana demanded as she entered the room. Her grandfather and Lluna trailed after her. Lluna was trying to contain her laughter. Leave it to a Fae to find scaring the bejeezus out of were wolves comical entertainment.

  Joseph eyed her warily. After what he had seen in the arena and in this very room the day before he knew better then to mess around. Joseph wasn’t stupid, he knew Aryana was the prophesied one. He had known it since the Arena. He was a Werewolf though and the leader of the council. He was also male and had no desire to lose his position or power to a female half breed.

  “Aryana Barstin, this judgment is none of your business. You are banished from this room.” he intoned in an authoritative voice.

  Aryana's eye narrowed. If she had just been ticked off before she was royally pissed now. She was tired of it. Tired of the males in her life trying to run her and her life. She was a full grown adult and dammit she WAS a half fae half wolf and well, she had just had it with bossy men!

  “How dare you tell me what to do? This is very much my business. Stephen had no idea who I was. You know this Joseph. How dare you pass judgment on someone for something they had no knowledge of? And how DARE you order me around knowing what you know?” Little did Aryana realize her eyes were glowing a neon bright orange.

  Stephen, the guards and other council members all began to edge away. They sensed her anger rolling off in waves. From behind her Renault cast worried glances from Aryana to Joseph trying to figure out what the hell was going on that Joseph would not back down to a Supreme Alpha. Lluna had ceased laughing and now was getting nervous, that alone worried Renault.

  Joseph refused to budge. He again ordered her to leave the room. HE was in charge of the council and given that HE could sentence the Alpha to death made him the more powerful werwolf. There was no way he would ever bow down to a stupid female half breed. He didn’t care what her parentage was.

  Aryana's eyes opened wide and then narrowed again in extreme anger. As her hands began to morph into claws she growled out. “Step down Joseph, do NOT challenge me. I am not an idiot. I AM your Supreme Alpha and you WILL obey me.”

  By this time the others in the room had moved almost to the walls. Their eyes were wide in fear. If there had been any doubt before about who exactly Aryana was it was long gone know. The two guards that had been outside the door were now peeking around its broken frame work watching on in fascination. Renault had backed up almost to the wall dragging Lluna with him. He could feel the rage in Aryana but he also felt the stubbornness in Joseph. Joseph was determined, he was not going to back down.

  'This is not going to end well.” muttered Lluna under her breathe to Renault as she watched Aryana and Joseph square off.

  Lluna had a point. Lycans were known for having bad tempers but little was it known that Fae had even worse ones. It took a lot for a Fae to become enraged as Aryana was, a trait honed over eons. For Aryana to become this enraged meant one thing and it wasn’t good, not good at all. At least for one werewolf.

  “This is your last warning Joseph, back down or challenge me openly.” Aryana growled and her entire body started to emit a soft glow.

  Joseph ripped off his cloak and advanced through the broken wood half wall. He refused to back down. Not to a half breed and certainly not to a female. “I will never back down to a half breed bitch like you. I challenge”

  Aryana's body burst into a flame of energy, her hair began to flay and her ears elongated. Behind her Samuel came running into the room with several other guards and came to a dead halt as they took in the scene. Aryana and Joseph ignored both of them.

  Renault stepped forward trying to stop the fight fearing for his granddaughter but Lluna's hand on his arm stopped him. Stepping back he waited in anxious silence. If Lluna was stopping him then it meant everything would be ok right?

  “this is not going to end well Renault. She doesnt have full control of
her wolf yet. Its primal side is running wild. You go in now it will be as a challenger and she will kill you.”

  Joseph half shifted and charged Aryana knocking her off her feet. She rolled to her back and using her legs shoved upwards and over as she rolled sending Jospeh into the thick brick wall. She rolled into a crouching position and waited as the older wolf picked himself off the ground. She watched as he began to charge and her body shifted even more without her even noticing.

  Just as Joseph reached her she grabbed him around the throat and lifted him over her head and slammed him into the ground leaving a dent in the floor.

  “Do NOT make me kill you Joseph. I will if you push me. Back down. NOW.” She growled knowing that he wouldn’t. She could sense it. It was also as if she could read his mind and see what he was going to do before he did it. Oh she knew he wouldn’t back down, but she was still going to give him the chance. She really didn’t want to kill him but she would if she had to.

  She released his throat and stepped back halfway to the wall. Joseph got up from the ground and dusted himself off. “NEVER, I will never let a bitch half bred female be over me. We are LYCAN!” With that he charged again. His eyes gleamed with blood lust.

  Aryana felt the magical energy ball up in her hands and she thrust both balls out towards him. He went flying back through the air and slammed into the opposite wall between Stephen and two of the guards who went scurrying out of the way. With her hands held out in front of her and the magical energy hold the wolf to the wall she approached.

  “Last chance Joseph, back down.” Her eyes were deadlocked on the older wolf. She knew what he would say but she wanted the others to hear it. She wanted them to here him sign his own death warrant.

  Joseph remained silent his murderous stare was his answer. It was clear to everyone. He was not going to back down. Becoming head of the Council and remaining there all these years had made him power hungry and given him an ego. He was no longer Pack but enemy.