LOGINShare
Chapter 6: Internal Divide
Last Updated:
2024-10-29 19:42:56P.o.V. Patrick/Colm
Watching his sister's wolf saunter into the enclosure on the platform squeezed the knot that had formed in Patrick's stomach when everyone realized he wasn't the large black wolf. How could she and Trajan disregard mother so? It was cruel for them to set her up like this in front of the entire pack. Moira never thought of how her ideas would hurt others, and clearly Trajan wasn't any different.
As she emerged and announced her own wolf's name, the crowd started cheering and the young wolves rushed forward. Patrick felt heat rising to his face. She had planned this all along to raise her own standing. To make herself the center of attention. To steal the night away from everyone else. His mother tried to congratulate the entire group but it was chaos and she was forced to retreat to the pack house.
As Patrick turned to follow his mother, a soft voice spoke from inside his head. "We should pay respects to the young Alpha."
"I have no respects to pay to my sister," he thought back angrily. He felt his wolf's uncertainty grow as they kept going towards the house and tried to calm him. "Look, we've been practicing with the two of them for months. There's nothing different about them today than there was yesterday except everyone is now fawning over them. Mother is the Luna and she worked hard to put tonight together. They ruined it for her by having to make it a spectacle."
The feelings from his wolf didn't really change, but he felt Colm retreat further into his mind rather than argue. Wolves would never understand the way the world worked. Mother always said that's why the Goddess made the human side the primary form. Moira never understood that. She always embraced whatever whim or fancy she was struck with and didn't care what happened in the process. Not that she was callous. She just didn't think before following whatever her instincts told her and everything always just seemed to work out. And, based on tonight, Trajan was going to be no better of an influence than her own imagination.
Frustrated, he walked slowly, deep in thought, and was caught halfway to the pack house by very concerned Stan and Seamus. He turned them away, wanting to speak with his mother alone. They were hesitant to leave him, but both returned to the rest of the group across the lawn. Patrick gazed over their heads and saw Moira standing on the platform talking with the other three from their group. He wished he could her what she was saying.
"I bet they're going to do something to disrupt training tomorrow," he groaned internally. "Maybe we should have stayed and tried to talk them out of it."
He felt his wolf stir, but it did not respond. It seemed to be giving him the cold shoulder. Well he was fine with that. It struggled all through the run to keep up and the warrior with them had to slow down for them several times. Maybe some time to himself would make Colm realize he had to do better.
Disappointment. Jealousy. Anger. All drove him on into the house. His mother would fix this. She always did when Moira or one of the other boys were messing things up. She'd put a stop to this nonsense and showboating.
He followed her scent into her office on the first floor. It was off the parlor overlooking the gardens. She always said it was a perfect place to plan for guests. The relaxing and peaceful environment eased her mind. Surely if she ever needed it, tonight was the night.
His mother was sitting with her back to the door gazing out of the tall windows at the moon. As he walked quietly forward and sat across from her, she addressed him. "I ask her for guidance but never hear anything. The Moon Goddess has given us so very much but she also tests us to know we are worthy. But I never can decide if things like this are a test or a gift."
Patrick sat and waited. He had no answers. Did she blame him for being in on Moira's stunt? His heart stuttered and he was about to defend himself when...
"No. Moira's... condition... is no gift," she responded to herself matter-of-factly, cutting across her son's silence. "It's most likely some sort of joke of Moira's, she never has taken our traditions seriously, but at worst it's some sort of fluke. It doesn't change anything. The elders will know what this situation means and how to remedy it. I will call for Elder Micah tomorrow." With that, she turned to her desk and pulled a sheet of paper towards herself and began writing, a look of calm efficiency back on her face.
As she seemed to have reassured herself with the note, she finally looked up at Patrick. "You should return to the ceremony. Remember to greet everyone and don't remain tied into the same group for more than two minutes. Mingle. Go on."
Her got up and headed for the door as she waved him away. Behind her composure was the tired, strained look she always got when Moira had a plan that needed to be cleaned up. It brought him back to when they were 11...
Moira decided they were going to get a firebird feather. The birds flew over the mountains in the winter and she had heard some of the witches talking when they came to pick up some herbs. "They fly just over here and often stop on the slopes of the mountain around there to rest before moving on," she pointed and traced a path with her finger. "It should be straight forward to follow some of them and see where they land then find a feather. Same as we do with the geese."
"What would we do with them?" one of the boys asked.
"Just to have and show we did," she responded with a shrug before continuing to outline her plan.
It all sounded simple, but you could only see the firebirds clearly at night. So all the following and searching would be done in the dark. During the coldest part of the year. And it was a new moon so it was the darkest they'd seen all winter. Seven pre-teens slipping over rocks late at night after birds that rumor said maybe landed here... they were lucky to survive. They only did because a patrol heard their stumbling about and shouting so came and found them. Stan had slid into a shallow crevasse and drug Rich in with him. It wasn't so deep they were seriously injured, but they couldn't climb out. His mother's face as she apologized to the other parents once the kids had been fished out and returned to the pack house looked just like this.
But Moira didn't feel bad at all. In fact, she seemed to consider the night a smashing success. She'd seen two feathers burning brightly near an outcropping. Since she was always more sure of foot than the boys she volunteered to get them. To get there she climbed up a tree and out onto a narrow limb and leapt onto the shelf below the outcropping before climbing up. Chris covered his eyes the whole time and Bo and Rich stood just below the lip in case she came tumbling down. In the end, she gave one each to Rich and Stan at school the next week since, as she put it, "They were the ones who the mountain tried to eat to keep these. It's only fair they should get the prizes."
He knew Rich kept his sealed in a jar on a shelf in his bedroom like some trophy. Stan was more clear headed and gave his to one of the elders who had studied the firebirds for years to earn a bit of goodwill. Moira moved on to another idea in the next few days as she always did and never questioned what happened to the treasure she'd risked their lives for. She was always getting them into scrapes like that. He was sure his dad assigned extra patrols to watch the pack house and follow them when they snuck out so he could be sure they weren't in real danger.
"So why did you follow her?" Colm's voice startled Patrick out of his memories and stopped him in his tracks as he started down the steps onto the lawn.
"She always had an idea for something to do," he said, but it felt lacking. "They weren't all bad ideas, and it just felt like I should. I'm her brother and the guys were all going, so it's just what we did."
"Seems like you were all treating her like a leader. Not sure why you're surprised she is one." And with that parting shot, Colm retreated again and Patrick was left with a feeling of being all alone and adrift, gazing at the shadows cast by the firelight wrapped only in a cloak of uncertainty for what was to come.
Related chapters
Alpha of the Peak Chapter 7: Prophetic Gift
P.o.V. Luna Fallon/Zira As Patrick shut the door, Luna Fallon smiled slightly. He was a good boy. He listened to what she said and followed her guidance as best he could. She had not made her usual request that he help temper his sister's wild behavior. They had that conversation rather regularly as she had to scold them both for being in whatever trouble happened, but wanted him to know she understood he wasn't the primary culprit. If only that girl would listen to someone's advice! A soft, meek voice whispered from the back of her mind, "Trajan is an Alpha. The Goddess even gave him a name that cannot be ignored. She is clearly showing the path that should be taken." "It doesn't matter what she has for a wolf. It doesn't matter if the wolf is the son of the Moon Goddess or a reincarnation of greatness.
Alpha of the Peak Chapter 8: Training
P.o.V. Commander Alexi/Baron Warrior Commander Alexi always taught the first four weeks of training for the new wolves. Every pack member was required to do six months of training after their presentation to the pack. This gave everyone the basics of defense and offense should an emergency arise, and gave him and his soldiers a chance to size up the new members as potential prospects once they graduated highschool. As he jogged around the training yard, he let his mind wander and work through his plans for these new wolves. He was looking forward to this group. Not only was it the largest in history, it also contained more than a dozen new wolves from strong warrior lines. The information from the warriors at the run was promising as well. Even some of the slower recruits responded well to guidance and seemed keen to push themselves. He had great hop
Alpha of the Peak Chapter 9: Antici....pation
P.o.V. Moira/TrajanIf any of the warrior leaders had looked at the pack house they may have seen a dark haired figure in one of the uppermost windows facing the training ground. If they had good eyes they would have noticed it was too small to be an adult. If they had remarkably good eyes they could see that this figure was entirely incapable of sitting still."Is it time yet?" Trajan whined for what felt like the hundredth time."No. This morning is taking forever!" Moira responded with a huff of exasperation."Why can't we just go to training? The warriors already went. We shouldgo too!"
Alpha of the Peak Chapter 10: The Real Deal
P.o.V. Narrator Each of the young wolves lined up quickly as the Warrior Commander and his leaders approached. Some bounded over with unfettered excitement while others scurried over nearly trembling with fear. He surveyed the group with an imperious gaze, assessing each one to the bone in the swift glance he passed over them. They squabbled themselves into something resembling a line as he and the leaders stopped and waited for the shuffle to end. This part was always painful to watch. How did kids who had been made to line up since they were small children still not understand how to do it? "We are missing five," he said to the tall female werewolf standing next to him once everyone became still and they could get a final count. She had long blonde hair shaved on both sides but braided all the way down her back. Her bare arms sported a few scars ac
Alpha of the Peak Chapter 11: Requesting Assistance
P.o.V. Moira/TrajanBefore the Commander left training on the first day, the young wolves got permission to practice in the afternoons IF they could find a fully trained warrior to oversee them. Without delay, or much discussion, Moira, Patrick, and all their friends were running back to the pack house. The group barreled through the door so quickly that they almost overturned a side table in the front hall.It being lunch, they first headed to the dining hall and kitchens, but Alpha Darren was nowhere to be found. They checked the patio to see if he was out back, only to find a barren yard. So, throwing all decorum to the wind, Moira and Trajan charged towards the stairs to the Alpha's private meeting rooms. As they bounded up the steps three at a time, the lack of footfalls behind halted them midway up.T
Alpha of the Peak Chapter 12: Alpha Gerald's Assessment
P.o.V Alpha Darren/Tybris "You'll need to help her learn to control her mind link. She only had the Alpha channel partially open, but I could tell she was receiving my top-level thoughts." said Alpha Gerald as he turned towards Alpha Darren. "Why did you keep sending?" Darren responded quizzically. Alpha Gerald was entirely capable of shutting off his mind link, so Moira shouldn't have been able to read him if he wasn't allowing it. "I wanted to test her and see how much she's figured out. When you told us about your situation at our arrival I was curious. You said she's only had her wolf a few months? And you have given her no instruction?" "Just some physical training with her and her brother in human form only."
Alpha of the Peak Chapter 13: The Breakup
P.o.V. Patrick/ColmWhen they made it out of the Alpha's meeting room, Patrick was ready to be rid of Moira. He was sure she planned on letting him go first so that he looked like he hadn't thought anything through. She probably just did it because they were in front of, not only their Alpha and Beta, but the pack's closest ally's leaders as well. Alpha Gerald actually seemed offended by the idea until Moira talked him around."She just followed up where you left off. There didn't seem to be any maliciousness on her part. And we got what we wanted in the end so the method wasn't important," Colm voiced calmly from deep in Patrick's mind where he had retreated after they fought in the morning.Patrick had woken up that morning in a worse mood than he was in after the ceremony. He wanted to confront Moi
Alpha of the Peak Chapter 14: Grapples, Kicks, and Jabs
P.o.V. Narrator True to his word, Alpha Darren spoke with Warrior Commander Alexi about the idea of retired warriors overseeing afternoon practices for the young wolves. Commander Alexi approved, provided he was able to invite particular wolves and work out the schedule. After they had settled the matter, Commander Alexi reached out to several of the more skilled and respected former warriors who had experience with training recruits and was ready to announce the available practices the next morning. As the young wolves took their places, he noticed that Moira and Patrick's groups were avoiding each other. He had heard from one of the patrols that was leaving the training area the previous afternoon that the Alpha's children had a loud and heated fight and the young Alpha had stormed off into the forest. The evening patrols kept tabs on her and her c
Latest chapter
Alpha of the Peak Chapter 108: Horizons
RichBy the time we had finished handing everything over to Patrick, Trisha, and their group, Troi was long gone from the pack house. Even their scent was growing faint as Claud tracked them through the forest and up towards some of the overhangs. It was well past dark when he finally found more than a wisp of them and was able to hone in on their location.As he got closer I realized where they were. It was the overhang where we found the phoenix feathers as kids. Sure enough, they were sitting on that ledge looking out into the distance. They were so focused, they didn’t even acknowledge Claud’s approach. I shifted back and put on the clothes he’d carried before climbing up beside them.They still didn’t act as if they noticed anyone else here. I tried to wait, but eventually grew
Alpha of the Peak Chapter 107: Twin Alphas
Alpha DarrenWith the discovery of survivors, the path forward seemed much more navigable than when we were dealing with a pack that had been entirely destroyed. As Teddy and his uncle spoke it was like watching fog clear from everyone in the room. When he mentioned Trisha finding her mate the relief from the other end of the line seemed to turn to excitement. That was the moment I realized what that actually meant.While Fallon had planned for numerous outcomes from the party she threw the kids to help find their mates, I don’t think she actually considered the possibility that Patrick may be mated to the sole heir of an Alpha. For any pack with no one in line to inherit, having their child mated to the offspring of an Alpha was a clear path forward and made the succession very easy. From what Fallon has said, Trisha was not raised to lead her p
Alpha of the Peak Chapter 106: Survivors
XXXThe group making their way through Flowing Waters was taking ages. I understand their caution, but we have already been out here for a day waiting for their arrival. I had to hope they would investigate the house enough to find the message we left behind for them to discover. If they did not take the time, we would need to attract their attention enough to be discovered but still not be seen as a threat. That would be far more challenging and may even backfire if everyone doesn’t play their parts right.Luckily they were as thorough as I expected and one of the ones investigating the pack house did uncover the message we left. I had the scout who was watching them cut contact at that point and made sure everyone in the cavernous hideout was ready to put on a show. These warriors would be easy. They were already going to be sympathetic, as lon
Alpha of the Peak Chapter 105: In Flowing Waters
TroiWe weren’t taking any chances with our guests until we had people reporting back from Flowing Waters everything they found. Our warriors reported that Trisha and Teddy stayed away from the rest of the pack and basically in a few rooms of the packhouse over the next few days. The only time the three weren't with him was when he went for his runs with dad. Then they'd stay together wherever he left them until he returned. When he did, the boys would bail while he and Trisha spent time together.The warriors who followed the boys reported that Teddy sometimes made brief phone calls. Usually that evening or the day after he would report something to the leaders. Dad wouldn't let us work with Tyko to listen in on his conversation. He still doesn't fully believe us that there is something suspicious about the wolves from Flowing Waters worth being
Alpha of the Peak Chapter 104: Tread Lightly
EnvyEverything clicked into place as Patrick spoke. His sister’s deeper voice when we were in the room upstairs definitely struck a nerve and I realized now she was the one taunting us after the failed High Valley assault. It also explained the way she was included at a critical level in the discussions of possible attacks on packs, though with twins it was possible they would both have a role in running the pack. Even knowing his sister’s ferocity and backing, I couldn’t help but be a little excited. We had found our way in to get through the pack defenses at Grey Peak and probably High Valley.I laid the groundwork for getting him away from the pack with the lure of power of his own. I could feel Strigga’s discomfort at our manipulation of our mate, but I made her understand he would be joining us in the end. If we told him t
Alpha of the Peak Chapter 103: Coming Clean
PatrickIt was hard to know how to help Envy with everything going on. I was slightly glad we had not completed the marking process. I only occasionally got pangs of stress from her instead of the full blown grief she was clearly under. Moira’s suggestion that Envy stay in my room was completely shocking, but I later realized she must have said that just to get us out of her hair and annoy Mother all at once. Mother was entirely opposed to us staying there together alone, but didn’t want to push the issue openly where others would wonder why. Then she may have to admit she was worried about Colm or pretend she was against us completing the mate-bond for some reason. Either of which would also have benefitted Moira so it was really a win-win for her to make the suggestion.It worked for us. While we didn’t mark each other, we were able
Alpha of the Peak Chapter 102: Breaking Fast
TeddyCaleb’s quick thinking following Patrick’s sister and her friends seems to have paid off. I was able to call and warn our Boss and work out a plan quickly. The rogues torched the pack buildings and burned the bodies after the attack, so all evidence would be untraceable. By the time anyone went to investigate, everyone’s scents would have been wiped clean. He got off the phone with me and I deleted the log of the call. I continued the path I walked and turned towards the training fields. Exactly five minutes later he had one of the guys who joined up with me from Flowing Waters call me. In the brief call, he filled me in on happenings at the base while I acted as if I found out the world ended.I looked up dramatically before running toward the training field to find any leader really. It lucked out that the Beta was there and I
Alpha of the Peak Chapter 101: Support Structure
RichAs if the whole issue with Patrick finding his mate wasn’t enough, now Troi was having to deal with what looked like a war against packs and a potential spy or assassin inside ours. They’ve pushed themselves hard since we all were presented to the pack. Basically doing double duty here and High Valley as well as school activities and warrior training. They started to seem more on edge once people in our friend group started finding mates. It got even worse when their dad named them heir and Patrick got sick and they had even more to deal with. I was waiting for them to snap and I could see the moment it was about to happen.When they began to bulk up and I could see Trajan pushing forward, I knew they had reached a breaking point. I couldn’t tell if it was the news of all the attacks or something with Patrick’s mate or thei
Alpha of the Peak Chapter 100: Suspicions
TroiWhen Trisha pulled away she shot an embarrassed and scared glance at the everyone present that caused Mother to burst into tears and pull her into a bone crushing hug. Even Dad went over to mutter words of support and how we’d do everything we could to help and that he had the best warriors already on it and had rallied allies. Patrick kept in physical contact with his mate the whole time and pulled her back into his chest as soon as Mother released her. Trisha’s eyes were red, but we noticed that there were no signs of tears on her face, Patrick’s shirt, or Mother’s shoulder.Something about this whole situation felt wrong. Teddy said he got a call from a friend at his pack who said that something had happened. But that was only a couple of hours ago at this point and the coven’s scrying showed that the attack was fa
