They say the world is calmest before the storm of pure destruction hits. A week of happiness and pleasure burned into my mind. With so many happy faces and Jason’s passionate embrace I forgot to sit and just enjoy the worlds natural peace. Today the overwhelming sensation of doom fogged my heart. Nothing screams death louder than a happy world. Nothing is how it seems around me. I have this hard feeling in my chest that I am doing something wrong. I live with this pack and I’m considered one of them. They even treat me like a Luna. Jason and I agreed not to be mates until my quest is over. I’ve trained my human body everyday and I’ve let my wolf out for a few hours every night.

I’m stronger. Physically and mentally. My body feels better and healthier, the new strength giving me a healthy glow. Gina says I’m becoming more and more beautiful each day. Jason also says this, but you can’t truly trust the words of a love struck man. He still hasn’t told me anything. It hurts and if I didn’t already know I wouldn’t feel so distant from him. I take a deep breath and look up at the blue sky. Dark clouds in the distance means rain.

The storm to come is of a different category. This rain will be nothing compared to what I plan to face in just a few days. With his words or not I will set my plan into action soon. I must do it before a full moon. I want the alpha to die as my mate died. In human form on the floor of his own home.

I grit my teeth and hold back the tremors that threaten to make my hands shake. I feel the rage building and the pain. I close my eyes and let the strong wind pulling through my hair cool my face. The earth itself is a masterpiece and one taken for granted each day by humans and animals alike. Earth is a place the provides and kills at its own will. The only peaceful conversation the earth will grant is the magnificent paintings of the world around us. I could ask so many people if they have actually seen what the world can truly give and I won’t get the same answer.

I guess that is where I am different from anyone else around me. Our grasp of the world is so different and yet we all try to be the same. We all try to do the same. I won’t be just another creature following a circle of life. I will be much more. I will break the chains of traditional lines. I open my eyes and look at the angry sky. The dark clouds closer and the now more dangerous as it whips the trees at high speeds. I will become the first Alpha female!

I feel the first sting of rain on my cheek and I clear my head of the anger inside. The world is growing dark in more ways than one. I turn and walk back to the caves. Rain falls in torrents within minutes and the damp air puts a deep chill in the caves. The people all sit around the small fires. Children sitting in their parents laps or playing with small pebbles close to the back of the large rooms. Laughing and talking twice as loud now with everyone gathered together.

I watch Gina and Kevin laughing at a story Tia is telling them excitedly. I feel my heart twist. Could I have already started a small family? I touch my stomach lightly. It worries me that I might be putting Jason’s pup at risk. I hope with everything I can that it’s not so. At least until it’s all over and we can truly be together, as mates.

My eyes scan my surroundings. I raise a brow and head to our shared room. I walk in and the room is empty. I sigh where could he be? If he’s not in the caves or the room. I rush to the cave entrance. The rain is falling in waves. Small hail stones hit the ground and bounce leaving craters in the mud. The trees are barely visible outside except for the occasional broken branch that slides across the ground. Leaves fly around in the falling rain.

My heart feels like it’s about to burst. Where is he? I search with my mind not finding any trace of him close by. I push farther and still find nothing. I move to the side and hold the wall of the cave to steady my footing. The noise inside the cave is drowned out by the raging storm and wild winds outside. The wind rips at my dress and hair, rain and ice pelt my exposed skin soaking me in it's down pour. I can somewhat understand the feelings of the storm outside, because it matches the storm brewing inside me.

A tree snaps and falls to the ground with a snap and ground shaking thud. A loud roar is growing closer. The sound of a wind storm intent on pulling everything up by the roots. Like claws from a giant beast in the sky. I’m pulled away from the caves mouth to be pushed down in a safe place with the others. The rain parts as if the tornado wanted to show me it’s power. It passed by leaving my ears raw and throbbing from the loudness of the wind.

Everyone relaxed and slowly eased back to their seats. No damage other then a few branches just inside the cave. Even the most powerful of storms can be forgotten in just a matter of minutes. My eyes dart to the cave entrance. Is he hurt? Is he safe? Where is he? I feel my heart squeeze in my chest. For the first time in two years I plea to the moon Goddess to bring someone back safely.

I feel the warmth of a tear roll down my cheek. I can’t be here alone.

“He will come back. I’m sure he is in a safe place waiting out the storm.” Gina’s soft voice reassured me.

I wiped the tear from my cheek. “I know, but I just can’t help it. Worrying about him that is.” I say doing my best to keep the tears from my voice.

“We all are worried about the Alpha. It is normal when you care for someone.” Gina said placing a hand on my shoulder.

I nodded and finally got control of my emotions. “I use to welcome storms. I love them and can’t wait to see the change they leave behind. The earth always seems greener. Something I have always loved about rain is that it brings new life to the world around us. Even if it can take lives just as quickly.”

Gina said nothing and just stood beside me. Her eyes lost in thought as we watched the rain subside to a gentle fall. Soon the rain would end and night would begin. I take a slow breath and run a hand down the front of my wet dress.

“I should dry off while I wait for him to come back.” I say to Gina with a small smile.

Gina laughed. “Yeah that might be a good idea. I’ll go change as well and we can go sit by the pit and listen to Kane tell stories to the little ones.”

I nodded and we both went to our own rooms to change. I pulled my new pink dress from a small wooden box. Jason had it made as well as six new dresses. I smiled at the memory of him pretending to just happen to have it laying around. I quickly changed my dress and walked to the blanket covered door. My eyes scanning the room once more. It all still feels like a dream, but only one I can’t wake up from.

I walk outside to see Gina grinning at a blushing Kevin. Tia jumping up and down by the story teller excitedly. I wonder what could be so amusing. The story teller seemed happy and tipped his head back to laugh whole heartedly to put fact to my thoughts. It's full night now and the darkness made the glow of the fires cast red and yellow light around the large outside room.

The people gathered and settled around the story teller. I sat quietly beside Gina who patted my knee. Our full attention now on Kane.

“To begin this story of our past we all must remain in complete silence. This tail I tell to you is of the most important. Our lives and the lives of our future were created by the happenings of our ancestors. This tail to be true in the past as in the future, so listen well young ones and let the seed of life take hold.”

Kane wove a tight circle of words and drew each person young and old into his grasp. We all leaned in closer and our eyes focused on him. His words wrapping around our hearts.

“A long time ago we all were doomed to live a ragged life. Doomed to shift in the most painful way with no explanation. We ran wild in the dark and knew nothing but death and killing having no love in our hearts. The Moon Goddess cried out for us, but her lover kept her busy keeping her locked away high in the sky never moving never growing. Both stuck motionless in the sky.” He held both hands in the air and clapped them, the children all jumped. “One day the Moon Goddess could stand no more. With all her power she pushed at her lover. Needing true love she shoved and shoved. Storms and raging winds started to separate the two. The Moon Goddess felt her new power and quickly made her move. She flew across the sky and hid in the darkness away from the light her mad lover created. She became happy, but not satisfied. She looked down at us poor creatures and gathered us closely.”

We all knew the story but his words kept us captivated.

“Seeing that our hearts held no love she wove a bond and created packs and with that bond she created the strongest bond of all. The mate bond. A bond that can only be accepted once with a mark of true love. Once that bond is broken or one of the mated dies the other will follow so that our race will not fall into that horrible black pit of murder and chaos.”

Kane waved his hands in the air before bringing them down in a dramatic manner. The children giggled and squealed with excitement and I felt my heart race. His words echoing in my head. A bond accepted with a mark! So not getting a mark is why I’m still alive? Is it possible to have more than one mate without a mark? It has to be. My eyes wonder to the dark entrance of the cave and my eyes connected with Jason’s.

His rough appearance and bloody shoulder drew a gasp from me. Tia screamed like she has seen a monster and Gina grabbed my arm. Jason smiled at us waving his hand slightly.

I stood and rushed to him. My eyes scanning for the injury that left so much blood. My wolf watched closely dismissing the blood and calmly ignored me. Jason wrapped his arms around me pulling me into his chest. Everyone whispered and quickly turned back to Kane. Kevin and two others quietly got up and left for the dining cave. The smell of fresh deer meat hit my nose and I started to giggle at how I must have looked.

Without a word Jason pulled me to our room. Before the door could close I was once again wrapped in his arms deeply immersed in his kiss.