I Howl for My Lover

After a week or two I fell into a pattern. I'd play with Ashley for an hour in the morning, hunt with the pack for breakfast, spend the afternoon, cheering up unhappy people and help spark romance to add to the spring mating season.I watched a few of the mating competitions and spending public time with Kalor then letting Kalor take the males hunting and playing with Ashley until I fell asleep. A few times I got to play with the entire band and we all talked through our mental link as a pack.

My mark blinded me with fake love for Kalor and we got along well enough but something was changing in him and it was scaring me. He was sweet to me but constantly getting more hostile and agitated with the pack.

'Kalor, love what's wrong?' I asked at the prodding of the pack. Since I seemed to be the only one who could calm him down.

'The pack is not listening to me anymore,' He growled.

I looked at him. 'Have you tried a gentler approach. You're not acting like yourself,' I said trying to be soothing.

'And how would you know!' He roared, towering over me.

I fell back with a yelp as he leaned over me.

'Your only concern is keeping your human happy. You don't really even love me. You don't know who I am,'He hissed

'If this is about me, why do you take it out on the pack. They love you like they should but you're terrifying them. And me.' I said cowering back.

I could see him waring with himself.

'I should have killed your human when I had the chance. I dont like sharing you.' He growled.
I slipped from under him and growled. 'You should have thought about that before marking me and making me a mate to two at the same time.'

'How dare you growl at me,' He slapped me hard across my face.

I yelped in pain, blood weeping from a mark I was sure would scar. I whimpered and whined then took off running to find my sister.

She growled as soon as she saw me. 'who did this to you?'

'Kalor,' I whimpered.

'He will only get worse if we dont stop him,' She said, her eyes glowing liquid silver.

I closed my eyes and lay my head down and she came to me in her human form. I growled. 'No. I want Kalor to look at this and know what he did to me.'

She sighed. 'There is much to be done to want to stop him' She thought.

There was a low growl at the mouth of Kira's den.

'Kira, I just want Phoenyx,' Kalor thought.

'No. I will not let you have her tonight. I refuse.' She growled. 'Leave here, Kalor.'

As seeress she was the the only person who could command an alpha. Our hierarchy went Seeress, Seer, Alpha/Luna Pair, Lishta/Lishton, then others. Kira's voice was layered with a tone that even an alpha couldnt help but obey.

Kira was normally very passive and never used her sway over alpha's before.

'I will always be your sister first, your seeress next,' She thought laying down her head on my fur, running her fingers through it gently.

'Get some rest, you'll need it,' she thought and hummed to me until i fell asleep.

The next morning I woke up and poked Kira who'd slept in her human form agaist me. 'Hey Kira! Wake up!' I said rocking her sleeping form with a paw.

She opened an eye. 'Aw, not that look,' She moaned.

'I have an idea,' I thought.

'Yep, its that look,' She closed her eye and sighed.

I told her my plan and she looked up at me, her eyes glazed over but I knew she was using her gift.

'The future isn't clear to me now, there are multiple possibilities for ways this can end,' She said, in a hollow tone that meant she was still half in the future.
'If this works out...I want you to come with me,' I said softly.

She looked at me and thought. 'If this all works out, I will go with you, I swear it,'
I nodded and left to find Kalor.

Kalor was an emotional wreck when he saw my scarring eye. I knew he saw the claw mark along my face and whimpered.

"Rhanya, I'm so sorry,' He whimpered.

'It's a little late for apologies.' I said calmly.

'Why are you so calm about it then?' He asked warily.

'I challenge you as alpha,' I said through the entire pack's minds. 'You're putting the entire pack in jeproady with your mood swings.'

'You dare challenge me, Luna?' He growled.

'Accept or be outcasted,' I demanded.

When an alpha is challenged they either accept and fight for dominance or the refuse and are painfully exiled. If the alpha accepts, the two wolves either fight to the death or until one wolf backs down, giving in. The wolf is the exiled and forced to carry a scar of shame to show their loss.

'I accept. The fight will be at sundown' He said shocked and I padded away to prepare myself with Kira at my side.

That night the third night of the full moon began to rise and I padded to the circle of spectators. I looked up at the full moon.

'Goddess give me strength,' I prayed and looked to Kalor.

'You can still back out. I don't want to hurt you anymore than I already have,' He said in a last ditch effort.

'You and I both know if I back down I get exiled now and I don't want that,' I said as we began to circle each other.

'This is really what you want?' He asked, my heart ached with his pain.

'Yes," The battle began.

He struck out and I dodged, landing a hard scratch against his face.

'Payback,' I growled.

He got a bad grip on my left paw and rebroke it.

I hissed and took the chance to latch onto his neck and shook him hard, hearing the bones break and snap.

I dropped the lifeless body and howled in triumph, feeling the pain of our bond shattering. I fell to my knees, shifting back tears in my eyes and screamed, a pain filled, frustrated sound. I cried for my consort, my heart breaking and the once shimmering gold tattoo on my shoulder turned black as night and shimmered mutedly.

I felt Ashley jolt in surprise at my pain. I felt my body healing and my mate mark burned. It was staying black for good. My heart ached. 'Ashley...I need you,' I whimpered passing out.

Ashley's POV

I was worried, I felt a jolt of pain from Nyx then she didn't play with me last night nor this morning. Later that night I felt something in her break and burn.

'Ashley...I need you,'Her mind whispered and then I felt nothing from her. I freaked out.
"Pull yourself together man, we have a show to play," Jake said but he looked just as freaked. He heard her too.

"We have to be strong for her, remember," CC said, serious a first in a while.

"Besides, Kira won't let anything too awful happen to her," Andy said with conviction.

"I know." I whispered feeling a void in my mind where Phoenyx normally is. It left a bittersweet taste in my mouth.

"BVB, you're on in 5,"A stage manager said.

"Lets go play a kick ass show for Nyx," Jinxx said.

I shook off the rest of my worry putting on my facade of happy engaged sexier-than-thou rockstar. "For Nyx,"

Phoenyx POV

I woke up in my human form and found Kira who smiled at me.

"Hail, alpha Phoenyx," She greeted me touching her forehead and held her hand out. "Eriate Motev Ouran Mahlia," she said 'I bless your vision'

'I bless your vision' was a way of giving the utmost respect to an alpha. It was a way of saying I stand behind you and everything you stand for I will support.

"Hail Kira," I smiled and touched my forehead. "Eriate Motev Ouran Mahlia, Seeress."

She glowed with pride and hugged me. I could feel Ashley relaxing after being tense for so long about me. I sent a wave of peace to him and took Kira's hand and we ran outside.
The lycans all stopped what they were doing and bowed to me. 'Hail Alpha Phoenyx,'

'Hail my Lycans,' I felt a rush of pride in them. 'Tonight we commemorate the loss of the lost Alpha Kalor. We shall remember my consort for the good things and not the bad that corrupted his heart lately.' I thought to them and the nodded and got to work.

I let my sister lead the hunting party and sought out Talon, shifting into my wolf form.

'May I bespeak you Talon?' I asked softly

'You may, alpha,' He murmured sadly.

'I know you were very close to Kalor,' I thought to him.

'I know why you did it, alpha. I know you didnt for all of our safety. I tried to talk and soothe the darkness out of him but I'm no Lishton.' He said looking up. Talon had beautiful smokey grey fur and vibrant brown eyes.

'He was your best friend and I can't replace that to you. I'm truly sorry,' I said touching my nose to his and looking him in the eyes, passing a bit of peace and respect to him.
'Well I wasn't the one who had to kill his own mate,'He said softly, a bit calmer. 'I bless your vision, Alpha,'

My mate make burned a bit. I figured every time I thought of my fallen consort it would burn a constant reminder of what I did to him.

'Thank you,' I murmured

'I have a feeling that wasn't all you came to see me about,' He said.
I leaned back and sat, 'I ask that you do one final thing for my sake and Kalor's.'I told him my plan.

He thought for a while and nodded. 'You and Kira deserve happiness. I'll do it though you will still be alpha by blood-right. The right will forever be in your bloodline.'

I nodded. I knew that but Kira and I were the only ones in our bloodline so I had no one else to pass this responsibility to.

'Thank you,' I whispered and went out as Kira and the hunters returned with huge amounts of meat. Deer, rabbit and wild turkeys.

Later that night the fire was burning, we howled for Kalor's soul to find peace in the Goddess Lycra's realm and reminisced on Kalor's better days.
'May I have your attention, please?' I asked softly.
Everyone turned to me and Kira who was at my side.

'I have killed my consort for you all, but I am not cut out to be alpha of this glorious pack. Many of you know I have an Ishtaran. My place is with my mate. Many of you may not know but I mated Kalor out of duty. To protect my Ishtaran and my family there. I must go back to them. So I tap Talon to be my successor and step down this night. I shall be gone in the morning and I want you to know, I will always love you.'

'Why not tap Kira since she is in your bloodline?' A male asked me.

'Because I am going with her.' She answered. 'I let my sister leave me too long and consequences happened for all of us. We lost a great Alpha to petty jealousy and uncontrollable impulses. My alpha's heart has never fully healed and will not because of her bond with Kalor but I will not sit idly by as she leaves me. She is my only family.'

We spent the rest of the night saying goodbye and went to bed early. I played with the engagement ring that still rested on its chain. I slipped it over my head and went to sleep. I wanted to surprise my boys so I didn't play my guitar tonight.

'Soon, my love, we'll be together, just like I promised.' I thought softly, falling asleep.

The next morning, Kira and I were up before Dawn and with one last farewell to the place we called home, we left.

'Its about a 4 day run. The guys will be home a few hours after we get there if we make good time,' I told her as we ran.

'Well lets make good time then,' She teased and we ran on.