Chapter 3 3. CHAPTER TWO

"Alpha, we need to regroup right now!" Craig, Alpha Arch's Beta shot out frantically as he sprang into the office.

Alpha Arch dropped the books he held in his hands, that would bring more information on what a moon goddess weakness was. It had been completely useless. No-one could fight with their god or it would lead to suicide.

He looked at Craig, his wingman anxiously. What could be the cause of such a pandemonium? Craig looked completely disheveled and downright awful.

"What is the matter, Craig?" He shot out as calmly as he could.

Craig visibly paled. "Some of the rogues who had escaped during our war with the Blue Pack, have returned in armies. It had taken them 500 years to train, and I fear they might destroy us all if we don't act fast!"

Alpha Arch got up immediately, everything in him moving towards the war zone. He walked so quickly, removing his royal blue robe that signalled his status, his eyes fixed on Craig.

"Tell me, how many are they?" He asked fiercely.

"Ten thousand men excluding women," Craig supplied immediately, his voice quirk in fear.

Alpha Arch nodded. He shot out a voice note through the mind-link, informing the Soldiers to meet at the war court in the barren terrain, two meters away from the border. They had to move now, if they didn't, it may lead to unpleasant tales.

He pulled Craig towards the door. "Listen, we must protect what's ours at the cost of our lives. I will meet you at the terrain, I have something to do." He said with such authority, that Craig had no option, but to submit.

Beta Craig raced out of the court, leaving Alpha Arch at the door of the office. As soon as the Beta left, Alpha Arch rested his back on the door. It has finally come to this. This was the punishment that the goddess had alluded to them.

He pulled himself away from the door walking to the maiden wing at the left part of the pack house. There, he met a couple of women carrying milk and honey in glass tumblers. He ignored them all, focusing on the wooden door.

He pushed the door open. His rage almost getting the best out of him. He thought of killing the child, but changed his mind. That would have been too easy. Tatiana lay in bed, her tummy was so small like she wasn't with child. Her hair was like painfully crafted strokes around his bed. She was 7 months pregnant!

Tatiana looked at him with fear masking her features, and Alpha Arch openly relished it. She needed to be afraid of him. He was sure that Luna Sheryl was far from the premises. She was already on her way to the terrain, preparing to fight till her last breath. It was just as good.

"You should have sent for me," Tatiana whispered.

He said nothing, simply going over her, towering over her as she lay there. A few women stood by the door, waiting to see what might happen. Alpha Arch didn't care, they would be witnesses to what he was about to do.

With pristine fingers, he pointed at her belly. "This child shall never be strong. He shall be spat on as an Alpha for the rest of his life. For the shame you've pushed me to see and feel, your name shall be shame. I, Alpha Arch, mighty in splendour, one of the most feared and ruthless in all of the werewolf community curse you! You shall be completely useless at the hands of the moon goddess. Your name is Alpha Ripp. It shall be a reminder of all you've caused." He said fiercely, then slit his hands, dropping the blood on Tatiana's exposed belly.

"No!" Tatiana screamed, but it was too late!

Alpha Arch dived out of the room from the available window, his features shifted immediately from man to wolf. He was a dark wolf, and he prowled on all fours to the terrain. In his wake, Tatiana got induced into labour out of panic.

The dawn met the dusk at an impasse, as the sound of hoofs and howls met the ears of the night. Alpha Arch could make out his Luna, she was beautiful in her white pristine wolf. He did not go to her, instead he growled pulling them towards him.

They were seven thousand men, excluding the women and teens. He growled once more, as he turned his head to the direction of their enemy.

Using the mind-link, he barked out orders. "When we get to them, we wouldn't try to talk to them. They are rogues and have no sense of right. They are engineered to kill. If we lower our guard, they would finish us all. The families we've left behind needs to be protected." He paused. His paws scraped the dry earth, and the wolves howled in response.

"We shall go into this war in troops," He continued. "It shall be a mixture of the strongest to the weakest according to their genders. If the Blood-Moon pack gets destroyed, thanks to the Blue Pack rogues, it would be a shame to us. But, if that happens, we must make sure we weaken them so badly, they wouldn't be able to stand on their paws!" He shot out.

"Yes, Alpha! We are with you till our last breath!" The mind-linked as one.

More howls shot through the dark night. They interlaced among themselves as the orders had been delivered. It was time for war! They were going for blood!

Finally done, they followed Alpha Arch's dark wolf into the night, breaking shrubs and howling as one. Death has never looked so pretty.

Back at the pack house, Tatiana was wailing and about to shift into a wolf. Priest Antoine grabbed a needle that was loaded with wolfsbane and injected it into her skin. She became half-calm at that moment. He had to do it for it was risky for both her and her unborn baby if she shifts.

The female midwives bound her in fetters, tearing her clothes off and covering her with a green blanket. They implored her to push, she had to push. She needed to, even when the baby was premature. It was the wolf in him that would bring him out to the world in such a crude way.

Tatiana felt weak and slightly intoxicated thanks to the wolf-bane. She imagined pulling the child through her fingers, but being bound didn't make that possible.

"You need to push," Priest Antoine ordered as he sprinkled a green concoction over her.

She gritted her teeth, as she pulled herself up. The baby seemed to be holding unto something in her womb. She wished then, they had babies like other animals, instead of a human child instead. The child didn't want to cooperate!

One of the midwives, plucked her hands inside her vagina, tweaking and pulling at something she couldn't see. She weakly moved her hips once more, the pain hitting her in waves. She couldn't see anything or make-out what they were telling her anymore. She hurt so badly!

Rolling towards the field was Alpha Arch who seemed at the point of dying. He had lost so much blood. He wasn't sure how long they've been fighting these rogues. They weren't depleting at all. His eyes were flitting in and out and he struggled to focus.

Just then, he felt a wolf sink his fangs on his right shoulder. It hurt so much and almost caused him to gag. He shrugged him off, but the rogue wouldn't let go. In a backward move, he pulled himself backward, slamming the rogue on the nearest tree with such force that shook the tree from its root. The tree didn't break, but the rogue wouldn't quit either. It tried to attack once more, using his claws to scratch Alpha Arch's face.

Alpha Arch growled, going backwards, and standing on all fours. With every form of strength he possessed he slammed himself into the other wolf. It whimpered and lay flat. Not willing to be taken unawares, he bit the hind legs so deep, he tasted the grey wolf's blood. The wolf was also trying to defend itself, but it was too late, its leg was almost dislocating from its body.

Before Alpha Arch could finish him off, something slammed its fangs into his side. He coughed out blood, in response. It took all he had, not to change back into a human. The pain hurt like hell was already in vogue.

"You mutt! I'm going to destroy you!" Luna Sheryl screamed across the terrain.

Alpha Arch felt the wolf grow limp by his side. He lowered himself on all fours in response to it. He tried his best to shift into human, but the strength needed for that to happen has being sapped from him.

"Alpha Arch! Please stay with me!" His Luna pleaded.

In a state of haze, he could make out her bloodied wolf collar. Her striking blue wolf eyes was thick with tears. Alpha Arch managed a small wolf smile, and let the unknown take him.

"No!" Luna Sheryl screamed. "You cannot die!" She screamed at him.

There was no response from him, and at that moment, something in her snapped. She shot out into the midst of warriors with blood in her eyes. She wished to die on that terrain. When her mate was no more, there was no reason for her to live.

Back in the pack house, Tatiana pushed the child weakly, and in that 100th attempt, the cry of a baby was heard. The midwives and priest tried to hand him over to his mother, but Tatiana was too weak to hold him.

"You shall be called Alpha Ripp as your father, Alpha Arch has spoken. You're too tiny for your own good." She said morosely.

With that last word, she took her last breath. The whole terrain and pack house went dark, as the moon goddess from the midst of it without any fanfare. She had promised to come in the seventh month, and there she was.

"Alpha Ripp, the curses your father has placed on you will prevail until you meet your soul-mate, accept and mate with her on the full moon. Then, you shall wax strong and be the greatest of your time. Anyone who tries to put you to death, shall die a death of a vagabond. My words is sealed with the seven moons and stars in the skies." She said in a still voice.

When she'd spoken her fill, the darkness gave way, as the cries of the new baby Alpha intensified. It was as if he knew the fate that has been mapped out for him.