Levi
"Have you ever noticed how the ice cream girl turns beat red whenever you're in front of her?" Xander says as he throws the napkins in the trash.
I throw the cup and turn to look at the coffee shop. I don't know what he is talking about, and I'm not interested really. I never looked closely at her; I was always polite to service people anyway. My only interest in that place is enjoying sometimes the cold unique ice cream that relaxes my wolf when we are both tense. More times the freshly brewed coffee.
"Probably one of them groupie girls. "Oh, please Goddess, make Levi my mate, oh pleeaase" ..." he finishes with a girly voice, flocking his invisible long hair over his shoulder while wiggling his blonde eyebrows at me. I give him one of my dead bored looks to stop him from continuing being his childish disgusting self.
"Want a skirt to go with that attitude Beta?" I arch a brow as I turn around and start crossing the street to go to the pack house. That sobered him up a little, I guess. He follows right after me with a huff.
"Our ancestors wore skirts you jerk..." he says under his breath, and I smile.
"But for real, you know that you turning 20 in two weeks made all unmated females throw themselves in your path lately, right? I mean, you are going to be our official Alpha very soon, and probably find your mate at the same day so..."
I cut him off. "So, nothing..."
I stop in my tracks, and he stops right after me. I turn towards him, and he immediately straightens his back. Xander may be my best friend, my confidant, mine, and the pack's future Beta. But he knows by instinct that I am his superior and Alpha. Alpha command or not, when I stop him, he usually does without question. So, I don't usually hold anything against him.
My Beta is levelheaded, strong, and loyal to a fault. But when it comes to his teasing about females chasing me around lately, I might say I'm totally fed up with now. With Both of them! him bringing it up and teasing me every time some female stops me for the stupidest reason ever; and them literally chasing me around the lands whenever I'm out. It's not like I'm going to know, people! even if they throw themselves at me and stare till their eyes pop out, I have no way of knowing. Not until the Alpha power is officially transferred from my father, and the awakening ceremony is done.
"I apologize Alpha, I was just ..." He starts as he averts his eyes, and I cut him off quickly.
"Not so formal Xander, you make me feel like I'm my father". I smile and he looks up into my eyes directly this time. His respecting the laws strictly like this makes me want to tease him most of the time. "Come here you little fucker..."I reassure him I'm not mad by head locking him and continue our walk in that position.
He lets out a little laugh and untangles his head, shoving me to the side. I made it extra tight with the headlock so he at least can understand I'm half serious, half playing with him. I exhale in a long breath, and we fall into step together.
"It's just...too much right now for me Xan. Dad and Pops are going crazy with the preparations. Menus for the ceremony, the Robe, the purple decorations for my birth color. Pops has even prepared purple glitter for fucks sake, Xan. He said he wants glitter bombs going off when I finish my awakening!" I run my hand though my hair, half tempted to pull it hard.
"You should see his eyes when they have delivered the glitter containers to the warehouse. I think he is more excited about the glitter bombs than the Alpha Power transfer!" I get out a long exhale and a mock laugh as I shake my head at the thought.
Xander laughs out loud and follow suits.
"Man, I can never for the life of me imagine Alpha Damion choosing glitter and finger food for your Alpha ceremony. All I think about when I see your father is him throwing that Delta out of the pack house's 5th floor window because he knocked Marianne by mistake..." Xander shudders slightly at the thought, and I can feel him. Pops can be very scary when it came to his kids.
"Well, I would have done the same anyway so" I let my eyes roam our surroundings by habit of security before I look at my friend.
"I'm just tired lately Xander. Between our waring practice, border patrol, Elder meetings, and the ceremony...the last thing I want to deal with are females. My focus right now is the pack, Keeping the Elders happy, and never disappointing my fathers ..."
He nods in understanding, and we continue our way. I can feel through our bond that he also feels my stress and the weight of the responsibilities thrust upon me now. Well, technically, the full weight will be dropped on me in a few numbered days from now.
My father asked for the both of us at the pack house this afternoon, so we can meet with our Elders. There are some important announcements for the pack house residents tonight, and he wanted everyone involved to prepare for what's coming next.
The pack house residents consisted of majorly warriors from the original land, or other neighboring packs under our jurisdiction. The warriors consist mostly of Alphas and Betas who left their initial nests to settle at the original Lycan Lands. The other pack house residents were Deltas or Omegas who left their homes for one reason or another. Sometimes, they opted for the pack house as they turned old without mates, or maybe just wanted to leave the nest, so the pack house is usually their safest and most natural option. Werewolves have natural group seeking tendencies, so we usually strived for the company of others instead of living on our own, even we have the company of our own wolves.
Unfortunately, some of the other pack residents came in because there was no other option for them. they were either orphans or abandoned pups that the House masters and Elders took under their wings to raise as one big family. Alphas and Betas were the superior lot. They were usually respected, valued. They lived separately with their families or in their own houses that they built across our lands.
Now, the pack house even if it depicts the "together family" spirit from the outside, it is also run according to its rules & laws. Inside and out. The Warriors have set programs for training, border patrols and keeping the peace and security in the packs across the Lycan lands. They are the peacemakers, the war soldiers...among other secret gruesome tasks they are asked when the need presents itself. The Deltas and Omegas were attributed jobs that can keep the balance with the Alphas and Betas in our society. Teachers, cooks, clerks, secretaries, cleaners...service industry people. Like the ice cream girl.
Where Alphas and Betas can choose from a very large pool of opportunities besides the money and titles, they inherited father or mother to offspring, or the nature they were born with, Deltas and Omegas are fractions that were born into an already set kind of life...
I personally think there is something amiss with this system. There is something in there, that we need to look closely at, and change things for these two fractions as soon as we can. I'm just glad my father started this agenda years now and I will the one deploying it. The soonest, the better. Some things need to change if we aspire to be better and greater species in the future. It's a bill that I have been working on with both my Dads since some time now. The next step is to hone and fixe some details, and present it to the council as soon as I'm appointed Head Alpha...
"But seriously, glitter and Alpha responsibilities aside. You should enjoy the females throwing themselves at you for now, once you turn 20 and find your female, their heads are going to turn my way..." Xander wakes me up from the deep pit of thinking I was having by myself. He starts walking ahead but stops abruptly. He narrows his eyes at something far ahead and he frowns slightly.
I turn to look at Xander with a questioning look.
"What's wrong?" the alarms start blasting in my head. Is he sensing something I missed? Can't be, my senses are usually one step ahead of him...I turn and start scanning our surroundings. Nothing seems out of place to me. I turn to look at him in hopes of understanding what this big bastard is doing making me stress for nothing.
Xander was very big in built, almost as strong as me. Just almost.
As a pure blood Werewolf/warlock Alpha, I was considered as one of the strongest in the Night Lore world, so he comes at a close second as a werewolf/Valkyrie Hybrid too. He sports a cropped sandy blond hair, same as in his wolf form. He had the blackest eyes that you could ever see. I sometimes teased him that some evil Valkyrie mojo creature was living inside of him, which usually shuts him up immediately. Coming from a Hybrid family of Lycans and Valkyries, Xander was more wolf than the next wolf you may know. But all that shit goes out the window when the stormiest nights with full thunder and lightning happens, and then we have a blond big wolf running through the woods like a happy puppy with his tongue dangling on the side like a mutt.
He said his wolf is the most in sync with his Valkyrie side on those night runs. Valkyries feed on thunder and storms, so he is usually set after a rainy night. His wolf is usually more powerful the next day, even more powerful than Head Warrior Lucius. I can't complain as I'm usually running by his side on those nights or days. My Warlock half rejoices at the power of the woods. Thunder, wind, and all the other living creature running besides us usually give my half warlock part a power kick, filling my veins and blood with magic as powerful as my Dad.
I hope there is a rainy night coming soon. – My wolf Darius purrs inside my head. Hmmmm, I love the taste of magic on my tongue, that electricity running through my veins and bones...let me out for a run baby.
I chuckle at the seductive tone my wolf is throwing at me. You just had your favorite ice cream wolf, now you want us to get wet on a full moon? it's not happening any time soon I'm afraid. Should I remind you it's the middle of June!?
Tell the Valkyrie to produce some Thunder and rain! Let me talk to my Beta. Xhavy! Let's run tonight! – Darius booms inside my head while he is laughing.
Settle down you weird asshole! my father has plans for us tonight. I will let you out right after the gathering. – I promise, wondering for the millionth time how I got stuck with Darius. Everybody still wonders why the Goddess choose a playful hyperactive crazy wolf for a very serious man like me.
But don't let that fool you. My wolf might be cheerful most of the time, but he is as vicious as it comes. My Dad's Xhexa- Olwyn's wolf- says that Darius is "One big Asshole of an Alpha". He is the type of wolf all wolfs avoid in any kind of challenge. His specialty? tearing throats of his enemies, or whenever the opportunity presents itself. That speaks volume coming from the strongest warlock wolf ever.
"Why is your wolf calling into mine? Xavier is running laps inside my head now! Please, please tell him to talk to us both when he mind links my wolf, I can't go around wondering what's happening inside my skull anymore that's a dick move!" Xander turns to me with a frown. His eyes now a bright shade of gold as I'm sure his wolf is closer to the surface when Darius called upon him.
"Darius wants to run tonight. He said to tell your Valkyrie part to produce some thunder and rain so we can enjoy it more!". I laugh at the disgusted face Xander makes.
"You are both little shits! if my Valkyrie part can make thunder and rain upon request, then I can shit roses. I'm half Valkyrie not a Warlock!" Xander shouts and walks ahead of me in long strides. He goes inside through the pack house's main gate as I follow behind him. He is huffing as I laugh at his retreating back. Xander was always jealous of me being able to manipulate many things with magic, while his Valkyrie half only made his human and wolf form stronger than most.
He still didn't know how to produce thunder like a full-fledged Valkyrie yet, or even slightly manipulate the weather like his strong Valkyrie mother does. But the funniest thing to me is what he envied the MOST: me being able to create a portal to our fridge. It was a ridiculous thing to envy for a warlock with so many other "more important" powers. I possessed other stronger – and scarier- talents as a half warlock than a simple access to Dad's amazing food creations in a fridge. But to each their own, and Xander's own was his stomach. I swear, that big asshole's stomach expands day by day.
I enter the pack house and scan the crowd going about their day. Some were cleaning, while others were working in groups in different parts of the big hall arranging chairs, setting up the buffet, or going through their assigned duties. Tonight, we are having a gathering with the Elders to announce the changes in the house; and to my knowledge Elder Millen had an announcement to make about her new duties in the neighboring pack according to these changes.
"You are here" I hear my brother Lucien says behind me.
I turn around as I spot the red-haired man coming through the main wooden gates and I smile instantly.
Ah, now I understand why that fat head froze earlier like a statue. Lucien was close by...
He walked towards me in very graceful but strong strides. Believe it or not, and as contradictory as it sounds, my brother Lucien always carried himself in a strong but very gentle & delicate manner. With bright red hair and grey smart eyes befitting of a true blooded warlock, he was not only eye catching but emitted the grace and power of true magic walking around. Everyone respected but also feared his powers as "Olwyn's favorite warlock son". He was one head smaller than me, but he had broad shoulders and enough strength to carry all that magic swirling within and around him. He was leaner in status than werewolves, but I doubt anyone can stand a chance against him in a challenge. Even my magic was not as strong as his sometimes.
At 17, he was smarter and more talented in spotting a mage's loopholes than any other known warlock or witch. To our dad's pride, he is one full blooded warlock like no other. He usually took advantage of his intelligence & magic to finish his opponent is seconds without leaving crumbs laying around. Even his Master Warlocks had difficulties following with his brain and magic sometimes at school. Our Lucien had a very special place in this pack and in our family's hearts. Hell, he was more McCabe Hecate than all of us combined if you ask me, and we loved him to death.
"You done with school?" I say as I give him a quick hug.
"I got special permission from Master Sebrus; I already finished all the potions he assigned me this morning" He muses as he scans his surroundings, something he learned from Lycan nature, my sweet talented bother that I'm proud of!
He might be a full warlock, but our dads made Hella sure he picks up all the werewolves' tendencies to protect himself against well...werewolves first, then every other species next. Let's just say, Lucien was adopted in a time where werewolves and witches were not the best of friends. Dad and Pops wanted him to be always prepared to defend not only himself, but his nature in a land full of more werewolves than Mages. Times have changed since then, and the Lycan lands have more Hybrids and witches and warlocks living all together than in any other land around the world.
I arche an eyebrow and gave him a little smirk. He rolls his eyes at me.
"I left everything on his desk, he will surely turn a blind eye on me not showing up this afternoon when he tests them himself. I'm already ahead of the curriculum, and I already concocted them several times last year...and he is just assigning me the Dark Potions chapter now!" He passes me by as he heads straight to Xander who was wolfing down some mini sandwiches at the buffet by the end of the Hall.
"I think Master Seb could learn a thing or two from me, not the other way round..." he says under his breath, but my wolf's sensitive ears already caught that.
"Don't let him ever hear you say that, or he will assign you to mindreading newly turned pups next..." I trail behind him with a laugh as he stops in his tracks in shock.
I see him shudder slightly. No Underage Mage wants to practice mindreading pups! All you can hear most of the time are monologues about food, running, poop or the loudest howls and shrikes you could ever hear in your head. Your brain turns to mush, and your ears start ringing after every session for hours. I shudder myself remembering how Dad forced me into reading the twins' when they met their wolves for the first time at 10. They made it extra special for me with their stupid non-stop stream of dad jokes, and detailed graphic images about that time they caught our Dads going at it on the kitchen Island. I have an extreme aversion to that said Kitchen counter now.
"Xan let's go up. You can finish your baby sandwiches later" I tap on his shoulder as he turns with one tiny sandwich in each hand and one stuffed in his mouth looking like a chipmunk.
His eyes automatically land on my brother, and he freezes. Well, I guess he didn't pinpoint his smell this time since he was busy stuffing his hole with all kinds of smelly meats.
He swallows his food slowly as he looks at Lucien. My brother wakes up from whatever trance I put him in; bet he was thinking about the horrors of pup-mind reading. He continues his walk towards us as he smiles at Xander.
"Hello Xander, anything good on that table?" He proceeds to survey the buffet upfront.
"Um...The turkey sandwiches are good; the cucumbers are extra crunchy..."
Cucumbers extra crunchy? Goddess help me with this fat head Beta you thrust upon me for the next decades...
Xander's eyes follow Lucien as he picks a small sandwich and bites into it. Lucien turns then to me and indicates with his head that we should probably be heading upstairs now. He proceeds us and starts going up the staircase that sits in the middle of the hall. Xander on the other hand does not even give me a glance and starts following hot on my brother's heels like an obedient pup, eyes glued on the back of his neck. Pervert!
I sighed at the sight. I'm quite sure my Beta is crushing hard on my brother, and he is so obvious about it. I wonder sometimes how Lucian never picked up on it, maybe he is as dense. But the last time I even implied to Xan about this said crush of his on my little brother, he sent a flying lamp at my head along with some well-crafted profanities and run out of my suite at lightning speed. The moment I put Lucien and crush in one sentence he turned into an abnormal shade of red, Hell, I even thought his blond hair turned red at that moment, and he called me out some names I never heard in my life. Me being his superior Alpha or not, I discovered that day that "Him and Lucien" were a taboo subject between us. I never tried bringing up the subject ever since.
Of course, Lucien was all too oblivious. Xander was his big brother's friend, and the packs' future Beta. And I guess he stopped there. Lucien was more into books and into honing his witchcraft than he was into minding people around him, so even if my friend made it painfully obvious sometimes, I don't think my brother is ever going to know. One problem down, I don't want to spend even a second thinking about the two of them getting together someday...or not. I guess that's up to the fates.
I climb the stairs and follow behind both until the last big French doors on the 5th floor. the House Headmaster's Office. I can smell both my dad's behind that door, along with the sound of several heartbeats within the room. Elders, from different fractions and species are gathered in that office to align the events of tonight. Xander & Lucien wait on the side for me to be the first one opening the door as the Alpha. I'm aware of what is going to transpire tonight in that Hall. It is a new change. But I'm sure it is for the best. Many changes are going to happen once I have the reins in my hands, I just hope the Deltas and Omegas will look at it as a new positive opportunity to live and thrive better than before in this pack. Whether it is going to be welcomed or not, we will see.
Let's do this! I trust you...you strong smarty magical little amazing babadi boo little shit - Darius chuckles in my head.
You are weird you know that? The Ultimate Alpha my ass! - I respond with a laugh at my wolf's antics.
But for real, I'm always proud of you Levi- He adds in a serious tone this time, as if to reassure me that I'm making the right decisions, that I'm really on the right track.
I smile internally and nod so Darius can feel my kinship with him.
I'm proud of myself, of both my Dads and lineage. I'm proud to have been chosen by the great wolf Darius even if he was a hyperactive crazy bastard. I'm proud of being the next Alpha of the Raven Moon Packs. I should only trust in my decisions, and that what I have planned for our pack in order to continue being the best Lycan pack in the world after my father passes me the Alpha title officially.
I open the French doors and go in.
Let's do this.