MY MIND WAS in a turmoil. Mum left yesterday, or was it two days ago?I lost track of time.Then Dad was called too. He left last night.And that was how I ended up alone in America. I planned on staying in my dorm for the major part of the day. But I had to go to campus in the morning, I had a major lecture.I entered the lecture hall distractedly, my hood was pulled over my head as I settled down.I should call Jake, I said to myself. I should offer my condolences. Mum had sent me the news that my uncle was dead. Jake would be the alpha now.I randomly remembered a time when we were 9 and Jake had held my hand, saying I would be his right hand when he became alpha.It had seemed like a faraway dream as at that time.Now, it felt like another life.Another reality, but a reality nonetheless.I shook my head and brought out my laptop, and then I perceived it.I looked up sharply and caught the glint of the sun on that ginger coloured hair.She was sitting a few rows in front of me. Wi
THE BURIAL OF an alpha is not small affair. Claude had been the longest lasting and once best friend of Jamie, so he was consulted as to what Jamie would have wanted.And Claude said what Jamie had told him years ago. Many many years ago.Jamie wanted his body cremated and half of his ashes buried in the cemetery, but he wanted his son, Jake to spray the other half of his Ash into a flowing river.At least even in death, he would still have the chance to explore.That evening, Jamie’s body was cremated just before the burial procession started.Zhao and Alyssé stood by a corner. Alpha Jaja had arrived a few hours ago with his wife. His eyes were red rimmed. He had been crying.The whole pack was dressed in black. Drakys III and Faerie were seated at a table, constantly consorting with each other.The grand magus was also at the burial. But all these guest were detached. They were mainly here out of a sense of duty and respect for the dead man.Only Preston and other invited werewolves
A THICK SILENCE filled the air at the cabin. The fire still burned outside but not on its own now. It cackled loudly and the pungent odour of burning human flesh hung heavy in the air. Clyde was seated at a couch opposite Rosetta. Roland was standing in a dark corner, his ankles were crossed and arms folded.Henri stood near the window in his regular pose – one hand in his pocket and the other, holding his stick. But this time, he held the stick at the middle, the head of the stick was hooked to the curtain, drawing it back and opened slightly so there was a thin slice of moonlight casted over his features.Sofia came in from casting a burning spell on Tom’s body, her hands were tucked inside her robes. Clyde turned to her. She gave a brief nod and then settled herself down on the chair in front of the fireplace.“You have been staring at that too much, lately.” Henri pointed, letting go of the curtain and gesturing with the hand holding his stick towards the fire.Sofia nodded.It mi
SHE PULLED ME up with ease. I searched her eyes for any knowledge that I was banished and the reason behind it.I did not find any. Just the warm brown familiar eyes of and her wide smile. She was really happy to see me.“How have you been?” She asked, pulling me into a tight hug.My arms wrapped around her waist and I inhaled the nice fragrance from her hair. We stayed in the hug for some seconds before she pulled back and I noticed a squat figure just behind her.“Oh, this is Grem.” She said. “He’s a dwarf.”I looked closely at this strange creature, barely reaching up to my knees with large feet and hands and big black eyes too.“We have them at the pack now. Not as slaves, though. Of course not.” She said, laughing. “More like an exchange of relationship, we offer them food and shelter and protection and they run the chores of the pack. Like cooking and cleaning.”I made the appropriate noise to that because she nodded and continued. “Dad wanted to offer them money too, you know.
I RUSHED NEXT door to the Alpha house and went on to find Jake.“They are in the study.” Elsa said as I walked in, as if she knew exactly who I was looking for.I headed to the study and walked in and realized why Elsa had said “they". I found him in the study with Alpha Jaja, Alpha Preston, Mum and aunt Charlotte.The heads turned to look at me as I burst in. I prepared to turn back but thought better of it so I stood my ground.I raised my hand and pointed with my thumb to the back. “Is he supposed to be here?” i walked into the room.“Who is that?” Alpha Jaja asked, pushing back his chair and standing up.We heard the door open and the sound of walking stick tapping the floorboard as footsteps approached.The pale figure of Henri filled the door as Henri came up and looked around the room. His eyes lingered on me before he moved on to Jake.“I came to pay my last respect. Your father was a good man and a strong Alpha.” He said and turned and walked away before any of us could say a
I WAS AWOKEN by the harsh Ray of sunshine coming from the window. I glinted and squinted as i sat up. The fireplace was off. The wood had all burnt off.The main sitting room was buzzing with activity. People were coming and going, I heard Jake’s voice talking with someone.I turned and yawned and saw he was talking with Gibson. I grimaced as I remembered that this huge man was Dad’s replacement. I heard the door open and the sounds of footsteps as the boys – Billy, Matt and Zach – bounded in.They made a beeline to where I laid down and stood over me.I struggled and sat up. I groaned as I felt a crick in my lower back.I looked at their faces and went a little sad at how incomplete they seemed.We all missed Arthur and Jeff.“I should wash up.” I said, rubbing my eyes.The nodded.I walked and headed up to Jake’s room to use his bathroom.I was half expecting to see Elsa. I could really do with her smile this morning.I rushed to the bathroom to do my stuffs, while in the bathroom I
THE FULL MOON period lasted 2 to 3 days depending on the time of the year. It was the only time the wolves were free to wander about and howl to their content and satisfaction.The wolves of London were evolved and civilised, so some human children ran side by side with their wolf friends during some nights. They would run through the woods, chase rabbits. Then they would find themselves to the knob of a hill and with the alpha starting, all the other wolves would howl loud and long. Nose pointed to the moon and tail flat on the floor. The human children who had ran with their werewolf friends would stay back at the foot of the hill – for the hill was sacred grounds for the wolves – and shiver. Maybe because of the cold. Maybe because of the long, low soul-wrenching howl that all the wolves made into a melodic unity. The human children would cluster together and wonder why the lycan gene had skipped them. Even if they had werewolves parents. Even if their siblings had the lycan gene
I CLOSED MY eyes and listened carefully, I could hear the faint snapping of twigs. I knew Jake was nearby. I opened my eyes and crawled forward silently into a thick shrub of bushes. I heard another rustle before my 9 year old cousin leapt out from behind me. He laughed as he thought he had caught me by surprise but my reflexes were sharp and I twisted and we collided head-on.He was a wolf so his jump was strong and high. We rolled down the path, tumbling and swallowing dirt on the way. We crashed into a tree and struggled to get up. I must have broken some bones but I got up just fine and helped Jake to his feet. I was older than him by almost 5 months. We were cousins, he was the son of the pack’s alpha and he was a werewolf, whereas the lycan gene has skipped me and jumped to my younger brother, Harry who was just five. “Jason?” Jake called, holding unto me hand.“Hmmm?”“You’re my best friend in the whole world and when I become alpha, you’d be my right hand man.”I laughed at