Alpha Xander: His Contracted Luna

In the rising of the dawn, Joni drives into the opened Manor gates. Xander was in the backseat, with Catherine gently resting on his lap in her placid unconsciousness. Xander held out a palm on the frosty side glass. Manny was passed out next to the driver’s seat with a palm on his face, his head prodded against the car window as they went over a bump.

The Manor was silent and was an embodiment of hope. At least now that the Alpha pack was all away from the Manor. The full moon was around the corner and they would usually leave the manor a few days prior.

The two pillars in the façade of the Manor held a flag: a bare human figure. A larger human with an arched stance bearing claws on the hands and feet, hairs foreshadowing the face. Alas sheathed in fur from in its seven-foot length from its forehead to the tip of its tail. on four strong furry legs, then up to the hackles, neck to the forehead was raised. Ivory teeth appeared between its jaws.

It was the beginning of the day. The fields were covered with dews. The air was cold and breezy. The car made a stop at the courtyard. The fountain water had become icy, and the edges sparkled with short pointy crystals forming a lattice.

The Alpha’s car had broken down back at the old witch’s cabin. From the turbulence of discrepancies anchored by the which, at the time, the Alpha’s car was hardly intact. The car windows had been smashed by tree branches. A few compartments like the bumper and side doors

Joni turned off the engine. He felt a slight warmth from his beanie. He scratched his head and turned to wake Manny. Manny was already awake and staring straight at the crevice of the fountain. The spot where he had once sat with a love he wished to be true. Although the love brewed but fire that burned in their hearts was quenched too soon. He closed his eyes, held his head up high, and balled a fist.

“There’s no plan to stay warm forever in here,” Xander unlocked the door and stuck out a leg on the ground. “One of you should grab me a coat from inside. Two coats even,” he observed the hairs on his bare upper body standing.

The beta and delta turned to each other’s faces in anticipation of who was going out. Without hesitation, they both went out the car doors and shut them standing outside in the harsh cold. They glance at each other walking over to the fountain, rubbing their palms over their arms incessantly.

“Don’t take that long to respond Delta,” Manny breathed out pulling his sleeves over his wrist. “It makes the Alpha think we are incompetent or sometimes… just be active alright man.”

“I am as active as I will ever be-Woah,” Joni held Manny from almost slipping on the ground.

He looked surprised the Delta would come to his aid all of a sudden. They walked to the doorstep and he gestured for Joni to wait.

“You can wait here. I will go grab the coats,” Manny went in.

Joni looked back at the car. He barely saw anything through the ice-glazed windshield. The door of the entrance slammed shut. Manny was out with a grey and brown trench coat hung over his shoulders.

Although they had they had sleeves on, and were supernaturals, obviously, they couldn’t alter the weather like the witches or boldly roam in extreme cold like the vampires and other creatures alike.

“I will be deep in a hot bath soon,” Joni chuckled. “But we gotta meet up with the others at the lake.”

“Man I’m not feeling it today… the whole hanging with the others. The thing is we got no choice right?” Manny jerked away. “The lake is probably filled with chained and freaking locks to hold us down at some lower parts of the banks.”

Joni rushed to his side, “The Alpha took his chances bringing Catherine here. Yes-we are still going to take her back to the condo,” he muttered. He rubbed his palms, “I don’t know what he has planned but… let’s see. We go where he goes, we fight where he fights.”

Manny nodded and deep his hands fast into his pockets.

They walked back to the car and saw Xander already behind the car. He was wrapped in a sheet laid in the trunk. He had Catherine covered too. He carried her in his arms.

“What took you boys so long?” Xander grimaced. He walked to the fountain and turned back to look at them. He raised a brow, “head back to the cabin and find every last part of my damn car.”

Manny inched forward for a suggestion.

“It’s all a pile of-”

“Pile of what?” Xander scowled.

“What he meant was… the uh… parts are all gone. If not, scattered around in that old place,” Joni swaying his hands.

Xander fixed a stern look on them. They clasped their hands behind their backs and slightly lowered their heads.

“Did you guys hear me stutter?” Xander’s forehead creased.

“No Alpha,” they both said stepping back slowly.

“Now get going!” Xander ordered.

They were short of words but mostly stunned by their Alpha’s drastic out-of-pocket move. The delta got in the driver’s seat and the beta got in the side. The Delta started the engine and reversed. They drove away from the courtyard and made their way past the fields northward to the gates.

Xander pulled over the sheet from Catherine’s pale and sublime face. He picked a lint off her cheek and covered her eyes to her forehead, leaving an opening for a breather. The sheets were thick and tacky, he wouldn’t want to suffocate in her state. In other words, she was a vegetable.

***

The shutters were closed. The room was heated by the thermostat. The Alpha in his robe had settled in his room with vulnerable Catherine on the bed. He was infuriated about the clueless state he was in. The thoughts of having to fight the Alpha pack over Catherine if the insidious truth came out. When the secret is in the light he would have no power over anything.

“That fucking witch was vague as hell,” he scattered his fingers in his head thinking back tonight. The look she gave him before she morphed into her black raven.

He would have no choice but to convince Manny and Joni his most trusted wolves, to join forces with the Alpha pack. They would want to fight to the death for the Alpha. His hands were tied. Innocent blood will be shed because of his reckless and selfish decision.

“I am useless,” he palmed his forehead looking at Catherine tucked in asleep on the bed. He knelt on the carper, squeezing the loose sheets in his hands. He bowed his head to the ground and groaned aloud.

“I can’t let this happen!” he gently rose to his feet.

He turned to his mirror and clenched his fists tight. His eyes were in a rage and he gnawed into his teeth. Moments away from smashing his fist through the standing mirror, black feathers circled behind his reflection in the mirror. He turned back to see the old witch in her ragged attire smiling.Copyright Nôv/el/Dra/ma.Org.

***

Xander and the old witch sat across Catherine on the bed. She was physical and the bed pressed when she sat. Xander keenly watched her, he put a hand on the bed first before sitting.

“Marion, what are you doing?” she nudged. “This anger isn’t changing anything. Okay smash stuff and break things you can replace, but once that secret reveals itself there will be a myriad of irreplaceable things. Things you held dear,” she glanced at Catherine. “Don’t be a monster,” she sighed.

Xander clamped his palms on his knees and breathed out, “I-I don’t even know… how to tear my family apart with my own hands.” His face reddened, “If I don’t then they will do it themselves. And now you call me a monster for not harming them.”

The old witch looked at Xander, “It is best the truth comes from you, there’s still hope in that. The darkness that exists now will only breed more darkness if the truth escapes the lips of another.” Her nose crinkled, “I will not guide you. This is your path and your path alone. Catherine has nothing to do with this and you know it. She could lose her life in all this,” the old witch said sternly.

Xander palmed his neck and raised his chin, “I know. I know what it takes.” He turns to the old lady’s dark hollow eyes, “No matter what happens, Catherine will see the end of it. She is not going to suffer the aftermath or anything beforehand. You have my word.”

The old witch stiffened, “Your words are meager to me. It never meant anything then, it does not mean anything now and will never mean a thing, to me nor to her,” pointing to Catherine. “You are at a crossroads here, Xander Marion.”